The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 243 - 213, Zhao Douan: How should people like you change?_3

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He sighed deliberately,

"In the end, a woman married off is like water thrown out. When she becomes successful, she forgets all about her ties."

You Zhande said unhappily, "What are you talking about?"

You-shi sneered, "Isn’t it so? You’ve always been thinking of this niece of yours, yet when you visit, she doesn’t even offer a bit of help."

You Zhande said in a deep voice, "The matter is too significant; it was difficult for Da Lang."

You-shi said, "When she was at home, I heard people from the Capital say how extraordinary Zhao Da Lang was, but now it seems all talk."

The two of them acted in concert, while You Jinhua remained silent on the side, feeling her heart grow colder.

She realized that what she thought was family reunion meant nothing but "benefit" in the eyes of her family.

"Clang!"

At this moment, a sudden noise caught the attention of the three people.

They saw a chubby youth on the side, feeling bored, playing with a wine cup on the table. Inattentively, it fell onto the ground and shattered into pieces.

You Jinhua’s face finally changed, and she stood up abruptly:

"Why did you break it?!"

Her heart ached to the point where she could hardly breathe. It was an antique, and she usually cherished it too much even to look at it.

You-shi stood up and first embraced her son, carefully checking him:

"Did you cut your hand? How could you be so careless?"

Then she turned back, frowned, and said:

"It’s just a broken wine cup; how much could it be worth? Is it necessary to make such a fuss?"

You Jinhua’s lips quivered, and her chest trembled, feeling only coldness in her limbs:

"This wine cup..."

You Zhande also expressed some displeasure:

"It’s just a replica, after all. Fifty pieces of silver should cover it for your Zhao family."

He also thought his niece was making a big fuss over a trifle.

You Jinhua felt her words were weak, powerless, as if the air in the hall carried an unspeakable sense of oppression and discomfort.

At this moment, footsteps were finally heard outside the door.

And a voice that had waited for long, only to find the timing right, spoke:

"Fifty pieces? Ha, the Family Head probably forgot a few zeros."

Zhao Douan walked in expressionless, stared at the You family members, and said coldly:

"To break an antique from the previous dynasty, considering the aunt’s face, compensate three thousand pieces of silver, and that’s the end of it."

Three thousand pieces?

Hearing this number, You-shi nearly jumped up, a mix of shock and anger, turning to look at her niece:

"Jinhua, is this how you teach your children?"

However, this time You Jinhua just silently walked over to Zhao Douan, drawing a clear line and said calmly:

"Second Uncle, Aunt. This set of utensils was sent from Master Dong Mansion, the value of which would only be more, not less, than three thousand pieces. I didn’t want to use it for entertaining guests, but Da Lang said to respect elders, which is why I did."

She paused, seeming to guess what the other party might say, looked up at her tall stepson, her expression calm:

"Second Uncle, don’t try to press me with seniority again. You’re right in saying that once I married into the Zhao family, I became one of them."

At this moment, the filter she held for the family over the past ten years shattered.

Zhao Douan smiled, shielding her behind him.

His face, stripped of the facade of gentleness, humility, and modesty, showed a lifted corner of his mouth and a contemptuous gaze.

No longer a docile and amiable junior,

More like a mischievous and condescending rogue.

"Jinhua...you...ah, forget it."

You Zhande saw this, and his face changed multiple times. The current scene was not the result he had expected, and he finally realized...

He seemed...

To have played it wrong.

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"Today it’s my fault, I didn’t discipline Luer properly, forget it, no wonder you’re upset. Given this, we shall take our leave," said You Zhande.

He didn’t take the so-called "gift from Grandmaster Dong" seriously at all.

What a joke.

What kind of person was Grandmaster Dong? A real power in the court, it was said, even the Empress’s teacher.

How could a mere gigolo dare to touch a porcelain treasure gifted by such a figure?

You Zhande did not know much about the Capital, but he wasn’t dumb. Thinking it over, even as the Empress’s companion, it was impossible for him to compel a Grandmaster to send gifts to curry favor.

It could only be his niece bluffing and intimidating others with words.

"Wait a minute,"

Seeing the three about to leave, Zhao Douan narrowed his eyes with a mischievous smile:

"You didn’t hear what I said earlier, did you? I said, compensate three thousand pieces, and this matter will be over."

You Zhande frowned, himself a Martial Artist, feeling a surge of anger rising in his heart.

Behind him, You-shi exclaimed loudly:

"Are you crazy? Well, now I understand; today, this isn’t a family banquet, but a trap to swindle, and you’re intentionally blackmailing us for money?"

Zhao Douan raised his eyebrow, thinking, you’re just realizing it now? Not that stupid, after all.

By now, the sounds in the room had piqued the curiosity of the Zhao family servants outside.

A hastily arranged Zhao Pan, hearing the argument, rushed over with her maidservant.

You Zhande straightened his face and said:

"Zhao Da Lang, you’re being excessive. Even if you don’t consider familial bonds, you should be reasonable."

Zhao Douan sneered, "Am I being unreasonable?"

You Zhande suppressed his anger and said:

"In the Capital, perhaps you have status and position. Our family can’t afford to provoke you, but today I’m merely visiting relatives. Is there any reason to be extorted?"

Zhao Douan sighed lightly, his eyes frost:

"Apparently, you still don’t understand. Ha, visiting relatives? What a pretense of visiting kin; it’s nothing but trying to cling to power. For over ten years, you didn’t show up; now I’ve gained some influence, and here you come.

It’s human nature. If you’d spoken kindly and humbly today, I didn’t intend to make things difficult. Some small favor, if I’m in a good mood, I’d even help. But you didn’t cherish the opportunity.

Forget it. How can such people change?"

By now, the chubby youth in the room seemed to realize he was in trouble, his expression panicked.

Suddenly, taking advantage of people not looking, he broke into a run outside.

Zhao Douan glanced slightly, his right leg went like a whip, in a flash of lightning, fiercely kicking into You Luer’s belly.

"Bang!"

As if a sandbag burst, the more than two hundred pounds chubby youth, with a single kick, seemed as light as a feather.

With a scream, he turned into a dark shadow, flew out several yards, and crashed to the ground, vomiting blood and filth, his vision turning black, he fainted.

"Luer!!"

You-shi’s face changed drastically, screamed, and charged at Zhao Douan.

Caught off guard, she was again kicked out the door by Zhao Douan.

The two kicks were so fast that even You Zhande, also a Martial Artist, failed to react.

Or rather, he completely didn’t expect Zhao Douan to actually take action.

"You brat, how dare you!"

You Zhande fumed with anger, his whole body’s Qi mechanism roaring, stepping forward, a Martial Skill punch already delivered.

As a Cultivation Martial Artist of High Grade, even if his cultivation was exaggerated, and diluted by his role as Family Head, the power of his fist was not something ordinary Martial Artists could withstand.

However, as the forceful punch of the middle-aged Martial Artist thundered forth, Zhao Douan just took a ghostly step, gently avoided it, and slipped to his side.

His right hand formed a palm and softly pressed at his ribs.

Boom—

You Zhande felt a sharp pain sear through his side, his feet uncontrollably leaving the ground; his Qi mechanism in his organs thrown into disarray, as a pheasant seeing a tiger, a mad dog facing a dragon god.

In front of the watching crowd, he was knocked flying away.

"You people, how could you ever change?"

Zhao Douan spoke as if muttering to himself, giving the answer:

"Impossible to change."

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ps: Typos will be fixed later

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