Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 109
Chapter 109 - Thank You, Aunt Yun
Yun Chu walked through the streets with no particular destination in mind.
The three companions accompanying her—Tingshuang, Qiutong, and Yu Ke—had heard every single word of the conversation between her and Qin Mingheng loud and clear, and worry was etched deeply across both maidservants' faces.
Qiutong, in particular, had only come to the Xie estate to teach Yun Chu martial arts and had paid little attention to the affairs of the inner residences; what she had heard today completely upended everything she had ever known.
"Mistress, you must report this matter to the Yun family!" Qiutong said in a low, furious voice. "Xie Jingyu is utterly worthless as a human being, and Marquis Xuanwu is no better!"
For a servant to directly call out the given names of her masters and titled nobles was an act of grave disrespect; evidently, she had been pushed to the absolute pinnacle of rage.
"Tell the Yun family, and then what? Ask the elders of the Yun clan to step forward and demand a divorce?" Yun Chu smiled faintly. "Once we divorce, wouldn't we simply be letting the Xie family off far too easily?"
Leaving aside the impact a divorce would bring upon the Yun family, even if she agreed to it, what then? To return to the Yun family post-divorce and let her mother and eldest brother execute her enemies with their own hands?
She was no longer a three-year-old child; she had long since passed the age where she would run to her family to complain the moment she suffered a grievance.
However, she would relate everything that had happened back to the Yun family—she would tell her father every single detail.
She spoke softly, "Arrange for more people to inquire about that snowy night four years ago. No matter how much silver it takes, no matter how much time it consumes, you must..."
"Mother!"
At that exact moment, a resounding voice rang out.
Even without raising her head, Yun Chu knew whose voice it was.
Following the sound, she looked up and saw Chu Hongyu clad in snow-white brocade robes, pattering over to her on rapid little feet before throwing himself straight into her arms.
"Mother! Mother!" The little fellow's eyes sparkled brightly. "We are truly destined to meet! To run into each other even out here!"
Yun Chu stroked his head gently and said, "Yu'er, I am not your mother. You must not address me this way in the future."
What had initially been a little secret between the two of them had been overheard by the Yin family during her last visit, as well as by the Prince of Pingxi. Now, the retinue of attendants trailing behind the little fellow had heard it as well; once a secret ceased to be a secret, an increasing number of people would inevitably learn of it.
Before long, endless waves of gossip and rumors would follow closely behind.
There was no need to invite unnecessary trouble.
Chu Hongyu blinked in surprise, then obediently stood straight, pouting as he mumbled, "Aunt Yun, are you still angry about what happened last time?"
"I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have framed Miss Tan, I shouldn't have lied, I shouldn't have run away just because I lost my temper, and I certainly shouldn't have deliberately pushed Aunt Yun." The little fellow cautiously reached out to tug at the edge of Yun Chu's sleeve. "Aunt Yun, Father said that as long as I study diligently, you will forgive me. I've been studying hard these past few days—I can recite the Hundred Family Surnames for you: Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou..."
He rattled it off in a single breath, then boasted proudly, "Because I learn so quickly, Father specially permitted me to come out and play! He even said that as long as I keep this up, I'll have three days every month to leave the estate, and I'll never have to sneak out of the Prince's Manor again."
Seeing that A'mao was not the only one following behind him, Yun Chu knew he must have genuinely obtained permission to venture outside.
It had been a while since she last saw the little fellow, and trapped beneath a pall of gloomy spirits as she currently was, this child felt like a beam of light piercing straight into her chest.
He allowed her to temporarily forget those sorrowful and agonizing events, granting her a fleeting moment of genuine joy.
Taking the little fellow's small hand in hers, she asked, "How is Changsheng? How has her health been lately?"
"Father caught a little cat and brought it back for Changsheng," the little fellow chattered away endlessly without stopping. "Changsheng loves little cats the most, but whenever she touches cat fur, she breaks out in lots of little rashes, so she can only watch it from afar. Still, just being able to see the little cat makes her very happy! Changsheng used to love coiling up inside her room without stepping outside, but ever since she got the cat, she often goes out into the courtyard to look at it..."
The corners of Yun Chu's eyes and brows involuntarily curved into a smile.
Leading the little fellow by the hand, she strolled around the market for a spell and purchased a crate of small trinkets. "Half of these are for Changsheng, the other half are for you, and these few items here are gifts for the little cat."
"Thank you, Moth—thank you, Aunt Yun!" Chu Hongyu's eyes and brows curved into happy crescents. "Let's make a promise to meet again in seven days, alright? I'll bring Changsheng out with me."
He extended his little finger, insisting on making a pinky promise with Yun Chu.
Yun Chu bent down, stretched out her own little finger, and hooked it together with his.
"Pinky promise, seal the bond, for a hundred years we shall never—"
Before she could finish the rhyme, a sudden burst of commotion erupted down the street. The crowd surged in panic, accompanied by the sharp whinnying of horses.
Looking up, she saw nearly ten men mounted on towering steeds galloping directly into the bustling market street. Moving at breakneck speed, the riders plowed through several stalls, overturning them completely, while innocent pedestrians were sent rolling across the ground in pain. The entire avenue plunged into sudden, chaotic disorder.
"Protect the Young Prince!" Guard A'mao suddenly bellowed at the top of his lungs, prompting Chu Hongyu's retainers to rush forward and form a tight protective circle around him.
Qiutong and Yu Ke, both of whom accompanied Yun Chu and possessed martial arts training, immediately positioned themselves in front of Yun Chu. A cluster of people crowded tightly around Yun Chu and Chu Hongyu, retreating to the safety of the shop walls lining the side of the street.
They had originally thought that by dodging the stampeding horses they would be safe from harm, but the racing, towering steeds abruptly hauled to a halt right in front of them.
The riders atop the horses fiercely unholstered the long sabers strapped to their waists, slashing viciously through the air. In a flash of steel, two of the guards who had accompanied Chu Hongyu out of the manor were struck down, blood spraying across the ground as they collapsed.
Immediately following this, two figures in black cloaks leaped down from their saddles, charging straight toward Chu Hongyu.
Realizing instantly that this faction of men was targeting the little child, Yun Chu bent down, scooped the boy into her arms, and bolted away at a dead run.
Qiutong and Yu Ke rushed to shield them as they fled.
A'mao led the remaining guards of the Prince of Pingxi's Manor to hold off the black-clad assassins.
Tingshuang, lacking any martial arts skills and fearing she would only become dead weight, turned and sprinted back toward the Prince's Manor; she had to rush back and raise the alarm.
As a native-born resident of the capital thoroughly familiar with its streets, Yun Chu knew that just ahead, around the corner, lay the city's Dali Temple.
Since the Dali Temple was the seat of judicial investigation and garrisoned by numerous bailiffs and constables, reaching that place would guarantee their safety.
Who would have anticipated that before they even reached the turning point, the thunder of galloping hooves would erupt directly behind them.
"Mistress, run!"
With a sharp cry, Qiutong whirled around to engage the mounted assailants in close combat.
Yu Ke had intended to continue escorting Yun Chu and the Young Prince, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Qiutong's shoulder being slashed open by a blade.
With the enemy mounted, possessing the high ground, and outnumbering them significantly, Qiutong—as a lone woman—was simply no match for them. With a sudden bound, Yu Ke lunged forward and thrust his blade straight into the chest of the horseman, sending the black-clad assassin tumbling from his mount with a miserable shriek.
Working in tandem, the two of them managed to fight the group of assassins to a precarious standstill.
Clasping the child tightly in her arms, Yun Chu ran for her life. The moment she rounded the corner, however, the heavy sound of approaching hooves echoed in her ears.
A cold sense of dread seized her heart—there was another detachment of this same gang blocking the path ahead.
The instant she spun around to retrace her steps, a black-robed assassin materialized behind her as well, trapping her firmly between front and rear.
Although she had been studying martial arts under Qiutong for a brief period, she was still a half-baked amateur who stood no chance in a real fight, let alone encumbered by a child in her arms.
"Young Prince, if you want to blame someone, blame your father for being so ruthless and cruel. We are simply driven to a desperate end!" the lead assassin stated in a chilling tone. "Take them!"
Affording Yun Chu no opportunity to resist or stall for time until reinforcements arrived, the assassin brought the heavy hilt of his saber crashing down against the back of her neck, plunging her straight into darkness as she lost consciousness.