Chapter 182

Chapter 182: A Clear Conscience

Only then did Du Yi Zhi continue. “The law of the land cannot be broken. The Southern Du Branch is a great clan of Ji Zhou, yet when the national disaster of this cold wave came, they only thought of their own profit. They colluded with the authorities and erased their conscience! After the cold disaster in Mo Bei ends, I will report this to those above. The Southern Du Branch… sigh!”

Du Yi Zhi let out a long breath.

The Northern Du Branch’s eyes shone. The Southern Du Branch was finished!

It had been many years. Though the Southern Du Branch and the Northern Du Branch still shared the Du surname, there had long been no real bond of blood between them.

If the Southern Du Branch could use those methods back then to suppress Du Yi Zhi and Du Yi Zhi’s mother and siblings, then how could they have treated the Northern Du Branch any better?

For example, Ninth Uncle Du’s son, Du Yun Kun, had once been the most talented among the Du Family juniors. Yet because Du Yun Kun was close in age to Old Madam Du’s grandson, Du Kuang, and once scored a few points higher than Du Kuang in an exam, Du Yun Kun had ended up with his leg crushed under a startled horse.

Ninth Uncle Du hated the Southern Du Branch to the bone!

Yet these years, just to stay alive, Ninth Uncle Du had been forced to accept three hundred taels of compensation from the Southern Du Branch.

Three hundred taels, bought with his son’s future.

Ninth Uncle Du had failed his wife and his child, but now, Ninth Uncle Du could finally do something for his son.

Ninth Uncle Du’s eyes reddened. Ninth Uncle Du took the duty of guarding the cotton on his own initiative, together with Fifth Master Du Du Heng.

Even though Du Yi Zhi said the authorities were colluding with the Southern Du Branch and the cotton merchants were eyeing them greedily, Ninth Uncle Du was not afraid.

Without risk, how could there be merit?

After everyone dispersed, Du Yi Zhi pressed a hand to his chest. Good. His conscience was still there.

Du Yi Zhi had talked the Northern Du Branch into it, but… it was not all empty talk.

At least if this succeeded, the Southern Du Branch would gain nothing, while the Northern Du Branch would win the people’s hearts. As one rose and the other fell, it might not be impossible to swallow the Southern Du Branch completely.

Over the next few days, Lin Yi waited for word from the Capital.

The great cotton merchants also forced down their restless urges for the moment, held back by the Ya Men Runner guards that Prefecture Ya Men posted.

Prefect Yan still could not think of a better method.

No side made a move, and Sheng Shi Hall stayed peaceful for a few days. More and more commoner trudged over from the counties and villages below to buy cotton.

The cotton in the residence was visibly dwindling, and the second batch of cotton was about to arrive.

At last, the letter from the Capital arrived.

The first to receive it was Third Master Du.

Third Master Du of the Southern Du Branch was Du Cheng’s father.

In the bitterest winter, with ice and snow sealing the city, even for the Du Family, sending a letter out was actually very difficult.

Yet early this morning, Third Master Du saw a letter in his study.

Third Master Du rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again.

When Third Master Du saw clearly what lay pressed beneath the letter, disbelief instantly turned into joy that could not be contained.

Was it from that one? It had to be!

If it was not from that one, how could this person have the thing the Du Family once offered up?

Wonderful. All these years, the Southern Du Branch had used a Noble Lady to curry favor with that one. At last, that one had noticed them!

Third Master Du was desperate to open the letter and read it, but Third Master Du forced himself to endure. Third Master Du tucked the letter and the item beneath it into his robe and walked out of the study.

“Master?” Third Madam Du walked in carrying hot honeyed pear water, looking surprised. “Are you going out?”

“Mm.” Third Master Du could not be bothered to explain anything to a woman.

Third Master Du took two steps, then suddenly turned back and asked, “Where is Du Cheng?”

“Cheng’er just recovered not long ago. I told Cheng’er to lie down in his room,” Third Madam Du said.

“A young man catching a sickness is nothing.” Third Master Du said, “His fever is already gone. Go wake him up and have him come with me to see Father at the main house.”

Third Madam Du blinked. “Ah? Are you going to demand an explanation for Cheng’er?”

“Demand what explanation? That is a small matter.” Third Master Du said, “Today is a good day to build merit and accomplish great things.”

Third Madam Du did not understand, but like most women in the inner residence, Third Madam Du did whatever her husband said. Third Madam Du went to wake her son.

Du Cheng changed clothes and came out.

Compared to before, when Du Cheng had ridden a horse to scare Du Yi Zhi, Du Cheng looked much thinner now. A gloomy air clung to Du Cheng as well.

Third Master Du took Du Cheng to find Father. Then father and son went together to the main house.

When they saw Old Madam Du, Third Master Du finally pulled out the letter that Third Master Du had been hiding in his robe.

Du Cheng did not understand why a mere letter needed such caution, but the moment Old Madam Du and Third Lord Du saw it, they shot to their feet.

Old Madam Du drew in a deep breath and quickly ordered someone to invite the people from the Second House.

Soon, everyone in the Southern Du Branch who could speak in this room gathered together.

Other than Du Cheng, every face looked feverish with excitement.

Old Madam Du spoke up. “Third Master, open the letter.”

At last, Third Master Du broke the seal in front of everyone.

All eyes fixed on the page.

When Old Madam Du saw the contents, a smile spread across Old Madam Du’s lips.

The letter mentioned only two things.

First, burn the cotton. If the cotton stored by Sheng Shi Hall in Ji Zhou Prefecture was burned to ash, no one would be able to stop the cotton price from soaring.

Second, cooperate with Lin Yi, win over the major cotton merchants of Ji Zhou Prefecture, and drive the price even higher.

Third Master Du gaped. “Burn… the cotton? That one… actually wants us to burn cotton?”

Old Madam Du snorted. “Du Yi Zhi relied on working for the Princess and acted without restraint. Du Yi Zhi offended so many cotton merchants who wanted to profit from this chance. It seems the one named Lin Yi in the letter is likely that one’s person.”

The tightness that had clogged Old Madam Du’s chest for so long finally loosened.

It should have been like this!

How dare a nobody like Du Yi Zhi oppose the Du Clan?

Old Madam Du had sent someone to invite Du Yi Zhi. Old Madam Du was willing to see Du Yi Zhi, and that alone had been a favor.

Yet Du Yi Zhi did not know what was good for him. Du Yi Zhi relied on the Princess and chose to cling to the Northern Du Branch.

A joke!

Now what?

So what if there was a Princess?

That one wanted the cotton burned. Even if Du Yi Zhi died in that fire, would the Princess behind him dare say a single word?

Old Madam Du immediately sent someone to Prefecture Ya Men to invite Prefect Yan. This matter still needed Prefect Yan to handle it.

“It works out well.” Old Madam Du rubbed her prayer beads. “Prefect Yan’s men are already guarding Sheng Shi Hall, so it will be easy to do. When the time comes, we can push it all onto a single Ya Men Runner.”

From his first confusion, Du Cheng listened as Old Madam Du and the elders discussed their plan.

Du Cheng was eighteen now. As Du Yi Zhi said, Du Cheng was not a child.

Du Cheng might be impulsive, but Du Cheng still had a brain.

Burning cotton?

Even a young master like Du Cheng, raised in luxury, knew what cotton meant to Ji Zhou Prefecture right now.

The cold disaster came suddenly, and Ji Zhou Prefecture had no preparation. Ji Zhou also did not produce much cotton.

Every pound of cotton now meant a chance for Ji Zhou’s commoner to live.

Yet the letter told them to burn it.

Even if… that cotton belonged to Du Yi Zhi.

Du Yi Zhi was the son of a criminal who raped women.

Du Yi Zhi was a bad seed born rotten.

Du Yi Zhi had even killed Du Cheng’s beloved horse and made Du Cheng lose face in front of friends.

But one thing was one thing, and another was another!

Burning cotton could not be allowed.

Du Cheng blurted out, “Great Grandmother, Father! I do not agree!”

Du Cheng demanded, “Did you not always say the Du Clan is a great clan of Ji Zhou Prefecture, and that everything we say and do must be without shame to our hearts, without shame to the commoner of Ji Zhou Prefecture?”