Sun Shaozong's brazen behavior at the mansion gates naturally drew quite a few servants and old maids, but not one of them dared gossip, much less stay behind to watch the spectacle.
That was because Sun Shaozu's way of running his household was vastly different from that of Rongguo Mansion. His methods were even harsher than those in the military. Ordinary servants and maids aside, even the concubines in his rear courtyard would be beaten and cursed for the slightest displeasure, or, in more serious cases, sold to brothels.
Thus, everyone in the household proceeded with the utmost caution. No one dared offend Sun Shaozu's taboos.
Sun Shaozong led Ruan Rong into Sun Mansion and, following his memories, found the guest rooms near the eastern wing. He then sent people to the rear courtyard to fetch several old maids and servant girls to help Ruan Rong arrange her room.
They were busily at work when the door burst open with a bang. A brawny man with a face full of beard charged inside. His ox-like eyes swept the room, and without a word, he raised a fist as large as a vinegar bowl and aimed a punch straight at Ruan Rong's face.
The blow came like thunder, whipping up a fierce gale. It carried at least several hundred pounds of force. If it landed squarely, Ruan Rong would likely die on the spot!
Fortunately, Sun Shaozong was not far from her. Seeing this, he quickly stepped in front of Ruan Rong and raised his fist to meet the attack.
Bang!
The two fists collided, sounding like a muffled clap of thunder on level ground!
Sun Shaozong merely swayed, but the leopard-headed, round-eyed man staggered back five or six steps. Grimacing, he rubbed his shoulder, clearly having suffered badly in the exchange.
"Well, Second Master! It's only been a year, but your strength has really grown!"
The man praised him while rolling his shoulder, then immediately barked in a stern voice, "Move aside! Let me kill this vixen and put an end to your foolish delusions!"
"Big Brother!"
The words slipped from Sun Shaozong's mouth. This leopard-headed, round-eyed man was none other than his nominal elder brother, Sun Shaozu. While chatting with the old maids earlier, he had heard that Sun Shaozu was on duty at the Patrol Camp Yamen. Who would have thought he would return so quickly?
"If you still know I'm your big brother, then get the hell out of the way!"
Sun Shaozu raised his fist and roared furiously, "Do you think being a civil official is so easy?! Nine of you were transferred over in your batch. In barely over a year, three have already been framed and stripped of office! One of them was even sentenced to Immediate Execution for embezzling disaster relief grain!"
At this point, his tone softened somewhat. "Listen to your brother. Kill this vixen and be done with it. As for that damned civil post, whoever wants it can have it! Isn't it just a pretty woman? Tell me what kind you want, and I'll find you another!"
Sun Shaozong was left speechless and hurriedly explained, "Big Brother, how could that be the same? I..."
"How the hell is it any different?!"
Sun Shaozu did not give him a chance to interrupt. Staring with those ox eyes, he snapped, "You've clearly never seen a woman before, so this vixen has bewitched you! How about this? After we kill her, look through the sluts in my rooms. Whichever one catches your eye, take her back and have your fun. Consider it my compensation to you!"
Though Sun Shaozu was also lustful and lecherous, he had always regarded women as mere playthings and had never taken them to heart. That was why he could say such a thing.
He apparently thought it was a fine idea and casually recommended, "Those sluts might not be as pretty as this vixen, but they're all quite skilled in bed!"
Seeing this fellow spill all those private bedroom matters at the slightest disagreement, Sun Shaozong was utterly speechless. How had I ended up with such an absurd older brother?!
Speechless or not, he could not simply let Sun Shaozu continue rambling nonsense.
So Sun Shaozong raised a brow and cut in coldly, "Big Brother, if you keep talking nonsense, Rong'er and I will move out. We'll come back when you've come to your senses."
Sun Shaozu froze at that, then jumped in rage and cursed, "Rebellion! Rebellion! Since you were five, I raised you with my own two hands. And now, for some vixen, you want to..."
Before he could finish, Sun Shaozong took Ruan Rong's hand and headed outside. This frightened Sun Shaozu so badly that he hurriedly lunged forward and spread himself across the doorway like a giant character, glaring furiously with his ox eyes wide open, yet not daring to utter another reckless word.
Sun Shaozu had four great obsessions in his life: power, women, alcohol, and doting on his younger brother.
The first three were one thing, but his younger brother truly was the apple of his eye. He feared holding him in his mouth would melt him, and feared carrying him in his palm would drop him. Back when he had sent his brother to Qian Xiang Country to escape disaster, this iron-tower of a man had wept his heart out at the docks, nearly crying himself unconscious.
Now that the brothers had finally reunited, how could he bear to let his younger brother move out?
Sun Shaozong had learned of his brother's obsessive doting from fragments of memory, which was why he had used the threat of leaving home to frighten him.
Seeing that the tactic had worked as intended, Sun Shaozong was about to reason with his nominal elder brother and persuade him.
Who would have thought that Ruan Rong would suddenly stammer, "Brother Sun, don't let me hurt the bond between you brothers. Actually... as long as I can be with you, status and such... I... I don't care that much."
This was the first time she had revealed before Sun Shaozong that she did not care about her status, leaving him stunned.
In this day and age, the difference between a wife and a concubine was as vast as heaven and earth!
Ruan Rong was, after all, the daughter of a third-rank high official. Though officials from Qian Xiang Country carried somewhat less weight, there was still no reason for her to voluntarily become someone's concubine!
"I didn't expect this young lady to be so sensible."
Sun Shaozu was overjoyed. Laughing heartily, he said, "What does status matter? A woman's position in the household depends entirely on whether her man favors her! Take my former wife, for example. She angered me over my taking concubines, and I never even went to see her once before she died!"
Only someone as utterly shameless as him could do such a thing and say it aloud!
"Big Brother, what nonsense are you talking now?!"
Even as he rebuked him, Sun Shaozong turned to Ruan Rong and said solemnly, "I brought you home across thousands of miles, not because I wanted to..."
"Master! Master!"
Before he could finish, a gatekeeper hurriedly rushed in. So excited that he stuttered, he said, "O-outside, there's a eunuch. He says he bears Your Majesty's verbal decree, ordering Second Master to enter the palace at once for an audience!"
Everyone in the room was stunned. According to court protocol, even a minor outside official like Sun Shaozong had to first report to the Ministry of War upon being summoned for an audience.
After the Ministry of War verified everything, he would still have to rehearse court etiquette at the Ministry of Rites.
Only after graduating from the Ministry of Rites' temporary "training class" could he submit his name card at the foot of the imperial city and wait for the Emperor to choose him for an audience.
Now a verbal decree had suddenly waived all those procedures. It was certainly an immense favor—but as the saying went, unusual events always had a hidden cause!
Why was the Emperor in such a hurry to summon Sun Shaozong?
Besides, Sun Shaozong had disembarked less than an hour ago and had not even had time to report to the Ministry of War. How did the Emperor already know he had returned?
Thanks to reader "Feng Feiyang" for the tip.
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