Chapter 6

Zhao Wuxi had never expected that riding alone on horseback would be so unwelcome. When he arrived at Mianshang with Yu Xi and Mu Xia, and appeared before the neatly arranged Zhao clan’s convoy, they were first met with a moment of silence, followed by a burst of laughter.

In the Spring and Autumn period, riding alone on horseback was extremely rare. The scholars and officials preferred to sit in various comfortable carriages, dressed in long robes and wide sleeves, to display their noble demeanor. In their eyes, those who rode alone were either defeated soldiers or disheveled travelers in a hurry.

Zhao Wuxi began to understand why his descendant from two hundred years later, King Wuling of Zhao, faced collective resistance from the entire nobility after introducing the Hu clothing and cavalry, which eventually led to a coup and his starvation in the Shaji Palace.

Uncle Qi’s suggestion this morning was indeed a poisonous fruit! By now, Wuxi had completely seen through his sinister and cunning nature.

At this moment, Qi was smirking at Wuxi’s embarrassment without saying a word.

"Truly, I’ve been sold and am still counting the money for him." Although Wuxi was indignant, he could not immediately react.

The current situation was that, as the commander of the foot soldiers, Zhao Wuxi was not even allowed to join the Zhao clan’s convoy. The three of them could only awkwardly pace around the periphery, enduring the pointing and whispering of the Zhao clan’s officials and scholars.

The eldest, Lü, was a loyal and kind person. He repeatedly invited Wuxi to dismount and find a supply cart or a carriage to ride in. However, if he did so, Wuxi would be treated like a child who had not yet grown up, unable to participate in the frontline of the hunt.

The most outrageous was the second son, Zhongxin. He glared fiercely at the trousers Wuxi was wearing and loudly scolded him in public: "You, a low-born bastard, wearing barbarian clothing and riding alone on horseback, truly disgraces the dignity of our clan. Get off your horse and change your clothes immediately!"

Being secretly attacked and becoming the target of everyone’s criticism, and then being publicly scolded by this person, Zhao Wuxi was extremely angry. However, Ji Ying had educated him that, according to the rituals of the Spring and Autumn period, as a younger brother, showing disrespect to an elder brother was a serious offense. The younger brother had to unconditionally accept the elder brother’s scolding, which was the so-called filial piety and fraternal duty.

So, he could only endure it, thinking of a countermeasure, his hands tightly gripping the reins and the whip, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

However, his appearance made people mistakenly think he was a stone that anyone could step on.

The charioteer of Zhongxin’s war chariot was an upper officer named Cheng He. He knew that Wuxi’s status in the clan was extremely low and that he was always despised by the main wife and Zhongxin.

He boldly mocked, "Gentlemen, Wuxi’s mother is a barbarian woman. As the saying goes, like mother, like son. It’s normal for him to still have the nature of the barbarians. We should be understanding of him."

Sure enough, Zhongxin, who was in the same chariot, sneered in disgust, and the other scholars and officials on the other war chariots also showed contemptuous smiles.

The laughter pierced Wuxi’s ears, causing him pain. In his memories of this life, although his mother, a barbarian woman, was a vague figure, she still held an important place in his heart: she helped the young Wuxi mount a short-legged horse, taught him archery, and sewed warm sheepskin winter clothes for him in the cold month of December...

And that time when she took Wuxi for a ride in the wild, only to be slapped hard by the main wife, Zhongxin’s mother, drawing blood from her mouth: "Wretched woman! You still have the nature of the barbarians!"

Fragmented memories suddenly surfaced.

No matter her status, how could he, as a son, let his deceased mother be so humiliated?

Cheng He, dressed in dark red leather armor, was quite pleased. He thought that this low-born bastard would meekly leave in silence, thus currying favor with Zhongxin, who had a good chance of becoming the heir.

However, Zhao Wuxi’s response was a swift, accurate, and fierce whip!

Slap! The incident happened so suddenly that Cheng He could not dodge, nor did he have time to block with his arm guard. A bloody whip mark instantly appeared on his face, which was not protected by a helmet.

This whip released all of Wuxi’s helplessness, fear, and frustration since his arrival in this era. He decided that he would no longer be timid and cowardly. If those annoying rituals tried to bind him again, he would crush them all!

Cheng He was completely stunned, and Zhongxin was also shocked. The sudden change left the convoy’s people in a daze. They did not even notice that the grand procession of the Song state’s Grand Works Commissioner had arrived at Mianshang, and Zhao Yang’s carriage was approaching.

Zhao Yang, who was angry at the disarray, just happened to see this scene. In addition to his surprise, he also heard Wuxi’s voice, which still carried some youthful innocence.

"What if my mother is a barbarian woman? How dare you look down on me because of that?"

Wuxi raised his head, pointing at Cheng He with the bloodied whip, scolding him: "Do you know that our ancestor, Duke Wen of Jin, was also the son of a Hu woman? He wandered for nineteen years, enduring humiliation, but when he won the Battle of Chengpu and dominated the world, who dared to look down on him?"

"Do you know that my ancestor, Zhao Xuanzi, was also the son of a Hu woman, Ji Wei, and was of low status? But when he was later established as the clan head and wielded power in the state of Jin, who dared to look down on him?"

These words were clearly directed at Zhao Zhongxin.

He had to thank his grandfather from his previous life for often reading the Zhao clan’s genealogy to him. He could recite the general history of the Zhao clan of Jin with his eyes closed.

He adjusted his breathing, which was rapid from excitement, "To criticize one’s mother in front of her son is a great disrespect. As a family official, to insult the son of the lord is a great overstepping. Brother Zhong, I will punish this disrespectful charioteer for you!"

Cheng He was terrified by Wuxi’s sharp words, and Zhao Zhongxin, who was usually proud of his eloquence, turned red with anger, opening his mouth but finding himself unable to refute a single word.

By bringing up the deeds of their ancestor Zhao Dun, could anyone oppose or belittle them? After all, didn’t all the Zhao clan members have some Hu blood in them? Despising Wuxi’s bloodline was like slapping their own faces.

He could only hold his bow and arrows, staring at Wuxi with intense hatred, wanting to shoot him full of holes.

Seeing the situation, the eldest son, Bolu, quickly ordered the charioteer to drive the war chariot between the two brothers, separating them. However, this only made the Zhao clan’s convoy even more chaotic, and the family commander’s repeated scolding could not control the situation.

The little schemer, Zhao Qi, smiled sinisterly. Although Wuxi’s performance was unexpected, his plot had already succeeded halfway.

At this moment, a furious voice was heard: "What are you doing?"

Everyone turned around, quickly dismounting and bowing.

The one who arrived was Zhao Yang, his face as cold as ice, his beautiful beard trembling with anger. The originally noisy convoy instantly fell silent.

"People say that the Zhao clan’s soldiers are the most disciplined, well-organized, and flawless."

"But look at you! Where is your discipline and organization? You are clearly ‘arrayed but disorganized,’ just like the people of Zheng who were chased away by our Jin army in the Battle of Yanling."

Seeing their lord so angry, the Zhao clan’s officials all looked ashamed. When the lord is humiliated, the ministers are worried, and when the lord is humiliated, the ministers should die. The fierce family commander was even prepared to commit suicide by sword.

Zhao Zhongxin gritted his teeth and spoke first: "Father, the one who caused the disorder is Wuxi!"

"Is that so?"

"Was your charioteer not at fault?"

Cheng He, ignoring the pain on his face, rolled off the war chariot and lay motionless on the cold, muddy ground.

"Your servant deserves death..."

"Cheng He’s words were indeed a great overstepping and a great disrespect. However, according to the family law, your crime does not warrant death. Since there are distinguished guests from the Song state present, it is not appropriate to carry out punishment. I will first reduce your fief by one hundred households, and we will settle other matters when we return!"

Cheng He breathed a sigh of relief, bowing deeply, not caring about the loss of his fief, only grateful to have saved his life.

Zhao Yang’s gaze turned to Zhao Wuxi: "As for you, a low-born bastard, you came to the hunt riding alone on horseback, disrupting my chariot formation and causing disorder. Do you know your crime?"

The blood from Cheng He’s face dripped onto the ground, and he now raised his head, exchanging a glance with his master, Zhao Zhongxin.

Zhongxin knew his father’s temper well. Zhao Yang hated disorder in the ranks the most. Cheng He had already been punished, and the low-born bastard, as the primary cause of the disorder, would certainly not escape!

The military law of the state of Jin clearly stated: those who cause disorder should be executed!

He had heard that his fourth sister, Ji Ying, had pleaded for the low-born bastard, allowing him to participate in today’s hunt, but he had quickly caused trouble. Although Zhao Yang would not really execute his own kin, a severe beating was inevitable.

The low-born bastard, before his coming-of-age ceremony, would be confined to the dirty and lowly stables to shovel manure!

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**End of Chapter**