The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 392 Mother and Son
An Ziyang, carrying the Zhu Yijing that looked like a dead man, returned to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters and Zhu Zai's cell. As soon as he entered, a middle-aged beautiful woman quickly came out.

She was Zhu Yijing's birth mother, Madam Zhu.

Her gaze swept over An Ziyang before landing on Zhu Yijing. Before she could speak, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Xiao An, thank you for your help."

An Ziyang reached out and placed Zhu Yijing on the chair, smiling obsequiously.

"What are you saying? If the garrison commander knew that I dared to accept your thanks, wouldn't he hang me up and whip me? Please don't be so polite; I'm afraid it would shorten my lifespan."

Madam Zhu shook her head.

"In the end, it's because my family didn't discipline me properly...sigh..."

She stepped forward and reached out to touch Zhu Yijing's face.

Zhu Yijing then came to his senses, looked up at Madam Zhu, and immediately burst into tears, hugging Madam Zhu's waist and burying his face in her arms.

"mother……"

"Alright, alright, you're a grown man, what kind of behavior is this in front of Xiao An?"

Madam Zhu stroked Zhu Yijing's head and said softly.

"Actually, it may not be a bad thing. Your father has still built a family business for you. With Da Li around, you won't have to worry about losing your wealth in this lifetime."

"Rest assured and take a break for a while. If you still want to work, I will go to Da Li and ask him to arrange a job for you to hone your skills. If you don't want to work, I will ask your father to arrange a leisurely job for you. It would be nice to live a carefree life."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijing cried even harder.

An Ziyang, standing to the side, clicked his tongue.

"Who is Madam Zhu saying this to?"

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Madam, what are you saying? My family is the Garrison Commander..."

Madam Zhu raised her hand to interrupt.

"Don't overthink it, Xiao An."

“My husband has been bringing Da Li home for meals since he was ten years old. In my eyes, Da Li is just like my own son. There is no need for me to bring the palace ways over. I come from an ordinary family and don’t have so many complicated thoughts.”

"Tell Da Li what I said today. Now, just check if there is anything unclean on Jing'er's body."

An Ziyang's eyes darted around.

"Although blood ties are not considered under imperial authority, Madam Zhu doesn't seem to be just going through the motions... Never mind, it's not my place to interfere in the garrison commander's family affairs."

He put aside his ulterior motives, stepped forward, grasped Zhu Yijing's wrist, and examined it intently.

After a long while, his brows slowly furrowed.

Seeing this, Madam Zhu asked anxiously.

"Xiao An, is there something dangerous?"

An Ziyang shook his head.

"No."

"Is there anything you can't handle?"

"Not at all."

An Ziyang frowned and said in a deep voice.

"Nothing at all."

"There's no Gu, no poison, nothing at all."

Madam Zhu's face paled. She had been married to Zhu Zai for decades and had been his bedmate for decades as the head of the Da Shuo secret service. She had learned a great deal from his experience and was not comparable to an ordinary woman.

She immediately understood what An Ziyang meant.

Liu Jin had been lurking by Zhu Yijing's side for months; surely he wouldn't have made baseless accusations? Finding nothing is far more troublesome than finding something!
An Ziyang comforted Madam Zhu for a few words, then took Zhu Yijing's pulse again to check. This time it took a full half hour, until Zhu Yijing's forehead was covered in sweat before he opened his eyes.

"Madam, there really is nothing there."

"I am a true disciple of the Miao King, and I am a secret disciple of the Tang Clan. I would believe it if you said there were Gu poisons in this world that I could not cure, but I can be sure that there should be Gu poisons that even I cannot detect."

"I can confirm that there is nothing harmful to Zhu Qianhu's body, nor is there anything that could become harmful in the future."

An Ziyang pondered for a moment before continuing.

"Perhaps there are martial arts techniques that I cannot detect. I will have the garrison commander check it later. It just so happens that I also need to bring the commander's family into the palace."

"The palace is heavily guarded, and with the garrison commander present, your safety and that of Commander Zhu can be guaranteed."

Madam Zhu was slightly relieved and thanked An Ziyang again.

An Ziyang exchanged a few polite words and then left the cell, leaving the mother and son to talk.

Inside the house, the mother and son were embracing each other.

After about half an hour, Zhu Yijing finally managed to stop crying.

"Mother... I have disappointed Father..."

Madam Zhu stroked his head.

"Nothing, nothing."

"To be honest, I've known since I was little that you're just average-looking. But your father still hopes you'll succeed, so he beats and scolds you and disciplines you strictly. I can't stop him."

"From now on, just be a son to your father and me, treat Da Li as your own brother, be respectful and diligent, and treat him sincerely, just as you would treat your father and me. When your father and I are gone, he will take care of you."

“That child is fierce to outsiders, but soft-hearted to his own family. With the bond between your father and me, you will never be without support in your life.”

Madam Zhu said with a smile.

"Why don't you think of it this way? With Da Li around, which spoiled brat in Shuntian Prefecture has as much backbone as you? If you live a little more recklessly in the future, wouldn't you live a more comfortable life?"

Zhu Yijing responded with a dull groan.

That's what they say, but how can a few words or a couple of reasons dispel the resentment of the past ten years?
Madam Zhu understood him and didn't continue speaking, only clapping her hands.

Several maids came out from behind the guardhouse, carrying food boxes, bowls, chopsticks, towels, and clothes.

After washing Zhu Yijing's face and changing his clothes, a table and chairs were set up and food was laid out inside the room.

Madam Zhu pressed Zhu Yijing down at the table, picked out a few dishes from the table, placed them in front of Zhu Yijing, and then ladled out a bowl of soup: "This morning, your father asked me to prepare a calming soup for you. He still cares about you."

"I brewed this myself. Drink it to calm your nerves. Don't think about those troublesome things today. Get a good night's sleep. Tell me when you've thought it through, and I'll go talk to your father and Da Li to make arrangements for you."

Zhu Yijing hummed in agreement and silently drank his soup.

Madam Zhu sat down beside him, waved her hand, and the maids understood, bowed, and withdrew.

However, the mother and son did not notice that when the maids retreated outside the door, one of them suddenly lost focus for a moment, and in just an instant, her previous respect turned into coldness.

A cold gaze silently emerged from beneath the hair and crept up the floor onto the tables and chairs.

Finally, the nail was placed on Zhu Yijing, who was engrossed in eating.

In just a moment, that cold gaze vanished.

The maid shook her head, feeling a slight dizziness, which she guessed was from catching a cold the night before. She didn't pay much attention to it and left the room with her companion, quickly departing.

(End of this chapter)