The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 159
In a daze, the little rascal fell into a brief, shallow sleep and had a terrifying nightmare.
In the dream, the advanced class was filled with many, many children, and all of them were his enemies. Qin Ye was one thing, but even Zhai Yao and Luo Chen, those two troublemakers, were there. The two of them teamed up to steal his brush, use his ink, fiddle with his inkstone, push him out of his seat, and even tried to incite the others to drive him and his brother out.
The little devil was so furious that he roared, "This is my home! Get out, all of you!!"
The deafening shout startled Zong Wenxiu, who immediately grabbed his shoulders in alarm and called out, "Jin Cheng, wake up! Were you having a nightmare?"
Zong Jincheng's eyes widened, and he rubbed them as he looked up at the swaying carriage. It dawned on him that he was on his way to take an exam at Qingbo Academy, and everything that had just happened was only a dream.
"Thank goodness it was just a dream..." he muttered.
Otherwise, his fists would have been clenched tight. Those two annoying guys better stay far away from his home!
At Minister He's Mansion.
As soon as Xu Wan stepped out of the carriage, she saw Madam He pacing anxiously at the entrance. The moment she spotted Xu Wan, she rushed over as if she had found a lifeline.
Xu Wan quickened her pace and approached, saying, "Madam, why are you waiting here yourself? You could have just sent someone to bring me in."
Madam He, as if seeing a savior, replied with tears in her eyes, "Sister, if you hadn't come, I would have gone mad. Please, come inside quickly, and let's talk in detail."
Xu Wan was pulled inside by her, and as their arms brushed, she could feel Madam He's body trembling, as if she had been greatly frightened.
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Something serious had indeed happened...
As they walked, Xu Wan observed her surroundings. The servants and maids seemed normal, so it appeared that this major incident had not yet spread. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be Madam He who was in a state of panic.
A maid waiting inside the room glanced at Xu Wan, an outsider, and whispered discreetly, "Madam, the young master is still unconscious... His fever hasn't subsided, and the physician says it’s unlikely he’ll wake up today."
Madam He didn’t acknowledge this explanation and instead ordered all the maids to leave, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Xu Wan glanced at the bed. He Zheng’s face was pale, and it didn’t look like he had a fever. But as her gaze moved downward, she noticed a red mark on his neck, as if someone had tried to strangle him.
Xu Wan’s eyes widened slightly.
A strangulation mark...
Could it be that Minister He tried to strangle He Zheng?
Xu Wan exclaimed in shock, "Madam, what happened? Did He Zheng climb the wall again and anger Minister He? But usually, he only gets punished with a beating, right?"
As soon as Xu Wan finished speaking, Madam He burst into tears.
"It’s a curse, a curse! A stubborn son and a stubborn father—they’re determined to destroy each other..."
Madam He cried so hard that she could barely catch her breath. Xu Wan quickly handed her a handkerchief to wipe her face, but the woman’s emotions were so overwhelming that she couldn’t stop crying for a while.
Xu Wan stayed by her side, unsure of what to say. Madam He had three sons, but the one who caused her the most worry was her stubborn youngest.
When Madam He finally calmed down a little, she spoke slowly, "It was Zheng who struck first."
Xu Wan’s pupils dilated in shock.
Her gaze fell on the nine-year-old boy lying on the bed. Even in his unconscious state, his brows were tightly furrowed, reminding her of the day He Zheng was beaten by Minister He, when his eyes were filled with hatred.
Back then, she had speculated that if things continued this way, He Zheng would grow up to become a rebellious son who would violently oppose his father. But could it be that at such a young age, he already harbored such thoughts?
Madam He had only just spoken one sentence before tears began streaming down her face again. However, she managed to continue, "Zheng tried every possible method but failed. He was so envious of Jin Cheng and the others who could study, so after yet another failed attempt to climb the wall, he turned his attention to his father. Yesterday, he prepared a cup of tea for the minister. The tea contained a drug—a large dose would be lethal, while a small dose would cause unconsciousness. Zheng probably just wanted to take advantage of his father’s unconsciousness to sneak out, but when the minister discovered it, he thought Zheng was trying to kill him and nearly strangled him to death..."
Xu Wan covered her mouth, afraid she might scream in shock.
This was indeed a major incident. He Zheng had shifted his focus from himself to his father.
Every troubled child’s development is the result of small mistakes accumulating over time. Regardless of the reasons, the outcome is that they gradually lose their humanity. At first, they act recklessly, daring to administer a drug that causes unconsciousness; but when pushed to the brink, they might increase the dosage, leading to death...
"Such a scandal has occurred in our household, and we dare not let it spread, for fear that it would ruin Zheng’s life forever. But I’m terrified, sister, I’m terrified that if this continues, Zheng might do something truly irreparable."
As she spoke, Madam He was about to kneel before Xu Wan. "Sister, you’re so capable. You managed to teach Jin Cheng, a child like him, to study properly. Surely you can help our Zheng too, right? I beg you, please help me..."
Xu Wan quickly helped her up, saying anxiously, "Madam, please calm down. Such a gesture is too much for me... I truly want to help this child, but our situations are different. Your husband clearly doesn’t want the child to study. We need to address that first."
Madam He cried so hard that she could barely speak. "I... I can’t think of a way anymore. I really can’t. That’s why I’ve come to you for help..."
Xu Wan sighed and helped her sit down. She replied, "Alright, don’t panic. Let’s think of a solution together."
"Yes, yes, of course," Madam He hurriedly poured tea and set out pastries, pushing them toward Xu Wan to create a comfortable environment for thinking.
Xu Wan: "..."
Although the other woman was sincerely seeking her help, why did it feel like she had been set up?
But as she looked at Madam He’s tear-swollen eyes, the dark circles under them from a sleepless night, and the few gray hairs that had appeared on her head—she couldn’t have been much older than thirty...
The heartache of a parent knows no bounds.
Xu Wan sighed again. Her empathy was too strong, which was why she felt compelled to take on this burden.
She didn’t touch the tea or pastries but instead looked up and spoke seriously, "Madam, even if you want He Zheng to come to our household to study, Minister He must agree to it. The reason he refuses to let the child study is because he was once impeached by civil officials, correct? Now, please tell me the full story of what happened back then. To cure an illness, we must first find its root cause."
In his younger years, Minister He had risen through the ranks as a military officer, thanks to his family’s long history of military service. He had thrived in the capital. But over a decade ago, as a military officer, he had competed for a position in the Ministry of War, which marked the beginning of his troubles with civil officials.
One day, they accused him of being a reckless brute, unfit to oversee military affairs; the next, they said his family’s martial background meant he only knew how to fight and kill; and later, they claimed he was unworthy of his position and should be expelled from the Ministry of War.
But Minister He, despite his youth, had climbed to the top of the Ministry of War, which only infuriated the civil officials further, leading to more frequent impeachments.
