With money and grain secured, Tu Shanjin swiftly set in motion the water conservancy project.
First, he established supportive policies, then created official positions like the Water Governor to specifically oversee water management.
As for the initial funding, Yun Yaoyao claimed it was drawn from the national treasury.
The officials knew the treasury didn't have much savings and couldn't sustain the project for long. The money and grain invested in water conservancy were being used sparingly, let alone allowing for any corruption. So they didn't pay much attention to this area.
Even the pro-emperor ministers sighed, "The follow-up funding and grain supply will be a big problem. His Majesty seems to be acting on impulse this time."
Having perfectly solved the initial funding challenge for the water conservancy project, Tu Shanjin fulfilled his promise and brought his favor to the Yun family.
Before arriving, Yun Yaoyao had already explained the Yun family situation to him in detail.
In short, a knowledgeable but destitute scholar met a wealthy and intelligent businesswoman. With the woman's financial support and connections, he climbed his way up to become the second-place winner in the imperial examinations and entered officialdom.
However, after the scholar's reversal of fortune, he began to despise his past hardships and the person who had supported him to this position.
He no longer visited his first wife's chambers, instead focusing his attention on other women. One of these women even bore him a daughter around the same time as his wife.
Shortly after, his first wife passed away in depression.
The ungrateful scholar was Yun Liang, and the wealthy businesswoman was Yun Yaoyao's birth mother.
Aunt Yun and Yun Yanyan were that mother-daughter pair.
Tu Shanjin scoffed at this story. When a woman puts all her heart and dependence on a man, that's the beginning of misfortune.
Yun Yaoyao's birth mother was like this.
His own mother was the same.
Before leaving, Yun Yaoyao waved her fists to cheer Tu Shanjin on: "This whole family put together doesn't have a single good bone in their bodies. Tu Shanjin, maintain your tyrant persona and give it to them! Go all out!"
Seeing his usually cold and aloof face make such a silly expression, Tu Shanjin frowned, "Don't make such stupid expressions with my face!"
It was criticism, but she wasn't listening.
Yun Yaoyao laughed and waved goodbye to him: "Remember, whoever provokes you, you deal with them!"
At the Yun Manor, piercing screams were coming from an elegant courtyard.
Two maids were holding down a body as sturdy as an ox, while a servant boy was viciously whipping it.
"How dare you steal from the madam? You unruly slave, you need to be taught a lesson!"
"Ah!" The body, its back torn and bloody from the barbed whip, screamed and protested, "I didn't steal anything. You must have planted it to frame me!"
The servant boy lashed down hard again, the barbs tearing off chunks of flesh. The person being beaten seemed to lose all strength and collapsed on the bench.
The servant boy quickly stopped and checked for breathing, then sighed in relief: "Madam, she's still alive!"
The woman addressed as madam rose gracefully, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief to avoid the strong smell of blood. Her gentle eyes held compassion.
But her words were lethal: "She's already entered the palace as a concubine and is currently in the Emperor's favor. Knowing you're suffering here, why hasn't she asked for an imperial decree to bring you back to the palace? It's because she doesn't care about your life at all. The master-servant relationship you cherish is worthless to her."
"If you just hand over the things Ye Qingjun left behind, I can point you towards a better path."
The figure sprawled on the bench suddenly became excited: "That's wonderful! If the young miss is favored by the Emperor, then her days in the palace must be good!"
Aunt Yun: "..."
She really was impervious to persuasion.
Tossing aside her handkerchief, Aunt Yun said expressionlessly: "Haven't you eaten enough? Continue beating her, just don't let her die."
Screams once again filled the elegant courtyard.
At this moment, a servant reported that Consort Miao had asked the Emperor for permission to return home and was now in the main hall.
Hearing this news, Aunt Yun was startled, a flash of jealousy and hatred crossing her eyes. After giving some instructions to her confidant, she hurried to the main hall.
From afar, she saw a graceful and beautiful figure, surrounded by many palace servants. The Yun family's housekeeper, maids, and servants were all kneeling in a dense crowd, creating quite a spectacular scene.
In just a few short days, she had transformed from a timid and foolish wild chicken into a phoenix!
Aunt Yun was seething with hatred inside, but she could only respectfully approach and curtsy.
"Greetings, Concubine Sha."
Tu Shanjin originally didn't want to linger, as in his view, these people were as insignificant as ants, not worth his attention.
But suddenly, that loud "Give it to them!" and those bright eyes eager for drama echoed in his ears.
Tu Shanjin thought, well, might as well do it. It's rare for him to leave the palace anyway.
He glanced sidelong at Aunt Yun, as if looking at an ant: "You have no rank or title, and you're just a concubine. You should be kneeling before me."
These words, which completely disregarded her from head to toe, infuriated Aunt Yun, mixed with humiliation.
She wanted nothing more than to tear Tu Shanjin apart on the spot. Catching a glimpse of a figure hurrying over from a distance, she finally showed a hint of grievance and knelt on the ground.
"Greetings, Concubine Sha."
Tu Shanjin didn't respond, so everyone could only continue kneeling.
When Yun Liang arrived, he anxiously helped Aunt Yun up. After a brief greeting, he blurted out his accusations.
"Aunt Yun's health is poor, and she did raise you after all. How can you deliberately make things difficult for her!"
"My lord, I'm fine. Yaoyao is now Consort Miao, these formalities are necessary." Aunt Yun pretended to be gentle and caring, but every word was meant to remind and provoke Yun Liang that Yun Yaoyao had now risen to become Consort Miao.
Seeing Tu Shanjin still maintaining his aloof and superior demeanor, Yun Liang felt even more disgusted with this daughter.
"You've become arrogant and unreasonable, that's one thing, but now you won't even call me father?"
Tu Shanjin gave him a cold glance.
Asking him to call him father?
It was already merciful of him not to execute this family of fools on the spot.
"Madam Yun, you rose without this palace's permission, a subordinate defying a superior. Paper and ink, twenty slaps to the face."
A tall palace maid serving at Tu Shanjin's side walked up to Aunt Yun. Under her increasingly terrified gaze, she delivered several slaps in quick succession, causing Aunt Yun's tears to instantly flow.
"Yun Yaoyao!" Yun Liang couldn't believe it. "Have you gone mad?"
Tu Shanjin dealt with everyone he wanted to deal with equally.
"Lord Yun, although you hold a Second-Rank Official Position, publicly addressing a concubine by name is considered disrespectful. This palace will report to His Majesty and have your salary docked for three months."
With his dignity completely swept away, Yun Liang was so angry his chest heaved: "You... you..."
The rest of the servants kneeling on the ground were thoroughly frightened, fearing they might be implicated.
The usually timid and foolish eldest daughter had transformed into an imposing Consort Miao.
Returning home only to beat the mistress of the house and punish her own father's salary - this was an explosive development in the world of eldest daughters.
However, this series of direct actions had a good effect.
Yun Liang and Aunt Yun had originally wanted to bring up the matter of the "imperial decree," intending to use moral coercion along with threats and enticements. But Tu Shanjin's actions had completely shattered their last illusions.
Yun Liang no longer wanted to argue with Tu Shanjin, only wishing to send this plague god away as soon as possible. He asked directly: "Concubine Sha, what exactly are you here for? The Yun Manor is too small to accommodate such a great Buddha as yourself."
