Chapter Eleven: A Thousand Days of Training Soldiers

Leaving the Marquis’s residence, the moonlight was just right.

The air was cold, and seeing Liang Shanru dressed so lightly, Zhou Shen draped his cloak over her shoulders.

But though the young lady was tall, she looked frail, unable to fill out the oversized cloak, which nearly wrapped her whole figure.

Zhou Shen regretted not hitting the Marquis of Changle a few more times earlier. “I should have landed a few more punches to vent some of your anger. After all these years, what kind of scoundrels have they been, turning such a fine girl into this state?”

She was beautiful, delicate as a finely carved jade since childhood, a tiny bundle. In winter, dressed up, she looked utterly adorable.

He still remembered when she was four, on a winter day much like this one. After the snow, he came to the Marquis’s residence seeking Liang’s brother and saw a chubby little figure in the white snow, wearing a pale cloak, clutching a cluster of red plum blossoms. Upon seeing him, she smiled, revealing small tiger-like teeth, called out “Uncle,” and ran toward him.

If only she could have grown up just like that.

“If you just want to hit him to vent, fine. But if you actually hurt him, would you sacrifice yourself for someone like him?” Liang Shanru gathered the cloak around her and smiled, offering comfort. “I think it’s good this way. Don’t keep worrying about me.”

Zhou Shen ruffled her hair again. “Stay with me in the side courtyard for now. After we settle things tomorrow, I’ll accompany you to the trading company to hire some help. They can be placed at the General’s residence to clean and tidy up so you’ll have a place to stay for now.

Even if you go to Jinling with your aunt, the General’s residence can’t be left to gather dust. If you ever want to come back and visit, there has to be somewhere to live.

Besides, if your aunt really returns, I doubt she’d stay at the Marquis’s residence.”

That was true. The aunt had little affection for the Marquis’s residence—he knew this well from her past life.

She was a half-sister to the Marquis of Changle, sharing the same father but a different mother. That man was reckless and never regarded her as a true sister, bullying her without mercy. Their father had said that when the aunt was a child, in the bitter cold of winter, the Marquis of Changle forced her to wash clothes by hand. If she didn’t clean them thoroughly, she was denied food. Such behavior was hardly fitting for a noble lady.

She shared the same father but a different mother with their father. Though she wished to be close, their father never truly saw her as part of the Marquis’s household and feared implicating her, keeping a distance and even sending gifts like cakes and jewelry secretly.

“I’ll listen to you. The General’s residence belongs to father. It should have been properly arranged long ago. It’s my fault for being inadequate, controlled by the Zhou family, unable to do anything.” Liang Shanru sighed, fearing Zhou Shen would pity and comfort her again. She quickly changed the subject, “I’m afraid it won’t be easy to get what we want when we return tomorrow.”

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As Zhou Shen left with Liang Shanru, the Marquis of Changle smashed every bottle and jar within reach again and again.

Madam Zhou was heartbroken. She grabbed his hand to stop him. “How much do you want to smash? That little beast clearly won’t let this go easily. I’m afraid in the end, she’ll empty the family coffers. And you still want to smash things?”

The Marquis of Changle waved her off. “She’s been keeping accounts all along. How come you never knew?”

Madam Zhou glared at him. “Are you blaming me after everything? If you hadn’t agreed to the Third Prince’s terms…”

“Shut up!” The Marquis, startled by her reckless mention, jumped up and covered her mouth. “Do you want to lose your life?”

Madam Zhou, also frightened, cleared her throat and hurriedly changed her tone. “It’s already come to this. What do we do tomorrow? She has Zhou Shen backing her. Look at that Zhou Shen—he already threw a punch. If things don’t go his way, wouldn’t he kill someone?

With his handwritten notes and the ledgers, she plans everything so meticulously. Right under our noses, silently pushing us to this point!”

“That’s because you…”

“Even if I underestimated her!” Madam Zhou cut him off, unwilling to hear endless blame.

At this point, both were at fault. He refused the Third Prince and slowly wore down Liang Shanru, but as for her, whether it was the ledgers or secret dealings, she had indeed been negligent.

Knowing he was upset about being hit, Madam Zhou softened her tone and sat beside the Marquis. “Now isn’t the time to blame each other. You need to think about how to handle her. Are you really going to let her take the silver?

If she wants to leave, there’s no stopping her. From what I see in the capital, it won’t be so easy to control her.

I’m okay with her taking her mother’s dowry. Those are hers to take. The items are valuable, I admit, but I don’t want trouble.

Right now, she’s nothing but a curse. The sooner she’s sent away, the better.

But Marquis, what she said about Second Uncle’s rewards—that can’t be allowed to be cleared out!”

What had sustained the Marquis’s residence all these years?

The Marquis of Changle had long ceased serving at court, merely holding on to the noble estate with its meager stipend, slowly depleting the family wealth.

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It was the rewards from the court that kept them afloat.

Madam Zhou never expected to go down over this. The commanders were careless; she always thought Second Uncle had received so many rewards even he was unaware of them.

The items were logged into the public accounts upon arrival, most treasures stored in the warehouse. When silver ran short, they were sold or pawned. This had gone on for years.

The Marquis’s cheek throbbed painfully, now swollen and red. He raised his hand to rub it but recoiled sharply at the touch.

Madam Zhou quickly pulled his hand away. “It’s swollen. Stop touching it.” Then she urged a maid to fetch medicine. “We’ll apply some ointment later. It’ll feel better. Honestly, I say just report him. He’s far too arrogant!”

“You don’t understand.” The Marquis finally didn’t pull away from her hand, showing some patience and a hint of tenderness. “In front of the Emperor, I have no standing. Report him? I’m just looking for some verbal satisfaction.”

He had enough self-awareness to know that bringing this to the Emperor would be futile. Zhou Shen hitting him was pointless, and he couldn’t expect the Emperor to scold Zhou Shen on his behalf.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the Marquis thought for a long time. “Tomorrow, get up early and personally visit the clan uncles and cousins. Make whatever promises you must, send whatever gifts you need.

They don’t care if Liang Shanru leaves the family, but when it comes to dividing the inheritance, it’s not just us who are anxious.”

He glanced around, a half-smile playing on his lips. “The estates left by the Marquis’s family support more than just our household.”

The grand Marquis’s residence hosted many relatives. Even distant kin beyond the fifth degree would come knocking, not to mention the close cousins.

Today they gave two taels to this household, tomorrow ten taels to that one. Those people had profited greatly from the Marquis and his wife.

They say it takes a thousand days to raise an army, but only one moment to use it. Liang Shanru dreaming she could easily take the silver with Zhou Shen’s help was pure folly.

Hearing this, Madam Zhou suddenly understood and soon laughed with eyes curved in delight. “Marquis, you truly are clever! I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning. When Liang Shanru returns to open the ancestral hall, she’ll have something to see. Rest assured!”