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Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 219

Chapter 219 - Understanding My Heart


Chu Yi rode in a carriage, traveling in low profile until he reached Yulin Lane.

At this time, Yun Chu had only been back from the palace for barely half an hour.

Having just bathed and washed her long hair with the assistance of her maidservant, she heard a servant arrive to report that Prince Pingxi had come.

Her hair was not yet dry and had not been styled, cascading down over her shoulders in coal-black, silky strands that reached all the way to her waist like smooth satin.

Chu Yi lifted his eyes to see the woman walking out in white robes.

Her loose, flowing skirt and dress accentuated her delicate and petite frame, creating a stark contrast between her raven hair and fair, snowy skin.

By now, dusk had descended. The golden light of the setting sun bathed her cheeks, illuminating even the fine, delicate down on her face.

In that moment, he seemed to truly comprehend the phrase "quiet and peaceful years."

"Your Highness."

Yun Chu walked over to stand before him, offering a light greeting.

Snapping out of his reverie, Chu Yi raised the box in his hands: "This is a piece of crystal I obtained by chance. It should serve well for making head ornaments."

Yun Chu immediately took a step back: "If Your Highness had not shielded me in the palace today, I might very well be a corpse right now. It should be me offering a gift of thanks to Your Highness, so how could I accept such a valuable gift from you..."

He had done far more than merely protect her from injury.

He had also covered her eyes, preventing her from witnessing those bloody and gruesome scenes.

In truth, she had even dared to kill people herself, so witnessing others being slain was nothing to her.

Yet this man had meticulously shielded that tiny sliver of fear suppressed in the deepest depths of her heart.

"Speaking like this between us is far too distant," Chu Yi forcibly thrust the box into her hands. "Just consider it a thank-you gift for freeloading meals from Miss Yun in the future."

Yun Chu: "..."

With the two courtyards connected, she could almost foresee the future scene of this father and his two children coming over daily to freeload meals.

Ah well, it was just a matter of adding an extra set of chopsticks anyway.

She handed the box to Tingxue to take inside and store away before speaking: "The Empress Dowager's left and right hands are both dead, so I fear this matter will not be easily put to rest. I have an idea—would Your Highness be willing to hear it?"

Chu Yi was naturally willing to listen.

Yun Chu spoke up: "Your Highness only knows that my father went to the southern border, but in truth, my father was acting under imperial decree to execute the General of Chariots and Cavalry."

Chu Yi nodded.

Although his Imperial Father had not stated it explicitly to him, he had faintly guessed a portion of it.

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry belongs to the Feng family and is the Empress Dowager's nephew. Regardless of why the Emperor wishes to execute him, it indicates that the conflict between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager has long reached a point of absolute incompatibility," Yun Chu's gaze turned cool and clear. "Your Highness might as well start from this angle, reshaping the conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Yun family back into a conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor."

The Empress Dowager taking action against her was nothing more than an attempt to provoke conflict between the Yun family and the Emperor.

She wanted the Emperor to thoroughly eradicate the Yun family.

Had Chu Yi not intervened, the Empress Dowager would indeed have achieved her objective.

But now...

Yun Chu gazed at the man before her.

To protect her, he had slaughtered so many of the Empress Dowager's trusted people. She knew that between her and the Empress Dowager, he had chosen her.

As such, handling this matter would be even easier.

Chu Yi looked at her with an admiring gaze.

He was somewhat astonished that a woman living deep within the inner quarters could perceive the imperial court's landscape with such absolute clarity.

He nodded: "Rest assured, I know what to do."

With the conversation reaching this point, Yun Chu assumed it was nearly over. She softly instructed Tingxue to bring over the osmanthus cakes that had just come out of the steamer.

Lifting the container, she handed it to Chu Yi: "These are osmanthus cakes I made with my own hands. Please taste them, Your Highness."

Chu Yi immediately took a piece and placed it in his mouth. Sweet and sticky delicacies like this were things he had never cared for, yet now as it rested upon his tongue, the sweet aroma of osmanthus bloomed outward, seeping from the tip of his tongue straight into his heart, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort to his entire being.

Only after eating three pieces in a row did he stop, speaking up: "Miss Yun, there is another matter I need to clarify with you. On that night five years ago, the ones who orchestrated that event were Qin Mingheng and Xie Jingyu. Each of them had a trusted confidant at their side involved throughout the entire process. Right now, Qin Mingheng's trusted maidservant is locked in my manor, and people at my Imperial Mother's side have learned of this. Next, regarding this maidservant, there may be some untrue rumors circulating. When the time comes, please do not take them to heart, Miss Yun."

For a moment, Yun Chu failed to process it: "What rumors?"

Chu Yi pressed his hand to his lips and cleared his throat, saying, "Some might say that I am keeping a secret mistress, or something along those lines."

Yun Chu spoke up: "I understand."

She maintained an utterly nonchalant manner, like a cloud stretching across the distant sky, as if nothing could ever cause a ripple in her heart except for her children.

Chu Yi felt a brief wave of frustration.

Purse his lips, he said, "Do you truly not care?"

Yun Chu glanced sideways at him.

Even if he really had kept a secret mistress, she would not care.

To say nothing of the fact that it was merely a cover.

"Yun... Chu," Chu Yi parted his lips. "I think you ought to understand my heart."

Yun Chu's scallion-white fingers paused.

She lifted her hand to tuck back a strand of long hair ruffled by the wind, concealing the sudden commotion in her heart.

Though she was not exceptionally brilliant, as a woman, she could more or less sense a man's feelings toward her, especially at such close proximity.

She could even guess that Concubine Yin learning of that maidservant's existence was undoubtedly something he had leaked on purpose.

He was using a maidservant to test the bottom line of Concubine Yin and the Emperor regarding his marriage.

He was paving the path for a future day.

"Your Highness, it is impossible between us," Yun Chu's expression was exceedingly calm. "His Majesty will not allow such a thing to happen."

Chu Yi looked at her steadfastly, just about to speak,

when suddenly,

a voice approached from afar.

"Chu'er."

It was Lady Lin's voice.

Yun Chu, who had been completely calm a moment ago,

now panicked slightly. Looking left and right, she grabbed Chu Yi's arm in a sudden grip: "Your Highness, go into the room and hide for a moment!"

Before Chu Yi could even react, he was pushed directly into the room by Yun Chu.

"Chu'er, why are you standing out in the courtyard?" Lady Lin stepped over the threshold and walked inside. "You've just bathed and washed your hair, haven't you? You mustn't stand in the draft, or you'll get a headache later. You're dressed so thinly as well—winter is nearly here, so why do you care so little for your health..."

Yun Chu was pulled along into the room.

Standing inside, Chu Yi understood Yun Chu's misgivings. Turning around, he stepped into the inner chamber, catching the delicate fragrance unique to a lady's boudoir.

"Mother, why have you come at this hour?"

Yun Chu gathered her robes, her peripheral vision scanning the surroundings. Seeing no sign of Chu Yi, she instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was not that she intended to hide things from her mother, but rather that dusk had nearly fallen, and if her mother saw her talking alone with Prince Pingxi as man and woman in the courtyard, she would inevitably overthink things... Since there was no possibility to begin with, there was no need to add unnecessary troubles for her mother.

"I came to tell you to accompany me somewhere tomorrow," Lady Lin said with a smile. "Do you still remember the Marchioness of Zhounan? She even held you when you were little."

Yun Chu nodded: "I remember, she is a kindly and gentle lady."

"The Marchioness of Zhounan is most adept at matchmaking," Lady Lin's smile was radiant. "I'll take you to meet this lady and have her..."

Yun Chu's expression changed instantly: "Mother, why are you fussing over such matters?"

Tears spilled from Lady Lin's eyes all at once: "Back then, the divine physician said there was nothing wrong with your body, and that you were capable of having your own children—it was Xie Jingyu who ruined you... My wish for you to marry again isn't because I think you lack a husband, but because I believe you should experience the joy and happiness of being a mother... Chu'er, Mother has always blamed herself, hating that I wasn't by your side on the night you gave birth..."

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