The Li family old matriarch’s birthday banquet was quite lively.

Yun Chu and Changsheng sat down in the banquet hall. She looked around but didn’t see Li Jingshu.

Li Jingshu was the Li family’s legitimate eldest daughter. Her own grandmother was celebrating her birthday, so logically speaking, she shouldn’t be absent from offering birthday wishes.

Just as she was thinking this, she heard the estate’s matron announce loudly: “Madam Jin has sent someone with birthday gifts. Old Matriarch, please inspect them!”

Yun Chu keenly noticed that Old Matriarch Li’s previously smiling face showed a trace of coldness, immediately covered by her smile: “Present them.”

Servants carried in a huge red coral bonsai. Everyone gasped.

“This red coral must be worth at least ten thousand taels of silver.”

“The Duke’s estate has fallen, yet Madam Jin can still produce such precious things as birthday gifts.”

“What do you know? Every year for the Old Matriarch’s birthday, Madam Jin sends extremely precious gifts. She’s extremely filial.”

“If she were truly filial, she wouldn’t refuse to return to the Li family. I heard that in the nearly thirty years since marrying into the Duke’s estate, she’s never returned to her natal home.”

“Really…”

Yun Chu drank her tea, quietly listening to everyone’s discussion.

Over these years, the Li family had risen rapidly, which was enough to show that Li Jingshu hadn’t truly cut off all contact with the Li family. So why didn’t she return to the Li family?

She turned to Changsheng beside her: “Mother is going to change clothes. Sit obediently and don’t wander off.”

Chu Changsheng was no longer as clingy as before and nodded: “Mother, don’t worry.”

Yun Chu stood up and said to Tingfeng behind her: “Watch over Changsheng.”

She took Qiutong with her and headed toward the back of the banquet hall.

The changing room was just past a screen, through a small path. Yun Chu deliberately took the wrong route.

She came to the Li family precisely to investigate this matter and naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

Qiutong pulled out a map from her sleeve: “Li Jingshu’s former residence is here. In the entire Duke’s estate, aside from the main courtyard, the largest courtyard is still kept empty for her to this day.”

“Let’s go take a look.”

Yun Chu walked in that direction.

Because the Li family was holding a banquet, the men were all in the front courtyard, and the women were all in the second courtyard. The back area was basically empty.

The master and servant quickly reached the courtyard marked on the map. Before getting close, they could see the blooming flowers and trees, and several young ladies standing at the courtyard entrance.

“Eldest Sister, you’re the legitimate eldest daughter of our generation. This courtyard should be your residence.”

“Exactly. I don’t understand—our aunt hasn’t returned home in so many years, so why is this courtyard still being kept for her?”

“Back then, our aunt was especially favored by the Old Matriarch. All the good things in the estate were given to her and placed in this courtyard. Let’s go in and take a look.”

The group of young ladies wanted to enter but were blocked by two old servants at the gate.

After a few exchanges, it ended with the group of young ladies leaving in a huff.

Yun Chu gave Qiutong a look.

Qiutong rose on her toes and leaped into the courtyard.

Yun Chu quickly walked up behind the group of young ladies and called out: “Excuse me, is this Miss Li?”

The young ladies turned around.

Some of them had attended palace banquets and naturally recognized Yun Chu. They immediately bowed: “Greetings to Princess Consort Pingxi.”

At the same time, they looked at her with some curiosity. This was the Li family’s back courtyard—how could Princess Consort Pingxi appear here?

“I went to change clothes and got lost.” Yun Chu said awkwardly. “Could I trouble Miss Li to lead me to the banquet hall?”

Miss Li naturally nodded.

On the way, Yun Chu casually said: “Earlier I saw that red coral bonsai. It’s truly beautiful. Madam Jin is so generous—she must regularly send you younger generation members many rare treasures, right?”

The Li family’s legitimate eldest daughter sighed: “To say something I shouldn’t—I’ve grown this big and have never met our aunt in private.”

She had only seen her aunt from afar a few times at palace banquets. She’d never spoken a word to her privately, so how could she possibly receive novel trinkets from her?

“Really?” Yun Chu showed surprise. “Madam Jin has never returned to the Li family?”

The Li family’s legitimate eldest daughter sighed and said nothing.

The other young ladies chattered away.

“That’s right, our aunt has never returned even once, yet the Old Matriarch still keeps her residence for her.”

“I’ve never attended a palace banquet, so I don’t even know what our aunt looks like.”

“I heard that our aunt isn’t actually the current Old Madam’s biological daughter, so…”

Yun Chu’s eyes narrowed.

As they talked, they returned to the banquet hall.

Qiutong had also returned and whispered: “The room is spotless—someone must clean it daily. The decorations and furnishings are all like those in a young lady’s boudoir. I imagine they haven’t been changed over all these years…”

Yun Chu nodded.

She already had a rough guess in her heart.

She would know after finding Old Madam Li to probe a bit.

When Yun Chu went to speak with Old Madam Li, Chu Changsheng sat obediently in her seat eating refreshments.

She was now already over six years old—a big girl. By winter, she would be a full seven years old and already possessed the bearing expected of a noble young lady.

“Young County Princess.”

A group of noble young ladies approached.

Chu Changsheng put down the food in her hand and raised her head, a smile appearing on her face: “Miss Zhou, Miss Yu…”

She didn’t actually recognize these people. It was Tingfeng behind her prompting her, which allowed her to call out each person’s surname.

In the past, she would never have greeted them. She would either lower her head and remain silent or turn and hide behind Tingfeng.

But Father and Mother had told her that she was an imperial princess and must face these things. Even if she didn’t like it, she had to learn to socialize and make connections.

She spoke: “Would you like to sit down and eat together?”

Many noble ladies had gotten up to socialize and chat, so the seats beside her were empty. Chu Changsheng showed enthusiastic invitation.

The leading noble girl appeared to be about eight or nine years old. She covered her mouth and smiled: “I heard that County Princess Changsheng found a lowborn person as her study companion. Is this true?”

The smile on Chu Changsheng’s face instantly disappeared.

Those two words—lowborn person—filled her with extreme resistance and disgust.

Xian wasn’t a lowborn person. She was her best friend.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions in her heart, and put on a smile again: “Would Miss Zhou be willing to be my study companion?”

The leading noble girl was the Zhou family’s legitimate daughter. The Zhou family held first rank. She considered herself not inferior to Chu Changsheng, this county princess.

But she wasn’t the eldest daughter, so she wasn’t qualified to study at the Imperial Academy. If she became an imperial princess’s study companion, she could attend the Imperial Academy.

She immediately changed her expression, her face full of smiles: “Of course I’d be willing.”

“But… I’m not willing.” Chu Changsheng enunciated each word clearly, each pronunciation distinct. “I would rather have a lowborn person as my study companion than have Miss Zhou. Miss Zhou isn’t even as good as a lowborn person—is that what you mean?”

Miss Zhou’s eyes immediately widened: “You, you you… how could you…”

“Miss Zhou, listen clearly—Xie Xian is not a lowborn person.” Chu Changsheng raised her head. “You just want to enter the Imperial Academy, don’t you? Xie Xian can enter, but you cannot. Therefore, you have no right to mock her.”