Guihua nervously walked towards the main courtyard, Lao Jiu approached her, "What’s wrong? Didn’t find Yingzi? She’s not in the back courtyard?"

Guihua pointed to Yun Jiao without saying a word.

Yun Jiao glanced at Lao Jiu, "You two, come with me."

She paused for a moment, "Ah Shong is still upstairs, I’ll send a maid up to take care of him."

She glanced at the maid beside her, the maid curtsied and went upstairs.

Yun Jiao turned and walked towards the back courtyard, followed by maids and women servants, one of the women held a cup of drugged tea in her hand.

The warehouse isn’t far; passing through the back courtyard door, there are a few houses between them and a small courtyard. Yun Jiao had bought this courtyard, specifically for use as a warehouse, and now Uncle lives here.

The courtyard door was ajar, a slight push opened it.

Uncle sat in the small room by the door, only closing the door once everyone was inside.

The room in the west wing was lit, Yang Ying walked ahead to open the door, revealing Yingzi bound at the hands and feet, mouth gagged, lying on the ground, a maid watching her from the side.

Seeing people enter, the maid hurriedly stood up and dusted off the chair at the top.

Yun Jiao entered and sat down, Yang Ying stood behind her.

Guihua, seeing Yingzi’s situation, was shocked, "What’s going on? Why is she tied up?"

Yingzi lay on the ground looking at her mother, with tears in her eyes, humming and wooing from her mouth.

Lao Jiu, being more savvy than Guihua, only froze for a moment at Yingzi’s situation before reacting, kneeling towards Yun Jiao at the top.

Doctor Gu would not bind Yingzi for no reason, surely she’s committed some wrongdoing.

Guihua realized and followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing with tears, not daring to say a word.

Yun Jiao glanced at Yang Ying, who pointed to the cup of tea in the woman’s hand and explained the situation.

Guihua gawped, incredulously slapping Yingzi’s face hard, "How could you do such a foolish thing? Do you even know shame?"

Lao Jiu closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, his forehead veins throbbing.

Yingzi cried while humming and wooing.

Yun Jiao gestured for the maid to remove the cloth from her mouth, Yingzi wailed as she sobbed, "Why are you, why are you tying me up?"

When she was caught before, she was very scared.

Now, seeing her parents, she felt like she had support, not as scared anymore.

All she did was give Gu Chuan something he shouldn’t have drunk, it was medicine, not poison, didn’t Liu Zhu turn out fine back then, what can they do to her?

At most, they’d give her a beating.

With her parents around, they wouldn’t watch her take a beating; they’d plead for her.

Yun Jiao sneered, it seemed Yingzi still didn’t realize her mistake.

She said flatly, "Of course you’re bound, you committed an offense against a scholar, tomorrow morning you’ll be taken to see the authorities, that cup of tea is the evidence."

"Bringing your parents here is to inform them," she said this, though she hadn’t truly decided how to deal with Yingzi yet.

If she genuinely went to see the authorities, it would affect Gu Chuan’s reputation and Renxin Hall’s reputation, outweighing the gains.

Yingzi panicked upon hearing about seeing the authorities, "No, I won’t see the authorities."

She once saw a government office trial, a woman had her pants pulled down and was pressed to the ground and beaten.

The white buttocks soon became a bloody mess. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Yingzi was frightened into tears.

Guihua’s head kept knocking against the floor, "Madam Gu, please let Yingzi off, the child is still young, if she goes to see the authorities, her life would be ruined."

Lao Jiu beside her also kowtowed.