Chapter 139: Accidentally Eating Wild Mushrooms
The flower hall on the estate was truly worthy of its name.
Surrounded by blossoms of every hue—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—it offered an ultimate sensory delight.
An unknown incense burned in the hall, likely for repelling mosquitoes, as not a single one could be seen.
"Madam Xie," Chu Yi gestured politely, "I have some matters to attend to and must trouble you to accompany the children for their meal first."
Cheng Zhuangzhu silently lowered his gaze.
Before the Prince came to the estate, he had cleared his schedule entirely—there were truly no urgent matters at hand.
To protect Madam Xie's reputation, the Prince had devised such an excuse.
Their Prince was not typically a meticulous man, yet he had considered even this minor point of etiquette—quite remarkable.
He couldn't help but feel that not only were the Young Son and Little Commandery Princess particularly attached to Madam Xie, but the Prince himself seemed to regard her with unusual distinction.
Chu Yi turned and left the flower hall.
The moment he departed, Yun Chu breathed a sigh of relief.
The rule of "men and women not sharing seats after seven" wasn't strictly about age, but rather about maintaining distance between genders after children reached understanding. Her upbringing had taught her to keep a proper distance from men. Because of these two children, she had become rather close to Prince Pingxi, though their interactions had generally remained within proper bounds.
Though she had agreed to Yu Ge'er's request to stay for the meal, she had initially planned to simply stand nearby and chat with Yu Ge'er and Changsheng...
Now that Prince Pingxi had left, she needn't worry about those formalities anymore.
She took a seat at the dining table.
Both children had specially prepared meals from dedicated chefs, with a matron and maid standing behind each—essentially requiring no assistance from her.
"Madam Xie, this entire table is prepared with common ingredients from the estate," Cheng Zhuangzhu explained respectfully. "These are wild vegetables—their names may not sound appealing, but they have a fresh, sweet flavor. This is wild pheasant from the estate, particularly tender and delicious. The fish was also caught from the estate's lake. The physician says that being influenced by the hot spring waters, consuming this fish is beneficial for health..."
This was Yun Chu's first time trying such wild fare, and indeed, as the estate manager had described, the flavors were sweet and delightful, making for an exceptionally enjoyable meal.
As she ate, she suddenly felt an itching sensation on her arm. Setting down her chopsticks and rolling up her sleeve, she discovered dense clusters of red spots covering her skin.
Before she could process this, she suddenly lost consciousness, collapsing straight from her chair.
Fortunately, Ting Shuang and Ting Feng stood right behind her and immediately caught her.
"Auntie Yun!"
Chu Hongyu cried out in alarm, rushing to her side.
"Madam!" Ting Feng was equally frightened, repeatedly calling out, "Madam, what's wrong with you, Madam!"
In that instant, countless small red bumps rapidly spread across Yun Chu's neck and face.
Ting Shuang's expression changed sharply: "Manager Cheng, were there mushrooms in the dishes?"
Cheng Zhuangzhu hurriedly replied, "There are many wild mushrooms on the estate's low hills. The chef specifically used wild mushroom oil to cook the vegetable dishes. Is Madam Xie unable to consume mushrooms?"
Ting Shuang recalled an incident over ten years ago, when Madam was about four or five years old—she had also eaten wild mushrooms and broken out in red bumps all over her body.
Not just on her skin, but inside her mouth too, her throat swelling shut until she nearly suffocated to death...
"Quickly summon Bi Langzhong!" Chu Yi's voice cut through the chaos—he had returned unnoticed. His tone was icy as he commanded, "Make haste!"Bi Langzhong was the dedicated physician of his prince's mansion, who had always been responsible for regulating the health of the two children.
He clearly remembered when Changsheng was just over one year old—she suddenly broke out in rashes all over her body one day and fell unconscious. It was Bi Langzhong who saved her life.
Later, they discovered that the wet nurse had eaten mushrooms that day, and Changsheng developed a full-body mushroom rash after drinking the wet nurse's milk.
He didn't know if Lady Xie's situation was the same, but he decided to summon Bi Langzhong first.
Seeing Yun Chu leaning against the maids Ting Shuang and Ting Feng, he walked over without hesitation, bent down, and prepared to scoop her up in his arms.
As he got closer, he distinctly caught the unique fragrance that belonged to her.
His fingers paused, and he stepped back a few paces, calmly instructing, "You two, help Lady Xie to the inner chamber."
The nanny specifically assigned to care for the two children hurried over to assist Ting Shuang and Ting Feng. Together, they supported Yun Chu from the flower hall to the courtyard and laid her on the bed.
"Your Highness, this humble servant deserves death ten thousand times over!"
Cheng Zhuangzhu threw himself to the ground with a thud and slapped himself twice across the face.
Having served Chu Yi for many years, how could he not understand that this Lady Xie held an extraordinary place in the prince's heart? Yet he had caused Lady Xie to fall unconscious.
If anything happened to Lady Xie, his life wouldn't be enough to atone for it.
His dramatic display frightened Chu Hongyu into wailing loudly: "Father, is Aunt Yun going to die? No, I don't want her to..."
Chu Changsheng's large eyes welled up with mist, tears falling in big, silent drops as she cried without a sound.
Chu Yi, who had initially wanted to vent his anger, suppressed his rage and said coldly, "If I ever see wild mushrooms in this manor again, you won't need the head on your shoulders."
Cheng Zhuangzhu wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Yes, Your Highness!"
Chu Yi picked up his daughter: "Be good, Changsheng, don't cry. Father will take you to see Aunt Yun."
Chu Hongyu followed behind him, sniffling and sobbing. The father and his two children entered the courtyard where Yun Chu was staying. Jiu'er stood guard at the courtyard entrance, while Ting Feng and Ting Shuang attended to things inside.
Chu Hongyu wiped his tears and asked in a choked whisper, "Sister Jiu'er, how is Aunt Yun?"
He was somewhat afraid to go in, worried that he wouldn't be able to hold back his sobs and would frighten his sister into crying along with him.
Jiu'er shook her head: "In reply to the Young Son, the lady is still unconscious."
Just as she spoke, Ting Shuang's delighted voice came from the inner chamber: "Madam, you're awake!"
Yun Chu slowly opened her eyes.
She felt as if something was blocking her throat, making it difficult to speak. Though uncomfortable, she didn't feel suffocated.
She vaguely remembered that when she was four or five years old, she had also eaten wild mushrooms and then slept for three full days and nights. Probably now that she was older, her body had developed stronger resistance to wild mushrooms, otherwise she wouldn't have woken up so quickly.
"Aunt Yun, it's really wonderful that you're okay!"
Chu Hongyu rushed in without restraint, grabbed Yun Chu's hand, and still couldn't help crying quietly.
He had finally found a mother he loved, and they hadn't even had the chance to live together yet—he couldn't bear the thought of losing her...
Chu Changsheng struggled free from Chu Yi's arms and hurried inside, but she didn't notice the doorstep and nearly tumbled head over heels.Chu Yi simply scooped up his daughter and carried her inside, but he remained standing at the doorway without advancing further. The little girl rounded the screen and threw herself into Yun Chu's arms, showing no aversion to the red rashes on her face as she nestled against her affectionately.
Through the screen, Chu Yi vaguely saw the two children leaning against Yun Chu.
At this moment, he wondered: if she hadn't married, would he be able to cross the screen and enter?
But probably not. Unmarried women were even more particular about maintaining distance between men and women than married ones - he likely wouldn't even have been able to meet her.
Whether she was married or unmarried, he had no right to stand by her bedside.
Unless... he were her husband.
Once this thought emerged, it spread wildly like weeds, taking root and flourishing in his heart.
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