Chapter 133: Need Some Help?
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The night was tranquil, the moon bright amidst sparse stars. Yu Zhi Yi lay beneath a tree, gazing at the star-studded sky. Though the air carried a slight chill, she seemed impervious, her thoughts only consumed by how tonight’s starlight wavered—bright one moment, dim the next.
Suddenly, Du Zi Heng entered the courtyard.
Yu Zhi Yi lazily cast him a glance before returning her gaze to the heavens. She neither asked why he came nor acknowledged him further. Du Zi Heng, accustomed to her indifference, spoke up on his own. “I’ve heard about the troubles with the Yu Family. The assistant of the Jingzhao Prefecture happens to be my senior. I’ve already asked him to investigate on your behalf. Rest assured, it won’t be long before your innocence is restored.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s gaze shifted slightly. “You don’t doubt me?”
Du Zi Heng mimicked her posture, staring at the serene night sky. The brilliance of the stars filled him with calm—a moment of peace he seldom found. A pity he didn’t have a reclining chair to match the view.
“If you really wanted to deal with them, why resort to such complicated means? With your skills, you could easily make them regret crossing you, and they wouldn’t even know who’d hit them.”
Yu Zhi Yi clicked her tongue. “Not bad for the brains of someone who could’ve been the Top Scholar. Far better than the halfwits in the Yu Family.”
In her previous life, the Yu Family had also tried their hand in the bureaucracy, only to stagnate in mediocrity. No matter how long they lingered in a post, they showed no signs of promotion. Were it not for Minister Yu and herself supporting them, Yu Meng Qin and Yu Ming Yu would have been stuck at the sixth rank at best.
Du Zi Heng’s lips twitched. “… Is that a compliment?”
His mouth curved into a faint smile, but the moment didn’t last. “So you’re saying I could’ve been the Top Scholar?”
“Indeed.”
Du Zi Heng pressed his lips together, recalling his performance during the exams. Admittedly, he hadn’t been in peak form. If his condition had been better, the laurels might truly have been his. What a pity…
Yu Zhi Yi offered no further explanation, only replying indifferently, “Thank you for your concern, but there’s no need. Soon, they won’t have the leisure to worry about being assaulted.”
Her earlier accusations of corruption weren’t baseless. Even if Yu Chun Yue had begun moving assets the moment he caught wind of the matter, there simply hadn’t been enough time. In this era, although some stored their wealth in banks, most preferred to keep it where they could see it.
The Yu Family was no different. They’d deposited ten million in the bank, but the rest remained hidden in the underground vault of their new estate. A single investigation would expose everything.
…
At the Imperial Palace, Consort Yu knelt on the cold floor, her voice choked with desperation. “Your Majesty, you cannot confiscate a minister’s home based on unfounded accusations! If everyone could defame others without proof, wouldn’t the Great Sheng Empire become a realm of constant fear?”
By the time she’d learned of the situation, the Emperor had already summoned the Court of Judicial Review’s Minister, clearly intent on confiscating Yu Chun Yue’s property. Should such substantial embezzlement charges be proven, Yu Chun Yue would undoubtedly face execution. As for the rest of the Yu Family, while they might be spared death, their lives would be far from comfortable.
Having already lost much of her family’s influence, Consort Yu couldn’t afford to lose her maternal clan entirely. Power could be regained, but once her family was utterly destroyed, she’d truly be isolated.
Besides, who knew better than she whether or not the Yu Family was guilty of embezzlement? If they weren’t, then where had her annual gifts worth tens of thousands of taels come from?
Precisely because she knew, she couldn’t let the Emperor investigate further.
“Your Majesty! For the sake of the child in my womb, I beg you to spare the Yu Family some dignity!”
The Emperor’s expression darkened as he regarded Consort Yu. He did hold genuine affection for her. Their love had begun in their youth, a mutual adoration blossoming between childhood sweethearts who’d vowed to stand by each other for life.
But then, he became Emperor.
An Emperor couldn’t have just one woman. Even if he restrained himself, the court wouldn’t allow it. At the time, Yu Chun Yue wasn’t even a Minister, merely a sixth-rank official. Without support from other noble families, his reign would’ve been precarious at best.
Thus, he broke his promise.
Still, he’d always felt guilty, compensating by lavishing her with affection. No matter how she acted, he never stayed angry for long. Even when she attempted to harm the Empress, he dismissed it as mere petty squabbles between women. He’d merely revoked her Consort title, withheld her stipend for a year, and confined her for a few months before releasing her.
In truth, he couldn’t bear to see her upset.
With a long sigh, he relented. “I won’t touch your brother.”
Consort Yu exhaled in relief, collapsing limply to the floor. Seeing her weakened state, the Emperor rushed to support her. “Summon the royal physician immediately!”
…
At Graceful Phoenix Charity, Li Feng stood before Yu Zhi Yi, visibly uneasy. “Miss, can you really help me?”
Though his clothes were clean, they were patched and threadbare. He’d resorted to reusing fabric from his parents’ and wife’s old garments, stitching them onto his own attire. Sometimes, he simply wore his father’s hand-me-downs. Fortunately, his family had once been moderately wealthy, so there was enough to see him through harsh winters.
Once, he’d been a spirited young scholar. Now, only the burning desire for vengeance in his eyes gave him any semblance of vitality.
“Yes,” Yu Zhi Yi replied calmly.
“Do you realize who I’ve offended?”
The person even the County Magistrate fawned over wasn’t someone to be trifled with. It wasn’t that he doubted Yu Zhi Yi but rather that he found it hard to believe his fortune had suddenly turned.
Yu Zhi Yi considered his words before responding seriously, “They’re hardly a big deal.”
Li Feng froze. Then, without another word, he turned to leave.
Steward Wu Shan was dumbfounded. “This… Li Feng, why are you leaving? Don’t you want justice?”
Li Feng’s eyes burned with indignation. “I am but a desperate commoner, unworthy of being toyed with by a wealthy young lady.”
Wu Shan looked bewildered. “When has our employer ever treated you as a plaything?”
Li Feng snapped, “Even the County Magistrate fawns over them, and yet to her, they’re ‘hardly a big deal’? Do you take me for a fool?”
He’d read enough to know that power was relative. In his limited experience, the County Magistrate was the highest authority he’d encountered. Anyone above that was surely someone not to be trifled with. The young girl before him, barely twenty, spoke with such arrogance it seemed preposterous.
He refused to become someone’s pawn in their game of amusement.