Chapter 136: The Imperfect Victim

Chapter 136 An Imperfect Victim

Green Robe looked at her husband and said through clenched teeth, "Doctor, please treat my husband first. I'll bring the money."

Green Robe didn’t want to expose this matter, but she was out of options. She knew Yu Shiyan had married Ye Heir as a Side Consort and even had a child. When Heir Ye requested permission to marry Yu Shiyan, she finally understood why Yu Shiyan had wanted to switch Heir Ye with Lord Zheng—because Yu Shiyan had also liked Heir Ye back then and naturally didn’t want Yu Lanyi’s scheme to succeed.

Now, she had nothing left but a secret that could save her husband’s life.

She had once taken money from Yu Lanyi and Yu Shiyan to save her parents, and now she could expose this matter to treat her husband’s illness. But she also knew her limits. If this were revealed in public, she would certainly not survive. Considering the reputations of the families involved, neither the Marquis of Changyang’s household nor Prince Zhennan’s household would tolerate her—they would even accuse her of lying.

So Green Robe decided to approach Yu Shiyan first.

Back then, she had accepted Yu Lanyi’s money, but Yu Lanyi had never promised her an escape. Yu Shiyan, for some reason, had learned of the matter and sought her out, offering her more money and even helping her leave.

Green Robe had gritted her teeth and agreed to Yu Shiyan’s terms.

Two young masters from noble houses were engaged in their power struggle, and she, a mere maidservant, had been dragged into it. Though she had been uneasy, for the sake of money, Green Robe had been willing to take the risk.

The doctor sighed. "Fine, I’ll treat him first."

Green Robe wiped her face and left.

Unable to wait, she first went to Prince Zhennan’s residence. She wasn’t bold enough to seek Yu Shiyan at the main gate, so she went to the side entrance. Spotting a maidservant about to enter, she stopped her. "Sister, could you do me a favor? I have an old connection with the Side Consort in your household. Could you inform her that Green Robe has come to seek an audience?"

She pressed a handful of coins into the maidservant’s hand.

The maidservant jingled the coins in her palm and nodded. "Alright, I’ll do you this favor and inform the Side Consort. But whether she agrees to see you or not, I can’t say."

Green Robe waited by the side gate for a while.

The maidservant soon emerged, giving Green Robe a curious glance. This woman looked like a farmer’s wife—how could a noble-born young master like the Side Consort know someone like her?

"Follow me inside. The Side Consort has agreed to see you."

Green Robe’s face lit up, and she hurriedly followed the maidservant’s steps, not daring to glance around, keeping her eyes lowered, as usual. The maidservant observed her demeanor and was startled. An ordinary farmer’s wife entering a prince’s residence would either look around nervously or act awkwardly, but this woman was different—she seemed entirely unfazed by the opulence around her.

The maidservant led her to Yu Shiyan and was promptly dismissed. Suspicious, she decided to report the matter to the Prince Consort. Since the management of the household was still in the hands of the Prince Consort, the maidservant naturally sought to curry favor with her.

Upon hearing the maidservant’s report, the Prince Consort gave her a silver piece.

"What connection could Yu Shiyan have with a country woman? Send someone to follow her discreetly—don’t alert them," the Prince Consort calmly instructed.

Some time ago, she had seen her grandson, who bore a striking resemblance to Ye Yunchu—the same small nose and eyes, just like her son. The Prince Consort had wanted to pat the child’s head, but when Little Ye saw her, he first bowed respectfully, then said, "Grandson has things to do."

The Prince Consort called her grandson’s name several times, but Little Ye only ran faster.

She noted this. Children didn’t behave this way naturally. Moreover, as her grandson, Little Ye should have been close to her. It must be that Yu Shiyan had said something to the child in private, making him so distant.

What right did a lowly concubine have to raise a child? Her grandson should be raised by her. For now, she couldn’t make any overt moves, but this country woman might just be the opportunity she’d been waiting for.

This time, she would remain patient.

Meanwhile, Yu Shiyan met with Green Robe, instructing Shi Xia to close the door. He recognized her familiar face.

"This servant greets the third young master." Green Robe bowed.

"Rise and take a seat first." Yu Shiyan had Shi Xia serve her a cup of hot tea.

Green Robe touched the teacup but didn’t drink. She looked at Yu Shiyan with a sorrowful expression. "Third Young Master, I wouldn’t have come to you if I weren’t desperate. My husband’s leg is injured and requires a large sum for treatment. Our savings are gone. Please, help me."

Yu Shiyan suppressed his anger, completely unaware that Green Robe was still in the capital. He had assumed she had long disappeared. After hearing her plea, he pondered and asked, "How much more do you need?"

Green Robe thought that once she obtained enough money to heal her husband's leg, she would leave the capital with him.

She swallowed hard. "Five thousand taels."

Yu Shiyan froze at her words, a hint of revulsion flashing in his eyes. He remembered that when he had previously tasked Green Robe with replacing Young Master Ye with Zheng Shanci, he hadn’t paid her nearly this much. Now, just for her husband’s leg injury, she demanded five thousand taels—greedy and insatiable, all while holding leverage over him.

This wasn’t just his secret—it was Yu Lanyi’s as well.

Yu Shiyan inwardly sneered but maintained a gentle expression. "I can give you the silver, but you and your husband must leave the capital immediately. If I ever see you in the capital again, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Consider this five thousand taels your blood money." He bade Shi Xia to fetch the banknotes.

He had recently saved some money from his business ventures, and now most of it was going to Green Robe.

Meeting Yu Shiyan’s gaze, Green Robe hastily lowered her head. "Third Young Master, rest assured. Once I have the silver, I will never appear before you again."

After receiving the money, Green Robe was escorted out of the Prince of Zhennan’s estate by Shi Xia.

With the silver in hand, she let out a sigh but soon noticed someone following her. Dodging her tail, she headed straight to the physician’s clinic.

"Can I move my husband to another place point-blank?" she asked.

The doctor replied, "Moving him now will affect his recovery. If you must relocate him, wait three or four days."

Green Robe had no choice but to nod. The doctor cautioned that her husband’s wound was inflamed and needed close observation. Now that she had the money, she decided to stay at the clinic with him. Once his condition improved slightly, she would immediately take him away from the capital.

She had a plan in mind. The next morning, she went out to buy breakfast, and the first day passed without incident. On the second day, the doctor informed her that her husband’s leg was no longer inflamed, lifting her spirits. She ventured out again to buy food. Though she had spent years in hiding and knew how to spot pursuers, she rarely came to the capital. Besides, so much time had passed that she believed the Changyang Marquisate had given up searching for her.

Until someone grabbed her shoulder.

Suddenly, Green Robe realized that the marquis’s family had a military background—her amateurish tricks were nothing in their eyes.

She was dragged into the marquis’s residence.

That day, Master Yu had just received several fine bolts of fabric. Pleased, he instructed Nurse Cao to summon An Geer. "Pick whichever you like, and choose one for Changxing as well—he needs new clothes."

An Geer murmured and slowly pored over the fabrics.

A servant approached Master Yu and whispered in his ear. His expression darkened. After years of searching, they had finally caught her. Master Yu refused to let the matter of Yu Lanyi’s scheme go unresolved. Though Lanyi had made a mistake, to go so far as to replace Young Master Ye with Zheng Shanci proved that Lanyi had been played.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Since the matter was shameful, Master Yu ordered the servant to lock Green Robe in the storage shed for interrogation later. Once An Geer finished selecting fabrics and left to stroll in the garden—taking advantage of his pregnancy while he could still walk—Master Yu headed to the storage shed.

Inside, Green Robe was tied to a stool. A chair was placed before her, and Master Yu sat down, signaling Nurse Cao to yank her head up by the hair.

Green Robe winced in pain as her face was forced upward. Master Yu didn’t recognize her.

"So you’re Green Robe, the missing maid from the Pei residence. The Changyang Marquisate has searched for you for years, and now we’ve finally caught you," Master Yu said coldly. "Aside from Lanyi, who else ordered you to replace Young Master Ye with Shan Ci?"

Green Robe remained silent.

"Still stubborn even now? My marquis comes from a military background, and most of our servants are retired soldiers. Their interrogation methods are harsher than those of the Ministry of Justice’s interrogators. If you refuse to speak, I have plenty of ways to make you talk." Master Yu gestured to a servant.

He couldn’t stomach bloody scenes, so he left the storage shed first.

Within a quarter of an hour, the maid broke and was ready to talk. Master Yu sighed—his youngest son was a fool for entrusting such an unreliable person with this task.

When Master Yu reentered, Green Robe confessed everything in detail. Upon hearing Yu Shiyan’s name, he saw red. He had never deprived Yu Shiyan of anything, yet now he had nurtured a viper in his bosom. He knew Lanyi had acted foolishly, but to go so far as to replace Young Master Ye with Zheng Shanci—what was the point? He and Young Master Ye had a dalliance, which Master Yu had no intention of interfering with. But replacing him with Zheng Shanci—what sense did that make? At the time, they knew nothing about Zheng Shanci except that he was a lowborn scholar. For the trueborn son of a marquis’s household to marry a lowborn scholar—was that what brought Yu Shiyan satisfaction?

Nanny Cao hurriedly patted Husband Yu's back, and only then did he recover.

"Send someone to summon the second young master and his spouse, as well as the third young master and his spouse."

Dirty laundry shouldn’t be aired in public. The matter had already been settled when it happened, and bringing it up now would only make it a laughingstock.

"Husband Yu, what should be done with this maid?"

Husband Yu waved his hand. "Stick her in a holding room for now."

The attendant acknowledged the order and left.

...

After finishing his duties at the Imperial Sacrificial Office, Sir Zheng went to watch the ritual dance. Shortly after, Assistant Minister Leng approached him and asked, "Sir Zheng, what do you think of the dance?"

Sir Zheng, not well-versed in ritual dances, simply said it was decent.

Returning to his office, he prepared for the next lecture. After covering the topic of benevolence and virtue, Sir Zheng planned to discuss critical thinking. As princes, they wielded immense power, and the next emperor would emerge from one of these two princes. How to utilize their power and how to think critically—Sir Zheng believed these were crucial lessons for the two princes.

After clocking out, Sir Zheng intended to ask Lanyi about the arrangements for Qing Yin's matchmaking. As he climbed back into the carriage, an attendant said, "Sir, Young Master has gone to the Marquis’s estate. Husband Yu said you should head there after your duties. The third young master and his spouse will also return."

Sir Zheng remained calm at first, but the last part of the message made his heart skip a beat. Had the matter been discovered? He climbed back into the carriage and headed to the Marquis’s estate.

Though Sir Zheng knew the full story, being summoned by Husband Yu still unsettled him. Lanyi was not in the right either, and as for the protagonist involved, Sir Zheng had never interacted with him and thus refrained from judgment.

It was all a hot mess.

Upon arriving at the Marquis’s estate, Sir Zheng was led to the courtyard, where attendants stood guard. Inside, Lanyi was fidgeting, while Shiyan sat on the opposite side. Seeing Sir Zheng, Lanyi sighed in relief. His dad had summoned him and Shiyan over without explanation, leaving them to wait.

Shiyan had a hunch but remained composed and silent.

Sir Zheng sat beside Lanyi, who wanted to whisper to him, but a glance from Husband Yu silenced him. He knew better than to provoke Husband Yu at this moment.

He snuck a peek at Sir Zheng, who smiled reassuringly and pushed a cup of hot tea toward him.

Soon enough, Young Master Ye arrived as well. After greeting Husband Yu, he sat beside Shiyan. The Marquis of Changyang returned from his duties later and, seeing the situation, took his seat without a word.

Yu Zhangxing was the last to arrive. Shiyan looked at him, unable to suppress his unease.

"Everyone is here. Nanny Cao, close the door."

Nanny Cao acknowledged the order.

"Today, I captured a maid," Husband Yu began, glancing at Shiyan before continuing. "This maid was the one who locked Lanyi and Shan Ci in the room five years ago. She confessed that she initially took money from the second young master, waited until Young Master Ye was drunk, helped him to the side chamber, and then followed him in, locking them together before calling Lv Jin to bring others to witness it. For the sake of reputation, Young Master Ye would have no choice but to marry him."

Hearing this now, Lanyi wished he could sink through the floor, especially since it was being recounted in front of Young Master Ye and Sir Zheng. Even thick-skinned as he was, Lanyi felt deeply embarrassed.

Why did Dad have to bring this up? Lanyi grumbled inwardly. He snuck a peek at Sir Zheng, who remained composed, his expression unchanged.

Young Master Ye, however, shifted uncomfortably. He had been completely unaware of the matter. But upon reflection, the one locked in the room with Lanyi in the end wasn’t him—it was Sir Zheng. So why were they summoned? Had Shiyan messed with the setup?

"According to Lanyi's original plan, Young Master Ye should have been locked in with him. Unfortunately, the third young master offered more money and promised to help the maid escape, so Shiyan instructed her to find a low-ranking scholar to take his place."

The lowest-ranking attendees at the Pei residence's banquet were low-ranking scholars. Hiring a servant would have been too obvious—Shiyan feared the difference in stature would be noticed, especially since Lanyi had some martial skills. Nor did Shiyan want Lanyi to marry a mere servant. Husband Yu and the Marquis of Changyang would never allow it. Marrying a scholar, however, was still a possibility.

"In the end, the ones locked in the side chamber were Lanyi and Shan Ci." Husband Yu turned to Shiyan. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"So it was really you who ruined me! You got your satisfaction from making me marry a low-ranking scholar? Shiyan, how could you hate me so much when I’ve never done anything to you?!" Lanyi, hearing this, blew his top, jumping to his feet.

Yu Shiyan: "It was you who spoke in the garden and I overheard. I admit I did this out of personal spite to retaliate against you. You wanted to be with Yunchu—didn’t you also harbor thoughts of opposing me?"

Yu Lanyi had indeed felt that way at the time, because Ye Yunchu treated Yu Shiyan far more warmly than he did him. It ate at him—how could he, the Marquis’ legitimate son, compare less than a mere bastard son? Ye Yunchu clearly had no judgment.

In his agitation, he had resorted to a foolish scheme, pleading with Lv Jin to help him carry it out.

Yu Lanyi: "So you switched the person to Zheng Shanci?"

Yu Shiyan: "This was my doing. I envied you—everything about you. Just because I was born illegitimate, I was forced to stay confined to the courtyard. Whether it was Mid-Autumn Festival, Lantern Festival, or New Year’s, I was always alone in the courtyard, forbidden to step out. Mr. Yu never deprived me, but servants are opportunists. I suffered hardships in my youth, and I knew then that I could only rely on myself. Your life, on the other hand, has been smooth sailing—you have a father and a dad who dote on you, and even an elder brother who loves you so. I had nothing."

Yu Lanyi retorted: "What does that have to do with me?"

"Exactly, what does it have to do with you? You were born into a life of privilege. When I was ten, Shi Xia came to my side. On my birthday, he cooked me a bowl of *longevity noodles*. You were flying a kite, and it landed on my roof. Over the servants’ protests, you still climbed up to retrieve it. When you came down, that bowl of *longevity noodles* fell to the ground. You said it was an accident and promised to make it up to me."

Yu Shiyan looked at Yu Lanyi, his eyes reddening. "Yes, in your eyes, it was just a bowl of *longevity noodles*. As the Marquis’ legitimate son, you could have anything. So all my life, I could only watch you live in happiness. You could never understand what that bowl of *longevity noodles* meant to me."

Yu Lanyi could barely remember. Seeing his expression, Yu Shiyan knew he had already forgotten—to Yu Lanyi, it truly was just a trivial matter.

"This was my doing, and I won’t make excuses," Yu Shiyan said, looking at Yu Lanyi. "Your scheme failed, mine succeeded—tit for tat. But now, it seems my scheme didn’t truly succeed either."

Zheng Shanci thought to himself: In the original story, your scheme did succeed. Yu Shiyan retaliated against Yu Lanyi, making him marry the original host. The original host and Yu Lanyi were incompatible, leading to Yu Lanyi’s early death.

Hearing this, the Marquis of Changyang stood and struck Yu Shiyan. Ye Yunchu quickly rose to stop him. "Father-in-law, this matter is already in the past."

The Marquis, a trained martial artist, did not hold back—the blow left Yu Shiyan’s face swollen and his lips bleeding.

Mr. Yu said nothing.

This was the first time Yu Lanyi had ever seen the Marquis strike any of them. No matter how badly he'd acted up in the past, the Marquis had never laid a hand on him.

"So now you finally decide to hit me," Yu Shiyan spat out blood, wiping his mouth.

The Marquis’ chest heaved with anger. Mr. Yu looked at Yu Shiyan, his gaze icy. "Lanyi was the one who erred first. Had you simply told me, I wouldn’t have blamed you. But you had to interfere and scheme against him. Let me ask you this—I’ve treated you fairly, haven’t I? If you had any conscience, you wouldn’t have done this to Lanyi. Look at him now—he’s still doing well. But what if Zheng Shanci hadn’t been a good man? What would have become of him? Xinfeng County even suffered a plague—had Lanyi not survived, you would have killed him. You were driving him to his death."

Yu Shiyan: "You’ve treated me well. I was blinded by resentment and did wrong. When I heard about the plague, I regretted it—I never wanted him dead."

Mr. Yu sneered. "Bow to me thirty times, and never set foot in the Marquis’ residence again. I will announce that the Marquis’ household cuts all ties with you. From now on, your affairs have nothing to do with us—in life or death, we are no longer family."

Neither the Marquis nor Yu Zhangxing spoke. Ye Yunchu seemed about to say something, but Yu Shiyan gripped his hand and shook his head.

Yu Shiyan took a deep breath, then knelt before Mr. Yu and slammed his forehead against the ground. Each bow drew blood—by the twentieth, his forehead was split open.

Mr. Yu watched the blood pool on the floor without a trace of sympathy, his gaze forever cold. Zheng Shanci saw the blood streaming down Yu Shiyan’s face and staining his clothes, yet his back remained straight as he continued to bow with unrelenting force.

The sound of his forehead striking the ground was horribly loud.

When the thirty bows were done, Ye Yunchu rushed to support Yu Shiyan.

Mr. Yu said calmly, "This matter ends here. I cannot tolerate you. Since Lanyi came to no real harm, I won’t pursue it further. But had anything happened to him, Yu Shiyan, I would have demanded your life in return. Don’t speak of fairness—if I don’t protect my child, who will? His misfortune would have been entirely your doing, and any suffering he endured as a result, I would have blamed on you."

Yu Shiyan gave a single nod. Ye Yunchu helped him out. Only after they had passed the Marquis’ gates did Yu Shiyan collapse, unconscious.

Ye Yunchu carried him into the carriage and barked at the coachman to leave immediately.

The Marquis balled his fists before forcing them behind his back.

Mr. Yu called out to Yu Lanyi, who turned to look at his father.

"From now on, act with care, not impulse. Think twice before you act. Had Zheng Shanci truly been a bad man, what would you have done? Your father and I will grow old—there will come a time when our judgment fails us. When we are gone, you must learn to think for yourself and not act recklessly. Consider this—had you truly married Ye Yunchu, but his heart was never with you, would that have been what you wanted? Thought brings wisdom; act only after careful planning."

Yu Lanyi gave an obedient nod.

Yu Lanyi stole a glance at Zheng Shanci, his gaze still flickering with unease.

Zheng Shanci comforted his husband, "What's done is done. From now on, it's just the two of us living well together."

Yu Lanyi exhaled in relief. His feelings were an open book—his worries, his fears, his concerns—Zheng Shanci understood them all.

When Mr. Yu finally said they could leave, Yu Zhangxing stood up and remarked, "Let this be a lesson. As long as you live well from now on, that’s what matters."

He patted Yu Lanyi’s head, with unexpected emotion. "If there’s anything you want to do in the future, you can always talk to me."

"Understood, big brother," Yu Lanyi nodded in agreement.

After this incident, Yu Lanyi and Zheng Shanci headed home rather than staying for dinner at the marquis’ residence.

Xiao Pingan had already eaten his rice paste and was now being looked after by Wu Shi indoors.

"I’d like a bowl of shredded pork noodles. Lan Yi, what would you like?" Zheng Shanci asked.

Yu Lanyi wasn't very hungry tonight. "The same as you. Have them bring it to our room."

Jin Yun went to inform the kitchen staff.

The noodles arrived quickly. Zheng Shanci finished his quickly, while Yu Lanyi ate more slowly. After finishing, he locked eyes with Zheng Shanci and explained, "The reason I wanted to be with Ye Yunchu before was that he was the next best thing to my brother. Okay fine, I also wanted to one-up Yu Shiyan a little. I didn’t actually like him."

"I know," Zheng Shanci said with a smile.

Seeing that he didn’t seem displeased, Yu Lanyi felt relieved. He believed he had spilled everything clearly without hiding anything from Zheng Shanci—that should be enough.

After washing up, he lay down on the bed and pulled Zheng Shanci into bed.

Zheng Shanci held him, soothingly patting his back. "I don’t mind. Back then, you couldn’t stand me, and I couldn’t stand you either—we've gone soft. Thinking about it now, it's kind of funny."

Yu Lanyi recalled the time he went to see Zheng Shanci alone. "You even said you didn’t want to marry me."

He was digging up the past.

"I didn’t want to back then, but now I really do."

Yu Lanyi rested his head on Zheng Shanci’s chest, listening to his heartbeat, and suddenly felt a deep sense of security. "As long as we live well together, that’s all that matters. I still want to become an imperial consort."

"I’ll work hard for it," Zheng Shanci promised.

He hugged his husband and kissed him.

Yu Lanyi punched Zheng Shanci. "Silver-tongued devil."

Zheng Shanci’s chest throbbed—it had been a while since he last got hit, and he'd gone soft.

Yu Lanyi gently touched Zheng Shanci’s face. "If not for that pretty face of yours, I wouldn’t have married you."