The three children played in the courtyard.

Yun Chu sat at a distance watching them.

She was thinking—in her previous life, Xie Shiyun had turned against her, largely because of Tingyu. Now that Tingyu was dead, would Xie Shiyun still be the same as in her previous life?

The children played very happily. Soon it was mealtime.

Yun Chu had Changsheng host her two friends herself, with several servants attending nearby.

She sat in the adjacent warm pavilion, occasionally hearing Changsheng’s voice. That once silent little girl was becoming increasingly lively and cheerful in front of her two timid friends.

Regardless of what thoughts Xie Shiyun harbored, at least for now, Changsheng was getting better and better, wasn’t she?

After the children finished their meal, Yun Chu finally entered the flower hall.

As soon as she entered, Xie Xian, who had been talking, immediately stopped. Xie Shiyun stood up abruptly and called out “Princess Consort” with his head lowered.

“It’s getting late. I’ll have someone escort you back.” Yun Chu’s face bore a smile as she took two money pouches from a maid’s hands. “Xian, Yun’geer, take these.”

Xie Shiyun instinctively wanted to accept it.

He was truly desperate for money. Having given his only silver hairpin to mother, he now had nothing left.

He was about to reach out.

Then he heard Xie Xian say, “No… no need, Princess Consort. I cannot accept it.”

Xie Shiyun immediately lowered his hand. “Princess Consort, I also cannot accept it.”

Yun Chu took both children’s hands and placed the money pouches in them. “It’s not much. Use it to buy sweets.”

Xie Xian thought for a moment, then said, “Then tomorrow I’ll bring some mung bean cakes my mother made for the Princess Consort to taste.”

Only then did she accept the money pouch.

Xie Shiyun’s lips pressed into a tight line.

He lowered his head. “I won’t accept it then. I don’t like eating sweets. Thank you, Princess Consort.”

“If you don’t like sweets, then buy some pastries.” Chu Changsheng’s face held an innocent smile. “Yun, please accept it.”

She took the money pouch and forcibly stuffed it into Xie Shiyun’s arms.

“Thank you…”

Xie Shiyun’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

How could he not like eating sweets? He feared the sugar was too sweet, making his own bitterness more apparent.

Yun Chu arranged for a carriage to escort the two children home.

Xie Xian traveled back and forth this way every day and didn’t think anything of it.

Xie Shiyun, however, sat restlessly in the carriage. As soon as the carriage left the lane where the prince’s manor was located, he immediately had the driver stop. He jumped down and walked back on his own.

He was afraid Xie Shi’an would see the carriage and interrogate him about where he had been.

By the time he reached his home’s entrance, the sky had completely darkened. The Xie family’s main gate used to have lanterns for illumination, but now it was pitch black.

He pushed open the door and went in. There was no one in the front courtyard—everything was dark. Using the moonlight, he returned to his own room. He opened the money pouch to find several silver beans inside, slightly heavier than the plain silver hairpin he had given Yun Chu. His trip to the prince’s manor hadn’t been a loss.

He thought about the daytime when he had been with Xie Xian and the young county princess—the two of them had been chatting about studying.

He had studied before too, but only for a few months. Then the family upheaval occurred, and he had long forgotten that little bit he had learned.

To maintain his friendship with the young county princess, he had to pick up his studies again.

Then he remembered—to take revenge on Xie Shi’an, he had set fire to father’s study.

Now that he wanted to study, he couldn’t even find a single book.

After hiding the silver, Xie Shiyun left his room and walked toward the front, encountering Lady Yuan who was coaxing Xie Shikang.

“Yun’geer, where have you been all day?” Lady Yuan nagged. “Look how thin you’ve gotten these days. Hurry up and apologize to your eldest brother, and Grandmother will immediately make you noodles to eat…”

Xie Shiyun bit his lip. “Eldest Brother is your blood grandson, and so am I. Why can Grandmother ignore me just because of one word from Eldest Brother? Does Grandmother know how I’ve been living these days?”

Lady Yuan felt guilty in her heart and wiped away tears. “Right now it’s your eldest brother supporting the family. He gives me money to buy groceries. If I don’t listen to him, the whole family will starve, won’t we? Yun’geer, your concubine mother is already dead. You don’t need to hold a grudge against your eldest brother over a dead person. Just lower your head and apologize—we have to keep living, don’t we?”

Xie Shiyun shook off Lady Yuan’s hand. “I’ll go find Eldest Brother.”

Lady Yuan smiled. “That’s a good boy. Go on then.”

Xie Shiyun walked to Qingsong Pavilion. Sanjiu was sweeping the courtyard. Seeing him approach, he said, “Young Master hasn’t returned yet.”

“I want to borrow a few books from Eldest Brother’s study.” Xie Shiyun said. “I’ll just go in for a moment and come right out.”

Sanjiu hesitated. He knew about Young Master’s recent attitude toward Third Young Master. If he let Third Young Master in without permission, Young Master definitely wouldn’t spare him.

Just then, footsteps sounded—Xie Shi’an had returned.

Xie Shiyun looked up. By the candlelight and moonlight, he saw Xie Shi’an dressed in fine brocade, his aura making people overlook the fact that he was blind in one eye.

He clenched his fists. That word “Eldest Brother” still wouldn’t come out.

Xie Shi’an was also carrying many things—all rewards bestowed by Prince Gongxi, simply because he had a good elder sister who had become an imperial concubine in the Eastern Palace.

Though he had received many rewards, Xie Shi’an felt no happiness whatsoever.

Because Prince Gongxi would soon use this matter as leverage to negotiate with the Empress. Once the Empress knew, Xie Ping would have only one path—death.

On an emotional level, he and Xie Ping were blood siblings who had grown up together. He couldn’t bear for Xie Ping to die like this.

On a rational level, if Xie Ping lived well and stayed in the Eastern Palace, she would forever be his informant, giving him a voice before Prince Gongxi.

But this matter was beyond his control.

Xie Shi’an handed the rewards to Sanjiu and looked coldly at Xie Shiyun before him. “Have you come to your senses?”

“Yes, I’ve come to my senses.” Xie Shiyun lowered his head. “Eldest Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have opposed you.”

Xie Shi’an knew he had learned his lesson. He said indifferently, “Then have Grandmother make you something to eat. Don’t cause any more trouble in the future.”

“Eldest Brother!” Xie Shiyun raised his eyes. “I want to resume my studies. Could I borrow a few books from Eldest Brother?”

Xie Shi’an was somewhat surprised.

Since Xie Shiwei had returned to the manor, he had tried countless times to get Xie Shiwei to study and learn arithmetic—at least learn something that might help him in the future. But Xie Shiwei simply wouldn’t learn.

Xie Shiwei was hopelessly incompetent, but Xie Shiyun was willing to learn.

Though not a full brother from the same mother, they still shared half their blood. Perhaps Xie Shiyun could resolve his rear guard issues.

He nodded. “In my study there are the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic. Each page has annotations I’ve written. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to come ask me.”

Xie Shiyun agreed.

Xie Shi’an walked a few steps, then turned back. “Shiyun, Eldest Brother will tell you once more—your concubine mother’s death truly had nothing to do with me. The one you should resent is the Hu family, not me.”

“I know, Eldest Brother.”

Xie Shiyun gripped his fingers tightly.

Of course he resented the Hu family, but he resented Xie Shi’an even more, because without Xie Shi’an, none of this would have happened…

But now wasn’t the time to break with Xie Shi’an. He needed to study, study many books, and grow strong before he could avenge his concubine mother.