“Coughing up blood?” Yu Sheng’s expression changed abruptly upon hearing this. She quickened her pace toward her mother, Madam Yu’s residence. “Has Physician Li been summoned to examine her pulse?”
Physician Li had been hired by Father Yu to help Madam Yu recuperate. He usually resided in Yu Yuan and was responsible for treating any minor ailments among the Yu family members.
“When this servant came over, Madam’s personal maid had already gone to fetch Physician Li,” Feihong replied, keeping close behind her. “Madam coughed quite a lot, and this servant was worried… so I hurried over to inform the young miss.”
Yu Sheng gave a soft “Mm” and continued forward, only to see several uncles and aunts approaching from the opposite direction.
Second Master Yu asked anxiously, “How did you come to know such an important figure as the Zhenguo Gong Shizi?”
Fourth Master Yu was even more eager: “Could it be that the Shizi made a special trip to Lizhou this time for the sake of our Yu family’s affairs?”
The two aunts also had a bellyful of questions to ask.
They simply couldn’t imagine how Yu Sheng had managed to establish a connection with the Shiziye of Zhenguogongfu.
The Sheng army was stationed at the northern border of Beizhou, thousands of miles away from Lizhou. What kind of relationship must it be for Sheng Huaijin to personally lead troops here to uphold justice for her?
Just by looking at their expressions, Yu Sheng could guess seventy to eighty percent of what was on their minds.
They were likely weighing the pros and cons, considering how to proceed in a way that would minimize losses and maximize gains.
She decided to seize the opportunity and said directly, “Indeed.”
Those two words left her uncles and aunts momentarily speechless.
“Previously, my father promised Zhenguogong that he would donate silver for military supplies. Although he is now unconscious, this matter must still proceed as originally agreed,” Yu Sheng stated earnestly.
Her father had once said that they, father and daughter, were of one mind.
Therefore, anything she promised for the good of the Yu family was no different from what her father had promised.
Watching Second Master Yu’s face change at the mention of donating money, she continued, completely unfazed, “Since all of you uncles and aunts are here, it saves me the trouble of seeking each of you out separately. Please return and organize your respective account books, then bring them to the main hall tomorrow. I need to review the accounts before I can allocate the silver.”
“What? You want to examine the account books?” Fourth Master Yu nearly jumped in agitation upon hearing this. “Elder Brother is injured and unconscious, and you still have the mind to check accounts!”
The Yu brothers shared the same father but different mothers. When the old master Yu passed away, the family had already been divided.
There had been some unpleasantness during the division at that time. The current family fortune of Yu Sheng’s father, the eldest master of the Yu family, was built through his own hard work.
Later, when Second Master Yu and Fourth Master Yu and their wives saw how well their elder brother was doing, they eagerly sought reconciliation and ingratiated themselves. Now, the entire family lived together in Yu Yuan, with the brothers managing the Yu family’s businesses. Because Madam Yu was in poor health, even the household management was handled by Second Madam Yu on her behalf. But strictly speaking, these uncles and aunts were essentially working for the Yu family.
With Father Yu currently unable to manage affairs, Yu Sheng’s request to examine the accounts was equivalent to the young master of the main house inquiring about the businesses they handled.
This was, in fact, perfectly justified.
The trouble lay in the fact that Father Yu had always been overly indulgent toward his two younger brothers. Moreover, Yu Sheng was a young woman, and as elders, they always considered themselves superior to the younger generation. They were unwilling to cooperate properly and insisted on causing trouble.
Second Master Yu was clearly caught off guard as well, but being older and steadier, he suppressed his temper and patiently said, “The household is in chaos right now. Since Elder Brother previously promised Zhenguogong to donate funds for military supplies, we should allocate the silver to him first. Investigating the accounts can’t be rushed; it’s better to take our time and do it properly when we’re free.”
“Yes, yes,” Second Madam Yu quickly chimed in.
Fourth Madam Yu also added, “Second Master makes a good point.”
Yu Sheng glanced at her uncles and aunts, her tone indifferent. “Precisely because the household is in chaos, we must investigate the accounts thoroughly to prevent any opportunists from taking advantage.”
The uncles and aunts, who indeed harbored such intentions, were furious. Their faces shifted through a spectrum of colors, a vivid display of their emotions.
“Since none of you have any objections, let’s proceed without delay,” Yu Sheng declared with the commanding presence of the eldest young lady, leaving no room for discussion—it was a direct order.
The uncles and aunts wanted to say more, but Yu Sheng spoke unhurriedly, “I visited Mother earlier today after returning home. I’ll go pay my respects to her now. Uncles and aunts, we’ll meet in the main hall tomorrow.”
With that, she left them behind and walked away.
Feihong curtsied to the group and quickly followed her.
Second Master Yu and the others stood in place, exchanging glances, each wearing a look of defeat.
They had assumed Yu Sheng would be no match for Liyang Houfu, but unexpectedly, the Shizi of Zhenguogong had appeared—a figure of far greater stature than Liyanghou. Truly, one mountain is higher than the next.
Regardless of the outcome, they found themselves caught in the middle, having neither upheld the dignity of Yujia nor curried favor with Houfu, leaving them in an awkward position.
Moreover, with the sudden matter of Elder Brother’s promised military donation to Zhenguogong, and the eldest young lady seizing the opportunity to investigate the accounts…
Elder Brother and his wife were both lenient by nature, often turning a blind eye. If a real investigation were to take place, none of them had clean hands.
What were they to do?
The two couples exchanged glances, their minds racing.
For now, the only way to stop the eldest young lady was to invite Old Madame from the old residence to take charge.
Meanwhile, on Yu Sheng’s side.
She arrived at the courtyard where her mother resided, just as Physician Li, having finished examining Madam Yu, emerged from the room carrying his medicine chest.
Yu Sheng stepped forward and asked, “Physician Li, how is my mother?”
“Young Lady,” Physician Li, a middle-aged man in his forties, greeted her with a respectful bow. “I have temporarily stabilized Madam’s condition and prescribed a new formula. The apprentice has gone to prepare and decoct the medicine.”
Hearing this, the tension in Yu Sheng’s heart eased slightly.
It was a relief that her mother’s condition had been stabilized.
“Thank you for your efforts, Physician Li,” she returned the courtesy and inquired further about her mother’s condition and the necessary precautions.
Physician Li explained everything in detail, his expression grave. “Madam is burdened with excessive worry and unresolved distress. These past few days, she has been plagued by frequent nightmares, often waking in fright in the middle of the night. It seems Master Yu’s affairs have been too much for her to bear… Emotional ailments require emotional remedies. Young Lady, you must find ways to comfort and console Madam.”
“I will,” Yu Sheng replied gently, then turned to have Feihong escort Physician Li back and present him with a token of gratitude.
After saying this, she crossed the courtyard and approached the door of the room.
A young maid stepped forward to lift the curtain and announced inside, “Madam, the Young Lady is here.”
“Sheng’er, Sheng’er is here,” Madam Yu, leaning against the bed, immediately tried to sit up upon hearing the news.
As soon as Yu Sheng entered, she saw her in this state and hurried forward to support her. “Mother, don’t get up so quickly. Be careful with your health.”
Lady Yu, as if she had just been crying, her eyes still red, grabbed Yu Sheng’s arm and pulled her close, urgently saying:
“I just had a nightmare, dreaming that something happened to your brother!”