Chapter 129: Don’t Let Her Trouble Me Again
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A perfectly fine family had fallen apart just like that.
Li Feng had always longed to avenge his family, but every path seemed closed to him.
He didn’t even know the identity of his enemy.
The day he learned of his wife’s whereabouts, he discovered only that the culprit had taken temporary residence in the County Magistrate’s household. Desperate, he stormed the magistrate’s residence to demand justice.
Yet, the true identity of the powerful figure who had abducted his wife remained a mystery.
Afterwards, he sought to press charges for the abduction of a commoner’s wife, only to find no one to accuse. Every time he attempted to travel to the capital to escalate his case, he was intercepted along the way.
In his quest for justice, he sold his farmland. However, before even leaving the county, a group of bandits robbed him of all his silver.
Initially, he had managed to eke out a living by preparing medicinal remedies. But after his father-in-law’s medical clinic went bankrupt following the incident, no one would dare purchase his medicine anymore.
As for studying…
The academy expelled him, citing issues with his character. Without recommendations, he could no longer pursue the imperial examinations.
With his official career ruined, his land and medical practice gone, begging seemed to be his only remaining option.
Fortunately, he still had strength and wit, enabling him to survive by hunting.
Even though…
No one in the city would buy his goods, the game he caught could at least feed him. That way, he managed to keep himself alive.
When Steward Wu Shan reviewed Li Feng’s case file, he hesitated.
To drive a living person to such despair… it was clear that whoever had taken Li Feng’s wife was no ordinary person.
Nevertheless, Li Feng’s application met the criteria, so Steward Wu Shan submitted the case to Yu Zhi Yi for a final decision.
As reports of Yu Jiao Jiao’s antics came in, Yu Zhi Yi prepared to divine the situation.
She set down the documents and stood. “Let’s go have a look.”
Outside, Yu Jiao Jiao wept dramatically, her sobs drawing sympathy and indignation from onlookers.
“How dare someone so ungrateful claim to be doing charity? This so-called charity organization must be a scam!”
“I agree. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If this so-called charity is a fraud, it all makes sense.”
“The Minister Yu family treated her so well, yet she’s so heartless! After Minister Yu lost his position, she immediately turned her back on them, forcing the whole family to move to the outskirts while she lives luxuriously in the Chancellor’s Mansion! Minister Yu shouldn’t have taken her in back then. He should’ve let her and her vile mother die together!”
Yu Jiao Jiao gazed sorrowfully at the crowd. “Please don’t say such things. My sister was so young back then. If we hadn’t taken her in, she wouldn’t have survived!”
Though her words seemed to defend Yu Zhi Yi, they were laden with accusations of ingratitude.
After all, how could a ten-year-old girl survive alone? Had the Yu family not sheltered her, she would have perished long ago.
To the onlookers, it seemed irrefutable: without the Yu family’s kindness, Yu Zhi Yi wouldn’t be alive.
The outcry grew louder.
Yu Jiao Jiao covered her face and began to sob dramatically, though anyone who peeked behind her hands would see dry eyes devoid of tears. There wasn’t a trace of sorrow or grief—only a sly smile.
Why should she and the Yu family continue to suffer while that wretched woman thrived, gaining fame and fortune?
Use and discard the Yu family? Not a chance!
Today, she would leverage public opinion to force Yu Zhi Yi to pay up and help the Yu family regain their footing. Even if she couldn’t restore their former glory, she would ensure everyone knew the Yu family was still a formidable force with a bright future!
The triumphant thought had barely begun to bloom in Yu Jiao Jiao’s mind before an ethereal voice extinguished it like a bucket of cold water: “Yu Jiao Jiao, I’ve realized you truly lack sense. Must Master Yu pay an even heavier price for your foolishness before you’re satisfied?”
Yu Jiao Jiao’s momentary pride evaporated, and her mood visibly calmed. Yet, she despised this feeling of restraint. After a long pause, she managed to feign sadness again. “Elder Sister, I admit I wronged you. I hurt you deeply, but this has nothing to do with Father and Mother. You can’t just abandon them!”
Yu Zhi Yi regarded her with a look that screamed incredulity. “That day, you brought in a fake divine doctor and nearly caused the Empress Dowager’s death. To escape punishment, you dragged me into it. Master Yu and Madam Yu, fully aware of your scheme, chose to help you, casting me out as a sacrificial pawn.”
“The matter of cutting family ties? That was a decision made by the couple themselves, with His Majesty and Prince Carefree as witnesses. Now, they’ve lost their official positions and the imperial gold token that could have saved the family’s lives. If I were you, I’d think twice before stirring trouble again. This time, there’s no gold token to shield you from disaster.”
Her tone was logical and unflinching, and she spoke of His Majesty and Prince Carefree as witnesses without a trace of guilt.
The gathered onlookers were shocked. “My goodness! So, the Yu family voluntarily severed ties? And to think it was to shield a fake daughter by sacrificing the true daughter? They used her as a chess piece?”
Yu Jiao Jiao had anticipated Yu Zhi Yi bringing up the events of that day. She wasn’t flustered this time and raised her voice: “I admit my mistakes, but can you claim you’re blameless?”
“If you hadn’t hidden your abilities from the family, would we have made such choices?”
Yu Zhi Yi’s eyes filled with disbelief. “I never hid anything. You simply refused to believe me, dismissing everything I did as part of some conspiracy, assuming I laid traps to deceive you.”
Unwilling to hear more of her drivel, Yu Zhi Yi cut her off. “As for your claim that the Yu family cannot survive… His Majesty merely stripped Master Yu of his official position; he did not confiscate their assets.”
“Thus, the tens of thousands of taels earned through the Yu family’s businesses over the years, along with the millions in bribes Master Yu accepted, remain safely stored in the money houses.”
“Unless you six siblings decide to squander silver on the streets daily, even if you sit idle, that wealth will last several centuries.”
Yu Jiao Jiao was utterly dumbfounded: “What?!”
The bystanders gasped audibly. “Unbelievable!” they murmured.
The revelation of millions in bribes left them stunned. “Is this even something commoners like us should be privy to?”
Even Yu Jiao Jiao, as naive as she might be, knew the grave implications of corruption. She immediately shrieked, “You’re lying!”
Equally agitated was Yu Ming Yu, who had been observing from the shadows. “Yu Zhi Yi, don’t you dare slander us!”
Yu Jiao Jiao’s ears perked up at the familiar, venomous tone. She turned toward a particular spot in the crowd, her lips curling slightly. “Fine, consider it a lie. Now, can you take your sister away?”
Yu Ming Yu’s gaze turned icy. “Yu Zhi Yi, don’t think your connection to the Chancellor’s Mansion secures your position as its mistress. Without your natal family’s support, let’s see how long your joy lasts!”
Yu Zhi Yi smiled faintly. “How long my happiness lasts is not your concern, Second Young Master Yu. However, let me remind you: don’t let your sister bother me again. Otherwise, should I grow displeased, who knows what truths I might reveal?”
“And when that time comes, don’t waste energy getting angry,” she added with a sharp smile. “Because it’ll be futile.”