Alexander Hayes shook his head. "Neil Zhao, he would never do that. No matter how long he's the House Patriarch, deep down he only wants to see the House of Zhao destroyed. Darling, do you know what happened the very first time Sean Hayes met Neil?"
Lily Evans shook her head.
Alexander continued, "Back then, Sean Hayes went to Neil Zhao's home. There was a funeral underway, and lying in the coffin was Neil's newlywed wife, three months pregnant. Neil himself had been beaten within an inch of his life, clutching the coffin, ready to follow his wife into the afterlife."
"Neil Zhao's ancestors were once prosperous, but his father died young and the family fell into ruin. His widowed mother struggled to raise Neil alone. Life was already hard, but the House of Zhao elders ignored fairness and decency, seized all the ancestral land and property, and drove the orphan and widow out. To support her young son, his mother was forced into degrading relationships with influential members of the House of Zhao, just to give Neil a chance to survive. Neil grew up witnessing his mother being abused and humiliated by those elders, and he hated the House of Zhao to the core. Later, his mother became pregnant by someone unknown, yet was still forced to entertain guests, which led to a miscarriage and her death from hemorrhage..."
After Neil's mother died, he had no one to rely on and could only do odd jobs at the Anchester Chamber of Commerce to survive. Eventually, when he grew up, life improved a bit and he married his childhood sweetheart, who never minded his poverty. The young couple finally had some peace, but the House of Zhao elders still wouldn't leave them alone. They demanded that Neil's wife continue to submit to their abuse. She was strong-willed, and while three months pregnant, was cornered at home by one of the elders who tried to violate her. To preserve her dignity, she smashed her head against a pillar and died. Neil returned home to witness the scene, was driven mad with grief, and tried to kill the culprit for revenge, but was severely beaten by the elders working together.
At that time, Neil Zhao was gravely injured and utterly hopeless. Seeing no chance for revenge, he only wanted to join his mother and wife in death. When he tried to kill himself, Sean Hayes saved him.
Sean Hayes told Neil that if he pledged loyalty to the Prince of Qin's Manor, he would be supported to rise to power and avenge his family. Neil agreed, and everything that happened after, you already know, darling.
After Alexander finished speaking, Lily Evans looked visibly upset, clearly moved by Neil Zhao's tragic past.
Lily Evans sighed, "He grew up bullied by the House of Zhao, and his mother, wife, and unborn child were all driven to death by them. So all Neil Zhao feels toward the House of Zhao is hatred—he wishes every elder who ever hurt his family would die. No wonder he's even more desperate than we are to bring down the House of Zhao."
The couple sat in silence for a long time. Neil Zhao's story was truly heartbreaking and infuriating.
"The Prince of Qin's Manor forbids the House of Zhao from recruiting private guards, but they pretend to comply while secretly recruiting behind our backs. We can't let this loophole remain—we must shut down the House of Zhao's secret recruitment, or it'll be like raising a tiger in our midst," Lily Evans said with a frown.
Alexander Hayes nodded.