Chapter 67 "Cui Huai, you're really not normal."...
Shen Yunzhi did not get out of the sedan chair.
She sat in the sedan chair and greeted Chen Zhaoyu in a very natural and generous manner.
They could be said to have a past.
At that time, she admired Chen Zhaoyu and liked him, but it wasn't enough for her to be unable to forget him.
Chen Zhaoyu was probably the same.
A year has passed, and it's normal for her to have a new romance. Cui Huai insisted on telling her this, and took the opportunity to remind Chen Zhaoyu to be mindful of her status and behavior.
Shen Yunzhi was lazy and didn't care much about arguing with Cui Huai.
Upon hearing her voice, Chen Zhaoyu's expression became increasingly dazed.
The news that His Majesty the Emperor had recently bestowed the title of "Princess Huihe" had already spread among the princes and nobles of the capital. Even if some were curious about this woman, they wouldn't pay her too much attention. He had also heard about it but hadn't taken it to heart. But this young lady... not only did she resemble Zhi Niang in appearance and voice, but she was also traveling with Cui Huai.
Chen Zhaoyu became suspicious.
Are there really two people in this world who look so alike? But he had seen Zhi Niang's grave.
We don't know what Cui Huai's feelings are for Zhi Niang.
Ever since I saw Cui Huai at Zhi Niang's grave, I have never been unclear about anything.
Could it be...?
Cui Huai met a woman who looked remarkably like Zhi Niang while he was away from home and brought her back to the capital.
Standing beside the sedan chairs, watching them disappear at the end of the passageway, Chen Zhaoyu's expression darkened slightly. Whether Zhiniang was still alive, whether this Princess Huihe was truly Zhiniang, or simply someone similar to the one Cui Huai had found, things were incredibly strange.
Will my cousin be disappointed?
Upon arriving at the palace gate, Cui Huai disembarked from the sedan chair and boarded a horse-drawn carriage on the way to the Chu King's residence. Suddenly, Cui Huai asked a question.
Shen Yunzhi was thinking about her upcoming meeting with her aunt.
She asked, "What are you disappointed about?"
Cui Huai said slowly, "Things have changed, but people are no longer the same."
“People always change,” Shen Yunzhi said calmly. “Since it can’t be forced, there’s no point in thinking about it too much.”
Cui Huai seemed to be deep in thought, and after a while said, "Before I took you away from the capital, I left a letter for Li Zhu, and she already knew that you were still alive. Later, I wrote to her again to tell her that I was going to take you back to the capital, and asked her to inform my mother in advance. Cousin Zhi, you don't need to worry about how to explain to them when you get back."
Behind his thoughtful and considerate actions lies Cui Huai's meticulous planning and complete control.
Shen Yunzhi had already noticed this before.
Even though she now realized that his scheme had begun much earlier than she had thought, she had lost the strength to be surprised or angry.
Moreover, this does save her a lot of trouble.
She didn't know where to begin when asked to explain to her aunt what had happened over the past year.
Shen Yunzhi asked, "What did they say?"
“In my letter to Lizhu, I said you were alive and I was going to find you,” Cui Huai replied gently. “She must have checked the empty coffin; Cui Hong was probably with her. Now that you’ve revealed your true identity, I wrote to her from Jinling to tell her I’d found you and explained the situation. She knows it was all Cui Xu and Cui Xuan’s doing.”
Shen Yunzhi remembered that Cui Lizhu had secretly followed Cui Huai and discovered her existence.
Cui Huai had mentioned telling Cui Lizhu about the matter at that time.
"When exactly did you start planning all this?"
Unable to contain her curiosity, she received another confession from Cui Huai: "The day I confirmed that the young woman Cui Xu forcibly took from Jinling was you."
Shen Yunzhi was speechless: "Including that deal with His Majesty?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Huai smiled faintly: "Does Cousin Zhi think that bestowing the title of County Princess is such a simple matter?"
She knew, of course, that it wouldn't be simple.
"But you clearly wanted to imprison me in a dark room back then."
Shen Yunzhi hadn't forgotten the sound of the chains and Cui Huai's own admission that he had had such thoughts. Since he had started plotting that day, why not just push her to the forefront? That way, he could pin the whole thing on Cui Xu.
"I was indeed furious to suddenly learn that you had become someone else's wife." Cui Huai did not regret or blame himself for what he had done.
Shen Yunzhi said, "This is not a reason for you to imprison me by your side and humiliate me at will."
“It won’t happen again. Besides, I’m going to marry you, and I’ll have to let you see the light of day again sooner or later, so I’ll have to make plans for you sooner or later.” Cui Huai said to Shen Yunzhi, “If Cousin Zhi is really angry, you can treat me like this to ease your unhappiness.”
Shen Yunzhi laughed: "You mean you want me to imprison you by my side and then humiliate you every day?"
"Hmm." Cui Huai nodded calmly in response.
Shen Yunzhi glanced at him.
She saw the hidden longing in his eyes and almost laughed in exasperation.
"Cui Huai, you're really not normal."
What should have been a silent criticism was impulsively uttered by Shen Yunzhi, causing Cui Huai to frown, clearly displeased with her assessment.
Shen Yunzhi didn't press the issue further, instead asking, "Do you have any old grudges against Cui Hong?"
Cui Huai hesitated for a moment: "Never."
“Having an older brother like you must not be a pleasant thing.” Shen Yunzhi spoke casually about their relationship without choosing her words carefully. “Aunt Cui Hong came from a humble background, and he was often ridiculed for it. Apart from that, he rarely received any attention. But you are different.”
"You were born to the late Princess Consort and were granted the title of Heir Apparent of the Chu Prince's Mansion shortly after your birth. His Majesty dotes on you and often asks you to accompany him. You are outstanding in appearance and have extensive knowledge. Even in a small town in Jiangnan, there are countless people who admire Mr. Yuqing."
Have you ever considered that he might become jealous, or even resentful of you?
"After all, you are related by blood but are very different."
After listening attentively, Cui Huai calmly commented, "Birth, old age, sickness, death, encountering those you hate, separation from those you love, not getting what you want, the five aggregates... these are all human nature. Even if Cui Hong harbors resentment towards me, it is not something I can change."
His calm demeanor made him appear even more indifferent, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
Shen Yunzhi lowered her eyes, pondered for a moment, and asked, "What if he intends for you to misunderstand that I am close to him?"
"It's fine if my cousin Zhi is only close to me."
Cui Huai gave his answer without hesitation.
Shen Yunzhi asked, "No matter what happens, will you still believe me?"
Cui Huai looked at her with a sudden pity: "Cousin Zhi, I just can't bear to part with you."
...
The Chu King's Palace.
When news of Cui Huai's return to the capital reached the mansion, Cui Lizhu and Cui Hong rushed to the main courtyard.
Princess Chu was restless, her usually kind and gentle face unusually filled with anxiety and unease. Cui Lizhu, holding her hand, felt the cold sweat on her palm and occasionally whispered words of comfort, but her own heart was even more uneasy than Princess Chu's. In contrast, Cui Hong appeared much calmer, unhurriedly instructing his subordinates to gather information.
Just as noon was approaching, someone finally came to report: "His Highness the Crown Prince has returned!"
A single sentence was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Cui Huai and Shen Yunzhi's group were all on edge.
Princess Chu immediately stood up and was about to leave, but she forced herself to sit back down and only allowed Cui Lizhu and Cui Hong to go and greet her.
The two of them responded and left the main courtyard to greet Cui Huai.
Upon reaching the outside of the hanging flower gate, they saw Cui Huai standing beside the carriage, carefully helping a woman down from it.
Her gaze fixed on the woman in the moon-white cloak, Cui Lizhu's head seemed to buzz, and she called out, "Zhi Niang!" Before she could finish speaking, the woman turned to look at her. The extremely familiar features made Cui Lizhu quicken her pace, almost running forward, tears streaming down her face.
Before Shen Yunzhi could react, Cui Lizhu embraced her tightly.
Cui Lizhu hugged her tightly, sobbing and crying, repeatedly calling out "Zhi Niang" before finally breaking down in tears.
My longing and yearning for her poured out like hot tears.
Even the proud and arrogant Princess Danyang was slightly moved by Shen Yunzhi's loss of composure.
She called out softly, "Lizhu," and when she looked up, she found herself meeting Cui Hong's gaze.
Cui Hong's eyes were filled with smiles and warmth: "Zhiniang, I'm glad you're safe. Your mother is waiting for you in the main courtyard."
Shen Yunzhi nodded and looked away.
Choi Yeo-joo couldn't stop her tears and it took her a long time to calm down. She let go of his hand, wiped away her tears, and took two steps back.
Cui Hong then inquired about Cui Huai: "I heard that my elder brother was injured..."
Cui Huai said "It's alright," and naturally wanted to take Shen Yunzhi's hand, but Shen Yunzhi noticed first and subtly avoided him.
The group headed to the main courtyard.
Upon seeing her aunt's red eyes and constant tears, Shen Yunzhi could no longer remain calm and burst into tears as well.
Sure enough, no one asked Shen Yunzhi about what had happened in the past year.
Since she has returned with a new identity, it is not convenient for her to talk about too many old things. After crying and saying some intimate words, Princess Chu, though reluctant to part with her, considerately let her go and rest first, thinking of her long journey.
Cui Lizhu had many things she wanted to say to Shen Yunzhi.
She deliberately ignored Cui Huai's gaze, took Shen Yunzhi's hand, and went to Yunxi Courtyard together.
"Zhi Niang..." After accompanying Shen Yunzhi back to her room, when they were alone, Cui Lizhu had a thousand thoughts in her mind. She had something to say but didn't know where to start. Finally, she stammered out, "When my eldest brother moved into Qiyun Residence before, a young lady came in. When I saw her figure, I almost thought it was you." She regretted saying it as soon as it left her mouth and wished she could bite her tongue.
Shen Yunzhi did not show any particular emotion.
She whispered, "Thank you, Lizhu, for always thinking of me."
Choi Yeo-joo remained silent for a few moments: "What's going on between you and my elder brother now?"
"I'd like to know too," Shen Yunzhi said with a helpless smile.
Seeing Shen Yunzhi's exhausted face, Cui Lizhu didn't continue the conversation. She simply instructed a maid to bring in hot water to help her bathe and wash up before taking her leave. Shen Yunzhi then went to the bathhouse and bathed with the help of a maid.
Returning to Yunxi Courtyard, Shen Yunzhi, who thought she would never come back when she left, was filled with emotion.
But no matter how many feelings I had, they all turned into a deep sleepiness in my exhaustion.
The room, with silver charcoal burning in the brazier beforehand, was warm and cozy, and the quilts, which had been dried in advance, were even softer and warmer.
Shen Yunzhi slept soundly, and when she woke up, it was already dark outside.
The bed was too warm for her to get up. She lay comfortably in bed, half-asleep, when she heard from a maid in the Prince's mansion that Cui Huai had been whipped by the enraged Prince Chu that afternoon and was sent back to Qiyun Residence covered in blood. She was shocked and fully awakened. She immediately asked the maid to help her up and left Yunxi Courtyard for Qiyun Residence.
On the way back to the capital, while admiring the rime ice in the mountains, she chatted with Cui Huai and only thought that the King of Chu might disregard Cui Huai's injuries and make him kneel as punishment.
To everyone's surprise, the King of Chu whipped Cui Huai.
"It's alright, I'll be patient."
Cui Huai's words of comfort seemed to still ring in her ears, and she endured the beating she received.
Shen Yunzhi felt a mix of emotions.
Is it worth it? In her opinion, it wouldn't be worth it to go to such lengths for anyone, but Cui Huai was deeply mired in the quagmire of so-called love because of her, and risked his life time and time again.
Looking back, he realized that he always silently endured the punishments inflicted by the King of Chu.
The relationship between the father and son was the strangest thing in the palace; sometimes she even felt that the King of Chu hated him.
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