Countless thoughts flashed through Prince Gongxi’s mind.

The Crown Prince sincerely suggested, “Third Brother, I heard there’s a particularly accurate fortune teller named Mr. Ding among the common people. Why don’t you have Mr. Ding divine your marriage prospects? If you and that sweetheart are destined by fate, then your current fuss is justifiable. But if you have affinity without destiny, making a fuss is enough—don’t truly anger Father Emperor.”

Prince Gongxi couldn’t help but ask, “Is he really that accurate?”

“I secretly had Mr. Ding cast a divination for me.” The Crown Prince coughed. “I had him divine whether the Crown Princess’s child would be male or female.”

As everyone knew, the Crown Prince only had three daughters under his knee and still had no eldest legitimate son. This was currently the Crown Prince’s most vexing problem.

The Crown Princess was now over nine months pregnant and might give birth at any time.

The child born to the Crown Princess would be the true eldest legitimate son. He valued this pregnancy especially, so he had secretly disguised himself and gone for the divination, spending three thousand taels of silver.

Mr. Ding said this child would be a boy.

He had also asked the National Preceptor for a divination. The National Preceptor said heavenly secrets could not be revealed.

The Crown Prince was pondering this when suddenly a eunuch came rushing to report, “Your Highness, the Crown Princess is giving birth! Your Highness, please return to the palace quickly!”

The Crown Prince stood up abruptly. “You two chat. I’m leaving!”

As he strode out, he even tripped on the threshold and nearly fell, fortunately being caught by a young eunuch.

Prince Gongxi didn’t linger either. Before leaving, he said, “Every five years in the twelfth month, foreign envoys come to pay tribute. Father Emperor intends to have us brothers receive them. Rest and recover well, don’t miss this opportunity.”

Chu Yi rubbed his fingers together.

He didn’t want this opportunity—let his two imperial brothers perform more.

The next morning, Yun Chu heard that the Crown Princess had given birth to a son, the Crown Prince’s eldest legitimate son. The Empress was overjoyed, and everyone in the entire palace received rewards.

Yun Chu truly hadn’t expected that before the Crown Princess gave birth, the Crown Prince would actually go find Ding Yiyuan to secretly divine fortunes, and moreover divine the child’s gender.

She might not know what children other families had, but with the Crown Prince’s status, who in the entire nation wouldn’t know when the Crown Prince had his eldest legitimate son?

The Crown Prince had simply given Ding Yiyuan three thousand taels of silver for nothing.

It was just that this child born under everyone’s attention seemed to not even live past five years old before dying in a chaotic palace struggle…

Palace struggles truly resulted in deaths.

The succession struggle would only claim more lives.

Yun Chu sighed.

She had no choice, and the Yun family had no choice either—they were destined to be drawn into such conflicts.

Changsheng clamored to go feed Father King his medicine. Yun Chu could only follow along.

Naturally, in the end, she was the one feeding Chu Yi the medicine mouthful by mouthful.

Chu Yi greatly enjoyed this time.

After finishing the medicine, Yun Chu was just about to stand up and leave when Steward Cheng appeared at just the right moment. “Miss Yun, this old servant happens to have some matters to attend to. The task of changing the Prince’s dressing can only be entrusted to Miss Yun.”

After speaking, Steward Cheng picked up the young princess and strode away.

Yun Chu: “…”

Feeding medicine was one thing.

But asking her to help change his dressing—wasn’t that too much?

“I won’t trouble Miss Yun.” Chu Yi sat up. “I can do it myself.”

He looked extremely weak.

Yun Chu’s heart softened.

Previously, when she had been poisoned in the bandit hideout, it was this man who had promptly sucked out the poison for her, preventing her from suffering such severe injuries.

Now it was just changing a dressing—why was she being so particular about it?

Moreover, the reason Prince Pingxi had no serving maids around him was because she wanted to be with the children. To avoid prying eyes and ears, there were very few people in this courtyard.

She stepped forward and picked up the medicine bottle. “Your Highness, lie down properly.”

Chu Yi immediately lay obediently on the couch.

He watched as Yun Chu slowly bent down, her pale fingers lifting his clothing.

The muscles throughout his body instantly tensed.

An indescribable emotion spread.

His limbs and body felt as if struck by electricity.

He dared not move at all.

Yun Chu unfastened his clothing, slowly unwrapping layer after layer of gauze, then saw that hideous wound.

Though it had already scabbed over and stopped bleeding, it was still shocking to behold.

She poured the medicinal powder onto the wound. Perhaps it was somewhat irritating—the muscle lines on the man’s chest visibly tightened…

“Your Highness!”

Chengxu’s voice suddenly rang out from outside.

Yun Chu’s entire body gave a start.

She quickly grabbed the gauze and covered the wound.

She didn’t even know why she had this guilty feeling, as if someone had caught her doing something wrong.

“It’s been two days now, yet Your Highness still needs someone to help change your dressing. Your Highness’s health is not what it used to be.”

As soon as Chengxu said this, Chu Yi’s face instantly darkened.

Would Yun Chu also think his health was too poor, that he was always getting injured?

Chengxu continued, “Since Your Highness’s body is so weak, why not hand Yang Hedong over to the Court of Judicial Review to interrogate?”

Chu Yi sat up from the couch. “Interrogating a criminal is nothing much. Prepare the horse.”

He put on his shoes and stood up.

Took two steps.

Walked into the courtyard.

Steward Cheng quickly rushed to support him in alarm. “My Prince, you cannot abuse your body like this…”

Chu Yi continued walking out, his steps very steady.

He showed no sign of recovering from serious injury.

Yun Chu: “…”

There was really no need to be so stubborn.

Returning to her own courtyard, Yun Chu continued busying herself with her own matters.

The shelter had now been completed, managed entirely by her cousin from a branch family, Yun Qin. Tomorrow the orphans being taken in would officially move in.

With her cousin managing it, Yun Chu felt at ease. She would need to go there tomorrow.

While looking at the ledgers, Tingfeng came in and said, “Miss, Ganlai just sent word.”

Ganlai was the servant boy Yun Chu had placed beside Xie Shiwei—a very clever child who knew who his true master was.

“Ganlai says the eldest young master ponders business matters every day, leaving early and returning late, while Tingyu goes out every evening at dusk and only returns late at night.” Tingfeng said in a low voice, “One night, Ganlai saw that after Tingyu returned to the estate, she went to the eldest young master’s courtyard and gave him two hundred-tael bank notes. Ganlai followed for several days before discovering that Tingyu actually goes to a small courtyard every day—that courtyard seems to be property of the Hu family. Tingyu can get a hundred taels of silver from each visit. What exactly is she doing there?”

Yun Chu couldn’t help but laugh.

She didn’t know which family the Hu family was.

But she could guess what Tingyu was doing.

Back then, Tingyu had climbed into Xie Jingyu’s bed and knelt at her feet crying, telling her that she couldn’t help her feelings for Xie Jingyu…

Someone who had loved Xie Jingyu so deeply had, so soon after Xie Jingyu’s death, once again climbed into another person’s bed.

In this, there must be Xie Shi’an’s handiwork.

Everyone in the Xie family would probably be exploited and drained dry by Xie Shi’an until death…

She asked, “What is Xie Shiwei busy with?”

“The second young master is learning to use the abacus. He can’t learn it, and the eldest young master got angry and told him to stop learning. The two brothers had a fight.” Tingfeng relayed the news Ganlai had sent back.

Yun Chu understood.

Xie Shiwei was just like in her previous life—mud that couldn’t stick to the wall, only knowing how to fight and act tough. Fighting was an advantage in a military camp, but in an ordinary family, it was a source of trouble.

With Xie Shiwei dragging him down, how far could Xie Shi’an go while bearing such a heavy burden?