Chapter 412 People Strive for Higher Positions
As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a well-groomed Ning Yunchuan was someone everyone would praise as an outstanding individual. Yu Yanqiu's eyes lit up when he saw him, and in that instant, an idea popped into his head.
The two chatted for a while longer. Yu Yanqiu then arranged for Ning Yunchuan to rest in the guest courtyard. After his son, Yu Heng, returned, he thought for a moment and asked, "What do you think of Ting'er marrying Ning Yunchuan?"
Yu Xian opened his eyes wide in surprise, pondered for a moment, and said, "I'm afraid Ting'er's status is not high enough."
Ning Yunchuan is going to inherit the title of Duke of Wei. His Yu family is a local power in Lingnan, but how can they compare to the powerful figures in the capital? Moreover, the Duke of Wei's mansion is currently enjoying great influence.
“If the principal wife is not feasible, a concubine will always be acceptable,” Yu Yanqiu said. “If we want to strengthen our ties with the Duke of Chu and the Duke of Wei, marriage is the most reliable option.”
"This..." Yu Heng was speechless. He knew his father was right, but his eldest daughter was his first child, whom he had cherished since childhood. How could he bear to let his beloved daughter become someone else's concubine?
After hesitating for a moment, he organized his thoughts and said, "In comparison, the Duke of Chu's mansion is stronger, after all, the Duke of Chu is in the Emperor's favor."
Yu Yanqiu stared at him intently for a moment, frowning in thought. After a while, she said, "It seems that the Duke of Chu's mansion does not have a suitable marriage partner."
Yu Heng hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yunliang is outstanding in appearance. What do you think of offering him to the Duke of Chu?"
Yu Yunliang was his illegitimate son, and he had only a handsome appearance but no talent. He would not feel any guilt if he gave this son away.
Upon hearing his words, Yu Yanqiu frowned deeply. Yu Heng did not immediately refuse, but continued, "In this world, who doesn't have a preference for those who are pleasing to the eye and comforting to the heart? Especially someone like the Duke of Chu, who stands at the pinnacle of power."
The Duke of Chu is divorced and preoccupied with court affairs every day, likely lacking someone to care for him. Yunliang is handsome and relatively gentle; sending him to serve her, even as a close attendant, might win her favor. Besides, judging from the current situation, the Duke of Chu's future prospects far surpass those of the Duke of Wei's eldest grandson.
Yu Yanqiu frowned in thought, and after a while said, "Let Ting'er run into Ning Yunchuan tomorrow and see how he reacts."
Yu Xian wanted to refuse, but considering his father's temper, he could only agree.
Yu Yanqiu looked at him with deep eyes, "I know you feel sorry for Ting'er, but you should also understand that with the current situation of our Yu family, no matter how well Ting'er marries, at most she will only be the eldest son's wife of a local aristocratic family, guarding a courtyard house and being a matriarch."
That would be peaceful, but how could it compare to the prestige and respectability of attaching ourselves to the Duke of Wei's mansion? Besides, the Duke of Chu is ultimately a woman, and we can't fathom her temperament. If she doesn't like such romantic affairs, wouldn't it be like we're trying to flatter her but instead making her suspicious and disgusted?
Moreover, if we were to send Yunliang to engage in that kind of sexual favors, and word got out, outsiders would only say that our Yu family would stop at nothing to curry favor with the powerful, even offering up our own sons so readily. At that point, the spittle would be enough to drown us, and the reputation and honor our Yu family has built up over generations would be reduced to the stigma of "despicable scheming."
Yu Heng looked flustered and quickly said, "It was my son's short-sightedness."
Yu Yanqiu hummed in agreement and waved for him to leave. Watching his figure disappear through the doorway, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Her knuckles lightly tapped the armrest, and in the shadows cast by her drooping eyelashes lay unspoken calculations; her demeanor was calm yet brimming with deep scheming.
...
Ning Yunchuan was naturally unaware of the Yu family father and son's scheme. In order to cultivate his mind and body, he lay in bed trying his best to fall asleep. But just as he was drifting off to sleep, there was a knock on the door. Since he was already asleep fully clothed, he immediately got up to open the door and saw Yu Heng standing there.
Upon seeing him, Yu Heng immediately said, "Commander Ning, the heir of the Marquis of Chengen has been found."
Ning Yunchuan was overjoyed and immediately followed him to see the heir of the Marquis of Chengen. He rushed into Yu Yanqiu's study and saw the heir of the Marquis of Chengen covered in blood, and his heart clenched.
He strode forward, looking at the heir of the Marquis of Chengen with concern, and asked, "Yanzhou, how are you?"
The heir of the Marquis of Chengen forced a smile and said, "They're just superficial injuries, nothing to worry about."
Just then, the doctor arrived, and Ning Yunchuan immediately stepped aside so the doctor could examine and bandage his wounds. Fortunately, the doctor said they were all superficial injuries and would heal with some rest. After the doctor left, the two thanked the Yu family father and son together, and then went to the guest room to rest.
Back in the guest courtyard, the two sat down and talked. The heir of the Marquis of Cheng'en asked, "Is there any connection between your family and the Yu family?"
Ning Yunchuan shook his head, only mentioning that Jiang Yu had given him a jade pendant from the Yu family before he left, but he didn't mention anything about the transaction between Jiang Yu and the Yu family.
The heir of the Marquis of Chengen did not ask any further questions. He sighed and said with relief, "Fortunately, we had the Yu family, otherwise our lives might have been lost in Lingnan. The Duke of Chu is truly farsighted!"
Ning Yunchuan agreed with this statement; the more he got to know Jiang Yu, the more he realized he was inferior to him. He, on the other hand, had always enjoyed a reputation for being a promising young man in the capital.
After exchanging information, the two went back to their rooms to rest. They needed to conserve their energy; a tough battle was ahead.
The next day, after breakfast, the two went to Yu Yanqiu's study together. On the way, they encountered a woman with a dignified and elegant appearance. Upon seeing them, the woman immediately bowed, and the two politely returned the bow before leaving.
"When that Miss Yu was bowing just now, her eyes kept glancing this way at you. Brother Ning, you're so handsome, you must have caught the eye of that young lady. Is she about to bring you good luck in love?" The heir of the Marquis of Chengen teased Ning Yunchuan.
Ning Yunchuan chuckled, "Don't talk nonsense, lest you ruin the young lady's reputation. Besides, I'll be engaged soon, so what's this talk of romantic luck?"
The heir of the Marquis of Chengen laughed heartily, and neither of them discussed the matter further. In truth, they both understood the Yu family's intentions, but the young lady's behavior was so poised and graceful that it didn't offend anyone.
People naturally strive for advancement, and it's perfectly normal for the Yu family to want to climb the social ladder and solidify this relationship. It was merely a test; they didn't do anything underhanded, which is understandable.
The two entered Yu Yanqiu's study to discuss the matter of entering the garrison camp in Lingnan. In the end, they decided that the heir of the Marquis of Chengen would write a letter, and the Yu family would find a way to deliver it to General Zhao in the garrison.
After the matter was discussed, Ning Yunchuan and the heir of the Marquis of Chengen returned to recuperate. A while later, in Yu Heng's study, Yu Yanqiu looked at him and asked, "How are you?"
Yu Xian shook his head. "Ting'er said Ning Yunchuan has no feelings for her."
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