Yun Chu was looking over her dowry list, planning to sell some unnecessary items and exchange them for silver.

While she was busy, Tingfeng came in and said: “Madam, Concubine Tao discovered seven hundred eighty taels of silver at He Shi’s place. How should it be handled?”

Yun Chu said casually: “Let Concubine Tao keep it herself.”

If she wanted Concubine Tao to willingly serve as this blade, naturally she had to give some benefits. Only then would this blade become sharper and sharper.

Tingfeng continued: “Concubine Tao ordered people to beat He Shi until she vomited blood. Should we call for a physician?”

“Vomiting a few mouthfuls of blood won’t kill her.” Yun Chu’s expression was quite indifferent.

He Shi had three biological children. She wanted to see which one would be unable to restrain themselves first and send medicine to He Shi.

She paused and said: “Concubine Tao suffered a fright at He Shi’s place. Take some cordyceps from the storehouse and send them to Concubine Tao to nourish her body.”

Upon receiving the supplements sent by Yun Chu, Concubine Tao’s anxious heart settled back into her stomach.

She knew that Madam also detested this He Shi in her heart. It was just that Madam was like a clear moon in the sky—a lowly thing like He Shi wasn’t worthy of Madam dirtying her own hands.

With Madam’s permission, what did she have to worry about?

Concubine Tao beckoned and said a few words to the maid.

That evening, the matron delivering food threw a bowl of moldy rice at the door of He Shi’s wing room.

“Stop right there!” He Shi called out to the matron: “Is this something fit for human consumption? How dare you treat me this way?”

The matron spat: “Oh my, still thinking you’re the steward nanny by the master’s side? You’ve already fallen to confinement in a broken temple—not even as good as the lowest rough-work maid. Being given a bowl of food is already good enough. What more do you want?”

He Shi simply couldn’t believe it. That lowborn Tao woman had taken all her personal savings, beaten her until she vomited blood, and was now even withholding her food.

Truly, when a tiger falls to the plains, it’s bullied by dogs!

“What do you mean by that look?” The matron raised her foot and kicked over the bowl of moldy rice: “Ungrateful despite being given face. Since you find it distasteful, then don’t eat. Nearly killing the young master, yet you still fantasize about filling your stomach? You’ll have plenty more to suffer in the future!”

The matron left cursing.

He Shi’s blood and energy churned. She nearly fainted.

The next day at the hour of chen, Old General Yun sent over a woman with a vigorous build.

This woman was named Qiutong, about twenty-some years old, wearing a black short-jacket garment with a sword hanging at her waist.

“Greetings, Madam!”

Qiutong cupped her fists in salute, full of spirit.

Yun Chu could be considered the daughter of a military general’s household. At first sight of Qiutong, she knew this woman’s martial skills were excellent.

She spoke: “From now on, you’ll be my martial arts master. Put yourself in the position of a master—however we should practice, that’s how we’ll practice.”

Qiutong acknowledged. She stepped forward to check Yun Chu’s pulse, bit by bit feeling her bones and sinews, continuously shaking her head: “Madam actually does have some foundation, but it’s been too long since moving bones and sinews. The meridians have all become stiff. Right now, the most urgent matter is to restore the body’s former flexibility…”

Yun Chu was immediately pulled into the courtyard.

Don’t be fooled by Qiutong being a woman—the strength in her hands wasn’t inferior to her grandfather’s at all. When clearing her acupuncture points and meridians, the pain nearly killed her.

After one hour, Yun Chu didn’t even have the strength to stand.

Qiutong’s face showed no expression: “Tomorrow morning at cock’s crow, I’ll wait for Madam in the courtyard.”

Yun Chu’s vision went black.

Cock’s crow was approximately the hour of chou, which was just past midnight.

She felt as if she had just fallen asleep when Tingxue woke her: “Madam, it’s time to rise. Sister Qiutong is already waiting outside.”

Yun Chu quickly climbed out of bed.

This path was one she had actively chosen herself, so she had to forge ahead without hesitation.

Grandfather had said that skills one has learned truly belong to oneself.

Lamps were lit in the courtyard. Qiutong stood solemnly. She demonstrated the standard horse stance and had Yun Chu squat in horse stance for a quarter hour first, then gradually increase the time.

Yun Chu had also practiced horse stance as a child. Every time when Grandfather wasn’t paying attention, she would start slacking off.

The laziness one indulged in childhood becomes the hardship one must endure as an adult.

“You few come over and accompany Madam as well.” Qiutong looked toward the maids standing to the side: “If you truly encounter some danger, you can also help Madam.”

With this said, Tingxue, Tingxue, and Tingfeng immediately walked over, stood in a row, and began squatting in horse stance.

After a quarter hour, the three maids who had never touched martial arts before were drenched in sweat. Qiutong let them rest for now.

Yun Chu had some foundation. She squatted in horse stance for more than half an hour before beginning to lose her footing.

After practicing for nearly an hour, she returned to lie in bed and immediately fell asleep. After sleeping for about an hour, the sky brightened.

Those coming to pay respects arrived one by one.

“Mother, Old Madam’s birthday is approaching.” Xie Ping held several lists: “I want to hold Old Madam’s birthday banquet grandly, inviting all the distinguished noble ladies of the capital to make it lively. What does Mother think?”

Yun Chu looked at the list she handed over: “Planning to invite the wife of the Minister of Revenue, the Grand Preceptor’s wife… these are all first-rank noble ladies. With the Xie family’s standing, we can’t invite them.”

Xie Ping spoke: “Grandmother is on good terms with these several ladies and also watched Mother grow up. If Mother goes to invite them, I think those ladies will definitely give Mother face…”

Concubine Tao laughed with a snort: “The eldest miss is still too young and doesn’t understand these social conventions.”

Being ridiculed by a concubine made Xie Ping quite unable to save face.

Tingyu spoke: “If it were Madam’s birthday celebration, we could try inviting these ladies to come. But for Old Madam, it’s still somewhat inappropriate.”

“Sister Ping, write a new list of invited guests.” Yun Chu looked at her: “Also, the banquet menu you’ve drafted is exactly the same as last year’s. It still needs to be changed. There should always be some new variations, shouldn’t there?”

Xie Ping felt somewhat discouraged.

Previously, no matter what she did, Mother would praise her once or twice.

But ever since she privately sent things to He Shi, Mother’s attitude toward her seemed to have changed as well.

She lowered her head: “Yes, Mother. I’ll go back and reconsider.”

Yun Chu no longer managed the birthday banquet matters, leaving everything to Xie Ping. She only offered some trivial minor opinions during the daily morning greetings.

She devoted herself wholeheartedly to learning martial arts with Qiutong.

What she hadn’t expected was that for three or four days in a row, those three children born to He Shi—Xie Ping, Xie Shi’an, and Xie Shiwei—had not once sent medicine to the small temple.

Yun Chu smiled.

These three ungrateful wolves weren’t only heartless toward her, their adoptive mother—clearly they also had no deep feelings for He Shi, their birth mother.

He Shi’s days were very difficult.

She had vomited several mouthfuls of blood. Her body felt terrible every day. Combined with not having a single proper meal, she rapidly grew thin.

She knew this couldn’t continue. She had to find a way to save herself. Otherwise, one day she might starve to death in the small temple without anyone knowing.

After the temple’s only little nun fell asleep, taking advantage of the night, she slipped out of the temple. All along the way, she avoided maids and servants, arriving outside Xie Jingyu’s study.

Xie Jingyu returned home very late every day.

She had just reached the study entrance when she saw a tall, slender figure approaching from the distance.