Chapter 42: Scandal in the Back Courtyard
The Xie residence wasn't particularly large, with only a small garden.
Yun Chu and her mother-in-law Yuan Shi led a large group of ladies for a stroll in the garden, though most showed little interest.
One lady hesitantly remarked, "I heard Madam Xie planted many jujube trees in the residence. I wonder if they're blooming this season?"
Yun Chu smiled, "Jujube flowers won't bloom until May at the earliest."
"Even without flowers, we'd still like to see this novelty," Madam Hu chimed in supportively. "Jujube trees symbolize abundant descendants in feng shui. Let's all go absorb some of that auspicious energy."
Since none of the ladies present matched the social status of the Yun family's eldest daughter, they all naturally followed suit with supportive remarks.
Yun Shi said, "The jujube trees are planted along the southeastern wall. If you ladies don't mind that jujube trees aren't particularly ornamental, let's proceed this way."
The group followed toward the southeastern side.
This area had originally been a flower garden where seasonal blooms were planted, with flower-viewing banquets held every spring and autumn. This year, it had been completely replanted with jujube trees.
These were mature jujube trees purchased and transplanted from the outskirts of the capital, each tree taller than the courtyard walls with lush branches and leaves.
Madam Hu commented, "It seems they'll bear fruit this year. When the time comes, we'll visit the Xie residence to ask Madam Xie for some fresh jujubes."
Yun Chu politely responded, "When the fruits appear, the Xie family will arrange to send some to each household. I only hope you won't find the green jujubes too astringent."
"Wait, did I just hear something?" asked one lady with particularly sharp hearing. "It's coming from that direction."
Yuan Shi looked over, "That's an unused small courtyard in the Xie residence. Usually only maids go there for cleaning."
As she spoke, a gust of wind carried sounds from that small courtyard - sounds that were utterly indecent...
The complexions of all the women present changed simultaneously.
Among them was Madam Yuan, whose husband was Xie Jingyu's political rival. Both held fifth-rank positions and were competing for promotion to higher fifth-rank positions.
Although the Xie family currently held little advantage, what if...?
She declared, "That sound is quite peculiar. Let's go see what it is."
She led the way toward the source.
Yun Chu smiled slightly.
She had specifically reminded Xie Ping to include this Madam Yuan on the banquet guest list, and Madam Yuan hadn't disappointed her.
Yuan Shi, a woman in her forties or fifties, couldn't possibly mistake what those sounds represented. Seeing Madam Yuan leading everyone in that direction, she was terrified.
Yun Chu gently pulled her mother-in-law aside and whispered, "No servant in the Xie household would dare to do such things in broad daylight. If we don't let these ladies investigate, who knows what rumors might spread about our Xie family later. Let them look if they want to."
This made sense. Moreover, today was Old Madam's birthday banquet, and all servants were busy with banquet preparations. No one would have time to hide away for illicit activities here.
Since nothing was actually happening, if she tried to cover it up and someone accused the Xie household of being licentious, it would be disastrous.
Thinking this, Yuan Shi felt somewhat reassured. Most importantly, Yun Chu's calm demeanor gave her confidence. She smiled and said, "It must be stray cats playing around."
The group of over ten people took just a few steps to reach the unused small courtyard.
Upon entering, the sounds became even more distinct, causing several newly married young ladies to blush deeply."This is the first time I've heard a wildcat in heat," Madam Yuan said as she quickly ascended the steps and pushed the door open. "Let's see exactly what kind of wildcat it is."
When the door opened, everyone clearly saw a man and a woman on the bed inside the room, their clothes half-removed and embracing each other.
When Yuan Shi recognized the faces of the man and woman, she stood frozen in place, her mind reeling as if struck by thunder, wishing she could faint on the spot.
Some of the more modest young married women stepped back repeatedly.
Women like Madam Yuan, in her thirties, who had seen all sorts of situations, immediately spoke up loudly.
"How could it be Lord Xie!"
"On Old Madam Xie's birthday celebration, what is Lord Xie doing hiding here with a maid from the estate?"
"No one saw Lord Xie during the birthday banquet earlier—so he was here pulling and tugging at a servant, acting improperly. If we had arrived any later... tsk tsk."
Many of the women looked at Xie Jingyu with disdain, while simultaneously feeling deep sympathy for Yun Chu.
Yun Chu appeared unable to believe what she was seeing, standing dazed and completely unresponsive until Yuan Shi tugged at her sleeve.
Yuan Shi's voice trembled: "Chu, Chu'er, what do we do, how do we handle this..."
Yun Chu seemed to finally regain her senses, quickly walking up the steps, bending down to pick up the clothing from the floor, and draping it over Xie Jingyu and He Shi.
She shielded the two of them and addressed the crowd: "There's been a misunderstanding, ladies. This isn't a maid from our Xie residence—this is Concubine He. She's very skilled at singing melodies, and earlier I asked her to go to the front courtyard to perform and liven up the occasion. But she has a weak constitution and must have felt unwell along the way, so my husband brought her here to rest briefly..."
Yuan Shi's trembling heart finally settled.
It was far better for him to be intimate with a concubine than to be caught in an illicit affair with a maid.
Once again, she admired her daughter-in-law's quick thinking—to come up with an explanation to resolve such a chaotic situation. The Xie family truly couldn't do without Yun Chu.
However, this explanation only made the assembled ladies sympathize with Yun Chu even more.
For a husband and his concubine to hide away during a banquet, entangled like this, showed complete disregard for the legitimate wife.
They had long heard that Lady Xie couldn't bear children, and now she had lost her husband's respect as well. One could only imagine how difficult her life must be.
Even though Lady Xie must be heartbroken, she still had to step forward to protect her husband and the Xie family's reputation. The treasured daughter of the Yun family had fallen to such a state...
"Lady Xie must have many matters to attend to now, so we'll take our leave."
"Please attend to your affairs, Lady Xie. We'll gather another day."
The group of women, being perceptive, all took their leave one after another.
When they reached the front courtyard, those who had been watching the opera still didn't know what had happened, exchanging meaningful looks until everyone began to depart.
Once outside the Xie residence, they finally dared to discuss it openly.
"Those of you watching the opera up front probably don't know—Lord Xie was caught in the back courtyard with a concubine doing that."
"In broad daylight, how could they hide away for such activities? Could they not wait?"
"That concubine must be exceptionally beautiful, otherwise Lord Xie wouldn't have been so foolish."
"Now that you mention it, I recall that concubine looked somewhat older and wasn't particularly striking—nowhere near as beautiful as Lady Xie."
"So Lord Xie prefers older women..."
When what happened in the back courtyard reached Old Madam's ears, she was so furious that her ears rang and she nearly fainted on the spot.Lady Yun, Lin Shi, wore a face as dark as storm clouds, seemingly on the verge of eruption at any moment.
She had only known of Concubine Yu, Concubine Jiang, and Concubine Tao in the Xie residence—since when had there been a Concubine He?
Xie Jingyu had actually engaged in an illicit affair with a maid in the rear courtyard on the very day of the birthday banquet, even forcing her own daughter, whom she cherished dearly, to help smooth things over.
How much humiliation must her daughter have endured!
"Mother, please go home first," Yun Chu personally escorted the Yun family members out. "Sister-in-law, do your best to console my mother. I am fine."
Liu Qianqian's gaze was filled with concern.
Men in the Yun family also took concubines, but taking a concubine required the consent of the principal wife—they would never engage in such affairs beforehand. This was a blatant disregard for the principal wife's dignity.
If Xie Jingyu dared to behave this way even with the Yun family present today, one could only imagine how he usually looked down upon Yun Chu in private...
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