Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 78
Chapter 78 - Do Not Stop Me
Yunchu nodded in agreement to visit Qing'an Temple.
Xie Ping's mood instantly brightened, her mind entirely consumed by thoughts of what garments would be best to wear tomorrow.
Yet business that needed to be handled still had to be attended to. Clutching the ledger, she proceeded to the Old Lady's Anshou Hall to request silver: "...The price of ice this summer is simply too high, resulting in an extra monthly expenditure of at least four to five hundred taels of silver. The funds remaining on the ledger are completely insufficient, and Madam's meaning is to ask whether we might visit Grandfather to procure a larger sum of silver..."
The Old Lady cast a glance at the ledger, the outlays of silver causing a sharp pang of heartache.
Yet not a single item seemed dispensable; every expense was absolutely necessary.
In the past, when Chen Defu managed the Xie family's commercial enterprises, they could still turn a profit of five to six thousand taels of silver a year. Later, when He Xu took over the management of the storefronts, that scoundrel embezzled every single tael of silver from the shops, and the business within was severely impacted. It was said that He Xu haunted gambling dens day in and day out, accumulated a mountain of debts, and was ultimately driven out of the capital after having his private parts hacked off by creditors.
Daring to rack up debts with a gambling house—he must have thought he had too many lives to spare.
The Old Lady inwardly held He Xu in deep contempt before speaking: "Concubine Yu committed a transgression, so the ice allowance for her courtyard is hereby cancelled. Concubine He continually brings disgrace upon the Xie family, so the ice for her courtyard need not be sent either. Since those two have had theirs cancelled, Concubine Jiang's shall be cancelled as well. As for Concubine Tao, since she is still carrying a child, grant her half a jin of ice per day."
Xie Ping was thoroughly in agreement; with this arrangement, nearly twenty taels of silver could be saved each single day.
Although expenditures had been trimmed somewhat, the Old Lady knew certain expenses were unavoidable, so she still dispatched men to the estate in the capital's suburbs to collect the harvest revenues from Xie Zhongcheng.
"Old Lady, why not let this concubine go?" Concubine He walked in from outside at some unknown moment. "It just so happens that Yun'er is in low spirits; this concubine can take him to the suburban estate to clear his mind."
The Old Lady swept a cold glance over her. There was no going to the suburban estate to clear her mind at all; she plainly wanted to go see Weiyi.
Weiyi had committed a monstrous, heaven-defying disaster, causing the Xie family's foundation of many years to be ruined in an instant. Jingyu had lost the favor of Senior Official Yu, and there was no telling how arduous their future days would be.
At the mere thought of Weiyi, the Old Lady's belly filled with raging fire as she coldly stated, "A round trip to the suburban outskirts takes the better part of a day, and Yun'er is of tender age; he cannot withstand such tossing about. Since Jingyu and Chuchu have handed Yun'er over to you to discipline and educate, you should apply more heartfelt effort and stop constantly dwelling on things you ought not to touch."
Concubine He's mouth tasted bitter.
That was her own flesh and blood; why ought she not to dwell on him?
Weiyi had been away at the suburban estate for so many days, and she had no way of knowing whether Weiyi was eating well, sleeping well, or if his leg injury had improved at all...
She merely wanted to go take a single glance—just a single glance—so why would the Old Lady refuse even such a simple request?
She wanted to say more, but under a glare from Xie Ping, she had no choice but to swallow her words back down.
Upon exiting Anshou Hall, Xie Ping said coldly, "Weiyi almost destroyed our entire Xie family. When you brought him up in front of the Old Lady, you were deliberately probing at the Old Lady's rawest pain. If you wish to remain in the Xie family, never mention Weiyi again. Rest assured, this time when the Old Lady sends people to the suburban estate, I will slip them some silver so they can check on how Weiyi is faring."
Concubine He knew there was nothing else for it, and nodded in helpless acquiescence.
"And—" Xie Ping's voice dropped very low. "I—I am going to follow Mother to Qing'an Temple tomorrow."
Concubine He said, "Remember to pray for peace and blessings for An'er and Weiyi. Right now, my only wish is for the three of you to be safe and sound."
"The Fourth Prince, the Prince of Anjing, is staying temporarily at Qing'an Temple." A strange light flashed in Xie Ping's eyes. "Concubine, you tell me—"
The moment Concubine He looked into her eyes, she knew what scheme her daughter had hatched. Clapping a hand over Xie Ping's mouth, she dragged her into a small grove of trees: "Ping'er, do not act recklessly! That is the Fourth Prince!"
"Precisely because I know he is the Fourth Prince, that is why I must do this," Xie Ping said through clenched teeth. "Concubine, I need your help. Do you have that kind of medicine? Give it to me."
Concubine He's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Have you lost your mind? You are truly, utterly insane! You haven't even reached your ji (coming-of-age ceremony at age fifteen) yet—do you have any idea what the consequences of doing this will be?"
"The Fourth Prince also harbors affection for me," Xie Ping bit her lower lip. "That day at the Eldest Princess's manor, he picked up my handkerchief for me and even tucked a hair-flower into my hair... If something substantial were to transpire between us, he will certainly take responsibility for me. If he is a man of honor, he will surely elevate me to a secondary consort."
"Unless you were Madam's legitimate biological daughter, there is not the slightest possibility of becoming the Fourth Prince's secondary consort," Concubine He mercilessly punctured her fantasy. "Moreover, have you ever inquired why the Fourth Prince is staying temporarily at Qing'an Temple?"
Xie Ping shook her head.
It was enough that the Fourth Prince was at Qing'an Temple; there was no need to know the reason.
That was a place anyone could visit, and this was her only opportunity to encounter the Fourth Prince.
No matter what, she had to bring this matter to fruition.
Even if the Fourth Prince turned out to be a man devoid of honor, she could at least enter the Prince of Anjing's manor; failing to become a secondary consort, she could manage to become a concubine of lower rank regardless.
"Concubine, do not try to persuade me further. I have already made up my mind," determination burned in Xie Ping's eyes. "Besides, didn't you yourself use this very same method to become a concubine? What right do you have to stop me? If you won't help me, then I will go on my own."
Concubine He grabbed hold of her hand. "Ping'er, consider it this mother's plea to you—let us not do such a thing, alright? To marry someone of comparable family standing and become a proper mistress of the household—is that not wonderful..."
"Concubine, do you know why An'er studies with such diligence?" Xie Ping shifted her gaze. "He wants to elevate himself to a position of high standing so that he has the capability to overturn the verdict for our maternal grandfather's family. And if I can enter the Prince of Anjing's manor, that will serve as a major pillar of support for An'er, allowing us very quickly—very quickly—to restore the reputation of my maternal grandfather's family..."
Concubine He's grip on her hand slowly loosened.
Closing her eyes, she recalled the splendid, blossoming glory of her family back when she was young...
How she too longed to restore the entire clan to that former prosperity...
"Concubine, help me," Xie Ping stated word by word. "If we can wash away the false accusations against my maternal grandfather, then I will be fully qualified to become the Princess of Anjing. It is merely a matter of time."
"Very well!"
Concubine He nodded heavily.
Possessing no reliable connections of her own, she could only seek out a young Buddhist nun with whom she shared a prior acquaintance, instructing the nun to figure out a way to handle this matter.
The nun went straight to Sheng Residence to report this development to Yunchu.
Yunchu gave a faint smile. "Proceed exactly as she instructed."
That Concubine He would actively assist Xie Ping in committing such an act was truly somewhat beyond her expectations.
After the young nun withdrew, Yunchu penned a letter and handed it to Tingshuan: "Deliver this to the Ji residence immediately and hand it to Madam Ji."
Madam Ji was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites, bearing the given name Du Ling. Born in the same year as Yunchu, the two of them had accompanied their mothers to various major banquets since childhood and thus were well acquainted.
It was only later, after each married into their respective households, that Du Ling married into a lofty aristocratic family while Yunchu wed downward into a humble one. The banquets they frequented differed, and gradually they grew apart with little contact.
Yet she knew that after the Yun family was cast into prison in her past life, Du Ling's father—Minister Du of the Ministry of Punishments—never subjected any member of the Yun family to severe torture.
She remembered everyone who had ever extended a helping hand to the Yun family, engraving every single shred of kindness deep within her heart.
Having returned through rebirth, alongside protecting the Yun family, she also wished to accomplish whatever lay within her power.
Hoping to protect Du Ling—that sole younger sister, the doomed future Princess of Anjing from her past life…