Chapter 171: Xie Jingyu's Demise
Xie Jingyu stared intently at the porcelain vial.
His voice carried a hint of urgency: "Madam, I was momentarily possessed when I harmed those two innocent children. I know my sins are beyond redemption... Now that the Xie family has fallen to this state, it is my deserved retribution. If heaven granted me another chance, I would never commit such acts again. I was wrong, truly wrong..."
Yun Chu closed her eyes.
Xie Jingyu had confessed his crimes and received due punishment, yet why did she feel no satisfaction in her heart?
How she wished time could return to that night four years ago—she would have protected her child at all costs...
Two clear tears traced paths down Yun Chu's cheeks.
Allowing herself only a brief moment of vulnerability, she wiped away her tears and extended the vial toward him.
Xie Jingyu raised his only functional right hand to receive the life-saving antidote, but Yun Chu withdrew her hand.
She retrieved a folded paper from her sleeve and handed it to him: "Write your name here and press your thumbprint. Then our accounts will be settled."
Using both his right hand and teeth, Xie Jingyu unfolded the paper. His pupils constricted sharply when he saw the three bold characters at the top.
"Letter of Separation?" His voice betrayed astonishment. "Madam, you wish to separate from me?"
"What, Xie Jingyu, do you think we can continue this marriage?" Yun Chu smiled coldly. "Aren't you afraid I might poison you again?"
Xie Jingyu's parched lips pressed into a tight line.
Though he feared having such a venomous woman by his side, he dreaded losing the Yun family alliance even more.
Yet he knew they had reached a point where reconciliation was impossible.
But how could he bear to let Yun Chu go...
Over recent years, the Xie family had been steadily rising, gradually establishing itself in the capital. Now, everything had been destroyed by this woman before him...
After recovering, his first priority would be rescuing An Ge'er, then clearing his name, followed by restoring the Xie family's standing. Finally... he would make Yun Chu pay...
He admitted he had once felt affection for Yun Chu.
But what was such fleeting emotion compared to the honor and disgrace of his family?
"Where's the brush?"
Xie Jingyu extended his hand.
Yun Chu produced a prepared writing brush and placed it in his grasp.
At the bottom of the separation agreement, he inscribed "Xie Jingyu," then bit his thumb to draw blood and pressed his fingerprint.
Yun Chu collected the document, read it word by word, folded it neatly, and returned it to her sleeve before finally handing over the porcelain vial.
Xie Jingyu used his teeth to remove the stopper, detecting a strong aromatic scent. His fingers hesitated briefly before he tilted his head back and drained the vial's contents.
The moment he finished, he met Yun Chu's mocking gaze.
Priding himself on his cleverness, he immediately recognized the implication of her expression. He shoved fingers down his throat, but the liquid had already been swallowed, impossible to vomit out.
"Yun—Yun Chu! What did you make me drink?" he screamed in despair.
"Don't worry, it's not poison." Yun Chu picked up the fallen vial from the floor. "This is the distilled essence of eighteen jars of strong liquor. Did it taste good?"
Xie Jingyu's pupils dilated in horror.
The physicians who had treated him had explicitly warned that his condition prohibited alcohol consumption.On one occasion, he had gone out for social engagements and merely drank half a cup of rice wine, yet he ended up bedridden for seven days.
Eighteen jars of strong liquor, though not poison itself, were enough to trigger the toxicity and claim his life.
Sure enough, his abdomen soon began churning violently, his intestines feeling as if they were being torn apart. The pain was so excruciating that he rolled on the ground, writhing in agony...
"Yun Chu! You vicious woman!"
"I've done everything you asked, why won't you let me go!"
"The antidote! Give me the antidote now!"
Xie Jingyu rolled and roared on the ground like a madman.
He had knelt in repentance when she demanded it!
He had written the divorce letter when she ordered it!
He had already admitted his mistakes, why was she still treating him this way!
He was only twenty-eight, with so many ambitions yet unfulfilled—how could he die like this?
"Yun Chu, I was wrong, truly wrong. Please save me."
"I really regret it, I shouldn't have discarded your child. I beg you, Yun Chu."
"Yun Chu, save me, please save me..."
Yun Chu stood nearby, quietly watching him—from his violent thrashing to slow writhing and twitching on the ground.
Gradually, he could no longer move at all.
She crouched down, gazing into his wide-open eyes where she saw hatred and unwillingness.
She had never intended to spare Xie Jingyu's life.
It was only after learning that her child had died by his hand that she decided to kill him personally.
At the moment he breathed his last, the grievances between them finally came to a true end...
Yun Chu reached out and closed his eyelids for him.
"Xie Jingyu, may you become an upright person in your next life. Rest in peace."
Xie Jingyu's eyelids shut.
Lying on the ground, the last remnants of his consciousness lingered. Before his eyes appeared a magnificent vision:
He had become a third-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue. An Ge'er, a decade after achieving the top three honors in imperial examinations, had become the second-in-command in the imperial cabinet. Ping Jie'er, for some reason, had become the emperor's favored consort. Wei Ge'er, the most disobedient child, had surprisingly become a third-rank general commanding tens of thousands of troops... Their Xie family had become a prominent household in the capital, a clan everyone vied to flatter...
What a beautiful vision, what an ideal future—but he would never see it...
The vision slowly faded as Xie Jingyu gradually lost his final breath...
"Someone come."
Yun Chu called out.
Qiutong and Ting Xue, who had been waiting by the door, entered first while Ting Feng remained on guard.
When they saw Xie Jingyu lying lifeless on the ground, neither showed much surprise. They knew this day would eventually come—it had just arrived somewhat earlier than expected.
Without needing Yun Chu's instructions, they each attended to their duties.
Fifteen minutes later, Ting Feng went to find the other members of the Xie family with a panicked expression.
At this moment, the other masters of the Xie family were gathered in the courtyard of Yuan Shi and Xie Zhongcheng. The two sat in the main seats, with several Concubines seated in order below.
"I've called you here so we can brainstorm solutions together," Xie Zhongcheng began. "Our Xie family is currently trapped in this residence, completely passive with many matters unresolved. First is An Ge'er's situation, second is Jingyu's affair—both require silver to maneuver. We can't wait until the verdict is passed to start thinking of solutions, don't you agree?"
The Concubines nodded one after another.They could remain indifferent to Xie Shi'an's situation, but Xie Jingyu's predicament was closely tied to their own interests, leaving them no room to stand idly by.
"Leaving the estate requires silver, hiring people to handle matters requires silver—a rough calculation shows we need at least ten thousand taels," Xie Zhongcheng sighed. "We only have four to five thousand taels on hand, and each of you still needs to contribute over a thousand taels more..."
Concubine Tao widened her eyes: "How could a humble concubine like me possess such a sum?"
Concubine Jiang tightened her grip on her handkerchief: "Master, I only have a little over a hundred taels here, but I'm willing to contribute all of it."
Yuan Shi frowned with worry: "A mere hundred taels would hardly suffice to bribe the guards at the gate. You should gather all your usual jewelry and contribute it—we must overcome this difficulty together."
Ting Yu spoke softly: "Why not seek contribution from the Madam?"
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