Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 58

We escorted Zhenniang back to the lakeside guesthouse. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep in the bath halfway through washing.

I instructed a maid to take good care of her, then went to freshen up myself. I still had some clothes stored at Rui Garden, so I changed into one set and grabbed another set for Zhenniang.

While I was changing, a maid suddenly entered and said, “The young master ordered me to bring you some medicine. This is a top-quality hemostatic wound powder. The young master said it may not be as effective as Doctor Deng’s medicine, but it should still help.”

The small wound on my shoulder was still oozing tiny beads of blood. After the maid cleaned the injury, applied the medicine, and bandaged it, she left to tend to Zhenniang.

Once I finished washing, I returned to the guesthouse entrance. Yu Zhongrui and Yan Shaoqing were sitting at a stone table under the wisteria trellis, drinking tea.

Yan Shaoqing saw me and asked, “Miss He, it’s only been ten days since we last met, but why do you look so haggard and thin?”

I touched my face. When I looked in the mirror earlier, I did feel my complexion was pale, and my cheeks seemed sunken. I hadn’t even thought to dab on some rouge. I glanced at Yu Zhongrui—he was staring at me too, his brows slightly furrowed.

I couldn’t very well say it was from lovesickness. Before, I’d been preoccupied with Zhenniang, but now that my mind had relaxed a bit, my own sadness began to surface again.

I sat across from Yan Shaoqing and simply said, “Lately… there have been some troubling matters at home.”

Yu Zhongrui suddenly asked, “Why is there still an injury on your face?”

I froze for a moment before realizing he meant the bite mark on my lip. I touched it with my finger—it wasn’t bleeding anymore—and quietly said, “I already applied medicine at home.”

“How did it happen?”

Before I could answer, Yan Shaoqing cut in, “Don’t worry, judging by the direction of the bite marks, she definitely bit herself.”

I didn’t want to dwell on those frustrating matters at home, so I just followed his lead. “Mm, I just accidentally bit myself…” But what’s there to be relieved about?

Yu Zhongrui’s frown deepened after hearing this.

No one spoke for a while, and sensing the awkward atmosphere, I asked them, “Today isn’t a rest day. Don’t you… both need to be at the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review? Why are you here?”

Yan Shaoqing replied, “Zhongrui’s here to oversee the Yellow River embankment project. It’s not too far from here. He stopped by Taoyuan for a short break at noon before heading back in the afternoon.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Yu Zhongrui still watching me. I really didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze, so I kept my attention on Yan Shaoqing and asked, “Isn’t building embankments the responsibility of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue? Why would the Court of Judicial Review be involved?”

“Ordinary construction wouldn’t involve us,” Yan Shaoqing sneered. “But sometimes, people like to stir up trouble. There was a dispute at the worksite that resulted in a death, and construction has been halted for several days. Zhongrui suspected something fishy, so he asked me to investigate.”

I asked him, “You mean someone deliberately caused trouble to delay the project? It’s been raining so much recently—if the capital suffers a flood like Bozhou, the consequences could be serious, right?”

Yan Shaoqing snorted, “Wouldn’t that just suit some people’s plans?”

“You’re always insisting on evidence. How can you jump to conclusions without proof?” Yu Zhongrui scolded him, then turned to me and added, “It was an accident—just the result of tight deadlines and frustrated laborers.”

Rushing to finish the work was necessary since nature waits for no one. The rain could start pouring without warning, and the Yellow River could swell at any time—floods don’t schedule appointments. While the initial incident might have been accidental, whether someone later exploited the situation to stir up trouble remained unclear.

Have I grown up, or have I just seen too much of people’s schemes? I never used to assume the worst in others.

I glanced at Yu Zhongrui. “How could anyone want to sabotage such an important flood prevention project? Dragging innocent civilians down with them just to undermine their opponents—that’s too despicable.”

Yan Shaoqing scoffed silently: You might be criticizing your own grandfather with those words.

I couldn’t even argue with him. After all, our He family had sacrificed their own for the sake of so-called family fortune—why would they spare unrelated outsiders?

Yu Zhongrui spoke gently, “There are obstacles in everything, as long as we get it done in the end.”

Fighting natural disasters is hard enough, yet they also had to guard against people sabotaging the effort—it’s far too exhausting.

My cousin Zhongshu once resented his idle position at the Ministry of Rites, feeling it wasted his ambition. He wanted Grandfather’s help to transfer elsewhere, but our third granduncle scolded him: The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes; do nothing at all, and you’ll make no mistakes. Without achievements, you may not get promoted easily, but making a mistake could drag the whole family down. The Ministry of Rites is leisurely and comfortable—why complain? Look at so-and-so’s son at the Construction Bureau, toiling under the sun and wind every day. In the end, a building they worked on for three years collapsed, and they didn’t just lose their position—they lost everything.

Thinking of this, I asked Yan Shaoqing, “Have you found any useful clues yet?”

Yan Shaoqing replied, “This isn’t like an ordinary murder case where debts have clear owners. With all the rain recently, much of the evidence has been washed away—it’s difficult to investigate.”

“Why don’t you take me with you? I… I can help.”

Cases lacking clear evidence, especially when someone’s stirring up trouble behind the scenes—those are my specialty. One look at the site, and I could easily figure out what’s on everyone’s mind.

Yan Shaoqing’s face lit up. “Really? Miss He is willing to lend a hand? That’s perfect! I’d be honored to learn from you…”

Yu Zhongrui cut him off coldly, “His Majesty appointed you as the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review so you could ‘observe and learn’? If this case is too much for you, should I have Qi Yao collect your salary as well?”

Yan Shaoqing rubbed his nose sheepishly and muttered, “Of course I can handle it.”

The case isn’t difficult to solve, he thought. The real trouble is all the obstacles thrown in the way. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve run back and forth between the Luoyang County Office and the Shenwu Army Camp, only to get stonewalled each time. Both the county magistrate and the army commander are He Jun’s disciples—there’s no way that old fox isn’t involved. Even if he didn’t order it, he’s certainly involved somehow. Zhongrui probably doesn’t want Miss He to get mixed up in this mess… Fine, I’ll let it go this time. There’ll be other cases later. Something so simple shouldn’t be this complicated…

He then turned to me and added, “Things are tense at the worksite lately. Miss He, your delicate frame shouldn’t risk getting caught up in the danger.”

“Are you saying there’s a risk of riots breaking out at any moment?” I asked worriedly, looking at Yu Zhongrui. “You… will you be safe?”

Yu Zhongrui reassured me gently, “It’s fine. The nearby Shenwu Army is stationed to maintain order—there’s no danger.”

He was lying. Yan Shaoqing had clearly mentioned that the Shenwu Army was working against them.

“But they don’t even listen to you! What if they deliberately make things worse? You… you should ask His Majesty to send more Jinwu Guards with you!”

“I know. Forty people have been taken.”

Yan Shaoqing seemed about to speak, but Yu Chongrui glanced at him, and he stopped.

Does he not want me to know too much? Why can I only see the evil in people’s hearts, but not the good? If I could, I wouldn’t have to guess like this.

I wanted to ask more questions, but the door behind me suddenly creaked. I turned to see the maid helping Zhenniang out of the room.

I hurried over to support her. “Zhenniang, why don’t you rest a bit longer before coming out?”

Zhenniang shook her head. “Whenever I close my eyes, I dream of Ningning. I won’t sleep well until her injustice is righted.”

She struggled to walk to the flower stand, knelt down, and bowed to Yu Chongrui and Yan Shaoqing. “I, Nie Zhen, a common woman, appeal for justice for my daughter, He Changning, who died unjustly. I beg Zuo Xiang and Shaoqing to make a decision for me.”

Yan Shaoqing stood up and helped her to her feet. “Please get up and tell me the full story.”

Zhenniang sat at the stone table and recounted everything — how Madam Zhou sent her to a secluded courtyard in Lan Garden before she gave birth, bribed the midwife to harm Ningning during delivery, and failed. Upon returning home, she learned her mother-in-law had stabbed her newborn granddaughter with a needle until she died. The child’s body was taken away and hastily buried to cover up the evidence. When Zhenniang cried out for justice, they slandered her as insane. In desperation, she stabbed her mother-in-law, intending to die with her. The He family seized the opportunity to write a divorce letter, accusing her of unfilial conduct. Fearing she would continue to cause trouble; they imprisoned her in Lan Garden.

Zhenniang sobbed as she spoke, barely managing to finish. I saw Yan Shaoqing and Yu Chongrui’s faces darken; I knew this matter was far more complicated than it seemed.

After a moment of silence, Yan Shaoqing asked, “When you file a lawsuit, you must name a defendant. Who are you accusing?”

“First, my mother-in-law, He Wang, for killing her own flesh and blood. Second, my unfaithful husband, He Cheng, for divorcing me under false accusations. Third, Duke Peng and his wife for bullying and committing countless injustices. Their family has had many sons for generations, yet almost no daughters. My daughter’s tragedy is not an isolated case.”

Yu Chongrui said grimly, “So you intend to challenge the powerful Duke Peng’s family on your own?”

Zhenniang froze at his words, realizing how daunting her request seemed. She turned to me and said quietly, “Then… I’ll start by accusing He Wang of murdering my daughter.”

“Alright,” Yan Shaoqing said. “Let’s focus on that. Where is the baby’s body now?”

Zhenniang wiped her tears. “I found a needle on Ningning’s body. After that, He Wang had her secretly taken away and buried. I don’t know where… Not in the ancestral tomb, I’m sure of that. She’s probably lying alone in some mass grave…”

“Without the body, it’s difficult to prove the baby was murdered and didn’t die from illness,” Yan Shaoqing said. “Are there any witnesses or physical evidence?”

“I am the witness!” Zhenniang cried. “I saw it with my own eyes!”

“You’re the plaintiff and the victim. You can’t testify as a witness.”

Zhenniang turned desperately to me, grabbing my arm. “Yaoyao! She’s a witness! The first time the midwife tried to harm Ningning, she stopped it! And later, she saved me from that hellish place!”

Yan Shaoqing shook his head. “She can only testify that the midwife attempted to harm the baby and that you were imprisoned. She can’t prove He Wang murdered your daughter. Are there any other witnesses?”

Zhenniang looked panicked. “Those who know what He Wang did are in league with her! The midwife and wet nurse were handpicked by He Wang and her mistress. I don’t know them, and I have no idea where they are now!”

I took her hand and said softly, “Don’t worry, think carefully. Is there any evidence?” Then I turned to Yan Shaoqing. “If there’s even one solid piece of evidence, we can open a case, right? Conviction requires both testimony and physical proof, but starting a case only needs one or the other.”

Yan Shaoqing nodded. “There must be at least one crucial piece of evidence. Words alone aren’t enough.”

“Evidence… evidence…” Zhenniang murmured. “The needle stuck in Ningning’s body — isn’t that evidence?”

That brought us back to the missing body.

Zhenniang cried bitterly. “He Wang killed someone, and her servants followed her orders. If we arrest her for questioning, won’t the truth come out?”

Yan Shaoqing shook his head. “Without evidence, the authorities won’t even accept the case. If accusations alone led to arrests, anyone could be falsely accused and imprisoned.”

“I’m not making false accusations!” Zhenniang wept. “Everything I’ve said is true! Are you supposed to serve the people, or are you just protecting Duke Peng’s power?”

Yu Chongrui gestured to Yan Shaoqing to stay calm.

I knew Yan Shaoqing was strict about rules and logic. He wasn’t being heartless — this was just how he operated. I had been furious with him once too, but now I knew this was him being considerate and fair. Even now, he was treating Zhenniang with remarkable patience.

“Zhenniang,” I said gently, “Don’t be upset. Yan Shaoqing is helping you understand what evidence you need and how to build your case properly.”

Zhenniang sniffled, calming down. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. Instead of blaming you, I should be grateful.”

Yu Chongrui took the opportunity to ask, “Even if we follow the law, this case will be difficult and dangerous. Are you prepared for that?”

“No matter how hard it is,” Zhenniang said firmly, “I must get justice for my daughter. Otherwise, I don’t deserve to be called her mother. Please, tell me everything I need to know.”

“You’re filing a standard murder case,” Yu Chongrui explained. “Because the crime happened in Luoyang, it should be reported to the Luoyang County Court. The Court of Judicial Review can’t handle it unless it’s escalated. But the Luoyang magistrate is a disciple of Duke Peng. It’s uncertain if he’ll handle the case fairly. Additionally… do you have family or friends in Luoyang who can protect you? If Duke Peng’s people try to retaliate, how will you defend yourself?”

Zhenniang fell silent, thinking deeply. After a long pause, she said, “I have no one in Luoyang… but I still have some family back home in Suzhou Prefecture. My eldest brother is the governor of Piling County, and he’s been personally commended by His Majesty. I’ll go home first and discuss everything with my family.”

Yu Chongrui’s eyes brightened. “The governor of Piling County… Nie Chen?”

Zhenniang nodded. “Benefactor, do you know my brother?”

“Yan Shaoqing and I are both from Piling. We’ve long heard of Master Nie’s reputation,” Yu Chongrui said. “Your brother is known to be just, courageous, and wise. He’ll surely support you.”

Zhenniang bowed deeply. “Suzhou and Piling are just a hundred miles apart. It’s truly Heaven’s blessing that you two are from my brother’s hometown. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late. Thank you both for saving me.” She turned to me next, bowing again. “Yaoyao, you saved me and Ningning out of kindness. I will never forget this.”

I quickly stopped her. “Zhenniang, you’re my sister-in-law, and Ningning was my niece. We’re family. I only regret I couldn’t help sooner… Don’t worry about finding your brother’s family. As for Ningning’s whereabouts… leave that to me. I’ll find her and bring her back to you.”