Chapter 50: Sisterly Affection, Part Twenty-Seven

Having a meal was secondary; the most urgent matter now was to track down that maidservant.

Seeing that it was no longer possible to catch her, the only option left was to frame the whole incident as a misunderstanding. Since the events had taken place so many years ago, long before any of the children were born, sweeping this matter under the rug would still require a visit to Madam Zhang.

Master Zhang had no time to linger; he turned and hurried away.

Yu Shanmeng also figured out the crux of the situation and hastily ordered his servants to carry him out in his chair. Zhang Qingyao did not quite understand at first, but under Zhang Huiniang's explanation, she finally grasped the severity of the situation.

Thus, in the blink of an eye, the entire group rushed out the door and headed toward the courtyard where Madam Zhang was temporarily staying.

Chu Yunli walked at the very end, the corners of her lips curving up slightly as she instructed the coachman beside her: "Go out of the city right now and bring the midwife's daughter back for me."

Judging by what the midwife's daughter had said earlier, she was more than willing to reveal everything her mother had done from beginning to end. However, she was desperately short of money; once Master Zhang figured things out, he would undoubtedly try to buy her silence.

If this truth were to come to light, the midwife's daughter was the most crucial piece of the puzzle.

Madam Zhang was naturally unwilling to reconcile. In fact, even though she was utterly disappointed in her husband, she had not yet decided whether to take him to court. It was not out of lingering affection for the past, but rather out of fear that her children would be implicated.

Upon learning that Chu Yunli had already dispatched someone to file a complaint, Madam Zhang felt a touch of emotion. It was not that she lacked the desire to sue; she had simply been unable to make up her mind. Now that her daughter had made the decision for her, she certainly would not back down.

Master Zhang had come to plead for mercy, his attitude lowered to the absolute minimum.

After years of marriage, they had indeed shared deep affection in the beginning, and Madam Zhang had witnessed firsthand just how gentle this man could be. Yet, despite his sweet words and ingratiating demeanor, her heart refused to soften. The mere thought that he had done all this for the sake of Zhang Huiniang filled her with profound disgust, heightening her hatred toward Zhang Huiniang as the ultimate culprit.

The more he begged, the more determined she became to sue him.

Zhang Qingyao had followed them as well, but no one paid any attention to her.

Back then, Zhang Huiniang had merely chosen not to stop it. She did not know if she bore any legal guilt, but if the matter were brought before a magistrate's court, her older brother would undoubtedly be unable to escape punishment. Her brother was her biggest pillar of support in this world; if anything happened to him, her own life would certainly become miserable.

Seeing that her brother's gentle and soft-spoken pleas were failing to sway her unyielding sister-in-law, Zhang Huiniang hardened her resolve and dropped to her knees. "Sister-in-law, so many years have passed. Perhaps my brother was in the wrong, but we must look ahead. If the two of you truly take this to court, what will the children think? It will ruin the reputation of our descendants and grandchildren. At our age, we live entirely for our children and grandchildren. You surely don't want them to become the laughingstock of the city, do you?"

Faced with her husband's gentle words, Madam Zhang had maintained a calm expression despite the revulsion in her heart. But upon hearing Zhang Huiniang's speech, she was seized by a fury that left her laughing coldly, one sharp chuckle after another.

"What? Am I supposed to simply swallow this bitter pill and suffer in silence?" She took a step closer. "What is that look on your face? Humiliation? Do you think dropping to your knees makes you noble? Are your knees made of gold?"

Zhang Huiniang was left speechless. "What will it take for you to let go of your anger?"

"It will never go away," Madam Zhang said, enunciating every single word. "Unless you bring my children back to life."

The brother and sister fell silent.

At that exact moment, the maidservant who had gone to report the case returned. She had failed to bring any yamen runners, but she was clutching a slip of paper in her hand. "The magistrate says he will come to summon people tomorrow morning."

It was already the middle of the night. Madam Zhang gave a soft yawn, waved her hand, and said, "In that case, I must go back and get some rest to keep up my strength. The rest of you should sleep as well, so you have the energy to spin your clever lies tomorrow!"

Chu Yunli supported her as they walked inside, having remained entirely silent from beginning to end, refusing to let the outsiders cross the threshold. As she closed the door, a thought occurred to her, and she offered a reminder: "I've already sent someone to fetch the midwife's daughter back. You needn't waste your effort searching for her."

Master Zhang slapped his own forehead in dismay.

Yu Shanmeng had just thought of sending someone to fetch her as well... Nighttime brought a curfew, and the city gates would be locked, barring ordinary citizens from entering or exiting. However, in cases of urgent necessity, one could find the guards stationed at the gates, explain the circumstances in writing, and offer a small bribe to pass through at any hour. Still, under normal conditions, ordinary people would not venture in and out of the city gates in the dead of night without an emergency.

Once again, he was a step too late.

That night, Chu Yunli slept soundly.

Madam Zhang spent half the night chatting with her son. Just as the sky was beginning to grow pale at the break of dawn, the yamen runners arrived.

When they reached the exterior of the magistrate's court, Master Zhang, his sister, Zhang Qingyao, and her children had already arrived, accompanied even by Yu Shanmeng.

Upon seeing each other, Master Zhang hurried forward. "My dear, the merciful thing is to forgive where you can. What happened back then was my fault, but you should know in your heart how I have treated you over the years. Aside from refusing to listen to you regarding Huiniang, I let you have the final say in everything else. Surely that counts as deep devotion? I know you are utterly disappointed in me, but I hope that for the sake of our children..."

"Our two children have no need for such false dignity!" Madam Zhang's expression remained detached. "It was Qingxue who filed the complaint. From last night until now, Qingdong has been offering me ideas on how to bring you down every step of the way, without uttering a single word asking me to forgive you. Zhang Hui, you chose your sister over everyone else and drove away all who loved you. Once we enter the courtroom shortly, you will likely gain an even deeper appreciation of the consequences of doting on her. I only hope that you will still feel boundless affection for Huiniang then and live without regret."

As soon as the hour of Chen arrived, the magistrate ascended to the bench, and the group was led inside.

With the midwife's daughter present to testify about the events of the past, Master Zhang was left with no room for argument.

The midwife's daughter even pointed out several of the Zhang family servants who had assisted the midwife in her actions.

Filing the complaint had been a spur-of-the-moment decision by Chu Yunli, leaving merely a single night between the accusation and their appearance in court, giving Master Zhang no time to make any arrangements. By midday, the entire city had learned that in order to secure a legitimate status for his sister's child, Master Zhang had orchestrated events that resulted in the death of his own legitimate son while still in the womb.

Even if someone plotted against his own wife and children, that person was nothing more than a murderer. Master Zhang was thrown into the prison dungeon that very day.

As for Zhang Huiniang, she stubbornly refused to admit that she had any prior knowledge. She insisted over and over that she knew nothing at all!

When the magistrate questioned Zhang Hui, he remained silent for a long time before declaring that the decision to have the midwife intentionally save the mother at the expense of the child was entirely his own idea, having nothing to do with anyone else.

Ignorance of the crime meant no guilt, and Zhang Huiniang managed to escape unscathed.

It was worth noting that any convicted murderer was required to pay a sum in reparations—not only to the family of the aggrieved party, but also to the yamen as a token of gratitude for the magistrate's efforts in investigating the case, funds which were put toward the welfare of the local populace.

The Zhang family was immensely wealthy, and they were penalized several thousand taels of silver.

Even so, a considerable amount remained. Zhang Hui had three children. Zhang Qingyao, being Zhang Huiniang's daughter, was not entitled to a share of the family assets. Zhang Qingxue was a married daughter, rendering her similarly unqualified to claim a portion, though she could still receive a share if Zhang Qingdong chose to bestow one upon her. Zhang Qingdong allocated thirty percent of the estate to her, keeping the remainder himself to consolidate and manage the household.

Thus, Zhang Qingdong became the new head of the Zhang family.

Madam Zhang was able to move back into her home, while by contrast, Zhang Huiniang and her daughter completely lost their backing.

As the mother and daughter walked out of the courtroom, they looked utterly desolate, like mourners who had lost their parents.

Madam Zhang, on the other hand, was beaming with joy. Chatting idly with her son, she instructed an elderly maidservant to return to the courtyard where she had been staying and move all her belongings back home.

Seeing her former sister-in-law looking so triumphant, Zhang Huiniang was consumed by a surge of bitter indignation. In an impulsive rush, she lunged forward to scratch and claw at her.

The movement was so sudden that Madam Zhang was startled.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Chu Yunli reached out and grabbed her firmly by the arm. "What kind of madness are you throwing?" She even glanced back at the yamen runners standing not far away. "Assaulting someone unprovoked is a crime, isn't it?"

The yamen runners looked at each other in bewilderment; ordinary people rarely brought such trivial disputes to court. Chu Yunli said earnestly, "She assaulted my mother, and I suspect she intended to kill her. I beg the magistrate to uphold justice for my mother!"

Zhang Huiniang: "..." Who wanted to commit murder?

"I did nothing of the sort!"

Chu Yunli declared with a solemn expression, "Judging by the way you just lunged, you clearly intended to take her life."

The magistrate emerged and said with a helpless sigh, "Such a small matter hardly warrants all this."

Chu Yunli refused to let the issue drop. "Perhaps this petitioner is making a mountain out of a molehill, but my mother has suffered far too much hardship, and I refuse to let her be harmed again. I only wish for this madwoman, who is so adept at manipulating others, to stay far away from us from now on. As long as she agrees never to set foot in the Zhang family residence again, this matter can be laid to rest. Naturally, if she dares to harm my mother once more, I will have to ask the magistrate to seek justice for my mother yet again."

The magistrate turned his head to look at Zhang Huiniang.

Zhang Huiniang's face turned alternately pale and ashen, but in the end, she had no choice but to agree.

To be so fiercely protected by her daughter was a deeply comforting experience for Madam Zhang. She immediately took Chu Yunli by the hand and said, "Today is a wonderful day. Let's go home and celebrate."

Zhang Huiniang: "..."

Her brother had already been thrown into prison, leaving her homeless with nowhere to go! Furthermore, because her brother had murdered his own child for the sake of her and her offspring, it was unlikely that anyone would ever be willing to associate with her again. Whether she needed to borrow money to tide herself over or hoped to remarry, both prospects would prove exceedingly difficult for her.

Then there were the Fu siblings; previously reluctant to maintain ties with her, they would undoubtedly refuse to acknowledge her as their mother now that her reputation stank this badly.

Zhang Qingyao grabbed her by the sleeve. "Auntie, stop making a scene!"

Zhang Huiniang snapped back to her senses and emphasized fiercely, "I am your mother."

Zhang Qingyao cast a furtive glance to her left and right. "Let's discuss this later."

They were clearly biological mother and daughter; it had been one thing when they were ignorant of the truth, but now that all these events had unfolded and virtually everyone was aware of their true relationship, how could she still suggest discussing it later?

Zhang Huiniang gritted her teeth and demanded, "All this trouble was stirred up precisely for your sake. How dare you disown me?"

"I didn't," Zhang Qingyao murmured, feeling her face burn with heat as she noticed the gazes of the surrounding onlookers. "Let's leave first and find a place to stay..."

At that mention, she could no longer hold back her tears, which began to fall freely.

Because her uncle had murdered his own flesh and blood to give her a legitimate status, compounded by the disaster that had befallen her husband, she was now little more than a rat scurrying across the street whenever she walked out in public. Finding a place to stay... proved to be far more difficult than she had imagined.

Thinking of all this, she wept all the more bitterly.

Today's events had nothing to do with Yu Shanmeng, but having listened to the proceedings from the sidelines from beginning to end, he was well aware of Zhang Qingyao's current predicament. Seeing the beauty in such distress made his heart ache profoundly. In a sudden rush of impulse, he took a step forward and grasped her hand. "Come with me."

Zhang Qingyao tried to pull her hand away, but failed. Weeping, she asked, "What good will it do to go with you? Won't Qingxue just drive me out anyway? When things blow up again, I'll only suffer more humiliation..."

"I will marry you." The moment the words left Yu Shanmeng's mouth, his face flushed bright red. "Once you are my wife, she won't be able to drive you out! If they push me too far, I'll sue her for trespassing on private property and insulting my wife!"

Zhang Qingyao snapped her head up in shock. "This..."

She looked slender and frail, with teardrops clinging to her eyelashes, rendering her exceptionally pitiful. Her expression was a mix of astonishment and delight. Meeting such a gaze, Yu Shanmeng, who had initially harbored some hesitation, instantly solidified his resolve. "I will take care of you from now on, and I won't let anyone bully you ever again!"

Zhang Qingyao lowered her head in bashful shyness.

Chu Yunli had already moved to board the carriage, but upon turning her head to witness the commotion unfolding nearby, she abruptly stopped in her tracks.