Between late spring and early summer, the weather gradually grew hotter.

Yun Chu’s life as Princess Consort Pingxi gradually fell into a regular routine.

Since Prince Pingxi had established his manor over ten years ago, he had never held a banquet.

She wondered whether she should organize one.

But organizing one would be truly too troublesome. All that effort might not even yield good results.

After thinking it over, Yun Chu ultimately gave up on the idea.

Now was not yet the time to broadly cultivate connections. She could enjoy freedom for a while longer.

“Mother.” Chu Changsheng climbed onto her lap and hugged her neck. “I made another friend.”

Yun Chu smiled and said, “Our Changsheng can make friends now. So now you have two friends. What’s his name?”

Normally, Changsheng spent most of her time with Xie Xian. Occasionally Lady Lin would take her to the Yun family home to play for half a day. She thought Changsheng had probably befriended one of the Yun family children.

“Mother, promise you won’t get angry, okay?” The little girl shrank her neck. “If Mother won’t get angry, then I’ll tell you.”

The smile on Yun Chu’s face didn’t change. “Of course Mother won’t get angry.”

“He… is called Xie Shiyun.”

As soon as the little girl spoke these words, the smile froze on Yun Chu’s face.

She took several deep breaths, suppressing her emotions, and asked in a gentle voice, “Changsheng is at the manor every day. How did you become friends with Xie Shiyun?”

“The dog hole.” Chu Changsheng pulled Yun Chu’s hand and ran to a wall in the back courtyard. Pushing aside the overgrown vegetation, a hole reaching up to knee height appeared. “This was dug by Brother’s dog Amao before. I was curious, so I had Xian accompany me to crawl out and play.”

Yun Chu looked at the dog hole in disbelief.

When she was still the mistress of the Xie manor, Yu’geer had often come to the Xie family to find her.

At that time she had wondered how such a small child as Yu’geer could sneak out of the prince’s manor alone.

So it turned out there was this dog hole.

“I met Yun outside the dog hole.” The little girl blinked her big eyes. “He’s so pitiful.”

Yun Chu crouched down and said, “Are you friends with him because you pity him?”

Chu Changsheng tilted her head and thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“Alright, Mother understands.” Yun Chu stroked her hair. “Go play with your brother.”

She gazed at the dog hole, seeing the weeds outside the wall perfectly concealing this exit.

She thought of her own childhood.

The Yun family had also had such a dog hole—not created by her eldest brother Yun Ze, but one she had servants make, frequently sneaking out to play.

If not for Xie Shiyun, she might have kept the dog hole.

She would never forget how in her previous life, Xie Shiyun had forced her to drink poisoned wine…

How could she feel at ease with Changsheng becoming friends with Xie Shiyun?

Yun Chu felt conflicted about this matter.

That evening, when Chu Yi returned, she still hadn’t fallen asleep.

After washing up, Chu Yi lay on the bed and drew her into his embrace. “Why are you frowning? What happened?”

“I’ve told you all about the Xie family matters, haven’t I?” Yun Chu sighed. “Changsheng has become friends with Xie Shiyun. I’m somewhat uneasy.”

“Those born into the imperial family will always have all kinds of people around them—some sincere, some calculating, some scheming… Even adults sometimes can’t distinguish whether those around them are people or ghosts, let alone a child.” Chu Yi said. “Changsheng will one day need to face these things alone, and must learn to distinguish good from bad, right from wrong. If Xie Shiyun is good, then Changsheng has gained a friend. If Xie Shiyun has ulterior motives, consider it a lesson for Changsheng not to casually bestow her kindness.”

Hearing this, Yun Chu felt much more at ease.

She paused and said, “There’s a dog hole in the manor’s back courtyard. Did you know?”

Chu Yi truly didn’t know. “That Yu’geer rascal’s doing?”

Yun Chu rested against the man’s chest. “I’ve thought it over—let’s still block that dog hole. Not only to prevent the children from sneaking out of the manor, but most importantly, I’m afraid someone with ill intent might use this dog hole to cause trouble.”

Chu Yi nodded. “Everything as Chu’er says.”

These past days he had been familiarizing himself with his duties at the Ministry of Works, returning very late each night. When he returned, Yun Chu would already be asleep, and he would move quietly to avoid waking her.

Tonight Yun Chu was still awake, so he didn’t need to suppress his emotions.

He rolled over and pinned Yun Chu beneath him.

Early summer nights were very short. Yun Chu felt she had just closed her eyes when dawn broke.

She and Chu Yi rose at the same time and practiced martial arts in the courtyard. Before long, Yu’geer also came over from his own courtyard. The three of them practiced for half an hour before finishing.

Perhaps because of the martial arts practice, Yun Chu noticed that over the past half year, Yu’geer had grown taller and his physique had become much sturdier.

After the father and son left, Yun Chu went to wake her young daughter. As she dressed Changsheng, she smiled and said, “Yesterday you told Mother you made a friend. Why don’t you find a time to invite your friend to visit? What do you think?”

The little girl’s eyes immediately lit up. “Really?”

Yun Chu nodded. “That dog hole you told me about—I’ve had people seal it. It’s not that I won’t let you be friends with Xie Shiyun, but I want you to be friends openly and honorably. From now on, you can invite him to the manor anytime.”

“Mother, you’re the best!” Chu Changsheng jumped up happily. “I’ll have someone invite Yun right away!”

After Chu Changsheng and Xie Xian finished their morning lessons, that afternoon Xie Shiyun was invited to the manor.

He was only a few months younger than the Chu siblings—also a child who had just turned five. Small as he was, he followed the manor servants through the main gate, crossed the second gate, passed through the ceremonial gate, and finally arrived at the main courtyard in the back, where he was led before Yun Chu.

“Yun’geer, it’s been a long time.” Yun Chu’s face bore a smile. “Please sit.”

How could Xie Shiyun dare sit? He stood below with his head lowered, his fingers tightly twisted together.

He was very afraid—afraid that mother wouldn’t allow him to associate with the young county princess, afraid that mother would scold him harshly and then drive him away.

Yet at the same time he held a thread of hope.

Even Xie Xian could be friends with the young county princess. They were both from the Xie family—why couldn’t he?

“Mo—Princess Consort!” Xie Shiyun took a plain silver hairpin from his sleeve and raised it above his head. “This is the wedding gift I prepared to give the Princess Consort on your wedding day to the Prince, but I never had the opportunity. Please don’t disdain it, Princess Consort.”

Tingxue took the hairpin and handed it to Yun Chu.

Yun Chu accepted it. “Then thank you for Yun’geer’s kind intentions. Changsheng and Xian are already waiting for you in the pavilion. Go on.”

Xie Shiyun breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He didn’t dare stay with Yun Chu. He quickly left the flower hall and went to the pavilion ahead.

“Yun, you’re here.” Chu Changsheng’s face held a purely innocent smile. “I told you my mother is very good, didn’t I?”

Xie Shiyun nodded.

He had always known that mother was very good.

It was the Xie family that was bad.

It was Xie Shi’an who was bad.

He couldn’t stay in the Xie family anymore. How he hoped mother would take him in.

He would definitely be filial to mother for his whole life, would definitely treat the young county princess twice as well. He only wanted a place to shelter…

When he grew up, he would avenge his concubine mother!