The medicinal powder poured into the bowl, turning into black liquid.

Xie Shiwei picked up the poison and walked toward Yun Chu.

He Shi grabbed him and lowered her voice: “That’s your nominal legitimate mother. You’re a court official—you cannot do something so treasonous and unfilial.”

Xie Shiwei tugged at the corner of his lips and looked up at a person standing in the corner: “Xie Shiyun, you come.”

Xie Shiyun’s complexion immediately turned pale: “I won’t.”

Xie Shi’an’s voice was cold: “You’re part of the Xie Family. Some things you must do.”

Xie Shiyun kept his head lowered.

Tingyu behind him gave him a push, sighed, and said in a low voice: “Now your eldest brother is the head of the Xie Family. Even your father must listen to his words, let alone you. Yun’er, go send your mother on her final journey.”

Sixteen-year-old Xie Shiyun wasn’t particularly tall and was somewhat thin. His lips were tightly pressed together, unwilling to step forward even once.

“Yun’er, why are you so stubborn?” Tingyu said through gritted teeth. “Yes, the madam doted on you very much and treated you like her own child. But she only doted on you—she gave you nothing. All of the madam’s dowry went partly to Xie Ping as her dowry and partly to your eldest brother as betrothal gifts. You have nothing… Even your eldest brother and sister can be so heartless, so why must you cling to that tiny bit of sentiment! If you defy your eldest brother’s will this time, then in the future, we mother and son will have no place to stand in this household! You only feel sorry for your legitimate mother, but don’t you feel sorry for me, your birth mother?”

Deep in Xie Shiyun’s eyes was complete devastation.

He could only walk step by step to the center of the courtyard and take the poison from Xie Shiwei’s hand.

He walked toward Yun Chu.

He reached Yun Chu.

He crouched down, his voice choking: “Mother, I’m sorry. I have no choice, truly no choice…”

Yun Chu quietly looked at him.

After her son and daughter died, Tingyu immediately gave birth to Xie Shiyun, and all the love she had for her deceased children transferred to Xie Shiyun.

She personally raised Xie Shiyun, and he became the apple of her eye.

But now.

The child she had doted on and raised was holding a bowl of poison before her.

“Xie Shiyun, you have no heart!”

Xie Xian cried out and rushed forward, knocking over the bowl of poison.

“Unfilial daughter!” Xie Jingyu slapped Xie Xian across the face again. “Someone, take her away and lock her in the ancestral hall!”

Several of his trusted subordinates entered the courtyard, seized Xie Xian, and dragged her outside.

Just as Concubine Jiang was about to speak, Xie Jingyu kicked her in the chest: “This is the good daughter you raised! Someone, lock her in the woodshed!”

Soon, Concubine Jiang was also dragged out.

Xie Jingyu looked at He Shi again: “Is there more medicine?”

“The medicine Ping’er sent back is gone, but—” He Shi paused. “There’s rat poison. Same effect.”

Xie Shi’an said slowly: “Then let’s do that.”

He saw the towering hatred in Yun Chu’s eyes. If Yun Chu were given even the slightest chance, the entire Xie Family would likely be doomed beyond redemption.

Yun Chu’s life truly could not be spared.

He Shi turned and left. Before long, she returned carrying a bowl of black medicinal liquid and placed it directly into Xie Shiyun’s hands, saying coolly: “Third Young Master had better be careful this time.”

Xie Shiyun’s fingers trembled continuously.

He held it before Yun Chu, but Yun Chu did not accept it.

He pleaded: “Mother, drink it. Once you drink it, everything will be over…”

“Yes, Chu’er…” Yuan Shi’s tears streamed down. “You are a wife of the Xie Family. Just consider it for the Xie Family’s sake, all right? I’m begging you, Chu’er. Leave yourself some dignity. Please drink it.”

Yun Chu used her last bit of strength to press her lips tightly together.

“Hurry up, don’t waste time.” Xie Shiwei’s face was full of impatience. “I still have to go to the military camp for duty later. Don’t interfere with my important matters.”

Xie Shiyun held back his tears.

He stepped forward and gripped Yun Chu’s chin with one hand.

“Mother, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I truly have no other choice. In my next life, I will atone for this…”

He poured the entire bowl of medicinal liquid into Yun Chu’s mouth.

The deadly rat poison caused excruciating pain in her abdomen as soon as she swallowed it.

Yun Chu collapsed to the ground, lying on the cold surface, her eyes fixed on the crescent moon in the sky above.

The life in her eyes slowly disappeared, but those beautiful eyes remained open, reflecting the crescent moon and also reflecting the face of every person in the Xie Family.

This was dying with eyes wide open in unwillingness.

This scene made everyone in the Xie Family feel terrified and uneasy.

Yuan Shi crawled forward trembling and tested Yun Chu’s breath: “She’s dead. Chu’er is really dead… Chu’er, I’ve wronged you…”

With those words, she collapsed onto Yun Chu’s body, wailing in grief.

Xie Shi’an crouched down and reached out his hand to close Yun Chu’s eyes.

However, after those eyes closed, they opened again.

Although the person was clearly dead, those eyes filled with towering hatred could still open again.

“How can this be?” Concubine Tao shrank back. “The madam was forced to death. Could she turn into an avenging ghost to claim lives…”

“Shut up!” Xie Shi’an rebuked angrily, and Concubine Tao dared not say anything more.

He lowered his voice: “Mother probably doesn’t want to see the entire Yun clan left with no one to collect their corpses either. Mother, rest well. I’ll handle the Yun Family’s funeral arrangements. How about that?”

Yun Chu’s eyes seemed to close with extreme unwillingness.

Everyone present collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Shi’an looked at everyone in the Xie Family: “Yun Shi of the Xie Family knew deeply that the Yun Family’s sins were grave and unforgivable. To avoid implicating the Xie Family, she took her own life. The Xie Family, in recognition of Yun Shi’s sacrifice, will give her a lavish burial.”

Xie Shiwei looked disapproving: “A lavish burial costs at least ten thousand taels of silver. Such a person isn’t worth it…”

“Silence.” Xie Shi’an’s word was final. “Do as I say. What happened today—we of the Xie Family know it ourselves. Don’t spread it outside.”

Xie Jingyu looked at He Shi: “Overnight, arrange everything needed for the funeral. Tomorrow at dawn, announce the death.”

He Shi nodded. She looked at Yun Chu’s corpse, satisfaction in her eyes.

Yun Chu was dead. Yulang no longer had a legitimate wife. Her chance had finally come… As long as An’er overturned the He Family’s case, then she could legitimately become the matriarch of the Xie Family.

The good days that belonged to her were finally about to arrive.

Exhausted, Xie Shi’an returned to his own courtyard. He saw his wife pacing back and forth restlessly.

“Husband!” Song Yin hurried over. “I heard the court has convicted the Yun Family. How is Mother? How does the Xie Family plan to deal with Mother?”

Xie Shi’an’s voice was low: “Mother has already passed. She took her own life.”

“What?” Song Yin’s face was full of disbelief. “How could…”

Having married into the Xie Family for so many years, she went to pay her respects to Mother every day and sometimes dined with her. She understood Mother fairly well.

In her impression, Mother was a resilient woman. No matter what happened, it seemed she would never be defeated. How could she possibly take her own life?

After the Yun Family’s troubles, Mother had run about everywhere. At first, she had also helped think of solutions.

But later, her husband forbade her from interfering, fearing it would affect her elder brother’s official career, so she could only stop asking and caring.

But she knew Mother had never given up trying to overturn the Yun Family’s case.

The Yun Family’s matter had not yet reached a conclusion, yet Mother had committed suicide. Was this even possible?