Immediately change the world

Lu Yunchu originally wanted to hold back, but in the end she couldn't help but speak up: "Aunt, in this deep palace, who is not in control of their own destiny? And who is not trying to please the emperor? We have always taught women to be faithful to one man until death, so what if they seduce their husbands? If you really have the ability, Aunt, you should write a new book on women's virtues and let all women stay away from their husbands. That would be better, so that no children will be born and no one will suffer from now on."

Having said that, she rose, bowed, and prepared to leave. She had expected her aunt to fly into a rage, but to her surprise, this woman, who never spoke kindly, sighed. Her aunt lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks: "A-Yun, Auntie is just jealous, jealous of her power… Auntie is trapped here her whole life, unable to go anywhere. Auntie can't hate anyone else, only these vulnerable people like us. Auntie is just powerless…"

Lu Yunchu suddenly regretted what she had just said, but her aunt's evaluation of the other women was indeed too harsh. She gently wiped away her aunt's tears and whispered, "Aunt, I understand. This is how the world is. Women can only spend their whole lives entangled in meaningless people and things within a small space. We are all victims. We are all born of the same root. Why are we so eager to harm each other? We are only temporarily residing here. One day, we will hold hands and see a new world."

Her aunt looked at her with some surprise, but finally smiled gently: "I knew I hadn't misjudged you, good child. Just wait, the Lu family will be yours. You won't follow our old path."

Her aunt didn't explain, and she didn't ask; she simply left silently. She knew her aunt still hated these women, but there was something else she hated about them. She was jealous of them, perhaps not just of the favor, but also of the fact that they were in the same cage, yet possessed the power to break free.

It was already evening when they returned to the manor. Chu Chengchao had just come back from the training ground, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. Lu Yunchu couldn't smile when she saw him. She wanted to wipe his sweat but was too embarrassed, so she could only lower her head.

Fortunately, Chu Chengchao didn't take it to heart. He chatted with her about what he had seen and heard that day, saying that Chu Chengan had worn a new dress that looked very nice, and that he had asked the shop where he bought the dress so he could give it to her next time.

Lu Yunchu was surprised, not expecting that the princes wouldn't talk about these things. Chu Chengchao said that Chu Cheng'an always referred to himself as Princess An'an and liked to wear all kinds of dresses. At first, his father would scold him for being shameless, but Consort Xiao always protected him, so gradually no one cared anymore.

That silly boy has become so interesting...

Seeing that Lu Yunchu was interested in this "Fifth Princess," Chu Chengchao immediately took her to see her. Lu Yunchu was initially quite embarrassed, but Chu Chengchao said that Sister An liked to see young girls, especially those as beautiful as herself.

"Sister An is so beautiful! She looks good in both men's and women's clothing. We all say she's the most beautiful man in Chu... uh... woman... anyway, she's beautiful whether she's a man or a woman!"

Chu Chengchao then recounted how he used to help this little girl weave flower wreaths when he was a child. Chu Chengan was not even ten years old when she became certain that she was a girl and felt extremely disgusted by this male appearance. She almost committed suicide before, but was fortunately saved by someone.

By the time they arrived at the drill ground, it was completely dark. Most people were resting, but one figure remained mounted on horseback. It was a woman dressed in a long purple dress, wearing a red hairpin, extremely beautiful yet incredibly strong…

Chu Chengchao waved to the beauty, and a rider galloped over, revealing a face that could be described as breathtakingly beautiful. He wore only a light touch of makeup, yet he was already stunningly beautiful, and his phoenix eyes shone like stars.

"elder brother!"

Chu Cheng'an leaped off his horse and threw himself into Chu Chengchao's arms, his tall and strong body nearly knocking him to the ground. Chu Cheng'an was very tall, almost half a head taller than Chu Chengchao; he was also extremely strong, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing very muscular arms that looked like he could easily take down several people. Yet, he was also so handsome, like a beautiful face from a painting placed on the body of the most valiant general.

He twirled around, his skirt fluttering in the wind, and winked at Lu Yunchu, but what he said made everyone chuckle: "Brother~ between me and sister-in-law, who's prettier?"

Chu Chengchao jumped up and slapped him, laughing and scolding, "You brat!"

A slender figure approached from afar; it was Consort Xiao, carrying a food box. Upon seeing Chu Cheng'an, she grabbed him and asked if he had been injured during training and if he was used to it. She wasn't even as tall as Chu Cheng'an's shoulder, yet this tall, burly man, almost twice the size of her mother, clung to him affectionately.

"Mommy~ My hands hurt, blow on them!"

He stretched out his rough, large hands, and Xiao Fei carefully blew on them, then told him with great concern not to use so much force in the future.

"My dear Princess An'an is so brave! Come, see what I brought you!"

Not only did Consort Xiao bring gifts for Chu Cheng'an, but she also brought gifts for all those she was close to. Lu Yun Chu felt embarrassed to join in the eating.

Chu Chengchao said that Chu Cheng'an couldn't get used to coarse food, so Consort Xiao came to visit him every day, accompanied him on horseback riding and archery, and helped him treat his wounds. Chu Cheng'an was afraid of hardship, fatigue, and dirt, and it was only because Consort Xiao pushed him so hard that he could train properly here. However, he didn't like memorizing movements or using his brain, so Consort Xiao helped him learn and taught him privately.

Xiao Fei greeted Lu Yun Chu, and seeing that she kept glancing at He Zai's figure galloping on the training ground, she walked over, took her hand, and asked, "Yun Chu, would you like to give it a try too?"

Lu Yunchu certainly wanted to, but dared not say it outright, and simply lowered her head shyly. Consort Xiao turned to Chu Chengchao and smiled: "Chao'er, you're never in the capital, so let her have some self-defense skills, teach her how to ride a horse."

Chu Chengchao's eyes widened in surprise: "Why would a young girl like you need to learn these things! It's too tiring to be exposed to the wind and sun. We men should do it!"

Chu Cheng'an mounted his horse with great displeasure: "Why can't a little girl learn? Aren't I a little girl? Humph, Princess An'an wants to ride a horse!"

Consort Xiao spoke gently, but her tone carried an undeniable firmness: "Look, I ride horses too. It would be good to teach the children in the future."

Chu Chengchao felt a little embarrassed when he heard the word "child". He scratched his head and pulled Lu Yunchu toward a horse, wanting to help her mount. Lu Yunchu was a little timid and let Chu Chengchao lift her onto the horse.

She dared not look around, her heart pounding as if it would burst out of her chest. Consort Xiao comforted her, saying, "It's common to get injured while riding a horse. Don't be afraid, practice makes perfect."

Chu Chengchao sat behind her, put his arm around her waist, raised his hand to hold the reins, and taught her with some embarrassment.

As Lu Yunchu sat on horseback, her initial fear gradually gave way to novelty. A gentle breeze caressed her face, and her vision opened up dramatically. Everything before her became exceptionally vast; she had never seen the world from such a perspective before.

The horse galloped off, and Chu Chengchao held her tightly, letting her try to pull on the reins. Consort Xiao waved to her, her smile radiant: "My little general, look how vast the scenery is from horseback! Riding a horse, you can cross mountains and rivers, going wherever you want to go!"

Looking at Consort Xiao's smile, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. No one had ever helped her fulfill this wish; everyone said women shouldn't be like this, yet Consort Xiao called her Little General and let her go wherever she wanted…

Chu Chengchao taught her for a long time, but she still couldn't grasp it. Mainly, he was too embarrassed to explain himself clearly. Consort Xiao rode up, took Lu Yunchu onto her own horse, and galloped away with her.

"Achu, look, riding a horse isn't scary at all! Once you learn, we can go to very, very far places and see how wonderful this world is!"

Leaning against Consort Xiao's chest, she felt an unprecedented sense of peace. Even though they had only met a few times, the connection was so strong. She realized that true affection, transcending blood ties and romantic love, truly existed in this world. She instinctively pulled on the reins and shouted to the sky. The wind whipped her sleeves, and those heavy sleeves felt an unprecedented sense of freedom.

She seemed to have transformed into a cloud, able to embrace the vast sky.