Chapter 117

Chapter 117: You Hurt Me?

On the carriage, Old Man Zhang gripped his walking stick and dared not speak. He had heard that Official Yu and the young master were husband and wife, and that the miss who saved him yesterday was not even a concubine. Now that he had seen a love triangle with his own eyes, he felt not pleased but uneasy. He glanced carefully at Yu Zhi Yi and saw her staring outside in a daze. Thinking she was sad, he tried to comfort her: “Lord, your husband still cares about you…”

Yu Zhi Yi had been thinking about how to handle today’s changes. She snapped back at that ghost-story line and thought: [What?] She did not want to discuss such things with an outsider, so she said: “I will go speak to those who want to watch. Please wait for me,” then she jumped down from the carriage.

There were three carriages behind them and more than twenty fast horses, split into three groups. Yu Zhi Yi did not bother to check who was who. She halted them and said: “If you want to come along to watch, I will not stop you. But your following will cause big changes. This concerns dozens of lives. I hope you stop here.”

A curtain lifted. A woman in a bright red dress raised her fine brows with scorn and said: “You tell us to stop and we stop? Who do you think you are.”

Yu Zhi Yi answered evenly: “I am not anyone special, and I am not ordering you. I am giving a sincere warning. There is cause and effect in this world. If your rashness startles the snake and leads to dozens of innocent deaths, then you are the executioners. After you die, maybe you will not end up in the Eighteen Levels of Hell, but you will surely taste punishments like walking on blades and boiling in oil. Also, if the worst happens, I will report the truth to Your Majesty. When Your Majesty is angry, he will not discuss your punishment nicely.”

The woman’s face tightened, then she flared: “You are threatening me?!”

Yu Zhi Yi smiled at her: “It is not a threat. It is the truth. Madam, you know His Majesty’s temper better than anyone. You know what happens when he is angry.”

The woman’s eyes flickered for a moment, then she said coldly: “What do you want, then?”

Yu Zhi Yi replied: “Either go back to the city now, or obey my command.”

The woman snapped the curtain shut and said in a cold voice: “Return to the city!”

After she left, the other two groups looked at each other. A pleasant female voice came from one of the carriages and asked: “Official Yu, how do you want us to help?”

Yu Zhi Yi liked people who listened: “Lend me a few bodyguards. When this is over, you will understand why.”

The woman said: “All right.”

These two very different attitudes made the rest of the onlookers feel a lot of pressure. Yu Zhi Yi did not know who those two madams were, but they did. With one choosing to leave and the other choosing to obey, following either side would offend the other. They wished they had not come. In the end, they chose to stay and said they would follow Yu Zhi Yi’s orders. Since they were sure to offend someone anyway, they might as well watch the show to the end before facing that madam’s anger.

Yu Zhi Yi picked four from each of the two groups, and they were all good hands. She also sent four from her own shop and gave them instructions. Soon they rode ahead toward a county outside the Capital City called Gao Liang. Yu Zhi Yi kept only two people and the coachman and continued at an easy pace toward Gao Liang.

They reached Gao Liang at the si hour, about 9 to 11 in the morning. Breakfast sellers were almost done for the day. Most townsfolk were just starting to come out to the streets.

Yu Zhi Yi stepped down. After the coachman helped Old Man Zhang down, she looked back at the group and said: “Park the carriages outside the walls. We will walk in. If that many horses and carriages rush in together, it will cause panic.”

A young master frowned and muttered: “Aren’t we here to find someone? Why act so secret?”

Yu Zhi Yi ignored him and looked to the young woman stepping out of a carriage. The girl wore a sky-blue dress with a scholarly air. Her eyes were gentle yet firm, and a faint smile curved at her lips. She ignored the complaining young master and told her followers: “Do as Official Yu says.” Yu Zhi Yi nodded to her and walked into the city.

As they entered, she said to Li Rou at her side: “I do not know if that bamboo I found last time is still there. Seeing bamboo near Capital City would be a real rarity.”

The blue-skirted girl’s eyes moved. She asked the people beside her: “Do you think we can really see bamboo near the Capital City?”

The two gate soldiers looked at them like they were fools. With the northern climate, how could there be bamboo? Still, they would not say so. Instead, they charged these “fools” a few extra coins to enter. People like this were rich and did not mind. Sure enough, Yu Zhi Yi’s group said nothing about paying five wen each. The soldier who had asked for five wen felt a stab of regret. He should have asked for ten.

Capital Outskirts. Only after Yu Zhi Yi’s group had gone several hundred meters did Du Zi Heng pull You Bing Yue out from behind the tree. She tried to shake off his hand, but his grip was surprisingly strong, so she slapped his shoulder in anger. Du Zi Heng did not expect her to hit him. Off guard, he took the blow and let out a muffled groan. He stared at her in disbelief. What hurt more than his shoulder was his heart as he said: “You hurt me?”

You Bing Yue felt a little sorry, but she would not soften. After a short pause, she said stiffly: “Who told you to take that woman’s side again? I did nothing this time. I just happened to take the same road, and she wants to drive me away. Does she think she is the ruler of the world to act so bossy?”

Du Zi Heng knew he was in the wrong. He was still unhappy, but he held it down and tried to reason with her: “No matter what, we did almost mess things up yesterday…”

You Bing Yue exploded: “Du Zi Heng, in your heart, am I the kind of person who only ruins things?”

Du Zi Heng rubbed his forehead: “I do not think that, but…”

You Bing Yue cut him off: “No buts! Du Zi Heng, I thought you understood me, and I thought you truly loved me, but I did not expect you to see me like this. I was wrong about you. You jerk, I am breaking up with you!” She slapped him across the face. A bright, five-finger mark appeared on his cheek.

Just as You Bing Yue started to chase after the departing team, a big hand grabbed her wrist and he said: “Let us… go back to the city and talk.”

You Bing Yue fumed: “Even now, you still remember to help her stop me?!”