If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

The main hall of the Yong'an Marquis's residence in the capital city.

"Mother, Fourth Sister, I... I really didn't mean to..."

Zhang Heng knelt on the ground, looking pitiful, and said, "It was that spoiled brat from the Wang family who insulted my father first, so I pushed him in anger. Who knew he would lose his balance and break his leg."

After explaining, Zhang Heng stood up and said, "I will take responsibility for my actions. I will go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to confess my crimes and go to jail. I will not implicate my family."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Lady Qin Xuehua scolded, "You are the second young master of the Marquis's mansion, what kind of status do you have? How dare you go to a filthy place like the prison?"

Zhang Heng's fourth sister, Zhang Wanning, said anxiously, "Mother, Heng has been frail since childhood. How can he endure the damp and filthy conditions of that prison?"

"But the Wang family is related to the imperial family, and they have a long-standing feud with our Zhang family. If this matter is not resolved, it may alarm His Majesty."

Qin Xuehua looked worried. The Wang family was not to be trifled with; someone had to take responsibility.

Zhang Wanning sneered, "Let Zhang Yu go and take the blame for my brother... Anyway, it was dark that day, so the other party didn't see my brother's face clearly. They only knew that it was the young master of the Marquis's mansion who did it."

She looked disgusted when she said the name Zhang Yu.

Everyone in the household knows that the eldest young master, whom they brought back from the countryside three years ago, is a complete "people pleaser."

In order to gain a foothold in the Marquis's mansion, Zhang Yu always wore a fawning and obsequious face.

He could kneel all night if Lady Hou frowned, and he could run all over the capital to find a doctor if Zhang Wanning sneezed.

Letting such a spineless scoundrel take the blame is just giving him a huge opportunity to show off.

He'll probably be grateful, feeling that the Marquis's mansion finally values ​​him.

Upon hearing this, Qin's mind stirred.

That's right. Zhang Yu was raised on the farm since he was a child and was used to a hard life. It wouldn't be a big deal for him to spend a few days in jail.

If we make him take the blame, he'll definitely think it's a way to do good for the Marquis's family and an opportunity to integrate into the family.

"At worst, I'll just praise him a couple of times," Qin Xuehua silently made up her mind.

"Granny Zhou,"

She regained her composure and grace as the mistress of the household and instructed her confidante, "Go and invite the eldest young master."

"Yes."

Granny Zhou acknowledged and withdrew, a hint of understanding and disdain flashing in her eyes.

She thought to herself that the young master was probably about to get what he wanted.

Kneeling on the ground, Zhang Heng, from an angle unseen by anyone, subtly curled a triumphant smirk at the corner of his mouth.

Zhang Yu, Zhang Yu, you've been groveling like a dog for the past three years, just for this pitiful recognition?

Today, I'll grant your wish. Go to jail and behave yourself.

It would be best... to stay inside forever and not come out and get in the way.

About half a cup of tea later, a figure followed behind Granny Zhou and silently entered the main hall.

The newcomer was wearing a slightly worn indigo cotton long gown, was tall and slender, and walked with a steady gait.

It was Zhang Yu, the eldest son who had been brought back three years ago.

"They're here."

Madam Qin sat upright, her tone gentle yet distant, as if bestowing charity.

It felt like Zhang Yu wasn't her biological son, but rather like a servant.

Zhang Yu stepped forward and bowed, his movements impeccably standard: "Your son greets Mother, and also greets Fourth Sister and Brother Heng."

His voice was steady, his tone respectful, and there wasn't a single fault to be found.

Looking at his submissive demeanor, the last bit of unease in Qin's heart dissipated.

She picked up her teacup and said in a tone instructing a servant, "I called you here today because there is something I need you to do for the Marquis's mansion."

She spoke of it casually, as if it were a trivial matter.

Zhang Yu said respectfully, "Mother, please speak. Your son will do his utmost."

"It's not a big deal."

Qin Xuehua recounted the events in a casual manner, and finally said, "Your brother got into a lawsuit, but he has been weak since childhood and cannot endure the suffering of imprisonment. Go and take responsibility for this matter and serve a few days in jail for your brother."

Zhang Wanning crossed her arms and watched leisurely, waiting to see how this "good older brother" would perform his "loyalty" and "gratitude".

Zhang Heng lowered his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders, seemingly trying to suppress "guilt," but in reality, he was desperately trying to stifle the triumphant laughter that was about to escape his throat.

Under everyone's gaze, Zhang Yu slowly raised his head.

His face showed none of the expected fear, struggle, or the excited elation of finally being "needed."

Zhang Yu naturally did not want to go to jail.

He was a time traveler. The eldest son of the Marquis's manor had been abandoned on the estate three years ago and had died from starvation.

The original owner's parents favored their youngest son, Zhang Heng, and abandoned him in a rural village for ten years because of a false accusation by Zhang Heng.

The people in the village fawned over the powerful and bullied the weak, relentlessly mistreating and tormenting Zhang Yu, who had been tortured to death by his servants three years prior.

Before she died, the original owner of this body hoped that her parents could come and see her one last time.

After transmigrating, Zhang Yu was thinking about how to take revenge on the Zhang family and avenge the original owner of the body.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yu awakened a character system, and his first character was to please everyone in the Marquis's mansion and his childhood sweetheart and fiancée.

At that moment, Zhang Yu was stunned.

If he's transmigrated, why should he have to be a lapdog and fawn over those cold-blooded family members who killed the original owner?

His first thought was to refuse, and he even wanted to run away immediately.

However, faced with the system's terrifying punishment, he could only bow his head.

Fortunately, the system offered generous rewards, which somewhat consoled his discontented heart.

"System, you're not really going to send me to jail, are you?"

Zhang Yu wanted to talk to the system; he really didn't want to go to jail.

[Ding, host's people-pleasing persona is 99% complete. New task: pleasing family members.]

[The Appeasement Mission: The "Refinement" of Prison]

[Mission Objective: To take Zhang Heng's place in jail.]

[Phase 1 Reward: For each full day spent in prison, automatically receive "One Year's Martial Arts Cultivation Infusion".]

[Second Stage Reward: For every full ten days spent in prison, you will randomly receive one "System Martial Arts Inheritance".]

[Does the host accept the mission? If not, the character development progress will slow down, and an electric shock penalty will be imposed.]

Upon hearing the system's task, Zhang Yu's breathing quickened, and he almost shouted with excitement.

For three whole years, he completed countless "sycophant" tasks, acquired numerous god-level skills, and accumulated wealth beyond measure.

Using his special skills and boundless wealth, and under the guise of a marquis's mansion, Zhang Yu secretly cultivated a vast intelligence and business network covering the capital and even several provinces.

He even used some rare items rewarded by the system to establish secret connections with some martial arts forces and border generals.

However, the system was extremely stingy with its martial arts cultivation, not giving it even a tiny bit.

He possesses vast resources, yet he himself is an ordinary person with no physical strength, and has no choice but to bide his time for the time being.

Zhang Yu wanted to cultivate on his own, but his aptitude was exceptionally poor. It took him three years of arduous training to barely become a first-grade martial artist.

In this respect, he was worlds apart from the other sons of the Marquis's family.

This is also a major reason why everyone in the Marquis's mansion looks down on him.

And now, the opportunity has arrived!

jail?

One day equals a year's worth of cultivation?

Change your martial arts technique every ten days?

This is hardly a mission.

This is clearly a ladder to the pinnacle of power, tailor-made for him by the system!

Zhang Yu felt that he had to stay in this prison forever, until he was invincible.

So he shouted in his heart without hesitation, "Accept the mission!"