Chapter 70: You Can’t Accuse Me of Lying Just Because You’ve Silenced Everyone
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“After Madam Zhang found this painting and learned that the woman in it was your sister, she started trying to track her movements. Normally, with her status, she wouldn’t have been able to enter the Duke’s circle. But maybe it was fate, or perhaps determination leads to success. During a new collection launch at the Treasure Pavilion, she happened to see your sister at the entrance. She overheard her telling a close friend that she’d be going to Heavenly Sound Temple outside the city in two days to offer incense.”
“Knowing this was her only chance, Madam Zhang hired a group of beggars. She bought them new clothes to disguise themselves and had them lie in wait along the road to Heavenly Sound Temple. When the carriage from Duke Courage’s Mansion passed by, these men attacked…”
“Although the young lady from the Duke’s Mansion had guards and maids traveling with her, Madam Zhang had hired twenty beggars. Outnumbered, the six guards from the Duke’s Mansion were no match.”
“At that moment, Madam Zhang ‘coincidentally’ arrived with another six guards. Seeing their employer, the beggars put up a token fight before surrendering and fleeing.”
“Afterwards, these beggars took their new clothes and the five taels of silver each had received—a fortune—and escaped to other cities. So, despite the Duke turning the entire capital upside down, he couldn’t find any trace of them.”
“Because of this incident, Madam Zhang and your sister became close friends. Later, she successfully married you and climbed up the social ladder.”
In her previous life, after she married into Duke Courage’s Mansion, Madam Meng always hinted that she had risen above her station. Now, Yu Zhi Yi was returning those words to her.
“At first, she genuinely felt grateful to her sister-in-law and had sincere sisterly feelings,” Yu Zhi Yi continued. “But it didn’t take long for her to discover the secret hidden in that painting.”
“When she saw the banknote worth a million taels concealed within, her gratitude and goodwill shattered, replaced by intense jealousy and resentment.”
“She couldn’t understand why, even after becoming the heir’s wife of the Duke’s Mansion and your wife, she didn’t receive any extra benefits. She had to scrape by on just a few dozen taels of silver each month.”
“But this sister-in-law, already married off, still received your wholehearted attention? A million taels of silver! Even if she became the Duchess in the future, she wouldn’t have that much at her disposal.”
“Her mind became unbalanced.”
By this point, the Emperor had already instructed someone to open the painting. Indeed, there was a hidden layer. But the banknote that should have been inside was missing. Judging by the marks, the hidden layer had been opened years ago, confirming Yu Zhi Yi’s words.
“For a moment, Madam Zhang thought about using the banknote to withdraw the silver. But she knew that money of such magnitude, deposited by someone influential, would raise suspicion if not claimed by the rightful person. Even with the banknote, the bankers might inform the Duke as soon as she left. The consequences would be dire—not just imprisonment. So, she suppressed her greed and burned the banknote.”
“But while the banknote could be destroyed, and greed could be suppressed, jealousy grew like weeds in a dark, damp place, growing wildly and unchecked. Before long, it became an impenetrable forest of resentment.”
“Especially every time her sister-in-law returned to the Duke’s Mansion, your mother and husband would greet her with warm smiles. Yet when they faced Madam Zhang, they were full of impatience… The stark contrast tore her reason apart with jealousy.”
“She began to think: if only that woman were gone. Then, her mother-in-law and husband would no longer be distracted and would have to focus on her.”
“An opportunity soon presented itself. Your sister discovered that her husband was seeing other women and returned to the Duke’s Mansion in tears. At that time, the old Duchess and the Duke were away, and only you, her sister-in-law, were at home. She confided all her grievances to you.”
“You promised to inform the Duchess and the Duke when they returned. And after your sister-in-law left, you did tell your mother-in-law and husband, but your account was different from what she had told you.”
“Using clever words, you made the Duke’s family feel that after marriage, she cared only for her husband and no longer for her own family. But to your sister-in-law, you made her feel like a daughter married off is like spilled water, no longer valued.”
“Back and forth, the misunderstandings between the two families deepened.”
“Later, both sides sensed something was wrong and wanted to meet to sort things out. Coincidentally, on the eve of their meeting, your sister-in-law’s father-in-law got into trouble, and her family asked her to help get him out.”
“She only knew her father-in-law was in trouble, but not the details. The Duke’s family knew, however, that her father-in-law was corrupt and had been sentenced to death by the previous Emperor. There was no way to save him! But they didn’t know she was unaware of this.”
“So, each side spoke their own truths, unable to see eye to eye, and parted on bad terms.”
“Failing to resolve the matter, her father-in-law was executed a few days later.”
“This caused your sister-in-law’s status in her husband’s family to plummet. Realizing she wasn’t valued by her own family, her in-laws began to mistreat her without restraint.”
“At first, she tried to send messages back home, but you were always on guard. You had people monitoring every street. As soon as they spotted her messengers, your agents would drive them away.”
“Over time, she lost hope.”
“Later, she discovered her husband had taken a mistress and wanted to bring the mistress’s son into the household under her name. She refused, so her husband resorted to violence… and beat her to death.”
After Yu Zhi Yi finished speaking, the hall was so silent one could hear a pin drop. Countless eyes turned to Madam Meng, filled with disbelief.
Especially among the women present. Regardless of their outward expressions, deep down, they felt a surge of admiration. That was the Duke’s Mansion! This Madam Meng, from a humble background, had single-handedly manipulated events between two powerful families, playing everyone like puppets!
Duke Courage’s eyes were icy cold, nearly freezing over. He stared at Madam Meng and demanded, “Is what she says true?!”
Madam Meng shuddered, gritting her teeth. “Husband, don’t listen to her nonsense…”
Yu Zhi Yi calmly interjected, “You can’t accuse me of lying just because you think you’ve silenced everyone involved. I never speak without evidence. Even when it comes to something as mysterious as divination, I prefer to rely on proof.”
She gave Madam Meng a slight smile. “Unfortunately for you, while you were busy eliminating loose ends, you missed a witness.”