Chapter 055

Chapter 55: Duke Ding Guo Finds His Sister

Following Yu Zhi Yi’s hint, Duke Ding Guo found his sister.

Just as Yu Zhi Yi said, his sister’s family was in trouble.

The local magistrate’s son had his eye on his sister’s grandson’s wife. When sweet words failed, he planned to take her by force.

The plan was to ruin the Tian Clan first, then force that young woman to beg the magistrate’s son to accept her and spare her family.

When Duke Ding Guo arrived, the plan had reached its key step: they had framed his sister’s son and daughter-in-law for murder and thrown them in jail.

To cover for his son, the magistrate chose to trample the law. He planned to behead the couple three days later.

Duke Ding Guo arrived on the last day of that three-day limit.

Luckily, in those days executions were done around three quarters past noon, and he arrived in the morning.

After confirming that Old Madam Tian of the Tian Clan really was his sister, he quickly sent people to check every detail of the case.

Learning that his nephew and the nephew’s wife were about to be killed for nothing, he led men to storm the county yamen, tied up that corrupt magistrate and his son, and threw them into a cell for dereliction of duty.

In less than half an hour, Duke Ding Guo pieced together the next step from their confessions.

His sister, Old Madam Tian, had given birth to two sons and two daughters. The framed couple were the elder son and his wife.

After beheading the elder couple, the magistrate’s son would repeat the trick and frame the second son and his wife too.

They would destroy the Tian Clan bit by bit, crush the grandson’s wife’s spirit, and leave only Old Madam Tian alive, so they could force the young woman to obey.

Why leave only Old Madam Tian? Because if the whole family died, the grandson’s wife might choose death too.

Old Madam Tian, however, was elderly and had hurt her health when bearing her last child. Since then her body had been weak. A woman like her could neither stop the evil magistrate’s family nor take revenge.

But these people forgot to count human nature and how much a person can bear.

If only Old Madam Tian and the grandson’s wife were left, the young woman might really give in for her grandmother’s sake, just as they wanted.

But Old Madam Tian, already weak, would be crushed by the blows. If she learned she was kept alive only as a tool to threaten her grandson’s wife, she would not keep dragging out her life. Her spirit and body would fail.

Though it had not yet happened, reading the detailed plan made Duke Ding Guo feel a cold chill.

He did not doubt Yu Zhi Yi’s judgment at all: if his elder nephew and his wife were beheaded and the Tian Clan’s tragedy began, his sister would not survive either.

He felt both anger and relief.

He was angry that such filthy, lazy parasites could be officials of the Imperial Court and dared to trample his sister’s family.

He was relieved that he had listened to Yu Zhi Yi, whipped his horse, and rushed there without delay.

He did not dare imagine what would have happened if he had not made it in time.

A few days later, after settling the Tian Clan’s affair, Duke Ding Guo returned to the capital city with his sister and went in person to thank Yu Zhi Yi.

Feeling the extra merit on her body, Yu Zhi Yi did not refuse the duke’s gift.

Seeing her accept it, Duke Ding Guo let out a breath and smiled as he said: “From now on, Young Madam Du is an honored guest of the Duke’s Manor.”

This was a treatment even Chancellor Du did not have.

Smiling, Madam Yao held Yu Zhi Yi’s hand and said: “Duke, you are too polite. Our Zhi Yi looks cold but has a warm heart. Without a word, she did a great deed.”

Looking at the extra chests of gifts in the courtyard, Yu Zhi Yi spoke frankly as she refused the label: “Mother, I did not read the signs for the duke for free. But there is too much here. I only want ten thousand taels in silver. Please take the rest back, Duke.”

If not to counterbalance Prince Xiao Yao that day, she would not have pulled Duke Ding Guo into it.

She had changed Old Madam Tian’s fate, so she should take payment.

But she would not take more than she should.

Seeing she insisted, Duke Ding Guo did not press her. He had ten thousand taels counted out from the gifts, then he sent the rest to Chancellor Du and his wife to thank them for raising a capable and kind daughter-in-law.

Where those gifts ended up was none of his concern.

[She had no words.]

“Oh, right,” Duke Ding Guo said as he was about to leave, turning back: “The women rescued from Ma Family Village asked me to thank Young Madam Du.”

Yu Zhi Yi paused and said: “You rescued them, Duke. What does that have to do with me?”

“Really not your doing?” Duke Ding Guo asked with a half-smile.

His wise eyes saw through too much.

Yu Zhi Yi coughed lightly and looked away as she said: “I only moved my lips, and I even named the wrong place. You are the one who truly saved them.”

A hint of admiration flashed in Duke Ding Guo’s eyes. He suddenly said to Chancellor Du: “Brother Mingda, your good fortune is still ahead!”

Then he looked at Yu Zhi Yi and said: “I have already reported this to Your Majesty. His Majesty takes it very seriously and has sent it to the Ministry of Justice to investigate. I believe that very soon, more kidnapped women will be saved.”

This was his true return to her.

When Du Zi Heng heard that Duke Ding Guo had gone to see Yu Zhi Yi the moment he returned to the capital, he set down his book and came over.

He happened to hear the end of their talk.

Yu Zhi Yi turned and saw Du Zi Heng looking at her with a complicated expression.

He asked: “Since Peach Spring Town was where the duke’s sister was truly hiding, why did you say Ma Family Village?”

Yu Zhi Yi said calmly: “What you really want to ask is why both I and Miss You named Ma Family Village, right?”

Du Zi Heng did not want to bring up the woman in his heart in front of his wife in name, but this matter was too strange.

It forced people to think of plots, yet no plot fit.

“I knew about Ma Family Village,” Yu Zhi Yi said, “because from the duke’s face and Old Madam Tian’s birth characters, I calculated that years later the duke would get a lead to Ma Family Village and then chase it in vain.”

“As for how Miss You knew,” she added, “you will have to ask her.”

She was curious too. If You Bing Yue was only an Otherworlder, how could she know the path this world would take? [Does she also practice the Mystic Arts?]