“With Shen Xiaba in prison and the emperor without allies, this is the perfect time for my brother to return to the capital.”
Tang Qingwan folded the letter, opened the lampshade beside her, and burned the paper to ashes.
“How is your mistress… is she well?”
Xinger furrowed her brows and answered honestly, “When I left, the young lady was rolling around on the soft couch.”
Tang Qingwan pressed her lips together. Cui Yunchu had truly given her a tremendous shock—unbelievable, and utterly astonishing.
When she first heard the news the crown prince brought back, she had already suspected something.
Yunchu—she was even more remarkable than Tang Qingwan herself.
“Go back and tell your mistress that I understand.”
Xinger nodded, agreed, and was about to leave when Tang Qingwan called her back. “Also take a message to your mistress: if she wishes, I can ask the crown prince to do his utmost to protect Master Shen.”
Xinger acknowledged this and left.
Tang Qingwan said to the maid beside her, Mo’er, “When Yunchu acts, she truly either remains silent or stuns everyone with a single move.”
Mo’er nodded. “With the eldest young lady’s help in the future, your ladyship’s life can also become easier and more relaxed.”
Tang Qingwan smiled, her hand instinctively stroking her flat belly, but the smile froze in an instant.
“Only I wonder… what is in her heart? How could she have such a hard heart?”
The way Shen Xiaba looked at her, and how he shielded her—Tang Qingwan had seen it all. How could Yunchu bear it?
“Go summon the crown prince. Tell him I have important matters to discuss with him.”
At the Cui estate, Xinger brought back Tang Qingwan’s words.
Cui Yunchu lifted a corner of her quilt, revealing half her head and one eye fixed on Xinger. She stared straight without speaking, which was rather unsettling.
“Young lady,” Xinger’s voice trembled slightly.
Cui Yunchu closed her half-open eye, turned over to face the wall, and said, “I’ve been feeling terribly weary these past two days. I don’t want to go anywhere. Don’t disturb me.”
She did not answer Tang Qingwan’s question.
For two straight days, the Chuyuan courtyard was very quiet. Especially after Cui Yunfeng left, no one came to bother her. Whenever Xinger or Old Woman Zhang entered the room, they found Cui Yunchu curled up on the soft couch sleeping, as if she were overwhelmingly tired.
This sleep lasted a very long time—so long that Xinger worried her young lady might have fallen ill.
Not until the third day did Old Madam Cui’s attendant, Old Woman Li, arrive, saying that Old Madam Cui requested Cui Yunchu’s presence at Pine Crane Garden.
Only then did Cui Yunchu reluctantly rise. When her feet touched the ground, she felt unsteady and swayed, like a walking corpse drained of essence by some spirit.
Cui Yunchu was usually lively and spirited, so seeing her like this for the first time was a shock to Old Madam Cui, who thought she might still be frightened by that man from the Gu family days ago.
“That Gu man is dead now. He’ll never appear before you again. Don’t be afraid, darling.”
Cui Yunchu forced a fake smile. She had almost been getting better.
Cui Yunchu had a survival secret: since she was a child, no matter how bad things were, after three days, as long as she endured, she would slowly recover her vitality.
Even when she held her mother’s corpse years ago, she had only needed three days.
As long as she could lie still for three days, she could learn to console herself.
Old Madam Cui patted her head and pulled her into an embrace.
Cui Yunchu asked, “Grandmother, why did you summon me?”
Old Madam Cui then got to the point. “Today is Yunfeng’s third day of marriage. According to custom, she should return home to visit her family. But as you know, Grandmother hopes you can go to Prince An’s manor to see her. It will let her see someone from her own family and ease her heart.”
Cui Yunchu nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
Old Madam Cui brushed the strands of hair that had fallen in front of Cui Yunchu’s face behind her ear. “I’ll have Old Woman Li accompany you.”
Cui Yunchu obediently nodded again.
Old Madam Cui sighed softly. Things were so different now. Half a year ago, how could she have imagined that the three sisters would end up like this? She never dreamed that Yunchu—the one she had always worried about most—would be the one to stay by her side and share her burdens.
Old Madam Cui had long prepared the gifts. Cui Yunchu led Old Woman Li and left the estate.
At the estate gate, they ran into Prime Minister Cui returning from court. He glanced at Cui Yunchu, Old Woman Li behind her, and the long line of maids and servants carrying gifts.
“Father.” Cui Yunchu bent her knees in greeting. After Prime Minister Cui acknowledged her, she was about to set off with her entourage.
Prime Minister Cui stood still on the steps and called out suddenly, “Ask her if she’s been bullied.”
Cui Yunchu paused mid-step, looked back, and replied, “Yes, Father.”
The horse carriage rumbled slowly and left the Cui estate. Xinger muttered softly, “My young lady looks so unwell, and the prime minister didn’t even ask about you.”
Cui Yunchu leaned against the carriage wall, her expression flat. “Since when did the people in Chuyuan become so sensitive?”
“… I’m just worried about you, my lady. Compared to her, you’re so pitiful.” One person was in front of his eyes; the other was out of sight. He couldn’t see the person right in front, but only feared the one far away wasn’t doing well enough.
“Why compare the two?” Cui Yunchu propped her legs on the small footstool, even more casual than a man. “Cui Yunfeng is Cui Yunfeng. Cui Yunchu is Cui Yunchu. They’re two different people—what’s there to compare?”
“But…”
Cui Yunchu shot a look at Xinger, who immediately fell silent. Cui Yunchu continued, “Xinger, can you work on sharpening your senses a bit? You keep stabbing me in the heart like this—aren’t you afraid I’ll beat you?”
And then there was Old Woman Zhang, left to her by her mother—not a single word without a hidden thorn, always making her bleed. No one would enjoy having such people by their side.
You could understand their good intentions, but their good intentions constantly reminded you of all your misfortunes.
Cui Yunchu sprawled back lazily. “If I compared myself to princesses and commandery princesses, I’d have to drown myself and be reborn right away.”
She picked up a piece of fruit from the plate beside her and popped it into her mouth. The fruit was very sweet, the sweetness spreading throughout her mouth and even warming her stomach.
Was it that she was unwilling or didn’t want to compare? Wasn’t it possible that she simply couldn’t measure up? Forcing a comparison when you couldn’t win—wasn’t that just asking for trouble and making yourself miserable?
But, uncomfortable as she was, she certainly wouldn’t let the person who made her feel that way have an easy time either.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Prince An’s manor. Cui Yunfeng’s maid, Yun’er, had already been waiting there.
She stood with her hands folded in front of her. Even her clothes were grander and more dignified than when she was at the Cui estate—clearly, she had gained importance in Prince An’s manor.
Just seeing Yun’er, Cui Yunchu knew that Cui Yunfeng was living well.
“Go back and tell the prime minister: Prince An’s manor affairs are so complicated that Yunfeng is exhausted by overwork. She can only rely on gold and silver trinkets to ease her fatigue.”
“… “ Old Woman Li glanced at the gold hairpin on Yun’er’s head and nodded her head.
