Chapter 66 The truth comes out

There is no need to make a living, serve the elders, or take care of children. The couple is tired of the love in their marriage. The first day, the second day, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, every day is the same, equally boring and tasteless, like chewing wax, making the woman who is as beautiful as a mountain flower gradually wither and become a walking corpse.

But since she started to interact with the Taoist priest, Yanru realized that her life could finally be full of life again. She no longer spent her days in boredom. She would get up every morning, wipe the altar, burn incense, and worship the gods... Twelve hours would pass in a busy and fulfilling manner. It seemed to be effective. Xue Jia often got excited and wanted to be intimate with her. During the warm nights, Yanru would use the excuse that she needed to be pure and free from desires when praying to the gods and Buddhas, and hurriedly avoid him. The gods she worshipped were Yue Lao, and the Buddhas she prayed for were for the couple to be harmonious and never abandon each other. But when her husband came up to her, Yanru couldn't help but push him away and ran away quickly. She couldn't explain why. She got rid of her husband and returned to the cushion in front of the altar, clasped her hands together, and her heart was greedy:

"Three Pure Ones, bless me! May my life be smooth, free from illness, pain, and disaster. My mother-in-law is seriously ill and doesn't care, my husband is at my mercy, and all the money in the Xue family will fall into my hands." Yanru said this with great piety, lighting three sandalwood sticks. She prayed to the gods and burned incense three times a day, and occasionally had a midnight snack. The side room was filled with smoke, comparable to a real Taoist temple. Xue Jia was dissatisfied with this and argued three or four times, but Yanru continued to do as she pleased and ignored him. Reluctantly, he gave up and let her go.

Perhaps because too much incense had burned, the white smoke obscured the view, preventing the Three Pure Ones from seeing Yanru's piety or hearing her desires, making it difficult for them to accurately bless her. That day, the weather was gloomy and hot, the dryness making people feel anxious and restless. Yanru had just cleaned the incense burner and washed her hands when Xue Jia hurriedly said, "Someone's here from the mansion, asking us to go back. They say something big has happened."

Yanru packed up quickly and followed her husband out of the city, heading straight for the Xue Mansion. Entering the house, Wang Xianyi and Xue Peng were pacing the hall in a frenzy. Seeing Yanru, they angrily shouted, "It's all because of you, this unlucky star! Since we married you, we won't have many days of peace in our family."

Who is the unlucky star? It’s you Xue family who are the unlucky stars. I married into your family, and there is no overwhelming wealth, only overwhelming grievances! Yanru covered her head and was scolded. She said in confusion: "What? What happened? What does it have to do with me?"

Xue Peng said, "Our family has been sued."

Xue Jia was shocked and asked with a limp, "Why?"

Wang Xianyi yelled, "It's not just you, my wife, but you too! You two are troublemakers!"

Xue Peng said, "The officials came and said that about two or three years ago, you two tampered with the pawn tickets at the pawnshop and took possession of a pair of jade bracelets that belonged to a mother and daughter. When the daughter grows up, she wants to sue you."

Xue Jia scratched his head: "What jade bracelet? What?"

Yanru's mouth turned sour as she said, "Master, it's the mother and daughter from the Tian family. To please Shao Yanei, we changed the pawn tickets for the bracelets that the Tian mother and daughter had pawned for medical treatment during the New Year, and then went to the government to sue them for not returning the bracelets on time. How could you have forgotten, Master? This idea was yours!"

"Ah, that thing? I haven't forgotten it, haven't I?" Xue Jia suddenly realized, his emotionless expression. Although he had come up with the idea, the bill had been altered by Mian Zong, the Xue residence's steward, and the complaint had been signed and stamped by Yanru. Even outside, everyone knew that You Yanru was nominally in charge of the pawnshop, and that he had little to do with it. If the case went to court, the worst that could happen was that he would feign ignorance.

Xue Peng said, "Since you've already done this, why are you still dragging your feet and causing this mess now?"

Wang Xianyi cursed, "What can we do? This matter has been silent for two years, and now it's out in the open. It's all the fault of that tea merchant in the capital! I sent people to inquire, and they said that the master of the Tian family was distressed because of this matter and was about to die. To save her mother, the child sold herself to a troupe of opera singers, and then, for some reason, was sold to the Zhuang family, where she sang songs for the Zhuang family's old lady to entertain her. The Zhuang family has always been Mr. Shi's sworn enemy in the business world. They knew about our relationship with the Shi family and that the pawnshop belonged to the Shi family. So they dug it out of the Tian child's mouth, brought up the old matter again, and took it to the authorities! They are using our Xue family to attack the Shi family!"

The mother-in-law was extremely anxious, the father-in-law was at a loss, but her husband was easygoing and didn't worry at all. Yanru was chilled and panicked: she was the one who reported the case to the authorities, changed the pawn ticket, and signed the signature in the yamen. Even the signature and signature on the petition in the yamen were hers! If something happened and she was really arrested, she would be the first to bear the brunt. For such a crime, would she be exiled to the frontier or sent to the prison camp? Would she be beheaded? Yanru was extremely anxious and pulled Xue Jia's arm: "What should we do, husband? What should we do?"

"I don't know?" Xue Jia was bewildered. He turned to his mother and asked, "Mom, what should we do?"

The son is stupid, the daughter-in-law is useless, and the good-for-nothing who has already married a family still has to cry for his mother like a three-year-old child when something happens. Wang Xianyi was so angry that she asked the maid to pour a cup of tea. After drinking three sips, she calmed down and said with strength: "I will go to the Shi family and ask Mr. Shi what to do."

Yanru had long since stopped calling Master Shi her "adopted father" and timidly said, "Mother-in-law, although we wrote the petition, we were working for Master Shi in the first place. My husband and I also tried to please Shao Yanei on his behalf. He wouldn't just stand by and watch, right?"

Wang Xianyi snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Oh, I don't know that. Since you mentioned that you were trying to please Shao Yanei, why didn't you talk about another time? Back then, someone also tried to please Shao Yanei and wanted to give their sister to him as a concubine, which embarrassed us. Sister An was angry and made us lose face in front of Master Shi. Even if I want to beg for mercy, I still have to consider whether they are willing to listen to our story."

Yanru was gagged by Wang Xianyi, her fingers twirling around the handkerchief. Panic, fear, uneasiness... Emotions swirled into a hurricane, roaring within her body, lifting her heart high. Yanru was truly terrified. What if the Tian family's daughter decided to risk everything and sue her to death? What if Mr. Shi refused to intervene? What if Wang Xianyi and Xue Jia wanted to push her to take the blame and sacrifice her to put an end to it all? What if, what if, what if...

The more she thought about it, the more frightened and panicked she became. Yanru fidgeted, feeling as if there were thorns under her butt. Seeing Wang Xianyi leading Xue Jia to the Shi residence, the situation was urgent and she could not sit still and wait for death. She had to find some way out. If her in-laws were unreliable, she could still find other ways.

After much deliberation, Yanru dug up all the noble ladies she knew in the capital, her lovers in the world of fame and fortune, and her old friends and classmates from school. In the end, she sadly discovered that the only people she could rely on and who were most likely to lend a hand were those two names:

Wen Yue, Zheng Sirui.

well.

Yanru sighed deeply. Two or three years, nearly a thousand days and nights, should time be able to wash away some of the pain?

Wen Yue's in-laws held high positions. Yanru bravely walked alone to the door of Wen Yue's husband's house, basking in the sun for half an incense stick as she waited for the doorman to announce, "Go now! Our wife said she doesn't know you and told you to fend for yourself. You have to redeem yourself for your sins, and don't try to drag others into it."

"Damn it, she's so heartless. I didn't really offend you, why are you pretending! I think she's just jealous that I'm better at dressing up and prettier than her. She's waiting for me to fall into the water so she can laugh at me! Damn it, she's seen through this woman Wen Yue!" Yanru's words were harder than the silver in her pocket. She spat a mouthful of thick phlegm at the gate of the courtyard and ran towards the Zheng Mansion with a heroic and confident look.

The doorman of the Zheng Mansion was a newly hired one, about fifteen or sixteen years old. He didn't know Yanru and didn't dare to let her in. He arranged for Yanru to sit at the door for the time being and brought her a cup of tea to quench her thirst. Coincidentally, he saw Caiyuan passing by, and the doorman waved and shouted, "Sister Caiyuan, Sister Caiyuan!"

Cai Yuan came towards him: "What's wrong? Why are you yelling?"

The doorman leaned against the door frame, his back to the outside, and poked Yanru with his finger in the air. He said to Caiyuan inside, "A lady said she is your close friend, from Jinling, and that she studied with you in Jinling before. She came here specially to pay her respects to you."

"You've only been here for a few days and you don't know yet. That's my old master, Madam Yi. From now on, just ask her to come in. My Lord won't be angry." Cai Yuan smiled and was ready to welcome the guest in warmly. As she stepped over the threshold, she caught a glimpse of Yanru, who was wearing a colorful dress. Her hair was a little loose, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and it had a light gray luster in the sunlight. Her eyes were anxious and tired, and her posture was awkward.

Cai Yuan's face, originally beaming with joy, suddenly turned cold and icy. She remained silent, turning back and grabbing a large broom. She swung it vigorously at Yanru's legs, using the pretense of sweeping the floor as a pretext to hit her several times. Yanru had no choice but to stand up and curse, "You lowly servant! You have no manners at all! Is this how you treat guests?"

Cai Yuan ignored her and said to the doorman, "Remember this swollen face. She's the god of plague. If she touches you, you'll be plagued by misfortune. Never let her in again." Then she shouted to the other side of the door, "Hurry up and ask the kitchen to boil some bodhi leaves. Let's sweep the courtyard door! We have to get rid of the bad luck! Come on, close the door, and let's go into the kitchen and jump over the brazier."

"Bang!" The copper-filled door slammed shut mercilessly, then creaked open a tiny gap. Cai Yuan emerged from inside and, in front of Yanru, threw the teacup that the doorman had given her against the wall. The coarse earthenware teacup shattered in two at Yanru's feet.

Yanru was so angry that she fainted. She faced the gate of Zheng's house, pointed at the sky and the ground and cursed for a long time. As she cursed, her nose felt sore and she couldn't walk. She squatted on the street and cried.

She really doesn't act like a wealthy lady at all.

Her tears had dried up and she was tired of crying. Yanru sniffed her nose, stood up, brushed the dust off her butt, and walked towards the Taoist's stall.

Humanity is cold and indifferent, while gods and Buddhas are merciful. Since praying to others is fruitless, it is better to sincerely pray to the compassionate Three Pure Ones. The Five Patriarchs and Seven True Ones, the Four Heavenly Masters, the gods and Buddhas in the temple, the Eighteen Arhats, Taoism and Buddhism, there must be a way to save her. Yanru sat before the Taoist priest, carefully recounted her experience, and devoutly asked: "Master, I am afraid that a disaster will happen soon. Please tell me."

The Taoist priest looked at the birth chart and ancient books, but he was helpless: "It should be possible to avert danger, but after this, there may be even greater trouble."

The first half of the sentence reassured Yanru's five senses, but the second half left her hanging again: "What! Something else! What is it! Explain it to me clearly!"

The Taoist thought to himself: You've committed such a grievous sin, and even a simple calculation would tell you it won't last forever. And you're still asking me? Better to elevate your head tonight and think about what other sins you've committed. He must have been afraid to say this, jeopardizing his career. The Taoist, unsure if he was being subtle or genuinely calculating, pondered for a moment before saying, "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed. I can only tell you that in the future, when you encounter something, make a decisive decision. A short pain is better than a long one."

Yanru was speechless. She covered her face with her hands, rubbing her features vigorously to relax the day's furrowed brow. Clearing her ears and eyes, she gazed up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed over the city, and the hazy peaks in the distance lost their former beauty. Instead, they took on a terrifying gloom. Suddenly, a sinister purple light streaked down from the horizon, threatening to shatter the peaceful scene.

"BOOM!" A sudden, muffled thunder echoed in Yanru's ears, rumbling towards the Ministry of Industry and exploding outside the warehouse. Zheng Sirui, who was inside, was so frightened that her hands trembled, and her pen left ugly ink marks on the list.

The clerk beside him laughed and said, "Master Zheng is afraid of thunder."

Zheng Sirui apologized: "I'm not afraid, it's just that it came so suddenly that I was caught off guard and I got scared."

The official said, "Thunder and lightning by the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning always have omens. It's just that you were so focused that you didn't see the lightning outside."

Zheng Sirui smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'll have to fill out another form. It's going to rain soon, so you can go home and tell them I approved it. Once I've filled it out, you can take it to the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow and give it to them."

The clerk was overjoyed to be dismissed early. "Great, great, I'll go back first. By the way, sir, the documents and account books for repairing dams and bridges after the flood in Yongzhou have been delivered to the capital. You were not at the Ministry of Works when the funds were allocated, so I've prepared the initial documents for you. Please take a look at them. If they are correct, I will put them into the warehouse tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"Good, good." This clerk was sincere and meticulous in his work, earning the favor of his superior, Zheng Sirui. She glanced through the documents and caught sight of a very familiar name, calling out, "Shi Jian?"

The clerk gathered his things and asked, "Ah? What happened?"

Zheng Sirui said casually, "Nothing. Isn't he a salt merchant? Why is his name on the list for the bridge construction?"

The clerk laughed, "Hey, Mr. Zheng, you don't know that salt merchants are just the way Mr. Shi made his fortune. The Shi family also has quarries, forestry farms, and logging camps. In recent years, the court has been building water conservancy projects in Yongzhou, Ganzhou, and many other places, and they all buy materials from him."

"Oh, I see." Zheng Sirui closed the booklet, tossed it on the corner of the table, and carefully filled out the new form she had just handed in. After the clerk left, closed the door, and walked away, Zheng Sirui put down her pen and looked through the account book again.

Shi Jian was from the capital. Yanru had mentioned that he was suspicious by nature, and he kept all his businesses under his watch so he could monitor them. Since he owned a forestry and stone quarry, it must be near the capital. No matter how far away, it couldn't be farther than the Yellow River.

Yongzhou has always been rich in rocks and trees. Building a dam in Yongzhou would be easy, as they could just use local materials. Why buy them from Shi Jian in the capital and then go through all the trouble of transporting them to Yongzhou? They were selecting timber and stone for construction. It wasn't like You Yanru was looking for a husband, so she relied on the goods from the capital to be considered premium.

Something must be wrong when things are out of the ordinary. Recalling past events, Zheng Sirui couldn't believe that the list with the name "Shi Jian" on it could be innocent. She hurriedly checked the expenditure figures and opened the booklet of accounts handed to her by the clerk, which contained the flood relief and the accounts transferred from the Ministry of Works.

No, no, no.

Over two years ago, she was still at the Ministry of Revenue. This enormous sum of money for disaster relief was allocated by her, after she and the others in the Ministry worked day and night in the yamen, calculating and allocating funds. Having grown up in frugality, Zheng Sirui was quite sensitive to money. She kept track of every penny, let alone such a staggering sum. Every cent was deeply etched in her mind.

The familiar feeling came back again - the funds allocated by the Ministry of Revenue turned into a fog on the list of the Ministry of Works. It seemed to make sense, but if you look closely, you will find that it is impossible to understand the reason.

Zheng Sirui pondered for a moment, scribbling several lines on a piece of rough paper. She took another sheet and, drawing on the knowledge she'd accumulated over two years at the Ministry of Works, listed the prices of various materials. She pulled out her abacus and carefully examined everything. For a moment, she forgot that dusk had passed, and another sinister light tore through the increasingly dark night.

"Boom!" Muffled thunder enveloped the warehouse, seemingly exploding right beside Zheng Sirui's ears, startling her upwards. Torrential rain poured down, the wind howled, and the asparagus fern in the courtyard swayed in the breeze, its branches swaying here and there. The cruel light and shadows outside cast a shadow on the room, like the demons and monsters dancing wildly in the halls of Hades. The dim light of a burning candle illuminated the plaque inside, each word struggling and trembling. On the left read, "Where there is profit, even the highest mountain can be reached; beneath the deepest source, there is no place it cannot enter." On the right, "Where laws are inconsistent, treachery and deceit arise; where politics are inconsistent, factions spring up." In the distance, "Integrity, benevolence, diligence, and the four qualities that define the skill of governing" were written. In front of them, "Look up to heaven without shame, look down to earth without shame."

Zheng Sirui shuddered.

[Mumbling]: Oh, oh, it's been ages since I've seen comments about the plot. Like Yanru longing for a rich husband, I long for everyone's comments and support.