The gossip from the streets and alleys spread back to the Xie Family, and the Old Madam was so furious that she smashed two teacups.

Their humble Xie Family—even if the lady of the house had died of illness, it wouldn’t have become known to everyone. The main issue was that Yun Chu’s identity was too special.

The legitimate eldest daughter of the First Rank General’s Manor, once the most brilliant pearl of the capital—back then, countless people had nearly broken down the Yun Manor’s threshold seeking to marry her, and now just as many were watching the Xie Family’s inner residence.

“She’s clearly recovered from her illness, so who spread the rumor that she was dying?” the Old Madam said in a heavy voice. “The servants in this manor are becoming less and less able to keep their mouths shut.”

Last time, when He Shi poisoned Concubine Tao, who knows who leaked that information too.

These two incidents combined and widely circulated made it seem as though the inner quarters of the Xie Family were particularly chaotic.

An ancient saying goes: if one cannot sweep one’s own house, how can one sweep the world? Would the imperial court promote a man who couldn’t even manage the women in his inner quarters?

After some hesitation, Nanny Zhou said, “Ever since Madam fell ill, all matters big and small in the manor have been decided by the Eldest Miss. Things have indeed become rather disorderly.”

“Does our Xie Family really become incapable of handling affairs without a lady of the house?” the Old Madam said coldly. “Nanny Zhou, summon Miss Ping. I must personally oversee every detail of the birthday banquet, big and small. We absolutely cannot leave room for gossip.”

Nanny Zhou received her orders and went to carry them out.

The weather had cleared these past few days, and the flowers at Sheng Residence were in full bloom. Yun Chu sat in the flower hall reading.

Tingshuang came to report: “When the Eldest Miss first took over household management following Madam, she disciplined the old servants and young servants in the manor. Those servants were very resentful of the Eldest Miss. Whatever tasks the Eldest Miss assigns, they only complete seventy percent out of a hundred. The manor is in complete chaos. However, this servant heard that the Old Madam plans to personally oversee the birthday banquet matters.”

Yun Chu smiled slightly.

There were only three days left until the birthday banquet, and everything that needed to be prepared was already ready. Even if the Old Madam intervened now, she couldn’t change anything.

“Uncle Chen has given He Xu management of four or five of the Xie Family’s shops,” Tingshuang continued. “This time, all the items needed for the birthday banquet that the Eldest Miss is organizing are being purchased by He Xu. That He Xu has quite the audacity—this servant casually calculated an account and figured out he’s embezzled at least four hundred taels of silver.”

Even Yun Chu couldn’t help but click her tongue. The Old Madam had only given three thousand taels of silver for the birthday banquet, and He Xu had already swallowed four hundred taels. There must be other servants taking their cut too—this one embezzling thirty or forty taels, that one taking seventeen or eighteen taels. All told, if two thousand taels of silver actually went toward the birthday banquet, that would already be quite good.

“The silver that He Xu embezzled, he’s given quite a bit to that person in the small temple,” Tingshuang said in a low voice. “He Shi has wounds on her body, so she’s been rather well-behaved lately.”

The smile on Yun Chu’s face deepened: “Then let her rest properly for a few days.”

In just a few more days, He Shi wouldn’t have such peaceful times anymore.

Tingshuang already knew what Yun Chu intended to do. Worry clouded her expression: “Madam, must we truly do this?”

Yun Chu took Tingshuang’s hand: “I’ve been married into the Xie Family for five years now. Do you think I’ve ever been truly happy?”

Tingshuang shook her head.

In the first month after marrying in, Madam had been full of hope. Later she was neglected by the Master, then the child died young, and after that Madam had never smiled from her heart again.

All these years, Madam’s life had been monotonous day after day. Though it seemed peaceful on the surface, there was no hope to be seen anywhere.

Recently, she had finally seen a different kind of spirit in Madam’s eyes.

She felt worried for Madam.

She feared that something would happen to make Madam’s days even harder to endure.

“Tingshuang, you’re the same age as me—you should marry,” Yun Chu looked at her gently. “If you have someone you fancy, just tell me. If there’s no one you’ve taken a liking to, I’ll find you someone honest and sincere…”

“Madam!” Tingshuang was so frightened she knelt down. “This servant won’t marry. This servant will stay by your side serving you for life.”

Yun Chu pulled her up.

Regardless of whether Tingshuang married or not, she couldn’t keep Tingshuang at the Xie Manor anymore.

Reborn in this life, no one knew whether the tragedy would repeat itself. She feared Tingshuang would die once more in that monstrous fire at the Xie Manor…

The sky gradually darkened, and the maids brought up the evening meal.

Although Yun Chu no longer managed affairs now, she was still the lady of the house after all. Whether it was Xie Ping or the servants below, none dared to shortchange her food.

She was eating when suddenly a commotion arose from the front courtyard. Tingfeng ran in from outside to report: “Madam, something’s wrong! A thief suddenly appeared at the small gate on the southeast side. All the young servants and old servants in the manor have gone to catch him.”

Yun Chu’s brows furrowed.

She had managed affairs for four or five years, and all the gates of the Xie Manor had been well-guarded. Such an absurd incident had never occurred before.

She instructed: “Guard Sheng Residence’s gates tightly. Don’t go out unless necessary.”

The sky had completely darkened. Because of the thief incident in the front courtyard, people were somewhat uneasy.

However, Sheng Residence had Qiutong present. All the maids in the courtyard had witnessed her martial skills. With Qiutong standing at the gate, everyone felt much more at ease.

After waiting a long while, news came from the front courtyard saying no thief had been discovered, and there were no abnormalities in any of the courtyards either. It was treated as a false alarm and the matter was dropped. However, Yun Chu wasn’t careless—she had the servants form groups of three with Qiutong leading them to patrol the courtyard throughout the night.

After bathing, Yun Chu entered her inner chamber and sat down at the dressing table.

Tingxue carefully removed her hair ornaments for her and combed her hair straight before bowing her head and withdrawing, gently closing the door.

Yun Chu sat on the edge of the bed, took off her shoes, and lay on the bed. She pulled over the blanket from beside her and was about to cover herself with it when she suddenly sensed something was wrong.

She held her breath and heard shallow breathing that didn’t belong to her.

In that instant, her heart leaped to her throat.

She carefully sat up, reached under the pillow and felt around, pulling out a short blade.

This was a coming-of-age gift from her grandfather with her name carved on it, extremely sharp. She gripped the handle with one hand and with the other hand suddenly pulled back the blanket.

The moment the blade swung out, her hand froze completely.

“How is it you?”

Under the blanket was actually a child as delicate as carved jade.

It was none other than the Young Lord of Prince Pingxi’s manor.

“You woman, you actually dare to point a blade at me! If you hurt a single hair on my head, my father-king won’t let you off!”

Yun Chu tugged at the corners of her mouth.

She put away the blade and said, “If your father-king knew you sneaked into someone else’s bedroom in the dead of night, he probably wouldn’t let you off either.”

Chu Hongyu snorted: “If I hadn’t heard you were dying of illness, I wouldn’t have come. This is truly taking my good intentions for dog liver and donkey lungs.”

The little fellow crossed his arms and turned away, only letting Yun Chu see one side of his puffed-up cheeks.

Yun Chu’s heart melted all at once.

So this child had risked so much to sneak into the Xie Family because he heard she was ill.

Counting it up, they didn’t have that deep a friendship. That this child would be so concerned about her was truly her good fortune.

Perhaps it was because of that dream that day—her biological son’s face had transformed into the Young Lord’s face—that made Yun Chu feel a natural sense of closeness toward this child.

She couldn’t help but reach out with a finger and poke the child’s cheek.

Chu Hongyu usually found it most annoying when people pinched his cheeks. Even if it was the Imperial Grandfather, he would feel very uncomfortable.

But now, he surprisingly felt no aversion at all, and even hoped this woman would poke him once more.

Yun Chu understood the principle of knowing when to stop. After poking once, she withdrew her hand and said, “My illness has already recovered. You can see I’m perfectly fine. I’ll have someone send you back to the prince’s manor.”

The little fellow’s eyes went wide.

He had only just arrived, and this woman was already driving him away. She truly had no conscience.

He was about to speak when suddenly footsteps sounded outside the door.