[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son":3,"chapter-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-67":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Am the Xu Family's Son",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2307845,4510,"Chapter 67: Teaching and Mourning {Thank You All for Your Support! Grateful! Again}","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-67",67,"\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing swiftly caught his mother as she stumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Xie Shi stood behind her mother-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the white cloth strip, Xu Zaijing felt a pang of alarm, but quickly steadied himself, for the steward’s expression showed no sign of grave news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not Father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he said to Sun Shi beside him: “Mother, rest easy—had Father truly met with disaster, the steward would not be so calm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, Sun Shi felt as if she had surfaced from water, finally able to breathe; she gasped several times and asked: “What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward arrived before the second gate where Sun Shi and the others stood; behind him, the youth bearing the white cloth strip knelt down and bowed his head hard to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Madam, your uncle from the Zhu family of Xiangzhou has passed away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Shi was momentarily at a loss—she had just feared her Marquis had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the steward said it wasn’t the Marquis—it was a relative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu Lang, help your cousin up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hu Ge’er, rise. Let’s go inside and talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Auntie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Sun Shi married into the Xu family, Xu Minghua had an elder sister who married into the Zhu family, a marquisate founded by the dynasty’s founder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhu family’s successive heads had all aimed to expand their lineage; their sons mostly joined the military to earn merit, rarely pursuing civil office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the previous emperor’s reign, a Zhu family scion had risen to the position of Regional Military Commissioner of the Eastern Capital’s Imperial Guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the Zhu family grew too close to a collateral branch of the Imperial Consort Xiao family and became entangled in the plot to murder the Empress; though their involvement was minor, their official posts were stripped from top to bottom, and all military connections vanished overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that remained was a hollow marquis title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each new emperor comes new ministers; the current emperor is the youngest son of the former Empress, and the Zhu family now had no hope of revival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without patronage at court, the Zhu family rapidly declined, and its descendants lost all promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, the current emperor showed clemency and reinstated many noble families wrongfully disgraced; fortunately, a few years ago, they secured a marriage with the eldest daughter of the Brave and Resolute Marquis, who, though poorly raised, was still better than a commoner’s daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Brave and Resolute Marquis, in turn, slowly regained some standing through the Cao family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhu family thus began to rise again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xu Minghua joined the Western Army and secured his footing, he brought his elder sister’s husband into the Western Army, starting him as a personal guard, later promoting him to Battalion Commander; their son, Zhu Qinghu, also joined the Western Army and served under his father as a Company Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghu sat in the main hall; through Sun Shi’s questioning, Xu Zaijing pieced together the full account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, the Bai Gao kingdom had invaded Lingzhou, silently wiping out all frontier fortresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Xu Zaijing’s elder aunt’s husband who detected the enemy’s advance and dispatched Zhu Qinghu, the best horseman among them, with a detachment to deliver the battle report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself led a battalion of fewer than five hundred soldiers to use terrain to stall the Bai Gao advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six hours later:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire battalion was annihilated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghu, though highly skilled, bore five arrow wounds and still broke through the Bai Gao scouts’ encirclement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of his fifty comrades, only seven survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the enemy intelligence was delivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave the Great Zhou army time to react; Xu Zaijing’s aunt’s husband sacrificed his life to earn military merit, and Xu Minghua received imperial commendation, for he was an officer promoted from within the Xu household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the urgency of the battle report, Xu Minghua could not return to Bianjing; he sent only Zhu Qinghu home to announce the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hu Ge’er, how is your mother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She was well when I left—not crying or wailing, preparing to build a memorial tomb for my father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Shi: “Not crying or wailing—that means she’s suppressing it inside. Don’t neglect her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Auntie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are there any other households in the capital that need to be notified? Let your cousin Jing go with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Auntie, the only relative in the capital is the Hou Fu—there are no others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then rest here tonight; the day after tomorrow, I’ll return to Xiangzhou with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, Xu ZaiDuan and Xu ZaiZhang met Zhu Qinghu upon returning to their courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that their familiar elder aunt’s husband had died, both boys’ eyes filled with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Xu family had still been obscure, their aunt’s husband often brought them gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By contrast, Zhu Qinghu’s father had already joined the Western Army before Xu Zaijing came of age, so their contact had been less frequent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghu stayed that night within the Hou Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, before dawn, Zhu Qinghu’s ears twitched—he woke instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose, dressed, stepped outside—the sound that woke him had already faded far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to sleep, Zhu Qinghu rose and followed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint light ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Zhu Qinghu saw a broad riding field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two dark figures were exchanging advances and retreats in combat; Zhu Qinghu’s heart tightened, but he noticed the maids at a distance showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind shifted—he realized someone was practicing at dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he drew closer, Zhu Qinghu recognized the figure in the field: his youngest cousin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yun also spotted Zhu Qinghu; both paused, and Gao Yun bowed: “Cousin Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cousin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re practicing sword and shield?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Cousin Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come, let’s spar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yun, seeing his young master nod, removed his gear, saying as he did:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cousin Young Master, my lord’s strength is considerable—be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Zhu Qinghu and Xu Zaijing stood facing each other on the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both held a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, slowly locking stances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Xu Zaijing’s footwork, Zhu Qinghu saw the moment his foot lifted—just before it fully rose—and struck fiercely with his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing’s shield deflected Zhu Qinghu’s blade clean from his grip; Zhu Qinghu’s surprise flashed briefly—Gao Yun was about to cheer, but then saw Zhu Qinghu swiftly close the distance to Xu Zaijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instant their shields met, Zhu Qinghu thrust his sword hand toward Xu Zaijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing suddenly felt a jolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He released his force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yun, watching, wondered why his young master didn’t shove Zhu Qinghu away as he usually did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghu panted heavily and said: “Jing Ge’er, do you understand what I meant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing replied: “If you’d had a sleeve dart or lime in your hand just then, I’d have been finished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On the battlefield, deceit and cunning abound—enemies have countless ways to kill you, even if they trade their lives for yours. Don’t rely on your strength to block blades with blades. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. Thank you, Cousin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing bowed respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had intended to block the blade with his shield, but, relying on his strength, he’d wanted to give his cousin a small shock—only to be taught a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past days, sparring with Gao Yun, he’d crushed every opponent; recently, he’d disabled five men, and he hadn’t realized he’d grown arrogant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, his horseman master had taught him all he could, never having fought on a battlefield or served as a scout, so he lacked battlefield cunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after his sparring matches with the Zheng family’s sons, he’d come to believe military scions were no better than commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Lantern Festival, if those men had brought lime, they’d have thrown it without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing had a good chance of being ambushed—but they underestimated him, and he disabled them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Xu Zaijing ever goes to war and still looks down on others, believing them all to be weaklings, he will be the one to suffer—or die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard from your uncle you’re good with the bow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fairly well, Cousin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Let me see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghu was a Company Commander in the Western Army; though Xu Zaijing was mentally mature, on an ancient battlefield he was still a true novice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yun brought the bow and bowstring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing strung the bow, aimed at the target—when Zhu Qinghu suddenly said: “Aim for the right base of the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TWANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrow flew straight and embedded itself in the target’s base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent! Xiao Wu, remember: rapid-fire arrows can force enemies to shift their shields. First arrow strikes where they must defend; second arrow wounds or kills. Against shield experts, you need comrades to coordinate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cousin, you’re truly skilled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghu’s eyes flickered, and he murmured: “These are lessons paid for in blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Sun Shi’s cousins had seen battle, none had escaped death as he had—they lacked his battlefield awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing asked his cousin many questions; after a day, the Xu family prepared to depart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest daughter-in-law, Xie Shi, was entrusted with household management; Ping Mei and An Mei were left behind; Sun Shi assigned the most composed Xiao Zhu to assist Xie Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before departing with her maid Xiao Dan, Sun Shi issued repeated orders forbidding them from leaving the premises; then the group mounted horses and rode in carriages toward Xiangzhou, hundreds of miles from Bianjing, to mourn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any passage is awkward, please kindly point out the errors, esteemed readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you all for your support!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My backup drafts aren’t growing; I’m getting anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1597,"2026-06-20T10:32:38.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cceae6e9ee5ef6eabc34a40e531d35bd80c1ce3efed282088c6d18fbf11168f8","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-68","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-66",790,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-the-xu-family-s-son-cover.jpg"]