He Shi felt somewhat melancholy.

She was the same age as Xie Jingyu. At the same age, he was still that elegant young gentleman from before, while she had already grown old and decrepit.

“What are you doing here?”

Seeing her standing at the courtyard entrance, Xie Jingyu’s weary face showed anger.

He Shi lowered her head: “Master, I did something wrong and am willing to accept punishment. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to be tormented to death… With Madam’s tacit permission, Concubine Tao has cut off food to the small temple. This is meant to cut off my path to survival…”

Xie Jingyu pinched his brow.

He had just returned from Minister Yu’s manor. He had stayed at the Yu residence for most of the day, yet hadn’t even seen Minister Yu’s shadow.

Previously, Minister Yu had treated him fairly well. No matter what social engagement he attended, he would bring him along, letting him meet many important figures in officialdom.

With the evaluation approaching, Minister Yu had suddenly stopped favoring him.

He truly didn’t understand what he had done wrong.

With a day’s vexation having nowhere to be expressed, upon returning home, he was pulled by He Shi to speak of these trivial matters.

He wasn’t someone who easily lost his temper, but at this moment he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He spoke coldly: “You yourself insisted on staying at the Xie manor. Whatever treatment you suffer is your own choice. Furthermore, I ordered you to be confined in the small temple, yet you appeared at my study entrance. Since you don’t take my words seriously, then I can only arrange for people to guard the small temple entrance.”

He Shi’s lips suddenly froze.

She thought of the very first meeting long, long ago, when the look in his eyes toward her carried amazement.

She thought of after giving birth to Brother An, the heartache in this man’s eyes.

She thought of many years ago when she lived with three children in the capital’s outskirts, the tender affection during his monthly visits.

Ever since moving into the Xie manor, she and he had become master and servant. Her form of address had changed from “Yulang” to “Master”…

Only at this moment did she realize they seemed unable to return to the past.

“Still not leaving?”

Xie Jingyu’s voice was full of impatience.

He Shi’s tears suddenly came.

She had racked her brains to have the children recognized and returned to their ancestral clan. She had thought of every way to stay by Xie Jingyu’s side. She was willing to be a slave if it meant the family could be together… Did this man truly see her sacrifices?

“Yes, Master. I’ll leave right away.”

He Shi curtsied, turned around, and tears streamed down.

Watching her retreating figure, Xie Jingyu couldn’t help but sigh. Keeping her in the Xie household was already out of consideration for past affections.

If he did even more for He Shi, it would certainly arouse Yun Chu’s suspicion. He still needed to rely on the Yun family’s influence to rise smoothly in his career. How could he fall out with Yun Chu?

Returning to the small temple, He Shi’s heart was like dead ashes.

She still wanted to watch Brother An pass the top examination and become a high official. She still wanted to personally send Sister Ping off in marriage. She still wanted to see Brother Wei become accomplished… She absolutely couldn’t die in this small temple.

Since Xie Jingyu was unreliable, she could only rely on herself.

She wrote a letter. She gave the little nun the only bracelet on her wrist, begging the little nun to help deliver it.

“Oh, she wants to send a letter to Steward He in the outer courtyard?” Yun Chu looked at the little nun who came to report: “Then go ahead and deliver it for her.”

The little nun acknowledged and took the letter to the outer courtyard.

Tingxue was somewhat surprised: “He Shi and Steward He in the outer courtyard share the same surname. Could there be some relationship between them?”

Yun Chu nodded: “The two are probably biological siblings. To investigate He Shi’s identity clearly, we must start with He Xu.”

He Shi’s identity was certainly unusual. Otherwise, she would definitely have coveted the position of principal wife. Even if she couldn’t become the principal wife, she certainly would have been willing to become a concubine.

She had a vague guess in her heart, but without evidence, speaking of it would convince no one.

Whether she could completely cut off Xie Shi’an’s path to officialdom depended on He Shi’s identity.

At this moment, a servant from the front courtyard came running to report: “Madam, this humble one made a trip to the Yun manor. The Yun family said the eldest young master will return to the capital tomorrow morning.”

Yun Chu suddenly stood up.

Jizhou wasn’t that far from the capital, but Elder Brother needed to handle official business in Jizhou. His ability to return to the capital this early was truly beyond her expectations.

The remaining time that day was quite difficult to endure. Early the next morning, she took a carriage back to the Yun household.

However, after Yun Ze returned to the capital, he first went to the Imperial City to report, only returning around noon. His entire person showed exhaustion. Elder Sister-in-law Liu Qianqian took him to change clothes first.

Lin Shi asked curiously: “Chu’er, do you and your elder brother have some urgent matter?”

After her daughter returned home, she had been constantly distracted, frequently looking outside. Only after Yun Ze returned did this anxious mood ease somewhat.

Yun Chu hurriedly forced a smile: “The Xie family’s ancestral home is in Jizhou. My husband hasn’t returned for many years. I wanted to ask Elder Brother about the situation there.”

Lin Shi nodded thoughtfully.

After Yun Ze changed his clothes and came over, Lin Shi led Liu Qianqian out of the flower hall, leaving the space for the two siblings.

“Elder Brother.” As soon as Yun Chu opened her mouth, her voice became somewhat hoarse: “The children… have they already returned?”

Yun Ze opened his lips but couldn’t speak a single word.

If he had brought back those two pitiful children, he would have told his younger sister immediately, rather than using changing clothes as an excuse to think about how to gloss this matter over.

The light in Yun Chu’s eyes slowly disappeared, her voice even more hoarse: “Elder Brother?”

Yun Ze sighed: “Chu’er, I personally went to the Xie family’s ancestral home in Jizhou and asked clan members about the children’s burial place. But the clan elders told me that four years ago, the Xie family from the capital never sent anyone back. Moreover, they had never heard that Xie Jingyu’s legitimate son and daughter had died young. The Xie family deceived you…”

With a thunderous boom.

Yun Chu felt her head explode.

Her figure swayed. She supported herself against the table to steady herself and avoid falling.

She closed her eyes and slowly took several deep breaths. Only then did her entire person gradually calm down.

“Thank you—thank you, Elder Brother!”

She struggled to utter these few words, then turned to walk outside.

“Chu’er.”

Regardless of the impropriety between brother and sister, Yun Ze grabbed her wrist.

“Elder Brother will accompany you back.”

Yun Chu pressed down on Yun Ze’s arm, her voice hoarse to the extreme: “I can face these matters myself. If I truly can’t handle them, I’ll return home to seek Elder Brother’s help.”

She turned around, stepped forward, and walked outside.

Ordinarily, she would bid farewell to Mother and Sister-in-law before leaving.

But now, she no longer had that state of mind.

Tingxue supported her. She walked quickly to the outside of the Yun manor, boarded the carriage, and urged the driver to go faster, even faster.

The carriage raced through the streets and soon returned to the Xie household.

She rushed inside and sat powerlessly in the flower hall, her voice wrapped in deep coldness: “Bring He Shi here.”

The two matrons had never seen Madam like this. The two exchanged glances and hurried to the small temple to fetch the person.

He Shi lay weakly on the bed, her entire body feeble. She had been injured before without treatment. For many days she hadn’t eaten a full meal. Her body truly couldn’t hold up anymore.

She had just closed her eyelids when the wing room door was kicked open.

She jumped in fright. Thinking it was Concubine Tao leading people here, she looked up and saw they were actually rough-work matrons from Yusheng Residence.

These were people sent by Madam.

Madam had always been hypocritical. Even if she wanted to deal with her, she would have Concubine Tao come forward. How could she personally send people?

Without time to think further, He Shi was lifted up by the two matrons and dragged outside.