Chapter 345: Chu Changsheng Strikes Back
The birthday banquet for the matriarch of the Li family was quite lively.
Yun Chu and Changsheng took their seats in the banquet hall. Yun Chu scanned the room but didn't see Li Jingshu anywhere.
As the legitimate eldest daughter of the Li family, it stood to reason that Li Jingshu shouldn't miss her own grandmother's major birthday celebration.
Just as she was pondering this, she heard a matron from the household announce loudly: "Consort Jin has sent birthday gifts! May the matriarch have a look!"
Yun Chu keenly noticed a flicker of coldness cross Old Madame Li's previously smiling face, quickly masked by her smile again: "Bring them forward.Servants carried in a massive red coral bonsai. The crowd gasped.
"This red coral must be worth at least ten thousand taels of silver."
"The Duke's estate has fallen, yet Consort Jin can still present such an extravagant birthday gift."
"What do you know? Every year for the matriarch's birthday, Consort Jin's gifts are extremely precious. She's very filial."
"If she were truly filial, she wouldn't refuse to return to the Li family. They say she hasn't been back to her maiden home since marrying into the Duke's estate almost thirty years ago."
"Really? Is that true..."
Yun Chu sipped her tea, quietly listening to the discussions.
The Li family's steady rise over the years clearly indicated that Li Jingshu hadn't completely severed ties with them. So why didn't she return?
She turned to Changsheng beside her and said, "Mother is going to change clothes. Sit here properly and don't wander off."
Chu Changsheng wasn't as clingy as before and nodded: "Don't worry, Mother."
Yun Chu stood up and said to Ting Shuang behind her: "Keep an eye on Changsheng."
She took Qiutong with her and headed toward the back of the banquet hall.
The dressing room was just past a screen and down a small path, but Yun Chu intentionally took a wrong turn.
She had come to the Li family specifically to investigate this matter and wouldn't pass up the opportunity.
Qiutong pulled a map from her sleeve: "Li Jingshu's former residence is here. It's the largest compound in the entire estate besides the main one, and it's still kept empty for her."
"Let's go take a look."
Yun Chu strode in that direction.
Because the Li family was hosting a banquet, the men were all in the front courtyards and the women in the second compound, leaving the rear basically deserted.
The mistress and maid soon reached the courtyard marked on the map. Even from a distance, they could see blooming flowers and plants, and several young ladies standing at the courtyard entrance.
"Eldest Sister, you're the legitimate eldest daughter of our generation. This courtyard should be your residence."
"Yes, I don't understand. Aunt hasn't returned home for so many years, why must this courtyard remain reserved for her?"
"Back then, Aunt was especially favored by the matriarch. All the finest things in the estate were given to Aunt and stored in this courtyard. Let's go in and see."
The group of young girls wanted to enter but were blocked by two old women at the gate.
After some back-and-forth, the young girls left in a huff.
Yun Chu gave Qiutong a look.
Qiutong tiptoed and leaped, entering the courtyard.
Yun Chu quickly caught up to the group of young ladies and called out: "Excuse me, are you the young ladies of the Li family?"
The girls turned around.
Some of them had attended palace banquets and naturally recognized Yun Chu. They immediately curtsied: "Greetings, Princess Consort of the Pacifying West."
They also looked at her curiously. This was the inner rear courtyard of the Li residence—why would the Princess Consort be here?
"I went to change clothes and got lost," Yun Chu said sheepishly. "Might I trouble you young ladies to escort me back to the banquet hall?"
The young ladies naturally agreed.On the way, Yun Chu remarked casually, "I just saw that red coral bonsai—it's truly beautiful. Consort Jin is so generous, she must often give you younger ones many rare and interesting trinkets in daily life, right?"
The eldest legitimate daughter of the Li family sighed. "I probably shouldn't say this, but in all my years, I've never met my grand-aunt privately."
She had only glimpsed her grand-aunt from afar a few times during palace banquets and had never spoken a word with her in private. How could she possibly receive any novel little gifts from her?
"Really?" Yun Chu's face showed surprise. "Has Consort Jin never returned to the Li family?"
The eldest legitimate daughter of the Li family sighed again and remained silent.
Several other young girls began chattering excitedly.
"That's right, Grand-aunt has never come back even once. It's such a pity—the Old Madame has been keeping a residence prepared for her all this time."
"I've never attended a palace banquet, so I don't even know what Grand-aunt looks like."
"I heard that Grand-aunt isn't actually the current Old Madame's biological daughter, so..."
Yun Chu narrowed her eyes.
As they spoke, the group returned to the banquet hall.
Qiutong had also returned and whispered, "The room is spotless—it must be cleaned daily. The decorations and furnishings are all typical of a young girl's bedchamber. It seems they haven't been changed over the years..."
Yun Chu nodded.
She already had a rough guess in her mind.
She would know for sure after testing Old Madame Li.
While Yun Chu went to speak with Old Madame Li, Chu Changsheng obediently sat in her seat, eating pastries.
She was now a young lady over six years old. By winter, she would be a full seven years old and had already begun to display the demeanor expected of a young noblewoman.
"Little Commandery Princess."
A group of noble young ladies approached.
Chu Changsheng set down her food, looked up, and smiled. "Miss Zhou, Miss Yu..."
She didn't actually recognize these people—Ting Shuang was quietly prompting her from behind, enabling her to address each by their family names.
In the past, she would never have greeted them. She would either lower her head in silence or turn and hide behind Ting Shuang.
But her father and mother had told her that as a member of the imperial family, she must face such situations. Even if she disliked it, she had to learn to socialize and build connections.
She said, "Would you like to sit down and eat together?"
Many noblewomen had risen to mingle and chat, leaving the surrounding seats empty. Chu Changsheng warmly invited them.
The leading noble girl, about eight or nine years old, covered her mouth with a light laugh. "I heard that Chang Sheng County Princess has taken a commoner as her study companion. Is that true?"
The smile instantly vanished from Chu Changsheng's face.
The term "commoner" filled her with intense aversion and disgust.
Xian was not a commoner—she was her dearest friend.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, and forced a smile back onto her face. "Would Miss Zhou like to become my study companion?"
The leading noble girl was the legitimate daughter of the Zhou family, a first-rank official household. She believed herself in no way inferior to Chu Changsheng, a mere commandery princess.
However, as she was not the eldest daughter, she was ineligible to study at the Imperial Academy. Becoming a study companion to an imperial daughter would grant her that access.
Her expression immediately shifted, becoming all smiles. "Of course, I'd be willing."
"But... I'm not willing." Chu Changsheng enunciated each word clearly. "I would rather have a commoner as my study companion than you, Miss Zhou. Does that mean you're even lower than a commoner? Is that what you're implying?"
Miss Zhou's eyes widened in shock. "You—you... How could you...""Miss Zhou, hear me clearly. Xie Xian is not a lowly commoner." Chu Changsheng raised her head. "You just want to enter the Imperial College, don't you? Xie Xian can enter, but you cannot. Therefore, you have no right to mock her."
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