The Cause Of

A while later, Wei Hen and his mother, Li Mei heard the footsteps of several people. The footsteps stop in front of the door. Then, they heard someone knock on the door twice before they saw four people come in. Three males and one female. Bowed to Wei Hen and his mother once and raise their head.

"I had brought them here, Young Master Wei Hen". Zhinu said politely. His master has noticed his existence. So, he had to show him how much his worth.

The clicking sound of the tea bowl being placed on its saucer can be heard across the room. Its sound doesn't loud but enough to attract the attention of the people in the room.

It was deadly stillness before Wei Hen started to speak.

"What? Do you're unhappy that I'm back?". He directs his question to the other three people who stood there looking at him intently. His demeanour becomes serious and cold. His Phoenix-like eyes gaze upon the three.

"!!!". The three were startled when they heard his voice.

Besides, the other three felt intimidated by his question and gaze. They never saw him being like this before.

Furthermore, they were dazed because they couldn't believe that the one in front of them is their Young Master Wei Hen. The person they searching for these past few days.

Their young master becomes much more stunning than before!!!

Earlier, when they heard that Wei Hen had returned, they felt relieved and overjoyed. They never expected their Young Master returned with a new vibe.

But...their young master seems to be a little bit...cold right now.

"W-we, of course feeling happy for your return. Young Master Wei Hen". It was

Zhi Peng, the person who broke the silence while replying to Wei Hen with a flustered voice. "It's just we're a bit unaccustomed to your new look, Young Master Wei Hen". Zhi Peng continued.

"It's true, Young Master Wei Hen". Added Xin Yi.

While Shi Lei just nodded his head twice. Blushing.

"To be blunt, I, Wei Hen, your master want to hear about your background, your history before you become a slave. Each of you. Who disagrees with my question you can exit this room now". Wei Hen suddenly said with a cold tone. " Zhinu, you can guard outside the room". He continued.

Zhinu without having a second thought moved his legs and strode out of the room. Guarding outside the door.

When the figure of Zhinu exited the room, Wei Hen raised his eyebrows while looking at the three and said, "Well, who would be the first one to tell their story".

"W-Wei Hen, it's a bit...". Li said while stuttering. She was a bit curious about why his son suddenly wanted to know about their servants' background. They already know about their servants' backgrounds the moment they wanted to buy them from the slave trader. All three of them were regarded as 'criminal slaves'.

Zhi Peng was a fallen nobleman and a former general. All his family was sentenced to death while he was left alive to be a criminal slave. It was said that these happened to his family because he committed treason.

Xin Yi was a lowly concubine of a wealthy nobleman. She was sentenced to be a criminal slave because she disfigured a friend of her husband, who is also a nobleman.

Shi Lei was an illegitimate son of a noble family from the Imperial Capital City. He became a criminal slave because he tried to kill his father's main wife and crippled the third legitimate son. So the main wife sold him to the slave trader.

Wei Hen got all this simple information from the slave trader's mouth. But the 'reason' why they committed all the crimes was not mentioned.

"I know, it's a bit blunt. But it's for our own good, mom". Wei Hen said to his mother without looking at her and continued "I don't want the second or third and so on 'Chuhua' to stab us in the back in the future".

The other three who stood in one line in front of their Young Master Wei Hen right now were more convinced that their young master was likely to doubt their loyalty because of Chuhua's doing. Even before their young master says the reason why he wants to know about their past before they became who they were today, they already knew what their master's intention is the moment he asks them the question of their past before they became the 'criminal slave'.

That wench ruin our relationship with our young master!!! Thought all three of them.

Her action had inflicted a negative impact on them. She had put them in a difficult situation.

Without further ado, Xin Yi was the one to open her mouth first to answer their young master's inquiry. She told her story without leaving a single piece of information behind.

They were very terrified right now, because of Chuhua's wrongdoing, their master's faith in all of them has crumbled. In fact, where can they find a very good master like Young Master Wei Hen? He is the gem among the gem. He treats them like family. He respects their human rights. What's more, they can ask for? So, they felt very scared to lose their young master's faith in them.

After Xin Yi finished her story, Zhi Peng told his story and followed by Shi Lei.

It turned out to be they were being framed and became criminal slaves.

Xin Yi was a lowly concubine of the Su Noble Family's Second Son. Her husband, Su Xun directs her to sleep with the Fifth Son of the He Family, the noble clan from the imperial capital city. Her husband has done this because he had an unknown agreement with that person. He doesn't care about her because she is just an illegitimate daughter of a rich merchant family. So, when the Fifth Son of the He Family was about to pounce at Xin Yi that night, she disfigured him with a shard of a broken bowl. As consequence, she was sentenced to become a criminal slave and her face was disfigured, leaving her poor five-year-old son alone to live with that cruel family.

In Shi Lei's story, he wanted to kill his father's main wife because she killed his birth mother who was a slave and acted as his father's bed warmer. His mother's status in that residence is so low because of her original status as a slave. Shi Lei's father's main wife poisoned his mother because she knew that his mother is pregnant. So she hired people to put something in his mother's food and as a result, his mother died of too much blood because of a miscarriage. This incident made Shi Lei mad, then initiated to kill his father's main wife. But his action was prevented by the servants who were with her. He could only leave a small wound on her wrist with a knife. With that, he was suppressed by servants and sold to the slave trader and stamped as a criminal slave. He was also allowed to keep his father's clan surname which is 'Shi'. But his name was erased from the family tree record at Shi Clan's ancestral hall.

Among all three of them, Zhi Peng's was more intriguing. He was framed by his enemies in court. Saying that he collided with the neighbouring countries. They brought the witness and all the evidence that indicated he had collided with a foreign country. Even some of the evidence was fabricated. What's more unbelievable was that the Emperor who is the current Emperor easily fell to their accusations towards him. One of their pieces of evidence was he was in contact with the 5th prince of the Duanwu Empire. The Dynasty ruled a vast amount of land and was located to the west of their empire. The Tian Dynasty. Who doesn't know about their friendship? The majority of the people who lived in the imperial capital city knew about this because The 5th Prince always visited Zhi Peng whenever there were diplomatic banquets or events.

Unfortunately, his faction cannot fight their opponent's faction because even the Emperor approved the accusations against him. At that time he realised that they had already planned to overthrow him. The reason was obvious, it was because his influence has become powerful enough that the Emperor felt threatened. His armies getting more powerful every year. His clan also continued to thrive and hold many positions be it in court or the military. Maybe, because of these, his enemy's faction had united with Emperor and a neutral faction to oust him. Even some of his faction got bribed and betrayed him. All these factors brought to his clan massacre. He never thought of the Emperor would be the one who wanted to bring him down.

Zhi Peng, the one who always acts creepy, unruly and psychopathic showed hatred on his face. His eyes are bloodshot and his body emitted a murderous aura while telling his story to Wei Hen. But Wei Hen surprisingly didn't flinch or be scared of his sudden changes. Maybe it has something to do with the 'Heavenly Ninetail Codex' thing inside him. He felt excited when he thought about it. After all the matters that should be settled are done. He would explore it. Now, what important is to settle things here and proceed with his plan.

"Hm. I'm sure you'll know why I'm doing this". Wei Hen spoke after Zhi Peng finished telling his story.

"Yes, Young Master Wei Hen!". The three of them answered in unison.

"I didn't ask much, I just need your loyalty. If you are loyal to me, I will not mistreat you". Wei Hen said as he rise from his seat. "Later, two of the three of you will follow me to the border. Which are Shi Lei and Zhi Peng. Xin Yi, you stay and take care of my mother and business here. When the time our foundation became solid at the border, we will leave this town completely be it business or property". He continued.

"Wh-why do you want to go to the border, that place is so dangerous!". The 'Handsome Ice Cube' Shi Lei said, confused. Why did their Young Master Wei Hen want to go to such a place?

"I have my plan". Wei Hen said firmly making the other two who were about to say their opinion shut their mouth tightly.

"May I ask, which border do you want to go to?". It was Zhi Peng who was the one that asks the question just now.

"Shang Province". Wei Hen answered him.

"No!". Again, they said in unison. The Shang Province is the place where forces often collided with each other. It's located north of the Tian Empire. On the west of Shang Province is Duanwu Empire and on the east side of it is Xun Empire. It was the place where three forces confront each other. It also was the last place where the army wish wants to assign to. Confrontation always occurred in Shang Province. Almost every year.

"I know it's dangerous, have faith in me. I have a plan". He said as he sit back down on the wooden stool where he sat earlier.

Xin Yi rises reflexively and reached out the pot and pours some tea into Wei Hen's tea bowl. Wei Hen slowly blow out his tea before he sipped it elegantly from the tea bowl.

Li Mei only could clutch the cloth around her chest. She was so shocked and worried when he heard her son wanted to go to Shang Province. She knows that her son wanted to go to the border but he never thought it would be Shang Province.

"Guys believe in me. Look at what I had done all this time". Wei Hen said changing his tone from strict to soft but confident to soothe them that he can do all this.