Watching Yun Chu depart in her carriage.

Xie Shi’an relied on his two legs to walk back to the Xie Family residence.

At the entrance of the Xie Family home, there had once stood two imposing and majestic stone lions, though now they had disappeared to who knows where.

The plaque hanging under the eaves had been pelted with stones, leaving it pitted and scarred. The two characters “Xie Residence” looked utterly pathetic.

“Young Master, you’ve returned,” Sanshijiu came forward to greet him. “Today, Ganlai and I helped people repair walls and earned over sixty wen. We bought several catties of meat and stewed a whole pot of red-braised pork.”

There truly was a large pot of red-braised pork, but after distributing portions to each courtyard, only a small bowl remained for Xie Shi’an.

He wasn’t one who craved fine food. After eating just a few bites, he left the rest for Sanshijiu.

He stood and walked toward the courtyard where Tingyu resided.

Tingyu and Xie Shiyun had just finished their evening meal and were washing dishes. As she washed, she sighed continuously, one breath after another.

Even when she had served as the lady’s maid in the past, she had never washed a single bowl.

These days were truly becoming more and more difficult.

“Elder Brother, why have you come?”

Hearing Xie Shiyun’s voice, Tingyu hurriedly finished washing the dishes and walked to the front courtyard.

Seeing Xie Shi’an with one eye covered, for some reason Tingyu felt an unsettling chill in her heart.

This was clearly just a child who had barely turned thirteen and was blind in one eye, yet she didn’t understand why she felt afraid.

“Yun’er, go play by yourself.” Tingyu sent the child away, then asked, “Young Master, what brings you here at this hour?”

“I wonder how Concubine Yu is progressing with gathering the silver?” Xie Shi’an got straight to the point. “I’ve set my sights on a shop that requires over three thousand taels of silver to purchase. If Concubine Yu continues to be unable to gather the full amount, I won’t be able to proceed with this business, and thus won’t be able to help Yun’er repay his debts.”

Tingyu immediately said, “I’m gathering it, still gathering it. Don’t worry…”

Xie Shi’an rubbed his fingers together. “Does Concubine Yu think that selling a few handkerchiefs will gather several thousand taels of silver? You may be able to wait, but I cannot.”

Tingyu felt a terrifying oppressive pressure descending upon her.

The person before her was a child who had just passed his thirteenth birthday—how could he possess such an imposing aura?

She clutched her handkerchief and said, “Then what do you think I, a weak woman, should do?”

“People say merchants are the wealthiest, but that’s not true. Those officials who hold power are the truly wealthy. Several thousand taels of silver are merely drops leaking through their fingers.” Xie Shi’an continued, “There’s an official in the court who is famously henpecked. Few people know that privately, he frequently engages with certain women… ahem, a woman like Concubine Yu should catch his eye.”

Tingyu’s face filled with disbelief. “You… you’re actually telling me to sell… sell my own body…”

“Then what else?” Xie Shi’an’s face showed not the slightest emotion. “Does Concubine Yu have anything else of value to offer?”

He pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it over. “You only have this one chance.”

Having said that, he turned and left.

Tingyu picked up the paper and glanced at it. Written on it was the official’s full name and where he would appear three days hence…

She collapsed into a chair.

Using her body to become a concubine in the past had been her willing choice.

But now…

She couldn’t help but cover her face and weep.

After crying for a while, she immediately looked up. She hadn’t reached a dead end—she still had her parents and elder brother.

Tingyu was a household-born servant of the Yun Family. Her parents were both capable stewards in the Yun Residence, which was why she had been arranged from childhood to be the young lady’s personal maid.

However, after she had climbed into the master’s bed, her mother had come to the Xie Residence once and scolded her thoroughly, saying she would no longer have this daughter. Since then, she had severed contact with her family.

Now that she was in such dire straits, surely her parents wouldn’t ignore her.

The Yun Family treated their servants extremely generously, especially household-born servants like her family. She had heard that her parents had bought her elder brother a large residence outside.

Tingyu asked Concubine Jiang to help watch the child, then tidied herself up and headed to the Yun Family residence. Arriving at the Yun Family’s back entrance, she knocked on the side gate. When she saw Aunt Li, who had watched her grow up since childhood, she immediately greeted her. “Aunt Li, is my mother here?”

“Oh my, isn’t this Concubine Yu from the son-in-law’s household?” Aunt Li said mockingly. “Didn’t the Xie Family desperately want to sever all ties with the Yun Family? What is Concubine Yu doing at our Yun residence?”

Most of the Yun Family’s servants were household-born, with several generations serving the Yun Family. Naturally loyal to their master’s family, they looked down on people like Tingyu.

Tingyu pretended not to hear the mockery. “Please trouble Aunt Li to call my mother… Ah!!!”

Before she could finish her sentence, a basin of water splashed directly into her face.

With a clang, the basin was thrown to the ground. A woman stood in the doorway with hands on her hips, angrily scolding, “Five years ago I already said I would act as though I never gave birth to this daughter! Don’t appear before me again—consider it repayment for raising you!”

Tingyu wiped the water from her face, crying, “Mother, I know I was wrong. Please give me one more chance!”

The woman didn’t even glance at her. She said to the people around her, “I no longer have this daughter. If she comes again in the future, throw her out directly!”

Having said that, she turned and left.

Aunt Li spat and forcefully shut the side gate.

Tingyu slid down powerlessly to sit on the ground, hugging her knees and sobbing bitterly.

The events at the Yun Residence’s back entrance naturally spread, eventually reaching Tingfeng’s ears. Tingfeng immediately came to tell Yun Chu.

Yun Chu shook her head.

She didn’t need to personally do anything to Tingyu. Given Tingyu’s unchangeable nature, sooner or later she would die by her own hand.

After finishing with the account books, she stood and walked to the wall on the eastern side. The doorway here had already been completed. The opening was of normal dimensions, with mature vines and various flowers transplanted on both upper sides. Long, broad green leaves cascaded down, adding considerable scenery to this doorway.

This opening was on the side of her courtyard. Walking through this door would lead to the main courtyard of the neighboring compound.

It wasn’t actually the main courtyard, since typically one wouldn’t arrange the main courtyard in a compound adjacent to a wall. Prince Pingxi had ordered people to connect the main courtyard with this side courtyard, establishing his study here. This was where he conducted business. Without his permission, no one was allowed to enter, which meant that apart from a few personal attendants, no one else in the Prince’s residence could possibly discover this door.

Just as Yun Chu reached the entrance, she heard voices from the other side. “…All of you be careful. The Prince’s official documents are all stored here, just like at the Prince’s residence. Place them here…”

Through the doorway, she saw Steward Cheng, the Prince’s residence’s head steward, directing servants as they moved things.

She couldn’t help but sigh. Prince Pingxi was truly action-oriented. He said he would move, and move he did, bringing the entire Prince’s residence staff along with him.

For a moment, her emotions were rather complex.

“Miss Yun.”

Just as she was thinking, a tall figure appeared before her.

Chu Yi had walked over.

He stood on the other side of the doorway, stopping there, and spoke. “May I come through?”

Yun Chu stepped aside. “Please, Your Highness.”