Chapter 109

Chapter 109

The Crown Prince had been worrying about how to win Han Zhang's loyalty, and now Fifth Prince's cousin had handed him the perfect opportunity!

And Han Zhang indeed matched the information he and his father had gathered—he was truly a deeply loyal and sentimental man.

Faced with the trouble his husband had stirred up, the man didn't hesitate for a moment, deciding on the spot to sacrifice his own future to shield his husband—showing just how deeply he loved him.

Of course, he might just be putting on an act.

But whether sincere or a compromise, the fact that Han Zhang was willing to serve him was all that mattered.

All these thoughts raced through his mind in an instant.

The Crown Prince immediately bent down to help Han Zhang up, speaking with great emotion:

"Master Han is truly a man of loyalty and honor. Seeing you protect your husband without a moment's hesitation shows how deeply you care—truly admirable indeed!"

"Rest assured, this matter is Lady Fu's fault—she took advantage of her status and provoked trouble without cause. Your husband bears no blame. His Majesty is no fool. I'll go to the palace right now and report the full story to him. Your husband won't be wronged."

In simple terms: Leave it to me, and make sure you do right by me later!

Han Zhang naturally rose to his feet, straightened his robes, and bowed with eyes glistening with tears, overflowing with gratitude:

"Your Highness's kindness... I could never repay it even with my life! This is a heavy matter, and I rely entirely on Your Highness to handle it. I'll wait for good news."

In equally simple terms: Get it done, and then I'm yours.

The two exchanged glances, confirming they were both smart men!

Since they were both sharp, no more words were needed. The Crown Prince immediately departed for the palace to go up against the Fifth Prince.

Meanwhile, Han Zhang rushed home to see his husband.

The messenger said his husband's face was hurt—how bad was it?

His husband cared a lot about his looks. If it was bad, he was definitely crying right now.

"Go faster..."

Han Zhang urged the coachman anxiously, his anxiety mounting.

"Yes! Young Master, hold on tight!"

The servant boy outside heard the worry and urgency in his voice, and the knot of anxiety in his chest finally loosened. He happily cracked the whip to get the horses moving.

The young master only cared about his husband's injuries, without a hint of blame for the trouble he'd caused. It seemed they didn't need to worry about their master being divorced—the young master really did love him!

The servant boy whipped the horses furiously as the two of them rushed home.

Meanwhile, back at the small courtyard house.

Madam Shen had gotten the news and rushed over to see her son.

The moment she saw Shen Qinglan covered in bruises, his handsome face scratched and bloody, her heart ached terribly and tears poured down her face.

"How can this Lady Fu be so arrogant and overbearing? She'd always been jealous of your looks and caused trouble at every banquet, but today she actually got physical? And so viciously, hitting so hard?"

Madam Shen gently traced the wounds on her son's face, fuming, "This wasn't just a quarrel—she was clearly out to ruin my son's face! A mere county lady with nothing but a title—even duchesses and princesses aren't this overbearing!"

Qiao Dong and the others nearby were carefully cleaning Shen Qinglan's wounds and couldn't help chiming in:

"Exactly. Which noble young lady in the capital gets physical when losing an argument? Not even a common street woman would act like that."

"We'd heard before that several ladies who'd crossed Lady Fu later suffered 'accidents' that ruined their faces... We'd been avoiding her all along, but today disaster still hit."

"Fortunately, the young master had practiced some martial arts before, so the injuries are just surface wounds. The doctor said that with proper medicine and care, there won't be any scarring... Otherwise, what would happen to him?"

Hearing his mother's and the boys' concern, Shen Qinglan was deeply moved.

He winced in pain while forcing a smile to reassure them: "Mother, don't worry. You know my abilities well enough. These wounds just look frightening—they're all superficial. Zheng Yufu is the one I beat far worse."

"I was much smarter than her—I aimed at places on her body that won't show. Right about now she's probably howling and hopping in pain!"

At this, Shen Qinglan paused, then spoke with some worry and regret:

"It's just... the Zheng family will surely hold a grudge. With the Noble Consort and Fifth Prince behind them, Father and my husband will likely face persecution in the future."

"Mother, it's all my fault—I was impulsive and couldn't control my temper, bringing more trouble to the family..."

Now that he'd come to his senses, the more he thought about it, the more regretful and afraid he became.

The Noble Consort and Fifth Prince held great power. Having offended the maternal family of an imperial consort and prince, this matter certainly wouldn't end peacefully.

Seeing her son growing afraid, Madam Shen's heart ached. She quickly took his hand to comfort him.

"Lan Geer, don't be afraid. Though the Noble Consort and Fifth Prince hold power, the court operates on checks and balances. Your father is now His Majesty's trusted confidant—pulling one thread moves the whole web. The Zheng family won't find it so easy to retaliate against us."

"Besides, An Ge'er was clever—he dragged all the other husbands and wives into the fray. With so many people involved, the Zheng family will have to weigh the situation carefully before seeking revenge for their daughter."

Shen Qinglan was still afraid: "But there will surely be endless trouble in the future—they're still a prince and a noble consort... It's all my fault. If I had just endured it then, perhaps..."

"Endured what? With Lady Fu's temper, even if you'd endured it, she wouldn't have let things go—she'd only have pushed further!"

"If you'd truly swallowed your anger and let her do as she pleased, she'd have stripped your clothes in public, and you'd have lost all your dignity!"

Madam Shen said bitterly: "What humiliation is that? Just because of jealousy, she wants to destroy someone's life. You fought back, and that's that. Now the relationship between the two families is beyond repair, which conveniently leaves your father no way back—he'll have to oppose the Zheng family and fight for you."

Knowing her husband's nature, if the offense weren't irreconcilable, he'd certainly go and smooth things over with a smiling face.

But if an enemy was confirmed, he'd strike ruthlessly like a mad dog.

Zheng Yufu dared to bully her son like this—she was irreconcilably opposed to the Zheng family!

However, Madam Shen was also somewhat worried: "I'm not concerned about your father for now, but your husband's future prospects may suffer from this. I wonder what he'll think?"

For a man, his career ultimately mattered more—especially for someone like Han Zhang who carried his family's hopes.

Even if he didn't blame him now, when his advancement was blocked in the future, resentment would surely grow over time.

Lan Ge'er's heart and soul were devoted to Little Zhang—what would become of them in the future?

Shen Qinglan was actually quite anxious himself, but he didn't want his mother to worry, so he forced a light smile and said:

"What would my husband think? He must be heartbroken for me. Mother, rest assured—my husband isn't that shallow. He loves me most, and he definitely won't blame me."

"Back then, my husband was willing to risk his life for me. Now that he sees me suffering such grievances, I'm afraid he'll be too busy feeling heartbroken to blame me..."

How could Lady Shen not see through her son's forced calm?

But she didn't expose him, only passing along wisdom on how to manage a husband: "When feelings run hot, everything's roses. Well, since it's come to this, let him get a good look at those wounds. Put on your best act and make him feel sorry for you."

"Once a man's head is turned by a pretty face, he forgets everything else. Then hurry up and get pregnant... Should changes come in the future, you'll have a child to lean on and a dowry to fall back on—you won't be left with nothing."

After a pause, Lady Shen lowered her voice: "Concubine Song and Concubine Mei in our house may not have much foresight, but they sure know how to handle a man. You could learn a thing or two from them."

Shen Qinglan's ears burned and his face flushed with embarrassment: "Mother..."

"What's there to be shy about? You're a married man now—making your life work is what matters. As long as you can make things work, any means is fair game. I paid the price back then for being too proud and not willing to swallow my pride."

Lady Shen spoke from the heart, determined to keep her son from making the same mistakes she did.

"Then... I'll give it a try?"

Shen Qinglan felt embarrassed, but he had to admit his mother had a point.

The more his husband doted on him, the stronger their marriage would be.

It was just learning those simpering tricks from the concubines in the back courtyard, right? He could do it—he definitely could!

So when Han Zhang hurried home.

He was greeted by a young husband whose crying was obviously fake, saved only by a face so pretty it made you want to pity him.

"Hus~band~ you're finally home~"

Recalling how the concubines in his father's back courtyard acted, Shen Qinglan pitched his voice high, swayed with every step, and threw himself forward playing the frail, helpless damsel.

Lady Shen: ...

Never mind. Her son was just like her—no talent for that sort of thing.

But every lock has its key.

Han Zhang just happened to love this act from his young husband. It didn't matter that the act was unconvincing—what mattered was that his husband was willing to make the effort for him.

Besides, his husband was covered in scrapes, with bloody scratch marks on his face from someone's nails—that alone was enough to wrench his heart.

"Do the wounds still hurt? What did the physician say? Any damage to the bones or tendons?"

Ignoring the fact that Lady Shen was still there, Han Zhang scooped him up and gently laid him on the couch.

Then he took the ointment from the page boy, using the act of applying it to channel his Power for healing, while speaking softly to comfort him: "I know everything that happened. Don't be afraid—I've already asked the Crown Prince to intervene. As for Lady Fu, so what if you hit her? The Zheng family can't touch us."

Finally, he praised him: "You did well today, husband. When someone bullies you to your face, if you swallow it and endure, you might as well just cut ties entirely."

"If you ever encounter such a situation again, as long as the other party isn't someone who could kill you on the spot, fight back directly. Even if the sky falls, I'll bear it for you—I won't let anyone truly bully you."

Han Zhang's final words were gentle, with no trace of fear toward the noble consort and prince behind the Zheng family.

As if daring them to come, he'd chop off their claws to vent his husband's anger.

Lady Shen: ...

She thought she'd have to take back her earlier words.

Her son didn't lack talent for seduction—he had too much of it.

For her son, this son-in-law wasn't just willing to risk his life—he'd risk the heads of all nine clans!