Chapter 25: A Few Days in Bed Should Suffice
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And just like that, the commotion ended.
You Bing Yue didn’t even manage to touch the hem of Li Rou’s dress. When she got within an inch of her target, it was as if an invisible barrier blocked her path. Not only that, the barrier seemed to rebound with immense force.
With a loud crash, You Bing Yue was hurled back a dozen meters, landing unceremoniously outside the courtyard.
Yu Zhi Yi looked on in amazement at the frail figure standing protectively before her. The slim silhouette didn’t even spare a glance at the fallen You Bing Yue.
Li Rou, on the other hand, was stunned into silence. Her legs gave way as the shock finally caught up with her.
Seeing the young woman trembling but stubbornly keeping herself upright, Yu Zhi Yi’s feelings were complicated. She gave Li Rou’s shoulder a light pat and said with a touch of exasperation, “You silly girl.”
Li Rou turned back with a smile that looked more pitiful than tears. “As long as the Young Madam is unharmed, I’m content.”
Yu Zhi Yi lowered her gaze to mask the emotions swirling in her eyes. “Don’t worry. She can’t hurt me.”
When Du Zi Heng arrived in haste, he was greeted by the sight of You Bing Yue lying powerless on the ground and Yu Zhi Yi dismissively conversing with the person beside her.
His face contorted with rage. “Yu Zhi Yi, how dare you!”
Coincidentally, You Bing Yue managed to climb to her feet just then, her voice icy as she snapped, “You wretch! Besides your petty tricks, what else can you do? If you’ve got the guts, drop the defensive formation and face me one-on-one!”
Her sharp voice, fueled by anger, drowned out Du Zi Heng’s words entirely.
Unaware of his presence, You Bing Yue directed her vitriol at Yu Zhi Yi. “You’ve got the nerve to seduce men but not to step out from behind your little barrier, you coward!”
Du Zi Heng stood there, his words frozen in his throat, disbelief etched across his face.
He had assumed that You Bing Yue had been summoned by Yu Zhi Yi. After witnessing Yu Zhi Yi’s formidable skills, he’d feared for You Bing Yue’s safety.
He was right about one thing: You Bing Yue had indeed suffered a setback.
But the reality was far from what he had imagined. It wasn’t the one-sided suppression he had envisioned; instead, it was You Bing Yue’s futile provocations that had led to her being thoroughly humiliated.
Silence fell—a silence as poetic as a moonlit Cambridge night.
When Du Zi Heng glanced up, his gaze met Yu Zhi Yi’s disdainful eyes.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Yu Zhi Yi turned away before he could utter a word. At the same time, the courtyard gates slammed shut from within.
Bang!
The doors closed with a forceful gust, echoing like a heavy slap to the face.
“You’re scared, aren’t you, Yu Zhi Yi? Open this door!” You Bing Yue shrieked.
Oblivious to the figure standing behind her, she endured the searing pain that coursed through her body like shattered glass and continued her tirade. Yet, wary of the defensive formation, she dared not approach again.
Du Zi Heng watched the woman behaving like a fishwife and found himself at a loss for words.
Inside, Yu Zhi Yi paid no attention to the commotion outside. Nor did she concern herself with how Du Zi Heng might persuade You Bing Yue to leave. What she knew was this: You Bing Yue’s relentless provocations had grown tiresome.
She had tried to keep the peace, but clearly, her goodwill wasn’t reciprocated.
In that case, a few days bedridden might give You Bing Yue some time for self-reflection.
This time, the backlash from the formation wasn’t as gentle as before.
“Li Rou,” Yu Zhi Yi instructed, “go find Auntie Wen later and tell her I’m short on staff here. She should train Yu Pan Er quickly—I need her soon.”
Li Rou nodded and left.
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t bother dealing with You Bing Yue personally. But she also didn’t intend to let her run amok, so she decided to give her something to occupy her time.
When Auntie Wen received Li Rou’s message, she didn’t quite understand but diligently began drilling Yu Pan Er in household management.
The Young Madam had made it clear: Yu Pan Er was to be groomed for the role of steward.
However, Yu Pan Er’s capabilities left much to be desired.
For starters, she was illiterate. That alone was enough to disqualify her from overseeing household matters.
After all, a trusted confidante of the mistress must excel at both social interaction and record-keeping. They had to be adept at reviewing accounts—even if they weren’t mathematical geniuses, they at least needed to read and write proficiently.
An illiterate person was simply unfit for the role.
Thus, a teacher was hired to instruct Yu Pan Er in reading and writing.
At sixteen, Yu Pan Er was set in her ways. Having never been fond of learning, she found it impossible to concentrate now.
After three days, she had barely learned to recognize a handful of characters, let alone write them. Her teacher was so exasperated that she smacked Yu Pan Er’s palms with a ruler no fewer than eight times in those three days.
That night, as Yu Pan Er stared at her red, stinging hands, a glint of resentment and defiance sparkled in her eyes. “That wretch just can’t stand to see me doing well! She claims she’s teaching me household management, but she’s clearly making things difficult for me!”
Her contempt for Yu Zhi Yi stemmed from two sources. Firstly, Yu Zhi Yi wasn’t the true daughter of the Yu family. Secondly, why should Yu Zhi Yi—whose parents were ordinary folk—suddenly enjoy wealth and status as the Yu family’s daughter while she, Yu Pan Er, was stuck serving others?
If only she were the mistress…
Her eyes lit up.
Yes, if she became the mistress, she wouldn’t have to do these menial tasks anymore. She wouldn’t have to serve anyone.
Sure, with her current status, she could only aspire to be a concubine for now. But!
That useless impostor wouldn’t stand a chance against her. She had seen her fair share of the scheming and backstabbing in noble households. Taking down an incompetent fraud and a naive country girl would be child’s play.
Moreover, with so much free time on her hands now, she had ample opportunity to “bump into” the young master.
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t need spies to know what Yu Pan Er was plotting. She found it amusing, even entertaining.
Meanwhile, You Bing Yue would be bedridden for at least ten days. This was an excellent opportunity.
She could only hope that this scheming girl wouldn’t disappoint her.
As Yu Zhi Yi mused, an excited voice broke through her thoughts. “Miss! Miss!”
Zi Yuan, who had been away for two days, returned to the Breeze Pavilion on the third day, practically bouncing with excitement.
Seeing Zi Yuan’s glowing expression, Yu Zhi Yi guessed the mission had gone well but still asked, “How did it go?”
“Thanks to your brilliant plan, those shopkeepers are all behaving themselves now!”
Most of the Du family’s assets were concentrated in the Sheng Capital and nearby counties—over twenty establishments in total.
When the shopkeepers saw that Zi Yuan was just a maid, they didn’t take her seriously.
Not that it mattered. Zi Yuan, having served Yu Zhi Yi for years, was no stranger to such disdain. Without wasting words, she dropped a bombshell.
By the time she unearthed an incriminating account book from the gold shopkeeper’s mistress’s vanity, the man was utterly subdued. Seeing this, the other shopkeepers quickly fell in line.
“Miss, I’ve collected a total of 15,400 taels of silver and 500 taels of gold. I’ve double-checked the accounts—everything is in order.”
Yu Zhi Yi smiled faintly. “When monkeys see their companion slaughtered, they naturally fall into obedience.”
She skimmed the account books quickly, then took them to the Leaning Plum Courtyard.
As luck would have it, Du Zi Heng was there.
At that moment, he was speaking with Madam Du. “The imperial examinations are approaching. I want to focus on my studies and have no time to manage the businesses. Bing Yue is both capable and decisive; I plan to hand them over to her once she recovers.”
When Du Zi Heng noticed Yu Zhi Yi, he looked visibly uncomfortable.
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t so much as glance at him. Seeing the mother and son engaged in conversation, she prepared to leave. But Madam Du said, “It’s fine. Stay and listen to what nonsense this ungrateful son is spouting.”
Du Zi Heng: “…”
He suddenly didn’t know how to continue.
Initially indifferent, Yu Zhi Yi changed her mind upon seeing Du Zi Heng’s embarrassed expression. “Alright.”