Chapter 68 "The plum blossoms are blooming, I think you'll like them..."
Shen Yunzhi recalled that Cui Hong had mentioned the former Princess Consort of Chu with unclear motives.
At that time, Cui Hong told her that before the late Princess Consort of Chu passed away, His Majesty the Emperor had visited her incognito outside the palace.
She pretended not to hear what he said, and he pretended not to have said anything either.
Now that the emperor has taken the late Princess Chu's last will and testament from Cui Huai, it's hard to believe there's no hidden story.
But the King of Chu had this attitude.
When the Queen Consort of Chu was bedridden, the King of Chu abandoned her.
They even brought Aunt Xue and Cui Hong back to the Chu Prince's Mansion.
In his treatment of Cui Huai and Cui Hong, the King of Chu never concealed his affection and tolerance for Cui Hong, but his treatment of Cui Huai far exceeded what a strict father would do. Even though Cui Huai acted recklessly, and was covered in wounds, how could the King truly bear to kill him?
Shen Yunzhi was lost in thought, and her mind wandered as she walked.
It was only when she heard "Zhi Niang" that she realized her aunt was walking towards her.
"aunt."
Shen Yunzhi collected her thoughts and quickly stepped forward.
"It's so cold outside, why didn't you bring a hand warmer when you went out?" Princess Chu said gently as she handed a Fu Lu Shou hand warmer to Shen Yunzhi, then took her directly back to Yunxi Courtyard. "I have already instructed the kitchen to send dinner to your courtyard. Your aunt will be with you tonight."
Shen Yunzhi sensed her aunt's intention to obstruct her.
The news that Cui Huai had been whipped by the King of Chu and carried back to Qiyun Residence covered in blood must have already spread throughout the King of Chu's mansion.
Her aunt probably guessed that she was going to visit Cui Huai, which is why they met on the way.
After a moment's thought, Shen Yunzhi decided not to insist on going to Qiyun Residence and instead went back with her aunt.
But upon returning to Yunxi Courtyard, Princess Chu remained silent.
Unaware of what her aunt had instructed her to do, Shen Yunzhi didn't mention anything else. She simply accompanied her for the meal and then quietly sat with her for tea.
Shen Yunzhi peeled a roasted orange for Princess Chu and was wiping her hands with a handkerchief handed to her by a maid when Princess Chu dismissed all the maids and servants in the room. Only then did she speak to Shen Yunzhi, "Zhi Niang, your aunt isn't blind or naive. The Prince has schemed so much for you, and I've never seen him care for any other woman like this before. He definitely sees you more than just a cousin. What do you think?"
The affair between Shen Yunzhi and Cui Huai could no longer be kept secret, and she didn't want to continue pretending to hide it from her aunt. She said, "I have no feelings for Cui Huai, but I was indeed able to reunite with my aunt because of his kindness."
"When you told the prince that you would never marry into the Chu Prince's mansion, you never imagined things would turn out this way."
Princess Chu paused for a moment, then sighed softly, "Fortunately, you are now a county princess personally appointed by His Majesty, so even if the prince is unhappy, he still has to take some precautions."
Hearing my aunt recount the events leading up to my faked death and escape felt like a lifetime ago.
Shen Yunzhi remembered that it was because Cui Hong had inexplicably asked the King of Chu for her hand in marriage that her aunt had said those things to the King of Chu.
The King of Chu also declared at that time that if such a thing were to happen again, he would not tolerate her.
Now, I'm afraid we have to tolerate it for the time being, whether we can or not.
Shen Yunzhi belatedly realized that Cui Huai was also aware of these matters.
This imperial decree bestowing this title... one has to admit, Cui Huai had a far-reaching plan for her.
“Aunt, I’m fine,” Shen Yunzhi reassured her, then added, “His Majesty has granted me a house, and I will move out in a couple of days.” Her status was no longer that of a cousin of the Prince’s family, so there was no reason for her to continue living in the Prince’s mansion.
Princess Chu sighed again; what she was worried about was not these things at all.
Seeing this, Shen Yunzhi asked bluntly, "Is Aunt trying to tell me to stay away from Cui Huai in the future?"
Princess Chu shook her head: "Since you say you have no feelings for him, your aunt believes you know your limits. Besides, matters of the heart are subject to change. But the young master is too persistent with you, and the prince's anger won't end today. The young master's life will probably be difficult, especially since he's involved with you. How can he possibly extricate himself from this mess?"
"However, no matter how angry or unhappy the prince was, he was still the heir of the Chu Prince's Mansion."
"In the end, it is often the daughters who suffer in these matters."
Shen Yunzhi understood.
It turned out that what Aunt was worried about was that Cui Huai would not let go and insisted on fighting against the King of Chu, which would harm himself and cause her to suffer some undeserved pain.
Cui Huai was indeed determined to marry her.
Under normal circumstances, marriage is impossible without the consent of one's parents.
At that time, Cui Hong's activities were only minor.
Cui Huai is different from him; he doesn't give up easily, and the turmoil is unlikely to subside and could easily spiral out of control.
In other words, the aunt was worried that if things got out of hand, Cui Huai wouldn't be able to protect her.
This made her situation even more difficult than before.
If Cui Huai were to leave by then, he would still be the noble and high-ranking heir of the Chu King, while she would be left with no chance of survival. Even if she survived, the gossip alone would make it difficult for her to find a place to stand.
Shen Yunzhi knew that her aunt was not worrying unnecessarily.
But now, for her to want to extricate herself before Cui Huai is nothing short of a pipe dream.
Not knowing how to answer her aunt's question, Shen Yunzhi remained silent. After a while, she asked, "Why did you marry the prince back then, Aunt?" Her maternal family had never set foot in the capital, nor were they a noble family. They were just minor officials. To get involved with the imperial family, they would have to have a different kind of opportunity.
"It's nothing worth mentioning."
Princess Chu touched Shen Yunzhi's face and said calmly, "It was just that her family suffered a disaster and had nowhere to turn for help, but the prince came to her aid."
Shen Yunzhi lowered her voice: "I heard that when the late Princess Consort was on her deathbed, the Prince brought the Second Young Master back to the capital."
The Queen Consort of Chu said, "The late Queen Consort was a woman with a tragic fate."
"Is the tension between the late Princess Consort, the Prince, and the Heir Apparent due to their strained relationship?"
Shen Yunzhi asked tentatively, feigning ignorance.
Princess Consort of Chu said, "Zhiniang, since you have no interest in the Crown Prince, why are you so curious about his affairs?"
Shen Yunzhi only dared to voice her doubts: "Auntie has watched him grow up, doesn't she find it strange? If it were someone else, already covered in injuries and about to be whipped, they would at least try to avoid it."
Princess Chu pursed her lips: "I don't know much about the things between the father and son, but from childhood to adulthood, the prince has never complained whenever he was punished by the prince. I once asked him why he didn't defend himself, and he only replied to me, 'The ruler and his subjects, father and son, dare not disobey,' and he continued to do so afterward."
Shen Yunzhi frowned: "From childhood to adulthood?"
"I first saw him in the first year after I married into the Prince's mansion..." Princess Chu recalled, "At that time, the Crown Prince should have been just starting his studies."
When he was four or five years old?
Even though she had expected it, Shen Yunzhi still couldn't hide her surprise.
"Such a strange and abnormal situation must be a mess." The Princess of Chu looked at her worriedly and said, "Zhiniang, don't get involved. These things are not for outsiders to interfere with."
Shen Yunzhi lowered her eyes and nodded: "Aunt, I know."
They stopped mentioning the King of Chu, the late Queen Consort, and Cui Huai, and instead talked about future plans and inquired about moving.
Shen Yunzhi and Princess Chu talked until midnight.
After resting together, Princess Chu fell into a deep sleep, but Shen Yunzhi was troubled and unable to fall asleep.
She didn't know what she had to be anxious about.
Even if Cui Huai were beaten to death by the King of Chu, it would have nothing to do with her, and she might even be given a chance to be exonerated.
But for some reason, I just felt that Cui Huai was hiding something.
Perhaps that's the key.
That's all...
My aunt is right. These are things that no one can interfere with. Protecting herself is the most important thing for her.
Shen Yunzhi put aside the idea of seeing Cui Huai.
Looking at her sleeping aunt, she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep as well.
...
The next morning.
When Shen Yunzhi woke up, the Princess of Chu had already gotten up.
With the help of her maid, she washed and dressed, had breakfast with her aunt, and then, at her aunt's suggestion, went to see the house bestowed upon her by Emperor Jiaping. Since she had mentioned moving out the night before, it was difficult to refuse, so they went out together.
Because the house had been renovated in advance, it was fully equipped with all kinds of items, and only a few things needed to be added, so it was very cheap.
Therefore, there is no need to make too many preparations.
As dusk approached, they returned to the palace by carriage.
A snow fell silently.
Princess Chu did not continue to stay at Yunxi Courtyard, and Shen Yunzhi met Cui Huai that very night.
He arrived at Yunxi Courtyard late at night in a black cloak to find her. As he passed through the palace, his shoulders and back were covered with snowflakes, but in his arms was a handful of golden plum blossoms.
Shen Yunzhi's gaze fell on the plum blossom branch, and she then carefully observed Cui Huai's expression.
Why not take a proper rest and recuperate?
Cui Huai coughed softly and walked confidently into her room.
As he handed her the flower branch, he said gently, "The plum blossoms are in bloom; I think you'll like them."
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