Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 46: The Marquis Picks Up a Handkerchief

"Lord Yun, Lady Xie."

Qin Mingheng greeted them one by one, his gaze sweeping over Yun Chu as usual.

Yun Ze spoke up: "This official will first escort my younger sister to the carriage. May I trouble the Marquis to wait a moment."

Qin Mingheng stepped aside a few paces: "No trouble at all."

Yun Chu nodded toward Qin Mingheng before taking Ting Shuang's hand to board the carriage. Yun Ze stood in place, watching the carriage depart into the distance.

Only when the carriage disappeared from the main road did he withdraw his gaze and turn to Qin Mingheng: "Marquis, please."

Qin Mingheng's brow furrowed slightly: "Lord Yun, I just remembered some urgent matters requiring attention. Let us discuss that matter again at this time tomorrow."

Yun Ze cupped his hands in salute, watching as Qin Mingheng boarded his carriage.

After the carriage had left the Yun residence grounds, Qin Mingheng finally took out a white handkerchief from his sleeve.

When Yun Chu had boarded the carriage earlier, this snow-white handkerchief had fluttered to the ground. His peripheral vision had been following her, so he was the first to approach and pick up the handkerchief, concealing it in his sleeve.

He raised the handkerchief to his nose and inhaled, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

He recalled that night five years ago, when she wore red wedding robes, a red veil covering her head, lying on his bed.

He had been so close, just that little bit away from tasting her fragrance, from embracing the beauty and making her his...

Thinking of that incident five years ago, intense hatred surfaced on Qin Mingheng's face, and the handkerchief in his hand was torn in two.

The carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the Xie residence.

Yun Chu habitually felt around in her sleeve but couldn't find her handkerchief: "Ting Shuang, do you have the handkerchief?"

Ting Shuang shook her head and hurriedly searched around, but couldn't find any trace of the handkerchief.

"Never mind, it's just an ordinary handkerchief. If it's lost, it's lost."

Yun Chu waved her hand dismissively.

A handkerchief without an embroidered name wasn't considered a personal item, so it didn't matter if someone picked it up.

Over the following days, Yun Chu carefully screened eligible young talents, intending to select a good husband for her half-sister Yun Ran.

Her grandfather and father had been campaigning for years with illustrious military achievements, her paternal aunt was a favored consort in the palace, and the entire Yun family ranked among the top prominent families in the capital. To avoid arousing imperial suspicion, Yun family women could only marry beneath their status in political marriages.

But marrying beneath their status didn't mean marrying just anyone—there were still many considerations.

As someone who had lived through a previous lifetime, she clearly understood how many events would develop in the future. It was best for her to select a good husband for her half-sister.

Among the capital's many young talents, Yun Chu worked for three to five days before finally selecting two candidates. She wrote these two families' names on paper, folded it into an envelope, and had Ting Shuang find a servant to deliver it to the Yun family.

Her opinion alone wasn't enough—her mother still needed to inquire about these two families' circumstances, and ultimately her half-sister needed to consent as well.

After finishing this task, she continued practicing horse stance in the courtyard.

Besides horse stance, Qiutong also arranged some most basic techniques. Later, the intensity would gradually increase. Yun Chu didn't feel tired—on the contrary, the more she learned, the more enthusiastic she became, perhaps because she was a military general's daughter and inherently fond of these things in her bones.

After finishing martial practice and bathing, Ting Shuang came in to report: "Madam, Concubine Tao and Concubine He request an audience."

Yun Chu naturally knew why these two had come to Sheng Residence.

Since He Shi became a concubine, Concubine Tao had always deliberately picked fights with her. The more He Shi avoided confrontation, the more Concubine Tao targeted her.Over the past three to five days, He Shi had endured countless targeted attacks until she could bear it no longer, finally bringing the matter to Yun Chu.

"Please, Madam, grant me justice." He Shi bowed her head. "Concubine Tao has gone too far. She spent money to bribe all the maids and matrons serving in my courtyard..."

Concubine Tao spoke unhurriedly: "Madam may not know this, but everyone in the Xie residence is aware that Concubine He rose from servant to mistress. People gossip about her behind her back. Since Concubine He and I both serve the master, we are like sisters. How could I tolerate such talk? So I spent some silver to make those maids and matrons hold their tongues. I did this for Concubine He's benefit. How could she bring false accusations against me before you, Madam?"

He Shi felt a pain in her chest from anger.

Since moving into Bihe Garden, she had known no peace—dead fish from the pond hidden in her bedding, all the lamps and candles in her room broken, or problems with her meals... Through careful observation, she discovered that the two maids and two matrons serving her had all accepted Concubine Tao's silver and were deliberately creating these troubles.

Remembering Xie Jingyu's instruction not to cause further trouble, she had clenched her teeth and endured.

Until this morning, when a serving maid actually stole her dressing case. It contained no money, but rather the first haircuttings and baby teeth of Ping Jie'er, An Ge'er, and Wei Ge'er, which she had always kept close. Now the maid had lost it. Having no other choice, she came to beg the madam to uphold justice.

"Madam..." He Shi took a deep breath. "I won't mention other matters, but I only ask that Concubine Tao return the case."

Hearing this, Concubine Tao became agitated and wailed: "Madam, I had only Concubine He's best interests at heart, yet she falsely accuses me of stealing her case! Since I became pregnant, the master has given me countless pieces of jewelry. Why would I covet her case? Madam, I truly didn't steal anything. I beg you to grant me justice!"

Yun Chu took Concubine Tao's hand and said gently, "Don't cry, be careful of affecting the baby."

Concubine Tao sobbed while secretly signaling to a maid beside her.

The maid immediately rushed out.

Soon after, a young maid serving He Shi ran in and reported: "Madam, Concubine He's case has been found under the bed. She must have hidden it herself and forgotten."

Concubine Tao cried even more pitifully: "What a fine Concubine He! First she harms the child in my womb, then when I return good for evil, she remains unsatisfied and even stages this play to frame me for theft! Madam, I'm truly wronged..."

The corner of Yun Chu's mouth twitched.

Concubine Tao's acting was truly clumsy. Only she was willing to play along—any other head wife would have punished Concubine Tao for such behavior long ago.

She gently patted Concubine Tao's hand and turned to He Shi, saying coldly: "Concubine He, when you previously attempted to harm the child in Concubine Tao's womb, the entire Xie family didn't hold it against you and even allowed you to become a mistress. Yet you show no remorse and are attacking Concubine Tao again. If Concubine Tao's baby is affected and born prematurely because of this, what punishment would befit your crime?"

He Shi was the one truly wronged to death. She hurried to defend herself: "Madam, I..."

"Enough, no need to say more." Yun Chu cut her off. "For the next three months, your monthly stipend will go directly to Concubine Tao, as compensation for frightening the unborn Fourth Young Master."He Shi could hardly believe it.

The monthly stipend for a concubine was two taels of silver, and this was her only source of income now. If she gave it all to Tao Yiniang, what would she use for herself?

But when she met Yun Chu's unwavering gaze, she knew that no matter how she tried to justify herself, it would be meaningless—the madam was clearly favoring Tao Yiniang.

Leaving Congsheng Residence, He Shi hugged her shoulders helplessly.

Unless absolutely necessary, she would not seek help from her three children.

Xie Jingyu had slapped her, clearly impatient with her, and she would not invite further disdain.

Her elder brother, He Xu, had been beaten by Old Madam and thrown out a few days ago—another unreliable scoundrel.

Then she remembered: there was still a sum of money in He Xu's hands, a full two thousand taels. With money, she refused to believe those maids and matrons would still side with Tao Yiniang.

With this thought, He Shi hurriedly headed out of the mansion.