The mistress who remarried has returned.

Liu Shun nodded, "It's all taken care of. The tree pit in front of the yard has been filled in, compacted, and paved with bricks. It will be more convenient for Miss Xue to come and go from now on."

Xue Wenying instructed Shuang'er, "It's getting late, Shuang'er, hurry up and prepare dinner. I just slaughtered two of the free-range chickens I raised myself and started stewing them. Now it's perfect to serve them to the generals while they're still hot."

Qin Huai asked Liu Shun, "What time is it?"

"It's already past 5:40 PM, judging by how dark it is," Liu Shun said. "I've been busy for three or four hours straight, working non-stop, and I'm even shivering from the cold!"

Qin Huai seemed to be deep in thought.

Shuang'er busied herself warming the wine and making arrangements, insisting on keeping the general there, as he was the young lady's and her future, and they had to be careful in dealing with him.

Qin Huai stood up, saying, "I won't stay for dinner. I have a business engagement to attend to."

Xue Wenying said with disappointment and concern, "It's snowing heavily outside. What's the big deal that you're in such a hurry? Have some dinner to warm yourself up, and wait until the snow stops before you leave."

Qin Huai said, "I have some urgent business. It's a distinguished guest from out of town, and I can't be late for the banquet."

As he spoke, Qin Huai made a move to leave.

Liu Shun followed Qin Huai and also planned to leave.

Qin Huai suddenly looked at him, "What are you doing?"

Liu Shun was puzzled. "I'm going with you. I have other engagements to attend to."

Qin Huai pondered for a moment, "Wen Yin has been busy here for a long time, preparing a table of food and wine. It's not appropriate for us to all leave. Why don't you take your people and stay for a meal and drinks?"

Liu Shun frowned, unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but something felt off. "So, the subordinates will stay and have some food and drinks? You'll go entertain alone?"

Qin Huai nodded: "Okay."

Liu Shun said, "Okay."

Seeing that Qin Huai had something to do and was about to leave, Xue Wenying did not try to persuade him to stay. She only told him to be careful on horseback because of the strong wind and snow. By the time she brought out a snow hat that she had made for Qin Huai earlier, Qin Huai had already driven away.

When Xue Wenying entered, she saw Liu Shun and several servants eating. She personally poured wine for Liu Shun, saying, "I wonder which distinguished guest from out of town is he, and where he is entertaining himself?"

Liu Shun had not heard the general mention any distinguished guests to entertain that evening, but in front of others, he always spoke with tact when it came to the general's affairs, only saying, "I dare not speak carelessly; Miss should ask the general herself another day."

Xue Wenying leaned against the window, holding her cotton hat, when a sudden thought struck her: Had they gone back to the other courtyard? Qin Huai had been rather absent-minded all afternoon, refusing to wash the bloodstains from his hands. Could it be that, after four years, he hadn't completely let go of Su Liangdi? Even if it was to torment and take revenge on Liangdi, constantly involving her was not a good idea.

Seeing that her mistress was unhappy, Shuang'er calculated the time. She had been kneeling in the snow for four or five hours, and it seemed that Su Yunxi was probably in grave danger and could not cause any trouble.

Xue Wenying asked Shuang'er softly, "Don't you think that Liangdi has grown into an even more adorable and charming young lady than she did four years ago?"

Shuang'er didn't understand why her mistress was praising Consort Su, and said indignantly, "So what? Madam Qin doesn't think much of her."

****

After being beaten at the Su residence early in the morning, Su Yunxi rushed to see Qin Huai.

She originally wanted to ask him to help arrange a doctor for the critically ill Crown Prince, but Qin Huai had no interest in hearing her intentions.

Despite exhausting all his efforts, he had achieved nothing, just like every time he had begged for help in the past few days.

She knelt on the snow from noon until night, her body becoming numb.

But I couldn't feel the cold anymore.

It is often said that people feel extremely hot before they freeze to death.

She felt unbearably hot, like a sweltering summer day, and all she wanted to do was take off her clothes to cool off.

She must be freezing to death.

The Crown Prince is left unattended in the Eastern Palace, and she has a mother and younger brother at home who need her care. Her mother and brother's living expenses are still uncertain, so she cannot die.

No matter how long she knelt, Qin Huai would not come back here; Su Yunxi had come to realize this fact.

Shuang'er is right; her desperate pleading is no match for the dead plum tree in front of Miss Xue's courtyard.

They gradually gave up the idea of ​​seeking help from Qin Huai.

She tried to stand up and leave the courtyard, but after struggling for a while, she found that her legs were numb and she couldn't stand up at all.

"Where's the gold pendant from the fan in the general's study, Cai'e?" Granny Wu, who looked after the study, did her daily routine check. She found the pendant at noon, but in the afternoon, she discovered the fan's tail was missing, and a piece of the pendant was gone. She then asked Cai'e, the maid responsible for looking after the study, "Where is Cai'e?"

Cai'e trotted over and curtsied to Granny Wu. "The general instructed that we are only allowed to guard the courtyard. No one is allowed to go in to clean or move anything in the study or bedroom. This servant has never been to the study."

As he spoke, he pointed to Su Yunxi, who was kneeling in the courtyard, "The gold pendant disappeared as soon as the general's mistress came. Seeing that she was in a bad situation and short of money, she had cheated on her husband before, and now she's even more despicable, stealing gold pendants."

Su Yunxi found it difficult to even stand up, and then disaster struck from the sky. She was falsely accused of stealing, which made her feel even more distressed. It was probably a bit like a tiger falling into the plains and being bullied by dogs.

Upon hearing this, Granny Wu's face turned extremely angry. She walked down the corridor and said, "I used to serve you for several years. Your adulterous act has caused me to lose my position in the mansion and be relegated to being a housekeeper. I can barely earn enough to support my family. If you value our past relationship as mistress and servant, then you should hand over the gold pendant with dignity."

Su Yunxi leaned against the artificial hill and stood up weakly. Her hands were red from the cold. Wu Mama, who used to be very close to her, now questioned her character. She said weakly, "Wu Mama, I did not see your gold pendant."

Cai'e persisted, "Who else did you see? Today, besides the General and Guard Liu Shun, only you and Miss Xue went into the study. Miss Xue can get whatever she wants from the General; there's no need for her to steal. Guard Liu is the General's confidant, so he wouldn't steal either. Only you are short of money. Judging from your appearance, you've reached the point where you can't even afford to eat. When people are desperate for money, they'll do anything."

Su Yunxi had no interest in arguing with the maid. It was her nature; having seen the coldness of the world, she was used to silence and self-soothing. Mainly, she was afraid of being laughed at by others if she argued.

Qin Huai had been there for a while. He arrived as soon as Su Yunxi struggled to get up from the ground. He saw Su Yunxi standing there, seemingly in a different world from everyone else, numbly listening to the accusations. Even though she was riddled with wounds inside, she had no intention of refuting them. She hadn't changed at all.

Cai'e then said to Granny Wu, "Granny, look, she's not saying anything because she's guilty. She must have stolen the gold pendant."