“Tingfeng, Tingxue, you two take turns watching Jiu’er. Before I return to the residence, don’t leave her side for even a moment.”

“Tingshuang, take my token and thoroughly investigate what exactly happened.”

Yun Chu issued instructions in an orderly manner.

“Nanny Qi, take people to the second young master’s courtyard and tie up the second young master first. Wait for me to deal with him!”

Standing to the side, Xie Shi’an said in shock, “Mother, what does this matter have to do with Shiwei?”

Yun Chu said calmly, “A maid from his courtyard wants to end her life. Tell me, how is it unrelated to him? An geer, you still have an examination. Don’t delay. Let’s go.”

He Shi forced a smile, “Madam will make a fair judgment. Eldest young master, just take the examination with peace of mind.”

Xie Shi’an knew this wasn’t something he should worry about. He nodded and followed Yun Chu to the front courtyard, meeting up with Xie Jingyu.

The three boarded the carriage. The carriage slowly drove toward the examination hall. This was the triennial district examination, and many students came full of ambition to take the test.

The current dynasty had a regulation: all students studying at the capital’s academy didn’t need to take the child student examination and could directly take the district examination. If they were students of the Imperial College, they didn’t even need to take the district examination and could directly participate in the metropolitan examination.

Xie Shi’an got down from the carriage and cupped his hands, “Thank you, Father and Mother, for escorting me. I’ll go in first.”

Xie Jingyu nodded, staring intently at his son entering the examination hall.

Yun Chu’s expression was quite indifferent, showing no emotion.

At this moment, a voice reached her ear, “Madam Xie.”

She turned her head and saw Marquis Xuanwu Qin Mingheng, dressed in official robes, standing beside her. She quickly stepped back and paid her respects, “Greetings to the marquis.”

Hearing the voice, Xie Jingyu immediately came over and subtly blocked Yun Chu’s front, “This official greets the marquis.”

Seeing this action, Qin Mingheng’s expression immediately soured. He smiled and said, “This district examination, I’m serving as the western district supervisor. I wonder in which district Young Master Xie is taking the examination?”

Xie Jingyu’s fingers tightened. An geer was in the western district.

Since his engagement to Yun Chu, he and Qin Mingheng had formed a grudge.

Fortunately, the Marquis Xuanwu’s mansion only had a title without real power. Otherwise, Qin Mingheng would definitely suppress him in various ways in the official arena.

Xie Jingyu cupped his hands, “Since the marquis must supervise the examination, this official won’t waste the marquis’s time. Farewell.”

He led Yun Chu toward the carriage.

Qin Mingheng closed his eyes and sniffed the air, catching that same scent as the handkerchief. He took a satisfied deep breath.

On the carriage, Xie Jingyu’s complexion was still very poor.

Yun Chu didn’t care about what had happened between the two of them. She spoke, “Husband, today is your rest day. Do you have any other arrangements later?”

Xie Jingyu was inwardly surprised. This was the first time Yun Chu had asked about his schedule. Did she want him to accompany her to do something?

His expression softened slightly, “Just handling some official business—minor matters that aren’t important. Why does madam ask this?”

“When leaving this morning, a servant woman came to report that a maid in Wei geer’s courtyard was making a scene about ending her life.” Yun Chu said slowly, “Last time I used household discipline to punish Wei geer, which displeased the old matriarch. It’s not appropriate for me to do anything more, so I’d like to ask husband to take charge.”

Xie Jingyu’s brow furrowed, “Disobedient maids who want to live or die should just be sold off. Why does it deserve such great effort?”

Hearing this, Yun Chu laughed outright, “Without properly investigating, you’re already convicting the maid?”

Her laugh made Xie Jingyu inexplicably feel a trace of mockery.

Mocking him for being unworthy as a scholar, mocking his poor household management, mocking him, mocking the Xie family—this laugh contained so much, so much…

“Then husband, go busy yourself with official business. I won’t trouble husband with matters of the inner quarters again.”

After Yun Chu finished this sentence, the carriage happened to arrive at the Xie residence. She lifted the curtain and got down, not waiting for Xie Jingyu, and walked straight in.

Xie Jingyu pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh.

Over these five years, matters of the inner quarters had all been handled by Yun Chu. This was the first time she had spoken up. No matter how busy he was, he had to make time to look into it.

He jumped down from the carriage and followed behind Yun Chu to the courtyard where Xie Shiwei lived.

Old Madam Xie and Yuan Shi, along with several concubines, were all in the courtyard. Tingshuang stood at the door of a side room, her expression very grave.

“Jingyu, you’re finally back!” The old matriarch, having been ill, was somewhat weak. Supporting herself on a servant woman’s hand, she stood up. “Look at what your wife has done! She actually had people tie up Wei geer. I wanted to untie him but wasn’t allowed—she said it must wait until she returned. She’s just the mistress of our Xie household, not the supreme lord of heaven!”

The old matriarch was truly quite angry.

Wei geer had indeed been somewhat mischievous before, but he’d been much more docile recently. A maid wanted to end her life—on what grounds should Wei geer be punished?

After the mishap at the last birthday banquet, did Yun Chu believe the Xie residence couldn’t function without her, so she was acting more and more without scruples?

“This grandson’s wife wouldn’t dare consider herself the supreme lord of heaven.” Yun Chu walked over and slowly curtsied. “Grandson’s wife greets the old matriarch. Today’s matter happened to coincide with An geer’s district examination, so there wasn’t time to notify the old matriarch. Please sit down first and let husband handle it. Tingshuang, tell us what exactly happened.”

Tingshuang came forward, head lowered, and said, “Madam instructed this servant to investigate, so this servant questioned all the maids, servant women, and young manservants attending the second young master. It turns out that among the maids in the second young master’s courtyard, there isn’t one who hasn’t been punished by the second young master…”

Standing behind the old matriarch, He Shi couldn’t help interrupting, “It’s natural for a master to punish servants. What’s there to discuss?”

Tingshuang sighed and gave those maids a look.

All the maids rolled up their sleeves and pulled open their collars, revealing shocking scars.

Yun Chu pressed her lips tightly together.

In her previous life, three or four maids in Xie Shiwei’s courtyard had died unnatural deaths. Later, he took seven or eight concubines, of whom four had died in bed.

Actually, maids had come to complain to her early on, but every time she wanted to investigate, He Shi—who was still Nanny He then—would take over the matter. With Old Madam Xie indulging and doting on him, plus Xie Jingyu turning a blind eye, she, as a non-biological mother, couldn’t inquire further…

Thinking back, just among what she knew, at least ten to twenty women had died at Xie Shiwei’s hands.

“Please give us servants justice, Madam! Whether the second young master is happy or unhappy, he takes it out on us servants. Except for our faces, there isn’t a single good spot anywhere on our bodies.”

“The second young master likes to whip people. This servant’s entire back is covered in whip scars. If this servant committed an error, the second young master’s punishment would be acceptable, but this servant has always done work properly and never erred, yet gets beaten every day. This servant can’t continue living like this.”

“The second young master made this servant stand for a day holding a flower pot. When this servant couldn’t stand steady, I was punished by being soaked in a water vat for a night.”

Several maids attending Xie Shiwei poured out their grievances one after another.

He Shi said coldly, “Isn’t it because you maids don’t serve the second young master wholeheartedly? Otherwise, why would the second young master punish you? Besides, the second young master is only eight years old. Even if he uses a whip, how bad could it be…”

“Shut up!” Xie Jingyu said angrily. “A mere concubine—where is your place to speak? Get out!”

He Shi couldn’t help being stunned.

She was Wei geer’s mother. How could she not have a place to speak? What had she said wrong?

The veins on the back of Xie Jingyu’s hand bulged.

These past few years, he’d been in a promotion phase, busy with official duties. He left before dawn and returned late at night. Even on occasional rest days, he had a pile of matters to handle. He had indeed neglected the children’s discipline far too much. He had always thought Wei geer just didn’t love studying and wasn’t ambitious. Thinking that having An geer was enough, he never imagined that Wei geer would do such things!

He finally understood why Yun Chu had asked him to handle this.

Because this was no longer something Yun Chu could handle.