Chapter 666: Guidance
"There are enemies, but not many who can shake the Yu family. This is also due to Princess Rong'an's desire to marry. That means the court is trying to win them over and give them trust. The Yu family has benefited greatly from this."
Marrying a princess is not just as glorious as it sounds. As long as it is done well, there are many practical benefits to be gained.
The Yu family obviously took full advantage of the benefits that this incident could bring.
However, when talking about Princess Rong'an, Ji Yunshu was reminded of the romantic scandal of the eldest son of the Yu family.
"How's your investigation going on with Mr. Yu's sweetheart?"
Ji Yunshu had been busy with other things these days and hadn't thought of asking, but she felt that this was a small matter and should be easy to find out.
Zhao Shen shook his head and said, "That woman indeed disappeared many years ago. She has not been in contact with Master Yu for many years."
Ji Yunshu was surprised: "How could it be?"
According to Xianxian, this woman's background was not good, so she could not marry Master Yu.
And for her, Master Yu even chose to disobey the imperial order.
This is something that even a love-brained person like Zhao Heng cannot do.
How could Master Yu let go of such a beloved woman so easily?
Zhao Shen said, "The Yu family kept their mouths shut back then, so the number of people who knew about this incident wasn't as many as Xianxian said. People outside may have only heard a few groundless rumors, but no one took them seriously. According to my research, the reason Young Master Yu couldn't marry that woman back then wasn't probably because her status was too low."
A woman who can get rid of Master Yu.
From the moment he knew this, Ji Yunshu understood that this was definitely not an ordinary woman.
Compare her to Yao Ruolan, who was in the same situation. When this woman learned that Young Master Yu was going to be his consort, she knew there was no possibility for them to be together.
So even after giving birth to a child, she still left cleanly and decisively.
"Is it the Yu family's rival, or the descendant of a criminal?"
Only in these two situations would the Yu family never let her in.
Zhao Shen said, "The more likely possibility is that it's a combination of both. Her family was implicated because of the Yu family, so she was so determined to leave."
When Ji Yunshu heard him say this, he knew that he must have found something: "What do you mean?"
"I looked into the situation in Hangzhou before Princess Rong'an married into the Yu family. The then Hangzhou prefect, Zhen Wenhua, wasn't from a high-class family, but he was extremely talented. He was the top scholar handpicked by the late emperor. However, he was later implicated in the Jiangnan imperial examination fraud case, was dismissed from office and exiled, and died on the way."
"It wasn't a natural death, was it?"
Ji Yunshu felt a little heavy in his heart.
This Zhen Wenhua was obviously sent to Jiangnan by the late emperor.
How could someone with a mission commit fraud in the imperial examination?
But even the late emperor couldn't save the people, so the evidence must have been conclusive at that time.
Ji Yunshu couldn't help but think of Yang Zhen today, who was also accused of a false charge, but the evidence was solid.
Zhao Shen shook his head. "It happened so long ago, and someone cleaned up the traces at the time, so there's no way to verify what exactly happened. What I'm trying to say is that Zhen Wenhua had a sixteen-year-old daughter at the time. There's no record of her in the files, and no one knows what became of her."
"Are you saying that Mr. Yu's sweetheart is the daughter of the Zhen family, whose family was destroyed by the Yu family?"
Even though Ji Yunshu was very accepting, she still felt that this was a bit of a challenge to her bottom line.
She even had some doubts, were the protagonists of this book really Zhao Heng and Yao Ruolan?
It sounds like Young Master Yu and his wife seem to have a more tragic love relationship.
Zhao Shen said: "What happened at that time can no longer be verified, so I am not sure, but based on the clues we know, this is the most reasonable inference."
Ji Yunshu was reluctant to think so, but had to admit that what he said made sense.
When Ji Yunshu thought that was the end, Zhao Shen said, "I also found out something. Zhen Wenhua's wife's surname is Ye."
Ji Yunshu: “…”
She suddenly looked up at Zhao Shen, and after confirming that what he said was what she thought, she felt a little dazed.
She thought of all the incongruities about Madam Ye. She came from a good family, had outstanding looks, and was full of talent, but she had fallen to such a state.
After being rescued by Cen Xi, she returned to Hangzhou, but was unwilling to associate with the aristocratic families in Hangzhou.
The man wanted to go to Yu Mansion and even claimed to be sick.
If Zhao Shen's guess is correct, then everything is explained.
But thinking of that quiet and peaceful woman, Ji Yunshu didn't want to believe it was true.
Ye Zhenzhu's words that she was a widow whose husband had died were still echoing in his ears. Ji Yunshu thought that she probably really wanted Master Yu to die.
Seeing that she was still in shock for a long time, Zhao Shen smiled and said, "This is just my guess. It may be a million miles away from the truth. Just listen to it and don't take it seriously."
Ji Yunshu shook his head: "You never talk nonsense, this is probably the truth. I just have some..."
It's not too hard to believe, but it makes me feel uncomfortable.
Of course, the incident has passed and she is not involved, so this discomfort is nothing.
After a moment, she stood up and said, "Madam Ye is sick, and I haven't seen her yet."
She wanted to meet Madam Ye and ask her about the specific situation.
When Zhao Shen said this, he knew how Ji Yunshu would react, and did not stop him.
Madam Ye was really sick. Several days had passed, but she was still not fully recovered. Her high fever had subsided, but she was still not in good spirits.
When Ji Yunshu arrived, she was leaning on the couch embroidering.
She had an excellent hand at embroidery. Ji Yunshu took it in her hands and looked at it with some envy: "You embroider it really well."
Madam Ye smiled and said nothing, but asked, "Why is Madam here?"
It was almost dark, and it was a bit strange that Ji Yunshu came at this time.
Madam Ye observed her expression.
Ji Yunshu said, "I heard you were ill, and I've wanted to come see you for a long time, but I haven't been able to find time these past few days. Princess Rong'an even asked about you when I went to the Yu Mansion that day."
Madam Ye's eyes moved slightly, her expression was very light, and her smile was not visible in her eyes: "Zhenzhu said it when she came back. I didn't expect that someone like her would personally receive you just to discuss the snacks for Old Master Yu's birthday banquet."
Cen Xi wrote to her and told her that the people coming were the third son and third young lady of the Sheng family.
But she is not blind. This couple is not something that an ordinary merchant can support.
Ji Yunshu smiled and said, "Yeah, I didn't expect that either. I've been thinking about it for a long time these past few days, but I still can't figure out the reason. You've been in Hangzhou for a long time, and you used to manage the Cen family's silk shop. You must have had contact with her, right? Could you give me some advice?"
Madam Ye stared at Ji Yunshu calmly and said, "I have met the princess several times, but I am of low status, so how can I know what she is thinking? If you are really worried, perhaps you can wait. Since she has come to you, she will reveal her purpose."
Ji Yunshu nodded: "I thought so too, but I'm a little uneasy. After all, I heard that in Hangzhou, you can't offend anyone but the Yu family."
Madam Ye was thinking of something, and her eyes were fierce for a moment, but it disappeared in an instant: "It is true that the Yu family is a local tyrant, but since my wife is from the capital, the Yu family will not dare to act rashly. You don't have to worry too much."
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