Chapter 226: Who Gave You the Nerve
Yun Chu sat by the Hot Spring Pool, keeping the child company.
After enduring two acupuncture needles, the little girl could bear no more, her face turning deathly pale.
Yun Chu could no longer stand it. She stepped into the hot spring, gently drew the child into her arms, and began singing softly.
Needle after needle was inserted into the little girl's thin shoulders, and even her head was needled. It was only after nearly half an hour that the needles were removed.
By then, the child was completely exhausted and had fallen into a deep sleep in Yun Chu's embrace.
"Thank you for your trouble, Bi Langzhong."
Yun Chu carried the little girl out of the Hot Spring Pool.
Ting Shuang and Ting Xue immediately stepped forward—one wrapping Yun Chu in a blanket, the other bundling up the Little Commandery Princess—and hurried into the inner chamber.
After washing the child from head to toe, changing her into clean, soft clothes, and gently laying her on the bed, the little girl's breathing gradually steadied as she slowly fell asleep.
Yun Chu, drenched in sweat from her efforts, went to bathe and change her clothes as well.
When she finished and came out, she realized she hadn't seen Yu Ge'er for quite some time.
Just as she was about to ask, A Mao entered through the doorway holding a porcelain jar: "Miss Yun, this is a butterfly the young master caught, a gift for the Commandery Princess."
Ting Xue exclaimed in surprise, "It's already winter—how can there still be butterflies?"
"Exactly!" A Mao lifted the lid. "Perhaps because the hot spring keeps it so warm, butterflies have flocked to this estate. There are many over there, and the young master said he must catch the largest one to give to you, Miss Yun."
As the lid opened, the butterfly tried to fly out, prompting A Mao to quickly snap it shut again.
Yun Chu stood up. "Where did he go to catch butterflies?"
A Mao set down the porcelain jar. "This subordinate will take you there, Miss Yun."
Yun Chu followed A Mao outside.
They arrived at a courtyard filled with flowers and plants, where indeed many butterflies fluttered about.
"Eh? The young master was right here earlier. Where did he go?"
A Mao searched the courtyard but found no one, his young face clouding with anxiety.
Yun Chu calmly instructed, "Find Cheng Zhuangzhu and secure the exits first."
As long as Yu Ge'er was still within the estate, he would be fine.
The worry was that he might have wandered out accidentally and fallen into the hands of bandits.
Yun Chu directed her maids to search for him. She knew Yu Ge'er was a sensible child who wouldn't run off recklessly; he must have gotten lost.
"Miss Yun, what are you looking for?"
A figure appeared before her—it was Zou Furen, whom she had encountered earlier.
Yun Chu narrowed her eyes slightly. "What do you think I'm looking for, Zou Furen?"
"Miss Yun is renowned in the capital as a virtuous wife and mother. Even when going out to enjoy the hot springs, you bring children along. Now that you're alone, has a child gone missing?" Zou Furen smiled broadly. "Would you like our help to search, Miss Yun?"
The group of noblewomen laughed along with her.
These four or five women often gathered for social engagements—today one hosting a flower-viewing banquet, tomorrow another inviting them to soak in hot springs—their lives flowing as placidly as still water.
Seeing someone they once looked up to now in such a disheveled state gave them a secret sense of satisfaction.
Yun Chu's gaze instantly darkened, and she strode toward the courtyard.
"Stop!" Zou Furen said coldly. "I've reserved this courtyard for three days. Without my invitation, I'm afraid it's not convenient for you to enter, Miss Yun."
As she spoke, two maids at her side blocked Yun Chu's path.Qiutong stepped forward, grabbed the two maids one in each hand, and threw them into the roadside flower bushes.
Zou Furen immediately screamed, "Yun Chu, have you gone mad? How dare you lay hands on my people! Who gave you the audacity?"
Just as she spoke, Cheng Zhuangzhu arrived hurriedly with his men.
Zou Furen immediately said, "Cheng Zhuangzhu, I paid a hefty sum to reserve this courtyard. Now someone is trying to force their way in. How do you plan to handle this?"
Cheng Zhuangzhu's face darkened to the extreme. "Zou Furen, you'd better pray there's nothing amiss in this courtyard."
With a single glance from him, the guards behind him stepped forward and blocked all the maids and servants of these ladies. A path was cleared, and Yun Chu led her people inside.
At a glance, she spotted a small porcelain jar in the flower bushes, identical to the one in A Mao's hand.
After taking a few more steps, she heard a child's voice.
Her heart sank, and she quickly headed toward the back of the courtyard. At the door of a small wooden shed, she heard a child pounding on the door: "Let me out! Open the door! Let me out!"
A Mao dashed forward in a flash and kicked the wooden door open, the large lock crashing to the ground along with the door.
Chu Hongyu hurriedly ran out of the room.
Following him out were seven or eight enormous black rats, larger than an adult's hand, sending chills down one's spine.
"Mother, so many rats! They scared me to death!"
The little one, tears and snot streaming down his face, leaped into Yun Chu's arms, clearly terrified.
Yun Chu gently patted his back and said softly, "It's alright now. Mother is here. Nothing will happen. Don't be afraid..."
After the child had calmed down, she handed him to Ting Xue beside her. "Be good, go back to the courtyard and take care of your sister. Mother will be back soon."
Chu Hongyu nodded obediently.
When they returned to the front of the courtyard, the ladies all looked somewhat embarrassed.
Zou Furen sneered, "How was I to know why this child was in my courtyard? He came uninvited, and now it's my fault?"
Another lady chimed in, "Miss Yun, no matter what, you were once this child's legal mother. You ought to discipline him properly."
"Cheng Zhuangzhu, you've been somewhat disrespectful to me today," Zou Furen tried hard to regain face. "Although my Zou family holds only a third-rank position, we are respected by Prince Pingxi. How dare a mere servant like you insult us? But since it's your first offense, I'll let it slide."
She knew the estate was Prince Pingxi's property and that the estate master was someone trusted by the prince. Thus, she only dared to utter a harsh remark—lodging a complaint upon returning was absolutely out of the question...
Yun Chu smiled. "I just had someone investigate. It was clearly your maid, Zou Furen, who lured the child into the courtyard with a colorful butterfly. And you call that 'uninvited'?"
"If he was told to come in, he just came in? A mere illegitimate son of the fallen Xie family—does he even know his place?" Zou Furen smoothed her hair. "Utterly lacking in upbringing. Coming into the courtyard is one thing, but he even hid in someone else's room and refused to come out. Who knows if he stole anything..."
Before she could finish, Qiutong threw a large lock onto the ground with a loud crash.
"Was it really the child trespassing, or were you the ones who deceived and locked him up?" Yun Chu's voice grew colder by the minute. "Cheng Zhuangzhu, escort everyone out!"
Cheng Zhuangzhu nodded. "Yes, Miss Yun!"
All the guards behind him stepped forward and moved toward the ladies.Those ladies were startled: "Wh-what are you trying to do?"
They thought the guards were going to arrest them.
Instead, they saw the guards seize and escort out all the maids and elderly servants standing behind them.
"Young Lady Yun, just call out if anything happens. This old servant will come in immediately."
Cheng Zhuangzhu respectfully closed the courtyard gate.
Zou Furen couldn't believe it.
Why would Prince Pingxi's men obey Yun Chu's orders so readily?
It would be understandable if Yun Chu were still the young lady of the General's Manor, but the General's Manor had already fallen. Why? Just why?
Before she could figure it out, she saw Yun Chu walking toward her.
She felt a chill in her heart: "Wh-what are you going to do? Let's talk this through properly..."
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