Chapter 144 After Marrying the Crippled Prince, Chapter 24: Chu Lan

Yun Chi deliberately ignored Yun Shuxue at the banquet. Everyone at the banquet was shrewd and noticed something was amiss.

Amidst the comings and goings of people, the face of a woman in plain clothes was particularly familiar.

Yun Chiyi sized up the new guest, her eyes suddenly lighting up.

The other person clearly recognized her as well, her beautiful eyes filled with tenderness: "This humble woman greets Your Highness. It has been a year since we last met."

It had indeed been a long time since they last met. Shangguan Chulan hadn't changed at all; she was as beautiful as a pear blossom, unassuming yet possessing her own unique charm.

Yun Chiyi grabbed her wrist, smiled, and looked her up and down. Shangguan Chulan returned the gaze with equally eager eyes.

A lady of high society was standing next to her, and they seemed to have a very close relationship.

Shangguan Chulan introduced: "This is the lady of the General's Mansion. I have been staying at the General's Mansion for a while to help the lady recuperate."

Judging from the lady's attire and demeanor, Yun Chiyi guessed that she was General Zhao's wife. She was a full twelve years older than Yun Chiyi, and her smile as she looked back radiant.

General Zhao received instruction from the Emperor in his youth and is now a favorite in the court. Many high-ranking officials and nobles want to get on his good side, and even the Fifth Prince does not dare to underestimate him.

Yun Chiyi warmly shook the general's wife's hand. Seeing that she still didn't speak, Shangguan Chulan remained silent, pretending to be confused and not exposing her.

The general's wife has always preferred quiet to noise, and Yun Chiyi suits her temperament perfectly.

She asked Shangguan Chulan, "How come I've never heard you mention that you and Princess Cheng are old acquaintances?"

Shangguan Chulan said, half-concealingly, "In those years, the princess was weak and often caught colds and was bedridden. I happened to have made some progress in my medical skills, so I dared to volunteer to diagnose the princess."

"Do you remember the noble person I mentioned to you? That person is the princess's mother."

The general's wife looked surprised: "I really can't tell that you have such a past. Your Highness, you are a noble person, and noble people are naturally blessed."

Yun Chiyi smiled gently.

Thinking of the past kindnesses she had received, Shangguan Chulan asked with concern, "How has Madam Yun been lately?"

Yun Chiyi said that she was in good health and had been living in Jingci Nunnery for many years without much worldly troubles.

Shangguan Chulan said, "That's good. I'll be staying here for a while now that I'm back. If Madam Yun doesn't mind the trouble, I'd like to stay with her at the temple for a few days."

As it happens, the general's wife had the same idea.

Since Lin Jinyuan wouldn't be at home this month anyway, it wouldn't matter where Yun Chiyi stayed. So she suggested that they pack their bags and go to the temple to calm their minds in a couple of days.

The deal is done. Yun Chiyi will write to Lan Yihan to explain the matter when she gets back.

When Lan Yihan received the letter and learned that they were coming, she was so happy that she couldn't fall asleep until midnight. The next morning, she got up early and went with her maid to the mountains to pick wild fruits with dew on them. She washed them and soaked them in spring water, waiting for them to come and taste them.

Prince Cheng's mansion traveled light this time, but still had a considerable number of hidden guards.

The mountain breeze was still quite crisp, which actually dispelled any drowsiness.

When the three arrived, Lan Yihan was listening to the monks in the nunnery preaching on the path outside the temple.

As usual, Yun Chiyi donated some money for incense this time. She didn't believe in gods or Buddhas, but given her status, and the fact that she needed their help to take care of Lan Yihan, she still had to follow the rules.

The mountains were quiet and cool, and the three of them would go to listen to the sutras in the morning and evening. At other times, they would gather together to discuss their experiences in conditioning their bodies. Yun Chiyi had many methods, all of which she had personally tried. Even Shangguan Chulan listened and nodded repeatedly, and even wrote a handwritten note.

On a quiet day, Chaosheng met an old messenger pigeon. He lived in the outer courtyard and, after receiving the news, solemnly informed Yun Chiyi.

Seeing that he looked as if he had swallowed a big fly and had a weight in his stomach, Yun Chi thought that something had happened to Lin Jinyuan.

After reading the secret letter, her heart remained completely unmoved.

The Emperor has decided to make the Fifth Prince the Crown Prince, and the edict will be issued tomorrow.

It's coming faster than originally planned, but it was only a matter of time.

Chao Sheng didn't understand why Lin Jinyuan instructed that everything, big or small, had to be reported to the Princess. She didn't participate in court affairs and didn't even know all the wives of the ministers. Wouldn't telling her all this just add to her troubles?

Looking at Chao Sheng's tightly furrowed brows, Yun Chiyi slowly smiled and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have a way to change things?"

Chao Sheng said, "At this point, I'm afraid even His Majesty cannot reverse his decision."

Yun Chiyi said, "Then let's just live as usual. Does it mean that now that he's the crown prince, the palace won't even have enough to eat?"

Before she could finish speaking, Chao Sheng held his breath, as if he had truly imagined the tragic situation she described.

Yun Chiyi comforted him: "To be honest, I don't know what your next plan is. However, the Prince's Mansion has always stayed out of it, living a life of seclusion. Even if the sky falls, it will remain as immovable as a mountain."

Why are you so worried? It makes others guess what you're thinking just by looking at your face.

Upon hearing this, Chao Sheng immediately felt remorseful: "It was my fault for not being able to keep things to myself. Thank you for reminding me, Your Highness."

Yun Chiyi joked, "You have been the prince's confidant for many years, even closer than family. I don't want him to see you looking worried and anxious when he comes back. If he thinks I have mistreated you, he might punish me."

Chao Sheng muttered a rebuttal: "How could that be? Compared to the Princess, I am but a drop in the ocean. In the Prince's heart, the Princess will always be number one. Please rest assured, Princess, no one can shake that."

Yun Chiyi laughed and said, "So you can joke after all. I thought you were going to just grab a rope and hang yourself."

"Don't keep a long face. Besides, to put it bluntly, it's not like we haven't appointed a crown prince before. It's not a done deal yet."

Chao Sheng nodded in agreement.

He had a sudden realization. The princess had lived in the back courtyard for a long time, but she was very good at giving advice, and she made him believe in her.

Currently, among the Emperor's many sons, only the Fifth Prince stands out with exceptional talent.

Those people couldn't stand Lin Shulang even after he gained favor, let alone the Fifth Prince, who was practically announcing to the world that he had won a great victory.

The Fifth Prince acts too ostentatiously, and Chao Sheng boldly predicts that he won't be able to hold the position of Crown Prince for long.

He came to terms with it and even ate two extra bowls of food at dinner.

The day before Lin Jinyuan returned, Yun Chiyi said goodbye to Lan Yihan and returned to the city with the other two.

Lin Jinyuan arrived home dusty and tired. After washing up, he changed into a moon-white robe and went straight to Yun Chiyi's courtyard.

After not seeing him for several days, he seemed to have gained some weight, and his shoulders were an inch wider.

Yun Chiyi curled her lips into a smile, which grew deeper and deeper: "Where is Your Highness rushing off to in such a hurry?"

“My lady, you’re not asking a question you already know the answer to. I’ve been away for so long, and a day apart feels like three autumns. Not everyone can bear the pain of longing.” Lin Jinyuan carried two large boxes of women’s jewelry and opened them as he spoke.

The things he brought back were not rare or precious, but rather contained something else entirely.

"How cheesy! Your Highness's words have made my fingers curl up."

Yun Chiyi held out her finger to show him, then picked up a begonia beaded flower from the box: "The workmanship is a bit rough. How much did Your Highness pay for it? Could you have been tricked?"

"And the style isn't nice either; I've never seen anyone else wear something like this."

Lin Jinyuan had a few faint scratches on his fingers. He smiled with his lips raised, but his eyes were fixed on Yun Chiyi, silently trying to discern the truth in her words.

"Does Madam not like it?"

Yun Chiyi pondered for a long time, unable to make a decision.

Lin Jinyuan looked a little embarrassed: "Madam, don't worry. Only this one cost a little money; the rest were gifts from the shopkeeper."

He said, as he was about to put the things away, "If Madam doesn't like them, then I'll put them somewhere out of sight."

Yun Chiyi immediately bent down and hugged the two wooden boxes carved with auspicious cloud patterns: "If you put them away, what will I wear?"

Lin Jinyuan repeated, "The lady doesn't like it either."

“When did I ever say I didn’t like it? You’re getting more and more easily teased these days. This is something you made for me yourself; it would be such a waste to hide it.”

Lin Jinyuan's plan succeeded. He selected the crabapple beaded flower and a white jade hairpin from earlier and gently placed them in Yun Chiyi's hair.

"It's not that bad."

Lin Jinyuan opened his arms: "Perhaps it's too far away to see clearly."

He's not old and blind; how could he not see clearly?

Yun Chiyi sat in his lap, her fair hand holding the pearl hairpin: "Is this close enough?"

Lin Jinyuan rested his chin on her thin shoulder with satisfaction: "What have you been doing while I was away, Madam?"

Yun Chiyi counted on her fingers: "I went to have dinner with the beauties, and I also went to Jingci Nunnery with General Zhao's wife to stay with my mother for a while."

She said, "Didn't Chaosheng tell the Prince about these things? He's keeping a very close eye on me."

"That wasn't surveillance; it was concern for Madam's safety."

Lin Jinyuan's eyes relaxed, and he gently inhaled the fragrance of Yun Chiyi: "General Zhao's wife is kind and gentle, but she is not one to easily get close to people. What did you talk about with her?"

"What the women were talking about was that General Zhao loved wine, but he didn't like the wine in taverns. He preferred the simple brew from a farmhouse. She also mentioned that last month, on General Zhao's birthday, the Fifth Prince mixed a box of gold into the birthday gift, which made General Zhao very angry."

Lin Jinyuan smiled faintly and said, "Madam, you're not going to recuperate, so why are you gathering intelligence? You don't need to worry about such troublesome things."

Yun Chiyi raised an eyebrow: "Did Your Highness have a smooth trip? I heard it wasn't a simple task?"

Lin Jinyuan replied, "Everything is fine. I just returned from reporting back to the palace. The Emperor even praised Lin Shulang, his face beaming with joy. He has gained even more respect for this eldest grandson of the Emperor."

Yun Chiyi bluntly stated, "It seems that Your Highness has been doing all the work for someone else. You've gone through so much trouble and effort, and all the credit goes to someone else. What exactly do you want?"

Lin Jinyuan spoke as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary: "Help Lin Shulang rise to power."