Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 93

I stuttered, “Are you going to Yan Shaoqing’s house?”

Nie Xun replied, “This official sent visiting cards to both Prime Minister Yu and Lord Yan. Lord Yan replied suggesting we go together today to Prime Minister Yu’s villa—it’s the same place where Zhenniang and the County Princess met the two benefactors who saved them.”

How hypocritical I was. I clearly looked forward to seeing Yu Chongrui—my heart had been fluttering with joy—but I still put on an act, using Yan Shaoqing as a shield.

Zhenniang tugged at my sleeve, shaking me gently. “Are you going?”

Zhenniang, ever thoughtful, hadn’t considered the implications back then. She had just been rescued, feeling weak physically and emotionally. But now that she was out of danger, she would definitely be suspicious about how I had managed to scale the wall to the neighbor’s house and had been so familiar with the current Prime Minister, whom my grandfather regarded as a thorn in his side.

I pursed my lips and nodded slightly.

After a month, I found myself in Rui Garden again.

Both Yan Shaoqing and Deng Zishe were present. Yan Shaoqing hailed from Piling, and Nie Xun had been a local official in his hometown for many years. When Yan Shaoqing took the Mingfa exam, Nie Xun had guided him. He considered Nie Xun a benefactor and had returned the favor by saving Zhenniang. As soon as they met, they began chatting enthusiastically.

Yu Chongrui, also from the same hometown, rarely spoke, likely surprised by my sudden appearance and preoccupied with watching me.

I, too, secretly observed him, feeling a little proud and happy.

Strange, why hadn’t I noticed before? Why did I sense, even without him saying anything, that he didn’t really like me at all?

Yan Shaoqing and Nie Xun shifted their conversation to discussing cases they had solved. It turned out that Deng Zishe, a somewhat unconventional quack doctor, also had expertise in dealing with corpses. The three of them discussed dissection over tea, finding great harmony in their conversation.

I turned my head to find Zhenniang watching me with a smile. She couldn’t join the conversation about corpses, so she focused her attention on me. When I met her gaze, she quickly looked away, turning her attention to the roof, still smiling.

I sighed inwardly. My grandfather, uncle, Prince Xin, and others already knew about my connection with Yu Chongrui, so there was no need to hide it now. I trusted Zhenniang.

I liked him, and I wasn’t afraid to let the world know.

Once the three men had finished talking, Nie Xun spoke seriously. “To be honest, I’m here today to thank you both for saving my sister. I also wish to ask Shaoqing’s help in righting the wrongs and seeking justice for my niece and sister, who died in vain. I found a witness in Suzhou, and as long as we find physical evidence, we can bring the murderer to justice.”

Yan Shaoqing replied, “I informed your sister of this matter at the time. Physical evidence is hard to come by, and now, more than half a year has passed. I fear it will be even harder to find any trace.”

Deng Zishe added, “I’m not an official, so please excuse my amateurish thoughts, but since Brother Nie has taken over the Censorate, not only is He Cheng your subordinate, but Duke Peng will also be wary of you. It’s often said that revenge should be taken in due time, and people do make mistakes…”

Nie Xun interrupted, “If it were simply about revenge, there would be plenty of opportunities. But as the censor, I must judge based on reason, not emotion, and focus on the matter at hand, not the person. If He Cheng and Duke Peng are at fault in other ways, the censor should impeach them accordingly. But in this matter, they made a mistake, and no other punishment can replace the justice needed for the dead.”

Yan Shaoqing clapped his hands and praised, “Brother Nie speaks well! This is the essence of criminal investigation law!”

I recalled a clue from earlier and chimed in, “The couple Kong Liu and Madam Bao from Wuli Village, Longmen Town in the southern suburbs, are connected to this. Maybe they’re a good starting point.”

Everyone in the room turned to look at me.

I quickly explained, “I… I learned this from the servants at home.”

“Bao, it was her!” Zhenniang gritted her teeth, exclaiming. “She was just a servant but suddenly became a confidant of Madam He, coming in and out of my room. The wet nurse was also introduced by her. They must have been colluding and planning this all along… She is definitely involved!”

Yan Shaoqing smiled and said, “You may not know, Miss Qi Yao, or rather, County Princess Liangxi, is actually a genius when it comes to criminal investigation. She has an extraordinary intuition, noticing things that others miss and observing things that others overlook. As a member of the He family, if the County Princess helps, we’ll solve the case in one fell swoop.”

I felt a little embarrassed by his praise and couldn’t help but glance at Yu Chongrui.

He looked at me with concern, seeming to disagree with my involvement in the investigation.

Zhenniang came over to sit beside me, holding my hand. “Yaoyao, I’m deeply grateful that you defied the Duke and the elders to save me. It’s easy to say you’d sacrifice your family for justice, but the reality is much more difficult and painful—only those involved truly understand. Please don’t involve yourself further. I will avenge my own wrongs.”

“Thank you for understanding, Zhenniang,” I replied. “But I swore I would find Ningning and bring her to you. Then, you can take your revenge.”

I hoped that, from this point on, no more daughters in our family would die at the hands of their relatives.

Deng Zishe suddenly spoke, “I treated the County Princess for external injuries before, but I haven’t seen her recently. Now that she’s here, why not move to the neighboring courtyard, and I’ll examine her thoroughly again?”

Everyone seemed a little restrained when discussing my family’s affairs, but when Nie Xun and Zhenniang heard it, they were reassured. I stood up and said, “Thank you, Doctor Deng.”

Deng Zishe led me to the adjacent yard, where I had previously stayed in Rui Garden. He asked me to sit on the couch and remove my shoes and socks. As he checked the recovery of my muscles and bones, he asked if there had been any symptoms like bleeding or pus after the stitches were removed. I answered truthfully.

“The muscles at the back of your foot haven’t healed completely. Don’t squat or run with this foot for a while. It’ll take over a month for full recovery. I’ll prescribe a foot bath recipe. Boil water and soak for 25 minutes every day—it’ll help promote blood circulation and regenerate muscles.” He looked over my ankle again and praised, “Feng Yuan’s skill is truly remarkable; the scar looks quite good.”

I put on my stockings and adjusted my skirt just as Yu Chongrui entered. Deng Zishe, still writing a prescription, glanced up at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I saw you’d been gone a while, so I came to check on you.”

Deng Zishe snorted, “A while? It hasn’t even been that long—maybe fifteen minutes! What’s this, ‘one day apart feels like three autumns’?” He blew the ink on his brush. “Well, I’ve finished. Since you miss me so much, let’s leave together.”

Yu Chongrui said, “My mother wrote the other day saying none of her maids are as clever and capable as Feng Yuan. Maybe it’s time we send her back to Piling to serve my parents.”

Deng Zishe pointed at him. “…You’re too cruel.”

He dropped the prescription and slammed the door, while Yu Chongrui called after him, “Make sure to entertain Lord Nie properly.”

I stifled a laugh and watched as Yu Chongrui moved to the couch and sat down near my feet.

I asked, “You’re the host. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to leave the table and abandon the guests?”

He stretched his hand toward me. “It’s fine to leave for a bit. Come here.”

I jumped up from the couch and threw myself into his arms.

His arms wrapped around my shoulders and back, holding me tightly. “Be careful.”

“I’m almost better now,” I said, leaning close to him. “Yu Chongrui, you saved my life again. This is the third time. Tell me, how can I repay you?”

He rested his chin on the top of my head and smiled. “Are you going to marry me?”

“Do you want to?” I looked up at him. “I’ve finally escaped from home and I don’t want to go back. I’ll stay at your house.”

He lowered his head, his eyes soft as water. “Without a name or status, are you willing?”

I deliberately thought about it and said, “Is this considered eloping? If I’m engaged as a wife and run away as a concubine, can I only be your concubine? Are you willing to accept that?”

His hand stroked my cheek. “No.”

I wanted to marry him properly, but if it was impossible, I wouldn’t care about the world’s opinions.

“I’m still in mourning, so it’s not possible right now…” I deliberately sighed, burying my head in his arms again. “But when the mourning period is over, if my family still doesn’t approve, I’ll elope to your house. You have to wait for me.”

He folded his arms and said, “I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes.”

After hearing this, I asked him, “Did you understand what I said to you in the carriage last time?”

“What else,” he said angrily, “Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why did you go back and walk right into their trap?”

I couldn’t answer that, so I dodged. “My granduncle came looking… When Grandfather found out and went to your house—even if you’re the Prime Minister, how could you resist the weight of familial duty?”

“That’s my biggest regret,” he murmured, tightening his hold. “And last month it happened again. I thought the Duke’s power and his grandfatherly love would protect you better than I could. But who knew…”

I joked, “Since you regret it, why don’t you come up and take me back with seven or eight guards around you, all in armor with swords?”

“If His Majesty hadn’t…” He paused. “Then I would’ve taken you back.”

So, the idea of taking me back wasn’t just something I had thought about; he had the same idea.

He placed his hand on my shoulder blade and asked, “Have you been wronged at home in the past month since you returned? You’ve lost so much weight.”

I touched my face. “No way. I couldn’t walk, so I just lay around all day eating and sleeping. I feel like I’ve gotten fatter.”

Yu Chongrui pinched my face and pressed his fingers into my cheeks. “Your cheeks are sunken, and you still say you haven’t lost weight?”

“Maybe my face got thinner, but the rest of me’s still chubby!”

He raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t know if you’ve gained or lost weight?”

He could tell just from hugging me? It was early spring—I wasn’t wearing thin clothes.

But when I thought about it carefully, he had been wearing winter clothes when he came back from Zhending Prefecture, and I felt that he had lost weight when I hugged him. I had only taken a quick look at him at Heqing County Posthouse, but he had traveled all the way from Qingheyuan back to Rui Garden…

I couldn’t quite remember the situation in the carriage that day, but he had been awake…

I couldn’t help blushing a little, and I felt the palm of his hand on my shoulder blade was very warm, even through the clothes. Where had he put his hands after warming them up?

Oh, don’t think about it. How could I think about such things before marriage?

I raised my head, distracted. Yu Chongrui probably realized he had let something slip. His ears were a little red, and he lowered his eyelids, looking to the side.

How did he restrain himself from thinking about it? The more I tried not to think about it now, the more those inappropriate thoughts kept creeping in.

No, no, I need to focus on something serious. 

I continued what I had said earlier and told him, “I’ve been wronged at home these days. My grandfather originally expected me to enter the palace and bring glory to the family, but it all went down the drain. People are fickle, and even the servants who watch me and don’t let me go out have become fewer. It’s all your fault.”

Yu Chongrui looked at me helplessly, not knowing whether to say I had been wronged or not.

I asked him, “Yu Chongrui, why did you suddenly change your mind and support Prince Xin?”

He replied, “The third prince is young, and the government will definitely be controlled by the Grand Tutor, Duke Peng, and others in the future. The first thing they will probably do is abolish the trial law in the capital. Prince Xin supports the new law and promises that if it proves effective, he’ll implement it across all thirteen provinces.”

That made sense, but I wanted to hear more. “And?”

“The Yellow River project initiated by the Ministry of Works is divided into three steps in total, which took ten years to complete and cost a lot of manpower and resources. If the emperor hadn’t been far-sighted and supported it against all odds, the Ministry of Works alone wouldn’t have been able to accomplish it.”

“So Prince Xin also wants to accomplish this. Is there anything else?”

He pursed his lips and said nothing.

“These are all official matters,” I looked up at him. “Don’t you have any selfish motives?”

His eyes flickered, and after a long pause, he said, “Yes.”

“What selfish motives?”

His ears turned red again, and he turned his gaze away. “You ask even though you know the answer.”

Of course, I knew, but I just wanted to tease him and hear him say it himself.

I didn’t think I would be able to act serious or proper again.