Yun Chu opened her eyes and woke up.
The sky had just begun to brighten, with thin morning light streaming in through the window.
As soon as she sat up, Tingxue came in from outside to attend to her washing and dressing.
After washing and dressing neatly, she walked to the hall where Tingfeng had already had the servants prepare a sumptuous meal. Aside from the absence of meat dishes, everything else was available.
Looking at the scene in Shengju alone, no one would think the Xie Family had completely collapsed.
After finishing the meal, Yun Chu went to the mourning hall.
Her last duty to the Xie Family was to send Xie Jingyu off on his final journey. Whatever appearance she should maintain, she would maintain it.
Walking to the front courtyard, the few remaining people had all gathered. The Xie Family’s main gate remained open, but no one came to visit, no one came to pay respects—it was cold and desolate to the extreme.
“Chu’er.”
Yuan Shi hadn’t slept all night and could barely speak. These two words came out as a breath.
Yun Chu stepped forward and lit three incense sticks for Xie Jingyu, then turned her head: “What is it?”
“Jingyu’s funeral arrangements will be handled by myself, Concubine Yu, and Concubine Jiang.” Yuan Shi parted her lips with difficulty. “After the funeral ends, our whole family will have to move out. Tell me, where should we move to, and what will we live on afterward?”
Yun Chu spoke: “The Xie Family has now become the capital’s greatest laughingstock. Does Mother-in-law still wish to continue staying in the capital?”
Yuan Shi paused: “What do you mean?”
“Return to our old home in Jizhou.” Yun Chu said slowly. “Before the Xie Family came to the capital, all the estates and residences were registered under the names of clan elders and won’t be implicated. Returning to Jizhou, there’s the old residence and the estates to live on—it’s no worse than staying in the capital.”
Hearing this, Yuan Shi wanted to cry again.
The Xie Family had relied on three generations of effort to finally make it to the capital. They’d only been in the capital for how many years, and now they had to go back?
When they came to settle in the capital, how glorious it had been?
Now returning home, with so many family members lost, how desolate would it be?
She didn’t want to go back.
But she knew that returning to Jizhou was now the only path they could take.
“Madam.” Tingyu couldn’t help but speak up.
She and the madam had discussed this well last night. How could the madam follow along as soon as the lady spoke, forgetting everything they’d discussed last night?
“If we just return to Jizhou like this, does the lady truly believe that those Xie Family clan elders will willingly hand over the estates and residences registered under their names?” Tingyu lowered her eyes. “This concubine believes that returning to Jizhou is the last resort. Unless absolutely necessary, we cannot take this path.”
Yun Chu smiled slightly: “Then what do you think—is there another path to take?”
Only then did Tingyu raise her head and meet Yun Chu’s gaze: “If the lady manages the household, then the lady has the responsibility to find shelter for the family. If the lady is unwilling, she should hand over the Xie Family’s account books for the madam to arrange.”
The smile on Yun Chu’s face deepened: “What Concubine Yu actually wants is for me to hand over my dowry, isn’t it?”
Having her true purpose exposed, Tingyu wasn’t flustered at all. She boldly spoke word by word: “The lady is the Xie Family’s mistress and the legitimate mother of several children. Now that the master is gone, the lady should support the Xie Family and ought to raise the children. But—based on this concubine’s understanding of the lady since childhood, the lady doesn’t plan to deal with the Xie Family’s mess anymore, does she?”
Yun Chu smoothed her hair: “So?”
“So, if the lady wants to withdraw unscathed, then take out the dowry.” Tingyu knew she shouldn’t say such things, but the madam couldn’t stand up for herself, so she could only step forward. “If the lady is unwilling to provide the dowry, then please support the Xie Family and find shelter for the family.”
“Slap!”
As her words fell.
Tingfeng, standing beside Yun Chu, raised her hand and delivered a hard slap.
Tingyu was completely stunned by the blow. She looked at Tingfeng in disbelief: “You’re just a servant—how dare you hit me?”
“I hit you, so what?” Tingfeng’s face was full of contempt and anger. “A cheap woman who climbed into bed and betrayed her mistress dares to scheme for the Yun Family legitimate eldest daughter’s dowry—who gave you such audacity! It’s only because our lady is kindhearted. In any other household, a cheap woman like you would have been beaten to death or sold off long ago! Now that the master’s body has gone cold, you still want to put on airs as a concubine in front of me—simply dreaming!”
As she spoke, she raised her hand again and delivered another slap.
Tingyu was struck dizzy and disoriented. She clawed out, trying to strike back.
Yun Chu grabbed Tingyu’s wrist and flung her away forcefully. Tingyu stumbled and fell to the ground.
“Will the lady just allow her personal maid to bully this concubine?” Tingyu collapsed on the ground and began crying loudly. “The lady sees that the Xie Family has fallen and that she’s leaving, so she no longer regards the Xie Family as anything. Even a maid can bully me now. What future do I have left? I might as well dash my head and die…”
Concubine Jiang quickly pulled her back.
Right now there were always people watching the spectacle at the Xie Family gate. If Concubine Yu really died in front of everyone, the lady would gain a bad reputation.
Yun Chu stood there, looking down from above: “Tingyu, are you certain you want to make such a scene?”
Tingyu sobbed and cried.
She didn’t want to make a scene either, didn’t want to lose face, but if she didn’t make a scene, her Yun’er would truly be finished.
Right now she just wanted to force the lady to make a choice.
Stay, and then properly strategize for the Xie Family.
Leave, and then leave the dowry to resolve the Xie Family’s difficulties.
No matter which one the lady chose, the one who would benefit was Yun’er.
For Yun’er’s sake, she could even sacrifice her life. What did this bit of face matter…
Seeing more and more people gathering at the Xie residence gate, she cried with tears streaming down her face: “The master’s bones aren’t even cold yet, and the lady is already washing her hands of everything. I beg the lady to have mercy on the children. The children know nothing—what have they done wrong? Why must they suffer this…”
Xie Shiyun knelt on the ground, crying and calling out: “Mother, I’ve called you Mother for four years. I beg Mother not to abandon me…”
The frail woman and tender child kneeling on the ground crying miserably made many of the onlookers sigh endlessly.
“Too pitiful.”
“The old are old, the young are young—a whole household of the weak, women, and young. What will they do in the future?”
“Lady Xie is still the Xie Family’s mistress. How can she just ignore everything?”
“The Xie Family can only rely on Lady Xie now. Otherwise, once this group of people leaves this gate, they’ll either starve to death or be bullied to death.”
“Exactly. They’ve done nothing wrong, yet they’re bearing the bitter fruit. So pitiful.”
Just amid this chorus of sighs.
A cold voice rang out: “So this is the Xie Family’s true face. It’s truly opened the Yun Family’s eyes.”
Tingyu whipped her head around sharply.
She saw that people from the Yun Family had arrived!
Madam Yun, Lin Shi, walked at the forefront, supporting an elderly matron from the Yun Family clan on her right, with the pregnant Young Madam Yun, Liu Qianqian, following on her left. Behind them was Yun Ze, along with Yun Family maids and guards—close to twenty people in total.
Seeing this formation, Tingyu’s heart went cold.
On the first day after the master’s death, no one from the Yun Family had come. She had thought the Yun Family would wait until after the master was buried before making difficulties. Therefore, she had specifically chosen this day to make her scene.
She knew the lady was softhearted and kindhearted. As long as she made a fuss, she could always gain some benefits.
But unexpectedly, before she could make a scene to any result, people from the Yun Family had arrived.
Her plan had fallen through!