Chapter 42: Reversal
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Yu Jiao Jiao gazed at the person kneeling at her feet and nearly raised her foot to kick the woman away.
What a fool!
But with so many eyes watching, she couldn’t reveal her true nature. Instead, she put on a facade of heartbreak and despair. “Embroideress Zhou, I cannot help you with this matter. Luckily, my brother-in-law’s sharp eye today distinguished between wheat stalks and corn, or you would have committed the grave sin of deceiving the emperor! Even I, who purchased the dress, would have been implicated.”
She shook her head and dabbed at her eyes. “I… I trusted you wrongly!”
Before she could spin her pitiful tale further, a noblewoman interjected, “The issue with Embroideress Zhou is secondary. The pressing matter is how the auction money for the skirt should be handled.”
Immediately, someone else echoed, “What is there to discuss? It must be refunded, of course!”
These were the very women who had just successfully bid for Embroideress Zhou’s skirts. Moments ago, they had been thrilled with their purchases; now, they only felt misfortune looming.
Yu Jiao Jiao inwardly rejoiced.
She, too, had considered the money issue but, maintaining her delicate and pure image, dared not bring it up herself. Now that someone else had raised the matter, she was more than happy to let the tide carry her along.
Yet, before she could fully savor her joy, Yu Zhi Yi leisurely sipped her tea and said, “While this incident reflects a significant oversight on Splendid Embroidery Pavilion’s part, before the problem arose, Red Luan already warned you all. None of you listened to her. Only Auntie Red wanted to pause the appreciation banquet to investigate, but you dismissed her because she was merely a Silver-Ranked Embroideress and unworthy of your trust.”
“Now that the truth is out, Red Luan was not wrong, nor was Splendid Embroidery Pavilion. Therefore, the money should not be refunded.”
Yu Jiao Jiao’s expression twisted. “How can that be?”
She realized her outburst and quickly resumed her gentle and virtuous demeanor. “As you said, it was merely an oversight on Splendid Embroidery Pavilion’s part…”
Yu Zhi Yi replied calmly, “Splendid Embroidery Pavilion was willing to take responsibility for their oversight, but wasn’t it you who stopped Auntie Red? Wasn’t it also you who vouched for Embroideress Zhou, claiming that as a Gold-Ranked Embroideress, she could never stoop to stealing a young girl’s embroidery?”
“The mistakes you made yourself—should others bear the blame for them?”
She sighed. “Dear sister, let’s not forget that you are now the Third Young Madam of Duke Courage’s Mansion. Don’t bring shame upon your husband.”
Yu Jiao Jiao’s breath hitched.
After the initial three months of indulgence, Zhang Tian Shun’s interest in her had dwindled. For the past half-month, he hadn’t set foot in her chambers.
If more rumors reached his ears, he might truly despise her.
Moreover, her image-obsessed mother-in-law would never let her off the hook.
The thought of this forced Yu Jiao Jiao to suppress her fury and swallow her losses. “Sister, you are right…”
Among the noblewomen present, Yu Zhi Yi and Yu Jiao Jiao held the highest status. Since Yu Jiao Jiao, who suffered the greatest loss, had relented, the other two could not continue their grievances.
Besides, they hadn’t truly lost anything.
Though Embroideress Zhou’s moral character was questionable, her embroidery skills remained impeccable.
The skirts they purchased, regardless of origin, were not worthless.
On the contrary, Yu Jiao Jiao’s skirt, ruined by the removal of embroidery threads, was entirely unsalvageable.
With this realization, the two women felt reconciled and left contentedly with their skirts.
Before long, only six people remained in the lounge on the third floor.
Suddenly, Red Luan rushed toward Auntie Red. “Auntie, are you just going to let this go? My three skirts are missing!”
“You saw it yourself! Just one Golden Autumn skirt sold for over ten thousand silver taels. Even if the other two don’t fetch as much, they’re worth at least seven or eight thousand each! According to the pavilion’s rules, I’m entitled to half the sales during the appreciation banquet. That’s a loss of over ten thousand taels!”
Auntie Red patted her shoulder and then turned a frosty gaze toward Embroideress Zhou and her daughter. “The money will be compensated by you.”
Embroideress Zhou’s face turned ashen, while Bai Tian Er protested tearfully, “Auntie, I only took one Golden Autumn skirt!”
Red Luan sneered. “Aside from my apprentices, you were the only one in and out of my room. Those apprentices are loyal and would never betray me. Who else but you could have taken my other two pieces?”
“I didn’t…”
Before Bai Tian Er could continue, Red Luan coldly interrupted, “You either pay up or face the authorities. One way or another, I’ll get my losses back!”
“You!” Bai Tian Er choked with rage.
Just as she wanted to argue further, Embroideress Zhou croaked, “Enough, Tian Er. I’ll pay.”
Red Luan scoffed, giving Embroideress Zhou a scornful look. “I hope you’ll reform yourself after this and stop scheming for personal gain.”
Thus, the farce finally came to an end.
In the carriage, Red Luan clung to Yu Zhi Yi’s arm, trembling with excitement. “Sister, you’re my lucky star! First, you helped me sell that piece for five thousand taels, boosting my reputation. And now, you’ve squeezed over five thousand taels out of that old hag. It’s just too satisfying!”
Embroideress Zhou, despite her usually honest and straightforward appearance, was secretly manipulative. She would feign support for promising embroideresses, only to subtly sabotage them.
Because of her schemes and deliberate misguidance, many talented embroideresses in the pavilion had unwittingly made grave mistakes and been dismissed.
Once dismissed from Splendid Embroidery Pavilion, what embroidery workshop in Sheng Capital would dare to employ them?
These unfortunate women were left with two choices: resign themselves to an unremarkable life at home or leave the capital entirely to rebuild elsewhere.
But starting anew was never easy.
The world was rarely kind to women.
This time, Red Luan had turned the tables, ruining Embroideress Zhou’s reputation and squeezing five thousand taels out of her. More importantly, her other two stolen pieces were intact and ready to be sold, promising another hefty income!
Pulling out a stack of silver notes from her sleeve, Red Luan grinned. “Here’s six thousand taels—your share and a bonus for your trouble. Be sure to lend me your support again if anything like this comes up!”
Yu Zhi Yi accepted the money without hesitation. Just as she was about to return the bag she had previously borrowed, a voice filled with gritted anger broke through. “A share?”
Both women froze.
Yu Zhi Yi’s eyes flickered, and an uncharacteristic pang of guilt arose.
After all, last time, not only had she used Du Zi Heng, but she had also swindled five thousand taels from him.
Though she’d only kept two thousand five hundred taels, the man had indeed lost five thousand.
But then she reminded herself that she had helped him resolve his sweetheart’s troubles.
It was merely a fee for her services.
Her confidence restored, she calmly lifted the curtain and said, “Yes, a share.”