Chapter 013

Chapter 13: Either Bad or Stupid

You Bing Yue helped the man into the main hall. When he tried to kneel, she frowned and stopped him, saying: “A man’s knees are like gold. How can you kneel so casually? You were hired, not sold to them.”

The man’s eyes lit up. He knew it. Miss You was different.

Yu Zhi Yi could not help laughing.

You Bing Yue shot her a blade-like look and snapped: “What are you laughing at?”

Letting her gaze pass over the man’s face, Yu Zhi Yi said: “His name is Du Sheng. He is a houseborn servant of Chancellor’s Manor. He is not sold, but he was born into the manor as a servant. He was born to kneel to every master here.”

Du Sheng’s head dropped. His face flushed with shame. The spark that had just begun to shine in his eyes went out at once. He knelt slowly.

You Bing Yue’s face turned cold as she glared at Yu Zhi Yi: “Are you very proud of yourself?”

Yu Zhi Yi looked puzzled: “What do I have to be proud of?”

“Of course you are proud that you now sit in the seat of Chancellor’s Manor’s young madam,” You Bing Yue said with a sneer, “so you can punish or kill the people below you as you wish. But I tell you, your proud days are over.”

Du Sheng then remembered why he had come. He took two yellow papers from his clothes. On them, red paint formed lines like strange squiggles.

“Master, Madam,” he said, “I saw with my own eyes the young madam bury these things at several spots under the outer wall of Chancellor’s Manor. These symbols are clearly evil. She must be cursing the manor and trying to kill all of us!”

You Bing Yue stood straight without offering the slightest bow to Chancellor Du or Madam Yao. Lifting her chin high, she looked at the elder couple with pride and said: “Back then you tried every way to tear me and Zi Heng apart because my birth was low. You forced him to marry this woman, saying she had a noble family and was gentle and virtuous.”

Her lip curled with mockery as she asked: “And the result? She hides malice and wants to kill everyone in Chancellor’s Manor. It is only thanks to me that her true face is exposed. I wonder how the two of you feel now.”

You Bing Yue was the sort to hold grudges. She usually got even at once. Because these two were Du Zi Heng’s parents, she still gave them a little face. But she would still say the sharp words.

She looked at the couple, wanting to see fear and regret on their faces. But what she saw was a hard-to-name expression on both of them.

“You two,” she asked, “what kind of reaction is that?”

Weren’t ancient people superstitious and most afraid of sorcery? Why did they not look scared, but instead look annoyed with her? Maybe they had never touched this kind of thing and did not know the danger. Yes, that must be it.

“Oh, you might not know what these papers are,” she said, pointing. “Let me tell you. This is talisman paper. People with bad hearts who follow crooked ways ask for these to hurt others.”

Chancellor Du ignored her and asked Yu Zhi Yi: “Yi’er, did you really place those talismans?”

Madam Yao was curious too. They did not doubt Yu Zhi Yi’s motives. If she meant harm, she would not have helped them catch Du Lin today. Madam Yao did not know the details, but Chancellor Du had already checked. Du Lin’s hometown was two or three hundred li away. He and Yu Zhi Yi had never met before she entered the manor. The two of them could not have teamed up to act. Also, even though Chancellor Du and Liu Shan were close in private, in the court hall they often fought head-on over different policies. Many officials thought they were on bad terms. So the moment Yu Zhi Yi saw that he and Liu Shan were close friends, he believed her skill.

Yu Zhi Yi nodded: “I placed them.”

You Bing Yue’s eyes flashed: “You see? She admits she is full of evil intent.”

Yu Zhi Yi lifted a teacup and took a small sip, then said: “I only said the talisman paper was placed by me. When did I say those talismans were a crooked art used to hurt people?”

You Bing Yue let out a short laugh: “Don’t lie. Talismans for safety are worn on your body or kept in your own room. Only things meant to harm are buried in secret.”

She turned toward Chancellor Du and demanded: “This woman wants to kill you all. Why don’t you divorce her at once?”

“Presumptuous!” Chancellor Du scolded coldly. “Yi’er is the young madam. We are the master and mistress of Chancellor’s Manor. You are nothing but a plaything. What right do you have to shout and point fingers here?”

You Bing Yue flared up: “You say I am a plaything?!”

“A pack of ignorant old fossils, watch me…”

“Bing Yue!”

Du Zi Heng rushed in and pulled You Bing Yue behind him, face full of anger as he said: “Father, Mother, didn’t you promise not to make things hard for Bing Yue?”

Chancellor Du and Madam Yao almost choked with fury. What is the point of raising a child? Sometimes they truly felt helpless. In the court hall, Chancellor Du could win debates against many scholars, yet his love-struck son always left him speechless.

Yu Zhi Yi sat up straighter. Chancellor Du and Madam Yao had given her trust and respect, and they were her biggest clients so far. She would not let anyone bully them.

“Du Zi Heng, did a dog eat your brain?” she snapped. “And if you have no brain, do you at least have a mouth? Without even asking what happened, you decide it is Father and Mother bullying someone. You are not only brainless, you have no conscience.”

“Father is the chancellor of the realm, and Mother is a first-rank titled lady,” she said, voice steady. “Why would these two need to lower themselves to bully anyone?”

“Besides, if we truly wanted to bully someone, why make it so troublesome? Du Sheng is a house servant of Du Manor. Dealing with him is as easy as a word from Father or Mother. Even I could handle him.”

“As for this Miss You,” she went on, “she is not a master of the manor, not a servant, and not a guest. If we called her a thief, no one would question it. Do you think we would still let them come to Leaning Plum Courtyard and shout wild accusations?”

Yu Zhi Yi delivered all this in one breath, giving no one a chance to cut in. Only when she sipped tea again did You Bing Yue seize the moment to yell: “You are the thief! Zi Heng invited me into Du Manor. If not for Zi Heng, even if Chancellor’s Manor begged me, I would not come!”

Yu Zhi Yi shook her head and said seriously: “That makes no sense. If Young Master Du had not gone against his parents to let you stay, you would not even have gotten through the main gate of Chancellor’s Manor.”

“You stop changing the subject!” You Bing Yue pointed at the talismans. “We are talking about you trying to harm Du Manor!”

“Zi Heng,” she pleaded, “this woman has evil intent. She wants to use sorcery to harm Chancellor’s Manor. Du Sheng has already found the proof, but your parents are bewitched and still protect her.”

Du Zi Heng frowned at Yu Zhi Yi: “You really want to harm Chancellor’s Manor? My parents have not treated you badly. Do you have no conscience?”

Yu Zhi Yi set down her cup and sighed: “Love is a strange thing. It can turn a genius into a fool.”

She shook her head and spoke to Chancellor Du and Madam Yao: “Father, Mother, I am now one with Chancellor’s Manor. If anything happens to the manor, I will suffer too. Only a fool would do something that hurts herself.”

She looked at the two young people and finished, her tone cool: “Anyone who thinks this way is either bad or stupid.”