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.
Hearing the head eunuch’s promise of release, White Concubine looked around the courtyard and spotted Yu Yi among the maids. Wanting to seize this opportunity, she immediately pointed and shouted: “Young Miss Yu is disguised as a maid!”
The head eunuch looked in the direction she pointed.
With dozens of maids standing together, he couldn’t distinguish who was Yu Yi, so he asked White Concubine to identify her.
When Yu Yi heard White Concubine’s voice, she knew her fate was sealed. Looking at White Concubine with hatred, she feared the woman might reveal Hongrui and Honzhi’s location. She walked out from among the servants and went to her mother’s side, linking arms with her.
White Concubine was surprised when Yu Yi walked out and stood awkwardly at the hall’s entrance. She turned to the head eunuch, hopeful: “Your Excellency, may I leave?”
The head eunuch smiled slightly, and White Concubine smiled too. He said: “You must also find Yu Hongrui and Yu Honzhi.”
Yu Yi felt her mother’s hand trembling violently. Closing her eyes in pain, she held her mother tightly. She heard White Concubine agree and soon heard voices from the courtyard: “This is Hongrui, this is Honzhi.”
Lady Yu could no longer maintain her composure and fainted, with Yu Yi trying to support her, both falling to the ground. She cried out: “Mother, mother, wake up!”
Yu Binyi was unsteady, gritting his teeth to prevent himself from collapsing.
Hongrui and Honzhi were brought to the main hall. White Concubine quietly asked: “Your Excellency…”
The head eunuch raised his voice to command everyone to kneel and listen to the imperial decree.
The decree essentially stated that the former Loyal Marquis Yu Binyi had rebellious intentions and secretly planned for his disciples to revolt, stripping the Yu family of their hereditary title and sending the entire family to prison for investigation.
White Concubine thought she had escaped, but after the decree was announced, she was also taken to the Ministry of Justice prison.
All male members of the Yu family were eventually beheaded. The “traitor” Yu Binyi was executed by waist cutting, and all female family members were sold into slavery.
In the Ministry of Justice prison, all women were kept together. White Concubine was the first to be taken away, followed by Yu Yi, who was sent to the education house but did not see White Concubine. Now, unexpectedly seeing White Concubine at Chen Shu’s residence, Yu Yi suddenly felt a chill.
White Concubine was dressed luxuriously, accompanied by two maids and an old nursemaid, appearing to have just returned from outside.
Yu Yi could hardly bear to think about the implications, yet how could she not?
Her mind in turmoil, Yu Yi followed the guiding woman, walking more than ten steps. Just as they were about to leave the Shu residence, she forced herself to calm down and casually asked: “Was that the Shu’s wife who just returned? She looks very young.”
“
“No, how could the mistress be so young? The woman who just came in was White Concubine. But the master truly dotes on her. In less than a year, she’s already risen above the mistress! Being young and beautiful does have its advantages…” the woman said disdainfully in a low voice.
Yu Yi asked, “Not even a full year yet?”
“Yes, she only came at the beginning of this year. I heard she was originally someone’s concubine, and later that family got into trouble, and she even sat in prison… Although it’s not said openly, how can such things really be kept hidden?” the woman muttered, leading Yu Yi to the side entrance of the Shangshu Mansion.
Yu Yi took out a few copper coins and gave them to the woman as thanks for guiding her. The woman had initially thought she was a poor girl, alone, without a carriage or servants, and dressed plainly, but unexpectedly received a tip.
Yu Yi had three half-sisters who had been sent to two different households. Their mother, Qin Yianniang, was physically weak. After being imprisoned in the Criminal Ministry’s jail, which was damp, cold, and lacking in clothing and medicine, combined with her inner fear, she fell seriously ill.”
By the time Yu Yi was taken to the Jiaofa House, Qin Yianniang was already on her deathbed and passed away shortly after.
The next day, when Yu Yi went to redeem her half-sisters, there were no complications, and it didn’t cost many taels of silver. She first settled them in an inn and ordered several meat dishes for lunch, having the inn’s waiter bring them up.
The three sisters ate voraciously. Little Yu Ting, not yet six years old, choked from eating too quickly, her small face turning bright red as she patted her chest.
Yu Yi, seeing something was wrong, laid her face-down across her lap, letting her head hang and forcefully patted her back. After several pats, Yu Ting finally “wah-ed” and spat out the food blocking her airway, then burst into tears.
Yu Yi sat Yu Ting on her knee, gently wiping away her tears with a handkerchief and cleaning her mouth, softly saying, “Ting’er, from now on, you’ll have meat to eat every day and someone to take care of you, okay?”
Yu Ting stopped crying and nodded, then asked, “Sister Yi, are we going home? Will Cao Nanny still take care of Ting’er?”
“Not going home… Home was gone.” Yu Yi shook her head gently, “Sister will find another house for you to live in. It won’t be as big as before, and you might have to share a room with your sisters.”
We can’t afford many servants, so your sisters will take care of you for now.”
Yu Ting understood and asked, “Sister Yi, does that mean I won’t have to sweep the courtyard every day, or run around delivering things? And I won’t have to learn to wash lots and lots of clothes?”
Yu Yi smiled and said, “Never again.”
As the sisters were talking, the waiter outside asked, “Miss Yu, there’s a woman looking for you, saying she’s from the Chen Shangshu Mansion.”
Yu Yi quickly put Yu Ting down and went to the door, asking, “Brother Waiter, where is she?”
The waiter waved downstairs, “In the main hall.”
Yu Yi went downstairs and saw an unfamiliar woman. As she was surprised, she noticed Yu Xin and Yu Yue standing behind the woman. Yu Yi hadn’t expected Chen Shangshu to redeem her two sisters so quickly. She approached, pulling them both, surprised and delighted.
Yu Xin and Yu Yue, anxious throughout their tumultuous year, couldn’t help but hold Yu Yi tightly and cry.
Yu Yi gently patted her sisters’ shoulders to comfort them, then turned to the woman.
The woman smiled, “You must be Miss Yu. Early this morning, Chen Daren wrote a letter asking me to go to Lord Lei’s mansion to collect them and remove their slave status, and now I’ve brought them to you.”
Yu Yi said, “Thank you, sister-in-law.”
I wonder how much silver was spent on their redemption…”
