Chapter 344: The Backyard’s Disbandment

Awakening groggily, the old man stirred from his restless slumber, the first hesitant rays of dawn barely breaking across the horizon. He moved mechanically, still tethered to the weight of sleep, his body following the familiar rhythm of early rising. It wasn’t unusual to find the study alight at such an hour; his eldest often burned the pre-dawn oil. But today, something in the air seemed different—tense, unsaid, and heavy.

When he pushed open the study door, the placid calm on his face shattered like porcelain hitting stone. His steps quickened, his voice sharpened. “What happened?”

Inside, Hua Zhi blinked up at him, her trance broken by the question. She tried to rise, a gesture of decorum despite her clear exhaustion, but her legs—numb from hours of kneeling—betrayed her. She crumpled gracelessly back to the floor, a faint echo of someone stretched far beyond their limits.

Shao Yao moved swiftly, crouching to help her up, her hands tender but efficient. Hua Yizheng, standing nearby, silently signaled his approval, his hand cutting a precise, unspoken command for Shao Yao to settle Hua Zhi into a chair.

The old man, his voice taut, repeated his demand. “What happened?”

Hua Zhi pressed a weary hand to her temple, her thoughts frayed and scattered. “Yan Xi… went to investigate,” she muttered, her words dragging like lead. “I’ll tell you once we confirm the details.”

Hua Yizheng’s eyes flicked to the map splayed out on the table, the gravity of the situation dawning in stark relief. He said nothing further, his silence deliberate, but the steel in his voice remained. “You haven’t slept all night. Go back and rest.”

She nodded, her compliance more reflex than decision. With Shao Yao’s diligent hands massaging life back into her legs, Hua Zhi rose, leaning on her attendant as they retreated. Yet rest, it seemed, was a luxury she wouldn’t afford that day.

Two scant hours passed before the insistent knock came. Wu Yong had arrived, his presence cutting through the fragile calm like a blade. Shao Yao bristled at the intrusion, her sharp glare wasted on Wu Yong’s unyielding resolve. Hua Zhi, roused from her fleeting sleep, dismissed her irritation. If Wu Yong was here, it could only mean trouble.

“General Wu,” she began, her voice hoarse but steady, “Yan Xi…”

But Wu Yong cut her off brusquely, his tone brooking no preamble. “I know. The Shizi’s men briefed me last night.”

His words hung in the air like a verdict. He hadn’t come for pleasantries; he’d come for action. Hua Zhi, reading the hard lines of his face, steeled herself. “General Wu,” she said, measured and deliberate, “please, explain.”

Without ceremony, Wu Yong delivered his bombshell. “I’ve released everyone from the backyard.”

Hua Zhi’s breath caught. She stared at him, blindsided by the audacity. “You… released them all?” Her voice wavered between disbelief and an edge she couldn’t quite suppress.

“Everyone,” he confirmed with a clipped nod. “From the master to the servants. Not even a female mosquito remains in my inner courtyard.”

His words carried a sting, a deliberate barb veiled in dry precision. Hua Zhi, still reeling, forced a breath and managed a quiet retort. “General Wu, sweeping away everyone in one stroke… Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive? Some of them were surely innocent.”

Wu Yong’s expression didn’t flicker. “Innocence is a luxury this situation can no longer afford,” he said, his tone sharp enough to slice through the air. And with that, the matter was settled—whether Hua Zhi liked it or not.

Wu Yong glanced at Shao Yao, unsure if he was explaining for Hua Zhi's benefit or for Shao Yao. "There is a black market at Yingshan Pass, have you heard of it?"

"I have heard of it."

"Sitting in this position, I cannot claim to be completely clean. But I consider myself different from those who take advantage. After investigating last night, I found out that while I didn't take part, others were seeking profits in the backyard and black market. They were utilizing my name to provide benefits and reaping huge profits from it."

Wu Yong’s lips curled into a cutting sneer, his voice laced with cold disdain. "Innocent? Hardly. Those women are anything but. They've amassed a small fortune here—enough to pack their things, leave Yingshan Pass, and reinvent themselves wherever their hearts desire. They can marry, settle down, and fill their lives with the children they so desperately wished for. Do you know what they used to say when no heirs were born in this mansion? That it was my fault. And now, when I offer them the freedom they supposedly longed for, not a single one begged to stay. Not one. Instead, they couldn’t wait to escape. So tell me, how am I not simply giving them exactly what they wanted?"

A loaded pause followed before a quiet, almost offhand remark slithered into the air. "But they may not even be able to bear children anymore."

Both Hua Zhi and Wu Yong turned, their sharp gazes snapping toward the serene, enigmatic Shao Yao, who always managed to seem utterly unfazed no matter how shocking her words.

She blinked slowly, her expression unreadable, and said in a voice as smooth as silk, "The medicine you carry—its effects aren’t limited to you. The closer they were to your favor, the more severe the consequences. Chances are, they’ve lost the ability to conceive entirely. For the others, it’s not impossible, but let’s just say it won’t be easy.”

Wu Yong let out a low, bitter laugh that carried a strange lightness, like a weight had lifted.

Those words he’d uttered this morning? They weren’t a magnanimous offer, no. They were a test, a trap laid to see who, if anyone, would stay. But no one did. Not a single soul. In fact, some had seemed almost relieved, as if they had been waiting for this moment all along.

Ah, yes, he thought. Armed with their newfound riches, they could finally leave and carve out their dreams of a better life—whatever that looked like to them.

Shao Yao drifted closer, her voice softening as her knowing eyes met his. “How are you holding up? Don’t worry—I can counteract the effects of the medicine if it’s troubling you.”

Her words were sweetly reassuring, but her tone? Just the slightest edge of irony. Everything, and everyone, had already been set in motion.

Wu Yong lowered his hand with an almost imperceptible flicker of amusement glimmering in his eyes, though to Shao Yao, it looked like the shadow of melancholy. She, ever the defiant beacon of resolve, patted his shoulder as though sealing a promise. Her voice rang out with a determination sharp enough to draw blood. "Once I rid your body of that meddlesome poison, you can go ahead and marry ten—no, twenty women. Populate your household with an army of children. That’ll be a delightful little sting for all those barren women who couldn’t give you heirs, won’t it?"

Wu Yong's lips curved into a chuckle, this one genuine, unfiltered, and strangely warm. For a moment, a part of him was taken aback—not by her words but by the flood of relief they carried. The thought of ridding himself of the tangled web of obligations in his backyard had never crossed his mind before. He had never once allowed himself to dream of pursuing Shao Yao, knowing it to be a cruel impossibility.

These women—bound to him by duty, by history—had given up their youth for his sake, had devoted their most vibrant years to him. How could he now be so unfeeling as to cast them aside? And yet, unwittingly, fate had conspired to clear the path between him and Shao Yao, dangling before him the barest thread of a chance to fight for what he had secretly longed for all along.

For so long, he had prayed for Shao Yao to remain blissfully ignorant of his feelings, but now he found himself silently begging for the opposite. Let her see it. Let her know. Let her—please—respond.

"You don't have to smile so much," Shao Yao muttered under her breath, her sensitivity to his moods as unerring as ever.

She could tell the difference between the hollow laughter of formality and the one he had just let slip. With a glance to confirm that he was indeed unharmed, she returned to Hua Zhi's side, her tone carelessly dismissive. "Is he losing his mind from anger, or is that just me?"

Hua Zhi, far less inclined to poke at a sleeping beast, gave her a wary look. She pulled Shao Yao back, choosing silence over needless trouble. Wu Yong, however, appeared entirely too composed, his expression unsettlingly unreadable. Hua Zhi was about to tell him to leave when Jia Yang's voice rang out from outside.

"Commander, I seek an audience."

"Enter."

Jia Yang strode in, his gaze flicking briefly to Wu Yong before settling on Hua Zhi. "We first searched the Commander's mansion, but when you weren’t there, we assumed you’d be here."

Looking for him?

Wu Yong’s relaxed demeanor evaporated in an instant, replaced by a sharp-edged seriousness. "What have you uncovered? Has Zuo Ling's identity been confirmed?"

Jia Yang nodded, his tone steady yet grim. "Yes, it's confirmed. She is indeed a remnant of the Chao Li tribe."

For what felt like an eternity, Wu Yong remained speechless, grappling with the sheer audacity of the revelation. A surviving ember of the Chao Li tribe, hidden right under his nose? The thought simmered in his mind, equal parts disbelief and irritation.

Zuo Ling, though never a favorite of his, had lingered in his household for five years—five years of his life spent oblivious to her true nature. Before Wu Yong could collect himself, Hua Zhi, ever the opportunist, cut in with an arched brow and a tone dripping with sardonic curiosity, “And what about the counterfeit eunuch?”

Without missing a beat, the response came: “She’s another remnant. The Seven Stars Bureau is already on her trail.”

Hua Zhi’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she pivoted back to Wu Yong, her words as pointed as the blade she likely kept tucked beneath her sleeve. “General Wu, have you investigated the physician’s credentials? Or is thoroughness beneath you these days?”

Wu Yong stiffened, his pride pricked, and replied curtly, “The physician failed to detect I’d been drugged. Zuo Ling bought him off—cheaply, I might add.” His voice carried a defensive edge as he seized the chance to question Shao Yao. “Is it so hard to detect traces of this particular concoction?”

Shao Yao, with the calm detachment of someone accustomed to being underestimated, responded, “Indeed. A common physician wouldn’t have the skill. Only someone well-versed in poisons could uncover the subtle signs.”

Before Wu Yong could press further, Hua Zhi interjected with the kind of authority that implied she had little patience for his excuses. “Jia Yang, inform the Seven Stars Bureau to dig deeper. If these two were working together, there’s no telling who else might be involved—particularly at Yingshan Pass. A third player could be in the mix, and I don’t fancy being caught unaware.”

Jia Yang gave a brisk nod. “Understood.”

The room fell silent again, tension curling like smoke in the air. Wu Yong’s grip on his composure faltered slightly, but Hua Zhi’s pointed remarks left no room for rebuttal. After all, in matters of intrigue, there was no greater weapon than a sharp tongue cloaked in sharper intentions.

———TN: Today, I may be moving a bit slower than usual when it comes to translating this novel, so I kindly ask for your patience. Rest assured, however, that I’m committed to uploading at least five chapters today—bare minimum. If, by some miracle, I happen to have extra time on my hands, you might even get another five. So, sit tight and let me work my magic—after all, quality takes time, doesn’t it?