Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Like the Rain in the Sky 

All of the servants in the courtyard were dismissed and sent away.

Madam He stood right in the middle of the courtyard, her head lowered, repeating over and over again, "This slave truly did not do it. These pieces of evidence are entirely fabricated..."

"It definitely wasn't Nanny He," Xie Ping said with labored difficulty. "Why on earth would Nanny He, a mere servant, want to harm Father's child? There must be some mistake here; there has to be a misunderstanding!"

She gripped the handkerchief in her hand so tightly that her knuckles ached, consumed by intense frustration and annoyance.

She simply could not fathom it. An-ge'er was already this old and stood as Father's proudest eldest son; an unborn concubine-born son posed no threat whatsoever to An-ge'er's position. Why on earth would Madam He take such a reckless risk?

Could it be that because Father had been paying far too much attention to Concubine Tao lately, Madam He grew jealous and thus committed such an absurd act?

No matter how deep her inward resentment, Xie Ping knew she had to protect Madam He at all costs. She could not possibly allow Madam He to be sold off out of the estate under such a grave charge, let alone be handed over to the official yamen...

Xie Ping exchanged a meaningful glance with Xie Shi'an.

Xie Shi'an pressed his lips into a tight line.

Just a moment ago, because he had trusted Madam He, he had broken his mother's heart.

If he were to speak up on Madam He's behalf once again at this juncture, his mother would undoubtedly be even more heartbroken and would likely never feel close to him again.

Four years ago, Madam He remained in the Xie household precisely because she feared her three children would be disliked and tormented by the Mistress, but facts had proven that the Mistress treated them as if they were her own flesh and blood.

Now that they were older, taking advantage of this incident to let Madam He leave the Xie estate would not be a bad thing at all.

Over the past few years, he had used the pocket money given by his elders to purchase a small private courtyard outside, which could easily serve as a place for Madam He to live.

Old Madam Xie drew in a deep breath and said, "Madam He truly has no motive to harm descendants. This matter still needs to be thoroughly investigated."

Yun Chu raised a hand. "Because Madam He supposedly lacks a motive, you assume it could not be her. Since that is the case, let someone present the motive right now."

Madam He froze in place.

What was her motive? To tell the truth, even she herself could not clearly define it.

Was it to ensure the children would no longer be tormented by the Mistress, to secure An-ge'er's standing in the Xie household, or simply out of pure jealousy toward the Mistress?

Tingsheng walked in carrying a tray laden with over a dozen envelopes.

Yun Chu casually unsealed one of the envelopes and handed it straight to Xie Shi'an. "These were discovered right alongside the medicinal herbs during the search. An-ge'er, read this aloud for everyone."

Xie Shi'an's heart tightened violently.

Could it be that correspondence between Madam He and her maternal family had been unearthed...

When his eyes finally landed upon the words inscribed on the stationery, the heart that had been lodged in his throat finally dropped back down into his stomach. He slowly read aloud: "Like the rain in the sky, I like the well beneath the roof. With no cause to flow together in the same waves, I only wish to be your form and your shadow..."

Everyone in the courtyard had at least a basic foundation in literature and instantly understood. This was a love poem written by a woman to a man.

Xie Shi'an's voice caught in his throat; he could not bring himself to read another word. His face shifted through a kaleidoscope of colors, proving to be quite a spectacular sight.

Yun Chu spoke up, "If we simply take Madam He's usual handwriting and compare it, we will know instantly that this letter was penned by her. As for whom it was written to, just look at the opening lines—it bears two characters: 'Lord Yu.' Surely I need not spell it out; the Old Madam and Madam Yuan should know full well who Lord Yu is."

Madam Yuan looked as though she had just swallowed a fly, feeling utterly nauseated. "Madam He, you—you actually dared to harbor such filthy, disgraceful thoughts..."

Concubine Jiang covered her mouth in shock. "No wonder Nanny He never married even at her age. So that was why..."

"You surnamed He, you aren't even a concubine, yet what qualifications do you have to be petty and jealous, actually resorting to laying your hands on a child!" Concubine Tao wailed loudly from inside the room. "If anything happens to my baby, I will never let you off!"

Madam He jerked her head up, gazing directly toward Yun Chu.

She suddenly understood it all—this entire affair was a meticulously crafted trap.

From the moment she made her move against Concubine Tao, the Mistress had already seen through her scheme and assigned people to keep a close watch on her, which was why she had been able to secure human and physical evidence at a moment's notice.

Was it because the Mistress had intercepted this letter she had written to the master, felt threatened by her existence, and thus used a stratagem to turn her own plans against her, luring her step by step into this trap?

With all the evidence laid out before her eyes, she was utterly incapable of mounting a defense.

"Madam He, it is bad enough that you, a mere servant, harbored improper thoughts toward your master, but you actually dared to plot brutally against an unborn fetus!" Yun Chu enunciated each word with chilling clarity. "Our Xie family cannot afford to keep you around. Someone, drag Madam He off to the official yamen!"

"Mother!" Xie Shi'an clenched his fists tight. "When all is said and done, this is a private domestic matter of the Xie family. If this makes its way to the official yamen, it will become common knowledge for all to hear. Father's official evaluation is fast approaching, and it is best not to stir up such complications right now."

Yun Chu looked straight at him. "Then tell me, An-ge'er, how do you propose we dispose of Madam He?"

Xie Shi'an relaxed his clenched fists. "How about we simply send her away?"

"She nearly murdered the child in my belly, and you think simply sending her away is enough?" Concubine Tao's voice rang out from within. "Even if we cannot report this to the authorities, we cannot let her off so easily! Old Madam, Madam, Mistress, I beg you all to seek justice for the child in this concubine's womb!"

Veins throbbed violently on the Old Madam's temples.

This Madam He was truly a troublesome pest; sending her away was definitely the best course of action.

Yet, was sending her away truly the optimal choice? A cheap, disgraceful woman like her shouldn't even have been brought into the fold in the first place...

Yun Chu turned her gaze toward the Old Madam. "I wonder where Madam He's slave contract is kept?"

The Old Madam didn't know how to answer.

That was because Madam He didn't have a slave contract to begin with. On the surface, she passed for a servant of the Xie household, but in reality, she held the status of a free commoner...

"Wait until Jingting returns, and we shall ask for his verdict on this," the Old Madam said, closing her eyes. "Keep Madam He under strict confinement for now, and let everyone disperse."

Yun Chu turned on her heel and departed, leading the retinue from Yusheng Residence behind her.

Once all the onlookers had scattered, the Old Madam picked up her walking staff and brought it down heavily across Madam He's back. "Back then, I offered to let you enter the household as a concubine with the status of an outside mistress, and you were the one who refused! Since that was your choice, why on earth did you write such disgusting, shameless trash! I showed you magnanimity by allowing you to remain in the Xie estate and stay by An-ge'er's side, yet how on earth did you dare to lay your hands on the Xie family's descendants? Exactly who gave you the audacity!"

As the old lady spoke, another heavy blow from her cane came crashing down.

Xie Shi'an stepped forward to block the blow for Madam He, collapsing heavily onto his knees with a thud. "Great-grandmother, please just send my mother away..."

"No, I won't leave!" Madam He wept bitterly. "If I leave, what will happen to the three children? You could beat me to death and I still wouldn't leave the Xie estate..."

The Old Madam said with bitter hatred, "Do you intend to become Jingting's concubine at your age, then?"

"No, I won't be a concubine either." Madam He prostrated herself flat against the ground. "Old Madam, as long as I am allowed to remain in the Xie family, I will accept any punishment you see fit!"

The Old Madam felt a fierce urge to beat Madam He to death on the spot.

She refused to leave, she refused to be a concubine, and sending her to the official yamen was out of the question either—just how on earth was she supposed to be dealt with, then?!

Xie Ping said with fury, "If you want to stay in the Xie family, then behave yourself and stop constantly creating trouble for us! If word gets out that you are our biological mother, how do you expect me, An-ge'er, and Wei-ge'er to ever hold our heads high in society again?!"

Xie Shi'an spoke with deliberate, measured clarity. "I can persuade Father to let you remain in the Xie family, but remember—you only have this one final chance.”