Chapter 061

Chapter 61: Lucky Star

It turned out that Ma Family Village and several nearby hamlets were a giant den for human trafficking. Those villages were so poor that good families in a radius of many miles would not marry their daughters there. Though there were some local girls for marrying between villages, because sons were valued over daughters, girls were very few. To keep the family line going, many sets of brothers even chose to share one wife. Some men who refused to share and could not find brides nearby turned to buying wives from other places.

Over the decades, more than a thousand women and children had been trafficked into those villages. Among the kidnapped girls, some were even daughters from wealthy or official families.

Madam Yao was shocked and asked: “How could this be? Did the local yamen not know? Didn’t the families who lost children go searching?”

Chancellor Du shook his head and said: “It was not like that. Ordinary families had no way forward, but some noble and official families did find clues. Yet once those clues reached the local area, they broke off. Trafficking had become an industry there. Whenever strangers came chasing leads, everyone local, including the yamen, helped hide the truth.”

He added: “Those villages, including Ma Family Village, sit deep in the mountains. Without a local guide, outsiders cannot find their way.”

Chancellor Du let out a long sigh: “If Duke Ding Guo had not brought troops, I fear those poor women could not have been saved.”

The word “rescue” sounded light to outsiders, but only those involved knew how dangerous and desperate it was.

Madam Yao understood and said: “No wonder Yi’er did not directly say where Old Madam Tian was, but followed You Bing Yue’s words and pointed to Ma Family Village.”

Chancellor Du nodded and said: “Yes. Yi’er is kind and clever. Our Great Sheng Empire is not the same as a hundred years ago when women were barred from office. Seeing her talent, Duke Ding Guo, Marquis Wu’an, and I recommended her to His Majesty. After hearing this matter, His Majesty also felt that the yamen’s failure to act harmed the people, so he decided on the spot to change the exam topic from ‘The People and Grain’ to ‘The People and Officials.’”

As fate would have it, on the eve of the exam, Chancellor Du had discussed this very issue with Du Zi Heng. Sadly, Du Zi Heng’s heart was full of his pity for You Bing Yue. He did not deny Yu Zhi Yi’s skill, but he refused to view her with respect. Otherwise, he might have taken the top spot.

What was done was done. There was no use saying more.

Chancellor Du ended with a firm conclusion: “In short, Yi’er is the lucky star of our Chancellor’s Manor. I have a feeling that our Chancellor’s Manor will endure for a hundred years, and the Du Clan will join the ranks of century-old great families.”

Yu Zhi Yi did not know Chancellor Du had placed such high hopes on her. At that moment, she was feeling the weight of the official seal in her hand, her pretty face all scrunched in worry.

Zi Yuan finally lifted her head from fussing over a set of precious official robes. Seeing her miss look like she was mourning a death instead of celebrating, she asked in confusion: “Miss, you were promoted. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Yu Zhi Yi put the seal back into its box and sighed: “You don’t understand.”

Since her rebirth, she had thought about her sudden death in her last life. The more she thought, the more she felt it might be because her virtue did not match her position, so Heaven punished her. She used her gift to help Zhang Tian Shun rise in rank. In that process, it was not only Zhang Tian Shun; she also guided his soldiers, and after his victories many common people survived. All that added up.

Her master had once told her a story about a senior martial uncle. That uncle, after finishing his training, took saving the people as his duty and achieved many good works. His greatest deed was this: he predicted a massive earthquake in a certain place. If nothing changed, hundreds of thousands would die, buried forever in the dark earth. He insisted on saving them, even though his own master tried to stop him. He first warned the yamen and had them clear the city, then he personally persuaded stubborn villagers who refused to believe, showing real skill until they agreed to move. A few days later, the city that once held hundreds of thousands became an empty city. The very next day, the earthquake struck right on time.

Everyone lived, from the highest officials to the lowest peddlers. Only that uncle did not. On the day of the quake, he stood somewhere that should have been safe, yet a stone fell from the sky and crushed him to pieces.

Every time he told this story, her master would remind her with deep feeling: act within your limits. Merit is a good thing, but if you cannot bear so much merit, it turns into a death talisman.

At first, Yu Zhi Yi never thought along those lines. After her rebirth, she could see the golden light of merit fall onto her, see it change her body and raise her cultivation base. Then she slowly understood: her death in the past life was because her virtue did not match her position. As for her rebirth, maybe her merit was too great, and Heaven gave her one more chance.

Once she figured that out, she decided not to step into the imperial court’s decisions anymore. Such choices affect the fates of thousands and tens of thousands.

As for using Duke Ding Guo to rescue the people of Ma Family Village, the true merit that fell on her was only from Old Madam Tian’s family. The other kidnapped women were saved by Duke Ding Guo. That had nothing to do with her.

Still, despite all her careful steps, she had not escaped the turning gears of fate.

She straightened her back and told herself: [Fine. If soldiers come, I will block them; if water comes, I will dam it.]

Since the emperor did not ask her opinion before granting the post, it was reasonable for her not to accept it.

With that decided, Yu Zhi Yi slept very soundly that night. As for how chaotic Yong Duke’s Manor was, or how You Bing Yue ground her silver teeth in rage, none of it had anything to do with her.

The next day was the Qionglin Banquet. As both the emperor’s birthday feast and the ceremony to grant titles to the top three of the imperial examinations, it was the liveliest event in the palace every year, even more festive than the New Year.

Yu Zhi Yi felt no pressure. Her noble title was almost certain. Even if the assassin did not show up today, she could trade this fifth-rank post with real power for a hollow honorific title.

Madam Yao, however, was very nervous. She came early to supervise Yu Zhi Yi’s hair and dress. Under Madam Yao’s watch, after Yu Zhi Yi changed into ten beautiful gowns in a row, Yu Zhi Yi could only think: [Can I be done now?]