Chapter 13: Either Evil or Foolish
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You Bing Yue supported the man as they entered the grand hall.
The man attempted to kneel, but You Bing Yue frowned, stopping him. “A man should have pride. Kneeling so easily is unbecoming,” she said firmly.
“You’re just hired by them, not their property.”
The man’s eyes lit up.
He knew it—Miss You was different from everyone else!
Yu Zhi Yi couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
Immediately, You Bing Yue shot a sharp glare at her. “What are you laughing at?”
Yu Zhi Yi’s gaze drifted over to the man. “His name is Du Sheng. He’s been a servant of the Chancellor’s household since birth. Even if he’s not ‘sold’ to them, he’s been a servant here his entire life, kneeling to every master in this household.”
Du Sheng’s face flushed in shame, his head lowering. The glimmer in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had come.
Slowly, he sank to his knees.
You Bing Yue’s expression turned icy, and she shot a cold look at Yu Zhi Yi. “You’re pleased with yourself, aren’t you?”
Yu Zhi Yi looked puzzled. “What do I have to be pleased about?”
“Of course you’re pleased. You hold the title of the Young Madam, so you can order around and punish anyone you want. But let me tell you, your days of being smug are numbered.”
Du Sheng seemed to recall his purpose for being there and pulled out two yellow pieces of paper from his robes.
The papers had strange symbols drawn on them in red ink, like something out of a ghost story.
“Master, Mistress, I saw the young mistress burying these papers around several places by the mansion’s walls. These symbols look like something evil—she must be cursing the household, trying to harm us all!”
You Bing Yue stood tall, without any intention of bowing to Chancellor Du or Madam Yao.
She lifted her chin proudly, her gaze towards the old couple filled with disdain. “Back then, you wanted to separate me and Zi Heng, just because my background wasn’t prestigious enough. You forced him to marry this woman instead, talking about her noble birth and her supposed virtue.”
She curled her lips in a mocking smile. “And now? This woman harbors ill intent, wanting to harm the entire household. And yet, it’s thanks to me that her true face has been revealed. I wonder, how do you two feel about this now?”
You Bing Yue wasn’t one to let grudges go easily. Normally, she’d retaliate on the spot.
But because these were Zi Heng’s parents, she had shown them some respect.
Still, that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be sarcastic.
She looked at the Chancellor and his wife, wanting to see fear or regret in their expressions.
But all she saw were two faces wearing an indescribable expression.
“What kind of reaction is that?” You Bing Yue demanded.
Weren’t people of the past supposed to be deeply superstitious? Weren’t they supposed to fear curses and witchcraft?
But these two didn’t look frightened at all—instead, they looked like they found her utterly ridiculous.
Had they never come across anything like this before? Did they not understand the danger?
That must be it.
“Oh, perhaps you don’t understand what these papers are,” You Bing Yue said. “Let me tell you, these are talismans. People with malicious intent, who follow dark practices, use these things to harm others.”
Chancellor Du ignored her, turning instead to Yu Zhi Yi. “Yier, did you really place these talismans there?”
Madam Yao looked curious as well.
They weren’t doubting Yu Zhi Yi’s motives. If they had, she wouldn’t have helped them expose that man, Du Lin, earlier today.
Madam Yao didn’t know the full story, but the Chancellor did. He had already investigated thoroughly. Du Lin’s hometown was hundreds of miles away, and he’d never even met Yu Zhi Yi before she entered the household. There was no possibility of the two colluding.
Moreover, though he and Liu Shan were close friends, they only interacted in private. In court, they often argued due to differing political views, to the point that many thought they were enemies.
So, just from Yu Zhi Yi being able to recognize his friendship with Liu Shan, the Chancellor had already believed in her capabilities.
Yu Zhi Yi nodded. “I did place them.”
You Bing Yue’s eyes flashed. “See! She admitted to her malicious intent!”
Yu Zhi Yi picked up a teacup and took a gentle sip. “I said I placed the talismans. When did I ever say they were for evil purposes or meant to harm anyone?”
You Bing Yue sneered. “Stop lying. Protective charms are kept on your person or in your own room. Only things meant to harm others are secretly buried.”
She then looked towards the Chancellor. “This woman is trying to harm you both, and you still won’t cast her out?”
“Enough!” The Chancellor snapped. “Yier is the young mistress of this household. We are the heads of this household. And you—you are nothing but an outsider. What right do you have to shout and make demands here?!”
You Bing Yue bristled with rage. “Did you just call me an outsider?!”
“Ignorant, foolish old relics! Just watch me—”
“Bing Yue!” Du Zi Heng rushed in, pulling You Bing Yue behind him, his face filled with fury. “Father, Mother, didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t trouble Bing Yue anymore?!”
The Chancellor and Madam Yao almost fainted from anger.
What was the point of raising children?
Sometimes, they really felt powerless.
Chancellor Du, who could verbally spar with all the scholars in court, was always rendered speechless by his lovesick son.
Yu Zhi Yi straightened in her seat.
The Chancellor and his wife had always shown her trust and respect. They were also her biggest supporters. She couldn’t stand to let anyone bully them.
“Du Zi Heng, has a dog eaten your brain?”
“Even if you don’t have a brain, haven’t you at least got a mouth?”
“How can you assume, without even asking what happened, that it’s your parents who are at fault? Not only are you brainless, but you’re also heartless!”
“Your father is the Chancellor of this nation, your mother a Lady of the highest rank. Who are these people, that they deserve for your parents to lower themselves to trouble them?”
“Besides, if we really wanted to deal with someone, why go to all this trouble? Du Sheng is a servant of the Du household. All it would take is one word from your parents to handle him. Even I could deal with him if I wished.”
“As for Miss You, she’s neither a member of the household, nor a servant, nor even a guest. If we said she was a thief, no one would question it. Would we still let them create a scene here in Plum Courtyard?”
She fired off her words without even pausing for breath, leaving no room for anyone to interrupt.
By the time she paused to take a sip of tea, You Bing Yue finally found her voice to shout, “You’re the thief! I’m here because Zi Heng invited me. If not for him, I wouldn’t even want to set foot in this so-called Chancellor’s residence!”
Yu Zhi Yi shook her head, her expression serious. “That doesn’t make any sense. If not for Young Master Du going against his parents’ wishes to let you stay, you wouldn’t even have gotten through the front gate.”
“Stop changing the subject!” You Bing Yue shouted. “The point is, you tried to harm the Du family!”
She turned to Du Zi Heng. “Zi Heng, this woman harbors evil intentions. She tried to use witchcraft to harm your family. Du Sheng already found the evidence, but your parents are so bewitched by her that they’re actually defending her.”
Du Zi Heng frowned. “You really tried to harm the family? My parents have treated you well—don’t you have a conscience?!”
Yu Zhi Yi put down her teacup and sighed softly. “Love is truly a strange thing. It can turn a genius into a fool.”
She shook her head and addressed the Chancellor and Madam Yao. “Father, Mother, I am one with the Chancellor’s household now. If anything happens to this family, I’ll suffer as well. I’d have to be an idiot to try something like this.”
“Those who believe otherwise are either evil or foolish.”