Chu Tianjiao's other hand grasped Lady Sun's hand firmly. With a slight force, Lady Sun winced in pain and finally let go of her.
Chu Tianjiao stepped back and said, "Grandmother, instead of worrying about me, why don't you concern yourself more with Grandfather's health?"
"I heard the old man recently took another young concubine."
"Grandmother, you're truly virtuous!"
"But those who know you say you're virtuous, while those who don't might think you're trying to secure your position with those girls you buy from outside!"
Lady Sun's face instantly paled, secretly cursing: This damned girl won't give an inch. Could she control the old man taking concubines?
Secure her position? For a man nearly sixty, did she really need to do that?
But Chu Tianjiao wouldn't let her off, sighing softly:
"I remember when my birth grandmother was alive, my grandfather didn't take a single concubine!"
All the ladies at the table understood the implication. Chu Tianjiao was mocking Lady Sun for her incompetence.
Indeed, the Duke of Wuning had remained faithful while his first wife was alive, only beginning to "spread his wings" after her death and the mourning period had passed.
Chu Yun'er had always heard that Chu Tianjiao's grandfather was quite unreliable, but this was the first time she'd heard about the Duke of Wuning and his first wife. Full of curiosity, she asked gossip-like:
"Elder Sister, your grandfather and birth grandmother must have truly been deeply in love!"
Lady Sun rolled her eyes in anger at the Chu sisters: So they were implying that she, the second wife, was both unnecessary and incompetent?
Most of the ladies at the table were friendly with Lady Sun, and while they wanted to laugh, they didn't dare, each showing an awkward expression.
As the Chu sisters left the table, Lady Sun gave Granny Zhang a look, making a "two" sign with her fingers.
This was a secret signal between Lady Sun and her confidante, instructing Granny Zhang to execute the second plan.
Lady Sun thought bitterly, Originally I just wanted to arrange a marriage between my nephew and the second Miss Chu, but now, I'll make your Chu family lose all face.
The Chu sisters returned to their own table and had just settled when two maids brought over a bowl of soup.
The empty-handed maid seemed to lose her balance and bumped into the maid carrying the soup.
As if by coincidence, the bowl of soup spilled onto Chu Yun'er.
The maid carrying the soup fell to her knees in fright, while the one who bumped her tried to slip away.
"Stop right there! I clearly saw you deliberately bump into her!"
Chu Tianjiao handed the two maids over to Lady Wang, the crown prince's wife, to deal with.
Lady Wang asked her personal maid Cui Xiang to take Chu Yun'er to change clothes, but Chu Tianjiao insisted on going along.
Lady Sun, sitting at the main table, sent someone to ask what had happened.
Lady Wang simply said it was a small matter and sent the messenger away.
As Cui Xiang was leading the Chu sisters to the back courtyard rooms, suddenly an old woman appeared from a side path and said to Cui Xiang, "Cui Xiang, the key to the Madam's storehouse is missing, and she urgently needs you to go there!"
Cui Xiang looked uncertainly at the Chu sisters.
Chu Tianjiao knew this was someone's attempt to get rid of Cui Xiang.
She made up her mind to see what game Lady Sun was playing today, so she nodded.
Cui Xiang knew the old woman and instructed her, "Granny Zhang, please take the two Miss Chus to the guest rooms to change clothes."
Granny Zhang readily agreed and urged Cui Xiang to hurry.
After Cui Xiang left, the Chu sisters followed Granny Zhang for a while before Zheng Ying, Lady Sun's unmarried young daughter, came running towards them and grabbed Chu Tianjiao.
"Elder Niece, come with me quickly, I have something important to tell you."
This Zheng Ying was only ten years old, three years younger than Chu Tianjiao, yet due to their family relations, Chu Tianjiao had to call her "Aunt".
"Aunt, what is it? You can tell me here. I need to accompany my sister to change clothes."
Seeing that she couldn't pull Chu Tianjiao away, Zheng Ying had to explain, "I heard the young ladies from the Wang and Sun families saying you were jilted. I argued with them that you refused to marry, but they didn't believe me. Come quickly and clarify things."
Seeing Zheng Ying's anxious state, Chu Tianjiao couldn't tell if it was genuine or fake.
"Aunt, let them say what they want. I won't lose a piece of flesh over it. Just don't argue with them."
Hearing this, Zheng Ying stamped her foot, "Elder Niece, they're saying such awful things! If there weren't so many of them and I could've beaten them, I would have!"
Although Zheng Ying was Chu Tianjiao's mother's half-sister, due to Lady Sun's influence, Chu Tianjiao didn't have much affection for the child.
She couldn't tell if this defense of her was an act or genuine feeling.
Chu Yun'er heard this and got angry too, urging Chu Tianjiao, "Elder Sister, go ahead! Give those loose-lipped little girls a beating, and they'll behave! I can change clothes by myself and come help you afterwards!"
Chu Tianjiao gave Chu Yun'er a meaningful look.
This was what it meant to be sisters. They might quarrel amongst themselves, but when facing outsiders, they stood united.
Chu Tianjiao took Zheng Ying's hand and nodded, "Alright, I'll go with you!"
She knew that whether Zheng Ying was telling the truth or not, someone wanted to separate her from Chu Yun'er as well.
She decided to go along with their plan for now, but secretly follow Chu Yun'er, using a "lure the snake out of its hole" strategy to see who could outmaneuver whom.
Chu Tianjiao followed Zheng Ying to the back garden, where several girls around ten years old were gathered, playing a game with grass.
One of the girls recognized Chu Tianjiao and shouted, "The little tyrant is here!"
Chu Tianjiao could tell from her features that she was probably from the Sun family.
Upon hearing this shout, whether they had heard of Chu Tianjiao's reputation or not, all the other girls scattered and fled.
Zheng Ying stamped her foot in frustration, pointing at the fleeing girls and scolding, "You talk about people behind their backs, but when you see them in person, you turn into such cowards?"
Chu Tianjiao found it amusing, comforted Zheng Ying with a few words, told her to go play by herself, and then hurriedly left.
She was very familiar with the Duke of Wuning's mansion, having been brought there to stay for a few days every now and then as a child.
Chu Tianjiao moved swiftly, relying on her memory to find the Lingering Fragrance Courtyard where female guests changed clothes. She pushed open several doors but didn't see Chu Yun'er.
Fortunately, she had arranged for Feng Jia to secretly protect Chu Yun'er.
Chu Tianjiao had originally thought Lady Sun would use Chu Yun'er's clothes-changing as an opportunity to arrange for her nephew to accidentally encounter her, thus compromising Chu Yun'er's reputation.
According to the previous life's course of events, this was how Chu Yun'er had ended up marrying into the Sun family.
Unexpectedly, this time, the situation was not entirely the same.
Following the marks left by Feng Jia, Chu Tianjiao found Chu Yun'er outside the Fallen Flowers Pavilion near the front courtyard.
Both Feng Jia and Lu Dingfeng were there.
Since leaving home this morning, Chu Tianjiao had arranged for Feng Jia to follow Chu Yun'er.
As for Lu Dingfeng, he was completely a self-attached tail.
Chu Yun'er was soaking wet, with a dazed expression, as if scared witless.
Seeing Chu Tianjiao, she came to her senses and threw herself into Chu Tianjiao's arms, sobbing loudly.
"Elder Sister, why did you take so long to come?"
This cry made Chu Tianjiao's heart, which had just settled, tighten again.
Could it be that even Feng Jia hadn't been able to save Chu Yun'er in time? That shouldn't be possible, should it?
