Resplendent – Chapter 467

Chapter 467: Afraid of Thieves Taking Notice

Clearly, this ‘wholehearted devotion’ had already made the Crown Prince, who had a secondary consort and two concubines, completely out of the running!

“Chu Xiaosan, what’s with that look of yours?  Guarding against thieves?” The Crown Prince rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I’m just treating her like a little sister. Why are you so tense?”

“There’s a saying: ‘Fear not the thief, but the thief who has set his sights on you.’ I wonder if Young Master Huang has heard it before?” Chu Mutong shook the folding fan in his hand, giving him a look that said, figure it out yourself.

The Crown Prince didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh. “Chu Xiaosan, you have some nerve. Who are you calling a thief?”

“I’m referring to the person who’s taken notice of my sister. I didn’t say it was you. Why are you taking it personally?” Chu Mutong said. 

Since returning from exile, the emperor had granted him favor, allowing him to accompany the Crown Prince in the palace for study and martial practice, making the two quite close.

“Me, take notice of a sprout that hasn’t even grown? Ridiculous!” the Crown Prince scoffed.

Chu Mutong’s expression immediately changed. “Who are you calling a sprout?! My sister is clearly a budding flower about to bloom! If your eyes are poor, don’t blurt out nonsense and reveal your own flaws!”

The Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh. “It was just a comment about your sister. Was that really necessary? They say, Chu Xiaosan, your tongue is sharp. Today, I’ve truly seen it for myself!”

Chu Mutong fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “When my sister was living away from us, the hardships she endured were beyond our imagination. When we were in exile in the northwest, our entire family was relieved that we had sent her away in time. But who could have expected that her life would be ten times harsher than ours?!”

“Can you imagine a six- or seven-year-old child doing laundry, cooking, chopping firewood, feeding pigs… and even taking care of other children? Facing beatings for the slightest misstep, being denied meals, scavenging wild vegetables to survive, and even eating pig feed out of hunger…”

“Can you imagine what it feels like for a child, weakened by illness and starvation to the point of near collapse, to be thrown into mountains infested with wolves, facing boundless darkness and constant danger from wild animals? Can you imagine the fear of being sold to a cruel master, unable to cry or resist, constantly seeking a chance to escape, only to be caught and brutally beaten again? What must that feel like?”

The smile on the Crown Prince’s face gradually faded. Seeing the boundless grief on Chu Mutong’s face, he gently patted his shoulder and said, “It’s all in the past now. Your sister has finally come through the hardships. From now on, treat her kindly, cherish her, and gradually you will be able to make up for the pain she has endured.”

He hadn’t expected that a little girl with such clear eyes and a radiant smile could have endured such a tragic and painful past. The hardships of life had not crushed her spirit; instead, they had polished her, making her even brighter and more perfect.

Every member of the Chu family felt a pang of heartache whenever they thought of Gu Ye’s experiences. Although Lady Jun knew some details of those most difficult days, she didn’t know everything, and the family had deliberately kept much from her, fearing she wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Chu Mutong often thought that if they hadn’t sent his sister away back then, with the whole family to protect her, perhaps she wouldn’t have had to endure so many hardships.

“You’re right! From now on, our whole family will protect her, spoil her, and love her. We will never let her suffer even the slightest grievance. If anyone wants to marry my sister, the first rule is no concubines—the inner court must remain peaceful. They must promise her ‘one lifetime, one love, one pair’!” Chu Mutong shot the Crown Prince a sidelong glance. You’re out, so don’t get any ideas!

The Crown Prince could only laugh and cry at the same time. All because of curiosity, I merely looked at your sister a minute longer! “Relax! I absolutely haven’t taken any notice of your sister! I can swear to the heavens! Do you believe me now?”

Chu Mutong nodded in satisfaction, then remembered to comfort the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, it’s not that you’re at fault: it’s just that you’re not suitable! Your future Crown Princess must embody the virtues of a mother to the nation. The responsibility is far too great for my sister to bear…”

“All right, all right! It’s just that you’re worried about your sister and don’t want to send her into the inner palace as a caged bird, huh? Hmph! Everyone fights tooth and nail to be the Crown Princess!” The Crown Prince snorted and, hands behind his back, went to admire the chrysanthemums in the back hills of Anguo Temple.

Lady Jun rested briefly, then led her daughter to offer incense and fulfill their vow. When she first returned to the capital, she had made a vow that if she could find her daughter, she would have a golden statue of the Buddha remade. With her daughter, she kowtowed and offered incense before the Buddhas and donated five thousand taels of silver to have a golden statue crafted for them. After completing the round of offerings, her spirit remained strong, though her body felt somewhat fatigued.

Back in the chambers for the female guests, Lady Jun felt that her daughter had a rare chance to go out and didn’t want to keep her confined, so she let her stroll around the temple with Ding Fang and their two cousins.

Anguo Temple was an imperial monastery, covering several thousand acres. The temple grounds were lush with flowers and trees, and the scenery was remarkable. Gu Ye and the three girls walked along the bluestone paths of the temple, observing the pious men and women coming to offer incense and prayers. They inhaled the rich fragrance of incense and admired the flourishing plants in the gardens, feeling their hearts expand and their minds grow serene.

“Cousin, let’s go draw a fortune stick! I’ve heard Anguo Temple’s fortunes are the most accurate!” Jun Li suggested, linking arms with Gu Ye.

Jun Mi smiled and teased, “Li’er, what are you hoping to ask for? Could it be a marriage fortune? Are you really so eager to get married?”

Jun Li blushed furiously at the teasing, stomping her foot and huffing, “Mia’eor, you’re so bad! I’m not talking to you!” With that, she grabbed Gu Ye’s hand and ran off. Ding Fang hurried to catch up as well.

Jun Miao was left standing in place. She gazed at the layered eaves of the temple and the drifting clouds above, sighing wistfully.

Her Cousin Li’s father held a modest official post, but after all, he came from a family of officials. It was said that her uncle had achieved remarkable results in office and, upon returning to the capital to report his work, had hopes for promotion. Her cousin’s marriage prospects were secure; though she couldn’t marry into the imperial family or a marquis’s household, finding a match of proper status and refinement should not be a problem. Perhaps, with the connection to Duke Zhen, she might even make a highly advantageous match!

But what about her? Her father was unambitious, her mother timid, and with so many sisters at home, she was not the most favored. She had originally hoped to please her aunt and secure a future for herself. But now that her cousin had been found, all her delusions were shattered. This rootless floating duckweed; where would she drift to in the future?

And that matter weighing on her heart—if it were ever discovered, she would have no standing in Duke Zhen’s household. If she returned to Yan City, she might be consigned to a life of desolation in the family shrine.

She did not know whether her cousin, skilled in medicine and pharmacology, had noticed anything. Did her cousin ask Lady for the jade-orchid out of genuine affection, or was it a calculated move? Right now, the urgent matter was to keep her cousin’s knowledge of pharmacology deeply hidden, so that no one else could find out. Those few books in the study about foods that nourish or counteract each other were, after all, a potential disaster and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible…