Zhou Wen’s steps were like cold blades as he pressed forward. The long swords of the surrounding residence soldiers moved slowly with him, ultimately surrounding him completely, encircling him in the middle. The sword edges were sharp—just a hair’s breadth more and they could pierce his heart with ten thousand swords.
Through the several sharp swords before him, Zhou Wen showed no fear, but ultimately still stopped his steps. His fierce eyes looked with resentful hatred at Marquis Kang, whom he had followed for decades. Both fists clenched tight, his heart seemed to have molten fire surging through it. Grinding his teeth, he said, “Back then, for glory and wealth, for power and position, Wen’er’s father forced Wen’er to marry you. Even though she was utterly unwilling in her heart, helplessly heaven played tricks on her. Before entering the Marquis’s residence, she and I were already deeply in love. We had already pledged ourselves to each other privately. Originally, on the night she was to marry you, she planned to hang herself, but unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant with our child. So, in order to let the child live, and to give the child legitimacy, I could only continue living in degradation. I had no choice but to bribe the physician to delay the pregnancy by a month. But… you pushed my son into the pond, causing his death. Wen’er was overcome with grief and ultimately fell ill and passed away. You are a murderer—you killed my child and Wen’er. Tell me, shouldn’t you die?”
He should!
Zhou Wen’s eyes were filled with tears, his crimson eyes covered with bloodshot veins.
Marquis Kang felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
This cuckold’s hat—he was truly wearing it.
But—
It was also true that he had stolen another man’s love!
He tried his best to control his emotions and said in a deep voice, “The matter happened years ago. I don’t want to pursue what happened between you and my wife in the past. But the person who pushed my child into the pond was not me.”
“Don’t you dare deny it.” After speaking, Zhou Wen pulled out a diary from his chest and held it up in his hand, roaring hoarsely, “Three months ago, I found this diary that Wen’er left behind before she died. She wrote clearly in it that you were the one who pushed my two-year-old son into the pond to his death. Wen’er saw it with her own eyes. In here, every word and sentence is written in detail. You did it because you knew the young master wasn’t your biological son, so you struck with a vicious hand.”
He hated!
He wished he could kill this beast before him right now.
He wished even more that he could cut him into a thousand pieces!
Facing such an agitated Zhou Wen, Marquis Kang lowered his eyes. He didn’t make any fierce rebuttal. From his mouth, he still exhaled a soft, deep breath. After a long silence, he finally met Zhou Wen’s bloodthirsty eyes.
He said, “Things are not as you think.”
“The evidence is conclusive—Wen’er saw it with her own eyes.”
“It’s not like that…”
“At this point, why do you need to make excuses? Originally, after Wen’er died, I also thought about following her in death. But my life was saved by you, Marquis, when you rescued me from Kunshan. Even if I were to die, it should be by your hand. So for these twenty-some years, I also let go of the knot in my heart and resolved to continue serving you loyally and dedicating myself wholeheartedly. But when I saw this diary Wen’er left behind three months ago, I realized… you are such an utterly conscienceless person—you could even strike at a child who was only two years old. Even if he wasn’t your biological son, you shouldn’t have treated him that way. The pain of stolen love, the hatred of a murdered child—day and night it tormented me to the point of death and back. I swore that as long as I, Zhou Wen, live, I would only do two things: one, to ensure your Marquis Kang’s residence would never have peace for all eternity; the other, to take your life and have you accompany Wen’er and my child in death.”
The diary in Zhou Wen’s hand was crumpled into a ball by his grip. Veins bulged on his forehead, the back of his hands, and his neck!
However great the knot in his heart had been all these years, at this moment his fury and hatred were equally great.
This Zhou Wen was someone none of those present had ever seen before, including Marquis Kang. He said, “I’ll say it one more time—everything back then was not as you think.”
But this was met with a burst of loud laughter from Zhou Wen. “In any case, today I will certainly die without a doubt. It doesn’t matter if you still won’t admit it now. In any case, after I die, you’ll accompany me in death—that can be considered avenging this great wrong.”
Dream on!
You are now surrounded by several sharp swords—the one who should die is you.
Marquis Kang’s heart filled with confusion!
Zhou Wen said, “You didn’t expect it, did you? Today, in that cup of tea I poured for you, I added deadly poison. That poison—no one in the world can cure it. In just another hour, you will die here. When you reach the underworld, you will also go to the lowest level of hell, never to be reborn.”
The tea?
He realized with alarm!
But—
That cup of tea—he, Marquis Kang, hadn’t touched a single drop. It had all spilled on his robe.
Looking at Zhou Wen, who at this moment thought victory was in his grasp, Marquis Kang pushed aside two residence soldiers and walked over with measured steps. His expression grave and earnest, he said, “Actually, just when my wife had become pregnant, the physician had already told me the entire truth. There was no concealment at all. It was also I who asked him to help delay my wife’s pregnancy by a month. The purpose was to protect my wife’s reputation and the child in her womb. I also resolved to play dumb, pretending I knew nothing, and made an early decision that when the child was born, I would treat him as my own biological son, as the legitimate eldest son of my Marquis’s residence.”
Zhou Wen said nothing.
“Back then, when I rushed to the pond, the child was already dead. I didn’t have time to save him.”
“You’re lying!”
“I have no need to lie.”
“My child was killed by you—you personally threw him into the pond and drowned him.”
Zhou Wen roared in fury!
Suddenly—
A voice came from within the crowd.
“The young master… was personally pushed into the pond by the madam.”
Ah!
Everyone turned to look upon hearing this. They saw the old steward of the Marquis’s residence walk out from the crowd, his aged eyes filled with tears.
Zhou Wen couldn’t believe it. He asked, “What did you say?”
“The young master was personally pushed into the pond and drowned by the madam. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Impossible.” Zhou Wen’s eyes widened. With a wave of his hand, he said, “What nonsense are you talking? Wen’er killed our child? Impossible…”
The old steward sighed deeply, lowered his head, and said, “Back then, after the madam gave birth to the young master, she fell ill. The physician diagnosed that she had developed madness, sometimes better, sometimes worse. The Marquis ordered those attending the madam not to speak of it and to take careful care of her. Who knew that one night, the madam suddenly secretly carried the young master out. When we found the madam, we saw her pressing the young master into the pond, drowning him alive just like that. For the sake of the madam’s reputation, the Marquis could only falsely claim that the young master had accidentally fallen into the pond. From then on, the madam’s madness became even more severe. She frequently had suicidal tendencies, but whenever she was lucid, she didn’t know what she had done—she didn’t even remember personally killing the young master. Her condition grew worse and worse, and finally she died in her bed from the illness.”
“Impossible, impossible…”
Zhou Wen didn’t believe it!
He shook his head desperately, his footsteps retreating backward.
“Zhou Wen, what I’m saying is absolutely true. The young master was indeed killed by the madam’s own hand, not harmed by the Marquis.”
“No…” Zhou Wen was somewhat breaking down.
The old steward was helpless.