Yun Chu recalled that in her previous life, Prince Pingxi had remained unmarried even into his thirties and forties.

She had never heard of Consort Yin selecting a princess consort for Prince Pingxi.

Of course, it was also possible that in her previous life, she rarely left the Xie family gates, so naturally she wouldn’t know about these imperial matters.

She couldn’t help but think of those two children at Prince Pingxi’s manor.

Though she had seen them not long ago, it felt as if a very long time had passed since their last meeting, and longing surged over her like tidewater.

She didn’t understand why she would miss these two children so much, as if in her previous life they should have had some kind of bond…

When Yun Chu returned to the Xie family, Chen Defu happened to arrive to submit the account books.

The ice shop had been open for over half a month, and the account books showed they had already earned close to forty thousand taels of silver.

After entering June, temperatures continued to rise, and ice prices would increase further, meaning they would earn even more then.

“Madam, the cooling shelter has been set up,” Chen Defu said with a bow. “It can open to welcome the common people tomorrow. Does Madam have any other instructions?”

The cooling shelter was what Yun Chu had mentioned before—a place to provide cooling relief to the common people free of charge. Opened under the Yun family name, during the hottest afternoon hours each day, ice blocks would be placed all around the courtyard so that ordinary people who couldn’t afford to buy ice could also dispel some of midsummer’s oppressive heat.

After thinking for a moment, Yun Chu said, “Prepare some cooling tea to place in the courtyard as well. Common people who need it can help themselves.”

Chen Defu nodded and went to arrange it.

These past few days, business at the ice shop had gotten even better—using the phrase “money pouring in like buckets” would not be an exaggeration.

Fortunately, she had arranged in advance to open several more ice shops, dispersing the customer base. Otherwise, who knows how many people would be red-eyed with envy.

At the same time, Xie Jingyu gradually began to get busier.

Previously, because he had offended Marquis Xuanwu, many of his official duties had been reassigned by Minister Yu.

But now that he had leapt to become Prince An’jing’s future father-in-law, between Prince An’jing and Marquis Xuanwu, there was no need to choose which carried more weight. More and more people came to curry favor.

The gloom that had previously hung over the Xie family seemed to have dissipated just like that.

Though the old matriarch didn’t like Yun Chu, even she sincerely admired this granddaughter-in-law. If not for Yun Chu’s godlike foresight, how could the Xie family have leapt to become imperial relatives?

Once Miss Ping formally became a princess consort, their entire Xie family would rise to another level, no longer the small household of the past that anyone could push around.

Yun Chu received some invitation cards from various madams, but she declined them all using the excuse of being busy arranging the wedding.

Just as she was busy reviewing the account books, Tingshuang hurried in from the doorway. “Madam, someone has come from the palace.”

It turned out that Consort De had sent a governess to specifically teach Xie Ping some palace etiquette.

A smile appeared on Xie Ping’s face. That Consort De would do this showed she had accepted her as her future daughter-in-law. She definitely wouldn’t disappoint Consort De.

She properly curtsied to the arriving Governess Fu. “From now on, I’ll have to trouble Governess Fu.”

“This old servant is merely a subordinate and doesn’t deserve a courtesy from the young mistress.” Governess Fu avoided her curtsy and raised her eyes. “Miss Xie’s curtsy posture is incorrect. If you use such a posture to pay respects to the Empress and His Majesty after entering the palace, you’ll certainly be punished.”

Yun Chu took up the conversation. “Common families have no opportunity to enter the palace. I was also negligent in teaching Miss Ping these things. Please instruct her carefully, Governess Fu. It’s a small matter if our Xie family is punished, but we fear implicating Consort De and Prince An’jing.”

Governess Fu lowered her eyes. “Madam Xie may rest assured. This old servant came to the Xie family precisely to teach the future Princess An’jing these proprieties. If Miss Xie doesn’t learn them in one day, this old servant will reside at the Xie manor for one day.”

Yun Chu nodded and had someone arrange lodging for Governess Fu, in the east wing of Xie Ping’s courtyard.

She calculated in her heart—the wedding was three months away, so Xie Ping would be Princess An’jing for about half a month. The etiquette she painstakingly learned wouldn’t be learned in vain.

Xie Ping was indeed suffering.

She had thought learning palace etiquette would be like studying, but who knew it would be this grueling?

Early in the morning, Governess Fu had her stand in the pavilion with a book balanced on her head and two plates in her hands, standing for a full hour.

After standing, she had to learn how to walk. How simple was walking? Yet Governess Fu made her grip a piece of fruit between her legs. When walking, the fruit couldn’t fall, nor could it be crushed. If she made a mistake, she had to start over, until her skirt hem no longer had the slightest sway when she walked. Only then was Governess Fu barely satisfied.

During this process, Governess Fu would occasionally strike her with a discipline ruler.

Her arms were beaten red, but she didn’t dare even touch them. On an empty stomach, she continued learning to walk.

After a day’s instruction ended, Governess Fu placed a bowl of pitch-black medicine in front of Xie Ping. “Miss Xie, drink this bowl of medicine.”

Xie Ping smelled the nauseating odor and frowned. “What is this?”

“Abortion medicine.” Governess Fu said coldly. “After a man and woman share a bed, pregnancy can occur within seven days. Drink this bowl of medicine, and Miss Xie won’t conceive.”

At Prince An’jing’s manor, any woman who shared the prince’s bed would be fed contraceptive soup the next morning.

Being this many days late, only abortion medicine would work.

Xie Ping’s expression stiffened.

She and Prince An’jing hadn’t gone all the way to that final step. She couldn’t possibly be pregnant.

“Miss Xie and Prince An’jing are not yet married. If you were to have a big belly before the wedding, wouldn’t that make our prince a laughingstock?” Governess Fu said coldly. “Moreover, Miss Xie has not yet had her coming-of-age ceremony and is not suitable for pregnancy. Drink it.”

Xie Ping bit her lip. “Governess, rest assured, I won’t create such scandals.”

She knew that whether contraceptive soup or abortion medicine, both would cause tremendous damage to a woman’s body. She feared becoming like her mother, finding it difficult to conceive again. This medicine could not be drunk.

Governess Fu stared at her coldly. Seeing she had no intention of drinking the medicine, she stepped forward directly and gripped her chin.

“This old servant has offended you.”

A bowl of pitch-black medicine was poured down Xie Ping’s throat. She coughed violently, clutching at her throat. “Go-Governess Fu, you’re teaching me etiquette, yet how can you yourself be so lacking in propriety… I—I am the future Princess An’jing, how dare you be so disrespectful!”

“You are still Miss Xie right now.” Governess Fu stepped back. “When Miss Xie becomes Princess An’jing in the future, this old servant will submit to whatever punishment the princess consort wishes.”

Xie Ping coughed until tears flowed from her eyes.

This was still at the Xie family home, yet a servant already dared to force her to do things she didn’t want to do.

After marrying into Prince An’jing’s manor in the future, going to Consort De’s territory, would she have any room to speak?

Would even a servant dare to ride roughshod over her and bully her?

Xie Ping bit her lower lip, got up and went to the inner chamber, stuck her fingers down her throat, desperately trying to vomit up that medicine.

But it was all in vain.

What happened in Xie Ping’s courtyard naturally reached Yun Chu’s ears.

She shook her head. “This is only the beginning.”

Being bullied by a governess was nothing. In the future, after marrying into Prince An’jing’s manor, when Prince An’jing met with disaster, that would be the real catastrophe.

Just as she was thinking this, she looked up to see Xie Jingyu walking into Sheng Residence.

Dressed in moon-white robes with an elegant bearing, his brisk stride showed his mood was quite good.