Outside Yu Mansion.
The emperor’s edict had been read aloud.
Yu Sanqi, having rendered meritorious service in saving the Empress Dowager, was enfeoffed as Minghua Junzhu. Yu Jing, for his exemplary guidance of his daughter, was promoted one rank in office, appointed as Libu Zuoshilang effective immediately, and further bestowed with fertile lands, fine jade, gold, and other substantial rewards.
After the edict was read, the members of the Yu Family stood frozen in place, even forgetting to receive the decree.
The onlookers buzzed with discussion.
The eunuch delivering the edict was puzzled. “Libu Zuoshilang Yu, quickly receive the decree. And where is Minghua Junzhu? Why is she not coming out?”
Yu Jing’s lips trembled, unable to speak. After a long moment, he finally stammered, “It… it was her who saved the Empress Dowager? Not her who pushed the Empress Dowager into the lake?”
“Libu Zuoshilang, why would you say such a thing? It was naturally Minghua Junzhu who saved the Empress Dowager. This is what Her Majesty herself said after she awoke. She even mentioned that in a few days, she would summon Minghua Junzhu to the palace to personally express her gratitude and bestow further rewards.”
Yu Jing’s eyes went blank, while the other members of the Yu Family wore expressions of disbelief.
Had they gone mad? Or had the Empress Dowager gone mad?
How could Yu Sanqi be the one who saved someone?!?
The Yu Family could not accept it! They even felt as if the sky were about to collapse!
A living Yu Sanqi could be the Empress Dowager’s savior, and the emperor’s bestowed rewards would be the Yu Family’s supreme glory!
But Yu Sanqi was now dead. What the emperor had bestowed was not a reward but a death warrant!
Madam Yu, Liu Shi, let out a sharp scream and fainted.
Eldest brother Yu Minwen supported Liu Shi, his eyes filled with panic.
Second brother Yu Minwu stared blankly, muttering, “How could she have been the one to save someone…”
Yu Tang also grew frantic, her hands and feet turning icy cold as she mumbled, “It’s all her fault. Why didn’t she explain clearly earlier…”
Yu Tang’s words gave the Yu Family’s crumbling emotions an outlet. Yes! It was all Yu Sanqi’s fault! Why didn’t she explain clearly? Why didn’t she clarify?
If she had explained clearly, how could she have died?
Even if she died, why did she have to drag the entire family down with her in death?
Even in death, she wanted to pull them down with her. How could she be so malicious?!
The eunuch delivering the edict sensed something amiss. Hearing the murmurs of the crowd and faintly catching the word “dead,” his expression changed drastically.
“Where is Minghua Junzhu?”
Yu Jing forced himself to gather his wits. The fact that Yu Sanqi was dead could not be concealed, but he must not let her death implicate the Yu Family.
Yu Jing immediately covered his face and began to weep mournfully. “It is my Sanqi who lacked fortune. She… she returned with a high fever that would not subside and passed away suddenly not long ago…”
“It is her fate to be so short-lived…”
The eunuch delivering the edict was horrified.
The onlookers who had witnessed the earlier commotion wore strange expressions. Hadn’t they earlier claimed that the Third Miss Yu had committed suicide out of guilt? They had even discarded her body. Why were they weeping now?
“Is that so? So in Father’s eyes, I am already dead.”
A sudden scream erupted from the crowd. A young girl, drenched in wet clothes, appeared. Though she looked disheveled, every step she took was resolute.
Her pale face seemed as if frozen in snow.
Only her pair of eyes were dark and piercingly bright.
Liu Shi, who had just regained consciousness, saw her and let out a shriek. “A ghost!” Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted once more.
The other members of the Yu Family were also terrified, some stumbling, others collapsing. Meeting those pitch-black eyes, they felt waves of icy cold shooting straight to the crowns of their heads.
Yu Sanqi curled her lips into a smile. On her pale, slender neck, the shocking purple bruises from strangulation were horrifying to behold.
“Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Sister…”
Her gaze swept over each of them in turn.
“Every single word: ‘I’m back now.'”
Back to collect the debts you owe.
Having confirmed that Yu Sanqi was not dead, and that the death sentence hanging over their heads was lifted, the emotions of the Yu Family swung wildly between extremes.
Only Yu Tang harbored intense hatred for Yu Sanqi. The thought that she had just been enfeoffed as a Commandery Princess made her grind her teeth in resentment. Feigning sisterly concern, she said:
“Third Sister, you truly frightened us all. Fortunately, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager awoke and revealed the truth. No matter how angry you may be in the future, you must never gamble with your own innocence like this again!”
“You refused to explain clearly, so everyone thought you had harmed the Empress Dowager. Father and Mother were worried sick for you…”
Yu Tang’s words instantly gave the Yu Family, who had been tense, a new outlet for their emotions:
“Yes, child, you must never act on impulse like this again.”
“Look at the misunderstanding you caused…”
Onlookers, seeing this, also assumed that Yu Sanqi had refused to explain herself, leading her family to misunderstand and nearly costing her own life.
They had long heard that the Third Miss of the Yu Family had been brought back from the countryside, with a peculiar temperament and a tendency to cause trouble. It was no wonder that, under such circumstances, her family would misunderstand her. And if she herself refused to speak, wasn’t she just inviting suffering for no reason?
“Is that so?”
Yu Sanqi suddenly laughed aloud. How disgusting—so disgusting she felt like vomiting.
Her sharp gaze fixed on the Yu Family.
Her voice was hoarse yet penetrating, like a rusted blade scraping away its own mottled corrosion to reveal its sharp edge.
“When I said I was saving someone, did you, Eldest Brother, ever believe me?”
“Or when you, Second Brother, choked my neck, saying I deserved to die for my crimes, did I not beg for your mercy?”
“Or perhaps it was you, Yu Tang.” Yu Sanqi sneered. “Wasn’t it you who went around proclaiming that I was jealous of you, resented you, and sought revenge by dragging the entire family down to harm the Empress Dowager?”
“San Qi, do not speak nonsense!” Yu Jing panicked, glancing at the imperial eunuch delivering the decree, and hurried to explain: “This child has been delirious since falling into the water, likely fever-addled…”
San Qi stared at him, her voice suddenly sharp: “Then who gave the order to expose my corpse in the marketplace, declare that I had disgraced the Yu Family’s name, and expel me from the Yu clan registry?”
Immediately, voices from the crowd chimed in.
“That’s right! We all heard it with our own ears before.”
“At that time, the Yu Family said the Third Miss had committed suicide out of guilt and threw her out. It was Young General Yan who came to collect the body!”
“Hahaha! Could it be that Heaven truly has eyes, allowing the Third Miss to return to life and expose this family’s false faces?”
The surrounding discussions buzzed, and the Yu Family’s faces turned ashen as they stared at her in horror.
They could not understand how Yu Sanqi dared to say such things in front of everyone, in front of the imperial eunuch delivering the decree.
Wasn’t this airing their dirty laundry no different from accusing them of deceiving the emperor?
Besides, when had she ever explained herself? Even if she had, with just her few words, why should anyone have believed her?
Clearly, it was her past misconduct and notorious behavior. How dare she blame them for not trusting her?
Why didn’t she look for the reasons within herself? How dare she turn the tables on them?!
The imperial eunuch delivering the decree beside them was no fool and could no longer contain his anger: “Minister Yu, how dare you treat Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s savior and His Majesty’s newly enfeoffed Minghua Junzhu in such a manner!”
“No! Eunuch Li, there is a misunderstanding!” Yu Jing was clearly frantic, his eyes hastily scanning the family before settling on Yu Tang.
Yu Tang had always known how cold-hearted and ruthless her father, Yu Jing, could be.
The situation was clearly taking a turn for the worse. Gritting her teeth, she knelt down and put on a convincing act: “Third Sister, please don’t be like this. Even if you’re angry, you shouldn’t slander Father, Mother, and our brothers…”
“Direct your resentment and hatred at me, alright? I know you don’t like me. I’ll move out of the Yu Family, I’ll become a nun, and I’ll never be in your sight again, alright…”
Even at this moment, she still couldn’t resist pouring oil on the fire.
Yu Sanqi stared at her, her eyes sharp and clear, and suddenly laughed: “Alright, then Fourth Sister must keep her word.”
“If you shave your head and become a nun right now, I’ll accept the imperial decree and express my gratitude immediately. How about that?”