Chapter 3: I’ve Already Apologized, What More Do You Want?
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Two days into their marriage, this was the first time Du Zi Heng heard Yu Zhi Yi’s voice.
Despite their formal meeting the previous day, the entirety of it had been consumed by Du Zi Heng quarreling with Chancellor Du and his wife. Yu Zhi Yi hadn’t had a chance to speak.
Hearing her now, however, an inexplicable thought crossed Du Zi Heng’s mind: It’s like celestial music clearing the ears.
Her tone was unlike the usual tender softness of women, nor did it possess the sharp strength of You Bing Yue. Instead, it was ethereal.
Surprisingly, his previously agitated mood found itself somewhat soothed. This realization prompted him to furrow his brows instinctively.
He even failed to notice that she referred to him as “Young Master” instead of “Husband.”
“I’ve heard that the eldest daughter of the Minister of Revenue’s Mansion is scheming and manipulative, skilled at toying with hearts. Seeing you now, the reputation seems well-earned.”
The incident of the true and false daughters of the Yu family had caused a stir across the entire aristocratic circle of the Sheng Capital, with even commoners catching wind of it.
Since then, Yu Zhi Yi had faded from noble circles, but rumors of her stealing the affection meant for Yu Jiao Jiao and framing the true daughter persisted.
Had it not been for Madam Du receiving a divine revelation during her prayer for a marriage match at the temple—that the chosen bride for her son must be from the Yu family—and Yu Jiao Jiao having already married months prior, this “great match” from the Chancellor’s Mansion would never have landed on Yu Zhi Yi’s lap.
Du Zi Heng thought bitterly that even without having met You Bing Yue, he would never have willingly shared his life with such a calculating and vicious woman.
Yu Zhi Yi blinked. “?”
“Well,” she responded, her tone calm yet cutting, “I had heard that the Young Master of the Chancellor’s Mansion is remarkably talented, destined to mirror his father’s greatness and become a virtuous minister of his generation. Meeting you now, however, I find those claims grossly exaggerated…”
Though she tried to soften her words, her meaning was unmistakable.
Such stupidity… How in the world did Yu Jiao Jiao obsess over winning his favor in a past life?
Setting down her teapot, Yu Zhi Yi declared, “If the esteemed Young Master isn’t here to request my help but rather to pick a fight… Zi Yuan, show him out.”
Zi Yuan, who had entered with a tray of pastries just in time to hear Du Zi Heng mock her mistress, glared coldly. Without hesitation, she began pushing him out. “Young Master, please leave.”
Only then did Du Zi Heng recall the purpose of his visit.
Suppressing his frustration, he muttered, “Wait, I do have something to discuss.”
Zi Yuan sneered. “Is this how one asks for help, Young Master?”
Du Zi Heng’s glare sharpened, but seeing no sign that Yu Zhi Yi intended to intervene, he gritted his teeth. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have spoken so rudely.”
Still, Yu Zhi Yi remained silent.
By the time he was nearly pushed out of the courtyard gates, Du Zi Heng’s temper flared. “I’ve apologized already! What more do you want?”
Yu Zhi Yi chuckled softly. “If apologies were all it took, why would we need courts? I believe the key to a sincere apology lies in its earnestness and substance. Don’t you agree, Young Master?”
If you want something, act like it.
Standing just outside the gate, Du Zi Heng’s face darkened. “And what exactly do you want?”
“I’m a simple person,” she replied, her smile unchanging. “One hundred taels of silver is fine, though I wouldn’t mind a thousand taels of gold.”
“… How can the eldest daughter of the Minister of Revenue’s Mansion be so vulgar and greedy!”
Yu Zhi Yi saw nothing wrong with being called vulgar or greedy.
In her past life, when she and Zhang Tian Shun roamed the battlefields, they had often suffered from a lack of funds. No money meant no food for the soldiers, no winter gear, no weapons. Soldiers would shiver in their tents, barely surviving the bitter cold. While she and Zhang Tian Shun managed to endure, life had been far from comfortable.
She had also seen destitute families freeze and starve during harsh winters. And from the age of ten onward, she had learned the hard way that without money, even servants would refuse to work properly.
Money was a wonderful thing.
“Relax,” she added. “This time, I don’t want silver or gold. Just go to Splendid Embroidery Workshop and buy the most expensive red dress hanging on the third floor. Tomorrow, accompany me back to my family’s home. Do these two things well, and I’ll resolve your issue.”
Du Zi Heng’s expression shifted. “You know why I came?”
“Of course.”
“And you can really resolve it?”
His tone was a mixture of anticipation and skepticism.
Yu Zhi Yi’s smile deepened. “Since you claim I’m so adept at manipulating people, shouldn’t you trust my abilities? Otherwise, wouldn’t that contradict your own words?”
Du Zi Heng: “…”
Is this the first time I’ve met someone who treats insults as compliments?
After a pause, he fixed her with a pointed look. “You’d better deliver on your promises. If you dare deceive me…”
Yu Zhi Yi merely smiled, but inwardly thought: Deceive you? So what if I do? The worst you’ll do is throw a tantrum. What could you possibly do to me?
She didn’t seek his love. What did his anger matter to her?
True to his word, Du Zi Heng acted swiftly. Before the Marquis Wu’an’s Wife arrived, the dress had already been delivered to Breeze Pavilion.
Yu Zhi Yi instructed Zi Yuan to put it away safely.
Not long after, the Marquis’s Wife arrived.
Yu Zhi Yi had known her since she was ten years old, back when she was still the pampered eldest daughter of the Yu Mansion, before Yu Jiao Jiao’s return.
On one fateful outing, she had almost been kidnapped but was rescued by the Marquis’s Wife, who chased the culprits down for miles to save her.
Noticing her savior’s strained expression that day, Yu Zhi Yi had casually advised her to keep her son away from ponds and rivers for a while. That very night, her son fell into the lotus pond while catching fish. Thanks to Yu Zhi Yi’s warning, he was saved in time.
Since then, the Marquis’s Wife had been deeply impressed by Yu Zhi Yi’s abilities, often seeking her advice during critical moments in life—and every time, following Yu Zhi Yi’s guidance had led to favorable outcomes.
Yet neither of them had expected their next meeting to unfold under such circumstances.
The Marquis’s Wife wore a conflicted expression. “Heavenly Master, have you called me here to dissuade me from pursuing justice against that woman?”
If that were the case, her respect for the Heavenly Master might waver.
“Master, I do not wish to harm our bond, so I advise you not to speak on this matter. My son may have many faults, but he is still my son. I acknowledge his mistakes and agree he deserves punishment, but not this kind of punishment.”
“Do you know how gravely he was injured? His skull was split open! The doctor said the attacker meant to kill!”
“Yes, he was drunk, but all he did was approach that woman and invite her to drink. He did nothing more.”
“That woman is truly ruthless!”
“What infuriates me most is that Du Zi Heng knew who the attacker was, yet he remained silent! Such cowardice and irresponsibility! Master, you shouldn’t lower yourself for his sake! He’s not worth it!”
Yu Zhi Yi handed her a cup of tea. “Have some chilled tea to cool down.”
Her airy voice, like a gentle breeze, eased the Marquis’s Wife’s fury.
Though her mood softened slightly, her determination remained unwavering.
Yu Zhi Yi studied her face for a moment before speaking. “Do you know what will happen if you continue to pursue this?”
The Marquis’s Wife stiffened instinctively.