Chapter 63: Drink This Cup, and Embarrassment Awaits
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“Look at that woman!” Fifth Young Master Yu exclaimed, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Yu Zhi Yi.
He had caught the brief but sharp exchange between Yu Zhi Yi and Yu Jiao Jiao. His face darkened. “Sister Jiao Jiao’s eyes are red from anger because of her. That woman is absolutely intolerable!”
The other three brothers—except for Yu Ming Quan—wore different expressions, but the same disapproval shone in their eyes. They didn’t approve of Yu Zhi Yi causing trouble for their beloved sister.
Madam Yu was anxious too. Unfortunately, at a grand banquet like this, she couldn’t just walk over to comfort her precious daughter. She could only cast resentful glances at Yu Zhi Yi, hoping that this adopted daughter would notice and stop “bullying” Yu Jiao Jiao.
Master Yu remained silent, his aged face stern and unreadable.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhi Yi didn’t spare the Yu family a single glance. After withdrawing her gaze from Yu Jiao Jiao, she followed Chancellor Du and the others to their seats and sat down behind him.
At banquets like this, family members sat behind their husbands or fathers.
Since she and Du Zi Heng hadn’t officially taken office yet, they attended the banquet as family members and didn’t have individual seats.
Not long after they settled in, members of the royal family, concubines, and finally the Emperor himself arrived.
The Emperor, in his thirties, had a scholarly look and exuded nobility, though he lacked an aura of menace. Just by looking at him, it was hard to imagine that he was a decisive and commanding ruler.
The Empress was dignified and graceful. Though not extraordinarily beautiful, she radiated an aura of peace and prosperity.
After taking his seat on the throne, the Emperor began to speak.
Although today was his birthday banquet, birthdays came every year, but talented individuals did not. So before the feast began, he focused on praising the newly appointed top three scholars and announcing their positions.
Before that, of course, he gave the customary speech about the bright future and prosperity of the empire.
Moved by his own words, he raised his cup to toast with everyone.
All those present lifted their cups. Whether they could hold their liquor or not, they had to keep pace with the Emperor.
Yu Zhi Yi had just raised her cup when she felt two subtle yet intense gazes upon her.
She hesitated for a moment, but the Emperor had already tilted his head back and drained his wine. Those beside him followed suit as soon as he put down his cup, making her, still holding her wine, stand out awkwardly.
Before the awkwardness could deepen, she quickly drank the wine in her cup, as if she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
Among the crowd, two pairs of lips curled into identical, pleased smiles.
Yu Jiao Jiao glared daggers at Yu Zhi Yi.
That wretch really knows how to draw attention!
Drink, drink, drink—why doesn’t she just drink herself to death!
If only that cup of wine had been drugged. That would be perfect.
But alas, she could only dream.
She didn’t have the influence to manipulate things at such an important palace banquet.
Just then, she caught sight of someone.
Noticing that he was also staring intently at Yu Zhi Yi, a cruel smile playing on his lips, Yu Jiao Jiao was momentarily stunned. Then she broke into a grin, eager to watch the upcoming spectacle.
She loved watching scoundrels take each other down!
Yu Zhi Yi seemed oblivious. After drinking her wine, she placed the cup back on the table.
Seeing that everyone had finished, the chief eunuch beside the Emperor announced loudly, “Will the new top scholar, second-place scholar, third-place scholar, and Madam Du, Yu Zhi Yi, please come forward to receive your appointments!”
This string of announcements left everyone stunned.
They could understand the first three, but who was the last one?
In fact, as members of the capital’s elite families, most people present had heard rumors that Yu Zhi Yi had been appointed as an official counselor in the Ministry of Justice.
But hearing was one thing; seeing her being singled out by the Emperor for commendation was another. Everyone still felt a bit surreal.
That was an official rank in the Ministry of Justice!
Though it’s a fifth-rank position, among the officials present—many of whom were fourth-rank, third-rank, or even second and first-rank—it seemed insignificant.
But!
The Ministry of Justice wasn’t a place where just anyone could enter. It was a department with real power!
Even a minor clerk in the Ministry of Justice was someone many would fight to befriend.
Honestly, if the Emperor wanted to appease the masses who idolized Yu Zhi Yi, he could have quietly given her the appointment or publicly awarded her an honorary title, and no one would have objected.
But to make such a big deal of appointing her to an official position with real authority, in front of all the civil and military officials and royal relatives—this was openly challenging everyone!
Not to mention the current top three scholars.
Although they had achieved excellent rankings in the imperial examinations, whether they would receive good appointments was still unknown.
If the positions the Emperor gave them were less favorable than Yu Zhi Yi’s, wouldn’t the three of them want to find a hole to crawl into?
And as their chief examiner, Chancellor Du might also lose face.
Oh, wait.
Chancellor Du was Yu Zhi Yi’s father-in-law.
Well, that explains it.
Regardless of what everyone thought, the ceremony continued.
Feeling the malicious gazes around her, Yu Zhi Yi remained unafraid.
When she learned about the appointment yesterday, she had already grappled with it internally.
Since the matter couldn’t be changed, rather than tormenting herself, she might as well let it be and let others deal with their own frustrations.
After all, the impact on her was merely that she could no longer slack off in peace.
That wasn’t a big problem for her. As a practitioner of metaphysics, she could only perform a maximum of three divinations a day.
If the Emperor and officials of the Ministry of Justice wanted to use her fortune-telling abilities to help solve their complex cases, they’d be disappointed.
It’s not that she didn’t want to help; she simply had her limits.
Lost in her thoughts, Yu Zhi Yi, Du Zi Heng, and the other two scholars walked to the center of the hall.
Because today’s banquet wasn’t a formal ceremony, those receiving appointments didn’t need to kneel.
Yu Zhi Yi and the three scholars bowed to the Emperor, then stood respectfully to the side.
Yu Zhi Yi and Du Zi Heng stood side by side, perfectly illustrating what it meant to be unfamiliar spouses.
Neither spared the other a glance.
But the onlookers didn’t know about their real relationship, only finding this couple—who had met at the pinnacle of success—intriguingly compatible.
You Bing Yue thought so too.
Which made her so angry that her face turned pale.
At the moment Yu Zhi Yi stepped onto the stage, Prince Xiao Yao, seated among the royal relatives, smirked coldly.
By his calculations, the drug should be taking effect soon.
He wanted to see how this woman would continue to feign innocence and deceive the world after making a fool of herself in public.
A savior goddess?
Ha!
She didn’t deserve it!
Prince Xiao Yao waited and waited, finally sensing the drug taking effect.
But it wasn’t happening to Yu Zhi Yi.
Suddenly, an indescribable heat surged through Prince Xiao Yao’s body.
This overwhelming sensation not only affected his body but also clouded his mind, making it impossible to think clearly.
In the center of the hall, Yu Zhi Yi seemed to glance casually in his direction.
Although she quickly withdrew her gaze, a satisfied smile played on her lips.
Prince Xiao Yao’s eyes widened in shock. “What?!”