Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Yu Jian Ren Is Caught, Yu Ning Gui Is Silently Slapped

At Yu Manor, Li Li had almost coughed blood from Yu Jian Ren’s kick. The sharp pain in her chest kept her from speaking for a moment. Yu Jian Ren rushed up, grabbed her collar, and slapped her left and right several times: “Wretch, how dare you offend the Fourth young master, I, the steward, will beat you to death!”

Yu Ning Gui disliked the maid who had jumped out at him, but seeing her tossed around like a broken leaf in the wind, he felt some pity and frowned: “Enough, keep hitting and you will kill her.”

Yu Jian Ren had to let go. Out of Yu Ning Gui’s sight, his eyes were cold and cruel, full of warning.

Yu Ning Gui did not notice and asked the maid: “What do you want this young master to do for you?”

Yu Jian Ren shot Li Li a warning glare. Under that snake-like stare, Li Li shivered, but she still bit down and spoke in a low, steady voice: “Fourth young master, I accuse the steward of using his position to force himself on me.”

Yu Ning Gui froze and looked sharply at Yu Jian Ren, his eyes full of doubt.

Yu Jian Ren showed shock and disbelief, then spoke with a wronged face: “Fourth young master, I did not. I would never dare.”

He turned to Li Li and snapped: “Li Li, you tried to bribe me but failed, so you held a grudge and made up this lie to trap me? Truly a poisonous heart.”

Yu Ning Gui heard a problem and asked: “What is going on?”

Yu Jian Ren lied smoothly: “Fourth young master may not know. This girl works in the kitchen. Kitchen work is hard. She wanted to leave and asked me to change her job. But the house rules were set by Madam herself, and every post has its rules. I felt it was not proper and refused.”

He added without pause: “She would not give up and came to bribe me. How could I take dirty money like that? I refused again and scolded her to put her mind on the right path and stop trying to take shortcuts.” Then he gave a helpless smile and complained: “Who knew she would not listen and would slander me instead? Fourth young master, you know my character. How could I dare do such a thing?”

Yu Ning Gui believed him easily. He looked coldly at Li Li: “You wicked maid, for your own selfish wish you dared to do something so terrible. Yu Manor cannot keep you.” He turned to Yu Jian Ren and ordered: “Sell her.”

Li Li cried out in panic: “No, no! Fourth young master, I am not lying. I am telling the truth. I have evidence!”

But Yu Ning Gui did not want to hear her and turned to go.

Behind his back, Yu Jian Ren showed a fierce smile and whispered into Li Li’s ear: “Since you refuse the cup of respect, you will drink the cup of punishment. Go serve the filthy men in the lowest brothel.”

Li Li shuddered. When she pictured that life, she felt despair. She glanced at the rockery nearby and meant to smash her head against it. Just then, a group of constables in uniform came through the open gate. The man in front looked at Yu Jian Ren and asked calmly: “You are Yu Jian Ren, yes?”

At that moment, Yu Ning Gui had not gone far. He heard the noise and came back. Seeing the constables, he grew alert: “What are you doing here? Wasn’t the last matter already settled?”

Constable Song cupped his hands and said: “Fourth young master misunderstands. We are not here about the last corruption case. We are here for an old case.”

He then explained the matter from years ago: people of the Yu Clan had gone to Lin Zhang County, seized a commoner woman, and ruined her family.

Yu Ning Gui’s first reaction was angry denial: “Impossible. If you keep talking nonsense, do not blame me for being rude!”

Constable Song’s face cooled. Before, the Yu Clan had stood above the rest, and he could not afford to offend them. But now they were only commoners. He was not afraid.

He said plainly: “After our court sent the old cases in Lin Zhang County back for retrial, the county magistrate told us this himself. We are not making trouble for nothing.” Then he added coldly: “Please ask the eldest young master to come out.”

Yu Ning Gui stared wide-eyed: “You mean the one who did it was my big brother? Absolutely not.”

Constable Song did not argue more and took out an investigation warrant: “If Fourth young master keeps blocking us, do not blame us for taking action.”

Seeing the warrant, Yu Ning Gui’s heart jumped. He knew that once they showed it, if he delayed again, they could arrest him for obstructing a case. He could only send someone to get Yu Meng Qin.

Luckily, Yu Meng Qin was at home and soon reached the gate. On the way, he had already heard the story. He thought it absurd. After he listened to Constable Song’s words, his naturally serious face turned even darker: “Constable Song, how do you judge my looks?”

Constable Song paused, studied Yu Meng Qin’s face, and answered honestly: “Eldest young master is handsome and stands out.”

Yu Meng Qin asked again: “And at that time, how strong was my power?”

A few years ago, Minister Yu was at the top of the court.

Constable Song answered: “Your power was great, and no one could stop you.”

Yu Meng Qin nodded: “I have looks, power, and money. If I wanted a woman, why would I have to force a commoner? And even if I somehow lost my mind and had to have that farm girl, how would I fail to handle it properly?”

His words made sense. Constable Song agreed, then explained: “Eldest young master has misunderstood. We did not come today to arrest you. We came for Yu Jian Ren, who went with you to Lin Zhang County back then. He was the one who used your name to seize the commoner woman.”

He added carefully: “We asked you to come only to inform you, since he went to Lin Zhang County with you and stayed in the magistrate’s residence with you.”

Everyone fell silent.

Yu Ning Gui stared at Yu Jian Ren in shock. Yu Jian Ren still denied it and cried injustice, but the evidence was iron. Even if Yu Meng Qin were still living at Minister’s Manor, he had no official rank and no power to order the Court of Judicial Review to release anyone. More than that, when he saw the proof Constable Song laid out, he had no wish to protect Yu Jian Ren.

Because Yu Jian Ren had used the name of Eldest Young Master Yu to kidnap a woman.

At that moment, Yu Meng Qin burned with rage. Yu Ning Gui felt his face burn too, as if a giant invisible hand had slapped him hard. [I almost became someone who protected a rapist.] If this had not come out today, and only after he earned a degree, his name would have fallen to the ground, and his years of work might have been ruined.

Thinking of this, he kicked the steward and shouted: “Evil slave, how dare you!”

He did not mention that when he chose sides, Li Li had clearly said she had evidence, and he never cared to see it.

As Yu Jian Ren was shackled and taken to the Court of Judicial Review to stand trial, Yu Zhi Yi sat with Li Feng in a screened booth on the second floor of Drunken Immortal House.