The Empress Dowager’s funeral affairs officially concluded, and the grand procession set off to return to the capital.

As Yun Chu boarded her carriage, she saw the Crown Princess ahead with a very poor complexion—even from a distance, one could sense her foul mood.

She also noticed that the Crown Prince had an additional carriage following behind the Crown Princess’s.

After boarding the carriage, Qiutong said in a low voice: “Last night the Crown Prince went up the mountain and nearly became a tiger’s meal. A palace maid who feeds the tiger saved the Crown Prince. That palace maid was severely injured, and the Crown Prince is bringing her back to the capital for treatment.”

Yun Chu knew the Crown Prince was somewhat lecherous. Besides the consorts whose names could be entered in the jade registers, the Eastern Palace had over twenty concubines.

But bringing someone back to the capital from the imperial mausoleum was still rather unseemly. No wonder the Crown Princess was so upset.

For some reason, Yun Chu felt there was something strange about this whole affair. She said: “Qiutong, have the intelligence bureau keep a close watch.”

The carriage swayed and jolted for most of the night. They finally arrived in the capital in the afternoon. The two children were exhausted and sleepy, sleeping in Yun Chu’s arms.

She was about to pick up the children and exit the carriage when the curtain was lifted and Chu Yi bent down to enter. He picked up both children, one in each arm, his voice low: “Chu’er, you’ve worked hard.”

These past two days, he had been constantly busy with various matters, unable to attend to the children or to Yun Chu.

Now that he finally had some free time, how could he bear to let Yun Chu continue working hard?

He carried the children down and handed them to the serving nannies, then took Yun Chu’s hand and walked inside. When they reached the main courtyard, he swept her up in his arms horizontally.

“Chu Yi!” Yun Chu touched her forehead. “If you have time now, you should rest properly. Haven’t you been tired these past two days?”

“Not tired.” Chu Yi carried her into the inner chamber. “I just want to spend some quality time with you.”

He held Yun Chu as they lay on the bed, closing his eyes contentedly.

Yun Chu’s heart was also extraordinarily settled. She had only meant to rest with her eyes closed, but somehow fell asleep.

When she woke again, she saw Chu Yi holding Changsheng while teaching Yu’er to write. The father and two sons sat in the evening sunlight, as beautiful and still as a painting.

“Mother, you’re awake.” Chu Hongyu was the first to see Yun Chu emerge. He immediately dropped his brush and rushed over. “Mother, come quickly and see my characters. Are they beautiful?”

Yun Chu picked up the rice paper: “The character shapes are acceptable, but they lack some strength. However, you’re still young, so there’s no rush. We’ll take it slowly.”

The family of four had their meal in the main courtyard.

Just as Chu Yi set down his chopsticks, a subordinate came to report news, and he rose to attend to business.

Yun Chu knew his being busy was the norm—it would be worrying if he weren’t busy.

After coaxing the two children to sleep, Tingxue came to report on affairs in the residence over the past two days: “…Everything has been well.”

She paused before continuing: “When the Princess Consort was away these past two days, internal household matters were managed by Nanny Er. Nothing at all was reported to the main courtyard.”

According to protocol, even when the mistress of the house was not in the residence, all matters of the inner courtyard should be reported to the mistress’s senior maid, who would then report to the mistress.

Yun Chu spoke: “It’s been over a month since the Prince and I married. I really should take over the household’s internal affairs. Tomorrow morning, have all the steward nannies and maids come to the main courtyard.”

The inner courtyard of the Prince’s residence was managed by Nanny Er, while the outer courtyard was handled by Steward Cheng. Over the years, these two had managed the Prince’s residence in perfect order. Initially, she hadn’t planned to take these matters into her own hands.

But clearly, Nanny Er had her own selfish interests.

Naturally, the authority to manage the inner courtyard could not be entrusted to someone with selfish motives.

Late at night, Yun Chu drowsily felt someone else on the bed—it was Chu Yi returning after finishing his work.

Though he had awakened her, she quickly fell back asleep.

Before dawn the next day, she opened her eyes and rose very quietly, preparing to go practice martial arts.

However, just as she got up, Chu Yi also rose and went with her to practice.

When the couple walked into the courtyard, they saw young Chu Hongyu yawning while wielding a long spear and practicing movements.

“Mother, Father, you’re finally up.” When the little fellow saw them, he immediately became energized. “I’ve been practicing for a quarter-hour already.”

Yun Chu coughed.

If it weren’t for Chu Yi pestering her, she wouldn’t have been delayed by that quarter-hour.

She glared at the man beside her: “You go teach our son to practice with the long spear. I’ll practice my short sword on my own.”

Chu Yi felt the little fellow was quite superfluous.

He could have practiced paired short swords with Yun Chu, but was forced to pick up a long spear instead.

After practicing for about half an hour, Chu Yi had to go to court, and Yu’er had to go to the Imperial Academy. Father and son left together.

Yun Chu washed up, changed clothes, and called Changsheng to wake up.

These past days she had been searching for a teacher. Because Changsheng was timid, she wanted to find a gentle teacher—one who didn’t need to be exceptionally learned, just gentle and patient. Ideally, a female teacher.

There was no rush. She would search slowly.

After Changsheng got up, she had breakfast with Yun Chu, then sat obediently by herself and began to draw.

At this time, Tingxue had already summoned all the steward nannies and maids of the Prince’s residence to the main courtyard.

This was the first time since marrying into the Prince’s residence that Yun Chu had called everyone together. These nannies all clearly understood in their hearts what this was about.

Yun Chu sat in her seat and looked up. Just the steward nannies and maids of the Prince’s residence alone numbered forty to fifty people—and this was with only three masters in residence.

“Everyone need not be nervous.” She said with a smile. “I’ve been in the Prince’s residence for a while now, but there are still some people whose names I can’t recall. I’ve called you here mainly to get acquainted. Starting with this person, introduce yourselves one by one—state your names and what you’re mainly responsible for. Tingxue, you record this.”

Nanny Er lowered her eyes.

She had all the personnel records for the residence. The Princess Consort didn’t ask her for them, but instead went through all this trouble to register everything anew.

Just because she had sent Ding Dong to serve in the main courtyard, was the Princess Consort deliberately humiliating her?

“Greetings to the Princess Consort. This old slave’s husband is surnamed Wang, so everyone in the residence calls me Aunt Wang. I’m mainly responsible for kitchen purchasing…”

“Greetings to the Princess Consort. This servant is called Cailian. I oversee the daily comings and goings in the kitchen…”

Everyone introduced themselves one by one. Soon it was Nanny Er’s turn.

Nanny Er stepped forward and said with her head lowered: “Greetings to the Princess Consort. This old slave is surnamed Er. I am the Prince’s wet nurse. Everyone in the residence addresses me as Nanny Er. Since the Prince established his own household, because there was no mistress, all major and minor matters in the residence have been managed by this old slave—affairs of every courtyard, coordination between inner and outer courtyards, liaison with the Palace Bureau of Internal Affairs… these are all within this old slave’s duties.”

Yun Chu nodded: “When Nanny Er was young, she nursed and raised the Prince. Now nearly fifty years old, you’ve reached the age for retirement, yet you still must manage both inside and outside the Prince’s residence. This is truly quite exhausting.”

Nanny Er’s fingers tightened.

She knew it—the Princess Consort was making such a grand display precisely to reclaim the authority she held.

She paused before saying: “In response to the Princess Consort, it’s not exhausting. Relieving worries for the Prince and Princess Consort is this old slave’s duty. This old slave has also thought about retiring in peace, but the maids under my supervision cannot shoulder such great responsibilities…”

Yun Chu understood.

Nanny Er craved power and was unwilling to let go.

Come to think of it, someone who had managed the Prince’s residence for over ten years—would she willingly become an ordinary nanny?

Those who have enjoyed power will never be willing to let it go.