The night was dark with high winds.
The autumn night wind rustled through the tree leaves, creating swishing sounds.
Yun Chu leaned against her bedstead in a thin robe, reading a book—the Great Jin Geography Records.
Having lived two lifetimes, the places she had been to could be counted on one hand. In the past, she had accompanied Xie Jingyu to his ancestral home in Jizhou for worship, and accompanied her mother to Yong’an City to pay respects to her maternal grandparents. Apart from these two cities, she had never been anywhere else… As for the cities she had traveled to seeking medical treatment for Xie Shikang, those were merely brief stops, not truly visiting.
She had truly lived in vain.
The geography records described the diverse landscapes of Great Jin’s east, west, south, and north, the unique delicacies of each region. Just reading the text alone filled one with yearning.
One day, she truly wanted to take the two children and travel throughout the land. To be even bolder, she wanted to take the children on large ships and explore thousands of mountains and rivers…
“Miss.” Tingxue knocked on the door and said softly from outside, “Prince Pingxi has come. He says he has urgent matters to discuss with Miss. Will Miss see him?”
Yun Chu was not surprised at all.
After she had spoken those words during the day, Chu Yi would certainly interrogate Marquis Xuanwu.
Having learned about that night, he would naturally come find her.
She put on a cloak over her thin robe before leaving the inner chamber, passing through the hanging flower gate to the outer courtyard.
She immediately spotted Chu Yi standing at the side hall entrance.
Chu Yi also saw her at once.
He strode toward her, and as he drew near, he caught her scent.
A familiar fragrance that overlapped with that night.
Actually, he had smelled this scent before. Why, why hadn’t he developed even the slightest suspicion?
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.
“I…” Chu Yi’s throat bobbed. He swallowed air, suppressing the surging emotions. “I just interrogated Qin Mingheng.”
Yun Chu stood before him, tilting her head slightly to look at him: “Did you get results from the interrogation?”
“Miss Yun, it was I… I who ruined you.”
In Chu Yi’s dark eyes lay endless remorse and self-blame.
His five fingers clenched into fists, veins standing out distinctly on the back of his hand, trembling with emotions difficult to restrain.
“I’m sorry, my apologies, it was my fault…”
“If I had known earlier, I would have taken responsibility for that night, I would never have let you suffer torment in the Xie family for five years.”
He finally understood why she hated the Xie family so much.
On their wedding night, Xie Jingyu had sent his new bride to Marquis Xuanwu’s residence.
The pair of children she bore were thrown by Xie Jingyu into Marquis Xuanwu’s residence.
If Qin Mingheng hadn’t had that last shred of conscience and sent the children to him, their father, Yu’er and Changsheng would likely have already…
For Xie Jingyu to die just like that was really too easy for him. He wished he could grind his bones to dust.
“I’m willing to take responsibility for that night.”
Chu Yi gazed at her with burning eyes.
Yun Chu had prepared herself mentally for this meeting. Her expression remained calm as still water, without any ripples.
Her voice was also light: “Your Highness need not do this. You and I are both victims. Neither of us wronged the other. The most innocent are the two children. They knew nothing yet suffered so much pain they shouldn’t have had to bear… What’s past is past. As the children’s parents, we should think more about them.”
Chu Yi stopped speaking about responsibility.
The woman before him hated the Xie family, so she made them fall.
She hated Qin Mingheng, so Marquis Xuanwu’s residence was gone.
She should also hate him for taking her innocence and ruining her entire life.
But because he was the children’s biological father, she suppressed that hatred.
This didn’t mean she was willing to marry him.
Chu Yi pressed his thin lips together: “Miss Yun, regarding the children, I respect all your opinions.”
Yun Chu spoke word by word: “The children’s identity absolutely cannot be revealed. If opportunists make a big fuss about it, the children will carry that stain their entire lives.”
At that time, she was a woman of the Xie family yet gave birth to imperial bloodline.
No matter how innocent she was in this matter, she couldn’t silence all those mouths in the court and among the people.
It didn’t matter if she was discussed, but she feared the two children would suffer harassment about their origins their entire lives.
“Your Highness has raised the children for over four years. I’ve been absent for over four years. I want to make up for those missing years as much as possible.” Yun Chu’s voice became gentle. “Changsheng’s health is weaker and needs more attention. Your Highness has many daily responsibilities. Could she temporarily live with me?”
Chu Yi immediately nodded: “Good, I’ll send Changsheng over tomorrow morning.”
Yun Chu smiled: “Thank you, Your Highness.”
The dim light shone on her face. With this smile, as light and shadow passed across her features, her radiant smile outshone the stars—unmatched beauty for a thousand autumns.
The osmanthus flowers on the tree were blown by the wind, scattering on her head in scattered dots, adding even more color.
He involuntarily reached out his hand.
When his fingertips were still inches from Yun Chu, she slightly moved away.
His hand changed direction, picking up a small osmanthus flower from her hair. His voice slightly hoarse, he said: “Changsheng and Yu’er both love eating osmanthus cakes.”
Yun Chu’s smile deepened: “I can’t do anything else, but I can make osmanthus cakes. That’s wonderful.”
She was completely clueless about cooking. The reason she knew how was because her grandfather loved eating them. When her grandmother was alive, every late autumn, she would pull her along to make osmanthus cakes for grandfather.
It had been so long since she’d made them, she didn’t know if she still could.
Tomorrow she would make them together with the children, with the cook giving guidance from the side. The taste shouldn’t be too bad.
Chu Yi didn’t like sweets.
Soft, sticky things like osmanthus cakes would normally never appear before him.
But at this moment.
Osmanthus branches filled his vision, osmanthus fragrance filled his nose. The rich fragrance had no fixed place, gradually the cold fragrant wind formed dew and mist.
He also wanted to taste osmanthus cakes.
The night grew deeper and deeper.
When the midnight bell sounded, only then did Chu Yi take his leave from Yun Chu.
Returning to the princely residence, he couldn’t help but go check on the two children. The son and daughter lived in separate courtyards, but the two always liked sleeping together.
Before sleeping they held each other, but once asleep, each had their own position.
Changsheng held a doll in her hands, sleeping sweetly.
Yu’er sprawled on the bed, his little belly exposed, rising and falling with his breathing.
Chu Yi covered the children with their quilts, carefully studying their features.
Changsheng and Yun Chu were almost cast from the same mold—eyes, nose, mouth, not a single feature that didn’t resemble her.
Yu’er’s facial structure and contours were also identical to Yun Chu’s.
He should have noticed earlier.
So many years wasted.
“Your Highness.”
Chengxu called softly at the door.
Chu Yi tucked in the children’s quilts before getting up and going out: “You’ve brought the person back?”
Chengxu nodded: “Should I bring her up now, or wait until tomorrow?”
Chu Yi had him bring the person directly to the side courtyard.
A woman wearing coarse cloth clothing, bound hand and foot, gagged, was thrown to the ground.
“Mmm mmm mmm…”
The woman struggled with difficulty, but it was all futile.
Chengxu stepped forward and pulled out the cloth from her mouth.
“Who are you? Why are you capturing me…” The woman looked panicked. “I’m going to report you to the authorities! I’m going to report you for abducting women!”