Chapter 12: She Wants to Destroy the Chancellor’s Residence
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“Brother Du, it delights me to see you willing to abandon darkness for light. Once I take control of the Central Plains, you shall share in the rivers and mountains with me!”
Madam Yao took one glance at the letter and felt her legs go weak.
“I didn’t do it! I know nothing about this!” Liu Er Gou’s face was pale as ash, but he still denied everything.
Yu Zhi Yi spoke calmly, “There’s fifty taels of silver hidden in the beam of your room. It’s the bribe your ‘fellow townsman’ gave you. But in fact, he gave you a total of two hundred taels. You spent a hundred and fifty to buy a house here in the capital. You planned to resign on the excuse of returning home to take care of your elderly parents after tonight’s task was done.”
“The house is at No. 72, Chao’an Street. The deed is hidden beneath the center brick under your bed, wrapped in a piece of red cloth. And the name on the deed? Your real name, Liu Er Gou.”
Liu Er Gou’s face turned pale with shock. “How do you know everything?!”
Yu Zhi Yi simply smiled without answering.
At this point, how could the Chancellor Du and Madam Yao not understand that everything Yu Zhi Yi said was true?
Madam Yao trembled with fury. “Beast! You ungrateful wretch! The Chancellor’s residence has treated you well. Remember that gold lion paperweight, worth a thousand taels, the master’s beloved possession? He only punished you with thirty strokes back then, didn’t make you compensate for it, and didn’t turn you over to the authorities. Yet instead of feeling grateful, you have the nerve to commit such evil!”
Chancellor Du’s expression was grim. “Yi’er, take your mother back first.”
Yu Zhi Yi glanced at Liu Er Gou’s ashen face and nodded slightly.
Madam Yao, still shaken, reached Plum Courtyard and held tightly to Yu Zhi Yi’s hand, refusing to let her leave.
Yu Zhi Yi had no choice but to stay.
And it suited her just fine. There were still matters to deal with here.
Half an hour later, Chancellor Du returned. It was obvious that he had taken care of the letter, Liu Er Gou, and even learned the identity of the one behind the scenes.
He looked at his daughter-in-law, astonished.
Although he had heard from Madam Yao about Yu Zhi Yi’s skills, he hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking it a mix of coincidences and exaggerations.
Now, after witnessing her abilities firsthand, he realized how narrow his perspective had been.
“Yi’er, if we hadn’t caught that scoundrel today, would the Chancellor’s residence have been destroyed because of it?” Chancellor Du paused for a moment before asking this crucial question.
Chancellor Du was Yu Zhi Yi’s most important client to date, and she was more than happy to answer his questions. “No, but Father would be imprisoned because of this. Although His Majesty would uncover the truth a few months later, both Father and Mother’s health would have suffered greatly due to this disaster, and neither of you would have lived for much longer.”
Madam Yao shuddered, clutching Yu Zhi Yi’s hand. “Yi’er, you are truly our family’s blessing!”
Chancellor Du agreed wholeheartedly.
He increasingly felt he had made a good match in bringing this daughter-in-law into the family.
Yu Zhi Yi was a person of principle. The jade thumb ring was a valuable gift, so she was happy to speak a bit more, saving Chancellor Du from unnecessary detours.
Her friend Hong Luan had once said, “Give your customers a royal experience, and they’ll keep coming back for more.”
She continued, “Father’s suspicion regarding the mastermind is correct, but as the old saying goes, ‘The King of Hell is easy to deal with, but his little devils are not.’ This mastermind isn’t ready to openly turn against Father yet, so he only sent some minions to harass him. And this particular minion… is someone Father would never suspect, someone he trusts deeply.”
“It’s because you trust him so much that you’ll suffer such a heavy blow.”
Chancellor Du was stunned for a moment, then an image of someone suddenly came to his mind. “Are you talking about… Liu Shan?”
Liu Shan was his old classmate and a fellow townsman. When he was only fourteen, Chancellor Du had left home and traveled to Joseph Academy in the capital to study, where he had met Liu Shan.
In a foreign place, meeting someone from home had drawn them close, forming a bond stronger than that with other classmates.
Later, they passed the imperial examination together. Although Liu Shan hadn’t made it to the top three and instead became a tribute scholar sent to a remote region, Chancellor Du had excelled and stayed in Shengjing City, taking on significant roles.
One day at the Ministry of Personnel, he happened upon Liu Shan’s records, learning that while Liu Shan was diligent and genuinely cared for the people, his lack of connections and conflicts with local gentry had stymied his progress. Moved by this, he discreetly lent a helping hand.
Liu Shan, being a grateful man, guessed that his old friend had intervened. Upon arriving in the capital, his first task had been to express his gratitude.
Over the years, their friendship had grown even closer, lasting almost three decades.
Chancellor Du found it hard to believe that Liu Shan was the one who had betrayed him!
Seeing the reluctant disbelief in Chancellor Du’s eyes, Yu Zhi Yi nodded slowly. “The truth is harsh, but that is the truth.”
The light in Chancellor Du’s eyes went out in an instant.
Just as Madam Yao was about to comfort him, Aunt Wen entered the room, whispering something in Madam Yao’s ear.
Madam Yao looked surprised and instinctively turned her gaze to Yu Zhi Yi.
Yu Zhi Yi thought, Here we go, and smiled slightly. “Mother, if you have something to say, please say it. Don’t worry about me.”
She had foreseen trouble coming tonight, which was why she had decided to stay.
Chancellor Du asked, puzzled, “What is it?”
Seeing Yu Zhi Yi’s calm expression, Madam Yao felt inexplicably reassured and said to Aunt Wen, “Let him in.”
Aunt Wen nodded and called out, “Come in.”
A young servant in simple clothing entered and knelt down, exclaiming, “Master, Madam, I have to reveal something about the young mistress! She harbors evil intentions and wants to bring ruin upon the Chancellor’s residence!”
“What?!” Madam Yao gasped.
Chancellor Du was always composed. Except for matters involving his rebellious son’s marriage, state affairs, life-threatening danger, or his old friend’s betrayal, most things couldn’t stir much of an emotional reaction in him. He glanced at Yu Zhi Yi calmly, then scrutinized the servant, his gaze stern. “Slandering the young mistress, do you have a death wish?!”
“Guards! Take this insubordinate wretch away and give him fifty lashes!”
Yu Zhi Yi looked at her father-in-law in surprise.
Chancellor Du stroked his beard lightly. “Who you are, your mother and I already know.”
In fact, after the incident at Marquis Wu’an’s estate, he had sent someone to investigate the connection between Yu Zhi Yi and the Wu’an estate. The results were exactly as she had said, even more detailed.
Over the years, Yu Zhi Yi had given the Marchioness of Wu’an six divinations, all of which had come true.
Although Marquis Wu’an’s estate was in decline now, before meeting Yu Zhi Yi, things had been even worse.
After each divination Yu Zhi Yi provided, the estate had taken a step up.
The fact that his daughter-in-law was a master of divination was an unbelievable revelation, and the day she casually asked for his cherished jade thumb ring, he had been so shocked and pained by the request that he had forgotten her true abilities.
Now, having experienced her skills personally, Chancellor Du would be foolish to believe the words of a mere troublemaking servant.
Especially since this servant was from the Moon Gazing Pavilion.
Yu Zhi Yi felt a warmth in her heart.
Whatever the reason was for Chancellor Du’s willingness to believe in her, the feeling of being trusted was wonderful.
“Master! This woman really does want to destroy our residence!” The man was being dragged away, still shouting fervently about how he was only thinking of the household.
Suddenly, a cold, stern female voice shouted, “Let him go!”
Yu Zhi Yi relaxed slightly, looking towards the door. Shortly after, You Bing Yue entered, supporting the servant as they came inside.