Chapter 5

Inside a guesthouse in Zhenhai City.

"Your humble servant pays respects to the Third Young Master." An elder bowed, his gaze filled with immense excitement as he looked at Wuque.

Wuque had intended to stop the man from performing the formal bow, but with a distance of three to four feet between them, rushing over would have been unseemly, so he let it be and allowed the man to bow.

He slowly cleaned the teacup in front of him until it was spotless.

The elder before him was one of the stewards of the Zhenhai Marquis's mansion, Chu Liang, who had come as a dowry steward with Wuque's mother, Chu Mingzhu. He could be considered one of Wuque's own people.

"Uncle Liang," Wuque raised the teacup and asked, "Would you like some tea?"

Chu Liang knelt down and said, "Your humble servant dares not. Young Master, you have finally returned, finally returned. If Lady could know this, she would rest in peace."

After saying this, his voice became choked with emotion.

Although he currently served as one of the stewards of the Marquis's mansion, in his heart, Zhenhai Marquis Shen Gong'ao was not his master.

His previous master was Chu Mingzhu, and after her death, his master became Shen Wuque.

During the eight years of Wuque's disappearance, the servants of the Chu Liang lineage had been without a master, and he felt as if he had lost his roots.

Wuque's personality was cold and proud, and he wouldn't say anything heartfelt. Since the other party didn't want to drink tea, he would just pour and drink it himself.

"Third Young Master, although the Marquis has not spoken of it, he has been very concerned about you over the years. He has sent out several groups to search for you," Chu Liang said. "Now that you have returned, you should go to the mansion and apologize to the Marquis. The past unpleasantness can be put behind you, and you will still be the Third Young Master of the Marquis's mansion."

"Your mother was the Marquis's most beloved wife. She died in childbirth, and the Marquis was heartbroken. In his heart, you are very important. It's just that his personality is strong, and you are stubborn, which has made the father-son relationship like fire and water. But what enmity can there be between father and son?"

Wuque said coolly, "For eight years, I poured my heart and soul into writing a book, which he considered a waste of time. He ridiculed it in front of everyone and burned it. When I learned music from a performer, he had my teacher beaten half to death in public and called me a disgrace to the Shen family. And at the Tianshui Academy, he had me tied up and whipped in public, disgracing me."

Chu Liang said, "But, Young Master, you also took revenge. Eight years ago, on your wedding day, with guests from noble families present, you fled the wedding and replaced the groom with a puppet, inscribed with 'a disgrace to the Shen family.' The Marquis almost fainted from anger."

Shen Gong'ao and Shen Wuque, this father-son pair, truly had a love-hate relationship.

Shen Gong'ao was incredibly domineering and decisive.

Shen Wuque was stubborn, proud, and aloof.

Neither would yield to the other. Since Wuque grew up, the father-son relationship had been like fire and water, eventually becoming like enemies.

But after reading Wuque's memories, he discovered that deep down, Wuque admired his father and desperately wanted his approval. However, the areas in which Wuque excelled were all dismissed by Shen Gong'ao as frivolous and shameful.

"Uncle Liang, if you want me to return to the mansion, let him come and personally invite me," Wuque said coolly.

Chu Liang was startled. "How, how is that possible? The Marquis is so proud and domineering, how could he lower himself? Even if the sun rose in the west, it would be impossible."

Wuque said, "Then I will never return to the Marquis's mansion."

In any relationship, in a certain sense, it is a kind of war. Either one side will dominate the other, or the other will dominate the first.

If Wuque returned to the Marquis's mansion now, although Shen Gong'ao would be happy, he would also look down on Wuque.

On Earth, as a medical doctor, he had seen too many life and death situations and too many cold and warm human relationships.

At a young age, he became the head of a department in a top national hospital, avoiding countless open and hidden attacks, and under his cold and proud facade, he had eliminated many competitors.

So Wuque understood human nature very well. He not only wanted to return but to return in a strong and dominant manner.

...

Chu Liang returned to the Marquis's mansion with deep concern, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

His wife asked, "Is the young master unwilling to return?"

Chu Liang sighed, "Sigh..."

His wife said, "Should we send our two sons to serve him? The young master is a precious person; he can't be without anyone around him."

Chu Liang said, "What do you understand? The key is to reconcile the father and son. This situation is not good for the young master. As long as the Marquis is still alive, the young master can still strive for something. Once the Marquis's mansion changes hands, the young master's life will be truly difficult."

At that moment, a voice came from outside.

"Chu Liang, the Marquis is calling you."

Chu Liang quickly got up, changed his clothes, and went to Shen Gong'ao's courtyard.

...

In the courtyard, Shen Gong'ao, dressed in a simple robe, stood coldly and said, "Chu Liang, did you go to see that rebellious son?"

"Yes," Chu Liang knelt down.

Shen Gong'ao said, "Hmph, tell that rebellious son that the Shen family is not a vegetable garden. He can't come and go as he pleases. If he left, he doesn't need to come back."

Chu Liang said, "Your humble servant asked the Third Young Master to return to the mansion, but he refused."

Shen Gong'ao sneered, "Putting on airs, what did that rebellious son say?"

Chu Liang said, "The Third Young Master said that if he wants to return to the mansion, the Marquis must personally invite him."

In an instant!

The air suddenly turned cold.

Shen Gong'ao's beard bristled, and he was about to explode with anger.

Chu Liang understood Shen Gong'ao. The Marquis hated weaklings the most. Although Shen Wuque had always opposed him and made him furious, it was precisely this stubborn personality that made Shen Gong'ao, while angry, also have a bit of admiration.

But the Marquis was also incredibly proud and stubborn. Anyone who dared to challenge his authority would be crushed.

"That rebellious son, even if he dies outside, I won't give him a second glance," Shen Gong'ao said coldly. "Wanting me to invite him is a daydream. Let him die outside, rot outside. Pass the order that no one is to send him any money or goods. Especially you, Chu Liang, you must not send anyone to serve him."

"I want to see what kind of tricks that rebellious son can play under my nose!"

With that, Shen Gong'ao angrily left.

As he reached the door, he stumbled and quickly steadied himself.

That terrible feeling was coming again, fainting and convulsing.

He must not fall, must not fall.

He, Shen Gong'ao, was not only the pillar of the Shen family but also the mainstay of the entire clan.

If he fell, the surrounding nobles would pounce like wolves and tigers, completely devouring the Shen family's legacy. As a foreign clan, the Shen family would have no place to bury their dead.

Falling on the battlefield could be called a heroic strategy.

If he fainted and convulsed again at home, it would no longer be concealable, and everyone would see the weakness of the Shen family.

He must secretly find a divine doctor to cure himself, he must!

At that moment, Chu Liang asked, "Marquis, what's wrong?"

At that moment, Shen Gong'ao was dizzy and disoriented, his vision blackening, and he could no longer control himself from fainting.

But with his indomitable will, he controlled himself and said, "Chu Liang, go and ask that rebellious son. Since he is so principled and unwilling to return to the mansion and unwilling to recognize me as his father, why did he return to Zhenhai City? Why did he appear under my nose? If he can't give a perfect explanation, he can leave."

Chu Liang's body turned cold!

This logic was indeed crucial. If the young master Wuque couldn't give a perfect answer, he wouldn't pass this test and would be thoroughly looked down upon by Shen Gong'ao.

If you really don't want to return to the mansion, why did you come back to Zhenhai City? Why did you return to Shen Gong'ao's nose? Wouldn't it be better to be free outside?

By returning to Zhenhai City and pretending not to want to return to the Marquis's mansion, aren't you just putting up a false front?

Clearly, you couldn't bear the hardship outside and wanted to return to the mansion, yet you still put on airs and sing high praises. Shameful, incompetent, pitiful!

...

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