In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Chapter 75 Fool

Shen Xu's attack on Zhu Qingyu's carriage that afternoon was an impulsive act. After all these years, he still can't stand such a heartless, fickle, and ungrateful woman.

When he encounters it, he feels like going crazy, like seeing blood, like killing.

Her husband was still in prison, his fate unknown. It would be one thing if she didn't weep and grieve, but she actually leaned against the carriage window and laughed. How could she possibly laugh?!

I wonder who she's laughing at, or who she's trying to hook up with.

At the same time as the Emperor's decree arrived, Gu Zhao's letter specifically instructed Shen Xu not to harm the Zhang family's relatives and specifically requested that the eldest daughter of the Zhang family be spared. He would explain this to the Emperor himself.

Shen Xu already had some reservations about Madam Zhang, who fled for her life when disaster struck. Now, seeing her smile, he was even more furious and could no longer suppress his urge to kill.

When Gu Zhao confronted him, Shen Xu knew he was in the wrong, but he was still unconvinced:

"I owe you my life; you can take it anytime you want. But to use that debt of gratitude on her? She doesn't deserve it!"

Gu Zhao's expression grew even colder:

"Shen Chongshu, you've crossed the line. This isn't your business. I'll say it again, don't touch her. If you dare touch her again, don't blame me for being heartless. You know me, you know I mean what I say. Don't force me to sever all ties with you without any mercy."

Now that Shen Xu has lost all his relatives and has never married, he has become the emperor's weapon after becoming the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In order to avoid suspicion, he has cut off all contact with the families of officials and nobles in the capital.

Humans are social animals, and all humans have emotional needs for social interaction, including Shen Xu, who is considered cold-blooded and cruel by the world.

In this world, the only person Shen Xu can still consider a friend is Gu Zhao, and he still cherishes the friendship between them.

In the end, everyone got through those difficult times, but now Gu Zhao is going to turn against him for a woman, and since he owes him his life, he has no choice but to agree.

After Gu Zhao left, Shen Xu was so angry that he drank alone. The more he drank, the angrier he became. He wanted to curse more and more. He was cursing Gu Zhao, that fool who was so infatuated with a woman, when another fool showed up.

Xie Ze, the young master of the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion, actually came to the Shen mansion with silver, acting as an intermediary for Madam Zhang.

Shen Xu was not familiar with this young marquis of the Xie family at all. The cousin relationship between the Shen family and the Xie family was so distant that they were beyond the fifth degree of kinship.

The Xie family were related to the imperial family through marriage, and in principle, they were the key targets of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's surveillance. The two families were supposed to avoid suspicion. Usually, when the Xie family members saw Shen Xu, they would just nod and greet him, without saying a word more.

Only this young marquis was incredibly outgoing. Every time he saw Shen Xu, he would greet him warmly from afar, calling him "cousin" this and "cousin" that, talking non-stop until Shen Xu had a headache.

Tonight was no different; Xie Ze brought money and arrived with great enthusiasm and familiarity.

"Cousin, as the saying goes, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. There is also a Buddhist saying that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Furthermore, the medical field is bathed in the warm spring sunshine, with lush green leaves and a hundred flowers blooming..."

Xie Ze had just started speaking when Shen Xu's head, already throbbing from anger at Gu Zhao, throbbed even more. He rubbed his forehead and asked him:

"Young Master, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Xie Ze had laid the groundwork enough before getting to the main point:

"Madam Zhu saved my life, so she's a person of great merit. Cousin, although I don't know what misunderstanding you have, you are my cousin, and she is my savior. In short, we are family. As family, let's sit down and talk things out. There's no need to resort to violence, is there? Tomorrow, I'll invite you and Madam Zhu to Fanlou for drinks. We'll shake hands, make peace, drink and chat, and reminisce about our lives. From now on, let's treat each other as family, okay?"

Shen Xu thought to herself, who is her family?

But to avoid further arguing with the young master of the Xie family, Shen Xu said on the spot:

"No need for drinking. I just won't lay a hand on her anymore."

I didn't expect it to be so easy to convince him. Xie Ze, who had prepared a whole bunch of things to say and originally wanted to have a long talk with Shen Xu by candlelight, thought to himself, "Wow, I'm a genius at being a persuader!"

Xie Zemei bowed to Shen Xu with a pleased expression and said:

"Alright, I knew it. Cousin, you're beautiful inside and out, and you keep your promises. You wouldn't make things difficult for her."

If it weren't for the fact that it was this young marquis who said those words, Shen Xu, who is completely unrelated to the beautiful, kind-hearted, and trustworthy Shen Xu, would have drawn his sword and killed him on the spot.

After sending away yet another fool, Shen Xu couldn't fall asleep at night. He tossed and turned for a long time but still couldn't sleep, so he simply gave up and rushed back to the Imperial Guard prison overnight.

The imperial prison was always dark and damp, making prisoners rot away without distinguishing between day and night, which was also an important means of breaking people's will.

The guards at night were used to seeing Lord Shen; he had this peculiar habit: when he couldn't sleep, he would come to see the prisoners' miserable state, and then he could sleep soundly.

Zhang Shen was convicted of deceiving the emperor and imprisoned in the second level of the imperial prison. Compared to the first level, it was even more gloomy and terrifying. Apart from the kerosene lamps used for interrogation and the firelight used for branding, there was almost no light at all.

The Imperial Guards took him away, setting off only one night earlier than Zhu Qingyu. They also traveled by land and water, and although they traveled day and night, they only arrived three days earlier than Zhu Qingyu.

Although he had only been in the imperial prison for three days, when Shen Xu followed the jailer with the lantern, he saw Zhang Shen lying on the wet straw, already unconscious.

Shen Xu stared at the unconscious Zhang Jingyan for a long time without saying a word.

Only when the jailer thought Lord Shen wouldn't speak did Shen Xu ask:

"Did the prisoner give any statement today?"

The jailer said:

"The prisoner only woke up once today, asking where his wife and sister were, then he fainted and couldn't be woken up no matter what."

Shen Xu couldn't understand how there could be so many fools in this world.

His wife had already left him to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy, yet he still missed her.

That's so stupid.

Just like him back then.

Through the unconscious Zhang Jingyan, Shen Xu seemed to see himself from back then.

When will these foolish men finally wake up and give up?

Before leaving, Shen Xu instructed the jailer: