Chu Hongyu’s eyes turned green with jealousy.
Yun Zhengjiang suddenly felt this boy was somewhat pitiful. Not only did he lack a birth mother, but there were probably few people in the imperial palace who truly cared for him.
And he had just swindled this boy out of a spinning fork.
Very reluctantly, he took out the spinning fork and tossed it to him: “I’m tired of playing with it. Here, you can have it back.”
Chu Hongyu quickly caught it: “You’re the one who doesn’t want it, okay? Don’t you dare regret it later.”
Yun Zhengjiang snorted.
Yun Chu couldn’t help but laugh. These children were all too adorable.
At that moment, a voice came from behind: “Madam Xie.”
She turned around and saw a tall, slender figure standing at the courtyard entrance.
Dressed in dark brocade robes, hair bound with a jade crown, a jade pendant hanging from his waist—his entire presence exuded tremendous authority.
Chu Hongyu guiltily hid behind Yun Chu. He had promised Prince Father he would only take one look at Mother, yet had secretly arranged to meet Mother here.
Prince Father would certainly never agree to such requests from him again.
“There is a matter for which I wish to seek Madam Xie’s permission.” Chu Yi’s voice was very calm. “Madam Xie should know that my daughter Changsheng was born with deficiencies and has always been physically weak. I had a physician visit the hot spring estate, and the physician said the estate’s hot springs would benefit Changsheng’s health. So I was thinking, could we set aside a separate bathing pool for Changsheng at the estate… Madam Xie, rest assured, I will not shortchange you a single tael of what should be paid.”
Without any deliberation, Yun Chu nodded: “The hot spring estate is jointly operated by the Prince and myself. Talking about silver would be going too far…”
“The preparations at the hot spring estate are almost complete.” Chu Yi said. “There are some matters that require Madam Xie’s decisions. If Madam Xie has time tomorrow, why not make a visit?”
Yun Chu nodded.
After reaching their partnership agreement with Chu Yi, he had arranged for a steward at the hot spring estate.
Chen Bo had reported that this steward was a loyal servant responsible for managing Imperial Concubine Yin’s properties, very capable. After the hot spring estate gained a steward, progress on all fronts had been swift.
Since she intended to run the hot springs business, she couldn’t be an absentee owner—naturally she needed to take a look.
“Prince Father, can Changsheng and I go to the estate tomorrow?” Chu Hongyu clutched Chu Yi’s sleeve, looking pitiful. “After all, Changsheng needs treatment the day after tomorrow. Going one day early doesn’t matter, Prince Father. Please, I promise to write ten sheets of large characters—twenty sheets, okay… Prince Father, please agree!”
Chu Changsheng said nothing, just gazed at Chu Yi with misty eyes in silent appeal.
Chu Yi’s resolve was already wavering.
When he saw the anticipation in Yun Chu’s eyes, the last bit of resistance vanished like smoke.
He said: “You may go, but you must be obedient. If you’re not obedient, I’ll have someone send you back to the prince’s residence.”
“Prince Father, you’re the best!” Chu Hongyu jumped three feet high with joy. “Prince Father, I love you most!”
Chu Changsheng smiled, her eyes curving like crescents.
Chu Yi touched the little girl’s head and looked at Yun Chu, seeing the woman before him also smile, her eyes like curved moons.
Yun Ze, who had just walked into the courtyard, happened to witness this scene.
He saw Prince Pingxi gazing at his younger sister. The Prince Pingxi who was always cold and aloof, whose gaze was icy, whose entire being exuded coldness—his eyes actually held tenderness.
Yun Ze thought he had seen wrong. Looking more carefully, that tenderness remained in his eyes.
He looked again at Yun Chu.
The heir and princess of Prince Pingxi’s residence were smiling, Yun Chu was looking at the children, and Prince Pingxi was looking at Yun Chu—just like a family of four.
Only his foolish son Jiang’ge’er was crouched to one side playing with mud.
“Ahem!”
Yun Ze coughed.
Breaking the brief tranquility in the small courtyard.
“Your Highness.” He spoke. “Just now Minister Fang was searching everywhere for Your Highness.”
Chu Yi’s expression was indifferent: “What does he want with me?”
“It seems…” Yun Ze paused. “I saw Imperial Concubine Yin speak with Minister Fang for quite a while. It appears there’s an intention to have Minister Fang’s eldest daughter become Princess Pingxi.”
Chu Yi’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.
After the incident with Second Miss Tan last time, he had made things clear with Imperial Concubine Mother—he wasn’t currently considering the matter of taking a princess consort.
Why was Imperial Concubine Mother still having her maternal family arrange such things?
Seeing that Elder Brother and Prince Pingxi had started talking, Yun Chu took the children’s hands and went to the other side of the courtyard, where there was a swing that Grandfather had personally made for Jiang’ge’er. The three children took turns sitting on it while Yun Chu pushed them, laughter filling the entire courtyard.
“Auntie Yun, higher, higher! Wow, I’m flying!” Chu Hongyu wasn’t afraid at all and even wanted to stand on the swing.
Yun Zhengjiang stood with his hands on his hips, huffing indignantly: “We said ten pushes each. Get down, hurry up and get down!”
“Oh come on, you’re so stingy!” Chu Hongyu refused. “This is your family’s swing—you can sit on it every day. Why are you fighting with me?”
“Changsheng, let’s not pay attention to him anymore.” Yun Zhengjiang took Chu Changsheng’s hand. “There are fun places over there. Come on, Brother Jiang will take you to play.”
Seeing that his sister was actually obediently following Yun Zhengjiang, Chu Hongyu immediately felt threatened.
Without waiting for the swing to stop, he jumped down and shouted: “Changsheng!”
Yun Zhengjiang deliberately caused mischief, leading Chu Changsheng as he ran faster and faster.
Unable to catch up, Chu Hongyu ran to Yun Chu to complain: “Auntie Yun, Brother Jiang won’t play with me anymore.”
Yun Chu crouched down: “Then you think carefully about why he won’t play with you.”
Chu Hongyu lowered his head, his two feet kicking at small stones on the ground.
“Before playing on the swing, we agreed that each person would get ten pushes. But you hogged the swing all to yourself. Isn’t it perfectly normal that he won’t play with you?” Yun Chu touched his head. “Jiang’ge’er isn’t a stingy person. If you go apologize, he’ll play with you again.”
Chu Hongyu tilted his head and thought for a while, then turned and shouted: “Brother Jiang, I was wrong! I promise I’ll never be stubborn again!”
The three children were soon playing together again.
Happy times are always brief. Yun Chu felt she hadn’t spent much time with the children before the banquet dispersed.
Chu Yi led the two children in saying farewell.
Fortunately, they would meet again tomorrow at the hot spring estate, so there wasn’t much sentiment of reluctant parting.
After seeing off the guests, Yun Ze called Yun Chu to go to Old General Yun’s courtyard.
“Chu’er, this is a secret edict the Emperor issued to me this morning.” Yun Silin placed the imperial edict on the table. “As you said, the Emperor is sending me to the Southern Border to execute the Cavalry General. Because the Emperor received a secret letter stating that the Cavalry General has been secretly colluding with the King of Nanyue, plotting to seize several cities in our Southern Border…”
Yun Ze had just learned of this matter and looked completely shocked: “Has the Cavalry General gone mad? He’s the Empress Dowager’s own nephew. Why would he commit such an act of treason?”
Old General Yun spoke: “You younger juniors probably don’t know this, but the current Empress Dowager is not the Emperor’s birth mother.”
Yun Ze’s face showed tremendous shock.
This was also the first time Yun Chu had heard of this matter.
“Because the Empress Dowager controls military forces and has always been under the Emperor’s suspicion, the Cavalry General hasn’t returned to the capital in all these years. It’s not surprising he would develop rebellious intentions.” Yun Silin said. “None of this is the main point. The main point is, Chu’er, you said in your dream that our Yun family would face complete extermination in over ten years…”