Chapter 5 Husband and Brother
Starting in the evening, a light rain began to fall in Kyoto, and it continued to rain all night long.
The next morning the rain stopped and everything looked brand new. Asui's enrollment also made progress.
After a short nap at noon, the servant of Duke Lu came over and asked Yun Wan and her son to go over.
Having roughly guessed what was going on, Yun Wan called Asui over, patiently gave him a few instructions, and prepared to let him go with the servant.
But the servant looked embarrassed and did not move.
Seeing this, Yun Wan asked softly, "What else?"
The servant said, "Madam, the Duke asked you and the young master to go together, saying that there is something important to discuss."
Yun Wan paused, "Did you say what the important matter was?"
The servant shook his head.
Yun Wan frowned, her intuition telling her that it was related to the school that Asui was going to. After thinking about it, she went into the house to tidy up her clothes, and after coming out, she took Asui's hand and went to the front yard.
The soil on the road was soft, and Yunwan's soles were covered with some mud and dust after walking all the way.
When I stepped into the main hall of the front yard, Duke Lu Yuanduo had been waiting for a long time. He stood in the middle of the hall, with his hands behind his back and his back to the door.
When she saw Lu Yuanduo, although Asui was still holding her mother's hand obediently, her eyes brightened up obviously.
Hearing the movement behind him, Lu Yuanduo turned around, his eyes swept over, lingering on Yun Wan for a moment, then turned to Asui, his cold face softening.
He raised his hand and beckoned: "A Sui."
"Great uncle!"
Asui stood there and shouted, his tone excited.
Yun Wan let him go, and Asui stepped over the threshold. After taking a few anxious steps, he slowed down again and finally stopped steadily in front of Lu Yuanduo. He crossed his arms and bowed politely, saying, "Good afternoon, uncle!"
Lu Yuanduo bent down and picked up the glutinous rice ball of Asui. He weighed it in his hand for a few times before putting it down with a smile on his face: "Good afternoon, Asui. Your uncle was not at home a few days ago. I heard that you were sick. How are you feeling now?"
After landing, Asui's fair face flushed, his eyes showing joy and admiration: "Don't worry, uncle, my nephew has recovered after taking the medicine."
Lu Yuanduo looked past him and looked behind him, with a questioning look in his eyes.
Yun Wan stood not far away and bowed to him: "Thank you for your concern, Duke. Asui's illness has recovered."
Unlike other children, Asui has rarely been sick since birth and is in very good health. Even if he catches a cold occasionally, it is not a big deal. He only needs to take two doses of medicine and he will be full of energy the next day.
In the doctor's words, compared with other children of the same age, Asui is as strong as a calf.
What is rare is that he is quiet and calm, not noisy, just like when he was still in the womb.
At that time, Yun Wan didn't know that she was pregnant, and she took care of the seriously ill Lu Fenglan day and night. After Lu Fenglan passed away, Yun Wan, as his wife, took care of his funeral affairs, doing her job conscientiously and without closing her eyes for nearly half a month.
Under such circumstances, the baby in her belly was still fine and there was no sign of miscarriage. In the end, Yun Wan fainted due to overwork and fear, and it was then diagnosed that she had been pregnant for more than a month.
For more than eight months since then, the baby in my belly has been very well-behaved and not noisy at all.
Perhaps it was because Asui had been without a father since childhood, and his uncle Lu Yuanduo was the only male elder who was close to and loved him, so Asui was more lively in front of him.
Lu Yuanduo's brows moved slightly, and his tone was light: "Third sister-in-law, you are too polite."
He was tall, and Ah Sui only reached up to his thigh. He tilted his head and asked, "Uncle, Grandmother said she wanted to discuss my nephew's schooling with you. Have you and Grandmother come to an agreement yet?"
When he asked this question, his eyes were full of anticipation, shining like stars.
Lu Yuanduo lowered his head and pinched his cheek: "A Sui is looking forward to going to school?"
Asui nodded without thinking: "I'm looking forward to it!"
The palm covering his head paused, and Lu Yuanduo said, "Uncle also wants to discuss this matter with your mother today. I'll tell you the result later, okay?"
"good!"
Lu Yuanduo had people prepare some pastries and some educational gadgets for Asui to help him pass the time.
At that time, Yun Wan was sitting opposite him, and the servants poured tea for the two of them.
Tea leaves floated in the celadon cup, and the fragrance of tea lingered. Lu Yuanduo pondered for a moment and said, "Third sister-in-law, do you know Hongwenguan?"
Hongwenguan?
Yun Wan nodded, "I know a thing or two."
The Hongwenguan was under the jurisdiction of the Menxia Province, and was the place where the royal family of the current dynasty studied. The rest were the children of ministers of the third rank and above in the capital.
In short, it is a school for aristocrats.
When he suddenly mentioned it, Yun Wan instantly had a bad feeling.
As expected, while I was stunned, I heard him say, "I want Ah Sui to study at the Hongwen Academy, as the Third Prince's companion."
"no!"
Yun Wan blurted out without thinking.
Her reaction made Lu Yuanduo look sideways, and even Asui, who was trying to solve the Luban lock, looked over in confusion.
Realizing that he had overreacted, Yun Wan took a deep breath and said slowly, "I disagree because Asui is just an ordinary child. His father is of no rank and he is still young. How can he be qualified to be the prince's tutor?"
The students who could enter the Hongwenguan were all descendants of officials of the third rank or above in the court, but Lu Fenglan did not enter the officialdom due to illness during his lifetime.
"You don't have to worry about this. I have reported this matter to the emperor after the court session today, and he has granted his approval." Lu Yuanduo said concisely.
Yun Wan looked at him in disbelief.
How could he be discussing this with her? He had clearly already made a decision, and now he was just giving her a heads up.
Yun Wan's face turned cold. "If that's the case, why bother pretending to discuss this with an ignorant woman like me? Just send someone to Cuiwei Garden to inform my mother and me."
She suppressed her anger, her voice trembling slightly, and her words were laced with sharp sarcasm.
Reason told her that this man was the head of the Lu family and her husband's elder brother, and he had natural authority in the Lu family. Disobeying him would be detrimental to herself and her son.
But since it concerns Asui's future, Yun Wan cannot remain calm.
His eyes fell on her cheeks which were slightly red with anger. She was obviously filled with rage, but she had to suppress it. The fullness of her neckline rose and fell with her breathing.
Lu Yuanduo turned his eyes away and explained, "A Sui is gifted and intelligent, with a pure heart and an unparalleled memory. He is a rare talent in this world. If he is carefully nurtured and patiently taught, he will surely make a name for himself and become a pillar of the Qi Dynasty."
"The Hongwen Academy is home to a large number of great scholars and the best lecturers of the dynasty. The courses are rich in knowledge and the teachers are well-educated. It will be beneficial to Asui. Why don't you agree?"
The current emperor has only two sons, the crown prince and the third prince. Precisely because royal heirs are rare, the importance of a prince's study companion is so precious. Why is Yun Wan, as a mother, so resistant to such a thing that is beneficial to Asui?
Lu Yuanduo looked puzzled, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Yun Wan lowered her eyes and looked away, her raven-blue eyelashes trembling.
Her face was calm, her voice clear, "Although Hongwenguan is a good place, the relationships behind it are complicated. I just hope that Asui can grow up safely, healthily and happily."
The Hongwenguan not only had princes, but also the children of other royal relatives, nobles and ministers. Asui was only four years old, and Yun Wan was worried that others would tease him because of this.
The most important thing is that Yun Wan doesn't want Asui to be involved with anyone in the royal family.
Lu Yuanduo: "Are you afraid that Asui will be bullied?"
Yun Wan pursed her lips slightly and said nothing.
Lu Yuanduo thought he had hit the nail on the head. His brows relaxed as he said to her, "Although my Lu family isn't the only one in the capital, we're no pushovers. If anyone dares to bully Asui, they're insulting my Lu family. I, Lu Yuanduo, will be the first to disobey."
"Besides, with the Third Prince here, others will only be more cautious. I will also instruct Changze to take care of Asui."
It was rare for him to explain things so patiently, just to relieve her worries.
Yun Wan glanced in the direction of Asui and said earnestly, "Duke, is there really no turning back on this matter?"
The unfamiliar address made Lu Yuanduo frown slightly.
According to the etiquette of close relatives, as the wife of her younger brother, Yun Wan should call him "Uncle Brother".
However, Lu Yuanduo inherited the title at a young age and had been in officialdom for more than ten years. He was six years younger than his younger brother Lu Fenglan, and their relationship was not close. Therefore, since Yun Wan married into the family, she followed the sisters-in-law of the second house and called him Duke.
Lu Yuanduo remained silent.
Seeing this, Yun Wan's heart sank to the bottom.
She understood that Lu Yuanduo always kept his word and this matter was a foregone conclusion.
As for the old lady, she must know it.
Lu Yuanduo: "The Hongwen Academy will open on the tenth. Mother has sent a sign to the palace. In two days, you will enter the palace with mother and Asui."
What else can Yun Wan say in this case?
She looked cold: "Sister-in-law understands."
After saying that, she called Asui, and the mother and son prepared to go back.
Lu Yuanduo waved his hand, and a servant came in with two things and handed them to Asui.
It was a Qilin auspicious beast paperweight and a bag of pastries.
Back at Cuiwei Garden, Yun Wan was still worried about Asui's upcoming admission to Hongwenguan.
Asui placed the paperweight on the desk in his study and then returned to the main room.
He unwrapped the oil paper, picked up a piece of cake and passed it to Yun Wan's mouth, "Eat it, mother."
There was a sweet smell at the tip of her nose. Yun Wan glanced at the chestnut cake in his hand, shook her head and said, "Mother doesn't want to eat it, so you eat it."
Asui was puzzled.
Isn't it that A Niang loves chestnut cakes the most? Especially the sweet-scented osmanthus chestnut cakes with butter from the Five Spice Restaurant in Beijing?
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