Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 95

Not long after, a startled shout came from the courtyard, Yu Qiaoshan yelling, “What are you doing?! Stop that!”

Right after, loud crashes and the sounds of smashing filled the air. Yu Jiao paused her writing, frowned, and said, “I’m going out to take a look.”

Yu Qizhe stood up and followed her outside.

The courtyard was in complete chaos. Seven or eight burly men were smashing and tossing things everywhere. Yu Qiaoshan was being shoved aside and pinned to the ground. A large water vat by the wall had been shattered into pieces, and the clothes drying on the rope rack had been torn down and flung across the yard.

Madam Song had just stepped out of the kitchen. She was so frightened by the scene that she froze, completely at a loss.

Yu Ruhai and Yu Hanshan rushed out from the main hall, visibly shaken by the mess before them. Yu Ruhai asked with trembling anger, “Who are you people?! Barging into someone’s home and destroying things in broad daylight, don’t you respect the law?!”

The man in charge spat fiercely at Yu Ruhai. “Peh! You old quack! You killed our Old Master! Beat him up!”

Yu Ruhai had just recognized the man as the servant who had come with He Dongsheng the other day when several of the men storming the courtyard charged straight toward him.

One of them rolled up his sleeves, grabbed Yu Ruhai by the collar, and threw a heavy punch at his face. Yu Hanshan, terrified, went weak in the knees and quickly hid behind Madam Zhao. Yu Mengshan, who was standing nearby, reacted swiftly. He rushed forward and blocked the punch for Yu Ruhai.

Yu Qiaoshan, who was quite strong, saw that these men were actually trying to beat up his father. Furious, he threw off the man restraining him with all his strength, grabbed a hoe from the corner, and roared. Swinging the hoe with fierce force, he managed to push back several of the attackers.

Shielding Yu Ruhai behind him, he shouted, “If there’s something to say, say it! You come in swinging fists and smashing things, what? Are you trying to land yourselves in court?! If our Yu family has offended you somehow, say it outright!”

“Law? Our He family’s law says this quack who killed our Old Master deserves to die!” sneered the servant in the long robe, actually the He family’s steward, as he pointed menacingly at Yu Ruhai.

Yu Ruhai’s scalp went numb, his whole body trembling as he leaned against Yu Mengshan, still in shock. After hearing the man’s accusation, he immediately realized the situation. The elderly master from the He family he had treated for head carbuncles a few days ago must have died because of the medicine he prescribed.

The realization made him break out in a cold sweat down his back.

A crowd of villagers had gathered outside the Yu family’s courtyard after hearing the commotion. Normally, being neighbors meant looking out for one another, but upon seeing the seven or eight hulking men inside the yard, everyone hesitated. It seemed the Yu family had offended someone powerful. Once they heard it was because Yu Ruhai had caused a death, no one dared get involved.

When the Yu family heard the name “He,” they all understood. It had to be the wealthy household that had come for treatment a few days ago, generously offering payment upfront.

Yu Qiaoshan stood frozen, still clutching the hoe, not knowing what to say.

Madam Zhou quickly turned and went into the east side room. She retrieved the thirty taels of silver the He family had paid for the consultation, took it out of the money box, and brought it trembling to the angry steward.

“This is the consultation fee your family paid,” she said shakily. “We haven’t spent a single coin. Please, we return it in full, just let our old master go.”

The He family’s steward glanced at the silver in Madam Zhou’s hands, sneered, and snatched it up.

Madam Zhou let out a breath of relief, only to hear the steward say coldly, “You think thirty taels of silver is enough to buy back our Old Master’s life? Even your whole filthy Yu family’s lives combined aren’t worth as much! Arrest this quack who killed him!”