The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 3

03: “You Want Everything, Do You Want a Bear’s Face Too?”

The person who arrived was dressed in a dark green luxurious robe, with pearls and jade ornaments tinkling on her head. Her demeanor was dignified and imposing.

This was none other than the eldest lady of the Qi family, Madam Zhao.

“I just returned from outside, and as soon as I reached the door, I saw a servant lying in front of the gate, wailing in pain. Upon asking, I found out that it was General Qi who chopped off his hand,” she said with a smile on her lips, though her eyes remained cold. “After all, it’s a human life. So, General Qi, care to explain?”

The second wife was startled, her first reaction being that this woman was falsely accusing her son. She was about to defend him when Qi Ren admitted it himself: “Yes, it was me! Got a problem with that?!”

Madam Zhao covered her mouth with a light chuckle and sat down on the main seat vacated by the second wife. She spoke leisurely, “The General is quite forthright, no wonder he could marry such a gentle person as the Seventh Prince. It complements his temperament, keeping him in check so he doesn’t offend people all the time.”

“What does my wife have to do with you! That servant was rude and unreasonable, that’s why I beat him up. He deserved it! Pah!” Qi Ren spat, shielding Fu Yu’an behind him.

Seeing that the two were about to start a quarrel, the second wife quickly interjected, “Since the ceremony is over, if there’s no major issue, let the children—”

Madam Zhao suddenly stopped smiling and snorted coldly, “How can there be no issue? If it were just a bought servant, naturally, the General could do as he pleases, whether to kill or maim. But he’s not just anyone; he was carefully selected and sent by my family. Now that his hand is ruined, shouldn’t the General give an explanation?”

Fu Yu’an’s heart tightened, realizing that this was about offending her servant, and she had come to demand accountability.

She kept addressing him as “General” seemingly respectful, but she was clearly targeting him, taking advantage of his current state.

Fu Yu’an tugged at Qi Ren’s sleeve, and Qi Ren glanced down at him, gripping his hand tightly in return.

Seeing the situation turning sour, the second wife quickly stepped in, “Since it was the servant who offended the Seventh Prince, what kind of explanation does Madam Zhao want from Ren’er? Given his current condition… you know how it is. Besides, there’s a distinction between master and servant… we can’t possibly have him—”

“Oh, sister, what are you saying!” Madam Zhao took her hand and patted it, feigning concern. “So it was because he offended the Prince? The Seventh Prince has just married into the family, and we’re all one family now. Since it was for his sake, naturally, we can’t say much!”

The second wife felt her scalp tingle under Madam Zhao’s smile. Fu Yu’an glanced at the door, wondering why Xiao Zhu hadn’t arrived yet.

Madam Zhao noticed his subtle movement and gave a faint, fleeting smile before sighing again, “I just went to check the accounts at the shop, and oh my! These people are all opportunists. In the past, our General’s mansion was so glorious, but now, even Qi Ren is like this… we’re running at a loss, and we might not even be able to pay next month’s allowances!”

Xiao Zhu hurried in from outside, startled by the scene. She cautiously entered the hall and made her way to Fu Yu’an’s side.

“And now, with the General injuring that servant, we’ll have to compensate. It’s like a leaky roof during a rainstorm!” Madam Zhao continued.

She turned to Fu Yu’an and said slowly, “I can see that the Seventh Prince is no ordinary person, naturally unaware of the many dirty dealings in this world. How about this? Since you’ve already married into the family, you’re now part of the General’s mansion. We’re all family here, so let’s not stand on ceremony…”

She paused, her gaze shifting between Fu Yu’an and Qi Ren.

“Who’s family with you! He’s mine, don’t you dare try to take him!” Qi Ren puffed out his chest, glaring at her fiercely.

The second wife quickly scolded in a low voice, “Ren’er! Don’t be rude!”

Qi Ren snorted, ignoring her.

Fu Yu’an, hearing her mention the servant, the shop, and being family, began to have a vague premonition. He broke free from Qi Ren’s grip and gestured to her.

Madam Zhao looked at him in confusion, not understanding.

Xiao Zhu spoke up from behind, “His Highness is asking you to speak plainly and not beat around the bush. We have other matters to attend to!”

Fu Yu’an shot her a glare, and Xiao Zhu shrank back, avoiding his gaze.

He hadn’t gestured anything so blunt, but Xiao Zhu had voiced his thoughts.

“You know, since the old General passed away, the mansion has been declining day by day. Now, the eldest young master has broken his leg, and General Qi is like this… sigh! Outsiders may think our General’s mansion is glorious, but in reality, it’s riddled with holes and running at a loss!” She grew more emotional as she spoke, her eyes even welling up with tears, as if she were about to cry.

Qi Ren rolled his eyes, fully aware of her schemes.

He wondered how the Seventh Prince would handle this.

Seeing Fu Yu’an’s expressionless face, she thought to herself that this child was young and easy to bully, so she continued without restraint, “Why don’t you hand over the dowry first—since we’re all family now, it’ll end up in the treasury sooner or later! That servant is still wailing outside, and if word gets out, people will think the Prince is cruel and tyrannical, punishing servants on his first day here!”

Qi Ren snorted, glaring at her, “You want everything, do you want a bear’s face too?”

“They broke His Highness’s bracelet, and we haven’t even settled that account yet! How dare they play the victim first!” Xiao Zhu quickly retorted.

Madam Zhao’s face darkened, and she barked, “How dare you! Who gave a lowly maid like you the right to speak!”

Fu Yu’an shielded Xiao Zhu behind him and handed the bracelet fragments to Qi Ren. He gestured an explanation, which Xiao Zhu translated.

“This dowry was prepared by my father, so it’s not appropriate to handle it casually. Besides, that servant broke my bracelet. Shouldn’t we settle this account first? Since Madam Zhao is so kind-hearted, why not help him out and save us all the trouble?”

Madam Zhao was momentarily speechless. Her eyes darted around as she tentatively asked, “Bracelet? What bracelet? I’ll compensate you for it!”

She thought to herself that since this was an unfavored prince who had been living in the cold palace, the bracelet couldn’t be worth much. Compensating him first and then taking the dowry would be a profitable deal!

Fu Yu’an held up five fingers and waved them at her.

Madam Zhao: “Five taels of silver?”

Xiao Zhu: “Five thousand taels!”

Madam Zhao was furious. She slammed the table and stood up, “Are you trying to rob us? Spouting nonsense and demanding exorbitant prices! Do you think our General’s mansion doesn’t know the value of things?”

“That bracelet was left to His Highness by his late mother. It’s priceless, made of the finest red agate. If you don’t believe us, we can call a jeweler to appraise the fragments right now!”

Qi Ren opened his hand, and the fragments sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight streaming through the door, clearly made of high-quality material.

“Pay up!” He retracted his hand and pointed at her with two fingers.

Madam Zhao was stunned. She hadn’t expected him to possess something so valuable. Though the exact worth was still debatable, his righteous demeanor made it seem genuine.

Since she was already in the wrong, demanding the dowry now would mean having to compensate for the bracelet first. His meager dowry probably wasn’t even worth a thousand taels. If things went south…

It wasn’t worth losing the watermelon for a sesame seed. She wouldn’t make such a losing deal.

After some deliberation, Madam Zhao snorted and quickly put on a smile again, her change of expression astonishingly fast.

“That servant was the one who broke it. Why should I take the blame? How about this: let’s compromise. You keep the dowry, and I’ll expel the offending servant from the mansion. Let’s consider the matter settled, alright?”

Fu Yu’an had no reason to disagree.

He was, after all, an unfavored prince. His marriage had been rushed, and his dowry was meager. In contrast, the General’s mansion’s betrothal gifts had been returned in full by Concubine Jue.

He would have to live in this mansion for some time. If he left in the future and Qi Ren hadn’t recovered, at least he and the second wife could live comfortably.

Fu Yu’an nodded in agreement. Seeing him so compliant, Qi Ren felt a surge of frustration and immediately threw himself on the ground, throwing a tantrum and demanding compensation.

Fu Yu’an was startled, afraid that Qi Ren would lose the bracelet fragments, and quickly pulled him up from the ground.

Madam Zhao gave him a disdainful look but didn’t say anything. She had the servants block him and quickly left, circling around him.

How pitiful, Qi Ren thought. Just because you can’t speak, you let people bully you. You don’t even appreciate my efforts to stand up for you. So timid and cowardly!

“Good child, you’ve had a hard time. Let’s call it a day. You must be tired after all this. Go back and rest. Lunch will be sent to you later… Your Highness, please understand. Given Ren’er’s current condition, we didn’t hold a banquet…”

Fu Yu’an smiled and nodded, cupping his hands in a salute before leading Qi Ren away.

Qi Ren continued to grumble about seeking revenge on Madam Zhao, but a glare from Fu Yu’an quickly silenced him. He followed behind Fu Yu’an, deflated.