Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Yu Jiao Jiao Wants to Run but Cannot

Yu Jiao Jiao wanted to run, but she could not.

Before long, she was taken back to Duke Yong’s Manor. The place she had once longed to return to now felt like a monster rising from a flood. She looked at the tall gates and deep courtyards and felt they had turned terribly gloomy. She did not want to go in, but she was no match for Zhang Tian Shun’s men. Soon she was delivered before Madam Meng.

As for Madam Meng, ever since the palace banquet, Duke Yong held a grudge against her. He wanted to cast her off, but Madam Meng was still the mother of his three legitimate sons. If he divorced her, the blow to the three sons would be great. If they were still small, he would not have cared much. The problem was, they were all grown, and the eldest legitimate son had even been named heir apparent. That made the matter of divorce serious.

Yet Madam Meng had caused the death of her own sister, and Duke Yong could not pretend nothing had happened. So he had Madam Meng confined. The three sons naturally made a fuss, but Madam Meng was in the wrong, and the person who died was their own aunt and their father’s sister. They could not shamelessly say: “Aunt is dead, let us forgive Mother.” If they dared say that, Duke Yong would likely lock them up with their mother.

Thus the grand mistress of Duke Yong’s Manor was placed under house arrest, and her authority over the household fell into the hands of the most favored concubine in the manor. Madam Meng fell into disgrace. The courtyard that used to be full of visitors was now silent. If she did not still have three grown sons, with the eldest as heir apparent, then given how harsh she used to be toward the servants, her days would have been far worse. Even with no lack of food and clothing, Madam Meng’s heart twisted. She hated. [If not for Yu Zhi Yi stirring up the old matter, I would not be here.] In her mind, Yu Zhi Yi and the Yu clan deserved death.

Just as she thought this, someone was brought before her. Yu Jiao Jiao and Madam Meng locked eyes, and a warped brightness flashed in Madam Meng’s gaze. Yu Jiao Jiao’s heart went cold.

Yu Zhi Yi did not know what had happened to Yu Jiao Jiao. Although she had cut most of the karmic threads between herself and the Yu clan and could now see their paths more clearly, she was too lazy to spend effort on people unrelated to her. Divination used strength. She was not idle. Besides, did Yu Jiao Jiao’s future even need guessing? A fallen family, a fickle husband, and a mother-in-law under confinement would add up to a shattered self.

That night, after washing up, Yu Zhi Yi sat under the tree in her courtyard with eyes closed to rest, when a figure sneakily poked out a head. Yu Zhi Yi opened her eyes and met a pair of eyes. Those eyes lit up as the person said: “Young Madam!”

Yu Zhi Yi said calmly: “What is it?”

The visitor was Yu Pan’er. Since the last time You Bing Yue taught her a harsh lesson, she had become much more obedient and had been learning how to steward the household. Sadly, her talent was limited. First came reading and writing; she was not made for it. After all this time she had only managed to memorize two poems. Her characters were crooked, and she had no gift for calculation.

Not everyone knows honor and shame, but everyone feels frustration. After studying for so long, Yu Pan’er slowly realized she was not the right fit and felt the urge to give up. Being a steward was so tiring that even a dog would not learn it. Being a concubine sounded much nicer. Now that You Bing Yue was no longer in the manor and Yu Zhi Yi did not manage the household, once Yu Pan’er saw her face improving day by day, her thoughts began to move again.

She said with a hopeful look: “Young Madam, may I come in first? What I have to say is not convenient to discuss loudly.”

Yu Zhi Yi gave her a thoughtful look, then nodded: “Come in.”

Yu Pan’er was overjoyed. She said in a low voice: “Young Madam, I heard the young master often comes back very late these days.”

“So what?” said Yu Zhi Yi.

Seeing Yu Zhi Yi’s confused face, Yu Pan’er cursed in her heart: [Stupid.] Then she continued: “That You Bing Yue was driven out, but she is still in the Capital. I heard the young master often carries the scent of powder on him these days, and I guess he is…”

She left the sentence hanging, wanting Yu Zhi Yi to imagine the rest. Sometimes what a person imagines is more exciting than the truth thrown in their face. Yet Yu Zhi Yi still looked puzzled: “Guess he is what?”

Yu Pan’er: “…”

[Is she stupid, or just stupid!] She gritted her teeth and said: “He is probably still entangled with that woman!”

Scheming light flashed in Yu Pan’er’s eyes. Although this fake Young Madam did not manage the household much, she did have a temper. Last time she had used Madam’s hand to force that annoying You Bing Yue out. Surely this woman’s calm face was just acting. If Yu Pan’er gave her a strong dose, she would take the bait.

Sure enough, Yu Zhi Yi said thoughtfully: “They do still have a chance to meet in private.”

Yu Pan’er’s face brightened, thinking her plan was working. She pressed on: “Young Madam, that woman is not easy to handle. If the young master and she keep tangled up, it will hurt your position. If she bears a child before you do, then even if Madam dislikes her, the young master will bring her back.”

She added with calculation: “To test how much the young master cares for her, lifting her to co-wife status would not be impossible.”

Her eyes shone with schemes. She concluded: “Only if the young master comes home on time every day can we stop this from happening.”

Yu Zhi Yi looked at Yu Pan’er with a faint smile, then suddenly asked something that seemed unrelated: “You know Minister Yu has been dismissed, right?”

Yu Pan’er froze and said: “I… know.”

Yu Zhi Yi nodded: “Before, when you made mistakes, I could cover for you because I was still the Yu clan’s adopted daughter, and Minister Yu stood tall. Even the Chancellor’s Manor would give him some face. But now Minister Yu is a commoner, and you have seen my standing in the Chancellor’s Manor.”

Yu Pan’er thought that of course she knew. This impostor only lived well by clinging to Madam. Now that Madam was not here, everything in the manor depended on the chancellor.

Yu Zhi Yi said softly: “So if people around me make mistakes again, I do not have the face to spare them from punishment.” She looked into Yu Pan’er’s eyes and said: “If the filthy act of seducing the master happens again, I cannot protect you.”

Yu Pan’er’s heart jumped. [What does this impostor mean? Did she see through my plan? Is she knocking on me with a warning? No, impossible. If she were that smart, how could she have let Young Master Du tangle with You Bing Yue for so long? She is just unhappy with life and wants to throw her weight around on me.]