Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Stepping Out for Fresh Air 

Yun Chu followed closely behind Madam Lin as they stepped into the Grand Princess's manor.

By this time, a great many guests had already arrived in the courtyard. Scarcely had they entered when numerous people stepped forward to exchange pleasantries.

"Madam Yun, it has been quite some days since last we met."

"Is this Chu'er? In the blink of an eye she has grown so tall—truly, time spares no one."

"And this must be Ran-er, if I recall correctly she should be turning sixteen this year, and she has blossomed into such a graceful young maiden."

The Yun household was an estate of a first-rank general. Old General Yun had rendered countless meritorious military services, General Yun currently guarded the frontier passes, and the Yun family's standing in the imperial court was a force that no one could ever hope to shake.

It was hardly surprising, therefore, that so many people crowded forward to offer greetings.

Those individuals spoke to Madam Lin with subtle tinges of flattery, yet the moment their gazes swept over Yun Chu, a flicker of faint sympathy invariably crept into their eyes.

As the legitimate daughter of a general's manor, not only had she married downwards into a humble, non-noble family, but she had even lost her capacity to bear children as a mother, forcing her to adopt and raise concubine-born sons and daughters under her own name.

One matron's gaze landed upon Xie Ping, and she could not help asking, "And who might this young lady be?"

Madam Lin smiled warmly and replied, "She is my maternal granddaughter."

Xie Ping stepped forward, dipping into a light, respectful curtsy to formally greet the assembled company.

Astonished expressions instantly rippled across the faces of those present.

They had only ever heard that the general's manor's legitimate daughter was raising a brood of concubine-born children, yet they had no idea that a concubine's daughter had already grown to such a height.

She was merely half a head shorter than Yun Chu, and if not for the lingering trace of childlike innocence on her face, the two of them could have easily passed for sisters close in age.

The sympathy shining in the onlookers' eyes deepened all the more.

A knot of bottled-up frustration weighed heavily in Madam Lin's chest. Marrying her daughter down into a humble household back then had been done, on the one hand, to avoid drawing the sovereign's wary suspicion, and on the other hand, because Xie Jingting had truly appeared to be an upstanding choice.

Yet who could have foreseen that Xie Jingting had already fathered three children prior to their marriage... If not for the fact that Chu'er had lost her maternal status, she would have marched over to make trouble for the Xie family no matter the cost...

Madam Lin offered a faint, polite smile to the crowd and led Yun Chu away in a different direction.

"Chu'er, do you see those two matrons over there?" Madam Lin murmured. "One is Madam Zhang, whose husband serves as a seventh-rank Imperial Academy Doctor, and her eldest legitimate son just passed the xiucai examinations last year. I have laid eyes on that young lad myself—he understands advancement and retreat, making him quite an exceptional youth. The other is Madam Qian, whose husband is a fourth-rank Court of State Ceremonial Minister. Her two legitimate sons are already wed, leaving only a concubine-born son who is currently of a marriageable age..."

Hearing this, Xie Ping raised her head in shock.

Having listened to Madam Lin and Yun Chu converse all along the journey, she naturally understood that their primary purpose in coming to the Grand Princess's estate today was to scout out prospective marital matches for Yun Ran.

Yun Ran was, after all, the cherished young miss of a first-rank general's manor. Yet just listen to the kinds of candidates Madam Lin was considering: a mere seventh-rank minor scholar, and a concubine-born son from a fourth-rank official's household... In her eyes, even a legitimate son from a fourth-rank household would scarcely be worthy of a young lady from a first-rank general's family.

Yet a second later, she recalled that even the legitimate daughter of the general's manor—her very own primary mother—had only managed to marry into the Xie family. Thinking along those lines, this arrangement suddenly didn't seem entirely unacceptable either.

Yun Chu's gaze lingered upon Madam Qian's face. In her previous life, this very Madam Qian had ended up becoming Yun Ran's tyrannical mother-in-law.

Leaving aside how Yun Ran's husband treated her, the sheer cruelty and wickedness perpetrated by Madam Qian alone was a tale that could not be exhausted even if recounted for ten days and ten nights.

Her gentle-natured younger stepsister had been subjected to strict, suffocating household rules imposed by Madam Qian every single day, tormented until she lost all semblance of human form.

In the fourth year following her marriage, just as she had quietly conceived a child unbeknownst to anyone, her mother-in-law forced her to kneel as punishment. She was made to kneel in the freezing, biting snow for three solid hours. Not only did she suffer a miscarriage, but her younger stepsister also contracted a virulent, lingering illness, leaving her bedridden for three to four years before she ultimately breathed her last...

"The Qian family will not do," Yun Chu stated decisively. "As for the Zhang household, we shall need to make thorough inquiries and gather more details before coming to any decision."

Madam Lin's personal favorite had actually been the Qian family, so she could not help asking, "And why is that?"

Yun Chu shook her head. "Mother can simply send someone to investigate Madam Qian's background, and you will understand."

Madam Lin had originally intended to bring Yun Ran over to pay respects to Madam Qian, but hearing Yun Chu speak with such certainty, she instantly dismissed the thought. The group of four settled into their designated seats.

Scarcely had they seated themselves when the Grand Princess made her grand entrance.

Flanking the Grand Princess were two young men clad in opulent, luxurious robes—none other than the Third Prince, the Prince of Pingxi, and the Fourth Prince, the Prince of Anjing.

The entire assembly rose in unison to offer their respectful greetings.

"We pay our respects to the Grand Princess, the Prince of Pingxi, and the Prince of Anjing!"

The Grand Princess raised a hand with a warm smile. "Since you are all guests within my manor, there is no need for such rigid formalities. Please, be seated."

The noble matrons attending the banquet were all well aware in their hearts that the Grand Princess's gathering today was undoubtedly intended to scout out suitable imperial consort candidates for the Prince of Pingxi and the Prince of Anjing.

Though the Prince of Pingxi had accomplished dazzling, illustrious military feats, because he already possessed a pair of young children, he was far from anyone's primary choice. Consequently, the fervent gazes of the crowd were overwhelmingly cast toward the Prince of Anjing.

"Third Brother, whatever possessed you to bring Yu-er along here?" The Grand Princess cast a slightly annoyed glance toward the Prince of Pingxi. "Are you afraid others might not know you have a son, or are you trying to scare off any matron who might otherwise wish to marry her daughter to you?"

The Prince of Pingxi lifted his wine cup and took a leisurely sip. "He insisted on tagging along. What other choice did I have?"

The Grand Princess's gaze dropped upon the child, who looked as though he had been exquisitely carved out of jade. If not for the fact that the boy's brows and eyes were an exact replica of her third brother's, she likely wouldn't have been able to muster even a shred of genuine fondness for him.

"Yu-er," the Grand Princess called out gently. "Are you looking for someone?"

Chu Hongyu hurriedly withdrew his gaze, flashing an innocent, harmless grin. "Imperial Great-Aunt, I just thought this place looked so lively! May I go run around and play?"

"Go on, then, and play," the Grand Princess instructed, pointing toward a senior matron by her side. "Keep a close eye on the little Prince, and make sure he doesn't bump into anything or take a tumble."

Granted permission, the little fellow wiggled his short legs and scampered off toward the edge of the pavilion.

Yun Chu's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the little boy. It was only after the child vanished down a winding garden path that she realized she had been staring at him for quite some time.

"The Prince of Pingxi followed your father onto the battlefield when he was only fifteen years old," Madam Lin murmured softly. "He has always been a steadfast and prudent young man. Who knows how he suddenly came to have a pair of children out of nowhere. The children's biological mother remains a mystery, yet he was still officially conferred the title of Heir. I fear the prominent noble houses in the capital will not easily dare to marry their daughters off to become the Princess of Pingxi..."

Yun Chu nodded in complete agreement.

In her previous life, right up until the day she died, the Prince of Pingxi had never taken a wife.

The great aristocratic families were unwilling to let their daughters marry into a household only to step into the role of a stepmother, while the Prince of Pingxi himself disdained the daughters of lesser, humble families.

While Yun Chu was conversing with Madam Lin, her peripheral vision caught sight of Xie Ping, whose eyes were locked unblinkingly upon the Fourth Prince, the Prince of Anjing, seated at the highest vantage point.

A slight twitch tugged at the corner of Yun Chu's lips. True to form, things were proceeding exactly as they had in her past life—Xie Ping had fallen head over heels in love with the Fourth Prince at first sight.

Just at that moment, the Fourth Prince abruptly stood up from his seat and departed.

Sensing that Xie Ping was beginning to grow restless and eager to move, Yun Chu decided to lend a helping hand.

She set down her chopsticks and spoke up, "Mother, I find it a bit stuffy in here. I'd like to step outside for some fresh air."

Madam Lin asked with immediate concern, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Shall I have a word with the Grand Princess so we can head home early?"

"A brief stroll outside to catch some fresh air will be quite enough," Yun Chu said as she stood up. "Ping-ge'er, accompany me for a short walk; we will be right back, so Mother need not worry."

Delight bloomed brightly across Xie Ping's face.

Yun Chu led Xie Ping away from the banquet seating, with Tingshuang trailing quietly a few paces behind them.

Scarcely had they reached a secluded courtyard a short distance away when Xie Ping let out a soft exclamation of dismay. "Mother, my pearl earring has fallen off! Whatever shall I do?"

Tingshuang lowered her head. "This slave shall retrace our steps and help the Elder Miss search for it."

"How could I possibly trouble Sister Tingshuang?" Xie Ping demurred. "It must have dropped somewhere amidst the flower beds and shrubbery. I can easily find it myself if I just retrace my path alone."

This time, visiting the Grand Princess's estate, both Madam Lin and Yun Chu had only brought a single personal maid along, leaving Xie Ping with no dedicated attendant of her own. She would have to walk back by herself.

Tingshuang felt this arrangement was somewhat improper and opened her mouth to speak, but upon seeing Yun Chu give a subtle shake of her head, she swallowed the words back down.