Yun Chu smiled with curved lips.

If she and Chu Yi hadn’t yet opened their hearts to each other, as the principal wife, she would definitely prepare concubines and chamber maids for Chu Yi according to worldly customs.

But Chu Yi had very clearly told her that he would absolutely never take concubines.

The more they spent time together, the more she understood this man, and the more she offered up her heart.

Since that was the case, why would she do something that would make herself unhappy?

“Since Second Sister strikes first, then I’ll return the favor.” Yun Chu looked toward the children playing in the warm pavilion and said unhurriedly, “Shen’er had better not stay at the manor after all, to avoid stirring up more unseemly matters.”

“You!”

Princess Qinghua slammed the table and stood up.

This was her own younger brother’s residence. When did it become an outsider’s place to make decisions!

“Second Sister, don’t be angry. Haven’t I become pregnant?” Yun Chu’s face showed a smile. “My health was never good to begin with. Now that I’m pregnant, I have no mind to manage affairs, and I fear Shen’er would suffer grievances at the manor. That’s why I said this.”

Princess Qinghua’s eyes darkened.

This pregnancy of Yun Chu’s was the manor’s truly legitimate heir.

Yi’er already doted so much on Brother Yu and Changsheng, two children of unknown origins. How much more so would he dote on his actual legitimate son?

If Yun Chu used the child as an excuse to refuse Shen’er’s residence, given Yi’er’s temperament, he would definitely agree.

Shen’er could of course stay in the palace beside Consort Yin, but ultimately he wasn’t a member of the Chu family. Going in and out would be too inconvenient, and he would easily be bullied.

Thinking of this, Princess Qinghua slowly exhaled a breath of stale air: “I’ll arrange all the servants for Shen’er myself. You don’t need to manage anything.”

Although her tone was stiff, she ultimately didn’t bring up the matter of Prince Pingxi’s manor’s inner residence again.

After the meal ended, Yun Chu had people take Princess Qinghua and Meng Shen to settle in at Qingfeng Residence.

Princess Qinghua directed servants to unpack luggage and also arranged for someone to wait at the side rooms in the front courtyard. Before long, that person returned to report: “Princess, the Prince has returned to the manor.”

Princess Qinghua rose to go out.

“Mother.” Meng Shen put down his book and stopped her. “During the meal just now, it seemed Mother and Aunt had a dispute. Is Mother now going to find Uncle to complain?”

“You’re just a child. What do you understand?” Princess Qinghua said indifferently. “Read your book properly. I’ll go and return shortly.”

“I think Mother shouldn’t go.” Meng Shen stood up. “We’re now staying at Uncle’s home. Everything is managed by Aunt. We shouldn’t cause more trouble.”

Princess Qinghua sighed.

Her son was very intelligent and very sensible, but precisely because he was too obedient and didn’t tell adults when something happened, she worried even more and was unwilling to let him stay in the palace.

“A new Teacher Wang has come to the Imperial Academy. I’m going to ask your uncle about Teacher Wang’s temperament.” Princess Qinghua touched her son’s head. “Read your book obediently. Don’t overthink.”

She stepped out toward Chu Yi’s study.

Previously, Chu Yi handled official business in Yun Chu’s room in the main courtyard. After Yun Chu became pregnant, she preferred quiet. People coming constantly to report matters affected Yun Chu’s rest, so he returned to handling things at the study.

Having just arrived at the manor, he called several confidants to give instructions.

During this period, court winds and clouds had risen. Though he stayed out of it, he hadn’t stood by idly but had been scheming in the shadows all along.

Now half the Empress’s power to manage the inner palace had fallen into Consort Hui’s hands. Gongsun Ning had been suspended pending investigation. The Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace still had the huge hidden danger of Xie Ping… Overall, the Crown Prince’s side looked worrying.

Chu Yi was thinking about how to help his Crown Prince elder brother.

“Yi’er.”

A voice came from outside the study. Only then did Chu Yi remember that today Second Sister had arrived in the capital and moved into the manor.

He closed the letter on his desk and stepped forward to greet her: “Second Sister, what brings you to the study?”

“Yi’er, this Princess Consort of yours is truly domineering.” Princess Qinghua said coldly. “She was previously married, yet you didn’t disdain her. She actually dares to obstruct you from taking concubines. What kind of airs as principal wife is she putting on?”

Chu Yi’s expression suddenly darkened: “Second Sister came just to say this?”

“She’s now pregnant. Arranging concubines for you is her duty as principal consort!” Qinghua said word by word. “I offered to arrange it for you, yet she wanted to drive Shen’er out of the manor. A woman with such a narrow heart fundamentally doesn’t deserve to be Princess Consort of Pingxi…”

“Enough.” Chu Yi’s eyes were sharp. “I’ll only say this once. If Second Sister insists on interfering in my inner residence affairs, then I’ll act as if I don’t have a nephew named Meng Shen.”

“You, you, you!” Princess Qinghua’s eyes widened. “Before, when you protected her, I thought it was newlywed affection and deep love. Now it’s been nearly a year since the marriage, yet you still put her first in everything. What kind of love potion have you been fed?!”

Emotions surged in Chu Yi’s deep eyes: “Then I don’t mind telling Second Sister—when she married Xie Jingyu back then, I wanted to steal the bride on the spot… If not for considering Mother Consort, if not for considering her reputation, I truly would have done so. So many years have passed, and I’ve finally married her. Does Second Sister know how hard-won this is? Whoever dares destroy this is my enemy, Chu Yi’s enemy.”

Princess Qinghua was frightened by the aura emanating from him.

She took a deep breath and swallowed all the words in her belly.

No matter what, she shouldn’t say anything more today, or they wouldn’t even be able to remain siblings.

Chu Yi looked at her deeply, then stepped out of the study.

Qinghua adjusted her emotions before returning to the courtyard. Just as she was about to bathe, she saw her personal maid come in to report: “Princess, Ding Dong, the daughter of the Prince’s wet nurse, requests an audience.”

Qinghua knew Nanny Er. She was from the same hometown as her own wet nurse. Every year when she returned to the capital, her wet nurse and Nanny Er would gather.

She had just been wondering why Nanny Er wasn’t at the manor, only she hadn’t found an opportunity to inquire.

“Let her in.”

Ding Dong crossed the threshold and entered, properly paying respects to Qinghua.

“Before my mother left the manor, she specially saved these embroidery patterns, saying that when the Princess returned to the capital, I should find a way to give them to the Princess.” Ding Dong held up the embroidery patterns with both hands. “They’re all patterns of flourishing peonies that the Princess likes.”

“How rare that Nanny Er still remembers this little preference of mine.” Qinghua looked at her. “You said your mother left the manor. How could she leave? Where did she go?”

Nanny Er was Yi’er’s wet nurse. By rights, she should remain at the manor for Yi’er to care for in her old age until death. How could she leave?

“Princess, it’s not that this servant won’t say, but that I dare not…” Ding Dong immediately shed tears.

Qinghua sat up straight: “What exactly happened?”

Ding Dong knelt down: “After the Princess Consort entered the household, the Prince became different from before. First, stewardesses who had served for over ten years in the manor were sent away. Then my mother was also sent far away to an estate to retire… This servant has served the Prince in the study since childhood. When the Prince showed this servant a slightly better countenance, the Princess Consort became unhappy. This servant has already been demoted to a third-rank rough-work maid. I’m truly afraid of being driven out and am extremely anxious…”