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Even Zhao Hongwei was present at the tavern yesterday. Despite knowing the situation, he allowed his brother to engage in such a large bet with Wang Jingyu. If anyone is to blame, it’s the older brother for being overly confident in his younger brother and failing to properly restrain him.
Before Zhao Hongjie could speak with a cold expression, Zhao Hongwei spoke up first, “It’s nothing, just twenty thousand taels. Our family can afford the loss.”
However, it was the pretense of generosity in Zhao Hongwei’s words that truly seemed laughable. Wasn’t his heart bleeding as he said this?
“Brother…”
“Let’s go. There’s no need to discuss this further,” Zhao Hongwei didn’t want to dwell on the matter.
At most, they had earned money for nothing this year.
Feeling somewhat resentful at Zhao Hongwei’s decision, Zhao Hongjie had no choice but to follow his brother, feeling stifled as they left.
Before they could reach the stairs, someone called out to them, “Wait a moment.”
Upon hearing Yuan Bao’s voice, Zhao Hongwei turned to Su Yu and asked, “Your Highness, what do you mean by this?”
“For such a long time, neither the Empress Dowager nor His Majesty have ever insulted me in such a manner. Yet, Zhao Hongjie not only insulted me but also cursed me death. Should we just let this matter slide so easily? Could I still maintain my dignity if I let him walk away from here unscathed?” Su Yu looked at Zhao Hongjie and calmly voiced his concerns.
Zhao Hongjie’s expression changed instantly. “Your Highness, you are being unreasonable.”
“Oh? Unreasonable? Is it me who is being unreasonable, or is it your brother? Or perhaps your brother’s status now allows him to disrespect me freely, even to the extent of cursing His Majesty for not passing the exam? Is his status now above that of the Empress Dowager and His Majesty, the Emperor?” Su Yu’s tone remained calm, but his words sent shivers down one’s spine.
“Your Highness, please don’t speak nonsense.”
“Whether it’s nonsense or the truth, you know it in your heart. There’s no need to discuss this with me.”
“Yuan Bao, anyone who dares to interfere will face the consequences together,” Su Yu interjected calmly, not giving Zhao Hongwei a chance to speak.
Zhao Hongwei clenched his fists tightly, knowing that his brother would inevitably receive a beating today.
Yuan Bao called over two individuals who proceeded to give Zhao Hongjie thirty lashes. By the end, Zhao Hongjie’s buttocks were already bleeding.
Observing Zhao Hongjie’s weakened state, Su Yu stood up and walked over to him. He looked down at Zhao Hongjie with a disdainful gaze, as if Zhao Hongjie was nothing more than an insignificant ant to him.
Struggling to sit up, Zhao Hongjie eventually fell to the ground.
Su Yu turned to Zhao Hongwei, who was suppressing his emotions. “After returning, make sure to discipline your brother properly. I have never claimed to be a good person, and as residents of the capital, you should know that.”
“Moreover, I am a vengeful person by nature, and I never believe in repaying grievances with kindness,” Su Yu added with a cold tone.
“If he offends me again, thirty lashes won’t be enough to settle the matter,” Su Yu warned, patting Zhao Hongwei’s shoulder.
With just a touch, Zhao Hongwei nearly stumbled to the ground.
Su Yu patted his shoulder three times, causing Zhao Hongwei to feel a dull pain in his shoulder.
Watching Su Yu and Yuan Bao leave the tavern, Zhao Hongwei rubbed his shoulder, his eyes filled with fear.
Su Yu’s power was too terrifying, and Zhao Hongwei wasn’t sure if the Zhao family could survive another encounter with him.
“Brother, I will definitely…”
“That’s enough. Do you think the beating you received wasn’t severe enough? Insulting someone like Imperial Prince Yu is equivalent to insulting the royal family. If he were to take offense, our Zhao family would suffer. Don’t you understand that?” Zhao Hongwei reprimanded coldly.
“I…,”
“Enough. Don’t speak such words in the future. Uttering them only gives others leverage over you. Remember who Su Yu is.”
“He is the Imperial Prince Yu personally appointed by the emperor.”
Despite his reluctance, Zhao Hongjie could only bow his head in defeat. His brother was right – no matter how he felt about Su Yu, he was a member of the royal family, and the Zhao family couldn’t contend with them.
The Xie family was once so arrogant, but in the end, they perished at the hands of Su Yu. He was ruthless. They were no match for him; whatever he said would happen, would happen, regardless of anyone else’s opinion.
Upon arriving home, Su Yu was greeted by his children, Xiao Bao and Xiao Zhi, running towards him. He reached out and embraced the two children who were bouncing towards him, chuckling, “You two seem to have gained a little weight recently.”
Xiao Bao decisively shook his head, “No, we haven’t.”
Xiao Zhi also nodded in agreement, indicating that their father must have been mistaken about them being chubby.
Observing his two children, Su Yu couldn’t help but smile, “You two little rascals, have you been neglecting your studies while I was away?”
Both Xiao Bao and Xiao Zhi shook their heads simultaneously, “No, we have been diligently studying every day. You can ask Mommy if you don’t believe us.”
“No need to ask, I trust you both.”
As Su Yu conversed with his children and carried them inside, Wang Jinhe turned around upon hearing their voices. He chuckled at the sight of Su Yu with the children, “I could hear your voices from afar. These two kids have been missing you for a while.”
“This shows that we have a good relationship, Xiao Bao, Xiao Zhi, don’t you agree?” Su Yu asked the two children.
“Yes.”
“Ah, ah.” The child sitting in the stroller kept calling out for Su Yu to pick them up as they spoke.
Su Yu shook his head helplessly, setting Xiao Bao and Xiao Zhi down before lifting the two children.
“You’ve gained weight.”
It’s unclear if Yanxi and the others understood, but one of them gave Su Yu a pat on the back.
Actions speak louder than words.
Wang Jinhe found the situation amusing, “You said they gained weight, and now you’re getting hit?”
“Yeah, Daddy, you’re so mean. Just because you said my brother and I gained weight, you’re saying our younger siblings are chubby too. Where are they chubby? They haven’t gained any weight at all,” Xiao Bao retorted, giving Su Yu a playful glare.
The people nearby nodded in agreement, “That’s right.”
“Alright, Daddy was wrong to say you’re chubby. You’re just growing up,” Su Yu quickly corrected himself.
Finally, the two children stopped hitting him, but Yanxi managed to nibble on his face.
“Ouch, Xi Xi has teeth now?”
“Two teeth, did they bite you?” Wang Jinhe could tell from Su Yu’s reaction that he had indeed been bitten by the children.
Su Yu nodded helplessly, “Their teeth may be small, but it still hurts when they bite.”
“They’ve been teething recently, so their gums are itchy, causing them to want to bite people. I’m thinking of getting them each a goose leg to gnaw on slowly,” Wang Jinhe said thoughtfully.
Su Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Can they handle gnawing on a goose leg?”
“I’m not giving it to them to eat, just for them to use as a teething aid. Goose meat is tough, perfect for teething,” Wang Jinhe explained, realizing that Su Yu had misunderstood.
In this era, without teething toys, this was the best solution.