Chapter 66: Prince Pingxi Searches the Manor
Yun Chu entered the flower hall with Ting Yu.
Looking at the pastries on the table, she remarked, "I recall the mung bean cakes you make are softer than usual. If you have time, prepare some and send them to me."
Ting Yu beamed with delight: "Yes, Madam. This humble servant will make them right away."
As long as the madam was willing to use her, she would eventually return to the madam's side. Once she regained her former status, who in the manor would dare show her disrespect again?
Yun Chu nodded. Just as Ting Yu was about to withdraw, an elderly maidservant rushed in anxiously: "Madam, Prince Pingxi has brought many people and demands to search the Xie residence."
Yun Chu's fingers gripping the teacup froze abruptly.
The people from Prince of Pacifying the West Manor had arrived so quickly—truly beyond her expectations. Fortunately, Qiutong and Ting Shuang had already left with the two children.
Ting Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Though Prince Pingxi holds high status and power, he has no right to search private residences. Could it be that some criminal has escaped, prompting His Highness to..."
"It's the Young Son and Little Commandery Princess of Prince of Pacifying the West Manor who have gone missing," the maidservant hurriedly explained. "The Master has gone to the main gate to respectfully welcome Prince Pingxi. He specifically sent this old servant to inform Madam, requesting the concubines and young misses to stay out of sight."
Yun Chu inclined her head and immediately dispatched servants to notify the womenfolk.
No sooner had she given the order than she heard numerous voices—the people from Prince of Pacifying the West Manor had already reached the inner courtyard.
In the entire capital, only Prince Pingxi would dare act so boldly.
The Crown Prince, being the eldest prince, needed popular support and would never casually search private residences to avoid impeachment by officials.
The other princes lacked sufficient capability and wouldn't have the courage to do such things.
Seeing Xie Jingyu accompanying Prince Pingxi drawing nearer, Yun Chu, as the mistress of the household, naturally couldn't avoid them like the concubines.
She rose and went forward to greet them: "Your Highness."
Chu Yi's gaze fell upon Yun Chu.
Somehow, he recalled that night when she had held Changsheng in her arms.
Under the moonlight, her skin had been like white porcelain. That night, he had vaguely felt her beautiful eyes resembled Changsheng's.
Now in daylight, he saw more clearly—not only were the eyes similar, but even the shape of their lips seemed carved from the same mold.
He paused briefly before speaking: "Madam Xie, my apologies."
At that moment, four guards who had searched Changsheng's residence emerged and shook their heads at Prince Pingxi.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Two hours earlier, just as he was preparing to depart for Jizhou, the Crown Prince had suddenly fallen ill. His Imperial Father had repeatedly issued decrees recalling him. Upon returning to his manor, when he was about to take his eldest son Yu Ge'er to the Eastern Palace to visit the sick, he discovered that Yu Ge'er had disappeared—and Changsheng had vanished as well.
He immediately mobilized personnel to search the entire city.
His first stop was the Grand Princess' residence, since Yu Ge'er was close to the Grand Princess.
The second place he came to was the Xie residence, possibly because Changsheng had been reluctant to part with this Madam Xie that night. He vaguely sensed the two children might have come here.
But nothing had been found.
"Lord Xie, Madam Xie, my apologies for the disturbance."
Chu Yi turned to leave.
Just then, a child's voice rang out: "There's a shoe over there!"
Yun Chu turned and saw Xie Shiyun, who had been holding Ting Yu's hand, suddenly rush over and point into the bushes, calling out.
Following Xie Shiyun's pointing finger, her breath caught—it was Yu Ge'er's brocade boots.Chu Yi's footsteps also halted as he looked at the shoe. Usually occupied with official duties, he never personally attended to tasks like putting shoes on children. The shoe merely looked somewhat familiar to him.
"This isn't my shoe," Xie Shiyun's childish voice rang out. "Whose shoe dropped here?"
Ting Yu immediately noticed the change in Yun Chu's expression and quickly pulled her son close.
Xie Shiyun pressed his lips tightly together.
He had long claimed that there was another child in his mother's courtyard, which was why she no longer favored him, but Concubine hadn't believed him.
Now, he had finally found evidence. With Prince Pingxi present, he could use the prince's men to uncover the child hidden in his mother's courtyard.
Ting Yu covered her son's mouth while glancing sideways at the shoe.
It truly wasn't Yun Ge'er's shoe, but it was clearly sized for a three or four-year-old child. In the residence, the only boy that age was Yun Ge'er.
This proved that there indeed was another child in the madam's courtyard.
Was the madam truly planning to adopt another child?
Ting Yu's emotions were in utter turmoil.
Yun Chu's expression shifted only slightly before returning to normal. She swiftly walked over, picked up the small shoe from the flowerbed, and said, "Just yesterday, I had the maids searching everywhere for this shoe. So it was here all along. It's for my maternal family's nephew's upcoming birthday—I specially ordered the latest style popular in the capital."
Chu Yi nodded. "My apologies for the disturbance. I take my leave."
He departed quickly with his guards.
Just then, Yun Chu saw Qiutong and Ting Shuang entering from outside. They nodded at her, and only then did her anxiously suspended heart finally settle.
As Chu Yi reached the gate, preparing to search the next location, a servant reported: "Your Highness, the Young Son and Little Commandery Princess have been found. They sneaked out of the residence to wander the streets, accompanied by Guard Mao."
After these words, the two young masters were carried over by two nursemaids and presented before Chu Yi.
Both children, aware they had done wrong, clung tightly to the nursemaids' necks, burying their faces without uttering a word.
Chu Yi looked at Chu Hongyu, his gaze involuntarily dropping to the boy's feet. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "Where are your shoes?"
Chu Hongyu rubbed his little feet together. "I-I don't know where I lost them."
"Oh?" A cold smile touched Chu Yi's lips. "Then explain how your shoe ended up in the Xie residence?"
Chu Hongyu's small face paled instantly, and he instinctively denied it: "No, I didn't go to the Xie family..."
Chu Yi's voice turned colder. "I never said you went to the Xie family. You've confessed without being pressed. You..."
Before he could finish, the little girl nestled in the nursemaid's arms suddenly seemed to come to her senses. With teary, wide eyes, she stretched out her short arms toward him.
In that moment, Chu Yi's heart softened completely.
Before turning two, Changsheng had spent most of her time in a lethargic slumber. After her second birthday, she improved somewhat, but she required frequent acupuncture treatments, crying bitterly each time and growing increasingly resistant to him, the father who forced her to endure the painful therapy.
By age three, Changsheng's illness had largely healed, yet her eyes had lost their sparkle.
She never actively looked at him, never let him hold her, never wished to stay with him even a moment longer...
This was the first time in history she had actively reached out, asking to be held.
Chu Yi let Chu Hongyu off and took his daughter into his arms.
Chu Hongyu breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
He was rather astonished.In the past, even when he was harshly scolded by his father, his younger sister would show no reaction even if she heard it.
But now, she actually took the initiative to help him out of the predicament.
After spending some time with their mother, his younger sister seemed to have changed somewhat.
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