Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Sparring with the palace-fighting champion’s maid?

Aunt Chang had completely changed her opinion of Yu Zhi Yi.

She did not visit the palace often in recent years, but she was not blind or deaf to news. She had heard the story of the real and fake young lady, and she knew the emperor had recently appointed the fake one as a fifth-rank Ministry of Justice official. At first, she did not care about that official at all. She even thought the emperor was getting muddled before growing old: how could he be fooled by a few small tricks? As for the talk of a Divine Maiden, if the girl truly had skill, why would the Yu Clan dislike her?

But after seeing the Ban Ruo Glass Cup with her own eyes, Aunt Chang realized some rumors are worth believing.

Holding Yu Zhi Yi’s hand, Aunt Chang spoke with tears in her eyes: “Official Yu, thank you. Finding the Ban Ruo Glass Cup has always been the Grand Empress Dowager’s wish. I have been useless all these years and made no progress. Without you, I might have gone to my grave with her regret still on my back.”

Yu Zhi Yi answered calmly: “Aunt Chang, you give me too much credit. Even without today, your wish would have come true.”

She had read Consort Yu’s fortune from her face and could tell that Consort Yu would soon come across the cup. The problem was that Consort Yu would not recognize it. She would take it as a cursed object meant to frame her and order it smashed. When a palace attendant took the trash out, the emperor happened to pass by. From the fragments, he guessed the original might be a glass cup, then brought in skilled craftsmen to rebuild it. Once restored, it turned out to be the very Ban Ruo Glass Cup that Grand Empress Dowager Jing’an had longed for right up to her final breath.

Because Consort Yu did not know the truth, she was not punished. But she was not rewarded either.

The emperor, however, was delighted: “Imperial Grandmother valued this greatly. She once issued an edict: whoever finds the cup will be rewarded.”

He smiled as he decided: “Since Minister Yu found it, grant one hundred taels of gold.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s eyes brightened. She had not expected a solved case to come with such a gain. She bowed slightly and said: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Looking at Yu Zhi Yi with warm affection, Aunt Chang spoke to the throne: “Your Majesty, Official Yu is a rare talent. It is Your Majesty’s good fortune to have her, and it is the fortune of our Great Sheng Empire.”

The emperor laughed: “I also think Minister Yu is greatly capable.”

Yu Zhi Yi did not pretend to be humble, but she also did not show off. She was like the moon in the sky: whether people praise or belittle it, it still follows its own track. It does not shine more because people call it bright, nor force itself to turn full because people dislike its missing pieces.

Seeing this, Aunt Chang was even more satisfied. Her earlier lack of interest in Yu Zhi Yi had been prejudice. She had thought most women entered the emperor’s sight because of their looks. Meeting Yu Zhi Yi in person showed her how wrong she had been.

Ashamed, she patted Yu Zhi Yi’s hand and invited her: “Official Yu, come visit my home when you have time. I have a few granddaughters about your age. They are lively and pure, and they want to enter court and serve the country.”

After speaking, she felt that was a bit forward and corrected herself: “If two of the girls come to bother you in the future, I hope you will not mind.”

Yu Zhi Yi had always liked people with ambition, and she respected women with uncommon goals even more. She agreed simply: “Alright.”

Watching the two of them chat like grandmother and granddaughter, Consort Yu almost lost her gentle smile. She had gone to great trouble to bring Aunt Chang into the palace, not to make her a dear friend to that “fake” girl.

But a long-standing favorite is never rash. While the emperor and Aunt Chang were happy, she would not ruin the mood. She followed with praise: “Official Yu truly has great talent. It was the Yu Clan who failed to recognize a hidden gem.”

She sighed with pity and added, sounding humble: “Official Yu, your foster father and foster mother did wrong before. I, this consort, do not dare hope you will forgive them. But they did raise you for more than ten years. If trouble comes to them someday, I hope you will help for the sake of that kindness.”

Her words sounded gentle, even pleading. In truth, she was planting doubt for Aunt Chang. If Yu Zhi Yi had real ability, how could the Yu Clan, who lived with her for over a decade, not know? Now she was a Ministry of Justice official with the right to read files from the Court of Judicial Review. Maybe she had just stumbled on a clue in some record. Who really believed she practiced Mystic Arts?

Sadly for her, she had misjudged Grand Empress Dowager Jing’an’s place in Aunt Chang’s heart. Yu Zhi Yi had fulfilled the dowager’s last wish. Even if Mystic Arts were only a cover, Aunt Chang was grateful. In the end, Consort Yu had lifted a rock only to smash her own foot.

Yu Zhi Yi was not made of mud to be stepped on. She had planned to ignore Consort Yu, but the consort kept jumping up and down for attention, so ignoring her became impossible. Yu Zhi Yi looked at Aunt Chang and asked with open curiosity: “From the time this official received the cup’s case file to the time I entered the palace, less than four hours passed, and I did not alert anyone. Aunt Chang, how did you know?”

Aunt Chang’s face tightened. This question could be small or large. A careless answer might make the emperor think she had reached her hand into palace affairs. An emperor’s dignity allows no challenge. She knew Yu Zhi Yi was not targeting her, only striking back because Consort Yu kept pushing. So she quietly marked Consort Yu in her heart, then answered aloud: “Someone came to my house with a message that the emperor might have found the Ban Ruo Glass Cup. That palace attendant told the gatekeeper and left. The gatekeeper, being careful, took note of the man’s looks. He is not anyone I know from the palace.”

Consort Yu’s heart skipped. She had not expected Yu Zhi Yi to tug on this thread. Panic rose inside her. She had not struck directly, true, but inside the palace she was the only one with a grudge against Yu Zhi Yi. What if Yu Zhi Yi still bit off a piece of her?

She grabbed her belly and put on a pained look, letting out a hiss.

The emperor’s face changed: “My love, what is it?”

Consort Yu pressed her act: “Your Majesty, this consort’s stomach hurts. It hurts a lot.”

The emperor did not think of anything else and ordered at once: “Summon the imperial physicians!”

Aunt Chang watched Consort Yu’s rosy face, a trace of scorn in her eyes. As the maid who was once the champion of palace intrigue, she had lived through three generations of imperial consorts. Tricks that could fool the emperor could not fool her.

As Eunuch Hu passed by, she whispered a few words. His expression flickered, but his feet never slowed. He soon left the Crystal Palace and then returned, bringing not one but three imperial physicians.

Seeing all three, Consort Yu’s face truly turned ugly.

Yu Zhi Yi, amused by Consort Yu’s shifting expressions, felt the joy of watching a drama with snacks. [So this is the fun people talk about.]