Chapter 114: People Change and Part, Flowers Wither and Fall (Part Five)

The day after the news broke, Chuxiu ordered a thorough investigation of all the cooks in the Zhiyan Pavilion kitchen. After much digging, she finally discovered that the person who had drugged the dinner she shared with Shen Yu was none other than the cook she had personally hired from outside to prepare soups! It was the same cook who had prepared unique dishes at the Rongjin Hall dining hall last year!

The irony and absurdity of the world were truly profound.

A year ago, she had unintentionally brought this cook into Zhiyan Pavilion. In front of the Matriarch and the various branches of the family, she used a bowl of his soup to fake a "miscarriage," framed Zhuoyan, and subsequently forced the second branch to reveal their true colors, which also led to Yun Ci being castrated and suffering a great injustice.

A year later, the second branch utilized the same cook to drug her, successfully ensnaring Shen Yu and allowing Yun Xiangrong to achieve her goal of marriage.

The same cook had shuttled between her and the second branch; the last time he had indirectly helped her, and this time, he had helped the second branch.

Chuxiu had originally been filled with rage, determined to find the culprit. But now that she had found him, she could not bring herself to punish him. Beyond the irony and the absurdity, she felt a true sense of powerlessness.

It could only be said that Yun Xiangrong had timed her pulse-taking too perfectly. Even in choosing a cook, she had used "the enemy’s method against the enemy," reminding Chuxiu of the fates of Zhuoyan and Yun Ci. Setting aside the character of the second branch, the undeniable fact that two people had died—one of them, Zhuoyan, taking two lives with her—was enough to make Chuxiu feel deep guilt.

Therefore, this time, regardless of whether the marriage between Shen Yu and Yun Xiangrong succeeded or not, Chuxiu could no longer pursue the matter of the drugging. She felt she should thank Shen Yu; after all, once this incident passed, she would no longer owe the second branch anything. They were finally even.

Yet, what she owed Shen Yu only continued to grow, becoming increasingly impossible to repay. Perhaps, if she could help him escape Fangzhou, she might feel a little better.

Chuxiu finally decided to accelerate her plans and immediately went to Rongjin Hall for a private talk with the Matriarch.

*****

"You want the Yun clan to support Prince Mu in the fight for the throne?" Even the Matriarch, who usually remained unruffled even if Mount Tai collapsed before her, could not help but show surprise at Chuxiu's blunt report.

Chuxiu, however, appeared quite calm. She replied, "Since our Yun clan has abandoned Northern Xi, we must attach ourselves to Southern Xi. Now that the rivalry between the two princes is becoming apparent, it will be either Prince Fu or Prince Mu who prevails. Rather than sitting still and waiting for our fate, it is better to take the initiative. I believe that whichever prince the Yun clan supports will have a greater chance of winning. If that prince ascends the throne, the Yun clan will be among the meritorious subjects and, at the very least, ensure the safety of the entire household."

Chuxiu looked at the Matriarch with frankness, and the latter studied her intently. After a long silence, the Matriarch’s wise and sharp gaze shifted away from Chuxiu, and she said coolly, "I thought you would choose to support Prince Fu, the Fourth Prince and brother-in-law of Shen Yu."

With just this one sentence, Chuxiu understood that nothing had been hidden from the Matriarch. The Matriarch must have guessed the truth about what happened between Shen Yu and Yun Xiangrong and knew that Chuxiu had kept the truth from her.

But one matter was separate from another. Helping Shen Yu was one thing, but Chuxiu could not disregard the family business of the Yun clan. "I have my reasons for choosing to support Prince Mu. First, the Lixin Marquis Manor is located in Fangzhou, which is Prince Mu's fief. If we try to bypass him to support Prince Fu, I fear we will not be able to hide it."

Chuxiu paused, then continued, "Second, Prince Fu has long held a reputation for benevolence and excellence in civil governance, while Prince Mu is a man of war with illustrious military achievements. In a time of peace, Prince Fu would naturally have the upper hand, but we are in a chaotic era... In a time of chaos, those who wish to seize the empire must triumph through military force. Prince Mu holds high prestige in the army. Even if he has handed over the tiger tally and no longer involves himself in military affairs, I believe he must have other ways."

Hearing this, the Matriarch offered a word of guidance: "You are correct. But Prince Mu's mother was of low birth—a widow who had already been married once. Because she was beautiful, she caught the eye of Emperor Nie while he was traveling incognito, and that is how she came to give birth to Prince Mu. Emperor Nie has never valued Prince Mu because of this, and later sent him off to the army early on; he likely never imagined he would achieve such merit. Conversely, Prince Fu’s maternal family is quite prominent. Thus, it is still unclear which of these two princes will prevail."

The Matriarch narrowed her eyes, as if she knew the ruler of Southern Xi very well: "Emperor Tongsheng, Nie Jingze, is nothing more than a mediocre man who thinks too highly of himself. His judgment has never been accurate."

"Even so, Northern Xi has already perished, and the Chen clan has conquered the world of Northern Xuan on the battlefield. If Southern Xi lets Prince Fu ascend the throne and there is no successor in the military, won't we simply have to watch as Northern Xuan swallows Southern Xi?" Chuxiu looked at the Matriarch. "Even if Emperor Nie is dim-witted and dislikes Prince Mu, he understands this logic. With Prince Mu's personality, how could he be content to live under another, risking his life on the battlefield for Prince Fu's empire?"

Perhaps these words struck a chord with the Matriarch, for she nodded and added, "Your considerations are sound. However, the Marquis of Wenchang will certainly support Prince Fu. If Shen Yu truly marries Xiangrong, he will be related to the Yun clan by marriage. If Prince Fu ascends the throne, Shen Yu’s sister will be the Empress, and the Shen clan will become the maternal kin of the Emperor; their status will naturally be quite different. Given our marital ties to Shen Yu, Prince Fu would likely not make things too difficult for the Yun clan... At most, it would just be a matter of contributing some money and business assets."

Hearing this, Chuxiu knew the Matriarch had been persuaded. Overjoyed, she quickly agreed, "That was also my intention."

The Matriarch smiled with deep meaning. "You have another intention, don't you? If Prince Mu ends up ascending the throne, Shen Yu is the son-in-law of the Yun clan. Out of respect for us, Prince Mu would spare his life."

Hearing this, Chuxiu lowered her eyes, not daring to respond.

"This is human nature. Moreover, Shen Yu treats you well; it is perfectly understandable that you rely on each other to survive." The Matriarch still wore a smile, but her tone shifted. "However, if one day the Marquis of Wenchang's manor and my Yun manor were to become enemies, how would you conduct yourself?"

The Marquis of Wenchang's manor and the Yun manor becoming enemies... Chuxiu's heart skipped a beat. She quickly declared her loyalty: "Please rest assured. If that day ever truly comes... I am a daughter-in-law of the Yun clan, and I will naturally prioritize the Yun clan."

Having received this promise, the Matriarch nodded with satisfaction, then sighed lightly. "I was only speaking hypothetically. If Shen Yu truly likes you, and out of respect for Ci’er, he will not let the two houses reach that point. And neither will you."

Yes, neither Chuxiu nor Shen Yu would ever let the Marquis of Wenchang's manor and the Lixin Marquis Manor reach a point of direct confrontation.

"Since you have decided to support Prince Mu, you shall be the one to liaise with him. You are young and a new widow; even if you say something improper, Prince Mu will not take it to heart. If you cannot reach an agreement, it will not be too late for this old woman to step in personally." The Matriarch appeared confident, handing the authority over to Chuxiu.

After all, it was her own idea to support Prince Mu, and she wanted to use this opportunity to secretly send Shen Yu away, so it was only fitting that she should be the one to conduct the secret talks at Prince Mu's residence. Chuxiu gritted her teeth and accepted. "I will obey."

"You no longer push back; very good. This is the demeanor of a true mistress of the house." The Matriarch finally smiled from the heart. "My red wax-sealed order has already been issued. Within a month, the Yun clansmen in both the North and South will know that you are the new mistress."

Chuxiu had long since prepared herself for this. Whether the path ahead was smooth or filled with thorns, for the sake of Yun Ci, she would forge ahead to protect the Yun clan.

If Yun Ci had a spirit in heaven... he would surely protect her. Protect her, and shelter the Lixin Marquis Manor. Chuxiu had always believed in the existence of ghosts and gods. Although she could only meet Yun Ci in her dreams, she knew it was not just a dream—it was Yun Ci watching over her from above, which was why she had been able to reach this point so smoothly.

As she thought about this, Chuxiu was on the verge of tears again. Even though she had cried countless times in her dreams and soaked countless pillows, the deep sorrow in her heart had never lessened; it was destined to be a wound that would never heal for the rest of her life.

"Why are you crying again? Your tears never seem to stop." Seeing this, the Matriarch suppressed her smile and scolded with some impatience, "Everything is worth a cry to you! You’ll cry your eyes blind one day! Aren't you afraid of Cheng'er mocking you?"

Hearing the Matriarch's harsh tone, Chuxiu hurriedly wiped away her tears, pursing her lips and lowering her eyes in apology.

The Matriarch then hummed, "When do you plan to visit Prince Mu to discuss this matter?"

Chuxiu thought for a moment. "The sooner the better. It is already the beginning of the sixth month... I will make preparations and go by the end of the month at the latest."

The Matriarch expressed her approval and asked, "How do you intend to negotiate with Prince Mu? And how will you support him?"

At this question, Chuxiu was already confident. "What is most coveted about the Yun clan, besides our reputation, is our family fortune. Prince Mu's uprising will certainly be conducted in secret. Our reputation is of no use to him for the time being; if he ascends the throne in the future, it will not be too late for us to publicly pledge our allegiance. I think what Prince Mu needs most right now is financial support."

"You are correct," the Matriarch agreed. "If Prince Mu wants to seize the throne, he will inevitably have huge expenses, especially for raising troops and supporting his staff. You can give him money in exchange for a promise: if he succeeds, he must ensure the Yun clan remains prosperous; if he fails, he must not betray us."

"I understand," Chuxiu said.

After she finished speaking, the Matriarch remained silent for a long time. She closed her eyes slightly, as if having made a great resolution, and said, "If you reach an agreement, I will tell you how to open the treasure hidden beneath the lotus pond in Jing Garden. It contains nearly forty percent of the Yun clan’s wealth, which should be enough for him."

"Forty percent! That much!" Chuxiu exclaimed in a low voice.

"How big is Jing Garden? How many gold bars can you dig up if you dig seven feet deep? How much do you think is there?" The Matriarch's tone was incredibly proud.

Chuxiu could not imagine how much gold and silver was hidden beneath the Jing Garden lotus pond; for the moment, she could only marvel.

As the conversation reached this point, the Matriarch seemed to remember something and reminded Chuxiu, "When you talk to Prince Mu, you might as well start with his newly married secondary consort."

"The newly married secondary consort?" Chuxiu asked. "You mean the famous Northern Xi courtesan, Luan Su?"

"It is her." The Matriarch suddenly lowered her voice. "That Prince Mu is also a man of deep affection; he is very fond of Luan Su. As far as I know, Luan Su was once the daughter of an official family in Northern Xi. When their home was raided, she escaped death and fell into the world of vice, eventually becoming a courtesan."

Chuxiu suddenly realized, but she still did not understand what this had to do with Luan Su, or why she should try to build a rapport with her.

Just as she was feeling puzzled, the Matriarch added, "Luan Su’s original name was 'Ling Yun,' taking her parents' surnames for her name. Her father was Ling Ke, and her mother was Yun Feiyan, who was from a branch of the Yun clan and had close ties to the Lixin Marquis Manor. Yun Feiyan’s father was the younger half-brother of the old Marquis; counting it up, she was Ci’er’s aunt. In this way, we are also close relatives of Luan Su..."

Hearing this, Chuxiu finally understood the Matriarch's meaning. Since Prince Mu loved Luan Su, he would surely care for her maternal family... which was the Yun clan. Both she and Luan Su had fallen into the world of vice, and they were of similar age. If her negotiations with Prince Mu were fruitless, she could very well build a connection with Luan Su!

Hearing the news about Luan Su's background, Chuxiu finally realized—

The Matriarch had actually been considering supporting Prince Mu for a long time! Otherwise, why would she be so concerned about his secondary consort? This time, she and her mother-in-law had thought of the same thing.

"Please rest assured, I know what to do."