Chapter 082

Chapter 82: Are You Her Friend?

Du Zi Heng ground his teeth, thinking: [She knows I would never do that.]

Yu Zhi Yi ignored his struggle and guilt; once she made her stance clear, she refused to pretend: [If they want to accept a principal wife who cannot have children and will not consummate, then let them.]

All at once, dozens of strands of golden light sank into her brow. Yu Zhi Yi startled: “Ah!” She felt her vision go dark as she thought: [I didn’t even step in to save those people at the banquet. How can this be counted to me?] Merit was good, but receiving such a huge amount at once made her heart tremble. The warning from that senior uncle still seemed to echo by her ear, and the suffocation and pain of being buried alive in her past life seemed to rise again.

She rubbed her brow and called for Zi Yuan, saying: “From the pile of money and gifts His Majesty rewarded us, take out half. Convert whatever you can into silver. Carry the money yourself, buy grain, send it to Pengcheng, and distribute it for free to the people there.”

She had heard Red Luan talk about a country like a fairyland where technology was advanced. Rich people who wanted to do good did not need to handle anything themselves; they could donate to trustworthy charities, and those groups would use the money to help the public. Donating was quick and easy, done with a tap of a finger. Unlike here, where sometimes, if she got money she should not keep, she had to go through many steps just to turn it into good deeds.

Zi Yuan was not surprised. The miss had always been like this. Whenever she felt she had taken money she should not keep, she would give it away in this manner. Before, it had only been small sums, at most a few dozen taels each time. This time, though, it would be over a thousand taels. Clearly the matter was huge. Zi Yuan did not dare delay; she found a small chest, loaded in five hundred taels of gold and some easy-to-sell gifts, then left the manor to handle it.

After Zi Yuan left, Yu Zhi Yi fell into thought. In the future, most people she had to deal with would be nobles, and now she even held a post in the Ministry of Justice. If she was careless, she could be swept into more waves of merit like this. She would certainly need to donate often; she could not send Zi Yuan to run around every single time at the last minute.

She turned and said: “Li Rou, come with me to Splendid Brocade Workshop.”

Li Rou was the maid who had stood in front of Yu Zhi Yi when You Bing Yue tried to strike. After that day, Yu Zhi Yi promoted her to first-class maid. Usually Zi Yuan managed outside matters while Li Rou handled the inner ones. With Zi Yuan away and Yu Zhi Yi needing to go out, she naturally took Li Rou along. Only Zhang Xiang stayed behind. She did not need to guard anything, since even if Windward Pavilion was empty it was like a fortress and no one could break in to cause trouble. Still, people might come by to talk business at any time, so someone had to keep the house.

After hearing Yu Zhi Yi ask about donating, Red Luan looked surprised and said: “You want to donate?”

Yu Zhi Yi nodded.

Red Luan frowned and said: “In this era, donating is not convenient.” In the world she had described, donations took only a tap. The only hard part was finding a reliable charity. After donating, those groups chose whom to help and how to help. Donors did not need to worry about the details. But rich people here were skinflints. You already thanked heaven if they did not squeeze the poor. How could you expect them to help the poor? For people of this time, the only thing that made them hand out money to help the bottom of society was when a natural disaster struck, the Imperial Court had no money for relief, and a soft knife was put to the rich men’s throats to force them to give.

Red Luan then said: “But you can set up your own charity.”

“Charity?” Yu Zhi Yi leaned in to listen.

Red Luan was about to explain, when someone called from outside: “Sister Red Luan, a guest has named you to make her clothes.”

Ever since the viewing banquet, Red Luan’s name had spread. She had replaced Seamstress Zhou as the most sought-after seamstress at Splendid Brocade Workshop. At first Red Luan was pleased, but she soon realized she could never finish everything. Even if she skipped eating, drinking, and sleep, the orders would still overflow. She had no choice but to speak with Aunt Hong. They agreed to stop taking new orders for her side. If a guest asked for Red Luan, staff would tell the truth: Red Luan’s schedule was already booked two months out, and the guest should try another seamstress. Aunt Hong had agreed.

Understanding, Yu Zhi Yi said: “Go ahead, I will wait for you.”

After Red Luan left, Yu Zhi Yi pinched her brow. Today, on the surface, she had only read the face of Prince Shun’s consort’s remains. But to avoid more running around and arguing later, she had used a secret art to lift the fog over the other faces tied to the consort’s life path, including the faces of the consort’s parents. Her efficiency did rise, but the cost on her body was heavy. If not for the sudden flood of golden merit light, she would already have needed to rest.

Just then, noise rose outside the window. Yu Zhi Yi looked toward the sound.

At the same time, Red Luan met the guest. The second floor of Splendid Brocade Pavilion also displayed ready-made outfits. It held a few sets of tables and chairs as well. Honored guests who did not want the trouble of trying clothes in a private room could sit there, drink fine tea, eat pastries from Splendid Brocade Workshop, and pick clothes at leisure.

Red Luan stepped into the display area and saw a woman in tight black clothes standing with her hands behind her back. Hearing footsteps, the woman turned, revealing a face as bright as frost and snow. She was stunning, but instead of the soft gentleness most women showed, she carried an air of ease and boldness. Red Luan’s eyes lit up at once. A beauty with unique presence always sparked new ideas.

The woman looked Red Luan over and asked: “You are the best seamstress at Splendid Brocade Workshop?” Noticing Red Luan’s rich red silks, she frowned and said: “You must be that woman’s friend, right?”

“?” Red Luan stared.

The woman in black was You Bing Yue. After the palace banquet, she had been dragged into disgrace by Prince Xiao Yao. She had wanted to find Du Zi Heng and explain that she and Prince Xiao Yao were not like that. Yet she happened to see Du Zi Heng chasing after that woman, and she felt deeply betrayed. In anger, she refused to help him make money anymore. She threw down the bookstore job and walked away. She came out to shop and ease her mood, only to run into a seamstress who seemed to be that woman’s friend. She felt the world hated her. Everywhere she looked, she saw traces of that woman.

She gave a cold laugh and said: “I want to see what kind of person that woman’s friend is, and what kind of ugly designs she can make.”

Red Luan narrowed her eyes. She had a guess about who stood before her, and any good feeling vanished. She lifted her chin and said: “I am this shop’s Gold-Ranked Seamstress. I have the right to refuse a guest. I will not take your order.”