Chapter 523: Interrogation (2)
Mo Chenggui and Huang Zhijian stood at the entrance of the private residence. They each had a horse in hand with dreadful expressions on their faces.
The dim lantern light from the front gate illuminated their faces, giving Mo Chenggui’s scarred face a yellowish cast as if it was covered by a layer of crude paper.
He muttered weakly, “It’s over… It’s over… It’s all over now. Brother, I’ve dragged you down with me this time.”
What else could Huang Zhijian say now? He just shook his head with a bitter smile. This was completely Mo Chenggui’s fault. As a private soldier for a noble family, he had committed the worst taboo: disloyalty. He had good intentions at the start, but he had reported some baseless information to the matriarch. That had been a very foolish action.
Most established military families kept private soldiers in their household. His band of soldiers had gone into service for the He Family after serving under the old count in the army. They were considered the most experienced and respected generation of family soldiers.
Once the private soldiers pledged their loyalty to the head of the household with blood-smeared lips, they would have to remain loyal to the household for the next three generations of family heads. If they failed to fulfill this oath, it would be regarded as betrayal. Although it seemed like the soldiers were on the losing end of the deal, that was not the case.
The head of the household would take care of the next three generations of the soldier’s family in return for their loyalty.
When it came time for succession, the private soldiers would simply follow the next head of the family. The blood oath would still be in effect.
Huang Zhijian and Mo Chenggui knew that the next head of House Jing’an would be Second Young Master or Third Young Master.
Eldest Young Master occupied a cushy position within the capital. He would also need to inherit the title of Count Jing’an in the future, so there was no way that he would become the next head of the family. The family soldiers would follow the orders of the head of the He Family, not the successor to the noble title of Count Jing’an.
If there were some special circumstances, it would be possible to both inherit the title of Count Jing’an and become the head of the family. This was the case for the current Count Jing’an.
However, judging by the current situation, it seemed like Third Young Master had the highest possibility of becoming the next head of the He Family.
If Third Young Master ever became the He Family head, then their relationship with Third Young Master would definitely be broken because of what Mo Chenggui did.
Mo Chenggui’s actions had silently killed the future prospects of the next three generations of their families.
The future of a whole family with more than a dozen members was ruined because of a few careless words. Troubles stemmed from a loose tongue.
Since it had already happened, it was useless even if Mo Chenggui regretted it now.
It was already around 9pm when He Sanlang returned to the Jing’an Estate.
Most people were already asleep at this time during the Great Wu Dynasty.
He Changdi found out that Chu Lian had already gone to bed when he entered Songtao Court. When he met with Senior Servant Zhong, she was in the middle of cleaning up while holding a clay pot.
With his sensitive nose, He Sanlang detected the scent of medicinal herbs from the ceramic pot. He creased his brows as he asked, “What’s this?”
Senior Servant Zhong was all smiles as she replied, “This old servant prepared some nourishing soup for Third Young Madam. Third Young Master, please don’t worry. Great Doctor Miao has already looked over the prescription and approved of it. This old servant will personally brew the soup every day as well.”
He Changdi finally relaxed after hearing Senior Servant Zhong’s reassurance.
“Third Young Master, you’ve only just returned home and it’s already so late. Would you like some supper?”
He Changdi waved his hand in response. He took off his brocade cloak and handed it over to Senior Servant Zhong before entering the bedroom.
He had been out for business for most of the day. Just half a day away from his dear little wife was enough to make him miss her terribly.
He paused for a moment in front of the doors before entering the bedroom.
A dim lantern had been lit inside the bedroom, so he was able to see everything inside.
He Sanlang strode towards the side of the bed with his long legs. He reached out with one hand and lifted the gauzy curtains around the bed, only to be greeted with the sight of a small lump in the middle of the large bed.
The ice within He Changdi’s eyes slowly melted away as he stared at that small lump. His gaze even carried a hint of humour.
He sat down carefully on the side of the bed and pulled the blankets away gently to reveal Chu Lian’s delicate face and her lovely cheeks flushed from sleep.
The early spring night was as chilly as a cold lake. Chu Lian was most afraid of the cold, so Xiyan and the others had heated up the blankets before she had settled into the bed. However, the blankets had turned cold again shortly after she laid down.
His fragile lady seemed to be made of ice. Even if she slept in a warm blanket for a whole night, her hands and feet were still ice-cold.
Chu Lian’s silky dark hair was scattered loosely around her, with a few strands covering her tiny face. He Changdi reached out to tuck the stray strands behind her ears and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Following that, he touched the hands and feet she had hidden under the covers.
They were cold, as he had expected.
A frown formed between He Changdi’s brows. He tucked her back into the blankets before finally going into the bathroom to wash up and change.
Chu Lian’s eyes fluttered open right after he left. The corners of her lips lifted as she touched the area that He Changdi had just kissed. Satisfied, she smacked her lips and fell asleep for real.
He Changdi finished his bath swiftly . When he returned to the bed, he gently lifted the edge of the blanket and coaxed the curled up Chu Lian into his arms.
Sensing the broad chest with a familiar, safe scent, Chu Lian instinctively scooted over and buried herself in He Changdi’s embrace.
They were both wearing thin sleep clothes and they had recently consummated their marriage. Their close proximity and intimacy was starting to make it unbearable for a certain someone.
Chu Lian didn’t feel anything since she was sleeping. She only took He Changdi as a heated pillow.
However, this was torture for Sanlang.
His beautiful wife was in his arms, but he couldn’t do anything. He was about to grind away his molars from all the restraint he was exercising.