Chapter 122: A Punishment for Others, a Reward for Her
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
“Greetings to Your Majesty, Your Highness the Empress, and Your Highness the Princess.”
Yu Zhi Yi bowed respectfully one by one.
Princess Feng Xiang widened her beautiful eyes in surprise and immediately pointed at Yu Zhi Yi to complain. “Father, Mother, look! Didn’t I say she knew who I was? Earlier, she deliberately refused to give me face! By not giving me face, she’s disrespecting both of you!”
The Emperor frowned and turned to Yu Zhi Yi. “Yu Qing, is what the Princess says true?”
Yu Zhi Yi sighed. “Your Majesty, the Princess called out ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’ so loudly earlier that even I heard it outside the hall. It would have been hard not to guess her identity.”
“Among the adult princesses of the Great Sheng Empire, there is only Princess Feng Xiang, and it is well-known that Princess Feng Xiang favors bright red clothing…”
The Emperor and Empress fell silent, while Princess Feng Xiang gave Yu Zhi Yi a surprised glance.
Moments later, she snapped, “Stop diverting the topic! I’m asking whether you knew my identity outside the palace!”
Yu Zhi Yi paused before answering, “As a person who doesn’t lie, I truly did not know.”
She wasn’t someone who couldn’t lie; she was simply clever with her words.
Princess Feng Xiang was taken aback but clearly didn’t believe her. “You’re lying! You must have known; otherwise, how could you have said those things to me? You were clearly confident about my understanding of Father’s temperament!”
Yu Zhi Yi countered, “If you weren’t the Princess, would you have gone to cause trouble knowing the Emperor would be angry?”
Princess Feng Xiang choked on her words again but soon flared up. “Who says I’d cause trouble? I am the dignified Eldest Princess; I’m not someone reckless!”
Yu Zhi Yi’s calm gaze met hers. “Then, Your Highness, if you were to hear of a gang in the city that kidnaps children and forces them to beg on the streets, what would you do?”
Princess Feng Xiang gasped sharply. “You mean…” She quickly composed herself and said matter-of-factly, “Of course, I’d lead people to storm their den and catch them off guard!”
Yu Zhi Yi turned to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, this is precisely why I dissuaded the Princess from going. The Princess’s kind-heartedness is evident, but her high status means she wouldn’t follow my instructions. Though raised in the palace, her nature is pure and good, making her ill-suited to handle such cunning villains.”
“Today, our team caught the gang red-handed attempting murder to silence their victims. They stubbornly refused to confess and even colluded with the local deputy magistrate. Without multiple witnesses to testify, they might have had the chance to destroy the evidence.”
“The Princess’s purity would undoubtedly lead to anger if she saw their viciousness. I only wanted to spare her from such fury, not out of any disrespect for her.”
The Emperor fell silent, processing her eloquent explanation. “See? Yu Qing doesn’t disrespect you or me. Now, go back.”
Though the Princess was lavished with praise, something didn’t sit right with her. She stubbornly tugged the Emperor’s sleeve. “But Father, I want to hear more of her excuses!”
The Emperor sighed helplessly and turned to Yu Zhi Yi. “This child has been spoiled by me. Don’t laugh at her, Yu Qing.”
Yu Zhi Yi, younger than Princess Feng Xiang, replied with a straight face, “I wouldn’t dare. However, regarding recent events, I do need to report to Your Majesty.”
The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “What events?”
Yu Zhi Yi took a moment to organize her thoughts, starting with the founding and purpose of the Graceful Phoenix Charity. She explained, “Old Man Zhang was our first aid recipient, but I didn’t expect his case to involve so many complications. Over the past two days, I’ve overstepped my authority as a Fifth-Rank Official in the Ministry of Justice to handle private matters. This was inappropriate, and I’m willing to surrender my seal and token, resigning as a commoner.”
The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You’re aware of your misconduct?”
Yu Zhi Yi nodded solemnly. “After studying the Great Sheng Empire’s Legal Code, I know my actions count as abuse of power. However, given the urgency of the situation and the gang’s cunning, I felt it necessary to act decisively. Still, rules are rules, and if all officials behaved as I did, the empire would fall into chaos. Thus, I must face punishment.”
The Emperor’s expression was unreadable. After a moment, he laughed and shook his head. “You sly one. You never wanted the position at the Ministry of Justice in the first place, did you? Resignation would be a reward, not a punishment. Do you think I’ll fall for it?”
Yu Zhi Yi’s calm demeanor cracked ever so slightly. Had she been that obvious?
Seeing her reaction, the Emperor nearly rolled his eyes. “Don’t even think about it. Starting tomorrow, you’ll solve one case per day except on rest days. Otherwise, you can spend your time reviewing case files in the Ministry of Justice!”
Yu Zhi Yi was dumbfounded. Was this forced case-solving?
When reading storybooks, she always found it absurd when magistrates or constables were ordered to solve cases within impossible timeframes. Reality, it seemed, was even stranger.
She tried to negotiate. “But Your Majesty, while I can deduce most causes and effects, solving cases in the Ministry of Justice requires evidence.”
Before the Emperor could respond, Princess Feng Xiang interjected, “Didn’t you solve the Wu Liang case without evidence?”
Yu Zhi Yi sighed. “Yes, that was a rare coincidence. Two individuals connected to him and Ma Bo Cai happened to be in the capital, and his limited knowledge of Ma Bo Cai’s life allowed me to bluff my way through. But how often do such coincidences occur?”
“The Ministry’s unsolved cases are due to lack of clues or evidence. Even if I deduce the truth through observations, finding proof takes time, especially for distant or obscure evidence. Solving one case a day is simply impossible.”
“As the Imperial Advisor of the Great Sheng Empire, you can manage it,” the Emperor declared decisively.
Yu Zhi Yi was stunned. “?!”
Wait, where did “Imperial Advisor” come from? Wasn’t she here to resign? How did she end up as the Imperial Advisor?
You got to ve slicker than that, young miss. You are absolutely competent. Seeing as the emperor have good relations with some of his brothers, shows he cherishes the loyalty of his people. But once he caught wind of treason or greed, he is decisive in his approach as seen from what he did with Prince Carefree. His favor meant getting tossed with responsibilities. If he is working his bones off managing a country, he’s also working his retainers to the bone. The rewards are well-earned.
Tho don’t forget he is the emperor. Everything depends on his mood.