Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 238
Chapter 238 - Yun Chu Touched Up
For the Crown Prince taking a side consort this time, the Emperor gave the Fang family ample face, putting aside a mountain of memorial documents to make a special appearance and join the lively occasion.
A smile surfaced on the Empress's face. The Emperor showing respect to the Fang family was equally a matter of granting face to the Eastern Palace, letting everyone know that the Crown Prince's position as heir apparent was firm and unshakable.
Under the management of the Ministry of Rites, after Fang Xinyan served tea to the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Princess, the ceremonial rites were considered complete.
The side consort was escorted into the bridal chamber, while exquisite wines and delicacies were served like flowing water, and everyone took their seats according to their status and rank.
Yun Chu sat together with Lady Lin.
Having heard about the Empress's intentions, Lady Lin spoke with an unsightly expression, "I never expected the Empress to harbor such thoughts."
Gongsun Ning was by no means a good match, and the Empress's move was truly disgusting.
She certainly did not want her daughter to have just escaped the wolves' den of the Xie family, only to turn around and fall into a tigers' lair.
Mother and daughter dined quietly.
Amidst clinking glasses and flowing wine, the banquet gradually drew to a close.
Yun Chu stood up to visit the latrine.
Qiu Tong accompanied her, and halfway there, Qiu Tong's voice tightened, "Miss, someone is following us."
Yun Chu's brows knitted tightly.
This was the Eastern Palace, and both the Emperor and Empress were present on the premises. Who possessed such audacity to stir up trouble here?
Rounding a flower trellis, she abruptly stopped and turned around, catching sight of the Gongsun clan's eldest legitimate son, Gongsun Ning, dressed in lavish attire.
Being caught in the act, Gongsun Ning did not feel the least bit embarrassed. Fluttering his folding fan, he approached, "To be able to meet Miss Yun in a place like this is truly fate."
He had gone through great lengths to convince his aunt, the Empress, to act as matchmaker and bestow a marriage upon him. Yet in the end, his aunt told him that Yun Chu had refused to marry into the Gongsun family.
His father was the current State Duke, his aunt was the mother of the nation, and his cousin was the future Emperor. With a status like his, how many women clamored to throw themselves at him? Yet the woman before him had actually declined.
However, her refusal was understandable. After all, she was the number one beauty in the capital and the eldest legitimate daughter of the Yun family, naturally possessing an unyielding pride.
"Miss Yun, you are widowed, and I am a widower. The two of us are a match made in heaven." Gongsun Ning took a step forward. "Once you become the eldest young mistress of the Gongsun family, I will have my aunt, the Empress, step forward and request the Emperor to restore innocence to your Yun family."
Yun Chu lowered her head, "The innocent remain innocent, and the corrupt remain corrupt. The truth regarding the Yun family will come to light sooner or later, so there is no need to trouble Lord Gongsun."
Gongsun Ning's expression turned cold, "Miss Yun, you are refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit! You should know how many women long to be my primary wife, yet I have taken a fancy to you alone. For a woman who has been married before to still become the grand lady of the Gongsun clan is your utmost honor. If you refuse, I cannot guarantee whether the position of primary wife will remain reserved for you."
As he spoke, he closed his paper fan and slowly brought it close to Yun Chu's chin, attempting to lift her face.
He wanted so desperately to take a close look at just how stunningly exquisite this face truly was.
However,
just as his paper fan was a hair's breadth away from her chin,
a sudden gust of fierce wind struck.
Gongsun Ning felt a sharp pain in his wrist, followed immediately by a kick to his chest that sent him flipping onto the ground.
Looking up, he saw Prince Pingxi standing there, his tall frame completely blocking Yun Chu's figure.
"You!" Gongsun Ning was furious. "Prince Pingxi, you and I have always kept out of each other's way. How dare you lay hands on me! I'm going to tell my aunt!"
Chu Yi said in a calm voice, "Be my guest."
His utterly unruffled demeanor enraged Gongsun Ning even further. Scrambling up from the ground, Gongsun Ning turned and stomped toward the front.
Chu Yi turned around, "Are you alright?"
Yun Chu shook her head. Before anything could happen to her, this man had appeared,
standing before her like a grand mountain to shield her from all the wind and rain... even though she had long stopped fearing the elements.
She spoke up, "Be careful of a villain making the first accusation. Your Highness, let us head over quickly."
Chu Yi lagged half a step behind, walking side-by-side with her, only opening up distance between them once they reached an open area.
Neither of them noticed that within the grove of flowers sat a quiet figure, clad in light green robes that merged almost completely with the flora.
The man had a sickly pale face as he supported himself against a tree branch to stand up, his frame appearing frail enough to fall at a breeze.
It was none other than Chu Rui, who had petitioned to strip himself of his noble title.
"Master, this servant finally found you! The wind is strong here, be careful not to catch a cold..."
A young eunuch supported Chu Rui out of the flower grove.
Chu Rui's gaze remained fixed in the direction where Yun Chu had vanished.
He pondered secretly: Why was the divorced eldest daughter of the Yun family so remarkably familiar with Chu Yi?
At the front, the wedding banquet was nearly over.
After conversing with several high officials for a short while, the Emperor stood up, preparing to leave the feast.
At that moment, the eldest son of the Gongsun family rushed in with an indignant face, clutching his chest. He dropped to his knees with a thud before the Emperor and Empress, "Your Majesty, Imperial Aunt, please grant justice to this humble servant!"
The Empress had always doted on this nephew, so she immediately stepped down the dais to support Gongsun Ning up, "What on earth happened?"
Clutching his kicked chest, Gongsun Ning coughed violently several times before lodging his complaint, "Imperial Aunt, it was..."
Before his words could finish,
the sound of a woman weeping drifted in.
Interrupted, Gongsun Ning turned his head to look, only to see Yun Chu kneeling beside him in tears.
For such a magnificent beauty to weep so casually—it was truly like pear blossoms drenched in rain, an affectionate peony glistening with spring tears, or a delicate rose leaning against a morning branch, evoking profound pity in anyone who beheld her.
Gongsun Ning completely forgot what he was about to say.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, generations of the Yun family have been loyal subjects guarding the country! Right now, my father is merely missing and has not been convicted. Why must someone humiliate a daughter of the Yun family like this..." Yun Chu knelt on the ground, choking back sobs as she wept. "Lord Gongsun failed in his proposal and became consumed with anger, resorting to molesting this humble servant! Had Prince Pingxi not happened to pass by, this humble servant would have had no choice but to take her own life in shame to prove her innocence!"
As she spoke, tear after tear dripped down.
Gongsun Ning was completely mesmerized by the sight, wishing he could pull the beauty into his arms to coax her properly.
However, he was kicked fiercely by the Empress. Raising his head to meet the Empress's cold, low gaze, a shudder ran through him, snapping him back to his senses.
He immediately declared, "It... it was her who seduced this humble servant! This servant remained unmoved, so she framed me in anger! Prince Pingxi was also deceived by her and kicked this servant!"
Lady Lin stepped forward anxiously, "Impossible! Chuchu would never do such a thing!"
The Empress said in a cold voice, "A descendant of my Gongsun clan could never humiliate a woman. There must be a misunderstanding in this matter."
"I saw it with my own eyes." Chu Yi's voice was deep and resonant. "According to the laws of our dynasty, anyone who molests a woman shall be punished with thirty strokes of the cane. If the woman takes her own life out of shame and anger, the offender shall suffer death by hanging."
Gongsun Ning's eyes went black. He hadn't even touched a single hair on Yun Chu's head; how could that count as molestation?
The Empress said calmly, "Yi'er, what you alone saw might not necessarily be the whole truth."
"In reply to Her Majesty the Empress, I saw it as well." Chu Rui supported himself on the young eunuch's arm as he stepped forward. "It was indeed Lord Gongsun who intended to humiliate Miss Yun, except before he could carry out his improper act, he was stopped by Prince Pingxi."
Although he had lost his title as Prince Zhuang, he remained a member of the imperial family. He rarely appeared on such occasions, much less participated in such disputes, giving his words considerable weight.
First, Prince Pingxi stated he saw it with his own eyes.
Immediately following, Chu Rui stated he saw it as well.
Two individuals of extraordinary status had both stepped forward as witnesses, causing the Empress's expression to finally turn pale and shift dramatically.