Chapter 141: The Transformed Zhang He

Gu Bei led the guards and left the prefect's official residence. After all, in Gu Bei's view, what followed next was purely Zhang He's internal family affair, and he ought not to interfere with Zhang He executing family discipline.

However, Gu Bei held a deep sense of admiration for his young master.

When Fang Xu had witnessed Zhang He's desolate expression at the time, Fang Xu merely instructed the guards to monitor every single movement within Zhang He's residence. If anything happened, they were not to report back to him immediately, but rather choose to observe in secret. In Fang Xu's eyes, these people would prove to be quite useful for his subsequent plans.

From Gu Bei's perspective, his young master was practically omniscient! If he were not prescient, how could he have known that these people would choose to betray Zhang He?!

Sitting inside the sedan chair, Gu Bei looked expectantly at the heavy rain outside. Gu Bei knew that this night was destined to be extraordinary.

The few guards Gu Bei had left behind were indeed acting upon his own unauthorized decision. After all, Fang Xu had never intended for Gu Bei to do so. But even if Fang Xu hadn't explicitly said it, could Gu Bei not understand what Fang Xu truly meant?!

It was abundantly clear that Fang Xu intended for Zhang He to handle his own domestic affairs, and Fang Xu also wished to observe what kind of decision Zhang He would make. Because in Fang Xu's view, an indecisive prefect would never make an ideal partner. If Zhang He's actions tonight failed to satisfy Fang Xu, then once Murong Fu fell, perhaps Zhang He would be next in line?!

After all, from Fang Xu's perspective, this was an inevitable necessity. Fang Xu trusted that Murong Bai and Zhang He would not speak foolishly, but the same could not be said for those people who were being escorted to the prefect's residence tonight. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't inadvertently blurt out what had happened tonight.

This was certainly not something Fang Xu wished to see, so Gu Bei understood that regardless of what Zhang He decided tonight, none of these people could be allowed to live—even if many of the servants among them were relatively innocent.

Yet, if they were truly innocent, would Fang Xu have chosen to have them escorted here in the first place?!

Those escorted by Fang Xu were all servants who had plundered a substantial amount of wealth from the Danyang prefect's residence. The old steward of the Danyang prefect's estate had previously distributed severance pay, but there were always those whose greed was insatiable, much like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

Still, this was for the best. Since they dared to touch these spoils, it meant they had already prepared themselves to be drawn into this whirlpool!

Gu Bei left the guards behind for two reasons. The first was to better protect Zhang He's safety, seeing as Zhang He was now Fang Xu's cooperative partner. If anything were to happen to Zhang He, it certainly wouldn't bode well. As for the second reason, it was to act on Zhang He's behalf; even if they didn't do the deed for him, their presence would serve to monitor Zhang He.

Was Zhang He himself unaware of these implications? Precisely because Zhang He understood, he knew that Fang Xu was pressing him to demonstrate his stance.

By nature, Zhang He's personality was rather slick and worldly, though this trait had only grown more pronounced after his arrival in Danyang. Had it been the younger Zhang He, he would have handled such matters through only one method: silencing them permanently. Because Zhang He believed that only the dead told no tales.

Looking at the servants and concubines prostrating themselves on the ground and begging for mercy, Zhang He felt a mixture of bitter irony and deep disgust. Why should he feel this way? Naturally, it was because Zhang He now saw through their true faces.

"My lord! My lord! We are all innocent! Please, my lord, spare our lives!" It was the former head steward of the prefect's residence who spoke, gazing earnestly at Zhang He. Although this steward's words pleaded for mercy, neither his gaze nor his posture held the slightest shred of supplication.

Zhang He glanced sideways at the old steward by his side, who leaned in and whispered something into his ear.

As it turned out, the ringleader who had spearheaded the plundering of the prefect's residence tonight was none other than this head steward, a man he had once deeply trusted. Upon hearing the old steward mention that this head steward had previously even harbored vile intentions toward his legal wife, a murderous chill radiated from Zhang He.

Zhang He then looked at his legal wife sitting nearby, and she appeared genuinely terrified of the head steward before them. The old steward naturally understood what ought to be said and what should remain unsaid.

It turned out that when Zhang He's legal wife had fallen out of favor in the past, this head steward had repeatedly subjected her to verbal insults and even suggestive harassment. Had the old steward not intervened time and again, perhaps this head steward would have already committed unspeakable atrocities.

Hearing only this much, Zhang He abruptly stood up.

Yet the head steward standing before him still wore an arrogant, cocky expression as he looked at Zhang He, as if utterly convinced that Zhang He wouldn't dare do anything to him.

"Since these gentlemen were lent to me by Young Master Fang, I wonder if you might help me with a small matter now?" Zhang He asked, cupping his fists toward the guards standing to the side.

Upon hearing Zhang He's request, the guards nodded. After all, before leaving, Gu Bei had told them that Zhang He and Fang Xu shared a profound relationship; as long as it wasn't anything excessively unreasonable, what harm was there in lending Zhang He a hand?

"Many thanks, gentlemen. Please subdue this scoundrel!" Hearing their assent, Zhang He nodded gratefully and said, gritting his teeth as he glared at the head steward.

Before the head steward could even react, he was forcefully pinned to the ground by several guards.

Panic suddenly flashed across the head steward's face, clearly unaccustomed to such ruthless methods.

"Zhang He! Zhang He, what are you trying to do to my cousin?!" demanded one of Zhang He's concubines, glaring at him. Seeing this concubine, the corners of Zhang He's mouth curled upward into a cold smile.

For some reason, looking at Zhang He at this moment, the concubine felt a sudden sense of utter unfamiliarity. Meanwhile, the eyes of Zhang He's legal wife and the old steward were red and swollen with unshed tears.

The Zhang He before them now was the true Zhang He they once knew—the courageous man who dared to walk ahead of the rest had finally returned.

"What this official chooses to do—since when is it your turn to spout nonsense?!" Zhang He asked, his gaze cold as he looked at the concubine. In his view, perhaps he truly had been far too lenient with these concubines in the past, causing them to completely forget their proper place and status.

"You! You! Zhang He, don't you forget! I am your equal-status wife!" The concubine could not help shouting back at Zhang He. Although Zhang He's transformation had indeed startled her somewhat, it was still not enough to truly cow her into submission.