"Mm," Yun Shu nodded.
Geng Yufei frowned, showing a hint of displeasure. "Do you think you're fit to teach the Emperor?"
Since no one else was present, Geng Yufei's words were particularly sharp.
However, after speaking, she regretted her haste.
Yun Shu's zither skills that day had been witnessed by everyone.
She couldn't deem Yun Shu unfit just by saying so.
Yun Shu appeared unconcerned. "Naturally, I'm not fit. Then I won't come anymore."
"You!" Geng Yufei was shocked and angry.
"Does Empress have other matters? If not, I shall take my leave." Yun Shu's tone was light, betraying no emotion.
For some inexplicable reason, Geng Yufei felt a prickle of fear. Realizing her emotional shift, she said angrily, "I haven't finished speaking. Second Miss Yun, if you don't rein yourself in from now on, I will certainly punish you."
"What crime? Empress, why not punish me now?" Yun Shu suddenly smiled.
Geng Yufei was bothering her like someone in menopause. Could it be...
She liked Zhan Tianye?
Was she jealous?
Tsk tsk.
Scumbags were truly troublesome.
"Do you truly believe I dare not punish you? Second Miss Yun, I am only offering you some words of caution out of respect for General Yun," Geng Yufei said menacingly.
Yun Shu let out a soft "Oh," her tone indifferent. "Empress thinks I'm not fit to teach the Emperor. I agreed, risking the Emperor's decree, and yet I am still at fault?"
"You! I never told you not to enter the palace to teach the Emperor!" Geng Yufei gasped.
If Yun Shu truly stopped coming to the palace, wouldn't the Emperor blame her?
"Then what is it that Empress wishes to caution me about?" Yun Shu asked.
"I remind you, do not entanglement with Prince Ye, lest you cause unnecessary trouble," Geng Yufei said coldly.
Yun Shu smiled and lowered her voice. "If the conversation between Empress and I today were to spread, it might be misunderstood that Empress harbors affection for Prince Ye. Although I have no intentions towards Prince Ye, whether or not I entangle myself with Prince Ye seems to be of no concern to Empress."
The remark stunned Geng Yufei, her expression changing drastically. She stared at Yun Shu, her eyes darting about as if trying to see through her.
"Do not speak nonsense!" Geng Yufei urged hastily.
"Take care of yourself!"
After speaking, Geng Yufei left quickly.
As she departed, she glanced around.
Seeing no one else, she finally relaxed.
Yun Shu watched Geng Yufei's somewhat flustered retreat and slowly curved her lips.
What an unexpected gain. She hadn't expected Geng Yufei to confess her true feelings to her face.
...
After leaving the palace, Yun Shu said she wanted to visit a friend.
Yun Changfeng then returned to the General's mansion alone by carriage.
As they neared the General's mansion,
the commotion from a street caught his attention.
He saw that
a small child was surrounded by several older children.
The older children were clearly four or five years older than the younger one.
The child looked to be only four or five years old.
At a glance, he felt that the child's features bore a striking resemblance to Shu'er.
This child was Yun Xiao Jing.
He had secretly slipped out while his scum father was in the palace.
Today, he particularly missed his mother.
He wanted to see his mother at the General's mansion and then return to Prince Ye's mansion in a few days.
Unexpectedly, in his haste, he had bumped into someone while running.
As a result, he was surrounded by several older boys.
He had apologized.
But they didn't accept it, saying apologies were useless.
"If apologies are useless, then what is?" Yun Xiao Jing, though surrounded by seemingly fierce older boys, showed no fear.
Seeing Yun Xiao Jing ask, the older boys all laughed.
Then they reached out to Yun Xiao Jing. "Pay up!"
"Take out all the money you have!"
"If you don't, you absolutely won't be allowed to leave today! And you won't be able to leave!"
"We'll beat you up badly!"
"Yeah, are you scared? Don't you want to be beaten? Then hurry up and take out all your money!"
The roughly seven or eight-year-old boys extended their hands naturally; it was clear this was not their first time doing such a thing.
Yun Changfeng frowned.
Whose family upbringing in the capital was so overbearing?
Children dared to stop people and rob them on the street.
Yun Xiao Jing blinked his big eyes, appearing innocent and cute, even with a hint of bewilderment. "Why should I give you money?"
"Don't you understand what we're saying? If you don't give us money, you won't be allowed to leave!"
"And I'll break your legs!"
The boys put on fierce expressions.
Yun Xiao Jing sneered inwardly, lowering his head to look at his shoe tips. "I don't want to give it."
Hearing Yun Xiao Jing's words, Yun Changfeng, from inside the carriage, was quite amazed.
He had expected a child to be frightened into tears, but instead, this child bravely and adorably said he didn't want to give.
Yes.
When faced with power, one must have the courage to say no!
This child was the future of this world!
He wondered who had raised such an excellent child!
Fearing the child might truly be scared, he lifted the carriage curtain, about to dismount.
Unexpectedly, he heard the child's crisp voice again, "You're not worthy of spending my money either."
This child was truly bold!
So bold, it delighted him!
"What did you say? Are you looking for a beating?!" One of the older boys raised his hand to hit Yun Xiao Jing.
Yun Xiao Jing sighed.
This wasn't him wanting to fight;
it was someone asking for it.
His pugilistic skills had been rigorously trained by Uncle Jing Heng!
And then,
Yun Xiao Jing, with his small arms and legs, lifted his feet, threw punches, and dodged.
Every movement was both adorably cute and fiercely powerful.
The children several years older than him were completely at a disadvantage.
No!
They had no room to fight back.
The older boys fell, with sounds of slaps and thuds.
One by one, they were all beaten to the ground by the little fellow.
The child's moves were swift and accurate.
Even Yun Changfeng couldn't help but marvel.
Who were this child's parents?
How could they have raised such an outstanding child?!
He hadn't expected the capital to be so full of hidden talents.
He suddenly longed to meet the child's parents!
Yun Xiao Jing placed his small foot on one of the older boys.
The child, who moments ago seemed soft and cuddly, now exuded an aura of an eighteen-year-old.
"Did no one tell you that other people's money is not yours?" Yun Xiao Jing asked.
The older boys were stunned by the beating.
They had never expected to encounter such a situation.
A tiny child knew martial arts!
And had beaten them so thoroughly!
"Wuuu wuuu, I want to go home!" one of the older boys cried in fear.
Yun Xiao Jing made a funny face. "That's not what you were saying just now."
"You wait! My mother will come find you to settle this!" one of the older boys, his face red, managed to squeeze out a few words, still relying on his mother to intervene.
Yun Xiao Jing most looked down on those who cried to their mothers after a fight.