Chapter 74: The Ladder She Gave—Hurry and Descend
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“How could she be fine?” Madam Yao sobbed uncontrollably. “That treacherous, heartless assassin! They even coated their sword with poison. The imperial physician said the poison was deadly, sealing the throat upon contact with blood. If you hadn’t been in the palace to treat her in time, even if the entire imperial medical bureau had been mobilized, I fear it would’ve been too late.”
Yu Zhi Yi listened quietly, waiting for the key point. Yet Madam Yao rambled on, never touching on what Yu Zhi Yi wanted to hear, leaving her puzzled.
Still, now wasn’t the time to ask questions, so she feigned ignorance.
Du Zi Heng hadn’t returned to the mansion for two days to change clothes. His unkempt beard and dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion. “Mother, I’ve already summoned the imperial physician. Zhi Yi just woke up and is still very weak. Let her recover before we discuss anything.”
Chancellor Du added, “Exactly. Let the imperial physician check on her first. For now, let her rest properly.”
“Oh, right! Look at me!” Madam Yao slapped her forehead. “Zhi Yi, don’t speak or move for now. We’ll talk when you’ve recovered.”
Yu Zhi Yi: “…”
Had her abilities declined, or were the imperial physicians all incompetent?
How could they not notice she had suffered injuries to the most vital part of a woman’s body for bearing children, rendering her infertile?
At that moment, the imperial physician arrived.
After checking her pulse, he said, “Young Madam Du is fortunate and has passed the most critical phase. With some rest, she should make a full recovery. However…”
Before he could finish, Madam Yao interrupted, “Thank you, Imperial Physician Zhang. Once Zhi Yi returns to the Chancellor’s Mansion, I’ll trouble you to visit frequently.”
Yu Zhi Yi narrowed her eyes slightly. “Imperial Physician Zhang, is there something wrong with my body?”
The three members of the Du family stiffened. Chancellor Du shot Imperial Physician Zhang a calm yet piercing look, prompting the man to straighten his back involuntarily.
Yu Zhi Yi remained composed but resolute. “Although Mystic Sect members cannot predict their own fate, we do have logic. You’re hiding something about my body.”
“If you don’t tell me now, won’t it hurt more when I discover it later?”
Chancellor Du turned his head away, unwilling to meet her gaze. Madam Yao began to weep again.
After a moment of silence, Du Zi Heng approached the bed. “Fine, I’ll tell you. But promise me you’ll stay calm. Remember, no matter what happens, we’ll face it as a family. And we will never look down on you.”
Chancellor Du gestured for Imperial Physician Zhang to leave, which he promptly did.
Yu Zhi Yi frowned. “Speak.”
Du Zi Heng sat by her bedside and reached for her hand, only for her to move it away without expression.
He paused before adjusting her quilt instead. “The sword struck at an extremely delicate angle, piercing your womb. If it had been just a wound, there might’ve been a chance for recovery. But the sword was poisoned. Although the imperial physicians saved your life, they couldn’t save your womb…”
“Get to the point.”
Du Zi Heng hesitated before finally saying, “You might never be able to bear children again.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s gaze snapped up, scanning the faces of the three Du family members.
Madam Yao continued crying, Chancellor Du’s figure appeared frail, and Du Zi Heng’s expression was filled with pain and guilt.
Calmly, she said, “The Du family cannot be without an heir. Nor can it accept a daughter-in-law who cannot have children. Let’s separate.”
Du Zi Heng’s head shot up, meeting her serene eyes. The anguish in his heart shattered against the icy clarity in her gaze, coalescing into an unnameable emotion.
“No separation! Zhi Yi, don’t say such things!”
Du Zi Heng and Madam Yao spoke in unison. Although Chancellor Du remained silent, he visibly relaxed upon hearing their words.
Yu Zhi Yi was perplexed. “What’s the point of a wife who can’t have children?”
While she didn’t personally believe infertility was a fault, she understood how ingrained such ideas were in society.
She had deliberately created this opportunity to part ways amicably.
To put it plainly, she was tired of playing this game with them.
In her previous life, she had spent a lifetime indulging Zhang Tian Shun, bound by her master’s words.
It was boring, and she had no interest in competing with other women for a man.
The Du family was wonderful. As its matriarch, she could enjoy wealth, honor, and respect.
Her in-laws were kind and warm, offering her familial love she had never known.
Yet there was an unresolvable conflict:
She didn’t want children, nor did she wish to share a bed with Du Zi Heng.
Previously, she could use Du Zi Heng’s entanglement with You Bing Yue as an excuse to keep her distance. But now, with You Bing Yue out of the picture for the foreseeable future, that excuse wouldn’t last.
No matter how kind Madam Yao was, she was still a mother-in-law, not Yu Zhi Yi’s own mother. Her concerns would eventually circle back to the Du family’s lineage.
Rather than letting unresolved issues lead to mutual resentment, it was better to address the situation now and end this accidental marriage.
However, she hadn’t anticipated the Du family’s refusal.
Perhaps they feared offending the emperor after she had just “saved” him, unwilling to shoulder the blame and criticism such a separation might invite?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. So she said, “You don’t need to worry. I won’t let you take the blame. We can separate now, and after things have calmed down, I’ll quietly leave the Du Mansion. At that point—”
“There is no ‘at that point!’”
Du Zi Heng stood abruptly. “I won’t agree to a separation. No matter what happens, I will never leave you!”
He stormed out of the room, instructing a maid outside, “Reheat the medicine.”
Then he left to clear his mind.
Yu Zhi Yi: “…”
She turned to Madam Yao.
Madam Yao wiped her tears and sighed deeply. “Zhi Yi, we are reasonable people. What happened to you wasn’t your fault. We have no right to despise you, nor would we.”
“As for children…”
Yu Zhi Yi cut her off. “What if I refuse to let Du Zi Heng take concubines?”
Madam Yao froze.
Yu Zhi Yi’s resolve strengthened. She looked Madam Yao in the eye. “I wasn’t aware of You Bing Yue’s situation beforehand. But regardless, it was I who interfered in their relationship first. I had no standing to stop them from being together, so I turned a blind eye.”
“But I cannot accept my partner having other women.”
Her pale face was marked by an extraordinary determination.
She had orchestrated these events to leave the Du family gracefully.
Madam Yao had treated her well, and she didn’t want to infuriate her like Madam Meng had.
So, now that she had presented them with a way out, they should take it without delay.