Chapter 059
Chapter 59: I Didn’t Drink the Soup of Forgetfulness
[Let us just hope Father can save himself.]
[In the original plot, Mother had already taken her own life by this point. Father was so consumed by grief that he became a shell of a man, indifferent to the world.]
[With Eldest Brother unable to walk, the burden fell on Seventh Uncle. He took care of me while secretly investigating the case, and Second Brother helped from the shadows. Even so, they never uncovered the truth.]
[Only when they staged a new incident that dragged many people into the mess was the Yun family finally pulled from the mire.]
[But now, everything has changed. Mother is still alive, and Father will not collapse into despair like before. What happens next, I truly do not know.]
[…]
At the doorway, Madam Yun paused, regret flashing through her eyes. She had stepped away for only a short while, yet it seemed she had already missed something important. She had no idea what the little milk bun had just said. If it was vital, what then?
The nanny spotted her and called out warmly: “Madam is here. Come in, the young miss has just finished nursing.” Madam Yun quickly composed herself, entered with a gentle smile, and reached out to lift Yun Wan Ning into her arms.
[Mother~]
Yun Wan Ning beamed up at her, and Madam Yun could not help a soft laugh. The nanny marveled aloud, tone full of wonder: “The young miss is truly remarkable. So small, yet she knows how to smile, and she even recognizes people. This humble woman has never seen anything like it.”
Yun Wan Ning nodded in secret pride, her whole being smug and bright. [Of course I am amazing. I did not drink the Soup of Forgetfulness. I was reborn with the memories of my past life. I am the boss and I know the main plot of this world. How could I not be special? It is not just that I can smile and recognize people. I have many skills. You have not seen them yet, Nanny. Not your fault. I simply have not shown off. Honestly, Nanny, to meet me in this life and even become my caregiver, you have hit the jackpot. I am the one and only person in all Great Wu who reincarnated into a book world with full memories. I am rarer than a national treasure.]
[…]
Madam Yun: “…”
Yes, yes, Little Fourth was the rarest treasure, rarer than any national treasure. Not just the nanny, the whole Yun family must have spent all their luck to welcome such a precious child.
Returning to herself, Madam Yun chatted with the nanny a while, then carried Yun Wan Ning back to the bedchamber. She sat on the couch by the window, holding her daughter and gazing at the snowy scene that had not yet melted. She stroked the child’s cheek and said in a light tone: “Little Fourth, tomorrow is the young prince’s birthday at Prince Jing’s manor. I am very close with Princess Consort Jing, and we have received an invitation. How about coming with me to the celebration?”
She added with an indulgent smile: “Ever since you were born, you have not stepped outside our gates. Tomorrow, let Mother take you out to see the world beyond. Would that not be nice?”
At the words going outside, Yun Wan Ning nearly exploded with joy. [Yes, yes, yes, I want to go. Aaaah, I am finally going outside. Wuwuwu, it has been so hard. I have been here for more than fifty days and have not left the mansion once. Is there any transmigrator more miserable than me? Mother, let us make it official. We are going out to celebrate the young prince’s birthday tomorrow.]
The invitation had come long ago, and the gift was prepared. Other than dressing Madam Yun appropriately, there was not much left to do.
That night, Yun Wan Ning slept nestled between her mother and father. In her past life, she had always slept alone from the time she could remember. Now, surrounded by the warmth of family, she felt no discomfort at all. Perhaps it was the pull of blood. Whether it was Madam Yun or Yun Zheng, she felt a deep and inexplicable reliance and closeness.
The next day.
Aside from Yun Wan Chen and Yun Zhan, the family of five set out in perfect order. The father and sons rode on horseback, while Madam Yun and her two daughters sat in a carriage. Yun Wan Yao held Yun Wan Ning in her arms.
[Wow, this carriage is so pretty. The carving and design are flawless. And the wood, could it be golden nanmu? That is a protected species in modern times. Cutting it down could land you in prison. Back in our Medicine King Sect, we had two golden nanmu trees said to be from the Tang dynasty, but they were not as fine as this. All right, I have admired the carriage. Big sister, I want to see outside. Please lift the curtain and let me look.]
After drinking in the craftsmanship, Yun Wan Ning blinked pitifully at Yun Wan Yao. Yun Wan Yao hesitated and instinctively looked toward Madam Yun. [Big sister, look at me. Look at the hope in my eyes. Why are you looking at Mother instead?]
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
Madam Yun cleared her throat and offered a calm excuse as if it had just occurred to her: “I heard that letting young children see more of the world helps stimulate their intelligence. Yao’er, Little Fourth has been cooped up since birth. Seeing the same things every day is not good for her development. Today is a rare chance. Let her have a look around.”
Yun Wan Ning agreed in her heart with all her might. [Yes, yes, yes. Mother is absolutely right. Little kids need stimulation, visual and mental, to grow smart. So big sister, please help me get smarter. Hold me up so I can see outside. Oh, and Mother, every decision you make is perfectly in line with my heart. We must be destined mother and daughter. I love you so much.]
Madam Yun: “…”
With her mother’s approval, Yun Wan Yao lifted the curtain and raised Yun Wan Ning for a look. The first thing the child saw was Yun Wan Ye riding his tall horse, keeping pace beside the carriage, incredibly close.
[Ooh, it is second brother. I thought he would be in front or behind the carriage. Also, shoutout to second brother, he looks amazing today. Riding a horse in that outfit. If this were the modern world, girls would be drooling.]
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
Just keep praising him. The more she praised, the more he floated. Sure enough, Yun Wan Ye smirked and nudged his horse closer. He leaned in and pinched Yun Wan Ning’s cheek like a reward as he teased: “Do you want to ride a horse, little one? Second brother can take you.”
[No thanks. I will ride by myself in the future. It is freezing out here. Riding a horse is not as comfortable as the carriage. You go ahead, second brother.]
Yun Wan Yao chuckled and covered her mouth to hide her smile. A heartbeat later, she shot her twin a look and said in a scolding whisper: “Move aside a bit. Do not block little sister’s view. Mother asked me to let her see the sights.”
Yun Wan Ye had stayed close to listen, mostly to catch his sister’s heart voice. Naturally, he had heard everything just now. After Yun Wan Yao spoke, he nudged the horse forward and opened a wide view for the child. At once Yun Wan Ning’s eyes lit as she took in the ancient city: green tiles, vermilion pavilions, flying eaves, each detail steeped in grace. She watched with eager delight.
Half an hour later, the carriage reached the gates of Prince Jing’s estate. The street was crowded with carriages. Many nobles and high officials had come for the birthday banquet. The mother and daughters were helped down, and Yun Wan Ning went once more into Yun Wan Ye’s arms. The family of five carried their gift toward the grand entrance.
The steward and a host of servants hurried forward and bowed with bright smiles as the steward said: “Duke Ning and Madam have arrived. Please, come in, come in.”
They were welcomed with enthusiasm. Yun Zheng and Yun Wan Ye were led to the men’s banquet. Before parting, Yun Zheng turned and reminded his wife again and again: “Wife, once you have made your appearance, I will have Ye’er keep watch from the shadows. If anything happens during the banquet, call his name loudly, or send a servant to summon me.”
Madam Yun nodded with steady warmth and answered: “Yes, I understand. Go on then, Husband.”
“Mm,” Yun Zheng replied. He cast a meaningful glance at the hem of Madam Yun’s sleeve, and she met his look with the smallest nod to show she understood.
[Father was reminding Mother not to forget the signal if something goes wrong. I saw him last night stuffing a signal flare into her clothes and showing her how to use it. He went over it several times. I do not know if it is Father’s crisis sense acting up or if something truly will go wrong at this banquet. But the original plot never mentioned any banquet like this. It feels like something suddenly got inserted. That makes me nervous.]
Yun Wan Ye: “……”
Yun Wan Yao: “……”
Thank the heavens no one else could hear their little sister’s heart voice. With how chatty she was, she would blurt out every secret there was, including Father’s plans. But wait, little sister did not know about this banquet. No, not quite. She said the book did not mention it. So was it too minor to record, or was it something else?
On the women’s side, Princess Consort Jing had been waiting from a distance. When she saw Madam Yun and her daughters, she came forward at once with a smile and said: “Madam Yun, it has been far too long.”
Madam Yun answered with equal warmth as she inclined her head: “It really has, Princess Consort. How have you been lately?”
Princess Consort Jing let out a soft laugh that curled like silk: “All is well~”
They stood beneath the garden’s archway exchanging pleasantries while a nanny held Yun Wan Ning, who studied the princess consort with curious eyes. Princess Consort Jing looked around thirty, with almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, her snow-pale skin radiant as a flower. She was very beautiful.
[Ah, I remember now. She is Princess Consort Jing, Jiang Yue Jian, daughter of Minister Jiang. She and Mother are famed as the twin beauties of the empire. I did see her during my full moon banquet, but there were too many people then. My attention was on the female lead and the others, so I did not really notice her. She is truly stunning. Her beauty is different from Mother’s, yet equally remarkable. What a pity. As the saying goes, beautiful women rarely have good fates. In the original story, her end was not good either. Not long after Mother died, she also passed away, and the entire royal manor was wiped out. The young prince disappeared after that, never to be seen again.]
[…]
Madam Yun’s eyelids twitched as she turned a startled look toward the princess consort. How could that be? Prince Jing’s household seemed perfectly fine, and with His Majesty’s favor, how could they end in ruin. Why?
Princess Consort Jing caught the flicker and asked with a soft smile that could shame the moon: “Madam Yun, is something wrong? Is there something on my face?” She lifted a silk handkerchief to her cheek in a delicate motion and looked at Madam Yun with bright eyes.
Madam Yun snapped out of it at once and shook her head: “Not at all. I was just mesmerized by how radiant your makeup is today.”
The compliment drew a charming laugh as the princess consort replied: “Madam Yun, you are a peerless beauty yourself. How could you possibly be enchanted by me?”
When great beauties traded praise, even their modest words sounded lovely. Soon the princess consort led Madam Yun to their seats. Together they were like twin muses, becoming a scene of their own. All around, ladies and young maidens turned to look, some with envy, some with admiration. Even those who refused to admit it had to acknowledge that the empire’s twin beauties lived up to their name.
A lively lady leaned closer with a teasing lilt and said: “Oh, Madam Yun, you have come. I heard Duke Ning was still clinging to you even as he left for the men’s banquet, and he said so many words to you before parting. You truly are good at keeping your husband close. Why not share your secrets with us?”
[That is nonsense. Father did give her instructions, yes, but he did not hold Mother’s hand, only leaned in close. Who spreads this kind of exaggeration. Can they not add fuel to the fire.]
Madam Yun: “…”
Another lady chimed in with a sigh that was half envy, half jest: “Indeed. One man, one wife, doted upon for eighteen years. Sister Ye, you are remarkable. I am a little jealous.”
A third wagged her fan and laughed: “Stop that. You could not match her even if you tried. If you had even half of Madam Yun’s beauty, perhaps your own husband would not be able to help doting on you.”
A fourth added with a playful glance: “Exactly. Just look at Madam Yun’s face, so tender and sweet it could melt hearts. If I were a man, I would dote on her too, hahaha.”
“……”
The chatter drifted further from the point, and Yun Wan Ning lost interest, her gaze skipping about the room instead. Madam Yun, cheeks faintly pink from the teasing, simply pretended not to hear. She turned toward the princess consort and asked in an even tone: “Princess Consort, why have we not seen the young prince. Is he at the men’s banquet?”
Men and women were not to dine together after the age of seven, but the young prince was only three. Princess Consort Jing let out a small sigh and shook her head: “Ever since Han’er fell ill, he has not been the same. He has become withdrawn, does not like to talk, and keeps away from people. I thought hosting this birthday banquet might lift his spirits and give him the chance to be around others. But he resists it all. He locked himself in his room and refuses to come out no matter what I say. I do not know what has happened to this child. To be honest, I have been worried sick these past few days.”
Madam Yun had heard the rumors of the boy’s illness. It happened around the time Little Fourth was born. He had a high fever that lasted more than ten days and nearly frightened Prince Jing and his wife to death. Because she was still in confinement, Madam Yun did not visit and instead sent Yun Zheng. When she later heard the boy had recovered, she thought no more of it. She had not known things were still so bad.
“How could this happen,” she murmured, truly puzzled. She had never heard of a child’s nature changing so greatly after an illness, and he was only three.
A name rose unbidden in her mind: Su Qian Xue. That girl’s temperament had also changed after she fell ill. Could it be that the young prince too…