Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Kang Zhanxun had long anticipated the Dowager Lady of the Marquis's household showing up.

If his grandmother could watch idly as his second uncle's family schemed against the eldest branch for years, watch him be raised as a good-for-nothing, watch him be poisoned—how could he dare to hope for even a bit of grandmotherly love?

Without a doubt, between him and his second uncle, his grandmother would choose to shield his second uncle.

So today, when Kang Zhanxun came to the court to file charges, the affair between his wife and his cousin Kang Zhanhong was merely secondary. His main goal was to charge his second uncle with "usurping his father's identity."

Because his second uncle hadn't just stolen his father's identity—he'd also stolen the court's hereditary title!

This was an extremely serious political issue.

A noble title wasn't like gold or silver—once given, it wasn't yours for good. Inheriting a title required petitioning the throne and getting the emperor's vermilion seal—only then was it official. It was a symbol of imperial power.

The emperor had originally granted the title to First Master Kang. Now that man was Second Master Kang.

What did this mean?

It meant deceiving the emperor!

In ancient times, deceiving the sovereign was the worst of the ten unpardonable crimes. Once the charge stuck, you were dead for sure.

Once the truth came out, it wouldn't be hard for Kang Zhanxun to take down the second branch, but his grandmother could dodge the charge of covering for them by claiming she was old and senile, out of the loop on household matters.

But how could he let that slide?

When it came to the second branch harming the eldest, his grandmother was just as guilty. Letting her off would eat at Kang Zhanxun.

Besides, keeping his grandmother around would be asking for endless trouble.

Given how biased she was, if the second branch fell, she'd definitely hold a grudge. Later, using her status as the elder, she'd stir up all kinds of trouble in the marquis's household.

So, he had to drag his grandmother down with them on this charge of deceiving the emperor!

Right then, the Dowager Lady deliberately dodged the "usurping the title" issue, trying to steer everyone's attention to the affair between Du Ruorui and Kang Zhanhong.

Kang Zhanxun didn't call her out just yet, but followed her lead and shot back indignantly: "Grandmother, why are you so biased? How could I possibly be impotent? I've still got a son by a concubine in my household."

The old lady kept up the act, sighing with fake sorrow:

"Zhanxun, Grandmother knows you can't accept this truth, but that's just how it is. Do you remember when you were fourteen, the first time you went with friends to a brothel to see the world? Back then, you didn't know how wicked people could be, and someone talked you into taking too much 'Fifty Powder,' which messed up your body..."

"As for that son of yours by the concubine... he doesn't look a thing like you. Ever wonder why? Grandmother won't say it outright—I kept him by your side to give you something to hold on to. He's just a concubine's son, after all; our household can afford to feed him."

"I never thought you'd listen to slander, drag this into court, and pull such a stupid stunt..."

"The one who died back then was your second uncle. The one who was left impotent after a maidservant crawled into his bed was also your second uncle. The brothers looked so alike that the maidservant mixed them up. I handled that myself—even the outside doctors couldn't tell them apart... He's my own son—how could I not tell them apart?"

As she spoke, the old lady dabbed at her eyes, faking grief.

The so-called "Fifty Powder" was actually the "Five-Stone Powder" from ancient times in Han Zhang's original world.

This drug was originally a good cure for typhoid fever. Taking it gave you a euphoric, floating high, but overdosing led to addiction, poisoning, and a bunch of side effects.

Like nerve damage, mood swings, liver damage... and messed-up fertility in both men and women.

Although it was now explicitly prohibited, the rich playboys of the time still secretly took it for recreation. So even if a doctor figured out the problem, he wouldn't say it outright and offend anyone—he'd just quietly tell the family.

That's why Kang Zhanxun had no idea he'd been poisoned—he just thought he had some kind of anger problem...

His grandmother knew way too much about his poisoning—it was clear she'd seen everything his second uncle and aunt had done.

And now she was even bad-mouthing his only son, trying to cut off the eldest branch's line.

What a caring, scheming grandmother!

Kang Zhanxun's heart went cold, but he held back the rage boiling up inside him and let out a cold laugh:

"If you really cared about me, why didn't you call in an imperial doctor to check me out? Throwing me away like a worn-out shoe based on some street doctor's word—that's a joke!"

"Keeping the line going for both branches? That's just a cover to grab the title!"

"I'm the heir personally appointed by His Majesty. The succession of the legitimate heir is a matter of ancestral rites and national law. Even if I never had another kid, any adopted heir would have to be reported to the throne and decided by the emperor."

"You went behind my back and didn't tell the emperor—you just handed over my succession rights. That's deceiving the sovereign!"

His words rang out like iron, hitting hard.

The Dowager Lady went pale, her fingers shaking a little.

She was not of noble birth—she was the original wife the old marquis had married in the countryside. Her knowledge was limited. She only knew that her youngest son's impersonation to inherit the title was a capital offense; she did not know that even the position of hereditary heir required the emperor's vermilion endorsement!

An elder of the Kang clan who had accompanied her was even more horrified, nearly stumbling forward.

Sweat broke out on his forehead. He clutched the old lady's sleeve and asked in alarm: "Dowager Lady... this matter of continuing the line for both branches—you never reported it to the throne?!"

The Kang clan was not foolish. Whoever inherited the title brought glory to the entire clan; they had no reason to risk their necks to help the old lady.

So, regarding the private adoption to continue both branches, they had only assumed the old lady truly doted on her eldest grandson and had reported the matter to His Majesty. Otherwise, who would dare commit such a beheading crime?

"I... I..."

The old lady was flustered, sweat beading on her forehead.

The clan elder could see it clearly—the old lady's problem was her humble origins, her shallow knowledge, and her favoritism toward her youngest son. Having been the Dowager Lady for so long, she thought everything was within her grasp, didn't care about the eldest branch's descendants, and so made foolish decisions.

"Foolish woman! An ignorant foolish woman!"

The clan elder's vision darkened, and he cursed in fury.

As for the Second Madam Kang, after exchanging glances with her niece, though she inwardly complained, she still reacted quickly and stepped forward to defend the old lady.

The Second Madam Kang shouted sternly: "Kang Zhanxun! You unfilial descendant! Your grandmother has made plans for you at every turn, yet you disregard years of nurturing kindness and instead trap her in a position of injustice—truly wolf-hearted and dog-lunged!"

"Regarding the matter of continuing the line for both branches—indeed, we have not yet reported it to His Majesty. But that is only because we feared the child was too young to survive. When you inherit the title and choose your heir, we would report it to His Majesty all at once, rather than troubling the imperial presence with household matters... The next heir's identity has not been decided—how can that count as deceiving the sovereign?"

Du Ruorui covered her face and wept accusingly: "Kang Zhanxun, if you cannot tolerate me as your lawful wife, simply write me a letter of divorce. I will gladly yield my place to your beloved concubine. Why drag the reputation of both the marquis's household and the earl's household through the mud, bringing things to such a pass? Wuwu..."

The old lady, reminded, also snapped back to herself and wailed: "Oh, my lord! It's all because I lack energy in my old age and have been negligent in discipline, raising such an unfilial wretch for the marquis's household..."

The group immediately burst into a chorus of weeping, pinning the label of unfilial conduct on Kang Zhanxun.

But Kang Zhanxun refused to be drawn into that argument, continuing instead: "Grandmother, since you knew you were old and feeble, why did you not arrange for Father to take a second wife, to manage household affairs and instruct the descendants?"

"Your father was devoted to your mother's memory—how could I bear to tear them apart? Besides, what good stepmothers are there? Grandmother did everything for your sake."

The old lady hurriedly defended herself, instantly offending a large number of second wives.

The wives and husbands who had come up through second-marriage status immediately glared at her with anger and hostility.

Second Madam Kang's heart sank.

But before she could jump in to defend the old lady again, Kang Zhanxun pressed further: "Then, Grandmother, do you think it is proper for a widowed daughter-in-law to manage the household for her husband's widowed older brother?"

Even the old lady knew better than to agree to that, so she hastily fired back: "I manage all the household affairs myself; Second Son's wife merely assists! Don't you dare slander your aunt's good name!"

"Very well! Since Grandmother runs the household, then when my mother was pregnant and had a difficult labor, that was your doing, wasn't it?"

Kang Zhanxun seized the opportunity and pinned his mother's death on her.

The old lady, pressed hard and flustered—especially since she hadn't done such a thing—blurted out in a rage: "Nonsense! I was not the one tending to the eldest son's wife during her pregnancy; how would I know she was being overfed?"

"But you run the household, Grandmother—how could you not know what was served in my mother's courtyard?"

"I... I can't read the accounts; I left everything to my personal maidservants."

"Where is that maidservant now?"

"She has passed away."

"Then it's a case of dead men tell no tales—Grandmother, you're the one who killed my mother, aren't you?"

Kang Zhanxun pressed step by step, his voice cutting like a blade as he threatened: "Grandmother, you have a cruel heart. Under the laws of this dynasty, harming a pregnant daughter-in-law is punishable by death by a thousand cuts—immediate execution!"

Back then, a mother-in-law could control and torment her daughter-in-law, but she could not actually kill her, because the daughter-in-law was considered property of the husband's family, and life and death could only be decided by the men of the family—the mother-in-law had no such power.

Though the old lady had appeared imposing when she first arrived, she was really just a paper tiger.

Her face went pale with fear, and she stammered in panic: "No, no, it wasn't me! It was Second Son's wife who ran the household; I just held an empty title. It had nothing to do with me!"

Favoring her second son was one thing, but being sentenced to death was another.

The moment those words left her mouth, Second Madam Kang knew it was over.

Sure enough.

Kang Zhanxun pressed again: "Since you don't run the household, Grandmother, then why did you say earlier that when my father's chambermaid climbed into the wrong bed and ended up with Second Uncle, it was Second Uncle's health that was ruined—and that you personally handled it?"

"I... I'm their birth mother! With a scandal like that, if I didn't step in, who would?"

The old lady was flustered but still stubborn, clinging to her dignity.

Hearing this.

Kang Zhanxun finally smiled, showing his hand: "Then I ask you, Grandmother, to clarify—what exactly was Second Uncle's injury back then? What were the specific symptoms?"

At these words.

The old lady's face went completely pale, and she couldn't utter a single word of excuse.

Because she had no idea!

If she couldn't explain herself, that meant she was lying.

She couldn't escape being implicated in the scheme to falsely inherit the title.

Kang Zhanxun turned and clasped his hands in salute to the magistrate: "Your Honor, I still have witnesses who can testify that the man killed by bandits back then was none other than my late father."

With that, he raised a hand.

A limping old man hobbled forward and knelt, touching his forehead to the ground:

"Your humble subject Wu Dazhu pays his respects to Your Honor."

Wu Dazhu—First Master Kang's former personal servant.

And the most direct witness to the bandit ambush that year!

At the sound of that name, Second Master Kang trembled violently, and only one word echoed in his mind:

Ruined.