Chapter 307: An Encounter with Xie Shiyun
A narrow alley.
Xie Shiyun stood there, facing four children about his age.
His clothes were tattered.
The four were dressed in fine attire.
He was covered in filth.
The four were neat and clean.
Those eight eyes stared at him, leaving him nowhere to hide.
Ting Xue stepped in front of the four children and asked, "Third Young Master Xie, what are you doing here?"
Xie Shiyun lowered his head. "I'll leave right away."
Over the past two months, he had opposed Xie Shi'an at every turn. In retaliation, Xie Shi'an had cut off his food and clothing allowances and forbidden their grandmother from caring for him. He had been reduced to a state little better than a beggar.
He knew that if he just apologized to Xie Shi'an, this treatment would stop.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
His own mother had been killed by Xie Shi'an. He couldn't possibly coexist peacefully with him.
All he wanted was to one day kill Xie Shi'an with his own hands.
But he was still too young.
Only five years old.
He still needed time to grow.
Yet he was starving.
Xie Shiyun turned and began walking out of the alley.
"Wait a moment."
A soft, gentle voice called from behind.
Though not loud, he heard it clearly. He immediately stopped and turned to see a girl stepping out from behind Ting Xue.
The girl who emerged was Chu Changsheng.
She took the basket of pastries from Xu Ti's hands and walked toward Xie Shiyun.
Ting Xue quickly stepped forward to hold the girl's hand.
Although Xie Shiyun posed little threat, the Xie family was inherently selfish and sinister at heart. She wouldn't take any chances.
Chu Changsheng walked up to Xie Shiyun and held out the basket. "For you. Eat."
Xie Shiyun couldn't believe it. "For me?"
The girl nodded emphatically. "If you eat, you won't be hungry anymore."
Xie Shiyun remembered a time long ago when this same little girl, nestled in her mother's arms, had given him a pastry.
He extended his grimy hands, took the basket, and whispered, "Thank you."
"Changsheng..."
Yun Chu's voice suddenly rang out.
Xie Shiyun shuddered, clutched the basket tightly, turned, and ran.
By the time Yun Chu arrived, she only caught a glimpse of Xie Shiyun's back disappearing around the corner.
"Mother, he's so pitiful," Chu Changsheng said with a troubled expression.
Chu Hongyu feigned indifference. "None of the Xies are any good! Mother has already married Father Prince, yet he still comes bothering us!"
Yun Chu picked up her younger daughter. "Everyone in this world has their own path to walk. Your pity won't help them."
Gan Lai reported on the Xie family's affairs every two or three days.
Now that Xie Shi'an was a Counselor at the Gongxi Royal Mansion, he earned some silver and had gained a voice in family matters. When he said to cut off Xie Shiyun's food and clothing, even Yuan Shi didn't dare intervene.
If even Yuan Shi, his own grandmother, could abandon Xie Shiyun...
What could an outsider like her, with no blood ties, possibly do?
As she spoke these words, Xu Ti glanced at her.
He had first met his current mother at the charity house established by the Princess Consort, which had given him a warm home.
The Princess Consort was clearly a kind-hearted person, yet she insisted on speaking so coldly.
He wondered what Xie Shiyun had done to make the Princess Consort withhold her compassion.
After leaving Concubine Jiang's home, Chu Changsheng's mood remained somewhat downcast.
Holding her, Yun Chu said, "Her Majesty has prepared some young palace maids for you. Tomorrow, Mother will accompany you to the palace to choose some, alright?"Children of the royal family always have playmates of similar age who grow up with them, and these companions later become their most loyal confidants.
Chu Changsheng shook her head: "I only like Xian."
"Xian Jie'er is your friend, but this time we're selecting attendants to serve you," Yun Chu gently pinched her cheek. "Do you really want Xian Jie'er to help you change clothes and wash up?"
According to regulations, a princess should have at least one head matron, four first-rank maids, eight second-rank maids, plus various cleaning maids and matrons.
Previously, Changsheng had been young and frail, so everything was handled by Matron Zheng. Now that she was growing older, these attendants needed to be gradually appointed.
Chu Changsheng finally nodded.
Yin Fei, having little to occupy her time normally, devoted all her energy to selecting attendants. Over a dozen young palace maids around five or six years old stood below the steps.
Though these maids were young, they understood etiquette well, clearly having been trained for some time.
Chu Changsheng nestled in Yin Fei's embrace and whispered: "Grandmother, please choose for me. I don't understand any of this."
Yin Fei, being quite familiar with these young maids, pointed with her pale hand and quickly finalized all the attendants.
"I've also found a teacher for zither lessons," Yin Fei said with a smile. "After studying with this teacher for seven or eight years, our Changsheng will surely become the capital's most accomplished noble lady in zither playing."
Chu Changsheng blinked her large eyes: "Do I have to learn?"
Yin Fei spoke earnestly: "Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting - you must learn them all. We'll take it slowly."
Chu Changsheng pouted. She didn't like learning the zither.
She looked pleadingly at Yun Chu.
Yin Fei immediately said: "Don't look at your mother. Even if she objects, it won't change anything."
Yun Chu spoke unhurriedly: "Mother, did Qinghua Princess learn these things back then?"
"Of course," Yin Fei nodded. "Since she was four years old, she had the finest teachers learning everything a noble lady should master, never slacking off for a single day."
"Second Sister studied so diligently, yet her talents were never renowned in the capital." A smile touched Yun Chu's lips. "Does Mother know why that is?"
Yin Fei was suddenly speechless.
Yun Chu continued: "Changsheng enjoys painting. I'd like to ask Mother to find a master painter to teach her."
Chu Changsheng immediately chimed in: "I want to become the best painter among noble ladies."
She lifted her small chin, her large eyes sparkling with vibrant energy.
Yin Fei chuckled and shook her head: "Very well, as you wish."
Yin Fei worked efficiently, finding a female teacher skilled in painting within just five days.
Yun Chu had actually purchased one of this teacher's paintings before, hanging it in her study - it was a style she appreciated. She even attended a couple of lessons herself.
Thus Changsheng studied painting.
Yu Ge'er practiced martial arts.
Time passed quickly until the transition between spring and summer.
The weather gradually grew warmer.
It was at this time that the Crown Princess sent an invitation for Yun Chu to visit the Eastern Palace to admire the poppies.
The western courtyard of the Eastern Palace grew the capital's most abundant poppies. Every year during this season when the poppies bloomed most splendidly, the Crown Princess would invite numerous guests to appreciate the flowers.
This was how their social circle operated - today one would host, tomorrow another, with constant banquets and gatherings under various pretexts.
While Yun Chu could decline other invitations, she couldn't refuse one from the palace.
Since Changsheng had had an unpleasant encounter with the Crown Princess's daughters during their previous visit to the imperial mausoleum, Yun Chu didn't bring the children along for this palace visit.The carriage stopped at the palace gate, and she followed the young eunuch to the Eastern Palace.
Just as she arrived at the entrance, the Crown Princess came forward to greet her: "Sister-in-law, I should have hosted you for tea at the Eastern Palace much earlier, but trivial matters kept piling up and delayed it. I hope it’s not too late now."
She was referring to the previous incident of apologizing at the imperial mausoleum.
Yun Chu smiled politely: "The Crown Princess is too kind. We are all family—there’s no need for such formalities."
The Crown Princess led Yun Chu inside, where quite a few people had already gathered in the Eastern Palace.
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