(Three chapters in one)
In the end, Ning Wang had managed to get the job of supervising the trial. Emperor Zhao Qing was always especially easy to talk to when facing this son. No matter how unwilling Yu Shu was, it was not her place to object.
Once it was seven in the morning, Emperor Zhao Qing yawned and Ying Jiuping announced the end of court. Usually, if there were no important matters of state that needed to be discussed, the morning court session would end in two hours.
If there was something unfinished or something that was inconvenient to mention in public, they would hand in the memorials at the end of court session to be sent to Tai An Hall for the Emperor to read.
The crowd moved out of the hall from the front to the back. The old officials walked at the front. Prime Minister Yin passed in front of Yin Zhourong and paused for a moment. He turned his head to look at him expressionlessly and sighed lightly without saying anything.
Yin Zhourong could hear a lot of dissatisfaction in his father's sigh and chased after him in a panic.
Coming out of the palace gates, Prime Minister Yin turned his head and saw the shu son following pitifully behind him. He couldn't bear it and beckoned for him to come over. Yin Zhourong acted as if he had been pardoned and hurriedly ran forward to help him onto the carriage.
.....
Outside the palace gates, Xue Rui saw Yin Zhourong sit in Prime Minister Yin's carriage and drive away. He turned his head to ask the absent-minded Yu Shu: "Are you still going back to the Celestial Commissioner?"
Yu Shu nodded. On the first day, it was not her turn to rest. After the morning court session, she still had to go to the Celestial Commissioner to work. Furthermore, the Great Minister had stood up for her during the morning court session. She had to go back to thank him and give an explanation.
"That's good, I also have to go back to the Supreme Court." Xue Rui looked at Jing Chen who was walking behind her and cupped his hands. He said: "I will have to trouble Jing Xiong to send A Shu to the Celestial Commissioner on the way."
Yu Shu had gone out in the morning on Xue Rui's carriage. Originally, Xue Rui should have sent her back, but the Emperor had just decreed for the joint trial of the three departments. In public, Xue Rui had to be careful to avoid arousing suspicion. This was not the time to be jealous.
"Alright." Jing Chen agreed. Xue Rui lowered his head and said something to Yu Shu before walking away. Jing Chen walked to Yu Shu's side.
"Let's go too."
Yu Shu nodded and did not refuse. She followed him to the carriage of the Princess Mansion and went to the Celestial Commissioner's office. The two of them sat in the enclosed carriage, speechless, and the atmosphere was a little strange. Yu Shu closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Jing Chen thought for a while and took the initiative to speak.
"If there's anything I can help with, just say it."
Yu Shu opened her eyes. She knew that he had good intentions, but this matter could not be explained in a few words. She said to him, "It's a long story. My mother used to be a maid in the Yin Family, but she did not elope with my father. Instead, the Yin Family betrothed her to my father. My mother followed my father back to his hometown. As for what Assistant Minister Yin said in front of the Emperor today, it was pure nonsense. He deliberately wanted to slander my mother and me."
What was even more ridiculous was that Imperial Censor Wang. He was like a vicious dog that would pounce and bite anyone he saw. In the end, he stole the spotlight and suppressed Yin Zhourong's limelight.
"Why does Assistant Minister Yin's family always make life difficult for you?" Jing Chen frowned. Last time when he and Xue Rui attended the opera in Heng Wu Building, they encountered a young master of Assistant Minister Yin's family slandering Yu Shu in public. In the end, Xue Rui came forward and arrested him and took him back to the Supreme Court.
Yu Shu frowned and did not know where to start. She had a long history of grievances with Yin Zhourong's family. At first, there were only some small conflicts, so she did not take it to heart. It was all because of Yin Deng. She was so vicious that she schemed to destroy her reputation. When her plan failed, she instigated her stupid son to slander her outside. In the end, Yin Zhourong personally went to court and publicly wanted to impeach her. It seemed that he would not stop until she was dead.
She also did not understand why they were so crazy. They could not get any benefits from her once or twice, but they just did not learn to be obedient and insisted on fighting with her to the death.
What a crazy family.
.....
In another carriage, Prime Minister Yin was scolding his son.
"It's not a small matter to impeach an official of the imperial court. What's more, Envoy Miao Ling is the servant of the Celestial Commissioner and is favored by the emperor. Why didn't you discuss it with me before you did it?"
Yin Zhourong bowed his head and admitted his mistake honestly, "I was impulsive and did not consider it thoroughly."
Prime Minister Yin said with a cold face, "You are not a child anymore. You always do things without thinking. No matter how big the hatred between you and her is, you can't solve it in private. Why do you have to bring it to the imperial court and make a joke of yourself?"
Yin Zhourong's face was full of grief and indignation, "I had no choice. Yu Shu really bullied me too much. Two months ago, Yuanbo was framed and imprisoned by Xue Rui in the Supreme Court. I was too ashamed to plead with you, so I swallowed my anger. Who knew that he was tortured in there? Because he was not treated in time, his manhood was damaged. This is a great hatred that will lead to the end of the family line!"
Prime Minister Yin was shocked and almost knocked over the teacup in his hand. He had heard that Yin Yuanbo was arrested and imprisoned in the Supreme Court. But because his grandson was disappointing and fooled around outside all day long, he wanted to let him suffer a little and sharpen his temper, so he didn't care about it. He didn't expect that the gentle and sensible Dalang of the Xue family could be so cruel!
Once Yin Zhourong had spoken, he simply began to complain tearfully, "Yuanbo is his mother's flesh and blood. Even the few doctors we hired couldn't save him, so Madam Deng fell ill. After Yuanbo found out, he locked himself in his room and refused to eat or see anyone. The family was in a mess. I was really angry, so I sent someone to the yamen to complain … You are also a father, so you should know that in a father's heart, I can't allow my son to suffer even the slightest grievance!"
Prime Minister Yin's face darkened, and he felt uncomfortable. No matter how disappointing Yin Yuanbo was, he was still his grandson. He couldn't sit and watch him be murdered. He knew that Yin Zhourong was playing tricks on him, but he couldn't ignore it.
"Tell me in detail, what happened to Yu Shu's birth mother?"
Yin Zhourong's eyes flickered. He was afraid that Prime Minister Yin wouldn't help him if he told the truth. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to hide the truth and lied,
"Xiao Cui was originally a servant girl in my mother's room. More than ten years ago, I married a wife and separated from her family. My mother gave that servant girl to Madam Deng. Coincidentally, during that year's imperial examinations, I helped a few poor students. One of them was Scholar Yu. His essay was very good, and I found him agreeable. I invited him to our home as a guest and temporarily arranged for him to stay in the outer courtyard. That was how I planted the seeds of disaster. "
He clenched his teeth in anger, as if he couldn't bear it anymore.
"Scholar Yu actually had an affair with that servant girl. When Madam Deng found out, she was already pregnant. At first, I was so angry that I wanted to beat that lowly servant girl to death. It was Madam Deng's kindness that persuaded me to let them go and let them go. Unexpectedly, Scholar Yu was ungrateful and bribed the servants in the inner courtyard to steal Xiao Cui. He took all of Madam Deng's belongings and eloped with her. I felt that it was embarrassing, so I didn't say anything. "
He spoke as if he was telling the truth. Prime Minister Yin didn't suspect that his son dared to lie to him, so he believed him. He stroked his beard and pondered for a while.
He asked, "What evidence do you have?"
"I have a contract to sell myself, an old maid in Madam Deng's room, and an old doctor who diagnosed that lowly servant girl's pregnancy. They can all prove it. Otherwise, when I went to the Ministry of Revenue to register, as long as I looked through Chen Yue's case, I would be able to find records of the servant girl's elopement. "
Prime Minister Yin raised his eyelids and snorted, "Chen Yue's case? I'm afraid you added it to the list. "
More than ten years ago, before Yin Zhourong took up a position in the Ministry of Revenue, a servant girl ran away from home. How could he think of going to the Ministry of Revenue to record such a small matter?
Yin Zhourong mumbled twice, his heart beating faster. He was afraid that his father would hear something wrong, so he hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, "Father is wise, nothing can be hidden from you."
Prime Minister Yin stared at him, exasperated that he didn't live up to his expectations, "Since you were young, you have loved to play petty tricks. No matter how old you are, you can't change this bad habit. When you cause trouble, you still need me to clean up your mess. "
Yin Zhourong was so embarrassed that his ears turned red. He was afraid that if he were to be scolded a few more times, he would confess everything, so he changed the topic, "Originally, I had full confidence that I could win this case, but His Majesty is clearly biased towards that girl. He actually ordered a joint trial between the three departments. The two assistant ministers of the Ministry of Justice are Xue Shu's clique, and Xue Rui is Yu Shu's sworn brother. Imperial Censor Wang is a muddle-headed person, he might let her off the hook."
Prime Minister Yin mocked him, "Looks like you aren't too stupid, you know who the Emperor is biased towards. Tell me, how do you want me, your father, to help you? "
"Son is thinking, since His Majesty has given Ning Wang permission to supervise the trial, then it will be easy. I beg Daren Father to speak on behalf of son in front of Ning Wang, to have him keep an eye on Xue Rui and the others in court, not being biased. At the crucial moment, if he can put in a few good words for me, then there will be nothing to worry about."
In name, Yin Zhourong was Liu Hao Jiujiu of Ning Wang, but he was a shu son, and his birth mother was only a yiniang of Prime Minister Yin. In the palace, Shu Fei Niangniang was the daughter of the di mother, and her relationship with him, this shu brother, was ordinary. So he didn't have much face in front of Ning Wang.
"Superfluous action," Prime Minister Yin lectured him, "You brainless, why do you think Ning Wang requested for this job? It's because he's worried that you will be taken advantage of during the trial and affect our family's reputation. There's no need for this old man to remind him."
The more he looked at this shu son, the more worried he became. He didn't have much patience left, and bluntly said to him, "At the end of this case, for you, it would be best if Yu Mama is judged to be a fugitive slave, and Yu Shu is dismissed from her position and interrogated, right? Then this old man asks you, if you get what you want and avenge Yuanbo, how will you clean up the mess afterwards? "
Yin Zhourong was puzzled, "This result couldn't be better, how will you clean up the mess?"
"Idiot!" Prime Minister Yin couldn't take it anymore and scolded, "Do you think that if you successfully impeached Messenger Miao Ling, who can command the wind and rain, the Emperor won't be angry? There's also a big point, do you think that the Celestial Commissioner is just a decoration? You haven't even thought of these consequences, and you're scheming against a little girl, what do you want me to say about you! "
Yin Zhourong was dumbfounded by the scolding. Luckily, he wasn't young anymore, and his skin was thick enough. He shrunk his neck, and carefully asked, "Then, what should I do?"
"If you had asked me earlier, I definitely wouldn't have let you and Wang Jiao work together to complain in front of the Emperor. If you can't find anyone, go find him. That bastard is a hypocrite," Prime Minister Yin pointed at him unhappily.
"It's too late to say anything now, the Emperor is already involved, this case has to be judged to be right and wrong. If you want to listen to me, then hide your petty thoughts and schemes, and do what you should do. At that time, even if you win the case, you shouldn't take advantage of others, and give them some leeway. It's best if you return the contract on the spot, let bygones be bygones, and go back to where you came from. This way, you'll be in the right, and you won't offend His Majesty, preserving the reputation of the Celestial Commissioner, and no one can say anything wrong about you. "
Yin Zhourong said in a muffled voice, "Wouldn't this be a waste of effort?"
Prime Minister Yin was so angry that he fell down. He had already said this much, but this bastard son was still stubborn. He really wanted to slap him in the face — —
"If you really have the ability to seek revenge for your son, then you shouldn't have gone to that little girl. Who beat Yuanbo into a cripple? Wasn't it that brat from the Xue family? Go and settle the score with him! You don't have much ability, but you're good for showing off. Fine, this old man doesn't care, do what you want, just don't regret it in the future. Even if you regret it, don't expect this old man to care. "
A bastard son separated from the family, and was considered a side branch. Whether Yin Zhourong was good or bad, it wouldn't shake the foundation of the Yin family in court. Prime Minister Yin had always been open-minded, and wouldn't seek trouble for himself.
Yin Zhourong was most afraid of his old father drawing a clear line between him and him. Even though he was unwilling, he still humbly apologized, "Please don't say that, your son wouldn't dare to not listen to you. You're right, this matter can't be too extreme, we have to leave some leeway. But, what did Censor Wang say?"
"This old man can only care about you, how can I care about other people? If he wants to be in the limelight, then let him be. I'm your father, am I also his father? "Prime Minister Yin blew his beard and glared at him.
"Your son understands, don't worry, don't be angry, it's all my fault." Yin Zhourong apologized profusely.
Seeing this, Prime Minister Yin's expression finally improved a little. Looking at his naive face, he thought of his other two disappointing sons, and immediately sighed.
"This old man has been famous all my life, the only failure I have is that I didn't have a good son. You're like this, your eldest brother and third brother are both unreasonable, one is a bookworm, the other is a prodigal son. Take Xue Lingnan for example, this old man has fought with him for more than ten years, in the end, he only envied one thing, and that was that he used to have a brilliant eldest son. It's a pity — — "
Extreme wisdom will be hurt, and geniuses will have a short life.
Yin Zhourong just listened and did not interrupt. He and Xue Zhourong were of the same generation, and he had experienced the period of Xue Zhourong's fame. In Anling, everyone knew the Langjun of the Xue family. At the age of eighteen, Xue Zhourong was the Zhuangyuan, and even a six-year-old child could recite the "Ode to the Right Way" fluently. With such a reputation, who in the world could be a rare modest gentleman?
Prime Minister Yin was touched, and he was no longer in the mood to talk nonsense with the son of a concubine. Halfway through the journey, he drove Yin Zhourong out of the carriage, planning to turn around and find two old friends to drink to relieve boredom.
So Yin Zhourong walked home on his two legs.
.....
When he returned to the assistant minister's mansion, Yin Zhourong was extremely tired, but Madame Yin stuck to him and kept asking questions. He was so annoyed that he just took a sip of tea and smashed the cup on the table.
"There's no end to it, is there?"
Madame Yin was startled and hid behind him. Only then did she notice that his expression was not good, so she softened her tone and asked carefully, "What's wrong? Did you fail?"
Yin Zhourong said with a straight face, "His Majesty ordered the three departments to jointly investigate and file a case."
Madame Yin was delighted, "Isn't this good news? That girl refused to go to court no matter what. Now she has no choice. Master, what are you worried about?"
Yin Zhourong told her what Prime Minister Yin taught him after he left the palace. Madame Yin's expression changed after hearing it, "What do you mean by not going to the extreme? Didn't you tell father that they beat Yuanbo into a disabled person? Yuanbo is his grandson! "
"You are just a woman, what do you know!" Yin Zhourong said irritably, "I thought that His Majesty was suspicious of the Xue family and that Messenger Miaoling couldn't get any benefits. I didn't know that as soon as Xue Rui came back to the capital, the wind changed. In the morning court session, everyone could see that His Majesty favored Yu Shu and wanted to protect her. What do you want me to do? If Prince Ning hadn't asked to supervise the trial, we might not have won the case. "
Madame Yin let out an "ah" as if a bucket of cold water was poured on her face. She said helplessly, "Then, then what should we do? Are we going to let them go so easily?"
"Do you think I want to?" Yin Zhourong said, "But this is father's idea. What can I do?"
Madame Yin's eyes wandered. When she thought of her poor little son, she felt a burning pain in her heart. She couldn't give up and her mind was full of thoughts of revenge.
"Father only said that we should reconcile after the case is over and return Xiaocui's slave contract after we win the case. He didn't say that we can't settle old scores with them before the trial."
"… You mean?"
Madame Yin came close to him and whispered in his ear, "Think about it. We have solid evidence in our hands and Prince Ning is supervising the trial. We have a 100% chance of winning the case. What can she do? We have to make her understand that once she loses the case, her mother will have to return to our mansion as a servant. She must try to save her mother. Father is right. We don't have to be ruthless. As long as she is willing to marry into our family and serve Yuanbo for the rest of her life, no one will make things difficult for her. "
Yin Zhourong was moved by what she said, but he hesitated, "You dare to want such a powerful daughter-in-law?"
Madame Yin sneered, "Why wouldn't I dare? As long as she marries into our family, I will be her mother-in-law. If she wants to force me again, I have a hundred ways to deal with her."
Seeing his expression waver, she added more fuel to the fire, "Then again, that girl's skills are amazing. She can make the emperor happy and even father has a favorable impression of her. Once she becomes our family's daughter-in-law, the benefits won't be small."
Yin Zhourong was soft-hearted. When he heard Madame Yin's words and Prime Minister Yin's words were not in conflict, his mind became active.
The couple discussed and made a decision. They both felt that it was not too late. Madame Yin volunteered to see Yu Shu before the joint trial of the three departments.
***
When Yu Shu returned to the Celestial Commissioner, she first went to Tai Xi Lou to thank her. She didn't ask about the dispute between her and Assistant Minister Yin's family and gave her a reassuring pill —
"You are one of the Celestial Commissioner's people. This seat will protect you. The joint trial of the three departments is rare. As long as you don't do anything wrong, no one can touch you."
That was very powerful and domineering.
Yu Shu wasn't worried that she would lose her position. The accusations that Imperial Censor Wang made against her were exaggerated and used to scare cowards. She was only worried that Ning Wang, the supervisor, was playing tricks on her. She couldn't prove that Aunt Cui had escaped from slavery. Just based on the evidence and witnesses in Yin Zhourong's hands, it would be disgusting if Aunt Cui was judged to be an escaped slave.
What if the Yin Family became angry and took Aunt Cui back to kill her to vent their anger? How could she explain to Xiaoxiu?
.....
Therefore, in the evening, she met with Xue Rui at Wang Ji Lou. The first thing she said was to ask him,
"You are familiar with the laws. Is there any law that mentions that if the birth mother of an official of the court is a lowly person, what method is there to get her out of slavery?"
Father Yu was a proper scholar, but Aunt Cui had been a servant to someone else. It wasn't rare for such a thing to happen in a large family. For example, when a servant girl gave birth to a son, the son would be raised to be a concubine of a yiniang. Then when the son of a concubine became an official, the birth mother would naturally not be a lowly person.
The only difference was that Aunt Cui gave birth to a daughter for Yu Xiucai and not a son for Assistant Minister Yin.
Xue Rui looked at her worried expression and touched her small hand. It was ice-cold. It was obvious that she had been on tenterhooks all day. He regretted not sending her back personally in the morning. At least he could have given her a definite message on the way back so that she would be at ease.
"Sit down first." He led her to a bench and placed a cup of hot tea in her hands. "Don't worry. We won't lose this lawsuit."
She was already planning her retreat. It was obvious that she didn't have a chance of winning.
"Why won't we lose? You don't have to comfort me." Yu Shu didn't take his words seriously and said with a bitter expression,
"I've asked my mother many times. She doesn't even remember that the Yin Family didn't return her the slave contract. My father is also a muddle-headed person. He didn't even take her to the yamen to get rid of her slave registration and returned to the village. Later, my mother became a concubine of the third master of the Ji family. She can't explain it clearly. Now Yin Zhourong said that he has my mother's slave contract in his hands. If he dares to sue the Emperor, there's an eighty percent chance that the contract is real. Just this one clause is enough to say that my mother is his family's slave. "
Xue Rui hid a smile in his eyes. He asked her, "Who told you that the slave contract in Yin Zhourong's hands is real?"
"If it's not real, then how could it be fake?" Yu Shu said, "Even if it's fake, they can still pass it off as the real one. Who told my parents to be muddle-headed and give others something to use against them."
Xue Rui shook his head. He poked her forehead and said, "Silly girl. Your father isn't muddle-headed at all."
Yu Shu finally felt that something was wrong. She stared at him suspiciously and said, "Why do you have a strange smell when you speak?" It was as if she knew something.
Xue Rui said, "Where is there a strange smell? Why can't I smell it? Can you smell it again?" As he said that, he leaned toward her. His handsome face was almost touching hers.
Yu Shu pushed his chest and said angrily, "I'm being serious! If you tease me again, I'll leave. "
Xue Rui sat up straight and put away his joking face. He got up and went to the study room next door. After a while, he came out with a small lacquer box in his hand. He showed it to her.
Confused, Yu Shu opened the box to take a look. She saw a roll of paper inside the box. It was yellowed and had a rough edge. At a glance, she could tell that it was quite old. She was slightly stunned. She took it out and rolled it up in disbelief. After a quick glance, she was stunned.
This … this is Aunt Cui's slave contract?!
"Is this real or fake?" There was a signature from both the master and the servant. There was also the seal of the yamen. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed to be real.
"Of course it's true." Xue Rui said with certainty, "This contract of indenture was originally in the possession of a Grand Uncle of your Yu Clan, and it was personally entrusted to him by your father all those years ago."
Yu Shu's mind was in a mess. She carefully held the slave contract, afraid that she would crush it. Xue Rui's voice sounded in her ear.
"At the beginning of October, the Ninth Prince invited me and Jing Chen to Hengwu Hall to watch a play. We happened to see Yin Yuanbo slandering you in public, so I captured him and brought him back to the Supreme Court. I tortured him and found out that his mother intended to marry you. After you refused, she plotted to harm you. In a fit of anger, I beat Yin Yuanbo until he was disabled. I wasn't worried that the Yin Clan would seek revenge on me. I was only afraid that they would vent their anger on you. At that time, I was prepared. To prevent them from making a fuss about your background, I secretly sent people to the south to Yiyang to look for your Yu Clan. "
Gui Daren had just returned from Yiyang when he was sent out to investigate old matters. The first time he was unfamiliar, the second time he became familiar. This investigation really allowed him to uncover some incredible details.
Xue Rui took a sip of his tea and continued, "Your father became a scholar at the age of fifteen, and this is very impressive in the local area. Even though your grandfather passed away at a young age, he was still a scholar when he was alive. Even your grandmother's maiden family was a country gentleman, and they were rather famous. Four generations before your grandfather, the Yu Clan had an ancestor who was a sixth-ranked official in the Celestial Commissioner's Office. Later, the Yu Clan declined. During your grandfather's generation, they moved from Jianye to Yiyang. There were very few people left. "
Father Yu was the only son in three generations. He didn't visit his relatives often. Therefore, when he died, Aunt Cui remarried and became a concubine, the news didn't reach the ears of the Yu Clan. Otherwise, the Yu Clan wouldn't have allowed her to do such evil things.
Yu Shu was stunned. After a while, she said, "You're not lying to me, right?"
Xue Rui asked her, "Think about when you were young. Before your father died and before your mother remarried, your family didn't have to worry about food and clothing. Were you still considered wealthy?"
"…" Yu Shu was speechless. She wasn't the original, so how could she remember when she was young? She pretended to hold her head and thought about it. She said vaguely, "I don't remember clearly. When I could remember, my mother became a concubine in the Ji family. My younger brother and I lived in a rented house on the street. My mother sent money to us every month. That's why we didn't starve to death."
This was true. Every time Yu Xiaoxiu had a nightmare, she would talk about it. She was afraid that she would go back to the bitter days of eating rice and vegetables.
Xue Rui felt sad. He thought back to when he first met her in Yiyang City. She was as skinny as a boy. She had a wild and shrewd temperament. She boldly came out to find work just to earn money to support her younger brother.
In the past, he felt that he had a lonely life. Until he met her, he realized how lucky he was. His adoptive father treated him like his own son. He grew up in luxury. What was there to be discontented about?
"It's fine if you don't remember clearly." Xue Rui took the indenture out of her hand and put it back in the lacquer box. He replaced it with a cup of hot tea and placed it in her palm.
"I'll continue. Don't interrupt me. Listen to me first before you check."
"Okay."
"The people I sent to Yiyang found the Yu Clan. They snuck into the ancestral hall and peeked at the genealogy. They discovered that you and Xiaoxiu's names were there, but your mother's name wasn't there. Thus, they became suspicious."
Gui Da flipped through the genealogy of the Yu Clan. The next day, he prepared a generous gift and paid a visit. He claimed that he was Yu Shu's servant. He brought the good news that she had entered the Dayan High School and entered the court as an official. He spent a lot of effort to win people's trust.
The elders of the clan were overjoyed and held a banquet to entertain Gui Da. One of the clan's uncles was especially enthusiastic. After getting drunk, under Gui Da's indirect questioning, he spilled the beans.
Xue Rui took a breath. Seeing that Yu Shu was listening attentively, she thought that he was telling a story.
"What did I spill? Is it related to my mother's indenture? "Seeing that he had stopped, Yu Shu hurriedly asked.
Xue Rui nodded, "That's right. More than ten years ago, your father brought your mother back to the village. Although he didn't marry her officially, he still held a banquet. After you were born, he found this uncle and secretly gave your mother's contract to him, asking him to take care of it. "
Yu Shu's father's original words were that Aunt Cui used to be a servant of a wealthy family. She had an illicit affair with him, so the master sent her to him. He received the indenture but didn't release her because he knew that Aunt Cui wasn't willing to follow him back to the village. He was afraid that she would have second thoughts in the future and harm her children, so he didn't release her.
A servant naturally wouldn't be recorded in the Yu Clan's genealogy.
"So you're saying that my mother never got rid of her slave status?" Yu Shu was dumbfounded.
"Yes, you can say that." Xue Rui was worried that she wouldn't be able to accept this reality, so in order to reassure her, he said, "However, your father didn't remarry in his entire life. Now that you've made a name for yourself, you can openly write your mother into the Yu clan's genealogy book."
How could he know that Yu Shu didn't care if Aunt Cui could enter the Yu Family's genealogy. What she cared about was whether there was a way to release Aunt Cui from her slave status and prevent any future troubles. Now that she had the indenture, she didn't need to worry about anything!
"This thing," She pointed at the yellowed scroll in the lacquer box, "Did you steal it or rob it?"
Xue Rui coughed dryly, "What do you mean by stealing or robbing? This was originally given to someone else by your father for safekeeping. He's no longer around, so what's the point of someone else holding onto your mother's indenture?"
Gui Da only needed to use a few tricks to obtain the indenture. Even if that uncle found out that it was missing, he wouldn't say anything.
He closed the lacquer box and placed it on her lap. He smiled calmly, "Keep it well. When the three departments hold the trial, I will be present. I won't let you suffer any losses."
Yu Shu held the small lacquer box and felt that Xue Rui had put a lot of thought into it. She couldn't even take care of things, but he had thought about it for her. Even if he was in a difficult situation, he wouldn't neglect her. She felt that she couldn't bear it.
He had silently done so much for her, so what could she do for him?
"What's wrong?" Xue Rui saw that she didn't look happy and instead revealed a confused expression, which made his heart inexplicably palpitate.
Yu Shu blinked her eyes and returned to her senses, asking, "Since this is my mother's indenture, then the one in Yin Zhourong's hand is fake?"
"That's right."
"Then I find it strange," She frowned, "The Yin family has a fake indenture and still has the guts to report to the Imperial Court. Unless he's sure that we can't take out the real indenture, where does his confidence come from?"
Xue Rui's eyes flashed and his words were uncertain, "Perhaps Yin Deng shi asked your mother in private, or perhaps your father did something in the past. I don't know."
Yu Shu was speechless as she looked up at the sky. The image of her dead father in her heart suddenly became lofty. There was a saying that went — bad men deceive women for a while, good men deceive women for a lifetime.
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