The group walked inside.

Yun Chu led the children at the front, Chu Yi followed a step behind, and over a dozen servants and attendants brought up the rear.

Soon they arrived at the hot springs. What had originally been wild springs had now been completely transformed into bathing pools—there were large open-air pools as well as partitioned private hot springs.

“There are thirty-six pools in total, large and small.” Chu Yi spoke. “They all need to be named. This rough fellow isn’t skilled at such matters, so I can only trouble Madam Xie.”

Although Yun Chu wasn’t proficient at martial arts, when it came to reading and writing she was accomplished even within the entire Yun family. She nodded in agreement.

As they walked along, they came to the entrance of a small courtyard. Both sides of the courtyard gate were planted full of flowers and plants, blooming enthusiastically in this midsummer season.

Walking inside, all kinds of flowers were in full bloom. Small paths were embedded among the flower beds, as if walking into a secret garden. One’s entire mood became lighter.

“Madam Xie, this courtyard was personally built by our prince.” Manor Head Cheng stood to the side and spoke. “Please take a look and see if there’s anything that needs improvement.”

The entire manor had many separate courtyards built, each equipped with one male pool and one female pool. The other courtyards all looked roughly the same overall, but only this courtyard was particularly unique. Not only was it planted full of rare and exotic flowers, but the edges of the bathing pool were actually inlaid with various colored stones that looked like gemstones, dazzling and brilliant.

Yun Chu assumed this was a bathing pool that Prince Pingxi had specially built for Imperial Consort Yin.

She was just about to speak.

Chu Hongyu exclaimed: “Wow, so many, many crabapple trees are planted there! So when Father asked me what flowers Auntie Yun liked, this is what he meant!”

All around the wall corners were crabapple trees, exactly the same as the crabapples in Sheng Residence where Yun Chu lived.

She was somewhat astonished. Could this bathing pool possibly be…

“Madam Xie is the female master of the hot spring manor. Naturally, the most unique bathing pool belongs to Madam Xie.” Chu Yi’s face showed no excess expression. “There’s still a patch of empty land here. Whatever flowers Madam Xie likes, I’ll have people transport them here to plant.”

Yun Chu pressed her lips together.

In the first year after she married into the Xie household, she had planted a large area of crabapples at Sheng Residence. She used to really like crabapple flowers, but at some point she didn’t know when, aversion had gradually grown in her heart.

She very much wanted to escape the crabapples, just like escaping the Xie family.

She was silent for a while before speaking: “Plant these crabapples in other courtyards. Here, plant orchids or jasmine—either is fine. Tingshuang, you handle this matter.”

How could she trouble the dignified prince to handle such a small matter…

Tingshuang was standing in the back. Hearing her instruction, she immediately stepped forward: “Yes, Madam.”

Chu Yi paused and didn’t speak further.

“Changsheng, come quick! The water here is warm and so comfortable!”

Chu Hongyu couldn’t help but reach his little hand into the bathing pool and hurriedly called his sister. The little girl pattered over on quick little steps.

The two little ones sat at the edge of the hot spring pool and simply took off their shoes, placing four small, pale little feet into the water, splashing at each other.

“Yu’ge’er, you mustn’t do that.” Yun Chu said gently. “Changsheng’s body is weak. If her clothes get wet, she’ll easily catch cold.”

The little fellow’s eyes rolled, and his little bottom shifted direction. He bent over to scoop up water and splashed it in Chu Yi’s direction.

The little girl followed her brother’s example, happily splashing water from the pool outward. Most of it landed on Chu Yi.

Chu Yi’s entire outfit was thoroughly soaked.

His face turned completely dark.

His attendants standing beside him silently stepped back.

When they left that morning, the prince had deliberated for about a quarter hour before finally choosing this outfit. All black—though he couldn’t see what was different about it from other outfits, the prince had carefully selected it from many choices. And now, it was all soaked by the young lord…

“Changsheng, run quickly! Father is going to hit someone!”

Chu Hongyu grabbed his sister’s hand, stepped out of the bathing pool, and fled wildly on bare little feet.

A large group of servants rushed after them.

“Young lord, wait, run slower!”

“Princess, don’t run barefoot! Let this old servant put your shoes on for you…”

The large group of people instantly dispersed, leaving only Yun Chu and Chu Yi, along with the maidservants attending Yun Chu.

Chu Yi coughed and spoke: “Madam Xie, please don’t misunderstand. Ordinarily, I rarely hit the children.”

Yun Chu nodded: “Mm, I know.”

Chu Yi felt that the more he tried to explain, the worse it seemed.

Just as he was about to say something more, Yun Chu said: “Your Highness’s clothes are wet. You should change first.”

Chu Yi could only go out first to change clothes.

Yun Chu continued admiring this small courtyard. One could see that effort had indeed been put in—there were no faults to pick in any aspect.

She stepped into the house. The main room had a great hall and inner chamber, side rooms on both sides, plus a study—though small, it had all the essentials.

She sat at the desk, had Tingfeng grind ink, and began writing names for each bathing pool. For these matters, she could be said to have them at her fingertips…

While she was writing, the two little ones ran a circuit and gathered around: “Auntie Yun, what does this character say? And this one…”

Chu Hongyu curiously asked about this and that. Yun Chu wasn’t annoyed and patiently taught him to recognize characters. The little girl also blinked her big eyes and listened carefully.

“Yu’ge’er, what do you think this hot spring manor should be called?”

The names for the hot spring pools were all chosen; all that remained was the name for the entire manor. This was truly a headache-inducing matter.

Chu Hongyu swung his two little short legs and thought hard for a good while: “How about ‘Above Chu and Yun’? ‘Chu and Yun’ refers to clouds in the sky. Soaking in the hot springs is just like soaking in clouds—so comfortable, so enjoyable. It will definitely attract many people to come.”

“Above Chu and Yun…” Yun Chu recited it several times, a smile appearing on her face. “It’s indeed quite good.”

“I also think this name is feasible.” Chu Yi, having changed his clothes, walked in and looked at the paper on the desk. “Madam Xie’s calligraphy reveals grandeur and magnificence within its elegance. Why don’t you write these four characters, Madam Xie, and I’ll have them mounted to make into the manor’s signboard.”

Chu Hongyu clapped: “Great, great! Auntie Yun, you write it!”

He was truly very clever! His surname and his dear auntie’s surname, put together, became “Above Chu and Yun.” He hadn’t expected both his dear auntie and Father to be satisfied.

The little fellow leaned on the desk edge, watching “Chu” and “Yun” written side by side together, feeling immeasurably happy in his heart.

Only after Yun Chu finished writing these four characters did she belatedly realize—wasn’t this a name combining her and Prince Pingxi’s surnames…

She looked toward the man before her. This man’s expression was completely normal, as if he didn’t think there was anything to it at all.

If she brought up that it was inappropriate, it would make her seem overly sensitive like a fussy woman.

At this moment, Manor Head Cheng, who had been guarding the door, had already walked in and taken away the characters, immediately arranging for someone to find the best craftsman to mount them and make the signboard.

Yun Chu’s lips opened and closed but said nothing.

She took out the names she had chosen for the bathing pools and presented them one by one for Chu Yi’s review.

Chu Yi carefully read through them: “Everyone says Madam Xie’s appearance is outstanding, which is why she holds the title of the Capital’s Number One Beauty. In my view, Madam Xie deserves the title of the Capital’s Number One Talented Woman.”

Yun Chu: “…”

It wasn’t quite that exaggerated, was it?

Chu Hongyu tugged at Chu Yi’s sleeve: “Father, since Auntie Yun is so capable, can you have Auntie Yun be my teacher?”

Yun Chu smiled: “Yu’ge’er, don’t speak such childish words.”

The prince’s household couldn’t possibly engage a woman as a teacher, and as a married woman, she absolutely couldn’t go to the prince’s household to teach.

Just as they were speaking, Manor Head Cheng came over and said: “Your Highness, Madam Xie, the midday meal has been prepared. Please proceed to the flower hall to dine.”

Yun Chu hadn’t planned to stay here for the meal, but the two children, one on the left and one on the right, pulled at her, their big eyes looking at her expectantly. She simply couldn’t bring herself to refuse and could only follow them to the flower hall.