Tingyu had just returned to her own courtyard when Tingshuang followed close behind: “Concubine Yu, the Master wants to see you.”

Tingyu’s fingers tightened. Hadn’t the Master said he wouldn’t let her become estranged from the Madam? If he summoned her now, the Madam would surely guess that she had informed on her.

How would she conduct herself before the Madam in the future?

“The Third Young Master need not come along,” Tingshuang said. “Concubine Yu, please.”

Tingyu could only release her son and hand him over to the wet nurse before following Tingshuang to Shengju Residence.

As soon as she entered, she sensed something unusual. Ascending the steps and reaching the entrance to the side hall, from the corner of her eye she saw Yun Chu and Xie Jingyu sitting on either side of the main seats, drinking tea.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“Concubine Yu, do you know why I summoned you?” Yun Chu set down her teacup, her voice extremely cold. “Will you speak yourself, or shall I speak for you?”

Tingyu kept her head lowered, biting her teeth as she said: “This concubine doesn’t understand what Madam wants this concubine to say.”

“Concubine Yu, when you climbed into the Master’s bed behind my back, I thought it was because you were ardent in your affection and thus did something inappropriate. Considering your many years of meritorious service, I never reproached you even once.” Yun Chu’s face was full of disappointment. “I truly don’t understand why you would sow discord between the Master and me.”

Tingyu hastily defended herself: “This concubine didn’t…”

“Wasn’t it you who told the Master that I planned to adopt a child from the Yun Family into the Xie Family?” Yun Chu’s voice became stern. “Did you or did you not say such things to the Master!”

Her severe questioning left Tingyu completely unable to defend herself.

She knew there was simply no way to deny it, and could only bite the bullet and say: “Madam, this concubine believed that such an important matter should be made known to the Master. This concubine is sorry, Madam. This concubine should not have betrayed you. Please punish this concubine.”

She knelt directly on the ground.

Yun Chu smiled: “I thought you were clever, but I didn’t expect you to be so foolish. What standing does the Yun Family have, and what standing does the Xie Family have? Do you think any child from a Yun Family branch would willingly change their surname to become a Xie Family son? How could you speak so confidently to the Master about something that could never possibly happen? What’s even more laughable is that you, husband, actually believed it.”

Xie Jingyu’s expression was gloomy.

They say it’s good to enjoy shade under a large tree, and the Yun Family branches understood this principle deeply. Unless they had lost their minds, they would never adopt out their male descendants to the humble Xie Family.

How could he have believed Tingyu’s completely unfounded words?

He raised his foot and kicked Tingyu’s shoulder.

Tingyu was kicked backward. She looked at Xie Jingyu with some disbelief—the man who had been so tender last night was now using violence against her.

She knelt on the ground, choking with emotion: “Master, these were truly words the Madam told this concubine personally. This concubine didn’t lie. Yun’er even saw a young boy in Madam’s courtyard. Master may not believe this concubine, but you can summon Yun’er to ask. Yun’er would never lie.”

Yun Chu’s voice was cold and heavy: “You sowed discord between the Master and me—I could forgive that. But you should never have taught Yun’er to lie. Yun’er isn’t even four years old yet. With you teaching him this way at such a young age, what kind of person will he become when he grows up? Will he follow in Wei’er’s footsteps? I dare not think about it.”

“This concubine didn’t teach Yun’er to lie!” For the first time, Tingyu felt a sense of helplessness. She called out loudly, “Master, this concubine truly didn’t. This concubine is wronged…”

Belatedly, she realized this was all a trap.

The Madam had deliberately told her about wanting to adopt a child from the Yun Family, deliberately let her inform the Master, deliberately orchestrated this entire scene.

And she had fallen into the trap the Madam had set without any defenses, without even room to defend herself.

“Enough!” Xie Jingyu said coldly. “You were able to betray your mistress and climb into bed back then, so it’s not surprising you’d do such things now. Madam, how do you think we should deal with this?”

Yun Chu shook her head: “If the punishment is light, she won’t learn her lesson. If the punishment is heavy, she’ll inevitably resent me. It’s better if you decide, husband.”

She looked at Tingyu kneeling on the ground with eyes full of disappointment.

For the sake of growing up together, she had given her a chance, but Tingyu didn’t cherish it at all. So quickly, she had betrayed her.

“You sowed discord between the Madam and me, clearly harboring improper thoughts. Your monthly allowance will be suspended for half a year, and you will copy Buddhist scriptures one hundred times to reflect properly.” Xie Jingyu enunciated each word. “With your character, you’re also unfit to continue raising Yun’er. Since Yun’er is registered under Madam’s name anyway, he’ll live at Shengju Residence from now on. I’ll trouble the Madam to raise and teach him.”

His words exploded like a thunderbolt over Tingyu’s head.

Although all the children in the residence were registered under the Madam’s name, in reality they were still raised by their birth mothers.

Only when Yun’er was just born, because the Madam had just lost her own child, did she personally care for Yun’er for a period of time, but later it was still mostly Tingyu who raised him.

Now the Master’s words meant separating her from Yun’er, that she would no longer have the right to raise Yun’er…

“Master, this concubine truly hasn’t corrupted Yun’er. Please retract your order!” Tingyu was truly panicked, but Xie Jingyu remained unmoved. She hastily crawled before Yun Chu. “Madam, this concubine shouldn’t have betrayed Madam. This concubine knows she was wrong. Please persuade the Master to retract his order. Yun’er is still young, accustomed to this concubine’s care. He cannot be separated from this concubine…”

Yun Chu lowered her head to drink tea, completely indifferent throughout.

“Someone come! Escort Concubine Yu back!” Xie Jingyu ordered coldly. “Bring the Third Young Master to Shengju Residence.”

The servants below immediately went to carry out the orders.

After Tingyu was dragged out, only then did Yun Chu turn her head to speak: “Husband, I handle many matters daily and truly cannot spare the time to raise and teach Yun’er. How about this—in the residence, only Concubine He has no children. She has nothing to do all day and might indulge in wild thoughts and cause trouble. Why not entrust Yun’er to Concubine He to raise and teach? What do you think?”

Xie Jingyu considered this seriously.

Although He Shi had many faults, it must be acknowledged that An’er’s excellence was partly due to He Shi’s efforts.

These past few days, He Shi had been constantly talking about going to the estate to see Wei’er. Indeed, they should give He Shi something to do, lest she stir up trouble.

Thinking of this, Xie Jingyu nodded: “Then we’ll do as Madam suggests.”

Yun Chu smiled.

With He Shi and Tingyu scheming against each other, she could enjoy some peace and quiet for a while.

After the midday meal, Yun Chu prepared to go to the Yun Family residence.

Hearing that she would accompany Lin Shi into the palace, longing arose in Xie Jingyu’s heart.

How wonderful it would be if the Xie Family also had a woman who could enter the palace as an imperial consort. The Emperor was most susceptible to pillow talk—with a Xie Family woman speaking on behalf of the Xie Family, how could the Xie Family have fallen to such a state?

But the Emperor was already fifty years old, while Ping’er was only thirteen. At present, it was simply impossible.

With one look at Xie Jingyu’s expression, Yun Chu knew what he was thinking.

In her previous life, after the Fourth Prince’s incident, Xie Ping had abandoned the idea of becoming the Fourth Prince’s consort and instead entered the palace to become a woman at the Emperor’s side.

She didn’t quite believe that a girl of just over ten years could have such grand schemes on her own. There must have been Xie Jingyu fanning the flames behind the scenes, and perhaps even Xie Shi’an offering strategic advice.

Sending a girl of just over ten into the palace to become a consort for an Emperor in his fifties—it was no surprise that the Xie Family could do such things.