But Cui Yunchu was not concerned with that. She took Old Madam Cui's hand and asked urgently, "Grandmother, you said earlier that the Emperor valued Father and Uncle so highly precisely to counterbalance the Shen Clan?"
Old Madam Cui suddenly fell silent, then nodded.
Since Father and Uncle had now reached the pinnacle of official posts, it meant the Emperor had ultimately prevailed. "And the Shen Clan... what became of them in the end?"
"The Shen Clan..." Old Madam Cui paused abruptly and did not continue. "The Shen Clan harbored rebellious ambitions, their greed knew no bounds. Naturally, they were not tolerated by the will of Heaven."
Cui Yunchu's heart sank to the depths. "So, the Shen Clan's downfall is inextricably linked to Father and Uncle, is that right?"
That was why Shen Xiabai loathed her so intensely, even willing to offend the Cui and Tang families by running her through with his sword.
Even at the cost of his own life, he refused to have the slightest connection with her, the descendant of his enemy.
She had actually... climbed into the bed of a Shen Clan descendant!!!
The man's icy gaze and utter disgust sent a chill through her entire body. The night was dark, and Cui Yunchu couldn't clearly see the exact expression on his face, but she knew it must have been extremely unpleasant.
That man was even on the verge of losing his temper and flying into a furious rage.
What utterly wretched luck she had...
Old Madam Cui did not answer, only gently held Cui Yunchu, seeming lost in some memory.
After a long while, she finally spoke in a low voice, "The Dowager of the Shen Clan was a good woman. It's just a pity..."
Cui Yunchu had lost all interest in continuing the discussion.
Now that she knew the reason and the entanglement with the Shen Clan, she would stay far, far away from Shen Xiabai in this life, absolutely not coming within ten feet of him.
That sword thrust had been swift, accurate, and ruthless. She hadn't even had time to register the pain before her eyes closed forever.
Clean and efficient, without suffering.
Cui Yunchu raised a hand to her chest, pressing down the faint palpitations there.
Old Madam Cui instructed Nanny Li to fetch another hairpin — a twin-flower begonia made of liuli (colored glass) — and handed it to Cui Yunchu. "Here is what your grandmother promised you. I keep my word."
The begonia was exquisite, with a touch of red at the center of the stamen, adding a layer of delicate softness. Paired with bridal makeup, it would surely inspire tenderness.
It was a style Cui Yunchu had always loved. Wearing it would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.
The hairpin lay quietly in the brocade box, dazzlingly bright. Cui Yunchu gazed at it for a moment before reaching out to accept it, then curtsied. "Yunchu thanks Grandmother."
For some reason, the tip of her nose stung, and her eyes felt moist. An inexplicable feeling churned inside her, making her want to cry.
After all, age was catching up. Having sat for so long, Old Madam Cui felt somewhat weary, so Cui Yunchu rose to take her leave.
Upon reaching the doorway, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and fixed her gaze on Old Madam Cui's kindly countenance.
She herself was an expert at putting on airs, so she could tell at a glance that the affection in her grandmother's eyes when she looked at her was not feigned.
"Grandmother," she suddenly spoke, "Back then, when you took Yunfeng and Eldest Brother south with Father for the flood control project, why didn't you take Yunchu?"
Was it, as Mother had said, because she was a concubine-born daughter and therefore not favored?
And later, the kindness shown to her was merely superficial, while in their hearts they truly cherished Yunfeng the most. After all, who wouldn't dote on a child they had raised with their own hands?
Clutching tightly in her heart the small favors mentioned by Nanny Zhang, she stared intently at Old Madam Cui.
A flicker of guilt passed through Old Madam Cui's eyes, followed by a soft sigh. She knew then that Yunchu still harbored resentment over the events of that year.
How could she not mind? Mother and daughter, left alone to guard the vast Cui mansion, depended on each other for survival and endured lonely hardship for ten years.
Even when Concubine Zhou passed away from illness, it was she, still only a child, who handled the arrangements alone, clinging to her birth mother's cold corpse, unwilling to let go, with not a single relative at her side...
Just hearing about it was enough to make one's heart ache.
She, as a grandmother, and Yunchu's father, had ultimately wronged her.
"Yunchu," Old Madam Cui's eyes glistened with moisture, "It was your grandmother and your father's fault."
Cui Yunchu smiled, but the smile was faint and distant. "Grandmother, Yunchu doesn't blame you. Yunchu just wants to know why?"
Old Madam Cui lowered her gaze, using a handkerchief to dab the tears at the corner of her eye. "Back then, when your father brought your mother into the household, you were already here. You were two years old then, timid and shy, clinging to your mother day and night."
Perhaps it was also because your mother feared your father might... do away with the mother and keep the child... so she kept you firmly at her side. Yunfeng was still in swaddling clothes and couldn't be left alone. Her own mother died shortly after giving birth to her, so naturally I favored the motherless Yunfeng more.
Old Madam Cui admitted quite openly that she had favored Cui Yunfeng in those years. Just as she did now, in front of Cui Yunfeng she never concealed her guilt and special fondness for Cui Yunchu.
"As for your Eldest Brother, he is a boy, the future backbone of the Cui family. Naturally, he had to follow your father to be personally instructed."
Cui Yunchu nodded upon hearing this. "That is only right."
Cui Yunfeng and Eldest Brother were born to the principal wife, and given the circumstances at the time, it was understandable that they were taken. What she dwelled on was why, when the whole family left, she and her mother alone could not be taken along?
But why? The one to ask should not be Grandmother, but Father. Grandmother not taking her was only out of pity, because she couldn't bear to be separated from her birth mother.
