My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 527: A Long List of Evil Deeds

Ye Shuqin patiently advised, "Look at you, what have you done to your daughter?"

"It's my own daughter, I'll spoil her myself, it's none of anyone else's business," Zhang Lei snorted. "She hasn't even said she wants to date, why are you all meddling?"

He gazed at the sky outside the window, his tone softening: "Our daughter is like a star in the sky, the most dazzling one, only to be admired from afar, and no one can touch her."

Ye Shuqin realized that Zhang Lei spoiled his daughter to the point of being unreasonable, and treated his son and daughter with completely different attitudes.

"Even if you protect her, you can't let her know nothing, can you?" Ye Shuqin continued to persuade her. "She should at least learn the most basic social etiquette and how to get along with others."

"Those people are all obsessed with currying favor with the powerful and wealthy, and their minds are full of self-interest." Zhang Lei shook his head. "I can't let her get tainted by these dirty things."

"Even lotus flowers can emerge from the mud unsullied," Ye Shuqin sighed. "Only through experiencing more things can children learn how to protect themselves."

"No need," Zhang Lei said firmly. "We have such long lifespans, we can protect her for a hundred years, a lifetime."

Seeing that she couldn't reason with her, Ye Shuqin had no choice but to leave in a huff.

As soon as she entered Princess Jin Feng Zhang Chengwan's courtyard, she saw servants coming and going, busy with their work.

Ye Shuqin stopped one of them and asked, "Why are you all busy here? Where's the princess?"

The servant replied, "Princess Jinfeng is in her bedroom."

Ye Shuqin strode into the bedroom and saw Zhang Chengwan directing the servants to rearrange and repair the room.

She said helplessly, "Wan'er, come here."

Upon seeing her, Zhang Chengwan immediately greeted her obediently, "Mother, what brings you here?"

"This yard is so big, isn't it enough for you? Why are you making all this trouble again?" Ye Shuqin looked at her.

Zhang Chengwan said coquettishly, "Mother, I just wanted to try a different style. Besides, Father just sent so many people to me, they need to find something to do."

Helpless, Ye Shuqin told the servants to stop and led her daughter to sit down in the pavilion in the garden.

"My daughter is getting more and more beautiful." Ye Shuqin looked at her with tender eyes.

Zhang Chengwan smiled and said, "Thank you, Mother."

Ye Shuqin waved her hand: "There are no outsiders here, so there's no need to be so formal."

"Thank you, Mom."

Ye Shuqin then slowly spoke: "Chengwan, you're not young anymore. Have you thought about your future?"

Zhang Chengwan laughed heartily: "Having my father and mother with me is enough, nothing else matters."

Ye Shuqin sighed, thinking that Zhang Lei's personality was exactly the same as hers.

She patiently and gently said, "Daughter, you were too young to talk to me about this before. Now that you're older, you should understand some things about relationships between men and women. I hope you go out more, interact with more people, especially... boys, and see if there's anyone you like."

Zhang Chengwan thought for a moment, then obediently nodded: "Okay."

Ye Shuqin immediately instructed, "Don't let your father know about this."

Zhang Chengwan blinked and smiled as she agreed, "Don't worry, Mother, this is our little secret."

As the national economy has become increasingly prosperous, the first three-year plan has also been successfully completed.

Zhang Chengyu has fully shouldered the responsibility of governing the country. Seeing his son mature and become more stable step by step, Zhang Lei is filled with joy and can finally let go completely and no longer worry about national affairs.

That day, Zhang Lei was leisurely enjoying the flowers in the garden, accompanied by Ye Shuqin.

Zhang Chengyu, however, looked grave and quickly ran over.

Zhang Lei frowned slightly: "Why are you so unsteady?"

Zhang Chengyu subconsciously glanced at the servants around him.

Zhang Lei immediately understood and waved for everyone to leave.

Zhang Chengyu then handed a thick stack of documents to Zhang Lei: "Dad, take a look at this."

Zhang Lei opened the documents, which contained one record after another of his evil deeds: embezzlement, perversion of justice, oppression of the people, rape, and plunder. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed.

Ye Shuqin leaned closer and glanced at them, her teeth clenched in anger: "Yu'er, are these... all true?"

Zhang Chengyu nodded heavily: "Absolutely true, and this is only a small part."

Zhang Lei closed the file, looked at Zhang Chengyu, and said in a calm but authoritative tone, "Yu'er, tell Dad, what should we do about this?"

Zhang Chengyu looked troubled: "But... most of these people are our elders."

"Do you know that conquering a country is easy, but maintaining it is difficult? What makes it so difficult?"

Zhang Chengyu replied in a deep voice: "The difficulty lies in maintaining one's original aspiration."

"You're right." Zhang Lei patted him heavily on the shoulder. "It's just that it's hard to stick to your original aspirations."

Ye Shuqin had not seen Zhang Lei so angry in many years, and quickly advised, "Husband, this matter cannot be rushed. One small thing can affect the whole situation. Take it slow."

Zhang Lei shook his head: "We can't delay. You know my capabilities, and you remember our original aspirations when we founded this nation. Although it was half-joking back then, how many injustices and dirty deeds are hidden beneath the surface of this country's nearly two hundred million people?"

Ye Shuqin knew he was telling the truth, but she still couldn't help but ask, "Should we... discuss it with the other concubines first?"

She was referring, of course, to Zhang Lei's other wives.

Zhang Lei's attitude was firm: "No need. If they are truly entangled in these filthy affairs, I will show no mercy. This country is for future generations; I cannot stand by and watch it rot into a mess. These malignant tumors must be scraped clean and thoroughly removed to preserve the foundation."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Ye Shuqin knew that further persuasion would be useless, so she turned to Zhang Chengyu and said, "Yu'er, you should try to persuade your father. With so many aunts and relatives, if he really cuts them off, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zhang Chengyu pondered for a moment and then said, "Dad, I have an idea. How about we try diplomacy first and then resort to force?"

Zhang Lei looked at him: "How about we start with courtesy and then resort to force?"

"We need your intervention," Zhang Chengyu said. "We need to gather all the relatives and elders together and explain the consequences clearly. If they are willing to repent and stop their wrongdoing, we can be lenient; if they remain obstinate, we can take swift and decisive action, and we will have a legitimate reason to do so."

After listening, Zhang Lei slowly nodded: "Okay, I'll take the lead on this. You go and inform everyone that no matter where they are now, they must attend the banquet you've organized a month from now."

Zhang Chengyu readily agreed.

A month is not a short time, after all, most of the Zhang family members, as well as the families of Zhang Lei's wives, are now scattered abroad and not all in China.

But when the news spread, everyone was both surprised and delighted.

They hadn't seen Zhang Lei in far too long.

In this country, with just a word from Zhang Lei, one can gain power, money, and success in everything.

Upon learning that they would be gathering for a banquet, everyone was eager to set off immediately and rush back day and night.