SWHCBB 7

Chapter 7: The General’s Changing Face

The General’s estate was bustling with activity.

Several household servants were busy cleaning the courtyard. All the pebbles along the paths were picked up, the steps were scraped clean and replaced with ramps.

The cobblestone paths were all removed and replaced with flat stone slabs, and the railings by the pond were being reinforced.

If there was a single uneven patch in the roads of the estate, Jiang Chuang ordered it leveled.

He had never been fond of extravagance and waste, and he’d spent years away from the capital. Meanwhile, the attendants Wen Jue had brought from the palace weren’t used to manual labor—they were only good at serving people and were worse at physical work than Jiang Chuang himself.

Altogether, counting the steward, cook, servants, and laborers, the General’s estate only had about a dozen people. Far too few.

So when Jiang Chuang returned from the market, he rolled up his sleeves and dragged his trusted guard Chen Lin along to work. This startled the servants so badly they begged forgiveness, saying the general was dishonoring them by working.

Returning to the capital really had its drawbacks. Jiang Chuang was used to the casualness of the military camps. How could he get used to all these formalities and fuss?

He ignored their pleas and just got to work. The steward quickly told them to stop dawdling—if they delayed any further, the punishment would be worse. Only then did the servants scramble to help.

With Jiang Chuang laboring right alongside everyone else, the line between master and servant in the estate was basically gone. In fact, the master worked harder than the servants.

The more he worked, the more uneasy Jiang Chuang felt. In such a “danger-ridden” estate, how had Zhiyu lived in his past life?

He’d probably spent every day on edge, forcing himself to stay sharp just to deal with Jiang Chuang.

When Jiang Chuang reached the courtyard, he frowned deeply. Pots of flowers and plants were lined up along the path, giving off a mix of scents.

To an ordinary person, it wasn’t unpleasant. You’d get used to it after a while.

But Wen Jue was different. Jiang Chuang knew his sense of smell was far keener than most. And since he couldn’t see, he relied even more on scent, sound, and touch.

To him, all these mixed aromas were just uncomfortable and distracting.

With that thought, Jiang Chuang immediately called the steward and ordered all the flowers and plants removed.

The steward obeyed and had a few servants stop what they were doing and move the plants out first.

It was already afternoon, well past lunchtime, but Wen Jue still hadn’t returned. Jiang Chuang worked while frequently glancing toward the entrance, practically becoming a “husband-watching rock.”

But instead of Wen Jue, a commotion broke out.

A crisp female voice shouted angrily, “Who pulled out my flowers? Who did it?!”

The steward rushed forward respectfully. “Miss Su, it was the general’s order. He said the Fifth Prince dislikes the chaotic scent of the plants. Otherwise, even if we had a thousand lives, we wouldn’t dare touch your flowers.”

The woman addressed as Miss Su was dressed elegantly and simply, yet with exquisite detail. Her features were delicate and pleasing. Her white clothes fluttered gracefully—but her expression ruined her ethereal aura.

She looked down at the steward and glared at him. “How dare you! Still lying! Since when has the general ever cared about trivial matters like this?”

The steward was in agony. “I wouldn’t dare, Miss Su. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the general yourself!”

Su Zhi was about to explode again but paused, then stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Did that Fifth Prince use the general’s name to give orders?”

She scanned the courtyard filled with busy servants, her expression darkening.

“Only the second day after marrying in, and he’s already throwing his royal weight around? If he was going to act imperial, couldn’t he have waited? Now he’s causing a stir!”

The steward warned, “Miss Su, please mind your words…”

Su Zhi shot him a look. “You’re too cowardly. You’re actually afraid of him? Everyone knows he’s out of favor in the palace. The general despises him. Once the general leaves the estate, isn’t it just me and Auntie who call the shots here?”

The steward opened his mouth but said nothing. He couldn’t tell what the general was thinking either and was caught in the middle. But when the general was away, aside from Madam Chen, Su Zhi was indeed the mistress of the house.

A red silk ribbon hanging from a tree fluttered down and slapped Su Zhi’s face. She yanked it off and threw it at the steward’s face with a roll of her eyes.

“Poor general, being forced to marry someone he can’t stand. This wedding is more like a funeral!”

Jiang Chuang arrived just in time to hear that last sentence—and his face turned black. He stood off to the side, silently watching.

Su Zhi snapped, “Put those flowers back by the end of the day, or you’ll regret it!”

The steward hurried to respond, “Miss Su, th-those flowers really were removed under the general’s orders. I’ll replant them in your garden, how about that?”

Su Zhi raised her foot and kicked the steward’s shoulder. “Useless mutt! Then go tell the general that these flowers are important to me. I don’t believe he’d insult me for a blind man!”

“What gives you the confidence to think you matter more to me than the Fifth Prince?” Jiang Chuang said coldly.

The steward looked like he’d just seen his savior—tears almost welled up. “General!”

Su Zhi turned and saw Jiang Chuang. She stepped back and forced a calm smile as she approached.

“General, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that you’ve been wounded so often during your campaigns, I grew these flowers for medicine. How could they be destroyed just because of the Fifth Prince?”

She even frowned as she said “Fifth Prince,” her tone dripping with contempt.

Jiang Chuang stared at her expressionlessly and finally remembered who this woman was.

Years ago, when he’d fallen into a river while fleeing from enemy soldiers, it was Su Zhi who rescued and treated him—essentially saving his life. When Jiang Chuang tried to repay her with gold and silver, she refused it all.

Instead, she used her “life-saving grace” as leverage to stay by his side, saying she had to protect the life she saved.

Out of gratitude, Jiang Chuang let her stay. She insisted on following him back to the capital, and he hadn’t thought much of it then.

Whatever she wanted, he just had the servants give it to her—as long as she didn’t bother him.

His aunt, seeing him bring a woman home, was overjoyed, thinking he’d finally opened his heart, and had been secretly trying to matchmake them.

Eventually, Su Zhi ended up living in the estate. Even when he returned to the battlefield, she stayed behind.

But after what he just saw, Jiang Chuang realized this woman had been acting like the mistress of the estate all along—and perhaps his aunt had encouraged it.

The thought made his stomach churn, not to mention that in his previous life, this very woman had driven a wedge between him and Zhiyu—and succeeded.

Su Zhi noticed his silence and asked, puzzled, “General?”

Jiang Chuang frowned, his disgust plain as day. That one look left Su Zhi stunned and hurt, unable to understand.

Jiang Chuang said, “So they were ruined. I have plenty of doctors around me—Miss Su doesn’t need to worry.”

The steward immediately straightened up, his spirits soaring and the pain in his shoulder suddenly less noticeable.

Thank goodness he hadn’t caved under pressure earlier. If he’d wavered and the general found out, he’d be finished.

Su Zhi stared in disbelief. Jiang Chuang had always treated her coldly, but never like this, never with such outright rudeness.

She clenched her fists tightly. Being humiliated in front of the servants was unbearable.

Jiang Chuang turned to the steward and ordered coldly, “Escort Miss Su back. She should stay in her own room for now and not come out unless necessary.”

He had to figure out how to deal with her completely—she couldn’t be allowed anywhere near Zhiyu. Best to send her far away and avoid any further trouble.

A life-saving debt should be repaid, but that didn’t mean she had the right to act like a tyrant in his home.

The steward replied, “Yes! Miss Su, please.”

Su Zhi refused to move, staring hard at Jiang Chuang. “Have you already forgotten the pain once the wound heals? If I hadn’t saved you at the river, you’d have—”

The steward quickly interrupted, “Miss Su! This way, please!”

In the distance, the servants pretended to work diligently, but in truth, every one of them was eavesdropping, exchanging silent glances.

They all thought the same thing: Seems like the general may not like the Fifth Prince, but he still respects royal authority. Even Miss Su isn’t allowed to be disrespectful.

Then they heard Jiang Chuang say sternly, “Of course I haven’t forgotten your help. That’s why I’ve given you fine clothes and wealth. But you are a guest in this estate, not the master. Know your place!”

That one sentence shattered the image Su Zhi had spent years building in the estate—and the illusion she had carefully crafted.

Su Zhi trembled with rage, about to speak again, when a figure rushed over. It was Chen Lin, Jiang Chuang’s right-hand man.

“General! The Fifth Prince’s carriage is at the gate!”

Jiang Chuang’s dark expression instantly lit up with joy. His eyes softened, full of anticipation. He turned and ran toward the entrance—ran was putting it lightly; he practically flew.

Su Zhi had never seen him like this. She stood frozen, Jiang Chuang’s expression replaying over and over in her mind.

The steward, thinking she was still being stubborn, urged her impatiently, “Miss Su, if you insist on staying, you’re just making a joke of yourself in front of the servants.”

Not that the servants needed to hear more—they’d already heard it all.

Su Zhi snapped out of it, snorted coldly, said nothing, and quickly left.

At the gate, just as Wen Jue was about to be helped down from the carriage by Changning, Jiang Chuang wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him down.

A low, concerned voice whispered in his ear, “Tired?”

Wen Jue froze. Before he could answer, Jiang Chuang had already pulled away and said coldly, “Troublesome.”

Wen Jue reached out helplessly, unable to find his direction. Thankfully, Changning quickly caught his hand and shot a resentful glare at Jiang Chuang.

Little did he know, Jiang Chuang was inwardly berating himself. Still outside, and I couldn’t help myself?

Damn emperor—when will he finally kick the bucket?