Yuan Shi immediately fell silent.

How could she not have gone to find Yun Chu? But Yun Chu had refused—what else could she do…

She couldn’t forcibly compel Yun Chu to hand over her dowry. If word got out, would the Xie family have any face left?

Moreover, although she was the mother-in-law, she was somewhat afraid of this daughter-in-law, Yun Chu. Whenever Yun Chu’s expression turned cold, she didn’t dare speak.

“We’ll naturally go find Chu’er.” Xie Zhongcheng said coldly. “Right now, I’m asking you to contribute silver. Give what you have. Once the Xie family gets through this predicament, we won’t treat you unfairly in the future.”

Tingyu bit her lip.

Over the years, she had saved some personal money—only about seven or eight hundred taels of silver. After saving for so many years, she couldn’t bear to hand it all over at once.

She paused before speaking: “When the old matriarch passed away, weren’t there many valuable items in the storeroom? They could be taken out now to address this urgent need.”

At the mention of the old matriarch’s belongings, Concubine Jiang’s expression became somewhat tense.

She feared the Xie family would discover that some of the old matriarch’s belongings were missing, afraid these people would mistakenly think Madam had taken them…

Just as she was mulling this over, a voice suddenly came from outside.

“Something terrible! Master, Madam, something terrible has happened!”

Xie Zhongcheng’s expression darkened: “Which blind maid is this? What ‘something terrible’? We’re fine, the Xie family is fine, and we will get better!”

Tingyu recognized the voice and said, “It’s Tingfeng from Madam’s side.”

Before Xie Zhongcheng could order someone to let her in, Tingfeng stumbled and rushed inside.

His expression became even more unpleasant. This daughter-in-law was becoming increasingly disrespectful of him as her father-in-law. Even her maids were so ill-mannered!

“Master—Master has met with disaster!”

Yuan Shi quickly supported Tingfeng: “Speak slowly. What happened to Master? What’s wrong?”

“He—he’s stopped breathing.” Tingfeng burst into loud tears. “Master has stopped breathing. Quickly, Master, Madam, go and see!”

Yuan Shi felt dizzy and nearly collapsed.

The several concubines in the room were horrified, each face showing disbelief.

The group quickly rose and rushed toward the courtyard where Xie Jingyu resided.

Upon reaching the entrance to Xie Jingyu’s courtyard, they could smell an extremely strong aroma of alcohol. Stepping inside, they saw wine jars scattered everywhere at the entrance to the room.

Yun Chu stood on the steps outside the room, her face pale as paper.

Xie Zhongcheng didn’t even glance at her as he walked into the room and looked at the person lying on the bed.

“Jingyu! Jingyu!”

Xie Zhongcheng didn’t dare approach, calling out twice, but the person on the bed showed no reaction.

Yuan Shi rushed directly to the bedside, grasped Xie Jingyu’s hand, and immediately her tears began falling uncontrollably.

“Jingyu, Mother is here, Mother is right here…” Yuan Shi sobbed. “Open your eyes and look at Mother, won’t you? Don’t just leave us behind…”

The several concubines also rushed over.

Concubine Jiang’s face was full of disbelief: “Master, wake up. How could you just leave like this…”

Concubine Tao wailed: “Master, if you’re gone, what will happen to Kang’er? He’s still waiting for you, his father, to invite divine physicians to treat his illness…”

Tingyu’s voice choked: “Master, the doctor said you couldn’t drink alcohol with your condition. How could you…”

Xie Zhongcheng suddenly turned around and looked at Yun Chu standing outside: “What exactly happened?!”

“My husband… he couldn’t accept the current situation, so he drowned his sorrows in alcohol.” Yun Chu closed her eyes. “Wine can dispel sorrow, but it can also take a life.”

“As his wife, why didn’t you advise him?” Xie Zhongcheng raged, then staggered against the door. “With Jingyu dead, our Xie family is finished too… Why, why must heaven treat our Xie family this way…”

While a person lived, there was still a thread of hope.

Once dead, there was nothing left…

The Xie family was truly finished.

Yun Chu stepped down from the steps.

“Stop right there!” Xie Zhongcheng called out to her. “Your husband is dead—where do you think you’re going now?”

“The Xie family’s main gate is heavily guarded. How can we hold a funeral?” Yun Chu’s voice was cold. “Or are you saying that because your son embezzled official silver from the Ministry of Revenue and committed a grave error, he doesn’t deserve a funeral?”

Xie Zhongcheng’s old face looked embarrassed: “When a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out. Whatever wrongs were committed are wiped clean in heaven’s eyes. Of course he should be buried according to proper customs.”

Yun Chu didn’t respond further and walked toward the main gate of the Xie residence.

After Qin Mingheng was taken away by the soldiers, she had changed into a dark-colored cloak and prepared to leave the residence, but had been delayed by Xie Jingyu.

This night seemed particularly long—it was only just past midnight.

She walked to the Xie residence entrance and had the young servant Duoxi open the door. As soon as it opened, two long spears blocked the entrance.

Two guards stood on either side of the main gate, their expressions cold: “The court has decreed that no one from the Xie family may pass through this door!”

Duoxi bowed and approached with an ingratiating smile: “Please be lenient, honorable officers. Our madam has some important matters to attend to. Please be flexible—she’ll definitely return before dawn…”

As he spoke, he secretly slipped two heavy money pouches into the guards’ hands.

The two guards were about to weigh how much silver there was when they suddenly heard the word “madam,” then quickly looked at Yun Chu’s face.

Although it was nighttime and the woman wore a black hood on her head, they could still vaguely make out that exquisite countenance.

The two guards exchanged glances and very quickly tossed the money pouches back into Duoxi’s arms: “So it’s Madam Xie. Please proceed!”

Someone above had given instructions that all members of the Xie family were forbidden to enter or exit, with the sole exception of Madam Xie.

Yun Chu speculated that these might be guards led by a vice general under her father’s command, which was why they wouldn’t make things difficult for her.

She nodded in thanks, then walked out through the Xie family’s main gate.

After the curfew, carriages and horses were prohibited from traveling on the capital’s streets. Relying on her own feet, Yun Chu walked for about half an hour before reaching the entrance to Prince Pingxi’s residence.

If her father were still in the capital, matters concerning Marquis Xuanwu Qin Mingheng could be completely handled by her father.

Now, in this urgent situation, she could only come to petition this prince.

She hoped their slight acquaintance would persuade the prince to agree to her request.

Yun Chu walked up the steps of the prince’s residence. The two guards at the entrance had been watching her all along. Seeing her approach, they immediately pointed their long spears at her.

“Yun Chu, eldest daughter of the Yun family, has urgent matters and seeks an audience with Prince Pingxi late at night. I trouble you both to go inside and report this.”

Marquis Xuanwu Qin Mingheng had escaped while on the road to exile and, after being captured, would surely be subjected to severe torture. She feared Qin Mingheng couldn’t withstand the eighteen great tortures.

She worried that Qin Mingheng wouldn’t see tomorrow’s sun. She feared she would never know what truly happened that night…

Therefore, she had come to petition at this rather inappropriate time, just past midnight.

The two guards looked at her and recognized her—indeed the eldest daughter of the Yun family, Madam of the Xie family.

They both knew that the prince and General Yun had a deep friendship. For the Yun family daughter to come petitioning in the middle of the night, there must be important matters.

However, at this hour, the prince had long since retired to bed. If they rashly went in to report and woke the prince, should the prince become angry, the consequences would be more than they could bear.