Tang Qingwan and the Crown Prince hurried over as soon as they received the news.
Shen Xiabai immediately pulled Cui Yunchu into his arms and asked, “Are you all right?”
Cui Yunchu shook her head.
The Crown Prince glanced into the side room, then at Xiao Lan, and said with a faint smile, “Aunt, are you all right as well? Shall I have a physician examine you?”
Xiao Lan replied coldly, “I’m fine.”
“Since Princess An is with child, you should rest properly.”
With that, she cast a glance at Tang Qingwan and the Crown Prince before turning and leaving.
At her words, Tang Qingwan’s expression paused for a moment, then her brows lifted in a smile. “Yunfeng is pregnant?”
Cui Yunchu glanced at the Crown Prince.
He was still smiling, but there was a chill in his eyes. Cui Yunchu nodded, not daring to say more.
Tang Qingwan was genuinely happy for Cui Yunfeng. “Now that she’s pregnant, she really must take good care of herself.”
As they spoke, Prince An emerged from the side room with Cui Yunfeng cradled in his arms. He was so careful that it seemed he were carrying some fragile treasure.
His gaze swept over the Crown Prince. The two men exchanged a brief look before Prince An slowly shifted his eyes to Shen Xiabai and Cui Yunchu.
“Lord Shen, I’ll trouble you to keep an eye on my wife. For the next few months, I don’t want her coming here.”
For no reason at all, he could not believe that Xiao Lan would have attacked Yunfeng.
Cui Yunfeng patted his arm. “What are you saying?”
Prince An said, “Be good. Taking care of the baby comes first.”
Who knew whether, if she stayed with Cui Yunchu, his child would even be born safely?
Cui Yunchu was quite self-aware. For once, she did not argue, instead nodding in complete agreement.
Shen Xiabai was displeased, but in the end, they were in the wrong. “Rest assured, Your Highness. As long as Princess An doesn’t come looking for A Chu, A Chu won’t go anywhere.”
Prince An carried Cui Yunfeng away, his steps slow, gentle, and steady.
Cui Yunfeng pouted and waved at Cui Yunchu.
Cui Yunchu called after her, “Thank you for my birthday gift!”
What she liked best was the gift of the shops.
Her smile was utterly sincere.
Tang Qingwan glanced sideways at the Crown Prince. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, though hers was faint—nowhere near as joyful as Cui Yunchu’s.
Children meant that the current balance of power was about to be disrupted.
“Princess,” someone stopped Xiao Lan at the flower-hung gate.
“Lord Prime Minister requests that you go to his study. He has a few words he wishes to discuss with you.”
Xiao Lan frowned. The sight of Cui Qingyuan’s old face rose in her mind, and she said coldly, “I have nothing to say to Prime Minister Cui.”
Her face and neck were burning painfully.
Since returning to the capital, she had repeatedly run into obstacles, every one of them because of a daughter of the Cui family. She was now thoroughly sick of the surname Cui.
The servant bowed and said, “The Prime Minister said that if Your Highness does not wish to marry, then you have no choice but to heed his instructions.”
Xiao Lan’s brows drew tightly together.
Cui Qingyuan did not want to marry her either?
She let out a scornful laugh. He was already so old—what gave him the nerve?
But she was no fool. If she could be used to restrain Cui Qingyuan and regain even a fraction of his authority, her imperial brother would undoubtedly throw her away without hesitation.
“Lead the way.”
The servant immediately stepped aside and guided Xiao Lan eastward.
Along the way, they encountered several busy servants, and the man leading her even greeted them.
After they had gone some distance, one of those servants stopped and turned to look at Xiao Lan and the others.
“Do any of you know that servant from earlier?”
The others shook their heads one after another. “No. But judging by the woman following behind him, she must have a significant status. He’s probably a servant from another residence.”
After discussing it for a few moments, they put the matter out of their minds and returned to their work.
Cui Yunchu had, in a sense, become the birthday girl of the day. Regardless of what the other young ladies truly thought, they had ultimately put on a show of courtesy and brought the birthday celebration to an end, out of consideration for the Cui family, the Crown Princess, and Princess An.
Cui Yunchu watched Xing’er carry away box after box of gifts, smiling so broadly that her mouth nearly split from ear to ear.
After the banquet ended, the young ladies left one after another. Tang Qingwan also took her leave.
Cui Yunchu walked her out and said, “Cousin, there’s something you said that was absolutely right. We’re family, in the end. We would never harm each other, would we?”
Tang Qingwan’s expression stiffened. She glanced at Cui Yunchu, then suddenly smiled faintly. “What? Are you afraid I’ll harm Yunfeng?”
Cui Yunchu said, “Yunfeng is simple-minded. She’s always been sincere toward you.”
Cui Yunfeng truly hoped that Tang Qingwan would be well, even though her marriage to Xiao Yi had once interfered with Tang Qingwan’s plans.
Tang Qingwan’s gaze was calm and detached. “Don’t worry.”
She was neither angry nor upset. Cui Yunchu’s suspicion was perfectly understandable. After all, in the imperial family, people killed their fathers and sons for power. What were she and Yunfeng compared to that?
Tang Qingwan’s smile was filled with disappointment as she slowly left the Cui residence.
The Crown Prince was waiting for her outside the gates.
Tang Qingwan came to a stop and looked back at the imposing gates of the Cui residence. Time had flown by, and in the blink of an eye, everything had changed beyond recognition.
She felt that she was still the same person she had always been. Yet, in the hearts of her younger sisters, an invisible wall had long since been built. It seemed that everyone had forgotten her original intentions.
At the beginning, she had acted for the sake of both the Cui and Tang families. Even now, that had not changed.
It was merely that as circumstances shifted and their positions diverged, a rift had inevitably formed between them.
There was no denying that when she learned Yunfeng was pregnant, panic had overwhelmed her joy. But it had lasted only a moment before reason suppressed it.
“Qingwan, are you all right?” the Crown Prince asked with concern.
Tang Qingwan came back to herself and shook her head faintly. “I’m fine. Let’s go home.”
After all the guests had left, Cui Yunchu immediately returned to First Garden. Xing’er was sorting through the birthday gifts they had received.
Cui Yunchu opened the boxes one by one and casually asked Xing’er, “Where is the Prime Minister?”
Xing’er replied, “At this hour, he should be in his study reviewing official documents.”
Cui Yunchu’s hand paused. She gave a quiet acknowledgment.
As the gift boxes were opened one after another, Cui Yunchu grew increasingly disappointed.
She rested her chin in her hand and stared at the boxes, her mood sinking.
Xing’er said, “They’re truly bullying you. When the Crown Princess and Princess An celebrated their birthdays, the gifts they sent were nothing like these. They clearly look down on you, Miss.”
Cui Yunchu swept her gaze over the gifts.
Not a single one was valuable. They were barely better than scrap metal.
The capital was truly a place where people treated others according to their status.
Cui Yunchu was in a foul mood, but soon comforted herself. “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t spend much money either. Besides, didn’t I make ten thousand taels from both the Crown Prince and Prince An?”
Xing’er still looked furious.
Cui Yunchu pulled out the gift from Cui Yunfeng and opened it. Beneath a jeweled hairpin, she found two deeds to commercial shops.
“After all, she really is my younger sister.” Cui Yunchu smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
Remembering how Cui Yunfeng had stood up for her that day, she felt warm all over.
At the same time, she couldn’t help worrying.
Who knew whether that muddleheaded girl would be able to protect the child in her womb? But aside from the Eastern Palace, there should be no one who would try to harm her unborn child.
Cui Yunchu frowned.
She did not believe Tang Qingwan would do such a thing, but under the pressures of imperial power, it was difficult not to feel uneasy.
Xing’er leaned close and whispered, “Miss, Lord Shen is here.”
Cui Yunchu pushed the gifts aside and turned toward the man entering through the doorway. She gave him a soft smile, and Shen Xiabai’s heart seemed to melt.
He stepped forward and slipped an arm around her waist. “You didn’t have time to pay me any attention today.”
Cui Yunchu held out her hand. “Where’s my birthday present?”
Shen Xiabai took her wrist and slowly caressed it. “Be a little more intimate with me, and I’ll give it to you.”
Cui Yunchu wrapped her arms around his waist in return, lifted her head, rose onto her toes, and kissed him on the lips. “Can I have it now?”
“That was perfunctory.”
Shen Xiabai could only sigh and ordered Yu Feng to bring the gift in. It turned out to be a coral tree.
Cui Yunchu stared at it without blinking, completely entranced. She leaned over the coral tree to examine it carefully, then cautiously ran her fingers over it several times. Her first question was, “How much silver could we get for this?”
Shen Xiabai fell silent.
Cui Yunchu beamed. “Why didn’t I see it the last time I went to the Shen family’s storehouse?”
Something so beautiful and valuable would definitely have made an impression on her if she had seen it before.
Yu Feng thought to himself, Of course you never saw it. It’s newly acquired through less-than-honest means.
Cui Yunchu hooked one hand around Shen Xiabai’s neck and offered him her lips. She intended to give him one quick kiss and pull away, but Shen Xiabai was not satisfied. He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, holding her firmly in place.
Yu Feng and Xing’er fell silent.
They truly didn’t treat them as people at all.
The two quickly lowered their heads and withdrew.
Yu Feng licked his lips and glanced at Xing’er. “Tell me, what does kissing feel like?”
Xing’er’s face flushed crimson. “How would I know?”
She stamped her foot and turned to leave.
“I was only asking,” Yu Feng muttered, rubbing his nose.
Inside the room, the two of them were locked in an inseparable kiss. Cui Yunchu was kissed until she could barely breathe. Taking advantage of a brief pause, she asked, “How’s the Old Man?”
“He won’t die.”
“Bang, bang, bang!”
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
Cui Yunchu hurriedly braced a hand against his chest and pushed him away. Once she had caught her breath, she asked, “What is it?”
“Eldest Miss, this is bad! Lord Prime Minister has been poisoned and has fainted.”
Shen Xiabai raised a brow, took Cui Yunchu by the chin, and sealed her lips with another kiss. “I told you he won’t die. Don’t worry about him.”
Cui Yunchu hooked her arms around his neck and responded to his kiss.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
“Eldest Miss, please come and take a look.”
“Mmph—”
Cui Yunchu finally managed to push Shen Xiabai away. Speaking to the steward outside, she said, “If he’s been poisoned, hurry and send for a physician.”
“We’ve already sent someone,” the steward replied.
Cui Yunchu gave an absent-minded “Oh,” and then fell silent again.
Outside, the steward was so anxious that he stamped his feet. “Eldest Miss!”
“Perhaps I should still go take a look,” Cui Yunchu said.
Shen Xiabai wrapped his arms around her and refused to let go. Lowering his head, he kissed her neck. “A Chu, trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
The ticklish sensation made Cui Yunchu twist away slightly. “Why do I suddenly feel like I’m being a terrible person?”
“Given the circumstances, we have no choice but to sacrifice Prime Minister Cui for the time being,” Shen Xiabai said. “Unless A Chu would rather see the Dowager Madam Cui suffer?”
“Then let the Old Man endure it for a while,” Cui Yunchu immediately replied. Of everyone in the residence, Cui Qingyuan was the person she felt the least sorry for.
It was all for the greater good. There was nothing they could do.
Shen Xiabai said, “Afterward, he’ll have to thank you for helping him resolve his marriage to Xiao Lan.”
Cui Yunchu nodded in agreement.
