Chapter 51: Matters That Would Occur Years Later
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At the utterance of these words, the Marquis of Wu’an was displeased.
Bound by the other’s status, he dared not show his discontent but still spoke to defend Yu Zhi Yi’s reputation. “The Duke might not be aware, but Young Madam Du possesses genuine abilities. Several years ago, while still a child, she examined my wife’s face and discerned that my good-for-nothing son was in grave danger. Thanks to her warning, my son narrowly avoided a fatal calamity.”
He only recounted this one incident, for most others involved struggles for power. Though his intentions were modest—merely to preserve the honor of the Marquis of Wu’an’s Mansion—and his actions were not egregiously immoral, these matters were best left unspoken.
Furthermore, in terms of persuasion, none of the other incidents held the same weight as this one.
The Duke Courage’s expression shifted, and he scrutinized the woman before him carefully.
The woman’s appearance was gentle and serene. On closer inspection, she was strikingly beautiful, her beauty unparalleled. Yet, strangely, her looks were not what one first noticed. Instead, it was a calming aura about her that drew attention.
It was this very aura that prompted the Duke Courage to give her—and himself—a chance.
“Young Madam Du, if you truly possess such abilities, why not divine what I am thinking right now?”
The Marquis of Wu’an had a rapport with this Young Madam Du, and their connection was apparent. Thus, the possibility of secret communication existed.
The Duke Courage was no fool and refrained from posing a question likely to lead to trouble.
The Carefree Prince and his companions easily grasped the Duke Courage’s intent. The Carefree Prince leaned back lazily in his chair, his posture relaxed, his face gleaming with anticipation.
Meanwhile, You Bing Yue maintained a cold yet exquisite demeanor, betraying no overt emotions. Internally, however, she was convinced that Yu Zhi Yi would suffer a crushing defeat.
The more she thought about it in recent days, the more certain she became that Yu Zhi Yi’s abilities were nothing but a sham.
After all, in the novel titled The Chief Minister’s Heart’s Beloved, there was no mention of Du Zi Heng’s first wife possessing any talent in metaphysics.
Indeed, she knew she had transmigrated into the story, a sweet romance where Du Zi Heng was the male protagonist. However, the role she found herself in was not the heroine but a mere stepping stone to highlight the couple’s love.
This detail was unimportant to her. Since she was here, she refused to play the cannon fodder.
As for the original vicious first wife in the book…
While she barely remembered the character, she knew her role was that of a delicate dependent clinging to the male lead. Without him, she would have no means of survival.
Thus, Yu Zhi Yi’s feats from the other day were undoubtedly fabricated.
That woman was skilled, true, enough to deceive even her, once a Dark Night Queen, but the charade could only last so long.
The Duke Courage was no fool like the minor figures in the Du Mansion, and Yu Zhi Yi would not win his favor through nonsense.
Yu Zhi Yi chuckled softly. “Your Grace, you are considering whether, if I am not a fraud, I might truly help you find your sister. Conversely, if I am a fraud, you would hold me accountable for exploiting your status today.”
The Duke Courage’s pupils contracted slightly.
Not a word out of place.
The Carefree Prince’s brows furrowed.
Judging by his grandfather’s expression, the woman must have guessed correctly.
How vexing—it seemed the woman had some cunning about her.
He had assumed she would predict his grandfather’s request for assistance in finding someone, given the circumstances of the Marquis of Wu’an bringing her into their company. It would be a logical deduction.
But he hadn’t expected her to defy convention.
Hmph, sheer luck.
The Duke Courage paid no mind to the thoughts of those around him. For the first time, he treated this astonishingly young master of metaphysics with genuine respect, shedding his earlier arrogance.
He slightly inclined his head and said solemnly, “Master, I humbly request your aid in locating my sister. I promise ample rewards for your efforts!”
His mother had borne only two children: him and his sister. Yet, when they were young, his sister had gone missing.
This loss left his mother heartbroken and unable to rest in peace.
The matter became his lifelong regret.
Over the years, despite his lofty status as a Duke with countless resources, he had been unable to reunite with her.
Yu Zhi Yi nodded lightly. “I will need her birth date and time to proceed.”
The Duke Courage was about to respond when You Bing Yue interjected suddenly, “I know where your sister is.”
She cast a mocking glance at Yu Zhi Yi, her expression reserved yet faintly triumphant.
Yu Zhi Yi was taken aback.
Before she could reply, the Carefree Prince exclaimed with delight, “Bing Yue, do you truly know where Grandfather’s sister is?”
You Bing Yue nodded.
She recalled reading this part of the story. Though she had been interrupted mid-read, she returned to find the section detailing the Duke Courage’s sister vividly.
According to the novel, several years later, the Duke Courage apprehended the child-snatcher responsible for taking his sister. This criminal revealed that she had been sold to a distant, impoverished mountain village. There, she had been forced into a marriage as a shared wife, a practice rooted in the village’s severe gender imbalance.
Drawing upon this knowledge, she relayed the information matter-of-factly.
The Duke Courage’s eyes reddened instantly. “What you say—could it be true?”
You Bing Yue affirmed confidently, “Without a doubt.”
The Duke Courage, trembling with rage, declared, “A shared wife… My dearest Qin! I will raze that wretched village to the ground!”
The Carefree Prince sat upright, his gaze dark and intense.
Yu Zhi Yi cast a puzzled look at You Bing Yue.
Sensing her gaze, You Bing Yue met it with a sly smile. “Master, am I wrong?”
She was utterly confident in her information.
No matter how Yu Zhi Yi responded, it would serve her purposes.
If Yu Zhi Yi agreed, it would merely appear as though she had plagiarized the major plotline.
If she denied it, it would discredit all her previous supposed achievements as fabrications.
But Yu Zhi Yi seemed not to hear the venom in her words. Instead, she focused intently on the Duke Courage. “I still require your sister’s birth date and time.”
Through his face, she had already discerned the sister’s fate. However, certain details still needed the birth date and time to confirm.
Additionally, she needed this information to verify something else.
The Duke Courage frowned slightly.
While he was desperate to rescue his sister, he realized he had already humbled himself to request help. Leaving without an answer felt incomplete.
After a brief pause, he signaled his confidant to gather a team while he remained behind to hear what the “master” had to say.
Suppressing his agitation, he provided his sister’s birth date and time.
Yu Zhi Yi listened attentively and calculated with her fingers.
Moments later, she withdrew her hand, her expression subtly odd.
You Bing Yue…
She was peculiar.
Her clues aligned with what the Duke Courage would uncover years later.
Yet, in that future, You Bing Yue was absent from the events.
As this realization settled, the Duke Courage’s facial features shifted.
In an incident where You Bing Yue had no prior involvement, she now appeared central!
And her clue… was wrong.