As the initial shock and frenzy subsided, the instinct for survival and the ingrained thought patterns of the past decade or so began to re-emerge in the rigid minds of Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, and Zhang Heng.
Qin Xuehua stared intently at the familiar yet unfamiliar face on the soft couch, the face that had once been obedient to her, extremely ingratiating, and even somewhat humble.
Memories flooded back like a tide.
Zhang Yu served tea with utmost care, racking his Zhang Yu to earn a single compliment from her. Zhang Yu always wore a smile in front of her and his own children, silently enduring any grievances he might suffer...
Yes, he is Zhang Yu, my biological son.
What can he do to me?
This realization acted like a shot in the arm, slightly mitigating the shock of the terrifying fact that Zhang Yu was the mysterious Young Master Zhang.
Even if he's gotten incredibly lucky and climbed the social ladder, and his status is different now, I'm still his biological mother.
Blood is thicker than water, and filial piety is paramount. Would he really dare to kill me?
Can he bear the stigma of being disobedient and unfilial?
Now that he holds such a prestigious position, doesn't he value his reputation?
Thinking of this, Qin Xuehua seemed to have found her backbone, and her chaotic thoughts quickly calmed down, even giving rise to a ridiculous sense of confidence.
The humiliation of being forced to kneel on the ground, the fear of an unknown fate, seemed to be temporarily dispelled by her identity as a mother.
She spoke in a deliberately gentle tone, conveying the concern of an elder, yet unable to conceal a hint of condescension and admonishment:
"Yu'er... it's truly... I never imagined you could achieve such success. It's truly... congratulations!"
She paused, observing Zhang Yu's expression. Seeing that he still didn't react, she felt a little more at ease and continued speaking in a "family" tone:
"Today's events are all a misunderstanding; it's like the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple—we've forgotten our own kind."
Xiao Heng is young and doesn't know any better. He offended you and your men. It was his fault.
I'll make him apologize to you right now, Wan Ning, and you should also apologize to your Eldest Brother.
Let's leave this matter here. Let's not let such a trivial matter damage our brotherly relationship and make us a laughingstock in front of outsiders."
She deliberately emphasized "brothers" and "family," attempting to use kinship and ethics to obscure the seriousness of the matter.
They want to downplay the heinous incident of Zhang Heng nearly beating Li Dagang and Mo Zhai to death as a mere clash and a trivial matter.
When Zhang Wanning heard her mother speak and saw that Zhang Yu did not immediately retaliate, the overwhelming fear in her heart receded like the tide, replaced by a complex emotion that she felt was only natural.
Yes, he is Zhang Yu, a member of our Zhang Family, and my Eldest Brother.
Even if he's powerful now, does he think he can just disown us, his family?
She immediately followed Qin Xuehua's lead, adopting a look of deep sibling affection, yet also with a hint of aggrieved coquetry:
"Yes, Eldest Brother, we're all family, connected by blood, why make things so ugly?"
Look, they've scared my little brother half to death.
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at Zhang Heng, whose face was still deathly pale, as if Zhang Heng were just an ignorant child who had caused trouble.
Zhang Heng finally regained a sliver of reason from his extreme shock and fear.
Hearing his mother and sister's words, he grasped at a straw like a drowning man.
Yes, I'm his younger brother, and he's my Eldest Brother.
He used to treat me so well, giving me whatever I wanted. Now that he's successful, is he really going to kill his own brother?
He hurriedly went down the slope, forcing a remorseful expression that was more painful than crying on his face, his voice still trembling:
"Big Eldest Brother... I'm sorry."
I was wrong, I was a bastard.
I really didn't know that the Merchant Guild was your business, Eldest Brother.
If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to touch it even if you gave me a hundred lives.
Eldest Brother, you are so forgiving, please forgive me this time. I will never dare to do it again.
As he spoke, he stole glances at Zhang Yu's expression. Seeing that Zhang Yu remained expressionless, his sliver of hope began to swell again.
He even began to habitually ask, in a tone that seemed curious but actually carried a hint of reproach and probing:
"However... Eldest Brother, I am truly curious and impressed."
Eldest Brother, you used to manage our Marquis Estate's estate, always so busy you barely had time to breathe. How... how did you manage to acquire such a large estate so quietly?
And he even got to know so many... so many Imperial Family nobles?
He asked the question skillfully, ostensibly expressing admiration and curiosity.
The implication is that Zhang Yu embezzled funds from the Marquis Estate 'Marquis Estate when he was in charge of its assets, thus acquiring his own private property.
Did they use the resources of the Marquis Estate to curry favor with the Imperial Family and pave the way for their current status?
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Qin Xuehua's expression instantly turned rather unpleasant.
She was so intimidated by Zhang Yu's current status and the situation before her that she was only focused on being afraid and trying to manipulate him with family ties, without thinking too deeply about the bigger picture.
At this moment, after being "reminded" by Zhang Heng, I immediately realized that this was indeed the case!
Yes!
Although Zhang Yu was not favored in the Marquis Estate, he was still in charge of the family business, and he must have embezzled a considerable amount of it.
Otherwise, how could a good-for-nothing who was kicked out of his home have the resources and ability to pull off such a Grand Formation and even curry favor with the Imperial Family?
As soon as this thought arose, the complex emotions in Qin Xuehua's heart caused by Zhang Yu's "success" were quickly replaced by anger and indignation.
This traitor, taking our Zhang Family's money to pave his own way, still has the nerve to come after us?
If it weren't for Zhang Yu's current status and the watchful guards and Princes around him, Qin Xuehua would have almost rushed up to question him.
Zhang Wanning's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of jealousy and resentment welled up within her.
You bastard Zhang Yu!
It turns out that all that docile and subservient behavior he put on at the Marquis Estate was actually a cover for stealing so much money from his family and bribing so many people!
No wonder you managed to curry favor with the Imperial Family; it turns out you were using our Zhang Family's money. What a treacherous villain!
The look in her eyes when she looked at Zhang Yu had less fear and more contempt and resentment.
In this life-or-death moment, the three of them, with their narrow-minded thinking, quickly and rationally explained all this unbelievable event as the result of Zhang Yu embezzling Marquis Estate, enriching himself, and currying favor with the powerful.
Thinking about it this way, Zhang Yu's current achievements no longer seem so unattainable, their current predicament no longer seems so unacceptable, and... they even seem to have become victims.
Zhang Yu, on the other hand, was portrayed as an ungrateful wretch who stole from others to enrich himself.
This absurd self-comfort and backstabbing made them seem to straighten their backs a bit when facing Zhang Yu's cold gaze.
Their eyes once again held that familiar look, a mixture of jealousy, resentment, and the self-righteous assertion that "we are your elders/relatives, so you should give in to us."
Jiang Luohan watched this absurd scene from the side, sneering inwardly while also feeling a chill run down her spine.
What a fool! Even at this point, you still can't grasp the situation and are still trying to figure out Zhang Yu using those ridiculous Lineage ethics and self-righteous calculations?
Didn't you see how those Princes and the president of the Pill Association treated him?
Is that something you can get by currying favor with the powerful?
She suddenly realized that being associated with such a group of idiots was her greatest misfortune.
Inside the hall, Zhang Yu took in the rapidly changing expressions and eyes of Qin Xuehua and her family of three.
Their thoughts were practically written on their faces.
He suddenly felt a mixture of amusement and pathos.
This is what the original owner once thought were her blood relatives.
He slowly and very slightly shook his head, as if shaking off some insignificant dust.
Then, he raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting Qin Xuehua's. His voice remained relatively even, yet it carried a chilling quality that sent a sudden shiver down Qin Xuehua's spine.
"Misunderstanding? Is this the end of it?"
He paused, a faint, cold smile playing at the corners of his lips, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Wanning and Zhang Heng:
"Brothers in harmony? Family?"
"Oh."
A very soft sneer, yet it was like an invisible slap, striking hard at the fragile psychological defenses that Qin Xuehua and the other two had just rebuilt.