The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 374: Life is Not Worth Living

Chapter 374: Life is Not Worth Living

Chu Hanming’s body trembled even more, and he pressed his lips tightly together. Nanli glanced at him, "Second Uncle, now that the whole family is here, everyone will help you come up with a solution. Hurry up and speak."

Chu Hanming’s chest surged with intense emotions, but when he looked up at Nanli, he was actually intimidated by her, despite her young age.

Lady Tian, seeing how things had developed, quickly said, "Second Master, A’Li has already said this. If you speak up, she will definitely help you."

Nanli raised an eyebrow, but before she could refuse, Grand Lady had already smashed a teacup on the ground. "If you’ve caused trouble, bear the consequences yourself. An elder needing a junior to clean up after them? Aren’t you ashamed?!"

Such a person is not worthy of the Chu family name!

The ground was covered with fragments and water stains.

Everyone was startled.

Madam Shen anxiously said, "Mother, you must take care of yourself, don’t let this upset you too much."

Chu Ye and his brothers also spoke up to persuade her.

Last year, Grand Lady had been invaded by an evil spirit and had been recovering ever since. They dared not inform her immediately when the fake Chu Yang was brought back to the mansion.

Grand Lady, with a somber face, raised her hand, still speaking with vigor, "This old woman has been recuperating for over a year and is still in decent health. I haven’t disciplined this unfilial son yet; I won’t collapse so easily."

She then stared at Chu Hanming and shouted angrily, "Are you going to speak or not?"

Chu Hanming shuddered, both frightened and scared. Being a coward, he quickly confessed everything without daring to hide anything.

Everyone in the hall frowned upon hearing his words.

Madam Shen couldn’t help but wonder, is this really the Marquis’s own brother? How could he be so stupid? Could he have been swapped at birth?

After her anger subsided, Grand Lady was filled with disappointment and sadness. She said, "When you were born, our family was already stable, and I taught you well! Your first mistake was not guarding the storeroom properly, leading to the theft of the flower vase! Your second mistake was not investigating to prove your innocence but buying a fake to deceive everyone! Your third mistake was trying to steal a talisman, nearly endangering the lives of the whole family!"

Chu Hanming argued, "Mother, even if it wasn’t an inside job, at least thirty lashes are required. If it’s not solved, it would be fifty lashes!"

"When items go missing from the storeroom, most people use such methods to avoid punishment. Why are you making a big deal out of it, mother?"

Grand Lady’s face turned pale, "You... you..."

With their father absent, Chu Ye, as the eldest brother, spoke, "Being flogged is a minor issue; the bigger issue is Hanming being blackmailed."

Chu Hanming was naturally displeased being lectured by a junior, "Grand Manager Wang just wanted a True Word Talisman, not to kill or set fires."

Chu Shuo said coldly, "Sixth Sister has reasons for not selling certain talismans. Isn’t it strange that Grand Manager Wang, who doesn’t work at the Dalisi Procuratorate or the Shuntian Office, needs a True Word Talisman?"

Chu Huan, who had some impression of Grand Manager Wang, nodded, "Indeed, Grand Manager Wang asked Second Uncle for this favor long ago, and Second Uncle couldn’t help. Then this happened. I now suspect this was a trap set by Grand Manager Wang."

Chu Hanming’s mind buzzed, "No... no way?"

Even Lady Tian gave him a resentful look, thinking, even she, a woman confined to the inner quarters, could figure this out. How could Chu Hanming not think of it at all? Indeed, stupidity is incurable.

Grand Lady, feeling exhausted, said, "Dalong, send your Second Uncle to the authorities."

A person can be mediocre but not too foolish. This time, Grand Manager Wang only wanted a True Word Talisman; next time, he might take the lives of the Chu family.

"Mother!" Chu Hanming cried out, "You have always favored my elder brother. Whenever I made a mistake, you never showed mercy. Am I really your biological son?"

Chu Shuo rolled his eyes, "Second Uncle, my father is capable and responsible. He never made such mistakes."

Madam Shen glared at him, signaling him to stop speaking to avoid being disrespectful.

Chu Hanming was infuriated, his lips trembling. After a long while, he shouted, "Mother gave birth to me with such incompetence, what can I do? I also want to be skilled in both civil and military arts, to be able to fight on the battlefield and achieve great merits!"

Grand Lady sighed heavily. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to teach him, but this son of hers was really just average, only suited for a life of ease and indulgence.

She said with disdain, "Even living a leisurely life, you still managed to cause trouble. Yet you still complain. This Chu family... really can’t accommodate you anymore!"

Chu Hanming was stunned.

Lady Tian finally reacted, quickly saying, "Mother, Second Master knows he’s wrong. He is truly remorseful this time. Please, Mother, give him another chance and don’t abandon him."

"Mother, Second Brother was confused this time, but he was also set up. There are extenuating circumstances," Madam Shen, also soft-hearted, looked at Nanli, who had been silent for a long time, "A’Li..."

"Mother!" Chu Ye said coldly, interrupting Madam Shen, "Second Uncle being set up is easy to solve. What he shouldn’t have done was stealing a talisman. Sixth Sister’s talismans are not to be trifled with."

"That’s right. Nothing happened this time, but if someone had died, Sixth Sister would be the one blamed since she drew the talisman, losing her merit!" Chu Shuo quickly added.

He was usually very sensible, never asking Sixth Sister for talismans he shouldn’t have.

Chu Huan, having been harmed by an evil talisman before, knew the power of some talismans. He nodded, "Eldest Brother is right."

Chu Yan, usually afraid to involve himself in these matters, bravely spoke up this time since it concerned Sixth Sister, "Father warned us not to cause trouble for Sixth Sister. But now Second Uncle has knowingly violated this rule. According to family rules, he should be severely punished."

Except for Chu Yang, who was in the Flame Sect, all four brothers stood up for Nanli, pointing out the crucial points.

Nanli felt a warm current flow through her heart.

Sometimes, she helped out but didn’t get the appreciation she deserved and might even be blamed.

Human hearts are complex; how many people are truly grateful?

Madam Shen, hearing this, also firmed up her resolve and stopped speaking.

Chu Hanming finally came to his senses, looking at his brothers, feeling his liver and guts ache from anger.

"You ingrates! I am your Second Uncle!"

He wanted to claim how good he had been to them, but after racking his brains, he couldn’t find even a trace of it in his memory.

After saying this, his old face turned red with shame.

Grand Lady, having had enough, said, "Still unrepentant! Implement family punishment first, then send him to the authorities!"

At her command, two guards quickly entered with paddles.

Two more guards stepped forward to hold him down, preventing him from moving due to the pain.

But as soon as Chu Hanming saw the paddles, he broke out in cold sweat.

The family beatings were harsher than those in the palace!

"Then life is not worth living!" Chu Hanming shouted and suddenly got up, rushing to hit his head against a pillar.

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