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Let us not forget the saying in later generations: when it comes to this couple, they are bound together by a red thread, sharing a boat for a hundred years, naturally growing old together, facing wealth and misfortune as one. Yet it is also said that couples are like birds of the same forest; when dawn breaks, they fly their separate ways. This shows that it varies from person to person.
Although Caesar is a Maid of Xu Zhen, she almost took Xu Zhen's life at first. However, after many adventures, she has protected Xu Zhen from death. The loyalty shown with the Carved Bow still lingers in memory. She has sacrificed her purity for Xu Zhen, and the two have developed a deep bond, supporting each other, already surpassing the relationship of husband and wife; they just lack an official title.
Even so, Xu Zhen cannot let Caesar be humiliated by others. Regardless of the intricate struggles behind the scenes, including the fierce competition for legitimacy among the sons, Xu Zhen dares to step in.
This is what is meant by: if one does not offend me, I will not offend them; but if one offends me, I will surely retaliate!
Now Zhao Gongcun has entered the government office, where the court is bustling with activity. Helan Baishi sits back to watch the fight between Liu Shuyi and Zhao Yong, both red-faced and unwilling to yield.
Helan Chushi is perceptive and sees that Zhao Gongcun has arrived. Fearing that Zhao Yong might lose control of the situation, he decides to intervene and end the dispute.
"My colleagues must continue to debate this matter. This case cannot be delayed any longer. How about we each take a step back? I will rule a punishment of sixty strokes. If that works out, then good; if not, we can escalate it to higher authorities and let it be settled there."
Zhao Yong and Liu Shuyi were about to argue further but reconsidered. If they escalated it, this case would gain prominence and drag many others into the dark and filthy struggles behind it. Thus, they fell silent.
The county magistrate ordered someone to take evidence for Caesar and draw up a diagram. The Three Supervisors each affixed their seals before submitting the resolution document. Unless something unexpected occurred, execution would be carried out on Caesar the next day.
As officials in attendance saw Zhao Gongcun come to observe at Jin Wangfu, they naturally exchanged pleasantries. However, Zhao Yong was unaccustomed to courtesy; he coldly acknowledged them before leaving. Upon reaching the Yamen entrance, he happened to see Xu Zhen and couldn't help but act arrogantly.
Xu Zhen endured the humiliation and stepped aside. Little did she know that Zhao Yong was an ignorant fool who brushed past her while sneering mockingly: "Colonel Xu has worked hard. I cannot bear to look directly at you but will share some news: your Maid has escaped death. Tomorrow she will be stripped and beaten a few times; it will all be fine. You need not worry too much; such Maids come at your call; why trouble your heart?"
Although Tang People treat their servants as private property to dispose of at will, this only applies within their own household. If others insult or beat one's servant, it constitutes an infringement on private property and is not tolerated by law!
Moreover, Caesar holds immense weight in Xu Zhenxin's eyes; how could anyone dare to insult her? If Caesar were truly stripped and beaten, Xu Zhen would undoubtedly erupt in violence!
Zhao Yong's expression grew increasingly unpleasant, and Xu Zhen clenched her fists, struggling to suppress her anger. However, Zhou Cang, unable to hold back, heard the corrupt official slandering his mistress both openly and subtly. He was furious but remembered Zhang Jiunian's instructions and refrained from causing more trouble, grinding his teeth in frustration.
While Zhao Yong continued to show off in front of Xu Zhen, Zhou Cang could no longer contain himself. Taking advantage of his brother's cover, he moved to the side of the Yamen's carriage, knocked out the driver from behind, and quickly dismantled the large cart into a pile of debris with a few swift strikes. He then slapped the ox pulling the cart, causing it to run away.
Xu Zhen paid no mind to Zhao Yong's furious outburst. Seeing Zhou Cang chuckling to himself, she felt warmth in her heart, knowing it was his doing. After a moment, Zhao Gongcun and Liu Shuyi emerged together. Xu Zhen hurried over to greet them and explained the situation in detail.
Liu Shuyi voiced all her doubts, suspecting that the Du Family's evil servants were likely impostors posing as assassins. However, she was unsure if the Du Family was involved and needed to ask Caesar directly for the truth.
Xu Zhenxin entered Caesar's cell and felt a pang of sympathy upon seeing him. His eyes reddened with emotion, prompting Caesar to affectionately pinch his nose and feign laughter. "My Colonel brother, why do you look so delicate? Aren't you ashamed?"
Although Caesar had not been tortured, he had sustained minor injuries during his fight with those villains and had not eaten or drunk anything, making him appear quite haggard. Xu Zhen felt heartbroken and questioned, "You are like Zhao Yun among women; how could you be caught by these few scoundrels?"
Caesar noticed Xu Zhen's concern for him and felt a warm comfort in his heart. He quickly explained, "These people are indeed useless, but among them were a couple of skilled assassins. I thought they must have come for my dear brother, so I dealt with those skilled assassins cleanly. I was just worried about bringing trouble to you; I had no choice but to surrender to avoid giving you any leverage..."
Seeing Caesar speak so sincerely about wanting to protect her even in such a life-and-death situation made Xu Zhen feel inexplicably upset. She asked for details about what had happened and made it clear that she would uncover the truth and ensure Caesar would not be humiliated before leaving the cell.
Zhao Gongcun was a capable person; he entrusted the county magistrate with instructions not to let anyone disturb Caesar. He arranged everything properly for Caesar's needs and discussed matters with Liu Shuyi before intercepting Helan Baishi.
Helan Baishi was just finalizing a decision to send officials to the Department of Punishment for approval when Zhao Gongcun stopped him. After whispering something in his ear, Helan Baishi occasionally glanced at Xu Zhen with furrowed brows that relaxed again. It was unclear what business they communicated about, but eventually, he nodded in agreement, bowed to Liu Shuyi, and gestured towards Xu Zhen before leaving.
Once Helan Baishi departed, Zhao Gongcun explained to Xu Zhen that he had already smoothed things over. Helan Baishi agreed to delay reporting to the Department of Punishment for one night. With this delay in deliberation at the Department of Punishment lasting over half a day, Caesar's execution time would be postponed significantly.
To secure some benefits for Caesar, it depended on whether Xu Zhen could find strong evidence proving these people were not servants of the Du Family but mixed-in assassins. Only then could Helan Baishi be persuaded to change the verdict and absolve Caesar of his crimes.
Everyone shared their stories and returned to their residences. The Xu Zhen took advantage of the palace gates being open and went to Shuyi Palace to discuss matters with Li Mingda. Although this young girl had never liked Caesar, she felt a pang of jealousy upon hearing that he had been imprisoned. She dared not disturb her superior, so after much thought, she brought Li Wushuang over to keep a close watch on the prison. Despite her complaints, Li Wushuang agreed, as they had once shared hardships together; her tough exterior hid a soft heart.
The Xu Zhen inquired about Du Chuke's family in detail. While Li Mingda was not very clear on the specifics, Li Wushuang knew everything and explained it all, giving the Xu Zhen a sense of assurance.
After leaving Shuyi Palace, the Xu Zhen sought out Yan Lide to ask for directions to Du Chuke's residence. Such secret matters made Yan Lide hesitant to comply at first, but after hearing the circumstances, he was filled with anger and quickly found someone trustworthy to copy the layout of the Du Family's residence.
Since they were planning something under the cover of darkness, the Xu Zhen did not dare bring Zhou Cang along. She consulted Master Moya and waited until nightfall before taking Zhang Jiunian with her to stealthily approach Du Chuke's residence.
Meanwhile, at the Du Family residence, there was wailing everywhere. Although Du Huan was a wayward person, he was also filial and had earned Du Chuke's affection. His siblings were all crying, and the mourning hall was filled with sorrowful cries.
There is no greater pain in life than sending off a loved one. Du Chuke was overwhelmed with grief and locked himself in his room, holding his son's cocoon and shedding silent tears.
Just as he was lost in sorrow, his wife brought back a familiar face through the back door. Upon recognizing this person, Du Chuke's expression turned cold, and he angrily shouted, "You treacherous snake-hearted thief! How dare you come back to my home!"
The man remained unperturbed, sighed softly, closed the door tightly, and then said, "Brother Du, do not be so harsh. It was merely an oversight by my subordinates; who could have anticipated that it would harm your son? Now that one plan has failed, we need to reconsider our next steps. Do you not wish for revenge?"
Hearing this, Du Chuke's anger flared even more as he retorted, "You scoundrel Li Gang! Is it not enough that you harmed my son? Now you come here to cause me further trouble!"
If anyone else had been present and heard the name Li Gang, they would surely have broken into a cold sweat!
Li Gang was originally the Crown Prince's Horse Keeper under the Former Sui dynasty, assisting Prince Yang Yong. However, he ultimately fell victim to Yang Guang's usurpation of the throne. When it came to Li Tang, Gaozu Li Yuan appointed him as Minister of Rites and Crown Prince's Grand Secretary to assist Prince Li Jiancheng. Unfortunately, Li Jiancheng also met his end at the hands of Li Zhi. Now he had begun assisting Tubo.
This man was like a calamity sent down from heaven; anyone he assisted invariably suffered misfortune. The incident involving Caesar also bore his fingerprints!
Tubo was originally a wise, clever, and polite child, but he was criticized by many ministers and old officials, among whom Li Gang was instigating trouble.
Tubo was not a fool; he was perceptive and understood that all these sordid matters stemmed from Li Gang. Thus, he developed a murderous intent and secretly communicated with the Turkic People, planning to assassinate Li Gang.
However, Li Gang was also a cunning person. Under the watchful eyes of many, Tubo could not find an opportunity to act. Meanwhile, Li Gang's confidant overheard a secret about the impending palace coup.
As a result, Li Gang had leverage over Tubo. He frequently sent spies to follow Tubo. One day, upon learning that Tubo had met with Xu Zhen at Shuyi Palace, he deduced that Tubo must be trying to recruit her as an accomplice.
Yet he later heard that Tubo returned in shock and anger, realizing that Xu Zhen had rejected his overtures. This meant that if Caesar were killed, Xu Zhen would surely believe it was Tubo's doing. Feeling threatened, she would likely retaliate, potentially exposing Tubo's conspiracy to the Sovereign.
In this way, Li Gang would no longer need to worry about the Crown Prince.
But he did not anticipate Caesar's exceptional martial skills; none of his subordinates were capable fighters. Not only did they fail to kill Caesar, but they also ended up losing Du Chuke's son!
Li Gang had seen countless people and held King Wei Li Tai in high regard. He intended to use Du Chuke as a connection to reach out to King Wei Li Tai, hoping to achieve great things.
After this plan failed, he naturally sought Du Chuke again to devise another scheme. However, fate has its cycles; retribution was due. While the two were deep in their plotting, they were unaware that Xu Zhen and Zhang Jiunian had already infiltrated Du Mansion. Xu Zhen was searching for evidence elsewhere while Zhang Jiunian headed straight for the main point and overheard their discussion!
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