Chapter 7: Concubine Scheme, Framed and Theft

The early spring wind still carried a biting chill, stinging her face like tiny needles. Yun Zhi, clutching a bundle of freshly gathered dead branches, hunched her neck as she made her way to the chores. Ever since the humiliation of wiping spit at her birthday banquet, she'd been completely relegated to the chores. Her daily duties included fetching water, chopping firewood, and sweeping the courtyard. Her life was even harder than in the abandoned courtyard, but it also offered less embarrassment from being deliberately stared at and humiliated.

Her shabby house was in the far corner of the service quarters, its roof leaking and its mattress moldy. Its only advantage was its remote location, which allowed her to breathe a little at night. As she reached the door, she saw a moon-white figure standing there. Her skirt was embroidered with delicate orchid patterns, making her stand out against the gray service quarters.

It’s Su Yurou.

Yun Zhi paused, subconsciously wanting to avoid him. She simply wanted to do her job quietly and avoid any involvement with the masters of the mansion, especially Su Yurou. This concubine appeared docile and gentle, but during the last tea ceremony, she had quietly fanned the flames. She didn't dare trust her "good intentions."

But before she turned around, Su Yurou had already seen her, and a gentle smile immediately appeared on her face, like a peach blossom just blooming in spring, so warm that people couldn't take their eyes away: "Sister Yun, I finally waited for you."

Yun Zhi had no choice but to stop, lower her head, and bow politely: "Greetings, Madam Concubine."

"Hurry up and get up! It's so cold, why are you still holding so many dead branches?" Su Yurou walked over quickly and reached out to help her take them. But the moment she touched the dead branches, she withdrew her hand as if she had been pricked. A trace of disgust flashed in her eyes, but was quickly covered by tenderness. "Sister, you are weak to begin with, don't tire yourself out. I made some white fungus soup today. I thought about you suffering in the servants' room, so I brought some for you."

As she spoke, she pointed to the food box at the door. The food box was an exquisite gold-painted lacquer box, and it was obvious that it was not something that could be found in the servants' room.

Yun Zhi was puzzled. Su Yurou was a concubine, a noble woman. Normally, she wouldn't even look at a "criminal slave" like her. Why would she suddenly send her Tremella soup? There must be something fishy going on.

"I appreciate your kindness, Concubine." She took a step back, avoiding Su Yurou's outstretched hand, and spoke as respectfully as possible, "But my status is low, and I dare not accept such kindness from you. Please take it back."

"What are you talking about, little sister?" Su Yurou's smile faded a little, but her eyes were inexplicably red. Her voice lowered, with a hint of grievance, "Could it be that little sister thinks the gift I gave you is not good enough? Or... are you still blaming me for not speaking up for you when we served tea last time?"

Her words made Yun Zhi seem rather ungrateful. Several servants passing by stopped and looked over here curiously, their eyes filled with a hint of excitement.

Yun Zhi bit her lip. She wasn't afraid of Su Yurou's harassment, but she was afraid of this kind of "soft knife." If word got out that "the guilty slave was ungrateful and contradicted the concubine," she would inevitably be punished again.

"I dare not," she could only compromise, lowering her voice, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

Seeing her let go, Su Yurou's smile returned. She took her wrist affectionately and walked into the house: "That's right, we are all the prince's people, we should take care of each other. Come in quickly, it's windy outside, don't catch a cold."

Her fingers were soft, and her nails were painted with nail polish, but they were cold, and their grip on Yunzhi's wrist was so tight that it hurt. Yunzhi tried to break free, but her grip tightened, so she could only follow her into the house.

It was even colder inside than outside. The drafty windows let in a chilly breeze, shaking the broken bowls on the table. Su Yurou glanced around, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she disdained the shabby atmosphere. But she still smiled, set the food box on the table, and opened the lid. "Drink it while it's hot! I've been stewing this Tremella soup for two hours and added some rock sugar. It's just the right amount to nourish you."

The Tremella soup was thick and had a faint sweet aroma. It was indeed made with great care. But Yun Zhi looked at the bowl of soup and had no appetite at all. She only felt uneasy.

"Your Majesty, you didn't come to me just to give me Tremella Soup, did you?" She asked directly, not wanting to beat around the bush with Su Yurou anymore.

Su Yurou was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head, her fingers gently stroking the edge of the food box, her voice a little embarrassed: "Actually... I do have a small matter that I want to trouble you with. I don't know where I put the East China Sea Warm Jade Hairpin that I wore yesterday. I've been looking for it all morning and can't find it. The hairpin was given by the Emperor, and it has a lot of meaning. I'm really worried..."

She raised her head, her eyes full of anticipation. "I remember yesterday afternoon, when I passed by the chores room, I seemed to see my sister cleaning nearby. I wonder if she's seen it?"

Yun Zhi's heart skipped a beat—she had been chopping wood in the backyard yesterday afternoon and hadn't seen any warm lilies at all. Su Yurou's question was clearly aimed at her.

"I was chopping wood in the backyard yesterday and didn't see any jade hairpins." She immediately shook her head and said firmly, "If your majesty has lost something valuable, why not have someone look for it somewhere else? Perhaps it's in the garden or in the study?"

"I've looked everywhere," Su Yurou's voice trailed off, her eyes reddening again. "Besides my sister's place, I really can't think of any other place in the mansion where I could have left it... Sister, I know you're not that kind of person, but that hairpin is so important to me. Can... can I look in your room for a bit? Just take a look. If I can't find it, I'll leave immediately and won't bother you."

She spoke so pitifully, tears practically streaming down her face, that Yun Zhi couldn't refuse. Furthermore, with the servants watching, if she insisted on not letting them find the man, it would only make her look guilty.

"Your Majesty, please look for it," Yun Zhi gritted her teeth and took a step aside, "but my room is really simple, please don't despise it."

"What are you talking about, sister?" Su Yurou immediately burst into laughter and beckoned the maidservant who followed her over. "Look carefully and don't damage Sister Yun's things."

The maids responded and immediately began searching the room. Yunzhi's room was small to begin with, with only a broken bed, a tattered table, and an old wooden box. There was no place to hide anything. The maids searched very carefully, even sweeping the dust under the bed, but they found nothing.

Yun Zhi felt a little relieved - it was a good thing that it didn't happen, otherwise she would have no way to defend herself.

But at this moment, a maid suddenly called out: "My Lady Concubine! Look what this is!"

Yun Zhi's heart instantly rose to her throat. She looked in the direction the maid's finger was pointing - she saw the maid taking out a jade hairpin made of pure white from under her pillow. The hairpin had an exquisite lotus carved on it, and it shone with a warm luster in the dim light.

It’s the East China Sea Warm Jasmine Hairpin!

Yun Zhi's face turned pale. She stared at the jade hairpin in disbelief, her lips trembling. "No... it's not mine! I've never seen this hairpin before! Who... who put it under my pillow?"

"Sister, this...how did this end up under your pillow?" Su Yurou also revealed a "shocked" expression. She quickly walked over, picked up the jade hairpin, and gently stroked the hairpin with her fingers. Tears instantly fell from her eyes. "This is my warm jade hairpin! Sister, you...how could you take my things? I know you're having a hard time, but this hairpin was given to you by the emperor. If you like it, tell me. I'll find you something else, but I can't let you do this..."

Her voice was tearful, and she sounded aggrieved and disappointed, as if Yun Zhi was really a thief who had stolen her things.

The servants around immediately started talking, their eyes full of contempt and ridicule.

"So she really does steal things!"

"What a bastard! He even dares to touch the concubine's things!"

"You dared to steal the jade hairpin given by the emperor. How bold!"

Those words stabbed Yunzhi's heart like knives. She wanted to defend herself, to shout, "I didn't steal it," but her throat felt like it was clogged with cotton, and no sound came out. She looked at the jade hairpin in Su Yurou's hand, and suddenly remembered that when Su Yurou pulled her wrist into the house, she seemed to glance at the pillow—yes! Su Yurou had hidden the jade hairpin under her pillow when she wasn't paying attention!

"It's you!" Yun Zhi suddenly raised her head and pointed at Su Yurou, her voice trembling with anger and excitement. "It was you who hid under my pillow just now! You deliberately framed me!"

"Sister, how could you say that to me?" Su Yurou took a step back, tears streaming down her face. She looked at the people around her with grievance, "I sent you Tremella Soup out of kindness, and I discussed the hairpin with you beforehand. How could I possibly frame you? If you don't admit it, let's...let's go seek justice from the Princess!"

As she spoke, she grabbed Yunzhi's wrist and was about to walk towards the main courtyard. Yunzhi tried to break free, but she held her tightly, leaving a circle of red marks on her wrist.

They hadn't walked far when they ran into Lin Wanru, who was heading this way with her maid. Lin Wanru had already been upset because Xiao Jin had been upset about Yun Zhi's face, which "looked a bit like Shen Qingyue." She had just heard from the servants that Su Yurou had found the lost jade hairpin in Yun Zhi's room, and she had rushed over immediately. She had been worried about not having a chance to deal with Yun Zhi, but now she had finally caught her.

"What's going on? Why are you making so much noise?" Lin Wanru put her hands on her hips, her eyes sweeping over Yun Zhi like a knife, finally landing on the jade hairpin in Su Yurou's hand. Her face instantly darkened, "Yurou, isn't this the warm jade hairpin you lost? How did it end up in the hands of this criminal slave?"

"Princess!" Su Yurou rushed over as if she had seen a savior, and handed the jade hairpin to Lin Wanru, crying even harder. "I found this hairpin under Sister Yun's pillow! I know she didn't mean to, but this hairpin was a reward from the Emperor, and I... I really can't help it..."

"You didn't mean it?" Lin Wanru sneered, turned around abruptly, and slapped Yun Zhi in the face. The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the alley. Yun Zhi's cheek swelled up instantly, and blood oozed from the corner of her mouth.

"A criminal slave, how dare you steal from a concubine! And you dare to say that Yu Rou framed you? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself? Are you worthy?" Lin Wanru's voice was sharp, with undisguised hatred, "Come here! Tie up this thieving slave and torture her! I want to see who is more stubborn, her words or my whip!"

Two strong maids immediately stepped forward, twisted Yunzhi's arms, and tried to pin her to the ground. Yunzhi struggled, tears finally falling, not out of pain, but out of despair—she had done nothing wrong, yet she was being framed and subjected to such humiliating punishment.

"Let me go! I didn't steal! Su Yurou framed me! You can't do this to me!" She roared, her voice hoarse, but no one paid any attention to her.

Just then, a dark figure walked over from the alley. It was Xiao Jin.

He had just returned from outside and was passing by the servants' quarters when he heard the commotion and came over to check. Seeing Yun Zhi being twisted by the old woman and the jade hairpin in Lin Wanru's hand, his brows furrowed slightly.

Yun Zhi saw Xiao Jin, and it was like she had grabbed a lifeline. She broke free from the old woman's hand, stumbled to Xiao Jin, and slumped to her knees. Her voice was filled with tears and pleading, "Your Highness! Please believe me! I didn't steal the concubine's jade hairpin! She framed me! She hid the hairpin under my pillow! Please see clearly!"

She raised her head, her face still bearing clear marks of the slap, blood oozing from the corners of her mouth, and the teardrop moles at the corners of her eyes, wet with tears, revealing a broken, vibrant color. Her eyes were filled with longing, like a drowning person, hoping he could pull her out.

Lin Wanru and Su Yurou also hurriedly saluted: "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Su Yurou lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, looking aggrieved and frightened. Lin Wanru, on the other hand, straightened her back, holding the jade hairpin in her hand, and said firmly, "Your Highness, this criminal stole Yurou's warm jade hairpin and was caught red-handed. Yet, he dared to argue that Yurou had framed him! This shameless person deserves a good lesson!"

Everyone's eyes were on Xiao Jin, waiting for his decision. Yun Zhi's heart was in her throat. She stared at Xiao Jin's face, hoping he would look at her and listen to her explanation.

But Xiao Jin's eyes only glanced at the jade hairpin, then fell on her face indifferently, without any warmth or inquiry. He didn't even ask, "What's going on?" He was silent for a moment, his tone as indifferent as if he was discussing the weather today: "Since you like to steal, go to the laundry room and work with your own hands to repay them."

This one sentence, like a heavy hammer, hit Yun Zhi's heart hard, shattering her last bit of hope.

He didn't even want to listen to her explanation, or even investigate whether it was a frame-up, and so easily convicted her. In his eyes, she, a "substitute for the criminal slave," was a born thief who didn't deserve innocence.

"Your Highness..." Yun Zhi's voice suddenly fell silent. She looked at Xiao Jin in disbelief, tears streaming down her face like beads from a broken string. "Why don't you believe me? I really didn't steal... I really didn't..."

Xiao Jin didn't look at her, but coldly ordered the maid next to him: "Drag her to the laundry room and have the housekeeper watch over her. Don't let her slack off."

"Yes!" The maids immediately stepped forward and twisted Yun Zhi's arm again. This time, Yun Zhi didn't struggle or cry out, but stared at Xiao Jin's back. The hope in her eyes faded little by little, leaving only a dead silence and coldness, like a frozen lake in the cold winter.

She was dragged by the maids to the laundry room. The rough floor rubbed her knees, and the blood that seeped out stained her trouser legs red, but she felt no pain. She could still hear the voices of Lin Wanru and Su Yurou - Lin Wanru's pride, Su Yurou's hypocritical "regret", and the servants' snickers.

When she reached the laundry room door, she suddenly stopped and looked back toward the main courtyard. Xiao Jin had already disappeared at the alley entrance, leaving only an empty corridor.

Yun Zhi's lips curled up into a bitter smile, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye revealed a hint of despair in the cold wind.

She finally understood that in this Prince Duan's Mansion, she would never be innocent and would never be believed. Because she was a criminal slave of the Imperial Tutor's Mansion, a substitute for Shen Qingyue, and a lowly fake in Xiao Jin's eyes.

The door to the laundry room creaked open, and a damp, musty smell hit her. The maids threw her on the ground and walked away, leaving behind a cold message: "Work hard! If you dare to be lazy, you'll be in trouble!"

Yun Zhi lay on the cold ground, staring at the leaky roof, her tears slowly drying. She slowly got up, walked over to the pile of dirty clothes, and held out her hands—those hands that had once played the piano, written, and sewed wrist guards. Now, they were soaking in icy soapy water, washing other people's dirty clothes.

But she had no other choice.

She could only survive.

Even if she has to live like a dog, even if she has to endure endless humiliation, she will continue to live.

One day, she will get back all the grievances and frame-ups she suffered today, bit by bit.

She picked up a piece of clothing, blackened with dirt, and plunged it into the icy water. A biting chill instantly spread from her fingertips to her heart, but she simply gritted her teeth and scrubbed vigorously. The foam rising from the water reflected her pale, stubborn face. The teardrop mole at the corner of her eye, like a cinnabar tempered by ice, exuded a cold tenacity.