All the servants in the courtyard were dismissed.

He Shi stood in the middle of the courtyard, head lowered, repeating over and over: “This servant truly didn’t do it, this evidence is all fabricated…”

“It definitely wasn’t Nanny He.” Xie Ping spoke with difficulty. “Nanny He is just a servant—what reason would she have to harm Father’s child? There must be some mistake, there must be some misunderstanding!”

She gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, her heart filled with resentment.

She just couldn’t understand—An’ge was already this grown, Father’s most prideful eldest son. An unborn illegitimate child posed absolutely no threat to An’ge’s position. Why would He Shi take such a risk to act?

Could it be that because Father had been so attentive to Concubine Tao lately, He Shi became jealous and did such an absurd thing?

No matter how resentful she felt inside, Xie Ping knew she absolutely had to protect He Shi. She could never let He Shi be sold out of the manor or sent to the authorities under such a serious charge…

Xie Ping gave Xie Shi’an a meaningful look.

Xie Shi’an pressed his lips together tightly.

Earlier, because he trusted He Shi, he had made Mother sad.

If he spoke up for He Shi again at this moment, Mother would certainly be even more hurt and would never be close to him again.

Four years ago, He Shi stayed at the Xie manor fearing that the three of them siblings would be mistreated and neglected by Mother at the Xie manor, but facts proved that Mother treated them as her own.

Now they were grown. Taking advantage of this incident to have He Shi leave the Xie manor would be fine.

Over these years, he had used silver given by his elders to purchase a small courtyard outside—it would be perfect for He Shi to live in.

Old Madam Xie let out a heavy sigh: “He Shi truly has no motive to harm offspring. This matter must be investigated more thoroughly.”

Yun Chu raised her hand: “Because He Shi has no motive, you all believe it wasn’t her. If that’s the case, then let someone present the motive.”

He Shi froze.

What was her motive? Truthfully, even she herself couldn’t explain it clearly.

Was it so the children wouldn’t be mistreated by the Madam anymore? Was it for An’ge’s position in the Xie manor? Or was it simply jealousy of the Madam?

Tingxue walked in carrying a tray with more than a dozen envelopes.

Yun Chu casually opened an envelope and handed it to Xie Shi’an: “When searching for medicinal ingredients, we happened to find this. An’ge, you read it aloud.”

Xie Shi’an’s heart suddenly tightened.

Could it be that He Shi’s correspondence with her family had been discovered…

When his gaze fell on the text on the letter paper, the heart stuck in his throat finally dropped back into his stomach. He slowly read aloud: “You are like rain from the sky, I am like a well beneath the eaves. With no way to flow in the same waves, I wish to be form and shadow together…”

Everyone in the courtyard was educated enough to understand—this was a love poem written by a woman to a man.

Xie Shi’an’s voice caught in his throat. He could read no further, his face displaying a spectacular array of colors.

Yun Chu spoke: “Just compare this with He Shi’s usual handwriting and you’ll know—this letter was written by He Shi. As for whom it was written to, look at the very beginning. Two characters are written there: ‘Jade Lord.’ I don’t need to say more—Old Madam, Madam, you should both know who ‘Jade Lord’ is.”

Yuan Shi looked as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly: “He Shi, you… you actually dare to harbor such filthy thoughts…”

Concubine Jiang covered her mouth: “No wonder Nanny He hasn’t married at her age—so it was… so it was…”

“That woman surnamed He, you’re not even a concubine—what right do you have to be jealous and resentful? You even attacked a child!” Concubine Tao wailed loudly in the room. “If anything happens to my child, I absolutely won’t let you off!”

He Shi suddenly raised her head, looking in Yun Chu’s direction.

She suddenly understood—all of this was a trap.

When she acted against Concubine Tao, the Madam already knew of her scheme and had people watching her. That’s why they could obtain both witness and physical evidence immediately.

Was it because the Madam saw the letter she wrote to the Master, feared her existence, and thus let things develop, allowing her to step into this trap?

With all the evidence laid before her, she simply had no way to refute it.

“He Shi, you’re just a servant who harbors improper thoughts toward your master—that would be one thing, but you actually poisoned an unborn fetus!” Yun Chu enunciated each word. “Our Xie family cannot keep you. Someone, send He Shi to the authorities!”

“Mother!” Xie Shi’an clenched his fists. “After all is said and done, this is Xie family business. If it goes to the authorities, it means everyone will know. Father’s evaluation is imminent—we shouldn’t create these complications.”

Yun Chu looked at him: “Then An’ge, what do you say—how should He Shi be dealt with?”

Xie Shi’an released his fists: “Why not just send her away?”

“She almost killed the child in my belly, and sending her away is that simple?” Concubine Tao’s voice came through. “Even if we can’t report to the authorities, we can’t let her off so easily! Old Madam, Grand Madam, Madam, I beg you to seek justice for the child in this concubine’s belly!”

Old Madam’s temple veins throbbed.

This He Shi truly wasn’t a worry-free thing. Sending her away would be best.

But was sending her away really the best choice? This kind of shameless woman—she should never have been involved with in the first place…

Yun Chu looked toward Old Madam: “I wonder where He Shi’s contract of servitude is?”

Old Madam didn’t know how to answer.

Because He Shi had no contract of servitude at all. On the surface she was a servant of the Xie manor, but in reality she was a free person…

“Wait until Jingyu returns and ask his opinion.” Old Madam closed her eyes. “First keep He Shi under watch. Everyone else, disperse.”

Yun Chu turned and left with the people from Shengju.

After everyone had dispersed, Old Madam picked up her cane and struck He Shi hard on the back: “Back then, I offered to let you enter the manor as an outside woman to become a concubine, but you yourself were unwilling. Since that’s the case, why write these disgusting things! I was magnanimous enough to let you stay in the Xie family, to let you stay by An’ge’s side. How dare you act against my Xie manor’s offspring—who gave you such audacity!”

As the old woman spoke, she struck down with her cane again.

Xie Shi’an blocked this blow for He Shi and dropped to his knees with a thud: “Great-grandmother, please send my mother away…”

“No, I won’t go!” He Shi wailed loudly. “If I leave, what will happen to the three children? Even if you beat me to death, I won’t leave the Xie manor…”

Old Madam said bitterly: “Do you want to become Jingyu’s concubine at your age?”

“No, I won’t become a concubine either.” He Shi prostrated herself on the ground. “Old Madam, as long as I can stay in the Xie family, I’ll accept any punishment!”

Old Madam wanted nothing more than to beat He Shi to death.

She wouldn’t leave, wouldn’t become a concubine, and couldn’t be sent to the authorities—then what exactly should be done with her!

Xie Ping said angrily: “If you want to stay in the Xie family, then behave yourself and stop always causing trouble for us. If people found out you’re our birth mother, how could An’ge, Weige, and I face people in the future!”

Xie Shi’an spoke deliberately: “I can persuade Father to let you stay in the Xie family, but remember—you only have this one chance.”