Chapter 952: Side Story 005: Taking the Initiative
Chapter 952: Side Story 005: Taking the Initiative
When Little Cloud was six years old, he followed his parents to his maternal grandfather’s fief in Chao’an for the New Year. On the way back, they passed through the Chu Capital and stayed for a few days, during which he met two pretty young ladies at the Imperial Tutor Mansion.
One was Su Pingting, daughter of Su Qing, a prominent minister at the Western Border reporting in the Capital, seven years older than him; the other was Song Fu from Song Wei’s family, four years his senior.
Little Cloud was overjoyed, claiming he wanted to marry both young ladies home as his wives.
Xu Jia said, "You can only choose one."
Little Cloud twisted his fingers, showing great indecision. At night, when sleeping in the same room with Yun Huai, he pouted and asked, "Daddy, why did you only marry one? It prevents me from continuing the family tradition."
He even brought out the family tradition...
Yun Huai was silent for a long time before telling him, "Because someone like your mother is worth ten."
The next day, Xu Jia was informed by Little Cloud that although Yun Huai only married her, he actually had nine other wives in his heart. The tattletale Little Cloud walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, speaking like a little adult, saying that he would not keep them in his heart but in rooms, so he decided to marry ten in the future, with Su the elder wife, and Song the second wife, and even asked Xu Jia to reserve a few in the womb.
Xu Jia was quite annoyed.
Soon, the mournful cries of Little Cloud echoed from the guest courtyard.
The little fellow had been spanked and lay groaning on the couch, ignoring everyone.
Song Fu came to see him, holding a delicately floral ointment box.
He had been punished because of them, yet only the second wife came. The little guy felt wronged and wanted to cry, sniffling.
Song Fu sat down in front of the couch, raising an eyebrow at him, "Take off your pants."
The little guy’s bitter gourd face immediately blushed, his little heart pounding, "This is progressing too fast, I... I’m not ready yet."
At such a young age, who knows what’s going on in his mind.
Song Fu rolled her eyes silently, swiftly pulled down his pants, and with her finger, applied ointment to where he had been spanked.
The whole time, Little Cloud buried his face in the soft pillow, not daring to look at her.
After the ointment was applied and his pants were put back on, the little guy finally raised his head, glancing at Song Fu shyly, then puffed up his chest, speaking confidently, "I was punished because of you."
Song Fu closed the round box and asked him, "Punished for saying you’d marry ten wives for me?"
Little Cloud was at fault but didn’t want to admit it, so he hummed twice, "Of course not, definitely Dad is smearing me again. I’m so dedicated, just marry the second wife... oh no, Miss Song alone, Dad said, one is worth ten."
Song Fu snorted lightly, "You’re so fickle at such a young age, I wouldn’t marry you."
...
Rarely visiting the Capital, Yun Huai was invited into the palace by Emperor Xuanjing.
The family of three sat in the carriage, and as they passed the Tang Mansion, Xu Jia lifted the curtain to take a look, noticing that the towering, solemn vermilion door from years past was worn and peeling, the entrance was desolate; not even a steward was seen.
The once noble household that had produced giants in the literary world had fallen into this state.
After Tang Yuan went to Suzhou, Xu Jia hadn’t paid attention to the Tang Mansion’s situation. Seeing it today was surprising.
She put down the curtain and turned to Yun Huai beside her, "Do you know what happened to the Tang Mansion?"
Yun Huai’s expression was indifferent, "Those who commit their own sins can’t live."
Tang Yuan had always wanted to make political achievements to quickly rise and return to the Capital to remarry Xu Jia; therefore, he incited his subordinates to create cases and then framed someone else to take the blame and close the case.
When Yun Shisan caught wind of this and brought it to Yun Huai’s attention, Yun Huai kept his guard up. Instead of directly exposing Tang Yuan, he held back cards; whenever Tang Yuan was about to be promoted, some evidence would surface to draw the attention of the higher-ups. Tang Yuan had no choice but to sacrifice minor interests to protect major interests, temporarily pressing down his ambition to be promoted.
Over the years, he had strained every nerve to ascend the ranks and return to the Capital, yet at every crucial moment, something would go wrong. After repeated instances, Tang Yuan realized it was the Yun Family head suppressing him. His constant struggles took a toll on his mental and physical health, eventually leading him to surrender himself.
That’s how the Tang Family fell.
...
Emperor Xuanjing received Yun Huai’s family at the side hall of Qianqing Palace.
Knowing some matters were inconvenient to discuss in front of women, Xu Jia withdrew after paying her respects, taking Little Cloud to the Imperial Garden to chase butterflies.
Upon arriving, she unexpectedly discovered Crown Prince Zhao Hongxu was there too.
He sat upright in Fubai Pavilion, seemingly writing something, his gaze exceptionally focused.
Outside, the Palace Attendant and eunuchs silently watched, seemingly afraid to disturb him.
Little Cloud stood at the shore, looking at the people in the pavilion, then looked up at Xu Jia, asking, "Mother, who is he?"
"It’s the Crown Prince." Xu Jia said, taking another glance involuntarily and then silently marveling.
This Crown Prince not only closely resembles his father in appearance, but even his diligent and studious nature seems to be born from the same mold as Emperor Xuanjing.
If memory serves right, the Crown Prince is no more than seven years old this year?
Out of courtesy, Xu Jia led Little Cloud over to pay respects to the Crown Prince.
With few concubines in the inner palace, the atmosphere was cold and quiet, and usually, no one would come to the Imperial Garden.
Yet even so, upon hearing the unfamiliar child’s voice, Zhao Hongxu merely paused with the brush in his hand, his emotions showing little fluctuation.
"Madam Yun, no need for formalities." His clear attitude was exactly like Zhao Xi’s back in the day.
Having finally encountered a playmate, though the other was as cold as an ice cube, Little Cloud found it boring and walked aside, clinging to the railing to look down. Seeing the fish swimming happily inside, he excitedly said, "Mother, there are fish inside, lots of fish."
His mischievous father loved fishing best, always having people clear the fish from Bishan Lake beforehand, then baiting him to fish, claiming if he couldn’t catch any, he couldn’t sleep with his mother at night.
After some time, Little Cloud finally realized that whenever his father had him go fishing, it implied he’d be kicked out from his mother’s room that night, so he secretly put fry in, hoping they would grow.
Now seeing so many fish, it was like a wish come true, he couldn’t contain his excitement, and his cheers became even more uninhibited.
Eunuch Yang, the Chief Eunuch of the Eastern Palace, listening to this, furrowed his brows imperceptibly, unable to remind him directly, coughed twice instead.
Xu Jia tugged at his son’s sleeve and whispered, "Let’s go."
The little fellow, suffering from a "fishing delusion syndrome," couldn’t move his feet upon seeing the fish and refused to leave.
Xu Jia patiently said, "If you stay here, you’ll disturb His Highness’s studies."
Little Cloud glanced at Zhao Hongxu and said, "He can play with me!"
Eunuch Yang, sweating profusely, exclaimed, "Oh my little ancestor, His Highness isn’t here to play, you should go elsewhere."
Little Cloud, not fond of studying, felt quite sympathetic seeing the Crown Prince so compelled to work hard, immediately offering a promise, "Your Highness, if you don’t like the Imperial Palace, you can come to our place, at most, at most I’ll marry one less wife, leaving a courtyard just enough to live in."
Zhao Hongxu’s temple throbbed twice, the brush in his hand shook, and a big drop of ink dripped onto the Xuan paper, quickly bleeding outward.
Little Cloud, the swelling on his butt barely receding for two days, was spanked by his mother again, crying all the way to Song Mansion, wailing for Miss Song to come apply medicine.
Song Fu was sitting in the west wing of Yanyun Pavilion playing string games with Su Pingting when she heard the maid say Little Cloud was beaten again, looking for her to administer medicine, she scoffed, "That little flirtatious radish must’ve gone into the palace and flirted with someone causing trouble, he deserves it! I won’t go, let him hurt a bit longer."
Su Pingting laughed, "If you don’t go look after your little husband, if he really gets badly hurt, who knows who will be heartbroken in the future!"
Song Fu, both anxious and embarrassed upon hearing this, retorted, "Sister Ting, what nonsense are you spouting? Who wants that little brat as a husband?"
Thinking of something, she deliberately said, "Sister Ting is leaving for the Western Border tomorrow, isn’t she? By the time you come to the Capital next time, my second brother will definitely be married, then you won’t need to chip in for gifts, how nice."
Su Pingting’s face froze at last, then she teased, "How old are you, a little girl talking about marriage, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?"
Song Fu hid her mouth and giggled, "It’s true, my second brother is so dense that his marriage will surely be handled entirely by my mother, he just needs to nod when the time comes."
Upon hearing this, Su Pingting paused her string games and clenched her fingers.
She’d been proactive for so many years, yet that blockhead showed no reaction at all.
Seeing her reaction, Song Fu laughed even more, "Sister Ting, with my second brother, you need to be even more proactive."
Su Pingting said nothing.
Next day, she followed her parents back to the Western Border.
The moment the carriage left the city, the sound of hooves came from behind, before long, the rider slowed next to the carriage.
Lin Xiaoyue wanted to lift the curtain to see who it was, but Su Pingting didn’t allow it, sitting properly and silent.
The person outside seemed silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Didn’t you say you should be more proactive? The matter isn’t finished, why are you running away?"
Unable to stand it, Su Pingting said, "I’ll go if I want to, is it any of your business?"
The young man outside fell silent again.
Yet the sound of hooves continued, showing no intention of turning back.
Su Pingting eventually couldn’t match his ability to keep silent, pursing her lips, she asked through the curtain, "Why aren’t you saying anything?"
The young man’s calm voice remained unchanged, "If you won’t be proactive, I will be, accompanying you on your trip to the Western Border."
Guessing what he intended to do, Su Pingting felt a warmth in her heart, yet kept her expression indifferent, "What exactly do you want to do?"