Chapter 726 - 720, 721: From Wife to Concubine_2

If it wasn’t out of kindness to the other party, then it is...

Dai Ling, having traveled far and wide, inevitably saw much and thought much.

He immediately began inquiring about the relationship between Guo Xian and the Zhang Residence.

As a result, he really managed to unearth some things.

Guo Xian actually had a marriage arrangement with the daughter of the Zhang Residence, and they were to marry soon.

Logically, not many people in Xiangyang knew about Guo Xian and Zhang Zhu’s affair, but it couldn’t withstand Zhang River’s penchant for boasting.

He boasted of having an Advanced Scholar as a son-in-law.

Boasted that King Wei would bless the couple on their wedding day.

With this, more people got to know about it.

Therefore, it wasn’t hard for Dai Ling to find out.

When Huang Zhaodi heard this news, she felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Her own husband had a marriage agreement with another woman.

And it wasn’t about taking a concubine.

But about marrying a wife.

So what would she be, his original wife, at that time?

A mistress?

What about their only son, a bastard?

"Uncle Ling, could it be that you made a mistake at the start, and my husband didn’t actually change his name to Guo Xian? Perhaps Guo Xian... isn’t my husband at all."

Huang Zhaodi would rather believe that Dai Tu and Guo Xian were not the same person than believe what she had just heard.

"Mother." Her son, Dai Feng, could feel his mother’s sadness, holding her hand tightly and softly calling out.

Seeing Dai Ling wasn’t speaking for a moment, Huang Zhaodi added, "Perhaps it’s not the Zhang Residence, it could be another Zhang Residence, Guo Ning... he’s... he’s deceiving us..."

As she spoke, Huang Zhaodi finally couldn’t hold back and began to cry.

"Mother." Seeing his mother cry, Dai Feng also began to cry.

"Perhaps I really made a mistake."

Seeing the mother and son in such a state, after a long while, Dai Ling said, but soon added, "After all, you, Zhaodi, are the one next to his pillow; though I am his uncle, I’m ultimately an outsider and might get it wrong."

"It must be that you got it wrong, Uncle." Huang Zhaodi wiped her tears and quickly replied.

The three of them thus stood motionless on the street.

After a long while, Dai Ling couldn’t help but say, "Since we’re here, we might as well go and see. If it’s you, Zhaodi, you won’t get it wrong. If they’re not the same person, then we’ll all be at ease."

Huang Zhaodi nodded, but couldn’t help but think negatively in her heart.

Indeed, living together as husband and wife, could she not feel her husband’s growing coldness toward her, and see in his eyes, the look as if she were a stranger?

Could she not feel that their marriage has already become a mere formality?

She just didn’t want to believe it and chose to numb herself.

Arriving outside the Zhang Residence.

Huang Zhaodi appeared to hesitate, but it was Dai Ling who helped her make the decision, pulling her forward, saying, "Even if not for yourself, you have to give Xiaofeng an explanation."

Saying so, Dai Ling knocked on the large gate of the Zhang Residence.

Soon, a servant of the Zhang Residence opened the door, saw the three, and asked, "Who are you?"

"We are relatives of your family’s son-in-law, here to visit him. Could you please inform him?" Dai Ling said.

The term ’relatives’ was suggested by Huang Zhaodi.

"Relatives of the son-in-law?" The servant was taken aback; he knew the son-in-law’s parents were no longer around, but didn’t know what other relatives he might have, so he asked, "Who’s his relative?"

"I am his uncle, and this is my... daughter-in-law and grandson." Dai Ling didn’t say Huang Zhaodi was the wife of the son-in-law to avoid trouble if they got the wrong person.

Upon hearing this, the servant hurried inside to report.

...

Zhang Residence main hall.

Zhang River had gone to meet an old friend and was not at the residence.

Zhang Zhu was conversing with Zhang River.

"Father has already planned to settle in Xiangyang; he has many friends here, and he has written home for my aunt, mother, and siblings to come and witness our wedding." Zhang Zhu was not avoiding the subject, and she held Dai Tu’s hand, speaking softly.

Dai Tu nodded.

At this moment, a servant came to report, saying that relatives of the son-in-law had come to see him, with one claiming to be his uncle, along with the person’s daughter-in-law and grandson.

"Guo Lang’s uncle?" Hearing this, Zhang Zhu looked at Dai Tu and said, "Guo Lang, why haven’t you mentioned this before?"

At this moment, Dai Tu’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat appeared on his back. He realized that he probably hadn’t misheard outside the examination hall earlier; but on the surface, he remained calm and explained, "We aren’t very close. We don’t visit often, so they might have found the wrong person. I’ll go and take a look."

Zhang Zhu nodded but did not accompany him, as it would be inappropriate since they weren’t yet married.

Moreover, she was still an unmarried maiden, and had to keep her distance from men.

As Dai Tu followed the servant to the gate, he already considered the worst-case scenario and found an excuse to send the servant away first before going over himself.

The result was exactly as he thought.

When he saw Huang Zhaodi and the son beside her, Dai Tu was completely stunned.

Seeing the reaction, Dai Ling immediately believed he hadn’t made a mistake.

"...Father." Although Dai Feng vaguely realized something, the blood ties prompted him to call out to his father.

Huang Zhaodi’s body began to tremble, then she squatted down and cried bitterly.

Yes, this man was indeed her husband. Even though the mole on his face was gone and his beard was longer, even if he turned to ash, Huang Zhaodi would never mistake him.

Within moments, Dai Tu had come to his senses. He realized that if this went on, when the servants came and saw the scene, it would surely reach Zhang River’s ears, and his secret would eventually be uncovered.

He bent down, picked up Dai Feng, and said to Huang Zhaodi and Dai Ling, "Follow me," then headed toward a street outside.

Seeing this, Huang Zhaodi and Dai Ling could only follow.

In a deserted alley.

Dai Tu put Dai Feng down, and Huang Zhaodi quickly pulled her son over, protecting him behind her.

The first thing Dai Tu said to his wife and son was, "Why have you come here?"

Huang Zhaodi, with red eyes, replied, "Is it true?"

"What do you mean, is it true?"

"I heard you have a marriage arrangement with General Zhang’s daughter, are you going to marry her?" Huang Zhaodi still held onto a shred of hope.

Seeing Dai Tu remain silent and not answer, the last shred of hope in Huang Zhaodi’s heart was completely dashed. Her body began to waver, and the nearby Dai Feng quickly supported his mother, and Dai Ling also came to help, chastising Dai Tu:

"Good for you, Dai Tu, abandoning your own wife and son? Do you know how much Zhaodi has sacrificed for this family? You could participate in the imperial exams, but the travel expenses came from Zhaodi’s family. How could you do such a thing?"

As he spoke, Dai Ling also advised him to reconsider, saying that his registered residence had been changed to Cangzhou Lu’an County, and if he annulled the marriage with the Zhang family, everything could start anew.

"I know," Dai Tu replied.

Dai Ling breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had changed his mind.

A glimmer of light appeared in Huang Zhaodi’s eyes.

But in the next moment, Dai Tu said, "Zhaodi, I have wronged you, but I can no longer turn back."

Saying this, he looked towards Dai Ling, "Uncle Ling, do you know the relationship between Zhu’Er’s father and King Wei? With Zhu’Er, I can advance rapidly. By then, our Dai Family can become a major clan, shining brightly."

"You’ve changed your surname, what is there to shine brightly?" Huang Zhaodi suddenly choked and cried out.

"This is only temporary. Someday in the future, when I am ennobled, I can change it back. By then... Xiaofeng can inherit everything from me too." Dai Tu, although he had no feelings for Huang Zhaodi, still acknowledged his own son.

"What do you want?" Dai Ling asked, frowning.

"I wish for Uncle Ling and... Zhaodi to help keep this secret for me." At this, Dai Tu also felt some embarrassment, again speaking to Huang Zhaodi, "Zhaodi, I know I’ve wronged you, but if you’re willing, I can take you as a concubine afterward. The silver you gave me, I can repay it double... no, tenfold, no, a hundredfold."

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhaodi laughed—laughed bitterly, "Dai Tu, you’re shameless."