Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 114
Chapter 114 - It Is Hard to Find Sweetness in Life
After taking a short nap, Yun Chu woke up.
Opening her eyes, she saw a little face magnified right in front of her.
"Aunty, you're awake."
Chu Hongyu was crouching by the bedside, looking exceedingly well-behaved.
"The little prince insisted on coming in to watch you sleep," Liu Qianqian said with a helpless expression as she lowered her head. "Little Prince, can we head outside now?"
Chu Hongyu shook his head like a rattle-drum: "It's so boring for Aunty to wake up all alone. How about I tell Aunty a story here?"
Propping herself up just a bit, Yun Chu reached out to touch his body: "You weren't scared out of your wits last night, were you?"
"With Aunty protecting me, I wasn't scared at all!" The little fellow patted his chest before letting out a soft sigh. "Father said that a real man must protect women, but I'm too young to protect you yet. Don't worry, Aunty, when I grow up, if anyone dares to bully you, I'll pay them back tenfold!"
Stealing a glance at Liu Qianqian standing nearby, he leaned close to Yun Chu's ear and whispered, "When I grow up, I'll take Father's place and marry you home so I can proudly call you Mother!"
Yun Chu was left speechless.
She stroked the child's head. "Then Aunty will thank you in advance."
In her heart, Liu Qianqian marveled at how deeply affectionate the child seemed toward Chu'er; anyone unaware of the truth would likely mistake them for a mother and son.
"Aunty, I read a very interesting story in a book yesterday. Let me tell it to you," the little fellow began. "The book says there was a child who was exceptionally clever and learned everything instantly, making his father immensely proud..."
As he spoke, he scrambled right up onto Yun Chu's bed.
It was the height of summer, and Yun Chu was only covered by a thin quilt. Not minding the heat at all, the little fellow burrowed into Yun Chu's embrace beneath the covers and launched into his tale with great relish.
Though she had just woken from a nap, Yun Chu's severe injuries had not yet healed. After speaking for a little while, her head began to grow heavy and dizzy once more.
Tingshuang walked in carrying a bowl of freshly brewed medicine, ready to help her drink it.
Chu Hongyu scrambled off the bed: "Let me do it, let me do it! Can I feed Aunty her medicine?"
Scooping up a spoonful of the medicine, he blew on it once, blew on it again, and only then carefully brought it to Yun Chu's lips.
After swallowing the medicine, Yun Chu smiled and said, "Thank you, Yu Ge'er."
Although the child was young, once he set his mind on doing something, he was determined to do it right. With utmost seriousness, he actually finished feeding the entire bowl of medicine.
The moment he finished feeding her, he hurriedly asked Tingshuang, "Where are the candied fruits?"
Tingshuang lowered her head and replied, "Madam doesn't care for overly sweet things, so we didn't prepare any candied fruits."
"How can that do?" The little fellow furrowed his brows. "Every time I take medicine, it's so bitter, so bitter. If you don't eat something sweet, that bitterness lingers in your mouth all day long—it's so uncomfortable..."
Fumbling around in his pockets, he retrieved something. "When we were leaving, Nanny gave me a candied jujube. Aunty, open your mouth, say ah—"
Even though Yun Chu wasn't particularly fond of sweets, this was the little fellow's kind gesture, and she had no reason to refuse. Opening her mouth, she let him slip a candied jujube inside.
A rich sweetness spread across her palate, and her heart seemed to steep within a honey jar, feeling warm and sweet.
Life was far too bitter; she almost couldn't bear to swallow this mouthful of sweetness.
"Aunty, you need to rest well after taking your medicine. I'm going to head out now." Chu Hongyu hopped down from the couch and stood obediently by the bedside. "Tomorrow I'll bring Changsheng along to come see Aunty."
Liu Qianqian looked on in astonishment.
So, the little princess of the Prince of Pingxi's estate shared a very good relationship with Chu'er as well?
Confined as Chu'er always was to the inner quarters of the Xie household, how had she ever found the opportunity to grow so close to the little prince and little princess?
Out in the courtyard, Chu Hongyu walked obediently to Chu Yi's side: "Father, Auntie Yun is resting now, let's go back too."
For the first time, Chu Yi felt his son was showing some sense.
He had half-expected this rascal to linger at the Yun residence and refuse to leave, and was fully prepared to use thunderous methods to drag the child back to the estate...
"Father, Aunty Yun asked how Changsheng is doing, so I'm bringing Changsheng to visit tomorrow."
Chu Yi pinched the bridge of his nose.
They had agreed to visit only once—who on earth agreed to come back tomorrow?
While Madam Xie had saved the boy's life, visiting too often was inappropriate. There were plenty of ways to express gratitude beyond endlessly dropping by.
As a grown man bringing his son to visit another man's female family member day after day—if word got out, the one affected wouldn't be him, but Madam Xie. His abrupt actions had already caused her enough distress; if he came to the Yun estate every single day, Madam Xie might suspect he had ulterior motives...
At this thought, the image of that slender waist—so delicate it seemed a single grasp could span it—flashed before Chu Yi's eyes.
Realizing what he was thinking, the tips of his ears turned red of their own accord. Coughing softly to clear his throat, he maintained a placid expression and said, "Lord Yun, Lady Yun, this prince will take his leave."
Nodding, Yun Ze personally escorted the two of them out.
As they reached the exterior, a carriage came to a halt right in front of the Yun estate's main entrance.
Frowning slightly, Yun Ze noted that with his father away from the capital, visitors to the Yun household were rare. Why were they arriving wave after wave today?
Glancing at the carriage, he recognized it as belonging to the Marquis of Xuanwu's estate.
Qin Mingheng had heard that the Yun residence had summoned a female physician in the dead of night for medical treatment. Early that morning, he had deliberately invited a female physician to his own estate to check on his wife's pulse, only to learn upon inquiry that Yun Chu's carriage had met with an accident and she was currently recuperating at the Yun estate.
Feeling rather concerned, he had come to the Yun residence to gather news.
To his surprise, the moment he stepped down from his carriage, he ran straight into the Prince of Pingxi.
As a marquis without real power or a royal bloodline, he was a mere nobody before an imperial prince personally ennobled by the Emperor. He immediately lowered his head and bowed: "This official pays respects to Your Highness."
Chu Yi stared at him coldly.
Over the past few years, he had been exceedingly busy. On one hand, he traveled far and wide trying to find cures for his two children; on the other hand, he carried out imperial decrees to suppress bandits across various provinces and prefectures, rarely spending time in the capital.
Recently, he had finally managed to stay in the capital for an extended period, having repeatedly invited the Marquis of Xuanwu for tea, only for the Marquis to consistently dodge him.
He had just been preparing to forcibly compel the Marquis of Xuanwu to enter the Prince's Estate when he unexpectedly bumped into him right at the gates of the Yun residence—this was a golden opportunity.
"When this prince previously invited the Marquis for tea, the Marquis claimed to be unwell. Yet looking at you now, your spirits seem quite robust," Chu Yi stated. "It just so happens that I have a few matters to ask the Marquis about."
Keeping his head lowered, Qin Mingheng gripped his paper fan tightly.
After the incident five years ago, the Prince of Pingxi had questioned him once.
After the two children were born, the Prince of Pingxi had cornered and questioned him yet again.
Never did he expect that after all these years, the questioning would still continue!
Following Chu Yi to the stone lion in front of the Yun estate's entrance, Qin Mingheng spoke up: "Your Highness, this official has stated long ago that after that woman was humiliated five years ago, she went into hiding. It wasn't until she went into premature labor that this official discovered her whereabouts, but by the time I arrived, she had already died in dystocia, and the two infants had lost their breath as well... Believing the children were dead and not daring to deliver them to the Prince's Estate, I discarded them along the path Your Highness was bound to travel... If Your Highness refuses to believe me, you are welcome to send men to investigate."
Even now, he still found it hard to believe that those two newborn infants on the brink of death had actually been raised and kept alive!
He would never, under any circumstances, tell Chu Yi that the woman back then was none other than the eldest miss of the Yun family!
A woman he could not have, he would never allow anyone else to possess, either!
A cold, icy expression rested on Chu Yi's lips.
If the matter could be easily investigated, he wouldn't need to keep asking.
He spoke up: "What this prince wishes to ask the Marquis is whether that woman left behind any other family members?"
The imperial physicians had said that Changsheng's condition required the companionship of close family; perhaps one day that might prompt him to speak. Yet their mother was already dead, and even with all his boundless authority, there was nothing he could do.
Within the imperial family, familial affection was an entirely illusory concept.
For a long time, he had wanted to find the family of the children's biological mother, but his constant preoccupation with bandit suppression had kept him away. Now, he had finally cornered the Marquis of Xuanwu.
That woman had died in childbirth, and over the years, he had always carried a lingering knot in his heart. If he could find the woman's family, he would treat them well and make proper amends…