Chapter 58: A Change in Fate
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
On the day the exam results were announced, Du Zi Heng was dragged by his classmates to find the best vantage point early in the morning. You Bing Yue accompanied him as always.
Recently, thanks to the overwhelming success of the South Wind Bookstore, everyone lauded Du Zi Heng as a selfless saint. Even Chancellor Du was increasingly trusted by the Emperor. As a result, Madam Yao’s attitude towards You Bing Yue had softened considerably. As long as the two didn’t cross any obvious lines, Madam Yao was willing to turn a blind eye.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhi Yi had no intention of joining the excitement and remained ensconced in the Breeze Pavilion. Why subject herself to scorn, be jostled about until she was drenched in sweat, and all for what? No, lounging at home was far more appealing.
But alas, someone wasn’t about to let her rest.
Yu Jiao Jiao knew full well that Du Zi Heng was bound to fail the exams this time. Thus, she made a special trip to the Yu Mansion to “congratulate” them. She planned to lavish praises on Yu Zhi Yi first, so when the inevitable news of Du Zi Heng’s failure arrived, the fall from pride to despair would be all the sweeter.
To her surprise, the steward informed her that Yu Zhi Yi, weary from managing affairs for the women of Ma Family Village, had secluded herself to recuperate.
This mention of Ma Family Village ignited Yu Jiao Jiao’s fury anew. What nonsense about managing affairs for those women? Yu Zhi Yi was clearly using her foreknowledge from her rebirth to cheat! The matter of Duke Courage’s long-lost sister’s discovery had been exploited to her advantage.
In her previous life, Yu Jiao Jiao had been too preoccupied with her own vendettas against You Bing Yue to notice such external affairs. By the time the Duke’s sister was found, Yu Jiao Jiao had already moved out of the Chancellor’s Mansion and into the Top Scholar’s new residence, losing her influence over household matters. The sister’s retrieval was handled discreetly, attracting little attention.
Had she not stumbled upon related documents in a study once, Yu Jiao Jiao might have remained oblivious.
Just the thought of this enraged her further. And now, to top it off, Yu Zhi Yi refused to see her? The gall!
Seething, she was about to storm off when her gaze caught sight of Madam Yao’s carriage. Her eyes gleamed with malice. If she couldn’t provoke Yu Zhi Yi, she’d vent her anger on Madam Yao instead.
After all, this hypocritical old woman had feigned righteousness in her previous life, pretending to support Yu Jiao Jiao as the legitimate daughter-in-law while rejecting You Bing Yue. Yet, she ultimately approved of their union. All her assurances that Yu Jiao Jiao would always be the rightful Young Madam of the Chancellor’s Mansion had been empty promises.
“Madam Du,” Yu Jiao Jiao greeted, stepping forward.
Madam Yao recognized her immediately. After all, Yu Jiao Jiao had once been her first choice for a daughter-in-law. Unfortunately, the Yu Family, eager to climb higher, had chosen the Duke’s household over the Chancellor’s. Settling for Yu Zhi Yi had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Madam Yao now felt her decision was the right one.
“Oh, it’s the Third Young Madam,” Madam Yao said politely, though her tone lacked warmth.
Having experienced Madam Yao’s prior enthusiasm, Yu Jiao Jiao easily noticed the coldness in her reception. This only fueled her simmering rage. In her previous life, Madam Yao had never shown such dedication to Yu Zhi Yi. And now she dared give Yu Jiao Jiao the cold shoulder?
At the same time, back in the Breeze Pavilion, Yu Zhi Yi was counting silver and mulling over ways to put it to good use. Wealth brought joy, but to her, the greatest satisfaction came from accumulating merit through her efforts.
Suddenly, her heart stirred. She paused her calculations, pinched her fingers in a brief divination, and frowned.
“Zi Yuan, pack the account books. I’m ending my seclusion early.”
Zi Yuan blinked in surprise but obeyed without question, swiftly tidying up the records. Yu Zhi Yi changed into fresh clothes and hurried out.
At the gates of the Chancellor’s Mansion, Yu Jiao Jiao was piling compliments onto Madam Yao, albeit with ill intentions. By now, she reckoned the news of Du Zi Heng’s failure would soon arrive.
Madam Yao found Yu Jiao Jiao’s behavior puzzling. Though she could sense the malice behind the sweet words, the stark contradiction left her bewildered.
When Yu Zhi Yi arrived, she was greeted by the sight of Yu Jiao Jiao’s smug face and Madam Yao’s confusion.
“Mother,” Yu Zhi Yi called, stepping forward to support Madam Yao’s arm. She discreetly channeled a thread of spiritual energy to calm her.
Just as she was about to reassure Madam Yao that missing this exam was no big deal and Du Zi Heng would surely succeed next time, she froze. Her gaze locked onto Madam Yao’s face.
“What is it, Yi Er?” Madam Yao asked, alarmed by her expression. Whenever Yu Zhi Yi wore that look, trouble seemed to follow.
Regaining her composure, Yu Zhi Yi smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. I merely wanted to advise Mother to stay calm, no matter the joyous news that may come. Overexcitement can lead to misfortune.”
Indeed, joyous news. Although Yu Zhi Yi had remained secluded, the karmic shifts in Madam Yao’s fate were impossible to miss. Despite her deepening connections with certain people obscuring finer details, significant changes remained visible. Today, Madam Yao radiated an unmistakable aura of great fortune.
Yu Jiao Jiao scoffed. “Yu Zhi Yi, are you certain Madam Du is about to encounter joyous news?” Turning to Madam Yao, she added, “Madam Du, don’t let her nonsense fool you. I’ve known her since childhood, and I’ve never heard of her dabbling in esoteric arts. Her theatrics are all for show.”
She sneered. “Whoever believes her nonsense will regret it. Joy can quickly turn to sorrow.”
Her hypocrisy was blatant, but Yu Jiao Jiao didn’t care. Whenever she saw Yu Zhi Yi, her civility evaporated, leaving her unguarded malice exposed.
Madam Yao, however, bristled. “How dare you speak so rudely, child!” Since becoming the Chancellor’s wife, few had dared disrespect her.
Yu Zhi Yi gently patted Madam Yao’s back. “Mother, there’s no need to be angered by someone so thoughtless. She doesn’t know better, and it’s not worth harming your health over her.”
Yu Jiao Jiao rolled her eyes. What a small-minded fraud! Surely Madam Yao would be deeply disappointed in Yu Zhi Yi now.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Yu Zhi Yi opened her mouth once more…