Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 70

Chapter 70 - The Ice Shop Opens

Just as Yunchu had anticipated.

The very next day, she heard that Official Yu had given Xie Jingyu a severe tongue-lashing at the palace gates, and had transferred all official documents formerly under Xie Jingyu's jurisdiction directly over to Official Yuan.

Although Xie Jingyu had the Yun family to lean on as backing, he had failed to secure a smooth promotion to the upper fifth rank. Coupled with the fact that the Xie family had been the laughingstock of numerous recent scandals and had furthermore offended the Marquis of Wu, a great many people in the imperial court were eagerly waiting to watch an even bigger spectacle unfold. Xie Jingyu possessed a resilient disposition; even amidst jeers and mockery, he continued to arrive early for morning court sessions without taking a single day off.

No outward trace of emotion could be detected from Xie Jingyu in public; only the minor servant in his study knew how many porcelain teacups he had smashed to pieces.

"Father, this might actually be a blessing in disguise." Xie Shian picked up the fragments scattered across the floor, his tone calm. "Over the past five years, the Xie family has been far too prominent. First came the top imperial scholar parading on horseback, closely followed by marrying the legitimate daughter of a first-rank military general's household. To rise two official ranks within a mere span of five years—one can count on one's fingers those who have ascended so rapidly in this dynasty. How many people envied Father? Now that Father has relinquished his official duties, it can be considered granting those people their wish, and Father can simply take some time to rest."

Xie Jingyu's countenance was dark and gloomy.

"Another reason is that the Yun family has not expressed their stance," Xie Shian continued. "As long as someone from the Yun family is willing to stand alongside Father, the Marquis of Wu will have misgivings and naturally dare not instigate court officials into isolating Father."

Xie Jingyu drained the tea from the table in a single gulp.

He had already sent Yunchu forward to handle the Marquis of Wu's Mansion; could he possibly ask Yunchu to go plead with Lady Yun to visit the Marquis's Mansion and mediate peace once more?

"There is no need to involve the Yun family," Xie Shian remarked. "Father, I repeat my earlier words: misfortune is what happiness leans upon, and happiness is where misfortune hides. Since matters have already reached this juncture, we should simply go with the flow, pull in our sharp edges, lie low in hibernation, and await our next opportunity."

Xie Jingyu knew that this was the sole path available to him at present.

Departing from the study, Xie Shian let out a sigh.

When all was said and done, the bond between his father and mother as husband and wife was simply too shallow; otherwise, Mother would surely have taken the initiative to resolve their current predicament for Father.

The moment he stepped foot outside the entrance of his courtyard, Lady He emerged from the side, a look of profound worry on her face: "Auge'er, your younger brother hasn't sent a single message back since he went to the suburban estate. Can you plead with your father to allow me to go to the estate and care for him for a few days?"

"Conubine mother, if you wish to go, you may do so at any time. But you must bear this in mind: once you go, there is every possibility you will never be able to return to the Xie estate," Xie Shian said in a cold voice. "My meaning is that leaving would be best for all of us. Concubine mother might as well find an excuse to reside at the suburban estate long-term."

Lady He instinctively resisted the notion: "You and Ping'er are still in the Xie estate—how could I possibly leave? If I were to depart, what would happen if you and Ping'er met with a misfortune like Wei-ge'er's..."

"If you are unwilling to leave the Xie estate, then honestly and obediently play the part of your concubine mother." Xie Shian said with a hint of fatigue, "Father's official career has hit a roadblock; do not go irritating him and adding to his distress."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stepped into his own quarters.

Lady He bit down on her lower lip.

Ever since becoming a concubine, she had lost all freedom to step outside the estate; Madam truly possessed formidable plotting skills.

Fortunately, there was a young nun at the temple willing to run errands for her; otherwise, those screens and handkerchiefs she embroidered would have no way of being sold.

Yunchu sat upon the couch while Tingshuang stood nearby to make her report: "Over these past few days, the Marquis of Wu has not attended court, nor has he made any moves."

She had witnessed with her own eyes how the Marquis had taken a slap across the face from Madam, swelling up instantly. Anyone else would likely refuse to let the matter rest so easily.

The Marquis of Wu suppressing the Xie family was of little consequence; her only worry was that Madam might become the target of harassment.

Yunchu sipped her tea.

She racked her brain trying to recall her past life; right up until the moment of her death, she had never had any dealings whatsoever with the Marquis of Wu.

Who could have imagined that the Marquis of Wu actually harbored such dark, sinister intentions toward her? No wonder he had urged her to divorce during the Old Madam's birthday banquet last time.

She naturally had to distance herself from someone who harbored such filthy designs toward her.

Having her own reputation ruined was a minor affair, but implicating the illustrious name of the Yun family was a monumental disaster...

"Madam, the maidservants, old women, and minor attendants from the Second Young Master's courtyard have all come over," Tingxue reported as she stepped inside.

Yunchu nodded, giving permission for them to enter the garden.

Xie Shiwei had taken only a single personal attendant with him to the suburban estate to care for him, leaving everyone else behind: two maids, two old women, and one minor servant. The five of them stood with lowered heads beneath the stone steps.

Now that Yunchu was managing household affairs, she no longer used her own dowry to subsidize the Xie estate; the funds on the Xie family's account books were entirely derived from the revenues of her father-in-law's estates.

She had no intention whatsoever of saving silver for the Xie family.

She spoke up: "The Old Madam is advanced in years and has just suffered a bout of illness; she currently requires manpower to care for her. The two of you old women shall go to the Old Madam's courtyard. The Third Young Master is growing older by the day; you two will go serve in the Third Young Master's courtyard."

In the end, only Jiuer remained standing in the courtyard.

Yunchu looked at her and said, "You will stay and work for me."

Jiuer nodded: "Yes, Madam."

She was privy to matters she should not have known; she had long since understood that Madam would never allow her to go serve in any other courtyard.

"I possess an estate on the outskirts of the capital and have numerous tasks for you to handle," Yunchu began. "I consulted a physician regarding your condition: there are still three silver needles lodged within your body, which require year-round soaking in a hot spring if they are ever to be expelled. As it happens, that estate boasts a hot spring. You are to recuperate there properly; once your health is fully restored, I will still need to rely on you to handle major affairs."

Jiuer opened her eyes wide in astonishment.

When the physician had mentioned the hot spring to her earlier, she hadn't even dared to dream of it—such bathing pools were luxuries accessible only to the wealthy elite. How could a lowly, worthless slave girl like her ever hope for such a blessing?

She had figured that if the needles remained in her body, so be it; dying whenever her time came was simply her lot in life.

Yet never had she imagined that Madam would actually dispatch her to an estate featuring a hot spring, allowing her to soak and restore her health. Once she was cured, wasn't Madam afraid she might blab to the Xie family about the Second Young Master's affair bearing Madam's fingerprints?

Why did Madam trust her to this extent?

Before she could dwell on it further, Tingshuang led her away.

Yunchu lowered her gaze to look at the tea foam.

Sooner or later, she would need to promote a few maids, for before long she would be marrying off Tingshuang and Tingxue; she always needed trustworthy people around to handle affairs.

Although Jiuer was young in years, after experiencing this ordeal she had acquired a certain degree of cunning and tactical depth. Cultivated slowly over time, she would eventually prove to be a capable assistant.

As for trust, it did not exist.

If even children she had raised with her own hands could betray her one by one, how could she ever place absolute trust in a maid she wasn't particularly close to?

It was simply that Jiuer happened to be the best available choice at the moment.

During this period, Xie Jingyu returned home immediately upon finishing court sessions. To avoid running into him, Yunchu basically remained confined to Sheng Residence.

It wasn't until mid-May, when the ice shop officially opened for business, that she finally gave instructions to prepare a carriage so she could head out onto the streets to take in the bustling spectacle.

She ordered a pot of tea at a teahouse directly opposite the ice shop, taking a seat by the window to gaze out at the storefront.

Because the weather was growing increasingly hot, the patrons frequenting the ice shop were far from few in number.

"For some unknown reason, none of the shops that used to sell ice in previous years have any ice blocks. I hear that back in March and April, all of their supplies were bought up by a merchant from the south."

"March and April were so freezing—who could have foreseen that the moment May arrived it would turn scorching like this? My master failed to lay in a stock of ice in advance for this very reason, so he hurriedly dispatched me here to purchase a larger quantity to take back."

"It is utterly preposterous that the entire capital has managed to produce only this single ice shop."

"..."

Yunchu privately felt it was quite preposterous as well.

Could it really be true that back in March and April, every single block of ice across the entire capital and its surrounding cities had been bought up by Chen Defu?

If hers genuinely remained the sole establishment selling ice, trouble was bound to ensue.

Yunchu spoke up, issuing a few instructions to Tingshuang, causing Tingshuang's eyes to gradually light up.

At that moment, a voice sounded abruptly from behind her: "Madam Xie."

Yunchu turned her head to discover a man clad in black brocade standing a table's length away—none other than the Prince of Pingxi, Chu Yi.