Although Consort Fang had issued the order for Yun Zhu to be beaten with twenty heavy planks, she still had some consideration for their years of association and secretly instructed the beaters to go easy on her.
In noble households and even within the palace, beatings with planks were a delicate matter. Some were administered in a way that appeared light, drawing no blood, but inflicted severe internal injuries, leaving the victim crippled. Others were brutal, resulting in bloody, gruesome sights, yet only superficial wounds that didn't damage bones or tendons.
Consort Fang's instructions fell into the latter category.
Yun Zhu was eventually carried back to the Yun family, covered in blood.
Yun Zhu had initially orchestrated a fire and sought Consort Fang's protection to avoid being married off as a second wife to an old man by her brother and sister-in-law. The Yun family was ordinary and her brother and sister-in-law dared not openly defy the Ding'an Prince's Mansion. They had no choice but to return the betrothal gifts.
Naturally, the Yun siblings harbored resentment for the lost fortune. However, in recent years, Yun Zhu had gained favor with Consort Fang and occasionally sent money home, earning her brother and sister-in-law considerable face among their neighbors. They spoke of Yun Zhu with great pride.
When Yun Zhu was carried home, bleeding profusely, her brother and sister-in-law were shocked. Their first thought was that Yun Zhu had committed some offense.
The woman who brought Yun Zhu back, following Consort Fang's instructions, did not explicitly state Yun Zhu's transgression. She merely left some silver and asked the Yun siblings to take good care of Yun Zhu.
Uncertain whether Yun Zhu had committed a serious offense, and with Yun Zhu refusing to say anything, the Yun siblings dared not disobey the Ding'an Prince's Mansion. They nursed Yun Zhu back to health with good food and drink for five or six days.
After Yun Zhu recovered, the Ding'an Prince's Mansion sent no one to fetch her. The Yun siblings waited for another ten days, but still, no one came. They secretly inquired at the mansion and learned that a maidservant had betrayed the family, been beaten with planks, and sent home.
Upon returning home, the Yun siblings searched Yun Zhu's belongings and indeed found her deed of indenture in her luggage. Under duress, Yun Zhu finally revealed the truth.
"Yes, I was kicked out."
However, she refused to disclose the exact reason for her mistake.
The Yun siblings surmised it wasn't a grave offense. If it were something serious, Yun Zhu would have been killed or sold off, not merely beaten and given money. They speculated it might have been theft or seducing a master.
Regardless, she was sent back and could never return to the Ding'an Prince's Mansion. The Yun family did not support idlers, so her brother and sister-in-law forced Yun Zhu to work and manage household chores.
But having been a pampered maid for five years, accustomed to a lifestyle comparable to that of a young lady from a wealthy family, Yun Zhu could not endure such hardship. After more than two months, she could bear it no longer. One day, dressed beautifully, she encountered the old man she was once to marry. He was smitten, and the next day, he returned to the Yun family to propose again.
This time, it was not for a formal marriage, but to take her as a concubine. Five years had passed, and the old man was not one to remain single; he had already remarried. Yun Zhu could only become a concubine.
The Yun siblings were overjoyed. They never imagined that after five years, even with Yun Zhu aging, she could still fetch such a good price! They immediately accepted the betrothal gifts and sent her off to the old man's house in a small sedan chair.
Of course, that was a story for later.
For now, with Yun Zhu sent back to the Yun family, the matter of Feng Jiangduo was considered resolved. The Old Consort then asked Wang Qingyao to summon Feng Jiangduo back, feeling it inappropriate for a princess to reside in an inn. She also worried that if Feng Jiangduo returned to Nanzhou in anger, Xiao Mo, who had finally found love, might lose his intended bride.
However, our Princess Nange, despite her unconventional nature, possessed a proud spirit. Having suffered such humiliation, she refused to return to the Ding'an Prince's Mansion.
Wang Qingyao had no choice but to propose a compromise: Feng Jiangduo would temporarily reside in a villa belonging to the Xiao family. The Old Consort remained concerned that her prospective granddaughter-in-law might suddenly leave.
Wang Qingyao reassured her, "She won't. If Duo Duo wanted to leave, she would have done so when her mother scolded her. She's not someone who gives up easily. She came to Duanjing for Xiao Mo. She separates things clearly." The Old Consort was finally at ease.
Xiao Yun, fearing Yun Zhu might seek revenge on Wang Qingyao, arranged for people to keep an eye on Yun Zhu. When he told Wang Qingyao about it, he couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Wang Qingyao asked.
"I'm laughing at how many enemies you have. Be careful, or my men will be busy watching everyone."
Wang Qingyao playfully pinched his waist. "How dare you mock me?"
"Never, never," Xiao Yun surrendered, raising his hands before she could pounce. Xiao Yun dared not trifle with Wang Qingyao, especially while she was pregnant.
Wang Qingyao playfully punched his chest, then said after a moment, "Mother hasn't been in good spirits lately."
Xiao Yun was silent for a moment. "Yun Zhu has been with her for five years. Don't worry, Mother has plenty of people serving her. With time, someone new will take Yun Zhu's place."
Wang Qingyao nodded.