Yu Binyi coldly looked at the night sky outside the door and did not respond.
Although Lady Yu’s face was pale, she forced herself to maintain a calm demeanor, compelling herself not to look at the three disguised children in the courtyard. She could not have all her children change clothes, as too many missing people would expose their plan, especially the young girls who might reveal something out of fear and arouse suspicion from those conducting the house search. She looked guiltily at the legitimate and illegitimate children in the main hall, some as young as five years old.
The head eunuch snorted and told the officer: “Go search the mansion again.” Then he turned to the servants in the courtyard and loudly asked: “Who among you knows the whereabouts of Young Master Yu, Second Young Master Yu, and Young Miss Yu? The first person to speak will be immediately released, and I swear I will not go back on my word.”
Most of the Hou Mansion servants had worked there for many years. They had heard stories of servants in other noble houses being beaten to death for minor mistakes when their masters were in a bad mood.
Working in the Hou Mansion meant that as long as one was diligent and obedient, one could live peacefully.
They received bonus silver during festivals, were cared for when sick, and were not forced to work if genuinely ill. If their masters fell from grace, the servants would simply be sold to another household. Moreover, revealing information would lead to public criticism, and even if they escaped, they would still need to find another household to serve.
Therefore, the courtyard remained silent. The head eunuch waited for a long time, but no one spoke. Instead, they lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze, afraid of being called out for questioning.
White Concubine, standing in the main hall, was unwilling to accept her fate. At nineteen, she had married Yu Binyi expecting a life of luxury, but after just over two years, the mansion was being ransacked. The women would either die or be sold into slavery. Previously panicked, she hadn’t noticed that Hongrui, Honzhi, and Yu Yi were missing. When the head eunuch asked about them, she realized they must have received advance warning and hidden or escaped, which made her resent Yu Binyi and Lady Yu.
