Chapter 5: Mother

Chapter 5: Mother

The mother and son walked into the manor, exchanging warm words of care as they went.

Cheng Lang, however, turned around and left right after escorting his younger brother back to the manor.

Wen Wanning hurriedly gave her eldest son a few more detailed reminders.

Her whole heart and mind were wrapped up in her two boys.

Cheng Yi saw the urgency written all over his elder brother's face and assumed there was a pressing case that needed his attention.

Since his brother's downfall was still over two months away, Cheng Yi pushed down his own unease and bid his brother farewell.

"Brother, go attend to your matters. We've got plenty of time to catch up, brother."

"Very well."

Cheng Lang curled his lips into a smile, then swung nimbly onto his horse and galloped off with his attendants, whip cracking.

Man, that was a cool sight.

Cheng Yi, meanwhile, was dragged by his mother all the way back to Jinhua Garden, where she insisted, no arguments, that he strip down.

Turns out the manor physician was already waiting there.

"Mother, I'm truly fine."

But his normally gentle mother was having none of it.

"Take it off right now, let me see how bad your injuries are."

What worried Wen Wanning most were the wounds on Cheng Yi's back.

The rumors out there were terrifying—talk of skin split open and flesh hanging raw, enough to make her heart pound with dread.

Even though she knew the Old Duke knew where to draw the line, what mother wouldn't worry about her own child?

Cheng Yi couldn't win a battle of wills against her, so he let her help him remove his clothes.

"This... how could he hit this hard?"

The crisscrossing welts made Wen Wanning's hands shake uncontrollably.

"Mother, don't cry. They just look scary, that's all."

Cheng Yi had known his mother would react like this.

"Besides, Grandfather already had the physician apply the best medicine. Your son's got thick skin—I'll be good as new after a few days of rest."

Cheng Yi brushed it off casually.

Compared to real sword and spear wounds on the battlefield, this little scratch was nothing. Besides, the Old Duke had always doted on him—even when he whipped him, he pulled his punches.

But that only made Wen Wanning cry even harder.

She didn't give a damn how the outside world praised Cheng Yi—calling him the Little War God, singing his praises for his bravery and skill, or celebrating his glory.

All she knew was that after a year apart, her youngest had gotten darker and skinnier, and there were scars on his back and arms that were a shock to the eyes.

Clearly, they were wounds from the battlefield.

She couldn't even imagine how much pain and hardship her boy had gone through to earn such honor.

A mother's heart ached—how could she possibly hold back her tears?

Cheng Yi comforted her patiently while shooting the physician a look.

The physician quickly chimed in, changing Cheng Yi's dressings in a hurry and assuring her that the Young General was strong and healthy and would recover in a few days.

That finally calmed Wen Wanning down a bit, though her heart still ached endlessly.

"Mother, don't cry yourself sick. I'm still counting on you to go to the Shen family and propose the marriage."

Cheng Yi looked at his mother's red, swollen eyes and couldn't help thinking—maybe his brother had bolted so fast because he was scared of drowning in their mother's tears.

That did make Wen Wanning stop crying. She grabbed Cheng Yi and pressed him for answers.

"Didn't you say you didn't want this?"

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten that beating from the Old Duke.

"I heard that Young Master Shen has a pretty bad reputation and isn't good enough for my son."

Before Cheng Yi could defend himself, an old nanny waiting on them nearby suddenly butted in.

"Exactly! I had people look into it—that Young Master Shen is notorious. Not only does he abuse and beat his servants, but he's cold-hearted and cruel to his own family too."

"I heard he constantly bullies his brothers, disrespects the Lord, and even dares to talk back to Minister Shen. He's a reckless good-for-nothing with zero manners or upbringing."

"Our marquis manor can't take in someone like that. Madam has always been soft-hearted—if someone like that married in, wouldn't he turn this whole household upside down?"

The more the old nanny talked, the deeper Wen Wanning's frown became.

Cheng Yi, however, just shot her a dark, meaningful look.

Nanny Hu—his mother's most trusted head maid.

In his past life, after his elder brother died, his mother had nearly lost half her own life. If it hadn't been for him keeping her going, she probably would've followed his brother to the grave.

He'd been stuck at the frontier, powerless, unable to be by her side when she needed him most.

And his father had never been someone you could count on.

His mother spent her days crying, too heartbroken to manage the household, which gave this wicked servant the chance to throw her weight around.

For three whole years—until Cheng Yi finally returned to the capital—he only then found out that Nanny Hu had been running the marquis manor the entire time.

Not only did all the servants follow her lead, but even the two masters of the household had every matter decided by her.

If she had at least taken good care of his mother, Cheng Yi might have felt some gratitude toward her.

But instead, once she gained power, she immediately let it go to her head. With no one to rein her in, she grew increasingly reckless, until she completely inverted the hierarchy between master and servant.

What Cheng Yi could not tolerate most was this:

To maintain her position of power, she had audaciously and deliberately tormented his mother.

Knowing full well that his mother was devastated by his elder brother's death, this wicked servant had the nerve to constantly bring up his brother's demise in front of her, even embellishing and exaggerating the gruesome details of how he died.

Day after day, she tormented and provoked Mother in that manner.

By the time Cheng Yi returned, Mother had been driven nearly to madness.

In the years that followed, Mother lived on in a demented, suffering haze—occasionally recognizing Cheng Yi, only to cling to him and wail in anguish.

Every time that happened, Cheng Yi gnashed his teeth at that vile servant, wishing he could tear her limb from limb.

At these memories, murderous intent surged uncontrollably in Cheng Yi's eyes.

In his past life, when he'd discovered the wicked servant's deeds, he flew into a rage and cut her down with his sword on the spot.

By then, Mother had already been cruelly tormented by her for over three years.

That cunning servant was sly beyond measure—outsiders merely believed Mother had gone mad from Eldest Brother's death, and even the Duke's household hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Cheng Yi had erupted in fury back then, launching a sweeping purge of the entire marquis household and disposing of a host of treacherous, sycophantic, and corrupt servants in one fell swoop.

For that, he'd earned himself the infamous reputation of being bloodthirsty and ruthless.

Even now, the wicked servant's mouth kept chattering away, while the gloom in Cheng Yi's eyes grew ever more intense and terrifying.

"The old servant has also heard that Young Master Shen is improper in his conduct—wild and disorderly in his private life. They say he's been involved with who knows how many men, and for all anyone knows, he might've already knocked someone up with a bastard child. Tsk, how could such a person be worthy of entering the marquis household? How could he be worthy of our upstanding Second Young Master?"

Nanny Hu spoke with gusto, utterly failing to notice that both of her masters before her had changed expressions.

Wen Wanning's face was as pale as paper.

All of the capital knew that her husband, Marquis Zhongyong, was a cripple—not only with both legs paralyzed and his martial arts destroyed, but even that part of him was useless.

Thus, rumors circulated throughout the capital that Cheng Yi wasn't the Marquis Zhongyong's son, but a bastard of unknown paternity.

Even more vicious gossip spread through the streets—some claimed she had illicit relations with guards, others said she secretly carried on with former lovers behind her husband's back, and still others accused her of impropriety before marriage...

Among all these, the most rampant speculation concerned Cheng Yi's origins, simply because the Marquis Zhongyong had already been made impotent before his birth.

Every time she heard such rumors, Wen Wanning's face turned deathly pale, completely unable to defend herself.

"Shut up!"

Cheng Yi gave a cold sneer and hurled a medicine bottle straight at her.

The porcelain bottle struck her square on the forehead, drawing blood almost instantly and startling everyone present.

Nanny Hu let out a shriek, hastily clutching her forehead and falling to her knees.

Seeing Wen Wanning's ashen face, she quickly put on a look of feigned realization.

"Madam, this servant was wrong—this servant didn't mean it that way. It's all that Young Master Shen... oh dear, this servant just speaks too bluntly, this foul mouth of mine..."

She slapped herself several times on the mouth as she spoke.

"Nanny doesn't need to do that. I know you meant no harm..."

Wen Wanning had always been soft-hearted and agreeable, extremely considerate toward her servants.

Nanny Hu knew this better than anyone, so she didn't feel a shred of panic—on the contrary, she grew even bolder:

"This servant only meant to say, this isn't our Second Young Master's fault. Forget our precious Second Young Master—any young lord from a respectable family wouldn't marry such a person."

That Old Duke was truly unreasonable, striking someone without even hearing the full story.

"It was clearly that old man who was messing up the matchmaking..."

Cheng Yi gave a cold snort.

This wicked servant truly had no shame—he hadn't expected her to be so reckless with her words.

"What nerve."

Cheng Yi's face went cold.

The moment he spoke, a chilling, sinister aura suddenly emanated from him.

His tone was unhurried, yet it somehow made everyone present hold their breath and stiffen in place.

It was as if some demon from the underworld had seized their bodies and souls—paralyzed with terror, unable to move a muscle.

"Running your mouth, stirring up trouble, and even daring to slander the Son of Heaven—is this how you usually speak to Mother?"

Cheng Yi unconsciously unleashed the oppressive might of Prince Wu'an, and the murderous aura of the God of Slaughter alone sent a chill down every servant's spine.

Even Wen Wanning found herself holding her breath, startled by her son's sudden overwhelming presence.

Nanny Hu felt her scalp go numb, an overwhelming terror shooting straight to the top of her head.

Her heart pounded in sheer fright, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

"This... this servant was wrong! This servant was wrong!"

Panic stormed within Nanny Hu, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.

Why were the Second Young Master's eyes so terrifyingly fierce?

This was a terror she had never witnessed—those eyes seemed capable of tearing her very soul apart.

But Cheng Yi merely said flatly, "Drag her out."

Such a wicked servant could no longer remain by Mother's side.

Two handsome young men around Cheng Yi's age immediately entered, clamped a hand over her mouth, and hauled her out.

Rough and swift, clean and efficient.

The scene fell into dead silence, with the crowd of servants prostrating themselves on the ground in sheer terror.

Wen Wanning stared blankly at her youngest son, as if she didn't recognize the person before her—she wanted to speak but didn't dare.

Yet when Cheng Yi turned to look at her, he was unmistakably her mischievous, headstrong little boy again.

As if nothing at all had happened.

"Ow~"

Cheng Yi suddenly winced and frowned:

"Mother, my back hurts terribly. Please take a look and see if the skin is broken."

Wen Wanning hastily rose to examine him, forgetting everything else in an instant.

"Mother, I met that young Master Shen today. The rumors are mostly false—I find his temperament quite compatible with yours."

Mother is soft-natured, and Shen Yichen is the exact opposite—which, if you think about it, makes them a perfect match.

With someone like that by her side, Cheng Yi could rest easier knowing she was safe while he was far from the capital.

Wen Wanning, however, was full of curiosity.

It was rare for this little rascal to speak so highly of a young gentleman.

After all, in the capital, there were countless noble ladies, scions of prestigious families, and even royal princes. Her youngest son wouldn't give any of them a second glance.

Could he actually have a crush on someone now?

Wen Wanning's interest was immediately piqued.

She knew nothing of schemes and plots; she only knew her son had set his heart on someone, and with the emperor's betrothal decree, she would naturally make it her top priority.

So without Cheng Yi even having to ask, she took full charge of the betrothal arrangements.

After all, it was her responsibility.

Seeing her bustling about, Cheng Yi felt a strange sense of reassurance.

Returning to Yuxiu Pavilion, he was met with sights both familiar and foreign—everything, down to the last blade of grass, felt like it belonged to another lifetime.

And the servants who had died so tragically now stood before him alive and well, excited or joyful, free of fear and resentment.

Even with his feet on the ground, Cheng Yi still felt an unreal, floating sensation, afraid this might all be a dream.

But just then, a voice he hadn't heard in ages abruptly snapped his wandering thoughts back to earth.

"Young master... *sobbing*..."