Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 92
Chapter 92 - Her Heart is as Still as Water
"Your Highness, it is all this subject's daughter's fault. It was my failure to properly look after the little heir, and I beg Your Highness to punish me."
Second Miss Tan's face was as pale as earth; she was clearly frightened out of her wits.
Seeing the Prince of Pingxi arrive, she hurriedly walked over, curtsying with her head lowered, feeling anxious and uneasy to the absolute extreme.
On his way over, Chu Yi had already heard reports of the entire incident's sequence, even though the servants hadn't dared to state outright that the little heir had framed Second Miss Tan.
Yet as the child's father, how could he not understand just how mischievous this boy was?
It came as no surprise that the child would resort to such methods to achieve his goal.
Chu Yi spoke up, "It is this prince who should offer an apology on behalf of my unfilial son."
Second Miss Tan was somewhat surprised.
The Prince of Pingxi had stepped onto the battlefield at the age of fifteen and achieved brilliant military exploits, and people in the capital all said the Prince of Pingxi possessed an eccentric temper. Why did she find him rather agreeable instead?
She had committed such a massive blunder, yet the Prince of Pingxi wasn't holding it against her and was actually apologizing to her?
"Second Miss Tan, your time has been wasted these past few days. I will compensate Master Tan for this." Chu Yi looked toward the servants at his side. "You few, safely escort Second Miss Tan back to her residence."
"Understood!"
Two guards and two matronly servants stepped forward, simultaneously making a gesture of invitation.
Second Miss Tan was far from brainless. The moment she heard Chu Yi's words, she understood: her being summoned round-robin by members of the royal family over the past few days had essentially been for naught. No matter how satisfied the royals might be with her, the little heir was dissatisfied, and on top of that, she had caused the little heir to fall into the water... For this single incident alone, the Prince of Pingxi would never marry her and bring her into the estate.
The only consolation was that the Prince of Pingxi had stated he would compensate her for the time lost these past few days, which hopefully would bring some benefit to her father's official career.
"Then this subject's daughter will take her leave first."
Second Miss Tan curtsied, turned around, and boarded her carriage.
While Chu Yi and Second Miss Tan were conversing, Yun Chu had already wrapped herself in Tingfeng's clothes and straightened her posture.
She glanced at the little fellow being held in Mother Zheng's arms; he still had the energy to speak, so he was probably fine.
She walked toward Chu Yi, maintaining a distance of five or six paces, and curtsied as she said, "Many thanks to Your Highness for the rescue. This married woman will take her leave first."
"It is this prince who should offer thanks to Madam Xie." Chu Yi looked at her, seeing only her damp hair. "Had it not been for Madam Xie risking her life to save him, my unfilial son would likely have already... It is a little under half an hour's journey from here back to the capital, and Madam Xie is bound to catch a chill traveling back in this state. Coincidentally, this prince has an estate nearby; wouldn't it be better for Madam Xie to change into a fresh set of garments before leaving?"
Yun Chu lowered her head, pondering how to refuse.
Just a moment ago, she had been thoroughly soaked and held tightly in this man's arms. As a married woman, she ought not to be so close to another man.
In her previous life, she would have been consumed by agonizing regret over such an incident, even feeling that she had betrayed Xie Jingyu.
But as for now? Her heart was as still as water, and she had long since ceased to care about such matters.
Of course, not caring did not mean she was willing to follow him to the Prince of Pingxi's estate.
Just as Yun Chu was about to speak, she felt the hem of her skirt being tugged.
Looking down, she saw Chu Hongyu.
The little fellow had jumped down from Mother Zheng's arms at some point, lifting his small head as he said, "Mother, Changsheng drew a dress for you and had the servants make it overnight. She said she would give it to you as a gift the next time she saw you. I'll have someone go retrieve it from the prince's estate right now so you can wear it, Mother; it's bound to look exceptionally pretty."
Before Yun Chu could say a word, he instructed A-Mao to hurry off.
A-Mao vaulted onto the back of a blood-sweating steed and vanished down the path in the blink of an eye.
Hearing the little young master address Yun Chu as "Mother," Mother Zheng and the entire entourage of servants were completely dumbfounded.
Yet when they noticed that the Prince didn't seem to find anything wrong with it in the slightest, they were shocked to an even greater extreme...
Mother Zheng's heart suddenly gave a jolt. Could it be that their Prince fancied a matron like Madam Xie?
Good heavens, no wonder the Prince had never married all this time—so that was why...
She turned her head to cast a warning glare at the group of maidservants and pages beside her, signaling that no one was permitted to breathe a word of such a monumental secret...
Yun Chu's previously resolute determination to refuse melted away the instant she heard the name Changsheng.
Though Changsheng could not speak, she was exceptionally talented at painting. Yun Chu found herself unexpectedly eager to see what kind of dress she had drawn; she had never anticipated a gift with such longing before.
With so many servants present, it could hardly be considered a breach of propriety.
Chu Yi ordered a carriage to be brought over, and Yun Chu boarded it alongside her two maidservants, with Yu Ke driving from the front.
The estate was indeed close by. Yun Chu felt as though they had only just climbed aboard when they arrived at the destination. Pulling back the curtain, she beheld a moderately sized estate.
The advance party had already sent word ahead, and the servants were waiting at the estate gates to welcome and pay their respects, subsequently guiding Yun Chu and her entourage to the nearest courtyard where hot water and other necessities had already been prepared.
Tingshuang was also thoroughly soaked through and went to bathe in the neighboring side-chamber.
Tingfeng stayed behind to attend to Yun Chu's bath.
Being on someone else's territory, it was naturally unlike being at home. After quickly washing away the grime from her body and hair, she emerged without delay.
At that moment, the servant sent to retrieve the clothes from the prince's estate had also delivered them. A maidservant knocked and entered, standing outside the screen as she respectfully reported, "Madam Xie, this servant has placed your garments right here."
The maidservant set down the tray and light-footedly retreated.
Tingfeng shook out the garment and gasped in astonishment, "Goodness, this dress is simply too gorgeous! How is the little princess so extraordinarily talented?"
Yun Chu looked over. It was a long gown crafted from water-cloud brocade, embroidered all over with camellias in various colors. Although there were many hues, they were all composed of understated, elegant threads, preventing it from looking cluttered and instead imparting a fresh, exquisite beauty.
Near the cuffs of the dress, she spotted two characters: Yun Chu.
They must have been drawn by the little princess and embroidered by the seamstress following the exact lines; one could tell at a glance they were written in a child's hand.
Aside from this dress, the tray also held an outer robe. The color of this outer robe was identical to the one she had worn previously; without close inspection, one could never tell she had changed at all.
Tingfeng dressed her in the gown, styled her hair into a proper bun, and finally draped the outer robe over her shoulders.
Chu Hongyu had long been impatiently waiting by the doorway. Catching sight of Yun Chu emerging in her outer robe, he pouted and said, "Mother, let me see if that dress looks good or not, so I can tell Changsheng when I get home."
Yun Chu lifted her outer robe slightly, revealing just the hem of the skirt.
Chu Yi was seated in the pavilion outside the side-chamber, and he inadvertently glanced over.
He saw a woman clad in a multicolored dress standing at the doorway of the side-chamber. Those individual flowers were embroidered with interwoven threads of gold and silver; the moment she stepped out and the sunlight fell upon her, her skirt gleamed, and her entire person seemed to radiate a gentle light.
As she drew closer, he even caught the faint fragrance lingering after her bath.
When he realized what he was doing, Chu Yi swiftly withdrew his gaze and held his breath. Looking uncomfortably toward the distance, he spoke up, "The carriage has already been prepared. Madam Xie, this way please."
Yun Chu nodded and followed him outward.
Suddenly, her skirt seemed to be stepped on. Before she even had a chance to check what happened, she felt a bump against her lower back, sending her whole body tumbling forward out of control.
Chu Yi, walking just ahead of her, reacted on pure instinct and caught her forward-plummeting body in his arms.