Chapter 80: Guilt

Jun Zijin and the others were stretched thin, but after a full week of hard work, they finally finished vaccinating everyone in the capital. Emperor Tianqi then ordered Jun Zijin and the imperial physicians to teach the vaccination method to doctors in every prefecture and county across the Tianqi territory, gradually promoting the vaccination nationwide.

Upon receiving the order, Jun Zijin and the others did not slack off in the slightest. They organized a series of training courses, compiled the detailed steps and precautions for the vaccination into booklets, and distributed them to doctors in various regions. Thanks to the Emperor's support and the Crown Prince's oversight, everything proceeded very smoothly.

Meanwhile, a major event occurred at the Jun residence.

Ever since the First Lady had been disfigured, Jun Zhengming had not stayed overnight at Cuiyu Courtyard. After the First Lady had blurted out every secret in the residence in her delirium, the mere thought of that place sent a chill down his spine; how could he possibly go anywhere near it?

Aside from the First Lady, the only other person in the residence was the concubine Zhou Yiniang. Furthermore, feeling that he had wronged Zhou Yiniang, Jun Zhengming had been staying in her small courtyard for some time lately. Although Zhou Yiniang had lived in seclusion for the sake of her children, she had followed this man since her youth and had borne him a son and a daughter, so she still held some affection for him. Now that the First Lady had fallen, Zhou Yiniang was pleased by Jun Zhengming's arrival. With Jun Zhengming visiting today, Zhou Yiniang personally prepared several good dishes.

As Jun Zhengming walked into the small courtyard, he smelled the long-lost aroma of home-cooked food. Seeing the table full of dishes, his heart was filled with emotion.

Zhou Yiniang gently served food for Jun Zhengming, and Jun Zhengming also placed a chopstick-full of food into Zhou Yiniang's bowl. Jun Shuyan rolled her eyes toward the sky and muttered in a low voice:

"This is just too hypocritical."

Hearing this, Zhou Yiniang frowned slightly and scolded: "Yan'er, do not be rude."

Thinking of how he had failed this mother and daughter over the years, Jun Zhengming did not take offense and smiled:

"Your courtyard is a bit too remote. I intend to move you to a new one."

Upon hearing that they were to move, Jun Shuyan's eyes lit up, and her attitude toward Jun Zhengming improved. She had long been tired of this remote and cramped courtyard.

Zhou Yiniang, however, was still somewhat worried. She waved her hand and said softly: "Master, there is no need for that. We have grown accustomed to living here, and it is quiet."

Jun Zhengming insisted on the move: "I neglected you in the past; now, I naturally must make amends."

Jun Shuyan could not help but interject: "Father, you must not go back on your word. Living here, it takes me so long every time I go to visit the Second Sister."

Seeing that the mother and daughter were willing to accept his gesture, Jun Zhengming felt a slight sense of relief and smiled: "When has your father ever lied to you? I will have the Qinxin Garden cleared out tomorrow, and you two shall move there."

Qinxin Garden was named for the fact that fresh flowers bloomed there throughout all four seasons, filling the air with a constant fragrance; it was one of the few fine courtyards in the Jun residence.

Upon hearing they were moving to Qinxin Garden, Jun Shuyan was so excited that she ate an extra half-bowl of rice. Seeing her daughter so happy, Zhou Yiniang also felt a sense of anticipation and stopped refusing.

Once Jun Shuyan started talking about Jun Zijin, she could not stop, her eyes sparkling with admiration for her:

"Second Sister is truly amazing to have been able to develop such a powerful vaccine."

A smile also appeared on Jun Zhengming's face. This daughter was indeed not only exceptionally intelligent but also possessed a benevolent heart. Her ability to develop a vaccine to eradicate smallpox was truly a blessing for the Tianqi nation and the pride of their Jun family.

Thinking of this, Jun Zhengming remembered the Wu woman locked in Cuiyu Courtyard. At the time, he had insisted on bringing the Wu woman he had kept outside into the residence. Fang Mengru had a soft temperament and, after several failed attempts to stop him, had given up. He never dreamed that he had brought back a poisonous woman who had killed his wife, killed his two sons, and even poisoned his elderly mother, with whom he had depended on for survival since childhood.

These days, whenever Jun Zhengming thought of Fang Mengru lying in a pool of blood, taking two lives with her, whenever he thought of that fully-formed male fetus that never had the chance to be born, and whenever he thought of his four-year-old son who had drowned in the pond, the sight of their tragic ends haunted his nightmares night after night.

It was not enough for this poisonous woman to harm so many people; she did not even spare his mother. The Old Madam had nearly died at her hands, and the incident had left her bedridden for so many years. Even with the Second Girl's unparalleled medical skills, she still had not been able to help the Old Madam stand up.

He thought of Jun Zijin again. That poisonous woman had tried to harm his second daughter several times; if not for her good fortune, she would likely have died long ago. He thought of Jun Zijin's virtues and felt truly guilty toward Fang Mengru, his two sons, his second daughter, and the Old Madam.

What face did he have left to face the Old Madam and this daughter of his? His resentment toward the Wu woman extended to the look of undisguised disappointment he gave Jun Yiyi.

Jun Yiyi was filled with grievance and unwillingness. She tried to find opportunities to explain to Jun Zhengming, but he always avoided her.

One day, Jun Yiyi waited in a corner of the garden along Jun Zhengming's path. When he passed by, she suddenly rushed out and knelt before him.

"Father, those things were all done by Mother; it is not the daughter's fault. Please, give your daughter another chance." Jun Yiyi was tearful and looked truly pitiful.

If this had been in the past, Jun Zhengming would certainly have softened, but today, he only looked at Jun Yiyi coldly, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust and exhaustion.

"Get up. Is the evil done by the Wu woman limited to just that? But having been by her side for so many years, could you truly have known nothing? Furthermore, I favored you greatly in the past, yet I never saw you stop her in the slightest."

Jun Yiyi cried and claimed she had only been muddled for a moment, incited by her mother.

Jun Zhengming took a deep breath: "You are already grown; you should be able to distinguish right from wrong. Do not use your mother as an excuse anymore. I am keeping that poisonous woman alive for now so that she may live the rest of her life in atonement. As for you, just stay in the residence and behave yourself from now on."

Jun Yiyi slumped to the ground, her mouth opening as if to argue, but she found she had nothing to say.

Jun Zhengming walked past her and continued forward. Looking at his back, Jun Yiyi shouted in despair:

"Father, are you truly so heartless?"

Jun Zhengming paused slightly, then continued on without looking back.

Jun Yiyi's eyes were filled with despair as she sat on the ground for a long time. A surge of resentment welled up within her. A vicious glint flashed in her eyes, and she bit her lip so hard that blood began to seep out.

Night fell, and all was silent; the entire residence was shrouded in a layer of tranquil darkness. Jun Yiyi walked on tiptoe into the small kitchen, personally boiled a pot of porridge, and delivered it to the First Lady.

The First Lady was deeply moved. She took the bowl, gently blew away the heat from the surface, and scooped a spoonful into her mouth. In that instant, a satisfied smile appeared on the First Lady's face as she praised her daughter for becoming sensible.

For the first time in her life, the First Lady ate porridge cooked by her daughter's own hands. She had a good appetite and finished two bowls.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still only faintly bright, the whole world was immersed in silence. Suddenly, a sharp scream erupted from Cuiyu Courtyard, piercing the sky, startling the birds perched in the trees, waking those still in their dreams, and instantly shattering the tranquility completely.