Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 76: Deprivation of Custody Rights

Ting Yu had just returned to her courtyard when Ting Shuang followed closely behind: "Concubine Yu, the master requests your presence."

Ting Yu's fingers tightened. Hadn't the master said he wouldn't let her and the mistress become estranged? If she went now, the mistress would surely guess she had revealed the secret.

How could she face the mistress after this?

"The third young master should stay behind," Ting Shuang said. "Concubine Yu, please."

Ting Yu had no choice but to release her son, handing him to the wet nurse before following Ting Shuang to Sheng Residence.

As soon as she entered, she sensed something unusual. Climbing the steps and reaching the entrance to the side hall, she glimpsed from the corner of her eye Yun Chu and Xie Jingyu sitting in the main seats on either side, drinking tea.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Concubine Yu, do you know why I summoned you?" Yun Chu set down her teacup, her voice icy cold. "Will you speak the truth yourself, or shall I do it for you?"

Ting Yu kept her head lowered, gritting her teeth as she replied, "This humble concubine doesn't understand what the mistress wants me to say."

"Concubine Yu, when you secretly climbed into the master's bed behind my back, I thought it was because you were overwhelmed by admiration and acted inappropriately. Considering your years of faithful service, I never once reprimanded you for it." Yun Chu's face was full of disappointment. "I truly cannot understand why you would try to drive a wedge between me and the master."

Ting Yu hurriedly defended herself, "This humble concubine didn't—"

"Was it not you who told the master that I planned to adopt a child from the Yun family into the Xie family?" Yun Chu's voice turned sharp and stern. "Did you or did you not say such things to the master!"

Her harsh tone left Ting Yu utterly defenseless.

She knew she couldn't deny it. Steeling herself, she said, "Mistress, this humble concubine believed such an important matter should be made known to the master. I apologize for betraying your trust, and I beg for your punishment."

She knelt directly on the ground.

Yun Chu smiled coldly. "I thought you were clever, but it seems you're quite foolish. What status does the Yun family hold? What status does the Xie family hold? Do you think any child from the Yun family's collateral branches would willingly change their surname to become a Xie? How could you so confidently report such an impossible scenario to the master? And even more laughable is that you, husband, actually believed it."

Xie Jingyu's eyes darkened.

It was often said that it was easy to enjoy shade under a large tree. The collateral branches of the Yun family understood this principle well. Unless they had lost their minds, they would never willingly give up a son of their own to the humble Xie family through adoption.

How could he have believed Ting Yu's baseless words?

He lifted his foot and kicked Ting Yu in the shoulder.

Ting Yu fell backward from the blow. She stared at Xie Jingyu in disbelief—the man who had been so tender with her last night was now resorting to violence.

Kneeling on the ground, she sobbed, "Master, the mistress truly said those words to me herself. I am not lying. Yun Ge'er even saw a young boy in the mistress's courtyard. If you don't believe me, you can summon Yun Ge'er and ask him. He would never lie."

Yun Chu's voice was cold and heavy. "I could overlook your attempts to drive a wedge between me and the master, but you should never have taught Yun Ge'er to lie. Yun Ge'er is not even four years old. If he is raised under such guidance, what kind of person will he become when he grows up? Will he follow in Wei Ge'er's footsteps? I dare not imagine it.""I did not teach Yun Ge'er to lie!" Ting Yu felt a sense of helplessness for the first time, raising her voice, "My lord, I truly did not, I have been wronged..."

It dawned on her belatedly that this was nothing but a setup.

The mistress had deliberately told her about considering adopting a child from the Yun family, deliberately made her report to the lord, and deliberately orchestrated this entire charade.

And she, completely unsuspecting, had fallen right into the mistress's trap, without even a chance to defend herself.

"Enough!" Xie Jingyu said coldly. "Since you could betray your mistress and climb into bed back then, it's no surprise you'd do something like this now. Mistress, how do you suggest we deal with this?"

Yun Chu shook her head. "If the punishment is too light, she won't learn her lesson. If it's too severe, she might hold a grudge against me. It's better for you to decide, husband."

She looked at Ting Yu kneeling on the floor with deep disappointment.

Out of consideration for their childhood bond, she had given her a chance, but Ting Yu had shown no appreciation, betraying her so quickly.

"You stirred discord between me and the mistress, clearly with ill intentions. Therefore, you are to forfeit six months of your monthly stipend and copy Buddhist scriptures one hundred times to reflect deeply on your actions," Xie Jingyu declared slowly and deliberately. "With such poor character, you are no longer fit to raise Yun Ge'er. Since Yun Ge'er is already registered under the mistress's name, he shall henceforth reside in Sheng Residence, and the mistress will take charge of his upbringing."

His words struck Ting Yu like a thunderbolt.

Although all the children in the estate were registered under the mistress's name, in reality, they were raised by their birth mothers.

Only when Yun Ge'er was first born, because the mistress had just lost her own child, did she personally care for him for a while, but later, Ting Yu had taken over most of the responsibility.

Now, the lord's words meant separating her from Yun Ge'er—she would no longer have the right to raise him...

"My lord, I truly did not corrupt Yun Ge'er. I beg you to reconsider your decision!" Ting Yu was genuinely panicked, but Xie Jingyu remained unmoved. She quickly crawled over to Yun Chu. "Mistress, I should not have betrayed you. I know I was wrong. Please persuade the lord to revoke his order. Yun Ge'er is still young and accustomed to my care. He cannot be without me..."

Yun Chu lowered her head to sip her tea, completely indifferent throughout.

"Someone, escort Concubine Yu back!" Xie Jingyu commanded coldly. "Bring Third Young Master to Sheng Residence."

The servants immediately carried out the orders.

After Ting Yu was dragged away, Yun Chu finally turned and spoke. "Husband, I handle numerous matters every day and truly have no time to oversee Yun Ge'er's upbringing. How about this: Concubine He is the only one in the estate without a child. She has nothing to do all day and might stir up trouble out of idleness. Why not entrust Yun Ge'er to Concubine He for upbringing? What do you think?"

Xie Jingyu pondered seriously.

Although He Shi had her flaws, it had to be acknowledged that An Ge'er's excellence was partly due to her efforts.

Lately, He Shi had been constantly talking about going to the estate to see Wei Ge'er. It would indeed be good to give her something to do, to prevent her from causing trouble.

Considering this, Xie Jingyu nodded. "Then let it be as you say, mistress."

Yun Chu smiled.

With He Shi and Ting Yu scheming against each other, she could enjoy some peace for a while.

After the midday meal, Yun Chu prepared to go to the Yun residence.

Hearing that she would be entering the palace with Lin Shi, Xie Jingyu felt a surge of longing.

If only the Xie family had a woman who could become an imperial consort. The emperor was most susceptible to pillow talk. With a Xie woman speaking on the family's behalf, how could the Xie family have fallen to such a state?But the Emperor is already fifty years old, while Ping Jie'er is only thirteen. At present, it is simply impossible.

Just by looking at Xie Jingyu's expression, Yun Chu knew what he was thinking.

In her previous life, after the Fourth Prince encountered trouble, Xie Ping gave up her ambition of becoming the Fourth Prince's consort and instead entered the palace, becoming a woman by the Emperor's side.

She found it hard to believe that a teenage girl could have such grand schemes on her own. Xie Jingyu must have played a role in pushing this forward, and perhaps Xie Shi'an had also offered counsel.

Sending a girl barely in her teens into the palace to become a consort to the fifty-year-old Emperor—such a thing was hardly surprising for the Xie family to do.