The Terrifying Zhao Yuankun

Even so, it's alright. Time is the best healer; it can smooth over all the wounds in one's heart.

Even if Zhao Yuankun's leg was left disabled, slightly lame, and he could no longer serve as an official, if the eldest son's family was incompetent or even declined, and the second son's family was also struggling financially, even if Zhao Yuankun's path to officialdom was cut off, he could still carefully cultivate his son Zhao Jingning at home, and if he had several more sons, carefully cultivating them, the third son's family might still have a chance to rise in the future.

After all, Zhao Yuanxun was in poor health, and even if he took another concubine, she might not be able to bear him a son. In addition, he had a good relationship with Lady Zhu, and with Zhao Jingtai as his legitimate son, he might not even need to take another concubine.

Zhao Jingtai is eleven years old now, and judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem like he'll amount to anything.

The twins Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an from the second branch of the family were originally raised as scions of a noble family, and now at fifteen years old, they have already reached the point of maturity. After separating from the family and becoming commoners, it is very difficult for them to change their path, and no matter how successful they are in this life, their future is limited.

None of the three brothers were successful, so Zhao Yuankun thought he could try to make a difference with the next generation.

But he never expected that his elder brother, Zhao Yuanxun, would return today dressed in the robes of a sixth-rank official, claiming that he had taken up a post at the Court of Judicial Review. This caused Zhao Yuankun to become hysterical.

"What happened? Have you found out?" he asked, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the servant who had come to report the news.

The servant was already regretting his actions.

He had hoped to get a reward, so he ran faster than anyone else when he heard the news, wanting to be the first to claim it. But seeing the master's terrifying look, as if he wanted to devour him, he regretted it so much he was green with envy.

He said tremblingly, "I only saw the master come out of the clan chief's place dressed in official robes. I also asked the clan chief's servant how the master became an official. The servant said that the clan chief also asked this question, but the master didn't say anything, only that the emperor was wise."

Zhao Yuankun kicked the servant to the ground. "Useless dog."

He was a martial artist with great strength, and in his rage, he didn't think about controlling his power. When he kicked the servant, the servant immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Take him out and get out," Zhao Yuankun said.

The servants inside quickly carried the man out, and a maidservant, trembling, wiped the bloodstains off the floor.

Zhao Yuankun ordered, "Go and investigate again."

The servant agreed and hurried out.

They didn't want to take this job, after all, there was a precedent right before their eyes. But the Third Master was a devil now, and if they were even a little slow to agree, they would all be dragged out and flogged.

People used to think that serving the master was a good job, but now everyone avoids it like the plague.

Zhao Yuankun's actions quickly reached the ears of Lady Su in the backyard.

Previously, the Lady Su had longed for the division of the family property day and night.

She felt that as long as the family separated, her husband was no longer oppressed by the old woman, and went out to become an official and made a name for himself, she would be an official's wife. At that time, she would be in charge of the three households, and the couple could live a good life together, and she would finally be able to hold her head high.

During festivals and holidays, she would dress up in exquisite clothes, even in the attire of an imperial consort, and go out of her way to slap her two sisters-in-law in the face. I wonder how satisfying that would be.

Who would have thought that after separating from the family, her life would be far worse than before?

After her husband was dismissed from his official post and became lame, his temperament became extremely tyrannical. He also took two beautiful concubines, one of whom recently became pregnant.

If Lady Su complained to her husband even a little, he would beat and scold her. After the family separated, except for the period when she needed money to run for an official position, her husband almost never came into her room.

Lady Su hated her husband for his infidelity, and she hated Zhao Ruxi to the core.

If it weren't for Zhao Ruxi causing the master to lose his official position, how could the master have ended up like this?

Now that she heard that Zhao Yuanxun from the eldest son's family had become an official, and even a sixth-rank one at that, Lady Su felt like the sky was falling.

She wasn't afraid of what the first wife would do to the third wife, but rather that her husband would turn into a monster after hearing the news.

Before the family was divided, the old lady and the old master could keep the master in check and prevent him from doing anything out of line. But now, no one in the mansion can control him. When he beats and scolds people, it's truly terrifying.

She turned to her dowry maid with a flustered expression and asked, "Should I take Young Master Ning and Miss Shan back to my parents' home?"

"Madam," Nanny Sun sighed softly, "What good would it do to go back to the Su Family? You can't just not come back. Who knows how the master would beat and scold you then?"

Zhao Yuankun was from a prominent family. Although he had been suppressed by the old lady in previous years, he had secretly cultivated his own network of connections. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to find a job in the Office of the Grand Steward as soon as the family split up, and he also managed to find a job for Zhao Yuanliang.

Compared to Zhao Yuankun, the Su Family were merchants; no matter how rich they were, they were just fatter sheep. They wouldn't risk angering Zhao Yuankun for their daughter, Lady Su. Otherwise, if Zhao Yuankun colluded with outsiders to deal with the Su Family, the Su Family would be finished.

Therefore, Lady Su to retreat back to her parents' home was definitely a bad move.

"What can I do? Why is my life so miserable?" Lady Su cried out in anguish.

Nanny Sun sighed deeply.

She had always felt that dividing the family property would be detrimental to Lady Su. But Lady Su herself couldn't see it clearly and always hoped for a division so that she could live a blissful life with Zhao Yuankun. As a servant, she didn't dare to say anything, so she remained silent.

Has it come true now?

In her opinion, what the lady is facing now is not beatings and scoldings, but the terrible idea that the third master has the intention to take another wife.

When the Third Master was looking for a remarriage for the Second Master, he found several good matches. He once lamented to those around him that marrying a widow from a powerful and influential family was a quick way to rise to prominence. It seemed as if he regretted that it was Lady Wei who died, not Lady Su.

At the time, he didn't want his incompetent second brother, Zhao Yuanliang, to live a better life than him, so he suppressed all the good marriage proposals and only introduced a good marriage to Zhao Yuanliang with ulterior motives. However, in the end, the eldest son's family interfered.

Now that Zhao Yuankun is desperate and extremely jealous of the first wife, he might abandon his wife and marry another in order to get revenge on her.

Zhao Yuankun has a slight limp, which makes a career in politics impossible for him. However, it's not very noticeable when he walks slowly.

He was from a prominent family, tall and handsome, with considerable talent and skills, excelling in both literature and martial arts. He was also quite young, not yet thirty. If he were to truly set his sights on marrying into a good family, it probably wouldn't be difficult for him.

After all, widows from aristocratic families have very few options when they want to remarry. They are unwilling to marry men from poor families; and widowers from aristocratic families all want to marry young, unmarried women, not widows.

If the master wants to remarry, the most terrifying thing is not divorcing his wife, but that he might murder her for the sake of Lady Su's dowry.

Zhao Yuankun had a high opinion of himself and was always suppressed by his stepmother and elder brother, so his mentality was different from that of ordinary people.

Now that his path to officialdom is blocked, and the eldest son's family is getting better and better, what wouldn't he do to climb to a higher position and take revenge on them?