Chapter 259: An Ugly Daughter-in-Law Must Eventually Meet Her In-Laws

"This—when did this happen?"

"It happened when I was in Beiguan and she was in Weicheng."

"That Qiao Family dares to lay a hand on my daughter?"

"Hmph, it was your daughter who ran into someone's house and spoke rudely. After I learned of it, I didn't pursue it since it was my fault, and later she said she had something to attend to and asked me to return first. I didn't expect she would go flirt with the other family's Dizi."

"What do you mean by telling me this?"

"My point is that the lady of that house is mysterious; we should watch quietly. Next year that boy will take the imperial exam—whether he passes or not is another matter. I don't think small families are bad; at least our daughter can stay with someone like you and me for a lifetime. A glorious marriage is fine, but look at their inner chambers—none are clean. Let's not get in the way."

The Duchess rolled her eyes, "If you are willing, I am not. Anyway I won't agree to this; I will never let them take a ready‑made one."

"An ugly daughter‑in‑law must eventually meet her in‑laws; we'll talk about it later."

"Hmph!"

Qiao Mai stood on the roof, "Chuan'er, Yun'er, you may not act; leave it to your big brother."

So, the Duchess really need not watch her daughter like this.

If it weren't for Qiao Mai's warning, the two younger brothers would have been wiped out by the black‑clad men. Yunfeng let the two younger brothers stay inside the house, drew a Big Knife from the kang, and kicked the black‑clad man out.

Qiao Mai tossed Fengyun a bottle of medicine, directly swept those dead bodies into a space, glanced at the three little lambs on the ground, and they nodded at her.

"Yes, they are our people; I sent them to surround and kill that boy."

Yunfeng was jolted awake by his mother's angry shout; he quickly focused his spirit and fought together with the remaining three black‑clad men.

At that moment, Mu Guniang pushed the door open and rushed in; seeing father and mother unharmed, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Hmph, he dared to covet someone he shouldn't have, and should die for it!"

"It's your daughter who provoked that family; why don't you reason?"

When the Duke saw the corpse, he already understood what had happened.

If she wants to go out, she must report directly to the Duchess; she then assigns personnel to follow her, fearing she might run away.

"Yes, Mother."

"My daughter is a golden‑branch jade‑leaf, not someone they can match; even if my daughter's lady provoked him, it doesn't matter—he is unworthy and should stay far away."

Yunfeng thought while fighting that these people came for him; perhaps they were sent by Mu Guniang's family, who disapprove of the two's marriage and want to kill him to silence him.

The corpses in the courtyard were quickly cleared by dispatched people.

Then he struck the Duke's Sleep Acupoint, pulled the Duchess off the bed, stripped her outer robe, and threw it onto the pile of corpses.

She took advantage of this time while the daughter was at home, constantly dragging her to attend that banquet, which was meant to make the daughter see other men and forget Yunfeng entirely, but alas, Mu Guniang liked no one.

Yunfeng left no opening for a counterattack; despite his size, he had never killed anyone, but his mother's teaching—that tolerance toward enemies is cruelty toward oneself.

"What exactly happened at home? Why are there black‑clad men's corpses?"

At that moment Yunfeng was tangled with the black‑clad men; had it not been for his mother's shout, the third brother would have been beheaded in his sleep. Damn, this grudge must be avenged.

It seems this Duchess has truly exhausted herself for her daughter's marriage.

"Me!"

The Duke, with a gloomy face, pushed everyone in the house back, "If I'm not mistaken, those black‑clad men are all ours, right?"

She thought that children's marriage matters need not turn into life‑and‑death struggles. Once this lady is dealt with, everything will be easy.

The Duke, his beard trembling with anger, said, "The people I trained with hard work are not to be sent to die for your personal grudges; they are for battling on the front, for the nation and the people. From today onward, you may not use my troops again."

"It's fine, you go back; it's a private matter between me and your mother."

Qiao Mai returned home on the twentieth day of the twelfth month, and did not expect that night black‑clad men would visit the house.

While he was distracted, he almost fell for the black‑clad men's killing move; Qiao Mai let out an angry roar from the roof.

So she stepped out of the house, and Qiao Mai, seeing this, let out a cold snort.

Actually, Mu Guniang's return to the capital this time was arranged with Yunfeng; after the New Year, he will go to the capital to take the imperial exam, and the two agreed to meet there.

"Hmph, if you don't need it, then don't; I'm not without anyone myself."

"Between life and death, you still have the mind to daydream; hurry and finish dealing with this wave of people."

The Duke and the Duchess, each with their own attitude, had Mu Junzhu effectively placed under house arrest by her family from this day onward.

As long as they are enemies, it's either you die or I perish; he has two younger brothers to protect, and none of these black‑clad men may be let escape.

"It's not your fault; what's wrong with loving someone? It's just that the person you love has too high a status; in their eyes, we are mere ants."

It seems the two children's marriage must undergo a blood baptism? She doesn't mind the back‑and‑forth; the point is these assassins aren't real killers—each time they die they're sent back, which is rather boring.

Chuan'er and Fengyun hurriedly dressed, each carrying a Big Knife, and arrived at the doorway.

"You're truly obstinate, the day you'll regret."

"Mother, it is I who brought this death‑bringing disaster upon the family; please punish me!"

"Give me people, and I'll dare…"

The Duke rose, the servant girl and the old woman got up, lit torches and lanterns, and discovered the black‑clad men's corpses as well as the Duchess.

"Yes, Mother!"

It's I who brought disaster to the family, I didn't pick it up, we had clearly agreed to wait a few years before discussing marriage, this is heaven's punishment for me.

"Fine, alright, now that so many have died, you're satisfied, aren't you?"

Actually, nothing would have happened even without Qiao Mai; the three lambs have been silently watching those black‑clad men.

She slept with the corpses until midnight before waking; in the dead of winter, wearing a small belly‑wrap, she stood on the corpses and screamed.

Qiao Mai stayed in the capital for a few days, saw Mu Junzhu's actions, nodded, and in her heart had already regarded her as half a daughter‑in‑law.

"The opponent can kill so many people unseen, can strip you naked and make you sleep on corpses; you keep sending people, next time I hope your head is still there?"

Qiao Mai had long seen that each of those black‑clad men was agile, and their attacks on Yunfeng were utterly ruthless—purely deadly moves.

"If it weren't for Mother, the three of us would—sorry, it's all my fault."

The princess didn't think further; after all, the capital is ten days' travel from Tianshui Town, and the black‑clad men appearing at the house likely have nothing to do with the Qiao Family of Tianshui.

Qiao Mai returned to Jingcheng overnight and directly threw all the black‑clad men into the Duchess's Yuanzi.

The Duke, furious, stood up and slapped her, "You, you, you—everyone I train fights for the country and the people. How could you send people to kill the Ming Emperor's subjects? Our Mu family has been loyal for generations; how could you betray me and do such a thing?"

Fortunately the back garden was filled with women, no men came, so he had someone dress the Duchess and helped her into the house.

"Chuan'er, Fengyun, give your brother a look at his wounds and apply some medicine."

The last man in black was taken down by Yunfeng, who had wounded a thousand enemies but lost eight hundred himself; after finishing, he threw his Sword down and knelt on the ground.

As for the half‑daughter‑in‑law behind them, if the two's fate aligns, this mother‑figure is willing to stand up for them.

The Duchess's eyes darted away, looking at her husband's fierce gaze, and finally she clenched her teeth.

So Qiao Mai bought a poison on the Platform and forced it down her throat.

So as not to let this woman go mad and treat other people's lives as her own.

Thus the Duchess was bedridden the next day, unable to lift a single limb, as if she had a bone‑less disease, having to eat, drink, relieve herself all in bed.

The Duke and his wife were deeply devoted; his earlier words were only angry talk, and seeing his wife like this made him anxious.

(End of chapter)