Chapter 148: Karma, Always Comes Around
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That day, Yu Zhi Yi had just arrived at the Ministry of Justice, only to be handed a dossier by an official from the Court of Judicial Review.
Looking at the thin file, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of resistance. “I already have over a hundred dossiers left unprocessed.”
While it was true that with her abilities, she could handle one case a day and clear the backlog within half a year, frequent interruptions by higher-priority cases made the task feel endless.
The person who delivered the file was Constable Song, full name Song Zhang. Having been involved in the arrest of Li Guang Zhu the previous night, he was now fully convinced of Yu Zhi Yi’s abilities. With a respectful smile, he explained, “Lord Yu, you misunderstand. This isn’t a new case but the dossier concerning the matters in Linzhang County.”
“Over the past few days, we conducted a thorough investigation in Linzhang County. Not only did we find evidence to overturn the wrongful convictions you first uncovered, but we also exposed numerous crimes the County Magistrate had been concealing. These cases have now been resolved, and justice delivered to the victims. Since you were the one who discovered these issues, my superior thought you should review the dossier before it’s archived.”
Yu Zhi Yi nodded in understanding. “Alright, I’ll review it and return it to you later.”
“There’s no need for you to go to the trouble, Lord Yu. I’ll wait here while you review it.”
Yu Zhi Yi: “…”
With someone waiting, even taking a brief respite felt impossible. Reluctantly, she decided to prioritize reviewing the Linzhang County dossier before tackling her other cases.
As expected, while she had anticipated Linzhang County’s magistrate being corrupt, the shocking details of the dossier still sent chills down her spine.
The magistrate had held office for six years, during which he had taken bribes, exploited the common people, and shielded malicious criminals. In those six years, his corruption had indirectly caused the deaths of over a hundred innocent people.
Li Feng’s parents and wife were merely numbers among the victims. And they weren’t even the most tragic cases. Others had faced entire family exterminations, with their properties seized and lives destroyed.
Although the true culprits had now been arrested and the magistrate, their protector, was set to face execution, nothing could bring back the lives of the innocents lost.
This mere County Magistrate’s ill-gotten wealth totaled tens of thousands of taels of silver, all of which had now been confiscated and added to the national treasury.
Closing the dossier, Yu Zhi Yi finally understood the words her master had once spoken: “Hell is empty, for the demons walk among us.”
She returned the dossier to Constable Song, who let out a sigh of relief. The Court of Judicial Review had wanted her to review it not only to inform her of the case’s resolution but also to ensure that no further crimes had been overlooked. Since Yu Zhi Yi made no mention of any omissions, they could proceed to apprehend the remaining fugitives with confidence.
…
At the Yu Mansion in the city outskirts, Yu Ning Gui had just returned from his studies when a servant approached him eagerly. “Fourth Young Master, you’re back!”
The servant, Yu Jian Ren, was particularly attentive. His father, the previous steward of the Yu family, had taken the blame during a corruption scandal that engulfed the household. Although this led to the steward’s family being stigmatized, the Yu family had treated them with surprising decency. In fact, Yu Jian Ren himself had been promoted to the position of steward.
While other servants couldn’t quite understand why the family would elevate someone from such a background, they had no choice but to accept it.
Yu Ning Gui, however, was in a foul mood. Ever since his father had been demoted, his spirits had been low. At nineteen, he was one of only two scholars in the family. The other was Yu Zi Xuan, the Fifth Young Master. However, Yu Zi Xuan had little interest in academics and abysmal grades to match—barely passing the Student Candidate examination at seventeen, with no hope of becoming a Scholar anytime soon. His true passion lay in martial arts, leaving his academic pursuits half-hearted at best.
Among the three elder brothers, only the third brother, Yu Ming Quan, was unable to participate in the Imperial Examinations due to a disability affecting his legs. The other two brothers had already earned the title of Scholars, securing a measure of prestige. However, for years, neither had managed to advance further.
Originally, both brothers intended to continue preparing for the examinations three years later. With their father stripped of his official position, the family’s revival hinged on producing another government official. Yet, they both chose to relinquish this opportunity in favor of Yu Ning Gui.
Their reasoning was clear: the family was on the verge of collapse. Should they focus solely on their studies, the family might fall into ruin before they could achieve success. After much deliberation, the brothers decided to entrust Yu Ning Gui with this vital task. Meanwhile, they would temporarily redirect their efforts to stabilize the family’s affairs and prevent further decline.
After all, the household had many mouths to feed, and several connections needed to be rebuilt and reinforced. Thus, the heavy responsibility of scholarly success fell squarely on Yu Ning Gui’s shoulders.
On one hand, this burden felt overwhelmingly heavy. Yu Ning Gui doubted that his youthful shoulders were strong enough to bear it. On the other hand, his situation at the academy had recently taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Those opportunistic sycophants who once flattered him, eager to curry favor while his father was Minister Yu, now ridiculed and ostracized him. His longtime adversaries seized the chance to escalate their torment, making each day at the academy increasingly unbearable. Under such pressure, maintaining his grades was a monumental challenge—let alone advancing toward further accolades.
His sour mood lightened somewhat upon witnessing the respectful and fawning demeanor of Yu Jian Ren, the family servant. At least within the mansion, he still commanded respect.
Moreover, due to the heroic sacrifice of Yu Jian Ren’s father to protect the Yu Family, the household treated Yu Jian Ren with greater kindness and esteem.
With a slightly softened expression, Yu Ning Gui nodded coolly.
“Fourth Young Master,” Yu Jian Ren gushed obsequiously, “You’ve been studying all day and must be exhausted. I’ve instructed the kitchen to prepare bird’s nest soup. Please have some to stave off your hunger. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
Yu Ning Gui’s satisfaction grew. “You’re quite perceptive,” he remarked, withdrawing a silver ingot from his sleeve. “This is for you.”
Yu Jian Ren’s eyes gleamed as he accepted the reward. “Thank you, Fourth Young Master!” he exclaimed, showering Yu Ning Gui with a torrent of ingratiating compliments.
The young master’s spirits lifted further. However, the moment of contentment was abruptly shattered.
“Fourth Young Master, I beg you to grant me justice!”
The plea, shrill and sudden, startled Yu Ning Gui. Before he could process what was happening, a figure hurled itself forward, clutching at the hem of his robe and kneeling at his feet.
Frowning, Yu Ning Gui demanded, “Who are you?”
He attempted to extricate his clothing, but the woman—delicate in appearance yet surprisingly strong—refused to relinquish her grip. Frustrated, Yu Ning Gui was about to speak when Yu Jian Ren, now incensed, intervened.
“Insolent wench!” he roared. “How dare you offend the Fourth Young Master?” Without waiting for an explanation, he delivered a forceful kick.
The maid, unable to withstand the blow, let out a pained cry and tumbled backward. Yet even as she fell, her hands remained firmly clenched around Yu Ning Gui’s robe, dragging him down with her. Both landed unceremoniously on the ground.
Meanwhile, in another part of the Yu Mansion, Yu Zhi Yi, immersed in calculating the day’s affairs, sensed the disturbance. She glanced in the direction of the commotion and smirked knowingly.
“Good and evil always find their due. It’s not a matter of if, but when,” she murmured, setting down her documents and heading toward Graceful Phoenix Charity.
“Li Feng,” she called, her tone light. “Would you like to witness the downfall of a so-called ‘important figure’?”