Chapter 70: You Can’t Call Me a Liar Just Because You’ve Silenced Everyone
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“After Madam Zhang of the Meng Clan found that painting and learned that the woman depicted in it was your elder sister, she began devising ways to investigate your sister’s movements. Normally, someone of her standing wouldn’t have access to the circles of Duke Courage’s Mansion, but perhaps even the heavens were aiding her—or maybe persistence simply pays off. One day, at the Treasure Pavilion, while new goods were being displayed, she coincidentally saw your sister at the entrance. Overhearing her conversation with a close friend, she discovered that your sister planned to visit the Heavenly Sound Temple outside the city in two days to offer incense.”
“Knowing this was her only chance, she bribed a group of beggars, bought them new clothes to disguise themselves, and had them lie in wait along the road to the temple. When the carriage from Duke Courage’s Mansion passed, the beggars attacked.”
“Although the young lady of Duke Courage’s Mansion had guards and maids accompanying her, Madam Zhang had hired twenty beggars. Outnumbered, the six guards stood no chance.”
“At that moment, Madam Zhang and her six hired guards ‘happened’ to arrive. The beggars, seeing their employer, offered only token resistance before surrendering and scattering.”
“Later, these beggars took their new clothes and five taels of silver each and fled to other cities. Even when the Duke turned the entire Sheng Capital upside down, he couldn’t trace them.”
“And so, Madam Zhang became fast friends with your sister and eventually achieved her goal—marrying into the family and securing a connection to you.”
In her past life, after marrying into Duke Courage’s Mansion, Madam Meng often sneered at her for supposedly “climbing to high branches.” Now, Yu Zhi Yi returned those very words to her.
“At first, she genuinely appreciated her elder sister-in-law and held sincere affection for her.”
“But soon, she noticed the discrepancies in the painting.”
“When she saw the banknotes worth a million taels hidden in the painting, any gratitude or goodwill in her heart crumbled, replaced by seething jealousy and resentment.”
“She couldn’t understand why, despite becoming the Heir Apparent’s Wife of Duke Courage’s Mansion, her life remained constrained, with only a few dozen taels in monthly allowance, while her elder sister-in-law, though married off, still commanded your complete devotion. A million taels! Even if she were to become the Duchess one day, her accumulated funds wouldn’t amount to that much.”
“Her mind became unbalanced.”
At this point, the Emperor had ordered the painting dismantled. Indeed, there was a hidden compartment. But the banknotes that should have been inside were missing. The aged marks on the compartment further corroborated Yu Zhi Yi’s words.
“There was a moment when Madam Zhang entertained the thought of taking the banknotes and withdrawing the silver. But she knew that funds of this magnitude, deposited by someone of prominence, would raise suspicions if withdrawn by an unauthorized party. The bank would likely alert the Duke immediately.”
“Knowing this, she suppressed her greed and burned the banknotes.”
“But while greed can be stifled and the notes destroyed, jealousy, like weeds in a dark, damp place, grows rampant and wild, soon transforming into an impenetrable forest.”
“Every time her sister-in-law returned to the mansion, her mother-in-law and husband would greet her with warm smiles. In stark contrast, their faces were filled with impatience when addressing Madam Zhang. The comparison tore her reason apart.”
“You began to think, ‘If only this person didn’t exist, everything would be perfect. Then Mother and my husband would no longer see that thorn in their side and would only see me.’”
“The opportunity arose when your sister-in-law discovered her husband’s infidelity and returned to the mansion to weep. At the time, both the Old Duchess and the Duke were away. Only you, her sister-in-law, were present. She poured her grievances into your ear.”
“You promised to inform the Old Duchess and the Duke upon their return. After she left, you indeed told them but deliberately twisted her words.”
“Using subtle manipulation, you made the family believe that she cared only for her husband and no longer valued her natal family. To her, you implied she had become an outsider, unworthy of their favor.”
“This back-and-forth deepened misunderstandings on both sides.”
“Eventually, both sides realized something was amiss and decided to confront each other. But, as fate would have it, on the eve of this confrontation, her father-in-law was arrested, and she was called upon to help.”
“She knew only that he was in trouble but was unaware of the gravity of the situation. The Duke’s Mansion, however, knew well—he had been caught embezzling and was sentenced to death by the late Emperor.”
“Without this knowledge, misunderstandings between the two families intensified. Their meeting ended in hostility.”
“Her father-in-law was soon executed, and her position within her husband’s household plummeted. Seeing that her natal family no longer supported her, her in-laws began to torment her relentlessly.”
“She initially tried sending word to her family, but Madam Zhang had already stationed people at every corner to intercept her messengers. Each time her people were spotted, Madam Zhang’s agents drove them away.”
“Eventually, she gave up.”
“Later, she discovered that her husband kept a mistress and planned to bring the illegitimate child into the household under her name. When she resisted, her husband beat her to death.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s story ended, leaving the hall in stunned silence. All eyes turned to Madam Meng, brimming with disbelief.
Especially among the women present. Regardless of their outward demeanor, a wave of admiration rose within them.
After all, this was Duke Courage’s Mansion! For a woman of humble origins like Madam Meng to manipulate two powerful households with such cunning was nothing short of extraordinary.
The Duke’s gaze grew icier, his voice sharp as frost. “Is what she says true?”
Madam Meng shivered, her teeth clenched. “My lord, don’t listen to her nonsense…”
Yu Zhi Yi smiled faintly. “You can’t call me a liar just because you think you’ve silenced everyone involved. I never shoot my arrows without evidence. Even when practicing the most esoteric of arts, I value proof.”
She turned toward Madam Meng, her smile deepening. “Unfortunately for you, you missed one witness in your effort to cut the grass and uproot its seeds.”