Chapter 1304: Chapter 1304: Crushing Defeat

Duke Xing’s eldest son, upon hearing this, was so angry that he raised his hand to slap his second brother, cursing, "Second, you disrespectful scoundrel, today I shall discipline you on behalf of Father to teach you what it means for the eldest brother to be like a father!"

"Eldest, you dare hit me, you country bumpkin!"

The two men, almost sixty years old, started quarreling at the gate of the Duke’s Residence.

Duke Xing, while struggling to catch his breath, tried to mediate, "Stop fighting, stop fighting, brothers must be harmonious. Arguing and fighting will only harm your relationship."

Bah, two sons from two different wives, eager to seize the Duke Xing Mansion, they can’t wait to kill each other. Where can there be any feelings?

The Duke Xing Mansion was in turmoil for most of the day, almost burning down, and the news of the Xing family’s issues spread throughout the Capital in less than four hours.

People mocked Duke Xing’s family, "These clodhoppers are still clodhoppers. Even if they become a Duke, the family’s offspring can’t change their coarse peasant nature."

"And as for that grandson, what a pity. Originally a noble family’s grandson, how did he become such a crude person?"

Someone laughed and said, "Ha, only with such traits can it prove to be Niu Family’s seed."

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

There were also those shocked that the Emperor appointed Duke Xing as the commanding general. This time, it wasn’t about quelling unrest with connections or luck. It was a direct confrontation with Da Rong; it seemed doomed.

But nobody dared to say this out loud. If the patrolling soldiers heard it, it would be a capital crime, especially if accused of disrupting military morale; it could lead to the extinction of the whole clan.

For the next two days, the Capital was abuzz with discussions of this incident. On the long-awaited first day of Jiuyue, the citizens of the Capital, court officials, and even the Emperor Jingyuan saw Duke Xing clad in heavy armor, supported by his two sons, bringing the whole family to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and they all breathed a sigh of relief: Phew, thank goodness, the man didn’t die and managed to hold on until the army was ready to march.

Keep holding on, please don’t pass away during the ancestral rites!

"The old minister pays respect to Your Majesty," Duke Xing said, intending to kneel and greet Emperor Jingyuan.

Emperor Jingyuan, seeing his shaky and unstable body, feared he wouldn’t be able to stand up again after kneeling, quickly said, "Minister, with heavy armor on, no need for formalities."

Quickly get up. You can’t die now. If you drive yourself to death, I will eradicate your whole family!

Duke Xing, upon hearing this, was deeply moved, sobbing; the Emperor still cherished their childhood connection.

Worried that Duke Xing, being old, may not withstand, Emperor Jingyuan reduced the rites repeatedly. After enduring for two hours, the final step arrived.

He directly grasped the arms of Duke Xing and General Xu, guiding them to ascend the altar and enter the temple, worshipping the ancestors, and praying for a great victory for Great Chu!

An hour later, the ritual was finally completed. Emperor Jingyuan, with reddened eyes, entrusted Duke Xing and General Xu, "Two beloved ministers, this campaign against Rong is of great consequence and the lifelong wish of mine, please do not fail my expectations!"

Having said that, he looked toward General Xu.

Duke Xing was merely overseeing General Xu; Emperor Jingyuan truly favored General Xu as the leading commander against Rong.

Duke Xing was very touched, tears streaming down, holding Emperor Jingyuan’s hand while weeping, speaking of loyalty to the point of death.

General Xu also assured, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely break the Rong bandits’ court, avenging Great Chu and repaying Your Majesty’s great kindness!"

Emperor Jingyuan was very satisfied, nodding repeatedly, eagerly awaiting the day when Da Rong would be annihilated and the army would return in triumph.

Thud, thud, thud!

The sound of drums echoed; the end of the ritual also marked the army’s departure from the Capital.

Emperor Jingyuan, leading the officials, personally bid farewell to the army, disregarding the danger, and escorted them ten miles outside the Capital. He ordered that every household the army passed must set up altars of incense, praying to heaven and earth for the army’s victorious return, showing the significance placed on this Rong campaign.

The citizens of the Capital were fortunate to witness this grand event, following from afar, with some even riding on horseback or traveling by carriage or mule cart for nearly a hundred miles.

After the army’s departure, the Capital talked for a few days about the army’s ceremonial leaving and the subsequent brawls among Duke Xing’s family members upon their return to the mansion.

Five days later, people’s attention shifted again to the Dou Family.

The Dou and Meng families together spent sixty thousand taels of silver to finally absolve Mrs. Dou Meng, saving her.

But once rescued, Mrs. Dou Meng could not return to the Dou Family. Manager Dou sent someone to deliver a divorce paper to her, seeking separation.

Mrs. Dou Meng was shocked, crying and causing a scene, "I am an official’s daughter, how dare that wretched merchant Dou Wen divorce me? I don’t believe it; it must be that scoundrel Dou Ke’s doing!"

However, a divorce was merciful. If Manager Dou hadn’t wanted Dou San to enter the exam and couldn’t have Dou San have a mother labeled as abandoned, he would have given Mrs. Dou Meng a straightforward divorce paper.

Forget about love; Manager Dou, who suddenly recalled the virtues of his original legitimate wife, was holding her memorial tablet daily, had long been tired of Mrs. Dou Meng.

So when Mrs. Dou Meng personally went to the Dou Family seeking justice, she was scolded away by Manager Dou himself.

Manager Dou, being a businessman with lifelong trading experience, had a sharp tongue, specifically picking on Mrs. Dou Meng’s unspeakable acts like climbing others’ beds and harming people, while Mrs. Dou Meng couldn’t bear it.

And Mrs. Dou Meng couldn’t return to the Meng Family; seeing her unable to return to the Dou Family, they directly detained her, sending her for spiritual cultivation at a Daoist Temple outside the city.

It was the Meng Family’s Daoist Temple; once inside, crossing into the next year, Mrs. Dou Meng would be ’ill-stricken’ to death.

Dou Er, upon seeing their mother ending up in such a fate, couldn’t take it and within days took people to assassinate Dou Ke, but was captured by Dou Ke, thrown to the government office, embarrassed terribly before a petition paper was withdrawn and then sent Dou Er back home.

As punishment, Young Master Dou not only deducted twenty percent of the family property from Dou Er and Dou San but also seized their private treasures, gleefully acquiring a large amount of gold and silver jewelry.

Dou Er and Dou San cried their hearts out to Manager Dou for justice, but Manager Dou only advised Dou San to study well and said nothing more.

Dou Er and Dou San knew they had been abandoned by Manager Dou, crying incessantly, while Young Master Dou joyfully attended the Ming family’s September banquet, meeting several so-called noble ladies.

But he was shrewd, knowing these noble ladies’ families had already declined, made no statement, and said he already had someone he favored.

Housekeeper Ming quickly asked, which family’s lady does he fancy? Junior Minister will surely help him fulfill his wish.

But Young Master Dou wouldn’t say, frustrating Housekeeper Ming throughout September, failing to make Dou Ke pledge allegiance to Junior Minister.

...

All these events happening in the Capital were reported back to Qin San Lang by You Xi.

Qin San Lang, upon learning that the Emperor had assigned Duke Xing as the commander, and that he took his two nearly sixty-year-old sons along, already knew this campaign against Rong was destined for defeat, and a massive one!

He was very saddened... Though he hated the Emperor for causing his entire family’s death, those soldiers were his comrades; Father once said, treat your comrades’ lives as your own. Now, guessing these comrades would perish on the battlefield, how could he not be grieved?

Qin San Lang’s prediction was correct; by Dongzhi in November, news of Great Chu’s great defeat and loss of two more cities came back, and all of Great Chu was in mourning, filled with the sound of shared sorrow.