Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 177 Skillfully Deflecting Conflict
Upon arriving at the main house, Tan Huaike was stopped by two servants.

The other party clearly hadn't expected her to suddenly barge in, and didn't take her seriously, firmly blocking the doorway and saying, "Without the Queen's permission, no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter."

Tan Huai Ke snorted coldly: "Is that so? Then let me go in and ask Aunt Jun first, to see if I count as an outsider." As she spoke, she waved her hand behind her, "A Peng, open the door."

Apeng was strong and powerful. He stepped forward and pushed the two servants aside. When he opened the door, he found it was bolted, so he kicked it open.

Tan Huaike praised him generously: "Well done."

Their sudden intrusion stopped the beating on Shentu Zhuo's side.

Amidst the shocked gazes of everyone in the room, Tan Huaike curtsied to the elderly lady at the head of the table, seemingly oblivious to the occasion, and said respectfully and gently, "Greetings to Aunt Jun."

The old lady demanded sharply, "Who gave you permission to come in!"

Tan Huai Ke said innocently, "My uncle and I returned home from Andu together, so we should have come to pay our respects to Aunt Jun first. However, the servants in the mansion wouldn't let us use the main gate, so we came from the side courtyard and took a longer route. Aunt Jun wouldn't be angry because I delayed you for a little while, would she?" As if she had only just noticed the scene inside the room, she feigned surprise, "Oh dear, what's going on? Why are you treating my uncle like this?"

The old lady, too lazy to argue with her, said to the two servants holding canes, "Keep beating him! Beat him until he's willing to resign! Anyone who dares to stop him will be punished according to family law!"

Tan Huaike then dropped the pretense and shouted, "Let's see who dares to hit him!"

"You shameless Tan family girl, you have no respect for elders! Aunt Liao, throw her out!" The old lady immediately turned her anger towards her.

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty..." Liao'ao came over to pull Tan Huaike away, but as she got closer, she saw the crisscrossing bloodstains on Shentu Zhuo's back and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She secretly hoped that someone could persuade Your Majesty to show mercy, even if this person was the eldest daughter-in-law who had never gotten along with her. For a moment, she hesitated.

Taking advantage of Liao Ao's slight hesitation, Tan Huaike skillfully evaded her.

At her signal, Apeng grabbed the sticks from the two servants, dragged them to the door, and threw them out. The two servants, seeing the Queen's ugly expression, hurriedly went to pick up the sticks, but Apeng stopped them again. Thus, the three of them began to fight. Although Apeng couldn't do much to them by fighting two against one, he was enough to keep them from getting close to Shentu Zhuo.

At the same time, following Tan Huai Ke's previous instructions, Chang Ao took advantage of the chaos to rummage through the second young master's baggage, found his official robe, and handed it to her eldest mistress.

Tan Huaike then draped his official robe over Shen Tu Zhuo's back and said solemnly, "Come on, Lord Shen Tu has returned on official business. Let's see who dares to use private torture against the Grand Master of Ceremonies!"

Everyone was stunned.

Enforcing family discipline on an unfilial son is one thing, but insulting a court official is quite another. Now that Shen Tu Zhuo is wearing his official robes, the old lady may disdain him, but others don't have the guts.

The old lady was so angry that her hands trembled: "You...you...Daughter of the Tan family, you've gone too far!"

Seeing this, Aunt Liao quickly went back to help her catch her breath: "The second young master has already learned his lesson, Lady. Calm down. If you get sick from anger, wouldn't you be falling right into the hands of this Tan family girl?"

Shen Tu Zhuo caught his breath slightly, and enduring the pain, turned his head with difficulty to look at Tan Huai Ke.

Tan Huai Ke winked at him and whispered, "I said I'd come to rescue you. Did I arrive in time?"

Shentu Zhuo twitched the corner of his mouth: "Thank you, sister-in-law."

The old lady was not yet satisfied and raised her voice, "Someone come here..."

Seeing Pei'er and Ahui arrive, Tan Huaike called out, "Someone come here! Help the Second Young Master to the side to rest." Pei'er quickly replied, "Yes, Madam."

So Ah Hui and Ah Peng worked together to push away the servants who were grabbing sticks, and carried the severely beaten Shen Tu Zhuo to a soft cushion made of prayer mats, making sure to adjust his official robes.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Tan Huaike sat down at the table and asked Pei'er to make him a cup of tea, putting on an air of wanting to have a proper conversation with Aunt Jun.

The main house doors were closed, and apart from the master, only a few trusted servants remained.
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After such a commotion, the old lady had no choice but to abandon the "family discipline" and instead began to give a stern reprimand.

What angered the old lady was nothing more than Shen Tu Zhuo's recommendation and appointment to an official position. She repeatedly scolded him for being unfilial, saying that he ignored her warnings, that entering officialdom was just a way to die, and that he would follow in the footsteps of his father and brothers.

Tan Huaike didn't listen carefully, and while drinking tea, he asked Pei'er, "Where's A-Shuo?"

Pei'er replied, "On the way here, they informed us that a guest had arrived, but they didn't say who he was looking for. Ashuo guessed that he was looking for the Second Young Master, but fearing that family scandals would be exposed, he went out to deal with him first."

Tan Huaike nodded.

Just then, the old lady finished her tirade, and Shen Tu Zhuo was about to speak up in defense when Tan Huai Ke put down his teacup and spoke up before him: "I know that Aunt Jun is resentful and is sincerely planning for the young master and uncle, but so many years have passed since the matter of Uncle Jun, and the court has changed beyond recognition. Rather than cowering in fear in a corner, why not try another way out?"

The old lady said irritably, "What do you, an outsider, know!"

Tan Huaike said gently, "I may not understand the others, but I know that Aunt Jun has worked hard to raise her children to be outstanding. The two sons of the Shentu family are clearly promising talents who can make a name for themselves wherever they go. Why should Aunt Jun deliberately hinder them and let these pearls be tarnished?"

Her words were quite tactful, and even though the old lady was still angry, she was somewhat persuaded.

Tan Huaike pressed his advantage: "Now that the die is cast, my uncle has already taken up his official position and has been entrusted with the important task of opening up trade routes in the west. Our family should work together to help him. Why should we cause him more trouble? My uncle has survived so many dangers in Andu. We understand even more that running away is not the solution. We must build up our strength to fight back so as not to repeat the same mistakes."

"Danger?" The old lady became anxious upon hearing this. "What happened to you in Andu?"

"It's nothing, Mother, please don't take it to heart," Shentu Zhuo comforted her. "Thanks to my sister-in-law for running around and mediating for me, it was just a misunderstanding. I've returned unharmed, haven't I?"

He spoke so casually, but as the daughter of the Grand Historian, how could the old lady not know how dangerous these so-called "misunderstandings" were? How could she possibly have the heart to punish him?

Tan Huaike continued, "Over the years, my uncle has witnessed how hard you've struggled, enduring the pain of losing your husband and son. He naturally feels sorry for you. His determination to participate in the examinations wasn't to disobey you, but to clear my uncle's name and vent your anger for the injustices you suffered. Aunt Jun, now everyone praises my uncle for his success. You can finally relax and the burden on your shoulders is lifted. The Shentu Manor now has a capable leader who can stabilize the situation."

Having been in charge for a long time, the old lady immediately understood the hidden meaning in her words. She snorted, "Are you trying to say that I'm too old to manage the household? Zhuo'er has an official position, so it's only right that he be the male ruler of the mansion. But what are you? A mere merchant's daughter, a widow who was married in place of her husband. You don't really think you're the female ruler of this mansion, do you?"

“Now that we’ve separated the family, I’ve already said I wouldn’t touch the property in Aunt Jun’s hands.” Tan Huai Ke didn’t take it seriously. “I was originally meant to be the mistress of the household for my late husband, why bother fighting and making a scene?”

"Tch, he only has a few acres of land and a few dilapidated shops. Who does he think he is, putting on airs?" Old Lady Liao scoffed.

Just then, Ashuo knocked on the door and announced, "Your Majesty, there are guests outside requesting an audience."

The old lady asked in confusion, "I did not have an appointment with any guests today."

Ah Shuo said, "Well... they've come to see Madam."
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Next chapter: When did it become so powerful?