Chapter 114

Chapter 114: A Ruthless and Cunning Man

“Tell Zhang Da to ready the carriage. We’re heading out.”

Half an hour later, a plain carriage quietly rolled out from the Duke’s residence through a small back gate.

This time, Sheng Zhi Wan was leaving to find someone.

This person’s name was Du Yi Zhi. Hearing this name alone, one might think he was a proud, noble scholar.

But in truth, Du Yi Zhi was, in her previous life, an utterly ruthless and cunning man. He was the kind who willingly ended his own lineage with a single cut, entering the palace to become a eunuch.

Du Yi Zhi originally came from the prominent Du family of Ji Prefecture. Indeed, he showed brilliant talent from a young age.

But everything changed when his father offended a powerful figure and died unjustly.

After his father’s death, Du Yi Zhi, along with his mother and sister, was expelled from their family home.

Life was hard for the family. His mother struggled tirelessly to support them, yet interference from their relatives made things even worse.

Their hardship eased a bit when they fled to the Capital City, but good days never lasted. Soon, his mother fell gravely ill.

To pay for his mother’s treatment, Du Yi Zhi resorted to doing menial, disgraceful work in the capital.

After barely scraping by for half a year, his mother, not wishing to burden her children, took her own life by hanging.

Du Yi Zhi grieved deeply, but he still had a sister to care for.

Yet misfortune always targeted the miserable. His sister, while out working for others, was humiliated by a wealthy young master and chose to end her life the same way as their mother.

Now alone, Du Yi Zhi, seeing his sister die exactly as their mother did, finally resolved to take up the blade of vengeance.

But he was clever. He understood clearly that, with his current ability, he stood no chance of avenging his family—even if he sacrificed his life.

Therefore, he chose power.

He had abandoned his studies years ago; the imperial exams were beyond him. His martial skills were also lacking. Thus, he made the ruthless decision to castrate himself and become a eunuch.

Within a mere year, he transformed from a bullied newcomer in the palace into Eunuch Su’s adopted son.

Later, he became a trusted favorite beside the Emperor himself, even convincing the notoriously suspicious ruler to grant him immense authority, eventually founding the Eastern Depot.

During the final years of Sheng Zhi Wan’s past life, the Eastern Depot oversaw the officials ruthlessly. None who had wronged Du Yi Zhi before survived.

Calculating the timeline, now should be shortly after Du Yi Zhi’s family arrived from Ji Prefecture, around the time his mother became severely ill.

Sheng Zhi Wan naturally intended to seize this opportunity to win over this cunning, ruthless man before his mother and sister died.

Soon, the carriage stopped at Yellow Earth Alley, one of the poorest and most remote areas in the Capital City.

“You brat! How many times has it been? Stealing discarded medicine from my pharmacy again? You think my place is some charity?”

“Come! Snatch away those medicine scraps he’s holding, and crush them! Trying to cure illness without spending silver? There’s no such thing in this world!”

“Yes, Young Master!”

Outside a pharmacy, a thin young man was pinned down roughly by several assistants.

The medicinal dregs he clutched were snatched away and flung ruthlessly before him.

The young man reached out weakly, trying to reclaim them.

But a heavy foot suddenly crushed down onto his hand.

His face immediately twisted from the pain.

The overweight young master watched, eyes filled with disdain. “Oh-ho, quite the stubborn one, aren’t you? Fine, filial son. Want these scraps?”

The young master bent over with a malicious grin and spread his legs wide. “You can have them! All you have to do is crawl between my legs right now and shout twice, ‘I, Du Yi Zhi, am a worthless turtle.’ Then these medicine scraps will be yours. How about it?”

After finishing, he burst into cruel laughter, and his assistants echoed him.

Pinned down, the young man seemed like a small, helpless creature. He stared at the ground, and amidst their harsh laughter, he suddenly spoke:

“Fine.”

“Damn!” The young master was stunned. “Boy, you’re serious?”

The young man didn’t respond, just kept his head down, preparing to crawl forward.

“Stop!” Right at this moment, a female voice filled with anger rang out. “My master will pay for his medicine!”

Huang Yuan Gui and his assistants froze, turning their heads.

Du Yi Zhi glimpsed a pair of delicate embroidered shoes nearby. Round, shining pearls decorated them, a luxury he’d never seen even in the prosperous Du family of his childhood.

Raising his gaze higher, he saw a pretty young woman, her beautiful face filled with righteous fury as she glared at Huang Yuan Gui and his men.

The peach-colored silk gown highlighted her fair complexion, radiant as the moon itself.

Du Yi Zhi quickly lowered his head again.

Huang Yuan Gui was utterly baffled. His family had run the pharmacy near Yellow Earth Alley for years, serving only the poorest commoners. He had never encountered such an elegantly dressed lady.

He immediately stepped forward respectfully: “May I ask who this Miss is?”

“Hmph!” Ting Lan shot him an icy glance, stepping forward to help the young man up from the ground.

Yet when she reached out, the young man instinctively avoided her touch.

Ting Lan paused, surprised, as the youth shakily pulled himself upright, leaning against the wall.

“This commoner is dirty. I dare not soil the Miss.” Du Yi Zhi’s slender face had an ambiguous, striking beauty.

Ting Lan tossed a small ingot of silver to Huang Yuan Gui. “Is this enough?”

“Yes, yes, more than enough…” Huang Yuan Gui’s eyes gleamed eagerly as he reached out.

“Too much,” Du Yi Zhi interrupted, his thin hand gripping Huang Yuan Gui’s wrist. “As I recall, a fresh packet of medicine is only three coins.”

Huang Yuan Gui: “…”

Ting Lan thought briefly, retrieved the silver, then dug into her silk pouch for a copper coin usually reserved for snacks, handing it over.

Du Yi Zhi eyed the copper coin, about to speak again.

Ting Lan quickly interjected, “You are Du Yi Zhi, right? My master sent me to find you. If you’re willing, please follow me to the alley entrance. My master is waiting in the carriage.”

As she spoke, Ting Lan couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at the young man.

This Du Yi Zhi was indeed very handsome…

Even painfully thin and disheveled, nothing could diminish the striking features. No wonder the Princess specifically sought him out.

Yet Ting Lan wondered quietly where the Princess even heard of such a person.

Ting Lan led Du Yi Zhi toward the carriage at the alley’s entrance. After a few steps, Du Yi Zhi suddenly remembered the medicine scraps lying on the ground.

He turned back, carefully bent down, and retrieved the medicine, tucking it securely into his clothes.

Inside the carriage, Sheng Zhi Wan watched the scene clearly.

She saw the thin, upright figure approach, gradually merging with her memory of Eunuch Du, head of the Eastern Depot.

They seemed similar, yet also entirely different.

The current Du Yi Zhi’s face had none of Eunuch Du’s cold cruelty.

He awkwardly bowed toward Sheng Zhi Wan, offering a strange and stiff salute.

“This commoner, Du Yi Zhi, doesn’t know what instructions this Young Master has for me?”

“Pfft!” Ting Lan burst out laughing at last. “Silly fellow, at least raise your head and properly look at my master!”

This man was truly awkward and foolish!

He had actually mistaken her princess for a young master.