Chapter 268: Lady Lan Has Always Been a Smart Woman
“Chen Yu, starting today, you’ll be assigned to infrastructure work. A critical place like the city walls is no place for a man whose mind is controlled by lust.”
Chen Yu had no idea what “controlled by lust” meant.
However, when he saw their young mistress’ face darken and her voice turn cold, he realized he had done something to displease her.
Before he could even ask what he’d done wrong, he was already reassigned—no, demoted.
“Miss, did I… did I make a mistake?”
Panic-stricken, Chen Yu stopped his men from pulling the mother and daughter down and turned to Yu Luo for an explanation.
“Heh, while your mistress and I are standing right here, you’re already thinking about such filthy things. A man like you, who only thinks with his lower half—do you think my daughter would still trust you with an important position?”
Chen Yu!
Ye Jiamei’s words struck Chen Yu like lightning.
Panicking, he leaped down from the city wall—an impressive drop of several dozen meters—and landed before Yu Luo, immediately dropping to one knee and bowing in deep remorse.
“Miss, I realize my mistake! Please punish me severely! I was too careless with my words—I’m too used to joking with the brothers. I swear I won’t do it again!”
Yu Luo, however, remained as cold as ever, showing no sign of relenting.
“Careless words or a joke, it doesn’t matter. Take this as a lesson. I know that the men here have their needs, and I don’t judge you for that. But if you want to be someone who achieves great things, you can’t be ruled by your desires. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you died. Let this be a warning to everyone: if I ever catch someone letting their impulses lead them astray, they will pay the price. As for you, you’ll only return to your original post if you prove yourself. Your wages are being reduced as well.”
Chen Yu’s initial panic faded into calm acceptance.
He had been too lax. He thought he was just another worker under Yu Luo’s command, but he had forgotten that this city was not as peaceful as it seemed. Danger could descend at any moment.
Their young Miss was right to be cautious.
As a leader, his lax attitude could set a bad example. If even he could be swayed by a woman, what about the men under him? If a single woman could be used to infiltrate and destroy their operation, what then?
The realization humbled him.
“You’re right, Miss! I understand now. Thank you for your guidance—I will correct my ways immediately.”
Seeing that Chen Yu had absorbed the lesson, Yu Luo nodded in approval.
“Good. I expect all my overseers to set an example. Don’t let desire cloud your judgment. Right now, our city is still under construction and not yet open to outsiders. If one day someone with ulterior motives tries to infiltrate, a single woman could be all it takes to turn men against us. Not just you—every one of your subordinates must remain vigilant.”
“Yes, Miss! I understand!”
With that, Yu Luo turned her attention back to the mother and daughter still hanging from the city walls.
“Pull them down. Put shackles on their feet. They will work from dawn until dusk, no slacking off. They’ll be given only three steamed buns and one bowl of water per day.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Chen Yu climbed back onto the city wall, and the two women—each with an arrow lodged in their legs—were dragged down.
The moment their bodies touched the ground, they clung to each other and wailed uncontrollably.
“Mother, I—I thought we were going to die! It hurts so much! My whole body hurts!”
After hanging on the city wall for a full day and night, their bodies were covered in abrasions from the ropes. Cold, hunger, and despair had broken them completely.
Even though Lady Lan was an adult, she had been raised in luxury her entire life. She had never suffered like this, not even on the journey of exile. At this moment, she could no longer hold back and sobbed just as bitterly as her daughter.
“At least Xiao Luo didn’t kill us. We must work hard—this will be our way of atoning. I believe she will let us go eventually.”
Hearing her mother’s words, Yu Meiyao turned to look at her grandmother, still hanging lifelessly from the wall.
Her whole body trembled.
Then, she thought about Yu Luo’s cold, ruthless smile, and an overwhelming fear gripped her.
To be honest, she no longer dared to hate Yu Luo.
No matter how much she detested this other illegitimate daughter—this girl who was somehow prettier than her—there was no denying the truth.
Ever since their exile, Yu Luo’s family had been miraculously blessed.
It was as if they had divine guidance.
Their martial prowess had skyrocketed.
They had gone from destitute outcasts to the wealthiest people in this wilderness.
And they hadn’t just survived—they had gathered nearly twenty thousand laborers to serve them.
With such power, how could Yu Meiyao possibly fight back?
She realized that if she clung to her hatred, she would end up just like her grandmother—turned into a living target, full of arrows.
When Yu Luo heard her subordinates report Lady Lan’s words, she merely chuckled in amusement.
“Lady Lan has always been a smart woman. It’s just a pity she gave birth to a daughter who’s nothing but dead weight. If she weren’t intelligent, she wouldn’t have survived this long in the marquis’ residence. And today, she wouldn’t have been so quick to accept her fate.”
“True,” Ye Jiamei agreed. “Think about it. Despite being a concubine, she was raised delicately in her maiden home. Yet during exile, she ended up doing all the dirty work for the legitimate family—practically serving them as a slave! That’s probably the only reason she survived. Otherwise, that old hag Chen would’ve secretly sold her off ages ago.”
Ye Jiamei knew exactly what kind of person Old Madam Chen was.
But thinking about the old woman, now covered in arrows and still hanging from the wall, she felt incredibly satisfied.
Letting Old Madam Chen die would be too easy.
A woman like that deserved to suffer.
Over in the mountain cave, Yu Xiaoyun woke up early.
At just eight years old, he had gone from knowing nothing to collecting firewood, clearing fields, chopping wood, and washing clothes—all things his mother once did.
He got up before dawn, trained for an hour, and then reheated last night’s leftovers for his stepmother.
His father and eldest brother were gone.
His mother and sister still hadn’t returned.
That left only his second brother to depend on.
So, he had to work harder.
He had to be useful.
Otherwise, his stepmother might start resenting him, and his second brother might not even bother trying to rescue his mother and sister.
