Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The Third Young Master of the Duke's Mansion is looking for someone to bring him good luck...

Without waiting until the next day, Mrs. Yun quickly sent someone to inquire outside, and soon got the exact news.

The Duke of Zhenguo had three sons. The first two were married, but the remaining one was a notorious invalid, said to have been ill from the womb. He had been bedridden for years, relying on bitter medicine to keep him alive, and had rarely left the house. Last winter was extremely cold, and the Duke of Zhenguo's invalid son, already frail, was rumored to have accidentally fallen into the water, further exacerbating his already fragile condition. It was rumored that he was near death.

The Duke loved his child so much that he went to Jinyun Temple outside the city to ask a senior monk to tell his fortune, and the monk predicted a happy outcome for his child.

With the help of a high monk, the Duke of Zhenguo invited a matchmaker to come in and start looking for a suitable girl for their illegitimate son.

But the illegitimate son was a dying man, and even though the Duke's family was prominent, few families were interested in him.

Who would be willing to let their daughter marry a man who has one foot in the coffin? The illegitimate son of the Duke of Zhenguo will die at any time, and if she fails to bring good luck to the couple, won't she become a widow?

But Mrs. Yun didn't mind.

Not only did she not mind, she was so happy that she wanted to immediately send Yun Wu to the bridal sedan and carry her into the gate of the Duke's Mansion.

However, she doesn't have the final say on this matter alone.

With the news, Yun's father returned home from his official residence that evening. Madam Yun personally cooked a delicious meal and served it to him. Yun Wu sat at the table, holding a small bowl and stealing glances, wondering which handsome boy her stepmother had chosen.

After the meal, she served tea and water, massaged his shoulders and legs, boiled a bucket of hot water and took a comfortable hot bath. Father Yun's brows were relaxed from waiting for him, and it was when he was in a good mood that Mrs. Yun told him her purpose.

"Going to the Zhenguo Mansion to celebrate?" Yun's father instinctively refused. "No, the Xie family's third son is already so ill. If we ask our daughter to marry him, won't she be a widow? What will outsiders think of our family? The Censorate might even report me."

Madam Yun hurriedly discussed the pros and cons with him, "Master, think carefully. This is the Duke's Mansion, a glorious legacy spanning generations. Lord Xie is certainly not one of those people who fills the position. He holds a real position and has a bright future. If we can become related to the Duke's Mansion, it will be of great benefit to our family. Master, you've been in your current position for so many years. If Lord Xie is willing to do something on your behalf, perhaps you can even move up a level."

Father Yun had been listening quietly with his eyes closed, but since it concerned his own future, his originally resolute face immediately showed some emotion.

Having been married for many years, Madam Yun understood him well. Every word she said touched his heart, and seeing this, she continued to persuade him, "Besides, how can this not be a good marriage? The Duke's Mansion has always been kind and generous, and our daughter is marrying into the family to bring good luck. They already owe it to us first. Even if the third son of the Xie family really died of illness, given the virtue of Lord Xie, he would not treat an orphan woman unfairly. In a family with wealth and prosperity, even the servants live a respectable life."

Father Yun hesitated: "But Hui'er is young, spoiled, and a little arrogant. Will she agree to marry into the Duke's Mansion?"

Madam Yun choked and took a deep breath, almost breaking her teeth.

How could her beloved Hui'er, who had a bright future ahead of her, marry a dying man?!

Madam Yun patted him lightly and said angrily, "What are you talking about, Master? I'm certainly not talking about Hui'er."

"You mean Awu?"

"It's her."

Father Yun frowned: "She is already engaged to the Ye family, how can she get married?"

"Master, listen carefully to me. She is the best candidate for the wedding." Madam Yun persuaded him with both emotion and reason: "Master, think about it. The third son of the Xie family has been ill for a long time. Even if he has servants to look after him, he still needs careful care from his family. Hui'er is delicate and clumsy. How can she do these things well? If things go on for a long time, our marriage might turn into an enmity!"

Father Yun nodded: "That's right."

Madam Yun continued, "Yun Wu is different. She has a gentle temperament and is the eldest sister in the family. She is used to taking care of her younger siblings. She usually stays by the old lady's side when she is ill, so all these things come naturally to her. Lord Xie loves his children, so he wants to bring good luck. Naturally, he wants to see that the Third Young Master is well taken care of. If Hui'er were to marry him and start an argument with the Third Young Master, it might even make him even sicker."

Father Yun hesitated: "But she is already engaged to the Ye family..."

"Master." Madam Yun suppressed her joy and spoke with a serious tone, "Back then, our family was engaged to the Ye family. It was said that if we had a son and a daughter, we would become relatives. But what we really tied together was the friendship between Master and Lord Ye. It was a marriage between two families. As long as the daughter was ours, what difference would it make whether it was Hui'er or A'Wu?"

Mrs. Yun said these words with confidence.

When the marriage was signed, neither side had any children yet. It was a verbal agreement, and no names were mentioned. They were all daughters of the Yun family, and anyone could have been the wife of the young master of the Ye family. If Yun Wu could marry, why couldn't her Hui'er?

“…”

"At the very least, Master, please think about Xin'er."

Father Yun: "Xin'er? What happened to him?"

Yun Xin is the youngest son of the Yun family. He is still young and innocent, and is still writing big characters in school.

Madam Yun said, "Xin'er is the master's only son. He will be a strong man in the future and support the Yun family. He has no brothers or uncles to help him, so he is counting on his two brothers-in-law and two sisters to marry well. This will greatly benefit Xin'er's future."

"Xin'er is still young, it's too early to talk about this."

"Yes, but the Zhenguogong Mansion's wedding is just around the corner, and many people want to marry into the Duke's Mansion. Master, don't miss this great opportunity."

Father Yun closed his eyes, as if annoyed, and ignored her chatter.

Mrs. Yun didn't try to persuade her any further. She went to blow out the lights, and the inner room became dark. Before falling asleep, she felt secretly happy.

She knew that the master did not refuse outright, which meant he took her words to heart.

…

Yun Wu was completely unaware of Madam Yun's thoughts and calculations.

Early in the morning, she got up and went to pay her respects to the old lady.

As Madam Yun grew older, her health deteriorated. She was bedridden and had to take bitter medicine every day. Over time, the smell of medicine often filled the air in her bedroom.

The old lady was in a bad mood today. She woke up early in the morning and started complaining about not feeling well, having a headache and back pain. She felt that the servants had neglected her and scolded them. She then refused to drink the bitter medicine and got angry. Yun Wu coaxed her again and again, and finally used the last piece of candied fruit in the jar to persuade her to drink the medicine.

After all the trouble, she was tired. The medicine had a calming effect, so after drinking it, the old lady finally fell asleep.

Before going to sleep, Madam Yun drooped her eyelids, grabbed Yun Wu's hand, and muttered, "Where's Xin'er? Tell him to come and talk to Grandma after he comes back from school..."

Yun Wu responded gently to all of them.

She waited until the old lady fell into a deep sleep before she tiptoed out of the old lady's yard.

She felt the purse in her arms and saw that it was still early, so she turned and left the house to buy candied fruit for the old lady and several colors of embroidery thread that she wanted.

In fact, these little things could be bought by the servants, but her words were not very important. Sometimes when she ordered something, it would take several days to get it. Those little things were not important, but it was annoying if they were not on hand when she needed them. Over time, Yun Wu became too lazy to ask for them.

Candied fruit and embroidery thread were readily available, and Yun Wu quickly bought everything she needed at the East Market. When choosing the thread, Yun Wu carefully selected the perfect color for the pattern on her wedding dress from among the various colorful threads.

After leaving the shop, she hesitated for a moment and then turned into a bookstore not far away.

The young men and ladies in the capital often held banquets with poetry and prose. After the banquets, the best works of romantic literature would be published in books and circulated, and many authors became famous because of them.

Yun Wu walked into the bookshop as if she knew the place well. The bookshop clerk greeted her, "Miss Yun is here."

Yun Wu nodded at him.

"It just so happens that the bookstore printed several new poetry collections a few days ago. Maybe there is something Miss Yun wants." The clerk said casually, pointing to a bookshelf.

Yun Wu thanked him softly and went straight to the bookshelf where the poetry collections and articles were placed. At a glance, she saw several new poetry collections that she had never seen before.

It was clearly a perfectly normal process, but Yun Wu's heart was beating wildly for no apparent reason, as if she were doing something daring. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she glanced to the sides furtively. Seeing no one was paying attention, she quickly pulled a few poetry books from the shelf and flipped through them in a quiet corner.

She followed the catalog and found the name of the person she wanted. Only then did she feel relieved. She put the other books back and went out to pay the money.

Perhaps because of the subtle feelings in her heart, even this ordinary collection of poems seemed to have a heavy weight. She hurried home. In the early spring season, she walked so hard that her cheeks were hot and she was sweating.

That name wasn't someone else.

It was the young master of the Ye family who was engaged to her.

Although they were engaged, they were still unmarried couples, so they had to be reserved and polite, and they didn't see each other often. Fortunately, her fiancé was a talented writer, well-known in the capital, and his works were often published in the poetry and literature collections in the bookstore, so Lian Yunwu became a frequent visitor to the bookstore.

She didn't talk much with Mr. Ye, but she read a lot. Words can reveal a person's thoughts and character. From the paper, Yun Wu already knew him well.

This time, she also turned to the poems written by her fiancé, glanced through them first, then read them word by word, pondered their deep meaning, and then contentedly hid the collection of poems in the drawer.

…

On the other side, Mrs. Yun also went out.

She changed into a decent set of clothes, took a sedan chair, and traveled all the way from the east to the north of the city, stopping at the gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

This area is inhabited by high-ranking officials and dignitaries, whose mansions are magnificent and grand. Even the two stone lions at the gate of the Duke's Mansion appear more majestic and domineering than those elsewhere.

Mrs. Yun touched the business card in her arms and walked forward with a smile. She straightened her back as if she was walking on a smooth road.