Chapter 246: The Death of Concubine Yu
The main gate pounded violently.
Ting Yu's face instantly turned deathly pale.
She trembled and pleaded, "Madam, Young Master, please don't open the door. I beg you to buy some time. I can't be caught and taken back."
These past few days at the Hu residence had been like living in hell—a fate worse than death.
If she were to stay at the Hu family any longer, she would inevitably die there.
Moreover, as a concubine who had fled, if caught escaping, the mistress had the authority to execute her.
She couldn't die—Yun Ge'er was still so young.
Xie Shi'an shook his head. "Concubine Yu, this is the path you chose yourself. No one can help you; you must face the consequences."
"That's right," Yuan Shi advised. "Since you're already a concubine of the Hu family, you shouldn't have any further ties to the Xie family. Our Xie family is in such a state now—we can't afford to offend anyone. If the Hu family decides to cause trouble, the Xie family will truly be finished. Concubine Yu, please take pity on us orphans and widows of the Xie family."
Ting Yu fell to her knees with a thud. "Madam, please take pity on me too. I was forced by Xie Shi'an onto Official Hu's bed. I never wanted to leave the Xie family... Now that things have come to this, I don't blame anyone, nor do I want to implicate the Xie family. Just let me take Yun Ge'er with me. We'll leave through the back door—the Hu family won't find out..."
Yuan Shi turned her head away and sighed.
They had accepted money from the Hu family, yet were hiding one of their people—it was unjustifiable...
Xie Shi'an strode directly toward the main gate.
Ting Yu clung to his leg desperately. "Young Master, I've given you all my silver. I've given you everything you asked for. Please, have mercy on Yun Ge'er. Can't you give us mother and child a way to survive?"
Just then, Xie Shiyun ran out.
He bit Xie Shi'an hard on the waist. "Big brother, I hate you! Don't bully my concubine!"
A sharp pain shot through Xie Shi'an's waist, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
He shoved Xie Shiyun away. "Your concubine made her own choice. She must bear the consequences."
He quickly walked over and opened the Xie family's main gate.
Four burly matrons and four servants stood at the entrance, all surging inside before closing the gate behind them.
Ting Yu watched in terror as the gate slowly shut—there was no escape for her now.
The eight people who entered stared at her, and she instinctively shielded her child behind her.
"How dare you, Concubine Yu, flee in secret!" the lead matron said coldly. "The law of this dynasty clearly states that runaway servants and Lowly Concubines are like deserters on the battlefield—they can be executed on the spot! Seize her!"
For properly married Freeborn Concubines, the mistress had no authority over life and death. But for this kind of Lowly Concubine who came willingly and had an Indentured Contract, beating or killing her was no great matter.
Yuan Shi was utterly shocked. She had assumed the Hu family only intended to take Concubine Yu back—she never imagined they would execute a living person!
She hurriedly interjected, "You've misunderstood. Concubine Yu only came back to see her child. She didn't flee secretly..."
"Child?" The matron laughed scornfully. "You had a child yet still climbed into our master's bed—what a wanton woman! Our mistress took pity on you and made you a concubine, yet you still pine for your former child and flee without permission. A base woman like you brings nothing but shame while alive! Disgracing the Xie family is one thing, but you've also shamed our Hu family. Beating you to death would bring peace!"
With those words, the matron lightly clapped her hands.Four servants stepped forward, surrounding Ting Yu and Xie Shiyun.
Xie Shiyun hurriedly shielded his birth mother, shouting, "You can't touch my Concubine! I'll report you to the authorities! I'll go find my mother—she's the eldest daughter of the Yun family! She'll make you pay for this!"
The matron's smile widened. "The Xie family drove away the Yun family's eldest daughter, yet you expect the Yuns to stand up for you? Is that even possible? Enough nonsense—get to work!"
Fists and kicks fell like rain. Ting Yu let out piercing screams from the pain.
She felt Xie Shiyun shielding her and quickly pushed her son away. "Yun Ge'er, go to the backyard, back to your room! Don't stay here—hurry, go! Ah, it hurts... Please, spare me! It hurts so much..."
Yuan Shi pulled Xie Shiyun into her arms. "Yun Ge'er, be good and listen! Go to the backyard!"
"Grandmother, please save my Concubine! She's going to be beaten to death!" Xie Shiyun wailed. Seeing Yuan Shi only sigh, he rushed to Xie Shi'an. "Elder brother! I beg you, hurry! Save my Concubine! I'll do anything you ask from now on—I'll listen to you! Please, elder brother!"
Xie Shi'an remained unmoved, standing still.
Yuan Shi covered Xie Shiyun's eyes, her hands soaked with his tears.
Just then, Jiang Yiniang rushed out from the backyard, holding a hundred-tael silver note, pleading, "I'll return the money used to buy Yu Yiniang back then! Please spare her life! I beg you!"
She and Yu Yiniang had become Xie Jingyu's concubines around the same time and shared some camaraderie. She couldn't bear to watch Ting Yu die like this.
Unexpectedly, the matron spat. "Can a hundred taels restore our Hu family's dignity? This wretched woman must die today!"
Only her death would prevent outsiders from learning that their master had taken another family's concubine as his own. If such an absurd scandal spread, the Hu family would not only become a laughingstock but also face impeachment from the Censorate.
The matron's eyes turned ruthless.
The servants struck even harder. Ting Yu's screams gradually faded.
Xie Shiyun's cries had already gone silent.
Ting Yu stared wide-eyed in her son's direction, silently calling, "Yun Ge'er, Yun Ge'er..."
She regretted it—regretted conspiring with Xie Shi'an to climb into Lord Hu's bed... She should have taken Yun Ge'er and left the Xie family long ago, living anonymously in some unknown place. Why did she choose this path just for those eighty thousand taels of debt...
Yun Ge'er was only just over four years old. Without her, his birth mother, to protect him, how would he survive in the days to come?
"Concubine, Concubine..."
Xie Shiyun broke free from Yuan Shi's embrace and threw himself over Ting Yu, only to be dragged away again.
A servant delivered a fierce kick to Ting Yu's head.
"Pfft!"
Ting Yu spat out a mouthful of blood.
She instantly lost consciousness, lying motionless on the ground, blood continuously trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Xie Shiyun, terrified, burst into hysterical sobs before fainting.
The matron pulled Ting Yu's Indentured Contract from her sleeve, tore it to shreds, and threw the pieces onto Ting Yu's body. "Don't go spreading this disgraceful affair, Xie family. Hurry up and find a place to bury her—what a shameful spectacle!"
The matron clapped her hands, and she and her group opened the door and left directly.
"Quick, quick—she's not dead yet!" Jiang Yiniang crouched down, trying to help Ting Yu up. "Madam, call a doctor quickly! She can still be saved!"Yuan Shi covered her mouth, weeping bitterly: "She's been vomiting blood, her internal organs are injured... she can't be saved..."
Besides, even if she could be saved, wouldn't that mean offending the Hu family? The gain wouldn't be worth the loss...
Concubine Jiang pressed her lips tightly together.
Ting Yu was clearly still breathing, not yet dead, yet the Xie family was giving up on her just like that.
Would she be next...
Just as she was about to speak, a shadow fell before her—Xie Shi'an stood in front of her: "Concubine Jiang, where did you get these hundred taels of silver?"
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