Chapter 142: Yu Jiao Jiao Wants to Escape, but She Can’t
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Yu Jiao Jiao desperately wanted to escape, but there was no way out.
It wasn’t long before she found herself back at Duke Courage’s Mansion.
The place she had once longed to return to now felt like a terrifying beast ready to devour her.
The grand estate with its high walls appeared eerily oppressive, and the sight of it made her stomach churn. She resisted going in, but Zhang Tian Shun’s subordinates proved far beyond her ability to contend with.
Before long, she was brought before Madam Meng.
Meanwhile, Madam Meng…
Since the imperial banquet, she had become the target of Duke Courage’s wrath.
He wanted to divorce her, but as the mother of his three legitimate sons, such a decision would severely impact their lives. If the children were still young, he might not have hesitated.
But the issue was that they were grown. The eldest had even been granted the title of heir.
Thus, dismissing his wife had turned into a matter of great importance. However, the fact remained: Madam Meng had caused the death of her own sister—the Duke’s younger sibling. He couldn’t simply let it slide.
So, she was placed under house arrest.
Her three sons protested vehemently. Yet with Madam Meng undeniably at fault, and the victim being their own aunt and father’s sister, they couldn’t very well plead, “She’s dead now, just forgive Mother, please?”
Had they dared say such a thing, the Duke might have locked them up alongside their mother.
Thus, the once majestic lady of the house found herself confined. Her rights as household manager were stripped and handed over to the Duke’s most favored concubine.
Madam Meng’s fall was precipitous.
Her once-bustling courtyard was now eerily quiet, the servants nowhere to be seen. Were it not for her three sons and the eldest’s status as heir, her previous harsh treatment of her servants would have surely left her in dire straits.
Even though she had no shortage of food or clothing, her mind had become twisted with bitterness.
She hated!
If not for Yu Zhi Yi meddling and revealing the truth of the past, she would not have ended up like this.
Yu Zhi Yi and the entire Yu Family deserved to die.
As she stewed in her hatred, a figure was shoved in front of her.
Yu Jiao Jiao met Madam Meng’s gaze, and in the latter’s eyes burned a twisted glimmer of light. A cold chill ran down Yu Jiao Jiao’s spine.
…
Yu Zhi Yi had no idea what was happening to Yu Jiao Jiao.
Although she had severed most of the karmic ties with the Yu family and could now glimpse their trajectories, she rarely wasted energy on those unrelated to her.
Divination took a toll on her mental strength, and she had no intention of wearing herself out for people she didn’t care about.
Besides, what was there to guess about Yu Jiao Jiao’s future?
A declining family, a philandering husband, and a mother-in-law under house arrest—all these elements combined painted a bleak picture of her life.
That night, Yu Zhi Yi, having just finished washing up, sat under a tree in her courtyard with her eyes closed, quietly meditating. Suddenly, a shadowy figure peeked around the corner.
Opening her eyes, she found herself meeting another’s gaze.
The eyes lit up. “Young Madam!”
Yu Zhi Yi replied coolly, “What is it?”
The visitor was Yu Pan Er.
Ever since she had been reprimanded by You Bing Yue, she had behaved more cautiously. These days, she had been earnestly learning how to manage the household. However, she lacked natural aptitude. For starters, reading and writing were not her strengths. After all this time, she had barely managed to memorize two poems. Her handwriting was atrocious, and she showed zero talent for bookkeeping.
Not everyone knows the meaning of honor and shame, but everyone feels frustration. After months of fruitless effort, Yu Pan Er finally recognized her inadequacies and was tempted to give up altogether.
Managing the household was exhausting; even dogs wouldn’t want the job. Being a concubine, however, seemed far more appealing.
Now that You Bing Yue was no longer in the mansion and Yu Zhi Yi took little interest in such matters, Yu Pan Er’s ambitions began to resurface as her complexion improved day by day.
“Young Madam, may I come in first? What I have to say isn’t something I can speak of loudly.”
Yu Zhi Yi studied her with a thoughtful gaze before nodding. “Come in.”
Yu Pan Er was delighted.
“Young Madam, I heard that the Young Master has been coming home very late recently.”
“And?”
Seeing Yu Zhi Yi’s puzzled expression, Yu Pan Er cursed her as an idiot in her heart but pressed on. “Even though You Bing Yue has been driven out, she’s still in the capital. I heard that the Young Master has been carrying the scent of makeup lately. I suspect he…”
She deliberately trailed off, wanting Yu Zhi Yi to draw her own conclusions.
People’s imaginations often conjure far more dramatic scenarios than a simple revelation of the truth.
Yet Yu Zhi Yi’s face remained blank. “You suspect what?”
Yu Pan Er was speechless. Idiot or idiot!?
“I suspect the Young Master is still entangled with that woman!”
Yu Pan Er’s eyes sparkled with scheming intent.
Although Yu Zhi Yi rarely meddled, she was not without temper. For instance, the last time she had used Madam Du to oust the annoying You Bing Yue.
Surely, Yu Zhi Yi’s indifference was just an act. With the right provocation, she would take the bait.
Sure enough, Yu Zhi Yi seemed pensive. “There’s indeed a possibility they’re still meeting in secret.”
Yu Pan Er’s eyes brightened at the apparent success of her plan, and she pressed on. “Young Madam, that woman is no easy opponent. If the Young Master and she continue their relationship, it could jeopardize your position. If she were to bear a child first, the Young Master might bring her back to the mansion. Considering his affection for her, elevating her to equal wife status is not impossible.”
Yu Pan Er’s tone was laden with malice.
“Only by ensuring the Young Master comes home punctually every night can you prevent such an outcome.”
Yu Zhi Yi gave Yu Pan Er an enigmatic smile and suddenly shifted the subject. “Did you hear that Minister Yu has been dismissed?”
Yu Pan Er froze. “Y-Yes, I heard.”
Yu Zhi Yi nodded. “Back when you caused trouble, I could cover for you because I was still the Yu family’s adopted daughter and Minister Yu’s reputation was strong. Even the Chancellor’s Mansion had to show him some respect. But now, Minister Yu is a commoner, and you’ve seen my current position in the mansion…”
Yu Pan Er thought to herself, “Of course I know.”
This imposter had only managed to survive by clinging to Madam Du’s favor. Now that Madam Du was gone, everything in the mansion was under the Chancellor’s control.
Yu Zhi Yi’s tone turned cold. “If anyone around me causes trouble again, I won’t have the face to shield them from punishment.”
Her eyes bore into Yu Pan Er’s. “If there’s another incident of someone seducing the master, I won’t be able to protect you.”
Yu Pan Er’s heart skipped a beat.
What did this imposter mean? Did she see through her intentions? Was she warning her?
No, no, that couldn’t be.
If this woman were truly clever, she wouldn’t have allowed Young Master Du and You Bing Yue to carry on for so long. Surely, she was just venting her frustration and trying to assert dominance over someone beneath her.