Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 210
Chapter 210 - I Will Protect Mother
Yun Chu turned her gaze toward Yun Run.
In truth, this cousin brother did possess a degree of strategic intellect; had she not known the trajectory of events in her past life, she would have certainly supported his plan to take action.
In her previous life, after trouble struck the Yun family, her eldest brother Yun Ze and Yun Run worked together to pull strings everywhere. Soon after, they were dragged into the mess and transferred to other cities, leaving Yun Run as the primary decision-maker for the Yun family's generation.
Immediately after that, her eldest sister-in-law suffered a miscarriage.
The Yun family fell into even greater turmoil.
After a long, long time had passed, her father returned to the capital carrying the head of the King of Nanyue. The citizens of the whole city lined the streets to welcome him, the Emperor was overjoyed, and countless rewards flowed into the Yun family like water.
The Yun family practically stood at the pinnacle of power.
Naturally, those people who had pulled petty schemes in the dark vanished without a trace.
Her father did not pursue the matter, and the entire incident blew over just like that.
Now that she had a second chance at life, she would naturally catch the person responsible for her eldest sister-in-law's miscarriage.
"Yun Chu," Yun Run looked at Yun Chu and spoke up, "I heard from Yun Yi that the Prince of Pingxi placed the Yun Family Army's tally into your hands. Is that true?"
Lady Lin's brow furrowed slightly.
When Yun Run entered, he had someone invite Chu'er over to discuss matters. She had originally thought these collateral branches valued Chu'er's opinion.
To think that it was all for that tally.
"Yes, it is true," Yun Chu replied. "Cousin Brother Yun Run asks this because...?"
"This shows that you have a deep friendship with the Prince of Pingxi," Yun Run continued. "Could you ask the Prince of Pingxi to step forward and restore the original official posts of Yun Yi and the other two?"
Old General Yun said in a cold voice, "There is no need for that."
Their Yun family had no need to beg anyone.
Even less could they allow the direct eldest daughter of the Yun family to step forward and beg for favors.
"I know Old General's concerns, but I cannot simply stand idly by and wait," Yun Run spoke. "I will step forward first and try to pull some strings."
He nodded to Old General Yun, turned around, and left the Yun residence.
Yun Yi and the other two let out a sigh and followed him out.
"Chu'er, do you think there's something wrong with Yun Run?" Yun Ze asked.
Yun Chu shook her head: "It's hard to tell for now."
The Yun family had not yet reached its direst crisis, and the evil in human nature had not yet fully materialized. It was still too early to say.
"I say, Yun Ze, you should just take this chance to get a good rest. Once your father returns in glory after earning military merits, you won't have so much free time," Old General Yun leaned on a servant's hand as he got up with difficulty. "Yun Run likes to fuss about, so just let him do as he pleases."
Yun Ze was caught between laughter and tears: "Grandfather, I think it is you who should get a good rest. For the upcoming discussions, I won't have anyone invite you elder anymore."
In Chu'er's dream, his wife would suffer a miscarriage due to internal strife within the Yun family. If he truly gave up power and washed his hands of everything, wouldn't he be leaving an easy opening for petty villains?
Since he already knew the future in advance, if he still stepped right into the trap, he would truly be failing as both a husband and a father!
Yun Chu stayed behind to share a meal with Lady Lin.
Only then did she head off to attend to her own affairs.
She had Chen Defu raise wages to speed up construction on the shelter, which would be completed in roughly a month. She needed to make the shelter widely known during this time.
That way, when people found abandoned children, they would know where to send them.
And orphans who had lost their parents would also know how to seek out the shelter themselves.
Yun Chu had someone draw up architectural blueprints—a vision of the shelter's future. Under a blue sky and white clouds stood neat rows of houses, with children running about freely and healthily.
She set up a shed in the west of the city and posted the blueprint on the wall behind it. Sitting behind a table, she personally presided over the booth.
A crowd of people quickly gathered around the shed.
"A shelter is being built outside the city?"
"It says here that it specifically takes in and raises homeless children."
"The weather is getting colder and colder. Indeed, many children freeze to death on the streets—it's truly pitiful. With such a place, at least they won't freeze to death."
"Isn't that right? And there are many families who give birth to four or five daughters in a row and secretly abandon or drown them. With this shelter, at least they can send the girls there. Leaving them a life counts as accumulating virtue."
"..."
"The person sitting at the table seems to be the eldest Miss of the Yun family! I watched the commotion at the entrance of the Xie residence before and saw her there."
"Is this shelter built in the name of the Yun family?"
"The Yun family is currently being impeached by many officials at court for treason and collaborating with the enemy. Is the Yun family trying to find a way to save itself?"
"Sigh, the men of the Yun family slay enemies on the battlefield, while the women either build summer retreats or construct shelters. How could a family like this commit treason?"
"It must be a frame-up by petty villains! I hope the Emperor can investigate and clarify the truth as soon as possible!"
The vast majority of the common folk did not believe the Yun family had committed treason.
However, there were exceptions.
A man in his twenties stepped out from the crowd and cursed loudly, "The Yun family is only doing these things to buy people's hearts! Don't be fooled by the Yun family!"
Saying so, he picked up an egg and threw it toward Yun Chu.
As soon as he made his move, seven or eight old women surged out from behind him, all carrying baskets and hurling rotten vegetable leaves at Yun Chu with great familiarity.
Qiu Tong narrowed her eyes and stepped forward to shield Yun Chu.
Yet hardly any rotten eggs or leaves flew over, because the surrounding common folk intercepted them all, spontaneously stepping up to protect Yun Chu.
"Mother, I will protect you and help you leave."
A voice sounded beside Yun Chu's ear.
Yun Chu looked over and saw Xie Shi'an, whom she had not seen in many days.
Ever since the divorce, she had gradually and automatically forgotten about the Xie family's affairs and people. Seeing Xie Shi'an here, stripped of her identity as Madam Xie, brought a different feeling.
"Mother, watch out!"
Xie Shi'an raised his hand to block a flying vegetable leaf for Yun Chu.
The group retreated to the side of a wall.
"The man who led the trouble just now was not a commoner," Xie Shi'an stood before Yun Chu, his brows furrowed as he spoke. "If I am not mistaken, he should be one of the Empress Dowager's people."
Yun Chu looked at him.
Xie Shi'an had not attended the Imperial Academy or entered the court, staying far away from officials. Yet he was able to see through the court situation so thoroughly?
That man was indeed one of the Empress Dowager's people.
The Empress Dowager wanted the charges against the Yun family to stick so that she could protect the General of Chariots and Cavalry, thereby preserving her natal family's faction in the Southern Border.
From a certain perspective, the trouble facing the Yun family was actually a contest between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
"Do not call me Mother anymore," Yun Chu's voice was faint. "If overheard by malicious people, it might affect the Xie family."
"Mother..."
Xie Shi'an felt a lump in his throat.
"I am sorry, Mother. I shouldn't have forced you to sever ties with the Yun family."
Only after his mother left the Xie family did he truly realize that without the protection of a prominent family, the Xie family was nothing.
Although the Yun family was not as glorious as before, its prestige among the common people remained undiminished, as evidenced by the way the citizens had just protected his mother.
When the Xie family drove away the daughter of the Yun family, they had offended the common folk on the streets as well. Even the lowest-class commoners could point at their noses and hurl abuse at them.
"Why bring up all this now?" Yun Chu spoke up. "If the Xie family cannot afford to raise Kang'er, you can send him to the shelter outside the city."
Xie Shi'an clenched his fists tightly: "An elder brother is like a father. Now that Father is dead, I am the father to my younger brothers. I will not allow them to be reduced to orphans going to a shelter."
"An'er, I truly didn't misjudge you—you are a good child," Yun Chu patted his shoulder. "I still hold to my word: if you run into any difficulties, come to the Yun family to find me. Having been mother and son once, I will help however I can."
Xie Shi'an pressed his lips together.
The emotions in his heart were extremely complex.
He did not want anything bad to happen to the Yun family, so that his mother would be in a position to help him.
At the same time, he feared even more that the Yun family would remain safe and sound—because if so, wouldn't his driving his mother away turn out to be a complete joke?