Chapter 158: Found You
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Yu Zhi Yi had reported to the Ministry of Justice three days ago, meaning that, at the earliest, she could have accessed the files three days prior. Yet, the bounty appeared only today.
When You Bing Yue saw the bounty, she didn’t hesitate for even a moment and accepted it immediately. Moreover, she took it on a temporary basis, without revealing her name to anyone.
Unless Yu Zhi Yi had someone tailing her at all times, there was no way she could have known that You Bing Yue had taken on the bounty, let alone intentionally sought out the old case file to reopen it.
He felt a pang of regret.
How could he have doubted Yu Zhi Yi’s character over such matters? He clearly knew she wasn’t the type to deliberately target someone!
Yu Zhi Yi, however, no longer paid him any mind.
She had already delivered her warning. After all, it’s hard to save someone hell-bent on courting disaster.
After leaving the Radiant Harmony Courtyard, Yu Zhi Yi didn’t immediately return to the Breeze Pavilion. Instead, she took a turn and headed behind an artificial hill.
Hearing the lascivious sounds coming from behind the hill, her lips twitched. Suddenly, she felt there was nothing worth watching in such revelry; it was downright offensive to the ears.
Soon, a piercing scream emerged from behind the hill, drawing the attention of many onlookers. Before long, everyone in the Chancellor’s Mansion was privy to a scandal.
The once-hopeful Yu Pan Er was discovered in an inappropriate rendezvous with a household servant. The two of them had shamelessly engaged in indecent acts right behind the hill. When they were caught, Yu Pan Er’s bright red undergarment, embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks, hung loosely around her waist. She was pressed against the rock, her hands desperately clinging to it. The man behind her was grotesque and rotund.
When the scandal reached Yu Zhi Yi’s ears, she could only feel her eyes burning from the mental image.
Two nights ago, Yu Pan Er had sneaked into Du Zi Heng’s courtyard in the dead of night, memorizing the layout of his room, especially the location of the bed.
Today, Du Zi Heng was hosting guests, with everyone gathered in the sitting room of the Radiant Harmony Courtyard. The sitting room was some distance away from his bedroom. Without specifically checking, no one would have noticed that a half-dressed young woman was lying on his bed, clad only in her undergarments and thin inner pants.
The room had been filled with an aphrodisiac incense. Based on Du Zi Heng’s habits, he wouldn’t immediately go to bed upon entering. Instead, he would first sit down to read for a while. This time frame was more than sufficient for the aphrodisiac’s effects to take hold.
Just as his blood would be boiling, he would suddenly see a beautiful, scantily clad young woman. What normal man could possibly resist?
Yu Pan Er had even smugly envisioned the scene. As she lay leisurely on Du Zi Heng’s bed, inhaling the faint grassy scent of him, she thought about how oblivious Yu Zhi Yi and You Bing Yue, those two fools, would remain. They had no idea that soon, their husband or heart’s desire would be engaging in a passionate tryst with her.
Unfortunately, Yu Pan Er failed to account for one thing. Two days ago, when she sneaked into the Radiant Harmony Courtyard, Du Zi Heng had already sensed something was off. After investigating, he discovered her trespass.
Moreover, the investigator learned that she had secretly purchased aphrodisiac incense in the past two days.
If Du Zi Heng hadn’t figured out her intentions by then, he would hardly be deserving of his reputation.
Today, Du Zi Heng decided to turn the tables on her.
He deliberately allowed Yu Pan Er the opportunity to hide in his room, let her light the aphrodisiac incense, and then… left her to her own devices.
Yu Pan Er had meticulously planned every step, yet she overlooked one crucial detail: being alone in a sealed room filled with aphrodisiac incense for such a long time, how could she possibly remain unaffected?
Du Lin, taking advantage of her semi-conscious state, pressed a point on her neck to render her unconscious. He then carried her to a secluded spot behind an artificial hill—a place rarely frequented but not entirely devoid of passersby.
If no one found her, it would be her fortune.
If a woman stumbled upon her, at most, she’d lose some face.
But should a man find her…
What unfolded was the worst possible outcome.
Yu Zhi Yi, however, harbored no particular sentiment about the matter.
“Those who harm others are bound to face harm themselves.”
Such is the cycle of cause and effect.
Yu Pan Er was no exception, nor was Consort Yu in the palace.
Two days had passed, yet there was no word from the Daoist. Though Consort Yu felt a mix of irritation and unease, she couldn’t help but express her dissatisfaction.
“Didn’t he say it would take only a day? Now two have passed, and there’s still no news!”
Standing before her was a middle-aged man, the same one who had gone to contact the evil cultivator that day.
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t exactly a man anymore.
Once, he had been, but not anymore.
Hearing Consort Yu’s complaints, he lowered his head respectfully and replied, “Your Grace, the Daoist assured us it would take only a day under normal circumstances. Perhaps some unforeseen complication has arisen. Should we wait a little longer?”
Consort Yu spat out a curse. “Useless! He boasted about his great abilities, yet he can’t handle even a little wench from the countryside.”
With a cold sneer, she added, “Inform him that if he doesn’t get the job done within three days, this consort will have no use for him. And the benefits he’s already received? He’ll cough those up too!”
Of late, she had been under soft confinement in Glass Palace. Those officials who used to curry favor with her had turned into fair-weather allies, avoiding her like the plague. Though the Yu family still had some wealth, rumors of embezzlement had cast a shadow over them. With her elder brother already dismissed from office, they could no longer openly send her tributes to the palace. Visits were now limited to major holidays or her birthday.
But with the Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Festival just recently passed, the next occasion would be New Year’s—over a month away.
And Consort Yu’s coffers were already running dry.
The thought of her precarious situation only fueled her frustration. If the Daoist succeeded, all would be well. But if he failed, wouldn’t it mean her money had gone to waste?
“Your Grace, rest assured, you won’t have the chance to make him return the silver…”
The eunuch’s voice abruptly turned chillingly cold. On closer listen, it bore a slight discrepancy from his usual tone.
Lost in her own thoughts, Consort Yu failed to notice anything amiss. She frowned and asked, “What did you say?”
The eunuch gave a twisted smile. “This servant said, Your Grace will surely see your wishes fulfilled.”
Though his words were placating, something about him felt off to Consort Yu. Still, he was a trusted aide who had served her faithfully for years. Dismissing her unease as mere paranoia, she waved him off irritably.
As the eunuch turned to leave, the deferential mask fell from his face, replaced by an expression of malice. He ground his teeth and mouthed two words silently: “Wretched woman.”
Then he grinned, a sinister smile twisting his features. “Let this great immortal’s wrath befall you.”
A sudden chill swept over Consort Yu.
Yet the palace was warm; the underfloor heating had long been lit.
In the days that followed, Consort Yu began to suffer from persistent abdominal pain. But when the imperial physicians came to examine her, they found no discernible cause.
Late at night, Yu Zhi Yi opened her eyes and gazed in a specific direction.
“Found you,” she murmured.