Chapter 404: Just Watch the Show

Chapter 404: Just Watch the Show

She couldn't even imagine how people outside were mocking her.

Madam Zheng thought she had arranged everything perfectly, but soon, Zheng Jinyu found out.

She had always kept someone watching Fang Jinxiu. Who knew what outrageous halos she might have? To prevent any chance of her retaliating and harming herself, it was necessary to keep a close eye on her.

As long as she stepped out of the Lu family's gate, Zheng Jinyu would know what she did.

After hearing the report, Zheng Jinyu was also surprised by the outrageous actions of this mother-daughter duo, though not as shocked as Cui Yongnian.

After all, in modern times, she had come across many similar melodramatic stories while browsing through news snippets, some even more outrageous than this.

But in this era, their actions could be considered quite explosive.

Moreover, without DNA testing, if they did things well, the chances of being discovered were quite low.

The messenger asked her, "Do you think we should control that adulterer for future needs?"

Zheng Jinyu shook her head, "No need. Knowing who he is and where his hometown is will suffice."

With the situation developing like this, Zheng Jinyu no longer felt the need to retaliate against Fang Jinxiu.

The real culprits were Da Chuan and his wife, who had already been punished.

Fang Jinxiu, now known as Zheng Jinxiu, had done things that everyone already knew about.

The Zheng family had revoked her right to use their surname and reclaimed the dowry given to her. As for Madam Zheng, if she wanted to rot with her, who could stop her?

Whether Fang Jinxiu could live a good life in the Lu family depended entirely on her own abilities.

The reason Zheng Jinyu still had someone watching her was merely out of caution, fearing that the protagonist's halo might cause unexpected changes again.

As long as Fang Jinxiu didn't actively cause trouble for her, even knowing this explosive news, Zheng Jinyu wouldn't expose it.

Of course, the main reason was that seeing Lu Shen and his son suffer brought her joy; she wouldn't ruin such a good thing.

Xie Peiyu was surprised when he learned that Zheng Jinyu didn't plan to expose Fang Jinxiu, "I thought you intended to get rid of her. This is such a good opportunity, yet you're letting her off."

Zheng Jinyu smiled faintly, "Why expose her? Lu Shen and his son aren't good people. Let the bad deal with each other; I'll just watch quietly."

Xie Peiyu was taken aback, "Do you have any grudge against Lu Shen?"

She didn't really have any grudge against Lu Shen; it was the original host who died tragically in the Lu family, which created a grudge with Lu Shen and his son.

Zheng Jinyu wished ill upon the Lu family but couldn't directly intervene.

Now that there were bad people tormenting them, causing the Lu family to suffer, she wouldn't interfere regardless of the considerations.

"I don't like him and don't want him to have an easy life," Zheng Jinyu replied casually, turning to pet her cat.

Xie Peiyu looked at Zheng Jinyu in slight surprise.

From his observations over these days, he saw that she treated those around her very well.

Whether it was the craftsmen who helped her, the shopkeepers or waiters, or the servants around her, she provided them with generous treatment and extra gifts during holidays.

Once, a little maid accidentally knocked over a vase while cleaning, and the girl was so scared she knelt down to apologize, even drawing blood from her forehead.

But Zheng Jinyu didn't punish her; she only had someone treat her wound and told her to be more careful next time.

Others would likely punish the clumsy maid with a ruler on her hands, kneeling, or even corporal punishment or selling her off.

However, she also had a purposeful way of retaliating against certain people.

So her schadenfreude towards the Lu family was not accidental.

But since she didn't say anything, he didn't press further.

"I need to go away for a while."

Hearing this, Zheng Jinyu turned around, still holding the cat and stroking its fur gently.

"Where are you going?"

Xie Peiyu said, "Officially, I'm going to inspect the water systems in the north. In reality, I need to take this opportunity to investigate the background of Gao Zhi's birth mother."

"Gao Zhi's background?"

"Yes, we suspect he is not of royal blood. He wasn't born to the old Prince of Prince Zhong's Mansion, but we lack evidence. His birth mother is not from the capital; she's the daughter of a merchant family in Yu City."

That day, Xie Peiyu told her a lot, including their plans to overthrow the current emperor.

They had already contacted several powerful families in the capital for support, but having supporters wasn't enough; they needed a legitimate reason. So they planned to start with investigating his background.

If he wasn't of royal blood, he had no right to sit on that throne.

Of course, this was just the first step.

"After I leave, try to reduce your outings. Even if you do go out, don't leave the city. I've left someone to protect you. In the imperial city, neither side will act too rashly."

Zheng Jinyu nodded, "Alright, I understand."

"Remember, staying with my mother is the safest option."

Given his understanding of Gao Zhi, no matter how urgent the situation, he would not touch the Princess's Mansion.

"Alright."

Two days later, he left.

It was said that in the north, a water conservancy project had been embezzled by corrupt officials, significantly reducing the quality of materials. As a result, it could not withstand the flood as expected, leading to the inundation of downstream villages and the loss of several lives.

The so-called craftsmanship of ancient times being excellent is not entirely true. Only the finest works have survived to the present day, while shoddy constructions have always been abundant and quickly deteriorate, unable to last for centuries.

Truly, they cause great harm.

After Xie Peiyu left, Zheng Jinyu joined the Grand Princess and the County Lady for meals in the dining hall.

On this day, halfway through the meal, the County Lady expressed her concern: "Mother, I heard that after the water conservancy project failed, it triggered a riot among the displaced people. Many have already rebelled against the local government. If Yu'er goes there, he might be attacked by the displaced people."

The Grand Princess paused, nodded, and then continued eating.

Seeing her nod, the County Lady grew even more worried. "With such danger, how could the Emperor still send Yu'er? When the number of displaced people reaches a certain point, they will surely revolt. As the Emperor's nephew, if Yu'er falls into their hands, won't they kill him to raise their flag?"

Hearing what the County Lady said, Zheng Jinyu also put down her chopsticks in surprise and looked at her.

When Xie Peiyu told her about it a few days ago, he only mentioned that the water conservancy project had issues, causing flooding downstream and resulting in some deaths.

He was going there with relief supplies to provide aid and investigate the matter concerning Gao Zhi's mother.

He did not mention anything about the people already being in revolt.

The Grand Princess looked at Zheng Jinyu and said, "Yu'er is prepared; you don't need to worry."

The County Lady then realized that her words might have frightened Zheng Jinyu.

She quickly added, "Yu'er took many people with him. He is blessed and will be fine."

Zheng Jinyu lowered her head without speaking, but she was deeply concerned.

Later, feeling uneasy, Zheng Jinyu indirectly asked the Grand Princess about the water conservancy project.

However, the Grand Princess brushed her off with a few casual remarks, leaving Zheng Jinyu unsure which parts were true and which were false.