Chapter 15: Fear of Father's Wrath
Dusk descended.
Lamps in the courtyard lit up one by one.
After the incident at Concubine Tao's place, all members of the Xie family except Xie Jingyu had gathered. Concubine Jiang and Concubine Yu, Xie Shi'an and Xie Ping - the small courtyard was filled with people.
All eyes were fixed on Yun Chu's face.
Yun Chu stood calmly. "So Old Madam suspects that I wanted to cause Concubine Tao to miscarry?"
"It's not that I suspect you, but the evidence points to you," Old Madam said. "Chu'er, you know how much I trust you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have entrusted all household management authority to you. Is this how you repay my trust?"
"This..." Concubine Jiang spoke cautiously, "This concubine wishes to speak fairly. The Madam has no motive to do such a thing at all."
If the Madam had her own flesh and blood, it would be understandable to be wary of the birth of a concubine's child.
But the Madam had no children and would never have children of her own. Moreover, the Master had said that regardless of which concubine bore the child, it must be registered under the Madam's name. Whether raising one child or a group of children, deliberately causing Concubine Tao to lose the fetus in her womb was truly meaningless.
Yuan Shi nodded. "Chu'er has always been tolerant and magnanimous. She couldn't possibly do such a thing that harms descendants."
Old Madam sneered.
Yun Chu had indeed been tolerant before, but in recent days, she had become increasingly harsh and difficult. It wasn't impossible for her to do such a thing.
At this moment, Concubine Tao called out from inside the room: "Old Madam, I know why the Madam wants to harm the child in my womb..."
Old Madam had someone push the door open, and Concubine Tao's voice became clearer. "These past few days, the Master has been sending things to me - a pot of flowers, several bolts of cloth, and jewelry. The Madam sees that the Master cares too much about a mere concubine like me. She's afraid the Master will favor the concubine over the wife, which is why she's taking action against the child in my womb..."
Yuan Shi sighed.
Four or five years ago, when Chu'er was pregnant, Jingyu indeed hadn't been this attentive. No wonder Chu'er was jealous enough to do such a thing.
Ting Yu pursed her lips.
When she was pregnant back then, she had kept it hidden from the Madam, precisely because she was afraid the Madam might not think clearly and take action against the child in her womb. Facts proved that she hadn't overthought it...
"Jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorcing a woman," Old Madam said with a disappointed expression. "Chu'er, you are the legitimate eldest daughter of the Yun family, the matriarch of our Xie residence. How could you be so confused!"
Yun Chu looked around at everyone in the courtyard, taking in all their expressions.
She brushed her black hair and said, "The Xie residence is also a scholarly family. Does the book teach us to convict people so simply?"
Her calm and indifferent manner made Old Madam feel somewhat irritated.
She preferred the Yun Chu from before, after losing her child - that gentle, silent matriarch, that granddaughter-in-law who could be manipulated at will.
She had to seize this mistake of Yun Chu's to make this granddaughter-in-law return to her obedient self.
Thinking of this, she said: "Someone, go search the Jadesong Residence."
Mama Zhou bowed to Yun Chu: "Madam, this old servant offends."
After speaking, she took seven or eight matrons and maids from the courtyard and headed towards the Jadesong Residence.
It wasn't too far away. Before long, Mama Zhou returned, shaking her head: "Old Madam, nothing was found."
Old Madam frowned: "How could that be? Did you search the storeroom?"Mama Zhou lowered her head and said, "That is the madam's dowry storage room. Without the madam's permission, this old servant wouldn't dare..."
Old Madam's expression darkened.
Perhaps Yun Chu had already disposed of the evidence...
"Even if you enter my dowry storage room, you won't find what Old Madam is looking for because—" Yun Chu paused, "you're searching in the wrong place."
Old Madam narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Yun Chu looked up toward the courtyard entrance. "Since Mama He is here, why are you standing outside?"
He Shi was startled.
She had been standing in the shadows where ordinary people wouldn't notice her at first glance.
Yet the madam, while being interrogated, had still detected her presence.
She bowed her head and entered, saying, "This servant was afraid that if the master asked upon his return, I wouldn't be able to answer anything, so I..."
Before she could finish, Yun Chu clapped her hands.
Ting Shuang, who had been guarding the courtyard gate, entered with two people.
One was dressed like a shopkeeper, the other a seven or eight-year-old beggar boy.
After entering, they scanned everyone present, then their gazes settled on He Shi.
In that instant, He Shi's breath caught.
"It was her who gave me twenty copper coins to buy medicine from Shande Hall," the beggar boy pointed at He Shi. "I'm very good at recognizing people—I can't be mistaken."
The shopkeeper-like man spoke up, "Half an hour ago, this beggar boy came to my shop for medicine. He had no prescription, just named a few herbs. I gave him small amounts of each, including saffron."
As these two spoke, everyone in the courtyard showed expressions of disbelief.
"It wasn't me! He has the wrong person!" He Shi struggled to maintain composure. "This servant left the residence to purchase an inkstone for the master. I beg Old Madam to investigate clearly."
Old Madam tightened her grip on her cane. "He Shi is merely a servant. She couldn't possibly harm her master. This is impossible."
Yun Chu's voice was calm. "Of course I wouldn't follow Old Madam's example of condemning someone without evidence. Now we have witnesses—all that's missing is physical evidence. Ting Shuang, take some people and thoroughly search Mama He's quarters."
"Mother!" Xie Ping couldn't help speaking up. "Mama He has been utterly loyal to Father. She couldn't possibly harm Father's offspring. You won't find anything even if you search."
Xie Shi'an stepped forward. "Mama He is Father's person. If Mother rashly searches her quarters, I fear it might anger Father."
A faint smile touched Yun Chu's lips. "I am your father's lawfully wedded wife. Why is it that searching my courtyard wouldn't anger your father, but searching a courtyard manager's quarters would? Or are you saying that in your father's eyes, a mere servant is more important than his proper wife?"
Xie Shi'an was rendered speechless.
Yun Chu shook her head. "An Ge'er, you'd rather trust a servant than believe me, your mother. You've deeply disappointed me."
She made a gesture.
Ting Shuang immediately led people toward He Shi's living quarters.
No one in the courtyard spoke.
Old Madam clenched her cane tightly. Though the evidence hadn't been found yet, she already understood what had happened.
Her clouded eyes swept over He Shi like sharp blades.
She truly hadn't expected that He Shi would dare to harm an unborn child and frame the mistress!
She never should have allowed He Shi to remain in the Xie residence, not even for the sake of An Ge'er and his two siblings.
Ting Shuang worked quickly, returning with her people in less than fifteen minutes. Several medicinal ingredients were presented: "These were found under Mama He's bed."The pharmacy manager stepped forward and took a look, saying, "Yes, those are exactly the herbs and saffron the little beggar bought. I couldn’t possibly be mistaken."
"Thank you both for taking the trouble to come here." Yun Chu handed two small pouches of coins to the two men. "Please act as though today’s events never happened. I appreciate it."
The money was essentially hush money, and both the manager and the little beggar understood that.
However, after leaving the Xie residence, when they opened the pouches and saw that each contained only a few dozen copper coins, the manager’s expression darkened. He hadn’t intended to gossip about the private affairs of a wealthy household in the first place, but to be dismissed with such a paltry sum felt deeply insulting…
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