Chapter 200: Sibling Rivalry!

Du Hongde had no idea what was happening inside the hospital room. He was pacing anxiously back and forth in the corridor outside.

Although he had chosen to trust Tang Chen in his heart, the situation still carried some risks. It was only natural for him to feel uneasy.

Click!

The door opened, and Tang Chen stepped out, his forehead glistening with sweat. He appeared extremely exhausted. Summoning Hua Tuo for such a procedure had taken a toll on his body, so his fatigue was understandable.

“Tang Chen, how is it? My father…” Du Hongde rushed up to Tang Chen, grabbing his hands anxiously.

Tang Chen smiled and replied confidently, “Major General Du, why don’t you go inside and see for yourself?”

Du Hongde was momentarily stunned. He quickly moved past Tang Chen and looked inside, only to find his father already awake. Not only that, but the old man was even sitting up and appeared quite comfortable.

“Dad!” Du Hongde was so overjoyed that tears nearly burst from his eyes. He hurried over and embraced his father.

“Haha, Hongde, you’re no young man anymore. How can you still be so emotional? You’re a major general now. What if your soldiers see you like this? Aren’t you afraid they’ll make fun of you?” Elder Du knew that his eldest son was the most filial. Patting Du Hongde on the back, he chuckled.

“What’s there to be afraid of? When I was little, you always told me that the men of the Du family must have backbone. We cry when it’s time to cry, and we go wild when it’s time to go wild.” Du Hongde was in high spirits and laughed heartily.

Elder Du smiled and then turned his gaze to Tang Chen. “Young Tang, once again, you’ve saved this old man’s life. I truly have no way to repay you.”

Tang Chen waved his hand casually and said, “It’s nothing, Elder Du. I was moved by Major General Du’s filial devotion. Although the Gu Poison in your body has been cleared, you must remember to rest and recover properly.”

Du Hongde wiped away his tears and stepped forward to give Tang Chen a big bear hug. With a serious expression, he said, “Young Tang, I won’t bother with empty words. Back in Z City, I failed to recognize your talents. But for saving my father twice, I’d be willing to go through fire and water for you.”

Tang Chen was a man of true character, and Du Hongde’s military temperament suited him well. The two had never had any major conflict to begin with, and Tang Chen was not the type to hold a grudge, so he had long since moved on.

“Major General Du, there’s no need for that. I saved Elder Du partly because of your filial devotion, and partly because I genuinely admire him. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have helped even if they offered me mountains of gold and silver.” Tang Chen’s words warmed Elder Du’s heart. It was rare to find a young person with such talent and humility.

“Dad, you’re finally awake! You scared me to death!” Du Jiangde and his wife rushed over to show their concern, kneeling before the old man with expressions of joy.

“Yes, I’m fine now, all thanks to Young Tang. There’s no need to worry.” Elder Du was not particularly fond of his second son. Unlike Du Hongde, who had served in the military, Du Jiangde had insisted on starting a business and dabbling in stocks.

A heroic father does not raise a cowardly son. Elder Du had fought on battlefields his entire life, and what he wished to see most was his descendants defending the prosperity of the nation and its people with their lives. Du Jiangde’s fear of death deeply displeased him.

“Elder Du, I really didn’t do much. It’s lucky I managed to wake you up, or else your son would surely have accused me of scheming against you to extort money.” Tang Chen added coldly from the sidelines. He genuinely disliked Du Jiangde and his wife.

Elder Du’s expression turned stern as he addressed Du Jiangde. “Jiangde, did you say something about Young Tang? How could you do that? I’ve told you time and again not to judge a book by its cover. Why won’t you listen? Do you have to anger me to death? Cough, cough…” Overwhelmed with emotion, Elder Du began coughing violently.

“Dad, don’t be angry. Please don’t let Jiangde’s actions upset you. You’ve only just recovered.” Du Hongde quickly stepped forward to pat Elder Du’s back. His unintentional remark felt like a knife stabbing into Du Jiangde’s heart.

Tang Chen moved closer and said, “Elder Du, it’s not worth getting angry over such trivial matters. I’ve grown used to being bitten by mad dogs every day. I’m completely unfazed now. There’s just one question that needs to be answered: who was it that poisoned you with Gu Poison?”

The mention of this subject ignited Du Hongde’s fury. The thought that his father had nearly died from the Gu Poison made him clench his teeth in rage.

“Young Tang is right. We must get to the bottom of this! If I catch that bastard, I’ll tear him to pieces!” Du Hongde’s fists were tightly clenched, the knuckles cracking loudly. He was clearly at the peak of his anger.

Du Jiangde and his wife exchanged nervous glances. Du Jiangde quickly stepped forward and said, “Dad, you’ve just recovered. Let’s leave this matter for my brother to investigate later. For now, you should rest.”

Tang Chen narrowed his eyes. Something felt off. He objected, “No, it’s better to find out as soon as possible. If the culprit discovers their plan failed, they might try to harm Elder Du again. Elder Du, think carefully. Have you eaten anything unusual in the past couple of days? Gu Poison can be transmitted through food.”

Elder Du thought carefully and said, “Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Only the apple my second granddaughter brought me the night before last. Other than that, I’ve only eaten meals prepared by the house staff.”

Tang Chen let out a meaningful “Oh” and looked at Du Hongde. “Major General Du, if I recall, you told me that Elder Du suddenly fell ill last night and was rushed to the hospital, right?”

“That’s right, it was last night. At that time…” Du Hongde started, then his eyes widened abruptly. He turned and stared at Du Jiangde, saying word by word, “Was it you? You had Second Daughter deliver a poisoned apple to Dad, didn’t you?”

Du Jiangde’s legs weakened. He pulled his wife toward the door while forcing an awkward smile. “Brother, what are you talking about? How could I poison Dad? You’ve misunderstood me.”

“Du Jiangde, you bastard!” Du Hongde was no fool. Seeing his brother’s guilty expression, how could he not figure it out? The thought that his own younger brother had tried to poison their father felt like a knife twisting in his heart.

“It really wasn’t me!” Du Jiangde protested weakly as he tried to make a run for it with his wife.

“Major General Du, they’re trying to escape!” Tang Chen, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately sensed their intentions and shouted loudly.

“I’ll kill you!” Finally unable to contain his rage, Du Hongde stepped forward and punched Du Jiangde squarely in the face. With a loud thud, Du Jiangde was sent flying into the wall.

“Jiangde!” Lady Du cried out, but before she could do anything, the enraged Du Hongde grabbed her face and slammed it into his knee, then executed a shoulder throw, sending her crashing heavily to the floor.

“You two scumbags, this is our father, our father! Are you even human? Do you have any conscience left?” Du Hongde’s anger only grew as he delivered a flurry of kicks and punches to Du Jiangde and his wife. He was holding nothing back.

“Enough! Stop, Hongde. We have a guest here. This is no way to behave!” Elder Du finally spoke up, his voice heavy with pain. His heart ached more than anyone else’s.

He had fought for the Party and the people his entire life, only to be poisoned by his own son in his old age. The thought alone was enough to make one sigh in despair.

Thud!

Du Hongde delivered another vicious kick to Du Jiangde’s face, his voice filled with sorrow and fury. “But Dad, what Jiangde and his wife did is downright despicable! They should be sent to a military court!”