PFC Chapter 396
Chapter 396
"So, is it because of this reason that you have been quite distant from your second sister over the years?" Zhou Baozhu asked after listening to what Zhou Duhu said.
Protector Zhou nodded. "That's only part of the reason. Also, the older your sister gets, the more suspicious I become. She doesn't look anything like me, and her personality is very strange. She's nothing like the cute little you were. Daddy wanted to get close to her, but I always felt like something was missing, which is why we gradually drifted apart."
There was silence in the study.
It took Zhou Baozhu a while to digest all the information her father had said. Then she asked, "Dad, are you sure she's not your biological daughter?"
"As soon as my father became suspicious, he went to investigate the midwife, but for some reason, she suddenly disappeared. A few days ago, someone pointed me in a direction, and I followed the clues and found her. I learned from her that she had accepted money from others and violated her conscience by saying that a full-term fetus was a premature birth. Only then did my father finally finalize the matter." Zhou Duhu said with a sigh.
Zhou Baozhu closed her eyes, a wave of sadness welling up in her heart, but she firmly believed her father's words. After all, even if she was ignorant, she knew that a man willing to admit such a thing and endure such humiliation must be completely confident. "Then, Dad, what are you going to do with them?" she asked softly.
Protector Zhou had been distraught for the past few days, but he had already made up his mind: "I have announced to the public that Zhuang is unwell. Tomorrow I will send her to the countryside and let her 'die of illness.'"
At this point, he paused, sighed, and continued, "As for your second sister, I plan to send her to the farm and marry her off to someone I can find. We'll tell everyone she's gone to fulfill her filial duty to her mother. She's just a young lady in the boudoir, and after a while, no one will remember her anymore."
It wasn't that he didn't have hopes for this daughter. He was filled with joy when she was born. But ultimately, the sins of a previous generation implicated her. Although innocent, he couldn't keep her by his side. He couldn't take her life, so he could give her a generous dowry and send her far away, out of sight and out of mind. That was the most he could do.
Zhou Baozhu had no objection to her father's decision, but nodded silently. She didn't mention Zhuang Sheng, knowing only that her father would never let such a villain go.
Sensing her father's sadness, she quickly changed the subject: "Dad, I really don't want to find a random stranger and waste my life at home taking care of my husband and children. I have read a lot of military books over the years, and you also said that I have some talent. I want to join the army and try my luck. I hope you can agree."
Zhou Duhu always granted his daughter's requests. He never believed that women were inferior to men, which is why he taught her to study military classics from a young age. It was also because of this upbringing that his daughter developed a broad-minded personality and acted more like a man.
But she was a girl after all, and the army was full of men, so how could he be at ease? "Bao'er, you're a girl, it's not right for you to go to the army. If you really feel bored, Daddy will find some reliable people to accompany you to see this beautiful country. What do you think?"
Zhou Baozhu was immediately displeased, thinking that Protector Zhou was looking down on women. Her eyebrows raised, and she stood up with a jerk. "So what if I'm a woman? Who in this world isn't born of a woman? So what if the army is all men? Now that you hold the tiger talisman, they serve you as their leader. How dare they harm me? Besides, our Great Zhou doesn't have a written rule prohibiting women from serving in the army. How can you be so pedantic?"
"Look at you, you're talking nonsense again." Zhou Duhu was at a loss for words. He had never expected his daughter to label him "pedantic." How could he be pedantic?
"That tiger talisman was only given to me temporarily for safekeeping. It might be taken back by the imperial court one day. How can I rely on it to intimidate others forever?"
Zhou Baozhu disagreed and patted her chest confidently, "Dad, don't worry! This tiger talisman will definitely not be taken back. Just wait and see!"
"How do you know that?" Protector Zhou stared at his daughter with suspicion. Though the girl was usually clever, this certainty was truly unusual. Could it be... that she already knew about General Wuwei's downfall? Otherwise, how could she be so confident?
Zhou Baozhu didn't hold back. Upon hearing this, she sat down and explained to Protector Zhou in a clear and logical manner, "Father, General Wuwei has held the Tiger Tally for many years. He's a powerful figure in the capital, and he's incredibly influential. But he's arrogant and domineering, and his wives, concubines, children, and clansmen have followed suit, bullying others and offending countless people. The fact that the Tiger Tally is being temporarily handed over to you shows that the higher-ups have long disliked him and want to use this opportunity to discipline him. Even if you're reluctant to share the details of what happened today, I can guess—he's probably doomed. You were once General Wuwei's subordinate, but you're still safe and sound. This must have been the result of secret considerations and testing by the higher-ups. That's why you can sit back and enjoy your life."
"So," Zhou Baozhu looked at the stunned Protector Zhou, her eyes brimming with confidence and determination as she spoke meaningfully, "I'm certain you're the one chosen by the higher-ups to once again wield the Tiger Tally."
Zhou Duhu had always known his daughter to be quick-witted and intelligent, but he had never expected her to be able to analyze the complexities of the court so thoroughly. It truly impressed him. After a long silence, he sighed and said, "Alas, it's a pity you're just a girl."
Zhou Baozhu suddenly felt unhappy and glared at Zhou Duhu in anger, saying, "Dad, why are you saying that again? I've never felt that being a girl is anything to regret. So what if I'm a girl? So what if I'm a boy? As long as I have talent and ability, what does it matter if I'm a man or a girl? There are too many people like you in this world, and that's why women are trapped in the backyard, and I don't know how many talented people have been buried."
"Yes, yes, Dad was wrong." Zhou Duhu pretended to beg for mercy and lightly slapped his mouth.
Zhou Baozhu stopped pursuing the matter, and the father and daughter chatted for a while. Then, Zhou Baozhu asked, "Dad, do you know who the woman next to Ye Dusi is?"
Zhou Duhu had certainly investigated and learned that the woman beside Ye Dusi was named Luo Shuiyao, also a miserable person. She now lived in Guihua Lane. "Why, do you want to thank her?" Zhou Duhu asked.
He had long since learned from his daughter that it was this woman named Luo Shuiyao who had saved her. Naturally, he was deeply grateful for this and had intended to personally visit her to express his gratitude, but he had been so busy with work in recent days that he hadn't had the time to do so. Upon hearing his daughter's question, he said, "She did save you, and I've been wanting to find a chance to thank her properly, but I've been so busy lately. If you want to go, please go and express your gratitude on my behalf. I'll visit her in person once I'm done with this."