The eunuch who served before him only took money but did not do anything, so the ministers joined forces and reported this to Yuwen Ran, who ordered him to be beaten to death.

He was also present on the day the old eunuch was beaten to death with a stick. The bloody mess made him feel sick and want to vomit. In the end, even the bones were exposed from the flesh. He didn't want to watch that scene again, nor did he want to experience it himself.

After being promoted by Yuwen Ran to be the chief steward of the palace, he had been carefully serving Yuwen Ran, knowing that Yuwen Ran was his only master.

He would ask before accepting the silver stuffed into his hands by the ministers, as he did not want to end up like the previous chief eunuch.

"My little girl is all alone in the palace. My father-in-law also knows that my son committed a crime a few years ago and was beheaded by order of the Emperor. All these years, there has been no news about the women in my backyard being pregnant. Now, Concubine Yu is my only daughter."

"I'm worried about her being alone in the palace, so I'd like to ask you, Eunuch, to take good care of her. You don't have to help her compete for favor with the Queen, just check if there's anything missing from her daily expenses."

When Zheng Hai saw that Yu Chongran did not ask him to help Concubine Yu compete for favor with Gu Yanyue, he was convinced that this editor of the Hanlin Academy was a sensible person. Unlike the families of other concubines, if they gave him money, they would most likely ask him to help the concubines compete for favor with Gu Yanyue for Yuwen Ran.

He knew how much Gu Yanyue held in Yuwen Ran's heart. Whenever this happened, he'd immediately returned all the money and told them not to bother trying to get the women in his family to compete with Gu Yanyue and Yuwen Ran for their favor. Even if they did, they wouldn't win. It would be better to leave a good impression on Yuwen Ran and live out the rest of their lives in peace in the harem.

"I see that you are a reasonable person. Don't worry, I will take good care of Concubine Yu from now on."

After getting Zheng Hai's promise, Yu Chongran went to Concubine Yu's palace to find her.

Yu Chongran knelt down when he saw Concubine Yu, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Her Majesty—"

"Father, you are embarrassing your daughter. How can a father bow to his daughter?"

Yu Chongran said stubbornly: "Your Majesty, etiquette cannot be abolished!"

Concubine Yu hurriedly helped Yu Chongran up from the ground. She knew it all too well. Yu Chongran rarely came to the palace, so he definitely didn't come to see her specifically. He must have come to ask her for help with something. "I want to chat with my father about family matters. I don't need you to wait on me for the time being. Please leave first."

The palace maids standing by received orders from Concubine Yu, served tea to Yu Chongran, and then retreated.

After the last palace maid left the palace and closed the door, Concubine Yu asked, "Father, is there something going on at home that you need your help with?"

Yu Chongran shook his head. "Don't worry, Nannan. It's not that something happened at home. It's me, as your father, who needs your help."

Nannan was Concubine Yu's nickname before she entered the palace. After she entered, few people called her that. Not even Yu Wenran knew she had a nickname. Yu Chongran called Concubine Yu by her nickname today, intentionally creating distance between them so that his daughter would agree to what he was about to ask.

Sure enough, Concubine Yu said, "Father, your family is talking about whether to help or not. If you have any problems, just tell me. If I can help, I will definitely help. If I can't help, I can't do anything. Father also knows your situation in the palace. Some things are not what you want."

"I definitely know this. As a father, there's no reason for me to harm my own daughter." Yu Chongran continued what Concubine Yu had said, "But yesterday, Duke Qin came to me and asked me to help him get his concubine's daughter out of prison..."

Before Yu Chongran could finish, he was interrupted by Concubine Yu. "Father! Are you confused? Wasn't the price paid for Yu An's actions back then heavy enough? You still want to form an alliance with Duke Qin's Mansion. Have you forgotten that if Qin Ruoruo hadn't rescued Yu An in time, he wouldn't have died? Although our goals are the same as Qin Ranran's, which are Gu Yanyue and Qin Ruoruo, there's no need to risk the entire Yu Mansion's future for a dying person!"

Yu Chongran also knew that getting Qin Ranran out of prison was no joke. Although the risk was high, the rewards were also significant. He could become a high-ranking official! If he were to struggle in the officialdom on his own, he would never reach such a high position in his lifetime.

If he missed this opportunity, he would have to be a minor official for the rest of his life, and would have to obey other people's orders everywhere. His daughter would also not be able to compete with other concubines in the palace.

"Nannan, listen to me. Duke Qin promised me that if this goes through, he would make me the Imperial Censor, a high-ranking official of the fourth rank!"

"Father! But if this matter is exposed, it will not only implicate the Duke Qin's Mansion, but also the Yu Mansion! Duke Qin's legitimate daughter, Qin Ruoruo, has severed ties with him because of this matter. As a daughter, she doesn't want to continue to get involved in this matter. Why do you, an outsider, care so much about it?" Concubine Yu continued to persuade earnestly.

She did not ask Yu Chongran to achieve anything great in his life. The incident with Yu An had caused the Yu family to remain in decline for several years. It was not until the past two years that the Yu family finally started to improve. If this was exposed, Yu Wenran might not necessarily forgive the Yu family for what happened that year.

Yu Chongran threatened coldly, "I've already made up my mind. If you, my daughter, refuse to help me, I'll do it myself. If this matter is exposed, no one in the Yu Mansion or the Duke of Qin's Mansion will escape."

Concubine Yu was concerned about her mother's safety and didn't want to see her loved one die in front of her. Moreover, if Qin Ranran was replaced, she would definitely not let it go and would continue to cause trouble for Gu Yanyue and Qin Ruoruo, right?

"Father, have you found someone to replace Qin Ranran? This matter cannot be delayed. Qin Ranran will be beheaded soon, so we should make preparations early." Concubine Yu asked.

"I've already arranged for someone to look for someone who looks just like the Second Miss Qin. Duke Qin has already sent someone to invite a disguise master to our residence today. When your mother enters the palace tomorrow, I'll have her bring the person in with her."

Concubine Yu chuckled: "Father told mother to be extra careful when she enters the palace tomorrow, and not to run into His Majesty or the Empress on the way, otherwise it would be exposed."

Yu Chongran said, "That's for sure."

"If everything is fine, father, please leave the house as soon as possible. If you stay with your daughter for too long, it will arouse suspicion."