Published at 8th of August 2022 10:24 am

Chapter 92: No Affection (I)

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Cheng Yujin smiled as she stared at Qingfu Junzhu and Ruan-shi: “My penmanship is indeed acceptable, but I have no experience in teaching others. I think it will be better if second younger brother studies under an experienced teacher. Since second younger brother is diligent and calm, if he is taught by a good teacher, his study surely will advance by leap and bound. I’m afraid that studying under me will delay second younger brother’s talent.”

Ruan-shi’s smile stiffened. She brought Cheng Enbei over obviously was not to make him study calligraphy. Her real aim was to nurture the sibling relationship between Cheng Yujin and her son. After all, the two were full-blooded siblings. Their relationship should be much closer than Cheng Enbao, who was born from another woman’s belly. Cheng Yujin was going to become the Crown Princess. In the future, except for her real younger brothers, who else could she support?

However, Cheng Yujin didn’t seem to understand her intention at all. Qingfu Junzhu sneered at Ruan-shi, as if seeing a joke. But before Qingfu could finish sneering, they heard Cheng Yujin spoke again: “As for third younger brother, he is still young. How can I bear to discipline him? It’s good for a child to be innocent and unrestrained. Since third younger brother doesn’t like to study, why force him? He is still very young. Just let him play as he wants.”

Qingfu Junzhu’s smile almost cracked. Seeing her rival like this, Ruan-shi suddenly felt balanced.

Qingfu Junzhu took a great effort to say her next sentence: “Bao’er cannot keep playing. It’s time for him to start his study and make progress. You are strict with him and can make him sit still and study obediently.”

Cheng Yujin replied earnestly: “Mother, if you want to discipline Bao’er, you should do it yourself. I cannot even bear to speak harshly to him, so how can I make him study obediently? If mother really wants to, isn’t it better to find a strict teacher for Bao’er?”

Qingfu Junzhu of course didn’t want to. These kinds of old-fashioned and pedantic teachers were the most hateful. If Bao’er couldn’t remember his lesson, the teacher would even beat his palms with a stick. How could this be allowed?

Seeing Qingfu’s refusal, Cheng Yujin shook her head: “Then I can’t be a help. I cannot bear to scold Bao’er, let alone punish him. If mother really wants me to do something, should I find a strict teacher for him?”

When Cheng Enbao heard Cheng Yujin said “I cannot bear to scold Bao’er, let alone punish him,” with a gentle voice, his back suddenly drenched in a cold sweat. The boy hurriedly pulled his mother’s sleeve, showing his rejection to stay with Cheng Yujin.

Qingfu suddenly felt very powerless. People like Cheng Yujin were the hardest to deal with. Cheng Yujin neither listened to reason nor bowed to force. Glib tongue and hidden tactics didn’t work on her, and even a set of reasoning couldn’t win her over. On top of that, once someone tried to push something to her using a moral ground, she would return it with stronger reasoning. Qingfu Junzhu thought hard for a long time, but couldn’t find any decent excuse. Finally, she could only throw away her face and said bluntly: “Then just let Bao’er play with you. You will get married soon, so let Bao’er spend more time with you. After all, you and he are siblings of the same parents.”

Qingfu Junzhu thought, now that she was completely shameless, Cheng Yujin should also have no excuse to refuse, right? Instead, she saw Cheng Yujin smiled and said: “I am going to embroider clothes for the Crown Prince and prepare my presents to elders for the Emperor, Empress Dowager, Empress, and other imperial consorts. Each of the presents is extremely important. Mother, do you really want to let Bao’er stay and play here?”

Qingfu Junzhu almost suffocated. She was totally speechless. A typical engaged girl about to leave her boudoir would be too embarrassed to talk about her future in-laws openly. Yet Cheng Yujin could say all of those without changing her expression. How thick was her face?

Shameless people could only be dealt with by a more shameless opponent. Qingfu Junzhu was lost to Cheng Yujin. She tried to open her mouth again, but was unable to produce a word.

Ruan-shi saw Qingfu Junzhu’s defeat and felt there was no hope for herself. But she was also very unwilling to give up such a good opportunity. Once Cheng Yujin entered the palace, even her family members had to send a prior notice before meeting her. A half-grown boy like Cheng Enci basically had no chance to meet the Crown Princess face to face. If now Cheng Yujin didn’t deepen her impression of her younger brothers, how could she remember them in the future? How would she support them then?

Ruan-shi could not reconcile. She tentatively said: “Eldest girl, you look at Enci. He is smart and obedient, and never makes trouble…”

Cheng Yujin didn’t bother to listen anymore. She picked up a half-embroidered Yunnan brocade she planned to make into a pouch and nonchalantly said: “I heard that the Crown Prince’s wedding is the country’s most important ceremony. I wonder if the Crown Princess’ dowry list has been ready or not.”

Ruan-shi suddenly felt her throat was blocked. She couldn’t make a sound. At this moment, she remembered that when Cheng Yumo was about to get married, she tried to swallow Cheng Yujin’s dowry on the pretext of pressing time.

In the end, all her calculations ended up futile. But Ruan-shi remembered clearly that when they pressed Cheng Yujin, Cheng Yuanjing suddenly barged in and gave his share of inheritance as Cheng Yujin’s dowry.

And Cheng Yuanjing…was the Crown Prince.

Thinking about it now, many unusual points could be seen. The timing of the Crown Prince’s arrival was so coincidental, as if he had come specifically to seek justice for Cheng Yujin.

Thinking of such a terrifying possibility, Ruan-shi’s back suddenly soaked in sweat. Qingfu Junzhu’s expression also changed, and she subconsciously straightened her back.

Cheng Yujin put the half-embroidered fabric on the small tea table. Her beautiful eyes stared directly at Qingfu Junzhu and Ruan-shi. Cheng Yujin looked at the two for a while before she suddenly nodded with a smile: “Mother, second aunt, I am busy embroidering my dowry. I have no time to teach my younger brothers, nor do I have time to chat with random people. In the future, I don’t want to be disturbed so early in the morning. Mother and second aunt don’t have to cook anything for me anymore. Right, it will also be nice if you two can restraint your servants. Don’t let them barge into my courtyard again and affect my mood for embroidering my dowry.”

“Mother, second aunt.” Cheng Yujin smiled, but her eyes coldly fell on the two women: “You understand, don’t you?”

In the past, Cheng Yujin always used soft methods to overcome pressure. Each time she showed such a weakness, Qingfu Junzhu and Ruan-shi slowly thought that this was Cheng Yujin’s real personality. But at this moment, they knew that they had been horribly mistaken.

Cheng Yujin used to detour just because she didn’t have a strong enough backing. Once she had it, she was more indifferent than anyone else, refusing to show affection even to her own close relatives. After all, she was the quasi Crown Princess. Under an absolute power, why should she be afraid of two women?

Even if one was her adoptive mother and the other was her biological mother.

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