Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 155: Heading to the Hunting Ground

In the blink of an eye, it was already the twenty-first of September.

Before dawn broke, Yun Chu had risen to wash and dress, packing spare clothes and other necessities. She brought Qiutong along and took a carriage to the palace gates.

Xie Shi'an did not accompany her, instead heading to the Imperial College to join his classmates for the journey.

By the time they arrived, the palace gates were already crowded with first and second-rank officials and their families who would be accompanying the imperial party to the hunting grounds at Yan Mountain.

"Chuchu." A voice called out beside her.

Yun Chu turned to see Du Ling and smiled. "Lingling, you look so dashing in that outfit."

Du Ling grinned. "I fell ill during last year's hunt, so I'm determined to make a splash this time. But you—why are you wearing such a long skirt? I was hoping to compete with you."

"Please spare me," Yun Chu raised her hands in surrender. "The journey to Yan Mountain is exhausting enough. I won't have any energy left to compete with you."

She had only been able to join this trip due to an Imperial Decree from the Empress, who likely had something to discuss with her.

The Empress was no simple woman—having protected the Crown Prince's position in the Eastern Palace for over twenty years, even when the Second Prince gained momentum, she had never allowed the Crown Prince's status to be shaken. As Empress, she undoubtedly possessed considerable cunning.

Yun Chu had been pondering how to decline if the Empress attempted to win over the Yun family...

With so much on her mind, she had no interest in horseback riding, archery, or hunting.

As the two conversed, the palace gates swung open. The imperial procession emerged majestically, led by the Emperor, followed by the Empress and the Crown Prince, then four or five consorts and numerous princes. Only after the imperial family had taken their positions at the front did the officials begin to fall in line according to their ranks.

The procession quickly swelled to at least two or three thousand people.

As the wife of a fifth-rank official, Yun Chu held the lowest status and naturally found herself at the very rear. Du Ling, wanting to keep her company, linked arms with her and said, "Let me ride in your carriage. The journey will take six hours—it's too tedious. We can chat along the way."

Yun Chu nodded. Six hours was indeed most of the day, and traveling alone would have been dreary.

Du Ling quickly climbed into the carriage and lifted the curtain, only to find two young children sitting obediently inside. She stared in surprise. "Chuchu, did the Empress's Imperial Decree specify that you should bring children?"

Yun Chu shook her head. "No, it didn't."

Du Ling rubbed her temples, baffled. If the Empress hadn't ordered it, why would Chuchu bring Xie Jingyu's concubine-born children to the hunting grounds?

That scoundrel Xie Jingyu kept taking one concubine after another and fathering child after child, yet Chuchu still promoted his offspring...

However, these two concubine-born children were exceptionally adorable, far surpassing her expectations for such offspring. She couldn't resist pinching the boy's cheek.

"Oww—"

Chu Hongyu protested unhappily.

But that wasn't important.

He wanted to know why there was someone else in his mother's carriage.

That unreliable A Mao—could he have gotten the information wrong?

Yun Chu, still standing below the carriage, was puzzled by Du Ling's question when she heard a familiar voice.

She hurriedly climbed into the carriage and saw the two children sitting quietly inside.

"Mo— Aunt Yun!"

Chu Hongyu, remembering there was an outsider present, quickly corrected himself and restrained himself from rushing into Yun Chu's arms.Du Ling was taken aback. "Aunties? Chuchu, who are they..."

Yun Chu helped Du Ling into the carriage, and only after the curtain fell did she explain, "This is the Young Son of Pingxi, and this is the Little Commandery Princess."

"No wonder they looked so familiar..." Du Ling suddenly understood. She had only seen these children from a distance at banquets, and since children change every day, she naturally hadn't recognized them.

"So it's the Young Son and Little Commandery Princess." Du Ling smiled. "Shouldn't you two be in the imperial procession? How did you end up in the Xie family's carriage? Did you get into the wrong one?"

"Madam, you know this is the Xie family's carriage, so why are you here?" Chu Hongyu tilted his head and asked.

Du Ling found his expression utterly adorable and replied with a laugh, "Because Madam Xie and I are close friends. We agreed to share a carriage."

"Madam Xie and I are close friends too," the little fellow declared, lifting his chin. "It was I who went to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and asked the Empress to issue an Imperial Decree for Madam Xie to join the hunt."

Yun Chu was surprised. "The Empress issued the decree because of your request?"

The little guy nodded proudly. "I told her Madam Xie crushed my cricket and I needed to collect compensation, so the Empress agreed."

This hunting trip would last a full five days—he and Changsheng could stay with their mother for five whole days. Such an opportunity was too precious to miss.

Yun Chu: "..."

If only the little rascal had mentioned this earlier, she wouldn't have spent days suspecting the Empress was trying to win over the Yun family...

But now that she understood the situation, she could stop worrying about the Empress and relax during their outing to Mount Yan.

She reached out and gathered the silent little girl, Chu Changsheng, into her arms, saying softly, "It's a long journey. Why don't you lean against me and take a nap?"

The little girl nodded, wrapped her arms around Yun Chu's neck, and nestled contentedly against her chest.

Chu Hongyu's eyes turned green with envy.

But he knew his sister was frail—it had taken great effort to persuade their father to let her come. He wouldn't compete with her over such a small matter.

Du Ling, having a son and daughter of her own, recognized the look in the boy's eyes. Smiling, she picked him up and settled him on her lap. "Young Son, you can lean against me and sleep. We'll be there when you wake up."

"No! I don't want to!"

The moment Chu Hongyu touched Du Ling's thigh, he scrambled desperately to get away.

He didn't want to be held by any woman other than his mother.

Leaning against Yun Chu's arm, he coaxed, "Aunty Yun, when we arrive, will you hold me for a while too?"

Yun Chu patted his head. "Of course."

Du Ling said in mock offense, "Young Son, do I have thorns on me or something?"

"Madam, we're not acquainted well enough. I wouldn't want to trouble you," Chu Hongyu replied as politely as he could.

Du Ling nudged Yun Chu's arm. "When did you become so close with these two?"

Yun Chu couldn't quite explain it either.

When had they grown so close?

Their first meeting had been somewhat unpleasant, but afterward, her heart had inexplicably become attached to these two children, making it impossible to let go.

She looked down at the children and said, "This is my dear friend, Madam Ji. Her maiden name is Du. You may call her Aunty Du."

Chu Hongyu immediately chirped sweetly, "Aunty Du! My sister can't speak, so I'll call you Aunty Du for her too.""Then I'll graciously accept." Du Ling's heart melted. "I didn't bring anything particularly special—this bracelet is for the Little Commandery Princess, and this jade pendant is for the Young Son. Consider them meeting gifts."

Chu Hongyu glanced at Yun Chu and, seeing her nod, reached out to take them: "Thank you, Aunt Du."

Yun Chu retrieved a pendant she had personally designed from a nearby bundle, crafted from the uncut jade previously gifted by Prince Pingxi.

The red jade pieces were engraved with each child's name, adorned with auspicious clouds and blooming flowers—all patterns she had drawn herself and commissioned artisans to carve.

The two children were overjoyed upon receiving the pendants. Chu Hongyu examined his left and right, unable to get enough of it. Suddenly, he paused, tilting his head to ask: "Aunt Yun, didn't you make one for Father as well?"

Yun Chu: "..."