The auspicious hour arrived, and the Dai family’s bridal sedan also arrived.

The wedding matron led Yun Ran outside. When they reached the main gate, Yun Ran looked back at Lin Shi and couldn’t help but cry out loud.

Her birth mother had died in childbirth. She had grown up at her legitimate mother’s side, and her legitimate mother had treated her as her own, never letting her suffer any grievances.

After marrying out, coming back for a visit wouldn’t be so easy anymore.

Lin Shi’s eyes also moistened.

The wedding matron wiped Yun Ran’s tears clean, covered her with the red wedding veil, and led her all the way to the main gate.

Immediately firecrackers sounded, gongs and drums filled the air, and the Dai family’s wedding procession lifted the bridal sedan, carrying it farther and farther from the Yun residence.

Lin Shi put on a smile: “Well then, the young daughter has left the household. Everyone please be seated and let the feast begin. Don’t stand on ceremony—please sit.”

The Yun family’s banquet didn’t separate men and women—each family sat at one table, all gathered in the front courtyard, men and women, old and young, in lively celebration.

Yun Chu sat with Xie Ping among the Yun family members. Seated beside her were the Yun family’s Third Aunt and her daughter-in-law, cousin Yun Run’s wife Qi Shi, whom she addressed as Sister-in-law Run.

Third Aunt Yun casually asked: “Chu’er, how exactly did that old matriarch of your Xie family pass away…”

The moment these words left her mouth, Qi Shi tugged at her: “Mother, didn’t you want to know about the Xuanwu Marquis residence’s affairs just now? Madam Li over there seems to know quite a bit—go ask her.”

Third Aunt Yun loved hearing about such matters and immediately rose to go to Madam Li’s side.

Qi Shi apologetically said to Yun Chu: “Chu’er, my mother-in-law speaks without thinking. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Sister-in-law Run worries too much.” Yun Chu smiled. “Third Aunt was just inquiring about the facts of the situation without any malicious intent. Why would I take it to heart?”

As she spoke, she heard from Madam Li’s side a group of women discussing the affairs of the Xuanwu Marquis residence and the Luo family.

“What did you say? The Marquis of Xuanwu actually wrote a letter of divorce? He keeps mistresses and still has the face to divorce his wife?”

“Listen to yourself talk. In this world, what man doesn’t have multiple wives and concubines? Luo Shi was domineering, so the Marquis of Xuanwu could only stray and keep mistresses as a helpless measure.”

“The Marquis of Xuanwu made the wrong move with this strategy—divorcing his legitimate wife and gaining two mistresses. Who knows what he was thinking?”

“Didn’t Luo Shi also make the wrong move? Her only son even lost his position as heir. A brilliant future ruined by his own mother’s actions.”

“A Luo family daughter has been divorced—from now on, marriage prospects for Luo family daughters will be difficult.”

“At the end of the day, the Luo family’s official rank is too low—only third rank. Even daughters of the first-rank Yun family’s branch families can smoothly mutually divorce, yet Luo Shi, the legitimate eldest daughter of the main branch, was actually divorced.”

“…”

Yun Chu listened casually to some of it.

She did indeed want revenge on Qin Mingheng, but she didn’t wish to implicate Luo Shi, an innocent victim. Since Luo Shi had already extracted herself, it was time to make her move.

Just as she was preparing to stand, she noticed the banquet hall suddenly quiet down. It turned out distinguished guests had arrived.

She looked up and saw her father leading Prince Pingxi, along with the Prince of Pingxi’s young heir and young princess, slowly walking in.

She looked at those two children. After so many days of not seeing them, this one glance eased much of her longing.

Looking once more, she could hardly resist pulling the children into her embrace. She could only withdraw her gaze and suppress such thoughts.

Meanwhile, everyone in the banquet hall was shocked.

For merely a concubine daughter of the Yun family to marry, a prince had personally come to offer congratulations.

This showed just how much the imperial family valued the Yun family.

The moment he saw Yun Chu, Chu Hongyu could barely contain himself, but he knew he couldn’t rush over in such a public setting.

He understood these principles, but Chu Changsheng didn’t. Her eyes bright as she gazed at Yun Chu, she shook off the Prince Father’s hand and took steps toward Yun Chu’s direction.

“Changsheng!” Chu Hongyu quickly grabbed his sister’s arm. “No, not yet. There are too many people. If we go over now, we’ll cause trouble for Mother. Prince Father also said we’re not allowed to be too intimate with Mother in front of people. You eat first—elder brother will think of a way.”

The little girl obediently nestled in Chu Yi’s embrace.

“The young heir and young princess seem to keep looking in our direction.” Third Aunt Yun’s eyes sparkled. “Da’ge’er, the young heir probably wants to play with you. Go over and play with the heir.”

Da’ge’er was Third Aunt Yun’s grandson, just over six years old this year, at the mischievous age, but his courage wasn’t that great—he simply didn’t dare go over.

Yun Zhengjiang also sat on this side. He glanced at Chu Hongyu and immediately knew this boy was looking at his aunt.

Previously when Aunt was recuperating at the Yun residence, this boy came to the Yun family every day, following behind Aunt’s backside calling “Auntie, Auntie”—it was so annoying to watch.

Before, Aunt doted on him most, but ever since this boy appeared, Aunt didn’t dote on him as much anymore. So frustrating.

Yun Zhengjiang snorted and didn’t look at Chu Hongyu.

After a while, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. When he turned his head, he met Chu Hongyu’s large eyes. He said coldly: “Prince Heir Pingxi, why are you hiding here tugging at me?”

Chu Hongyu hid in the grove, looking pitiful: “Brother Jiang, I’ll even call you brother, isn’t that enough? Come over here—I have something to tell you.”

Yun Zhengjiang snorted coldly: “No time.”

“I brought a spinning fork. Do you want it?”

Yun Zhengjiang was ultimately just a six-year-old child. He loved these things most. Hearing this, how could he resist? He immediately followed Chu Hongyu to the nearby grove.

Chu Hongyu pulled out a spinning fork from his sleeve. This was a novel toy he’d secretly gone to the Ministry of War to get, which the Minister of War had given him.

He hadn’t even played with it many times himself, yet now he had to give it away.

But there was no choice.

He had worked so hard to persuade Prince Father to come to the Yun family. Prince Father said that one look at Mother would be enough—as soon as the banquet ended, they had to obediently leave.

So he could only seize the time while the banquet was still ongoing to call Mother away and have a good talk with her. One spinning fork in exchange for a chance to talk with Mother—it didn’t seem like a loss.

“Seeing how sincere you are, I’ll help you.” Yun Zhengjiang loved the spinning fork and couldn’t put it down. “However, I must warn you—men and women shouldn’t have physical contact. Don’t keep climbing all over my aunt, don’t hug my aunt, and also don’t…”

“Okay, okay, I’ve got it!” Chu Hongyu grinned. “The banquet is almost over. Hurry up and find Auntie Yun. Tell her Changsheng and I are waiting for her!”

Yun Zhengjiang tucked away the spinning fork and went to find Yun Chu.

The two little ones waited in the side courtyard for a short while before seeing Yun Chu walk in.

“Moth—Auntie Yun!”

Chu Hongyu saw Yun Zhengjiang following behind Yun Chu and changed his address just in time.

The little girl swiftly threw herself into Yun Chu’s embrace, climbing up using all four limbs. Chu Hongyu was about to do the same when he received Yun Zhengjiang’s warning glare.

“Yu’ge’er, Changsheng, I’ve prepared gifts for you.” Yun Chu took out from her sleeve the two longevity locks she’d prepared earlier. “This one is for Yu’ge’er, this one is for Changsheng. Look—do you like them?”

“Like them, I love them so much!” Chu Hongyu looked smugly at Yun Zhengjiang. “Brother Jiang, Auntie Yun definitely didn’t give you a longevity lock, right?”

Yun Zhengjiang nodded: “Indeed not.”

Chu Hongyu was delighted. It seemed that in Mother’s heart, he was more important than Yun Zhengjiang.

“However, when I was born, Aunt gave me a jade pendant. When I turned one, she gave me a complete set of the Four Treasures of the Study. When I was two, she gave me clothes she made herself. When I was three, she gave me… When I was four…”

Chu Hongyu: “…”

He covered his ears.

If he listened any longer, he really would be jealous.