By the time they arrived at Songhe Garden, everyone was already preparing to leave. Cui Yunchu yawned and swept her gaze around the main hall.
“Where’s Lord Prime Minister?”
Cui Yunfeng and Tang Qingwan both looked at her in surprise.
Cui Yunli said, “Father went to court early this morning.”
“Oh.” Cui Yunchu nodded, the corners of her lips lifting into a smile.
Cui Yunli felt somewhat relieved. Though her younger sister Yunchu usually seemed unreliable, she did care about their father after all.
Tang Qingwan and Cui Yunfeng, however, did not see it that way. They both felt that something was rather strange.
Old Madam Cui had been recuperating these past few days and knew little about what was happening in the household. After giving Cui Yunli a few brief instructions, she sent them on their way.
Along the road, Tang Qingwan and Cui Yunfeng earnestly reminded Cui Yunli of one thing after another. Cui Yunchu walked at the very back, kicking pebbles and tugging at blades of grass, bored to death.
In fact, there was no reason for her to get up at all. She wasn’t even needed for this particular performance.
The three of them stood beside the carriages, speaking in low voices. Cui Yunchu raised her brows and tiptoed forward, intending to eavesdrop. But the moment Tang Qingwan turned around, she immediately pretended not to care, swinging her arms and kicking at the ground.
Tang Qingwan laughed at her. “If you want to listen, just come over.”
“I’m not listening. What’s there to hear?” Cui Yunchu pouted.
“I only wanted to say that you shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself. When someone’s fate is good, it makes no difference whether they work hard or not.”
There was a distinctly sarcastic edge to her words, but Cui Yunli did not take offense. She merely smiled and nodded.
“Thank you, Younger Sister Yunchu.”
Cui Yunchu nodded, then muttered under her breath, “Younger Sister Yunchu, Younger Sister Yunchu… In the end, I’m still not your real sister.”
Several carriages set off for the Ministry of Personnel at the same time.
Tang Qingwan looked at Cui Yunchu, who was leaning against the carriage window, and asked with a smile, “Have you been doing well these past few days, Yunchu?”
Cui Yunchu grinned. “Pretty well.”
Cui Yunfeng said, “I noticed something was off about Eldest Sister today. Come on, confess. Is there some happy news? Let me share in the joy.”
Cui Yunchu shot her a sidelong glance.
“Happiness isn’t universal. What makes me happy might be a bolt from the blue for you. You’d better not find out.”
Cui Yunfeng paused, then curled her lips. “What, are you planning to poison Father?”
Cui Yunchu gave her a noncommittal smile. “Where’s that dog of yours today?”
Cui Yunfeng snorted. “I had someone move his things into the study. Who knows where he went.”
Cui Yunchu laughed. “And what did you do with those girls of yours?”
The few courtesans from Prince An’s residence had caused quite a stir these past few days. Even the common people on the streets knew about them.
Cui Yunfeng glanced sideways at her. “Why do you keep making fun of me? What about you? After Lord Shen carried you away from Nanfeng Hall that day, what happened?”
Memories she had long since buried attacked her at the most unexpected times. Cui Yunchu glared viciously at Cui Yunfeng, then turned away without saying a word.
Cui Yunfeng pouted and tugged at her arm. “We’re sisters. How can you be such a poor sport?”
“Come on, tell us what happened afterward.”
Tang Qingwan also leaned over, looking at the two of them. “What Nanfeng Hall? What did I miss?”
Cui Yunchu struggled free of Cui Yunfeng with both hands and feet. “After that, he dumped me at the entrance to the residence and left. I woke up from the cold and crawled back inside.”
“Impossible.” Cui Yunfeng immediately objected. “He was willing to make such concessions to Father for your sake. How could he possibly leave you at the gate to freeze?”
Tang Qingwan nudged Cui Yunfeng’s arm.
Cui Yunchu frowned and stared at Cui Yunfeng. “What did you say?”
Cui Yunfeng was unconcerned. “You didn’t know? He went to Father and said that if Father married you to him, he would bury the hatchet with the Cui and Tang families. He would even help Eldest Brother enter the Ministry of War. The only condition was that Father leave the court. But Father refused.”
The carriage fell deathly silent. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Tang Qingwan’s face stiffened. She glanced at Cui Yunfeng, then turned away in disgust.
A sudden, splitting headache gripped her.
The smile at the corners of Cui Yunchu’s mouth froze. She stared at Cui Yunfeng as the warmth gradually faded from her eyes.
“When did this happen? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Tang Qingwan said nothing. Cui Yunfeng replied, “You never asked. Last time, we were too busy drinking and drowning our sorrows, so I forgot.”
*＃*＃
So even then, Shen Xiabai had still helped her—even though that old man had refused.
It felt as though ice water had seeped into her heart. She clenched her fists again and again, the dense, needlelike pain making it suddenly difficult to breathe.
She forced out a smile that was neither a smile nor anything else, her expression painfully awkward.
Hadn’t they agreed that he was merely her lover? Why would he want a title?
“You really didn’t know?” Cui Yunfeng asked.
Cui Yunchu did not answer.
Tang Qingwan said, “Yunfeng, we’re almost there. Stop talking.”
That only gave Cui Yunfeng a new target. She turned on Tang Qingwan at once.
“If you don’t believe me, ask Cousin. She knew about it too. Ask her and you’ll know whether I’m lying.”
Tang Qingwan thought, Is there no stick around? I’d like to knock Cui Yunfeng unconscious.
“That day, we even went together to find Lord Shen. We thought it would be such a shame for the two of you to miss each other, so we wanted to persuade Lord Shen to give up that condition for your sake. Unfortunately, he left without saying a word.”
Tang Qingwan was speechless.
“…”
“Prince An actually lets you come out alone? Isn’t he afraid you’ll spill all the details of his grand plans?”
Tang Qingwan forced a smile that did not reach her eyes.
Cui Yunfeng waved a hand dismissively. “He doesn’t have to worry. He never lets me take part in his grand plans anyway.”
Tang Qingwan was rendered speechless.
In the end, she could only say, “He is Prince An, after all. He clearly had the foresight.”
Cui Yunfeng smiled. “I think he’s very clever too.”
When she turned back, she noticed that Cui Yunchu was staring blankly at the two of them.
Her languid posture had straightened slightly. She neither spoke nor moved, yet an unsettling chill radiated from her.
“And then? What did you say to him?”
Cui Yunfeng said, “I’m not entirely sure. Cousin and Xiao Yi discussed it. They asked him whether he wanted harmony between father and son-in-law, or whether he was willing to abandon you.”
“Cousin said that you’d had a difficult life since childhood. If even he abandoned you, you’d be truly pitiful.”
Cui Yunchu’s gaze shifted to Tang Qingwan.
Tang Qingwan pressed her lips together before speaking softly. “Before that, Lord Shen had already sought out my uncle twice. I only hoped to bring the two of you together and make this marriage happen.”
Tang Qingwan was not lying.
Of all of them, she truly had been the one most eager to make the match.
Cui Yunchu said nothing. She simply stared at her.
“Yunchu…” Tang Qingwan began.
Cui Yunfeng added, “Eldest Sister, are you worried about Lord Shen? Are you upset?”
Tang Qingwan snapped, “Can’t you keep your mouth shut for once?”
It was the first time she had ever spoken so crudely to one of her own sisters.
Cui Yunfeng pouted in grievance, unable to see how she had done anything wrong. “Eldest Sister is the one involved. She has the right to know. You’re always saying that everything you do is for her own good. If you truly mean well, then you should let her know the truth and allow her to decide for herself.”
After all, marriage was no trivial matter.
Cui Yunchu looked at Tang Qingwan. “Since Cousin is so determined to bring them together, why not ask that old man to give a little ground?”
Tang Qingwan pressed her lips together, unable to reply.
Cui Yunchu let out several cold laughs and turned her head toward the carriage window. By then, the carriage had stopped outside the Ministry of Personnel.
Her heart felt as though it held a raging fire, burning fiercely. Yet at the same time, it was as if all the strength had been drained from her body. She did not want to speak—or even move.
