Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Just Wanting to See Her
After Xie Ping's figure disappeared, Yun Chu took Ting Shuang to stand at the intersection to admire the flowers.
If anyone came, she would know immediately, preventing anyone from seeing Xie Ping's attempt to cozy up to an imperial prince.
She had already done this much; hopefully, Xie Ping would not disappoint her.
The crabapple flowers were brilliantly colored. As Yun Chu was admiring them, she suddenly felt a pain in her ankle. Looking down, she saw a small stone rolling away.
Ting Shuang looked toward the direction of the stone, demanding, "Who is hiding there?"
The broad green leaves rustled, and a short little fellow crawled out.
Yun Chu wore a look of utter disbelief.
It was actually the little young master of the Prince of Pingxi's estate.
This little fellow held a slingshot in one hand, while the other hand was crammed full of small, round stones.
He stood up straight, placed a small stone onto the slingshot, and took aim at Yun Chu's face.
Ting Shuang hurriedly stepped in front of Yun Chu to block him.
"Hmph!" The little fellow said aggressively, "You promised to compensate me with crickets. Where are they?"
Yun Chu: "..."
Why was this business with the crickets never-ending?
"You woman, you don't keep your word!" The little fellow released the slingshot.
A small stone whizzed toward Yun Chu, but it missed her and landed in the grass by the roadside.
"Little young master." Yun Chu took two steps forward, squatted down in front of him, and said in a calm tone, "A total of three crickets were sent to the Prince of Pingxi's estate, yet the little young master wasn't satisfied with any of them. Why doesn't the little young master just speak his mind—what kind of crickets do you actually want?"
Chu Hongyu pressed his lips tightly together.
He didn't really want any crickets; he simply wanted to see this woman.
He had racked his brains and found a way to follow his father to the flower-viewing banquet, originally planning to slip away while his father wasn't paying attention to find this woman.
Who would have thought that this woman was actually at the Grand Princess's estate as well?
His luck was truly good.
Seeing that the little fellow wasn't speaking, Yun Chu pondered for a moment and said, "Then I shall make a unique cricket of a kind for the little young master."
She walked over to the roadside, plucked two slender leaves, and quickly folded them back and forth. In just a short while, a green cricket materialized in the palm of her hand.
She handed it to the little fellow, asking, "Do you like it?"
Chu Hongyu widened his dark, round eyes and asked, "How are you so skilled? Can you teach me?"
"It's very simple." Yun Chu patiently instructed, "You place two leaves overlapping like this, then fold them over, then like this, and right after that..."
In just a few words, the second cricket was already folded.
Chu Hongyu followed Yun Chu's steps one by one, but what he folded in the end was not a cricket at all—it looked rather like a dog...
She couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"You are not allowed to laugh!"
The little fellow became annoyed, picked two more leaves to continue learning, looking as though he wouldn't stop until he mastered it.
Just at that moment, an old nanny hurried over from the path, exclaiming, "Oh, little young master, this old slave has finally found you."
Chu Hongyu's face was full of displeasure. "I told you not to follow me! Why are you still looking for me? Go stay somewhere else."
The old nanny walked over with a stooped back, speaking in a respectful tone, "This old slave dares to ask one thing—was it the little young master who beat the koi fish in the Qinghua Pond to death?"
The little fellow's expression suddenly changed. He let out a huff and continued fussing with the leaves in his hands.
With this attitude of his, how could the old nanny not understand? She bent her back even lower. "Those koi fish were transported from the south by the Grand Princess at great expense. If they die just like this, the Grand Princess will surely hold someone accountable... I ask the little young master to please accompany this old slave and explain the matter clearly to the Grand Princess."
Chu Hongyu sat down flat on the ground. "I won't go. I'm not going."
The nanny was practically on the verge of tears. Two koi fish had died; not only would the maid feeding them suffer, but she, the nanny responsible for looking after the little young master, would also be punished...
"It is not a virtue to never make mistakes, but rather the ability to correct them." Yun Chu's voice carried a gentle warmth. "Does the little young master know what these words mean?"
Chu Hongyu blankly shook his head. Although his father had hired a tutor to teach him to read and write, he often fell asleep during class and didn't absorb much.
"Having no faults at all does not make a person the best; knowing one's errors and being able to reform is the most precious thing of all." Yun Chu looked right at him and firmly stated, "If the death of the Grand Princess's koi fish is related to the little young master, and you bravely admit your mistake, I believe the Grand Princess will not blame you."
Chu Hongyu pressed his lips together.
Of course his Imperial Great-Aunt wouldn't blame him, but the crucial point was that his father was also there...
He raised his head to meet Yun Chu's gaze. Bathed in such tender eyes, he felt a sudden sense of inferiority.
He stood up and said, "Let's go, Nanny."
The nanny looked at Yun Chu with boundless gratitude and said, "Many thanks, Madam."
Yun Chu glanced toward the end of the path and saw Xie Ping walking out from the depths of the woods, her face flushed red, wearing the unmistakable demeanor of a young girl experiencing romantic awakening.
"Were Ping-jie'er's earrings found?"
Xie Ping felt a wave of guilt and hurriedly lowered her head to conceal the flush of spring in her eyes, replying, "Reporting to Mother, they were found."
"Then let's return to the banquet." Yun Chu turned around and walked forward.
Xie Ping cast a glance behind her, then quickly followed in Yun Chu's footsteps.
Upon returning to the banquet area, Yun Chu saw the little fellow nestled in the Grand Princess's arms, acting like a spoiled child. "Imperial Great-Aunt, I did something wrong. Can you forgive me?"
The Grand Princess's heart melted. Initially, she truly hadn't liked this child of unknown birth mother, but the child had a sweet mouth and knew how to please others. As time went on, she naturally grew fond of him.
She pinched the little fellow's cheek and asked, "What wrong thing did our Yu-ge'er do?"
"When I was playing with my slingshot, I accidentally... beat the two koi fish in the pond to death..." Chu Hongyu lowered his head and twiddled his fingers. "Imperial Great-Aunt, I was wrong."
Before the Grand Princess could speak, the Prince of Pingxi, sitting nearby, wore an icy expression as he reached out and grabbed Chu Hongyu by the back of his collar.
"Old Third, what are you doing?" The Grand Princess shielded the child in her arms, saying, "They're just two fish; it's not worth making a huge fuss."
The Prince of Pingxi spoke coldly, "Today he can beat two fish to death, and tomorrow he could kill two people. Blindly doting on him will only make him increasingly lawless."
"To not teach is the father's fault. When it all comes down to it, this is your mistake." The Grand Princess huffed. "Since you don't have time to discipline the child, you should take a princess consort into the estate to discipline the child in your place, rather than resorting to beating and scolding at every turn. Look at what you've scared the child into."
As soon as those words were spoken, the various madams seated below all averted their gazes.
Only daughters of primary wives were worthy of the Prince of Pingxi, but they were unwilling to have their own daughters become stepmothers, and each and every one of them lived in fear of catching the Grand Princess's eye.
The Grand Princess scanned the entire banquet, her gaze finally landing on Yun Chu.
She smiled and said, "I heard that Huaide Academy has a student whom the teachers hold in very high esteem, and he is none other than the Xie family's eldest son. If nothing unexpected happens, he will become the top scorer in this year's imperial examination. For a child to be so outstanding, it is entirely due to his mother's excellent upbringing. Therefore, Old Third, if you take a wife, you ought to marry a woman like Chu-jie'er into your estate."
Yun Chu hastily stood up, saying, "The Grand Princess flatters me; this humble subject's wife does not deserve such praise."
The Prince of Pingxi raised his eyes, his hawk-like gaze fixing upon Yun Chu.