However, Chen Gao always harbored some jealousy towards Yu Binyi due to his noble title by birth, unlike Chen Gao who had to laboriously climb the ranks to his current position with little chance for further advancement. No matter how talented, it could not compare to one’s birth.
This jealousy was well hidden, as one’s birth was something no one could predetermine.
Three years ago, while traveling, Chen Gao and Yu Binyi crossed paths with Bai Xiu, and both were amazed by her. Chen Gao kept his interest in Bai Xiu to himself and sought her out. They got along well, and he felt she had some affection for him. A few days later, he proposed to the Bai family to take Bai Xiu as a concubine. Unexpectedly, Yu Binyi made the same request to the Bai family.
Given the choice, the Bai family chose to send their daughter to the Marquis’s residence.
Chen Gao suppressed his jealousy and instead visited Yu’s residence more often. Yu Binyi, unaware of Chen Gao’s motives, warmly received him. Chen Gao could occasionally see Bai Xiu, believing her gaze still held affection for him. His small jealousy gradually grew into an obsession.
Yu Binyi was usually passionate about state affairs and had written some poems criticizing the times. Chen Gao collected his poetry, deliberately selecting some with fierce language that subtly satirized court politics and even the emperor’s writings. He also forged some anti-government articles in Yu Binyi’s handwriting and bribed an imperial censor to present these to the emperor.
The emperor probed Yu Binyi during a conversation, feeling he had many dissatisfactions with the court. Although he could not definitively prove treasonous intent, he had already harbored suspicions about Yu Binyi.
Subsequently, a major case came to the Ministry of Justice. A madman from a certain prefecture had proclaimed himself a cult leader, gathered followers, and committed rebellious acts. This scholar, though not yet in official service, had considerable local reputation, with his followers once reaching a thousand. After the incident, he was quickly captured and sent to the capital’s Ministry of Justice.
During the interrogation, Chen Gao unexpectedly learned that when this man came to the capital for the imperial examinations, Yu Binyi had been one of the supervisors that year.
After passing the exam, this man had visited Yu’s residence, claiming to be Yu Binyi’s student. However, Chen Gao, through coercive interrogation, forced the man to claim that his rebellion was instigated by Yu Binyi.
The emperor, already harboring suspicions about Yu Binyi, believed it was better to kill mistakenly than let a potential traitor go. Thus, he issued an order to strip Yu Binyi of his title, confiscate his family property, and execute him.
Bai Xiu and the women of the Yu family were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeon. Chen Gao bought Bai Xiu and brought her home, lavishing her with affection. Yu Binyi did not know that Chen Gao had previously proposed to the Bai family, but Bai Xiu knew. She was not stupid; Yu Binyi had suddenly become a traitor, and Chen Gao had quickly rescued her from the dungeon. She instinctively felt things were not as simple as they appeared.
However, Bai Xiu was not clear about exactly what Chen Gao had done, only knowing that he had framed Yu Binyi. She pleaded: “Lord, please spare me! I was also helpless. Chen Gao bought me from the dungeon, I had no choice…”
“
Yu Yi gritted his teeth: “Although you did not directly participate in harming me, on the day of the family confiscation, Hongrui, Hongzhi, and Yi’er could have escaped, but you exposed their whereabouts, causing them to be captured and executed. Can you say you were not complicit when you informed on them? Can you say you had no choice?!”
Bai Xiu trembled, no longer daring to beg, just curling up and crying softly.
Yu Yi stopped speaking, waiting quietly. He could see Bai Xiu’s every move. She stayed downstairs for a short while and, seeing the “Yu Binyi ghost” had not reappeared, stumbled back upstairs and hid in a corner of the bed.
In the evening, the food delivery person came to the small building, opened the door lock. He was about to place the food box and take away the morning’s food box when he heard a voice from inside: “I want to see the master. I want to tell him Yu Bin’s secret.”
Bai Xiu was suddenly frightened when she heard “herself” speaking.
After locking the door, the food delivery person reported this to Chen Gao. Chen Gao pondered alone in his study and decided to go to the small building to get to the bottom of things. Regardless of whether Bai Xiu was truly mad or feigning madness, he already had the idea of killing her to eliminate future troubles.
As Yu Yi expected, Chen Gao came to the small building alone and unlocked the door.”
As soon as Bai Xiu saw him, she cried, “Master, the ghost came again today!”
Chen Gao frowned and asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted to tell me a secret about Yu?”
Bai Xiu desperately shook her head: “It wasn’t me who said it!”
Chen Gao looked at Bai Xiu with pity. She was very beautiful. Even in her half-mad state, she looked pitiful, her tearful eyes glistening. He had originally loved her deeply, even framing a friend to obtain her. Now, he felt afraid, wondering why he had been so crazy back then. Unfortunately, she was now mad. How could a mad woman keep a secret? How could one love a mad woman again?
He had spent his entire life working to become the Minister of Criminal Affairs. Anyone who threatened his personal safety would absolutely not be spared.
With murderous intent, Chen Gao suddenly felt an unusual impulse. He licked his somewhat dry lips and unbuckled his waist and pants.
Bai Xiu understood the desire in Chen Gao’s eyes but missed the murderous intent. Hope sparked in her heart – if Chen Gao still liked her, she might regain his favor and leave this small building.
Chen Gao couldn’t see the person’s appearance, only sensing that the individual wasn’t particularly robust. But this was his residence, and he had just killed someone. The silent presence of this person made him break out in a cold sweat. “Who is it?!”
“Have you forgotten an old friend?” Yu Yi, wearing a mask and dressed in his father’s old male clothing, spoke in a voice and tone mimicking his father’s from memory.
Chen Gao recognized the familiar voice and felt horrified. He still didn’t want to believe it, trembling as he shouted, “Who are you, stop trying to scare me!”
Yu Yi walked to Chen Gao, who turned to crawl upstairs. Yu Yi caught up and grabbed his hair, pulling him down. Chen Gao’s body hit the stairs, and he cried out, “Help! Come…”
Yu Yi’s wrist flashed with a cold light, a dagger pointed between Chen Gao’s eyes. “Want to live?”
Chen Gao immediately stopped shouting, nodding repeatedly, not daring to move with the dagger’s tip so close to his eyes.
Who knew that as soon as he wrote the first character, another blood mark appeared on his face, and the person behind him coldly said: “This is not your usual thin gold script. Don’t try to play tricks. I’m also familiar with the Criminal Department’s rules.”
If there’s even half a point of forgery, you won’t be writing anymore, and you’ll go directly to see King Yama.”
Chapter 64: Yu Yi’s Spacetime (14)
Chen Gao broke out in a cold sweat again, weighing the options between instant death and later disgrace. Life was still the most important, but there was one thing he wanted to clarify first: “Hero, if I finish writing, will you spare my life?”
“That depends on how well you write.”
