Dusk fell.

The lamps in the courtyard were lit one by one.

After the incident at Concubine Tao’s place, everyone from the Xie family except Xie Jingyu came over—Concubine Jiang and Concubine Yu, Xie Shi’an and Xie Ping. The small courtyard was filled with people.

Everyone’s gaze fell on Yun Chu’s face.

Yun Chu stood calmly: “So the old lady suspects that I wanted to cause Concubine Tao’s miscarriage?”

“It’s not that I suspect you, but the evidence points to you.” The old lady said. “Chu’er, you know how much I trust you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have placed all household management authority in your hands. Is this how you repay my trust?”

“This…” Concubine Jiang spoke carefully. “This concubine wants to say something fair—the madam has no motive to do such a thing.”

If the madam had her own flesh and blood, fearing the birth of a concubine’s son would be understandable.

But the madam had no children, and would never have children of her own in the future. Moreover, the lord had said that no matter which concubine bore children, they must all be registered under the madam’s name. Whether the madam raised one or raised many, it was all the same. Deliberately causing the miscarriage of the child in Concubine Tao’s womb truly made no sense at all.

Yuan Shi nodded: “Chu’er has always been tolerant and magnanimous. She couldn’t possibly do such a thing as harming offspring.”

The old lady sneered coldly.

Yun Chu had indeed been tolerant before, but in recent days, she had become increasingly demanding and difficult. It wasn’t impossible for her to do such a thing.

At this moment, Concubine Tao called out from inside the room: “Old Lady, I know why the madam made a move against the child in my belly…”

The old lady had someone push the door open. Concubine Tao’s voice became clearer: “These past few days, the lord has been constantly sending me things—a pot of flowers, several bolts of fabric, and jewelry and hairpieces. The madam saw that the lord was too attentive to me, a mere concubine. She feared the lord would favor the concubine and destroy the wife, so that’s why she made a move against the child in my belly…”

Yuan Shi sighed.

Four or five years ago when Chu’er was pregnant, Jingyu indeed hadn’t been this attentive. No wonder Chu’er would be jealous and do such a thing.

Tingyu pressed her lips together.

When she had been pregnant, she had kept it hidden from the madam the entire time, precisely because she feared the madam might lose her senses and harm the child in her womb. As it turned out, her worries weren’t excessive…

“Excessive jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorcing a woman.” The old lady said with a face full of disappointment. “Chu’er, you are the legitimate eldest daughter of the Yun family, the mistress of our Xie manor. How could you be so foolish!”

Yun Chu looked around at everyone in the courtyard, taking in all their expressions.

She brushed her dark hair and said: “The Xie manor is also a scholarly family. Is convicting someone really this simple according to the books?”

Her calm and unruffled appearance made the old lady find it somewhat grating.

She preferred the Yun Chu from back then who had lost her children—that gentle and silent mistress of the household, that granddaughter-in-law who could be shaped however one wished.

She had to seize upon Yun Chu’s mistake this time to make this granddaughter-in-law return to being obediently compliant.

Thinking this, she said: “Servants, go search Yusheng Residence.”

Nanny Zhou bowed to Yun Chu: “Madam, this old servant must offend you.”

With those words, she took seven or eight old servants and maids from the courtyard toward Yusheng Residence.

It wasn’t very far. Before long, Nanny Zhou returned, shaking her head: “Old Lady, we found nothing.”

The old lady frowned: “How can that be? Did you search the storeroom?”

Nanny Zhou lowered her head: “That is the madam’s dowry storeroom. Without the madam’s permission, this old servant didn’t dare…”

The old lady’s expression was very grim.

Perhaps Yun Chu had already disposed of all the evidence…

“Even if you entered my dowry storeroom, you wouldn’t find what the old lady wants, because—” Yun Chu paused. “You searched the wrong place.”

The old lady’s eyes narrowed: “What do you mean?”

Yun Chu raised her eyes and looked outside the courtyard: “Since Nanny He is here, why are you standing outside?”

He Shi was startled.

She was standing in the shadows. An ordinary person couldn’t possibly spot her at a glance.

The madam was being interrogated, yet she could still detect her presence.

She lowered her head and walked in: “This servant was afraid that when the lord returned home and asked about it, this servant would know nothing, so that’s why…”

Before she could finish, Yun Chu clapped her hands.

Tingshuang, who had been waiting at the courtyard gate, led two people inside.

One person was dressed like a shopkeeper, the other a seven or eight-year-old little beggar.

After the two entered, they looked around at everyone present, then their gazes stopped on He Shi.

In that instant, He Shi’s breathing stopped.

“It was her who gave me twenty copper coins and told me to go to Shande Hall to buy medicine.” The little beggar pointed at He Shi. “I’m very good at recognizing people. I definitely won’t be wrong.”

The person dressed like a shopkeeper spoke: “Half a shichen ago, this little beggar came to my shop to get medicine. He had no prescription, only mentioned the names of several medicinal ingredients. I gave him a bit of each, and among them was safflower.”

As soon as these two spoke, everyone in the courtyard showed expressions of disbelief on their faces.

“It wasn’t this servant—he recognized the wrong person!” He Shi worked hard to maintain her composure. “When this servant left the manor, it was to purchase an inkstone for the lord. Please investigate clearly, Old Lady.”

The old lady gripped her cane tightly: “He Shi is just a servant. She couldn’t possibly plot to harm her master. This is impossible.”

Yun Chu’s voice was very light: “Naturally I won’t imitate the old lady in convicting someone without evidence. Now we have an eyewitness—all that’s lacking is physical evidence. Tingshuang, take some people and search Nanny He’s room thoroughly.”

“Mother!” Xie Ping couldn’t help but speak out. “Nanny He is utterly loyal to Father. She couldn’t possibly harm Father’s offspring. Searching won’t turn up anything.”

Xie Shi’an stepped forward: “Nanny He is Father’s person. If Mother rashly searches Nanny He’s room, I fear it will provoke Father’s anger.”

The corners of Yun Chu’s lips curved into a smile: “I am your father’s properly married wife. How is it that searching my courtyard won’t make your father angry, yet this will? Or are you saying that in your father’s heart, even a servant who manages the courtyard is more important than me, his legitimate wife?”

Xie Shi’an was speechless.

Yun Chu shook her head: “An’ge, you’d rather believe a servant than believe me, your mother. You’ve hurt me deeply.”

She made a gesture.

Tingshuang immediately led people toward the room where He Shi lived.

Not a single person in the courtyard spoke.

The old lady gripped her cane tightly. Although the evidence hadn’t been brought yet, she already understood what had happened.

Her cloudy eyes scraped across He Shi like sharp blades.

She truly hadn’t expected that He Shi would dare to plot against offspring and frame the mistress!

She shouldn’t have allowed He Shi to remain in the Xie manor back then, for the sake of An’ge and his three siblings.

Tingshuang moved quickly. In less than a quarter hour, she returned with people, and several medicinal ingredients were presented: “These were found under Nanny He’s bed.”

The pharmacy shopkeeper stepped forward and looked: “Yes, the little beggar got exactly these medicinal ingredients along with safflower. I won’t remember incorrectly.”

“Thank you both for making this trip.” Yun Chu took out two money pouches for them. “Please treat today’s matter as if it never happened. Thank you.”

This money was essentially hush money. The shopkeeper and little beggar both understood.

However, after leaving the Xie manor, when the two opened the money pouches, there were only a few dozen copper coins. The shopkeeper’s expression changed. He originally hadn’t planned to gossip about other people’s inner quarter private matters, but to send people off with this little money was truly too insulting…