[{"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-96":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},2307874,4510,"Chapter 96: Whose Concubine Is So Fragile? [Thank You, Readers! Again]","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>The Duke Prefecture,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The personal maid was removing the hairpins and ornaments from Princess Pingning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lady, today the Du family came to the estate to deliver fashionable fabrics; I chatted with them and picked up some juicy gossip.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Pingning, eyes closed, said: “Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Du woman said she went to the Ningyuan Marquis’s house yesterday and talked with the old maid there, learning that Xu’s eldest daughter brought a stitched painting to the Gu household—its embroidery is masterful, and she studies it intently in her spare time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Du woman boldly requested to see it, and Xu’s eldest daughter agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How was it? The Du woman’s embroidery is among the best in Bianjing; Xu’s eldest daughter letting her see it would help clarify things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Du woman brought along an elderly embroidery mistress who said she had seen this stitching style a few times before—years ago, a skilled young lady had sent a piece to the Du household for consignment; the needlework was distinctive, but she had never seen it since.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s quite a tale—after decades, this old stitching style has reappeared!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you found out why Xu’s sons went to the Ningyuan Marquis’s house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The personal maid massaged the princess’s scalp acupoints to relieve her headache and scalp pain, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had our people slip some silver to the fourth branch of their household and got a bit of information: Xu’s daughter’s maid offended a concubine and was to be bound and dealt with by the concubine’s people; the Xu family’s strong women beat them and rescued the maid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? Did the Xu family make a fuss over this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not over such a small matter—it was the woman who tried to bind her who died. The concubine went crying and demanded the Xu family’s strong woman pay with her life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph! The order of rank is overturned. How dare a concubine touch someone from the master’s courtyard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Xu’s brothers caused a commotion, and in the end, it was handed over to Bai Da’s wife to handle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, then Xu’s daughter’s people are safe.” Princess Pingning said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she suddenly froze, frowning and asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did the Xu family find out so quickly? Their homes are far apart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say the Xu family provided two fine horses as part of the dowry; before dawn, the Xu family’s young servant rode one straight back to report the news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Pingning said nothing; the personal maid knew her mistress’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she had brothers like that, the princess would never be so domineering—when wronged, her brothers would stand up for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without brothers, one must rely on oneself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lady, the relatives will be coming to visit these days—should we still not let Henggeer—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s still young. Let him see fewer cousins; it might distract him from his studies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lady, I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour passed, and the lights in the princess’s chamber were extinguished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the crisp cold air,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the moon and stars in the night sky shone brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun rose, the moon set,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>one night passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the coldest morning,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>vendors had already set up stalls by the roadside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As daylight fully broke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>in the chilly air of Bianjing, the people began bustling through the streets,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>roadside stalls burned stoves, steam rising from their pots,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and merchants sold peach charms, door gods, and firecrackers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lanterns of all designs hung from the scaffolding behind the stalls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city was filled with busy, festive energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a dozen horses rode out of Bianjing’s eastern Chaoyang Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After passing the city gate, their pace quickened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the city, grass and trees were yellowed, frost blanketing the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the city walls blocking the view and the smoke of the streets,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the air grew sharply colder once beyond the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing rode with his father, elder brother, and Da Zhou officials toward the garrison of the Tianwu Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the temperature drop immediately after leaving the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurriedly pulled his cloak over his nose, mouth, and chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the garrison was only two li from Bianjing—not far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After showing their tokens and verifying their identities, the riders entered the Tianwu Army garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Xu Minghua had taken command of the Tianwu Army for some time now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not, as new officials often do, swept out the old and installed his own men with a flurry of activity,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but instead moved slowly, like a low flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gifts sent to him, the Xu family accepted without refusal, leading everyone to believe he, too, was here to profit from the imperial guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they did not know that Xu Minghua turned around and handed all bribes directly to the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While managing his eldest daughter’s and nephew’s marriages, he gradually uncovered the hidden ties behind the officers through personal guards and young relatives invited to drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He learned of crimes: withholding soldiers’ pay, draining their blood, seizing farmland, and using troops for private gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also arranged for young men from the Cao, Sun, Xu, and Zhu families to join the Tianwu Army, though most held deputy positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior officers remained largely unchanged—after all, the Four Elite Armies were mostly filled with sons of noble families; without cause, replacing them would stir too much unrest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daily roll calls were left to deputy commanders, and many matters were still ignored as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the pot had been heated by slow fire; Xu Minghua was ready to add more fuel and bring it to a boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Xu Minghua submitted his leave-end notice to the Yasi  and invited a high-ranking official in charge of military discipline to ride together to the Tianwu Army garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drum for assembling officers sounded in the Tianwu Army garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing stood behind his father, watching the speed with which the Tianwu Army’s officers gathered—the Tianwu Army being one of the Four Elite Armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, he had seen his own country’s spectacular parades and emergency musters, knowing no other nation on Earth could match them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, in Da Zhou, he would not judge by the standards of his former nation’s modern army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even lowering his expectations, the Tianwu Army’s assembly speed—after years of comfort in Bianjing—was astonishingly slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young men who returned with Xu Zaijing’s father, having endured frontline trials, fared better; they had spent this time tightening control over their troops, so their speed was acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those who had lingered too long in the capital? They might still be asleep in some brothel in Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing saw the six commanding officers standing at the front; one was wiping sweat, his legs trembling even as he stood—he had barely entered the tent before the drumbeat ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During roll call, he learned the man’s surname was Bao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officers who were late or absent were dealt with by Xu Minghua; the vacancies were filled by Xu family allies, their “deputy” titles removed and replaced with full ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for those previously holding full ranks, some were promoted, others demoted outright to lower armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those guilty of misconduct were taken away by the military discipline officers—whether they lived or died depended on how powerful their patrons were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This purge not only placed Xu family members in power but also filtered out several capable junior officers to join the Xu camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing and his elder brother also appeared before the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They met and became acquainted with the Tianwu Army’s junior officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing had heard Gu Tingye speak of accompanying his father to the Gu family’s army; now it was finally his turn to witness it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior officers welcomed this—building early ties with noble scions would benefit them later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet what he saw now, combined with Gu Tingye’s earlier words, revealed a clear gap between the two armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since their tenures differed, direct comparison was unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Minghua had to arrange promotions, dismissals, and punishments—this would take time; Xu Zaijing instead chatted with his several cousins about their impressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon, Xu Minghua dined with the Tianwu Army officers and the soldiers, Xu’s two sons accompanying them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the meal, Xu Minghua still had to deal with the newly arrived officers and ordered the two brothers to return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way out of camp,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing rode, watching the soldiers returning with smiles—they were mostly men who had finished working for officers in Bianjing, and he sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Imperial Guards? Is this it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few soldiers passed by them, quickened their pace, and said: “Others say today’s lunch was several times more generous than usual!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, the soldiers hurried toward the mess tents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, do you think Father should hold a military drill to screen again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu ZaiDuan frowned as well, clearly dissatisfied with the Tianwu Army’s condition:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drills require silver rewards; Father must first tighten control before he can manage this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, you’re right, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two, with their young servants, rode through Chaoyang Gate into Bianjing; the crowds thickened, forcing them to slow down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passersby, quick-witted, stepped aside at the sight of their tall horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After passing the densest crowd near the gate, their pace slightly increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they neared Pan Lou,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the crowd grew thicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the year-end approaching, business in this stretch southeast of the Imperial City around Pan Lou had become even more bustling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many officials, nobles, and wealthy families returning to Bianjing came here to stroll, watch operas in performance halls, and view dances in brothels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some buildings hosted four or five opera troupes performing simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of gongs and drums could be heard even along the roadside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others set up stalls on the street to perform or sell goods; cheers and hawking cries never ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xu family naturally slowed their horses to avoid colliding with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, cries and struggles emerged from an alley beside the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to the generous patrons for your tips!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to all readers for your support!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, thank you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just added a few lines earlier, as it seemed the author’s writing was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some readers mistakenly thought Sister Zhu had suffered harm—she hasn’t; not even a scratch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was saved from punishment just in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{If you find typos or awkward phrasing, please kindly point them out.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tip balance: 1100 coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1735,"2026-06-20T10:32:38.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","226bc0a9bce829ac62051ca136bd0895c04957e0073251ec073d7a60940b70de","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-97","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-95",790,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-the-xu-family-s-son-cover.jpg"]