Chapter 4 Chapter 4 "Awu, be obedient." ...
Things have been decided, and Yun Wu has no choice but to accept it.
No matter how many tears she shed, no one was moved, no matter how much she felt wronged. Madam Yun gave her a look, and two strong-armed maids forcefully escorted her back to the courtyard. They locked the gate, and fearing she might cause trouble, they wouldn't even let her in.
Although she couldn't go out, she knew that the Yun family had already started preparing for the weddings of their two daughters.
Originally, the Yun family was going to hold a wedding for both the Yun and Ye families, but now that there was an additional Zhenguo Mansion, in order to save trouble and avoid any further complications, the wedding dates for the two daughters were set on the same day.
Yun Hui busied herself with tailoring her wedding gown and buying a new headpiece. Madam Yun had even more to do: writing invitations, inviting guests, and reserving tables. Both the Ye family and the Duke's Mansion were prominent figures in the capital, so the wedding banquet had to be lavish and dignified, with every detail meticulously addressed. Everyone in the Yun family was busy.
Except Yun Wu.
Originally, she went to take care of Old Madam Yun every day. Now that she is no longer by the old lady's side, it doesn't matter. The little maid can do those things. Xin Ge'er ran to the old lady's yard a few times and coaxed the old lady into smiling. She didn't even need anyone to persuade her to drink the bitter medicine. She took the initiative to take it up and set an example for her grandson.
As for her wedding, as long as she showed up on the wedding day, she wouldn't have to worry about anything else.
Before her wedding, she was confined to a small courtyard. Apart from a small patch of blue sky above her head, the only person she could see was the maid who brought her food every day. She lived like a death row prisoner in a prison waiting to be executed in the autumn.
After being detained for a few days, Yun Wu began a hunger strike.
Several meals were sent back intact. The maid did not dare to hide it and told Madam Yun about it.
Linglong Pavilion had sent over two new sets of headgear, each one gorgeous and exquisite. Madam Yun was busy choosing for her daughter. Upon hearing the maid's words, she frowned and said coldly, "She's getting really bold. She's even trying to threaten me with death?"
The little maid stammered, "Madam, then..."
"If she doesn't want to eat, find a way to force her to drink it." Madam Yun said coldly, "Before her wedding, keep an eye on her. If anything happens to her, it will be difficult to explain to the Xie family."
After sending the maid away, Madam Yun looked at her daughter who was trying on jewelry next to her and said with relief, "Hui'er is so considerate. She knows that mother is busy these days and doesn't cause trouble for mother."
Yun Hui looked at herself in the mirror, her wedding imminent. She had received a betrothal gift from the Ye family, and even her mother had been generous, giving her new jewelry that was even more expensive and better than her previous butterfly hairpin. Hearing her mother's words, she casually replied, "Of course."
Madam Yun asked with concern, "The Ye family agreed to the last-minute change of engagement, but they are somewhat dissatisfied. I asked you to meet with Mr. Ye more often and try to please him. How is he treating you now?"
"Mom, please stop talking about this." Yun Hui pouted: "He doesn't even want to meet me."
"He doesn't see you?!"
"Yes, I sent someone to ask him out, but he just said he wanted to concentrate on his studies and declined all invitations. He even refused to see me. If he didn't want to see me, how could I have the nerve to go and give him the cold shoulder?" Yun Hui said, "We're getting married soon, so there will be plenty of opportunities for us to meet in the future."
Madam Yun was immediately anxious: "How can they be the same?"
She argued with her daughter carefully: "Young Master Ye doesn't want to see you, it's obvious that he has resentment in his heart. You two are going to be husband and wife. If Young Master Ye's heart is not on your side, I'm afraid you will suffer in the future."
Yun Hui didn't worry about these things at all: "Anyway, I'm the one who's going to marry him. Once we get married, he'll have to agree even if he doesn't want to."
Madam Yun, however, thought otherwise: "Ye Huaiqing has been with that girl Yun Wu for so long, he might still have feelings for Yun Wu. A forced marriage isn't a happy one, and forcing them together isn't necessarily a good thing." She had originally been full of confidence in her plan to snatch the bride, but now, she suddenly felt a surge of anxiety: "There might not be someone better than Ye Huaiqing in the capital. If I had known this, I would have chosen more carefully for you..."
"Who said that?" Yun Hui immediately interrupted her, saying, "There's no better candidate than Master Ye! Among all the talented people in the capital, no one can match his achievements in the future, even if they are extremely talented and extraordinary."
Madam Yun was speechless: "We haven't even gotten married yet, and you're already speaking for him."
"I'm not speaking for him, it's... it's the Bodhisattva who said it."
Mrs. Yun was almost amused by her.
Actually, it was the Bodhisattva who said that, Yun Hui thought.
Not long ago, she caught a cold and fell ill. While she was in a daze, she dreamed intermittently about some things about the future.
In her dream, Yun Wu successfully married Ye Huaiqing, and the two of them were in love, and Ye Huaiqing, after passing the imperial examination, was highly valued by the new emperor and enjoyed a prosperous career. In her dream, Yun Wu enjoyed unlimited glory, and when she recalled it, her heart was filled with envy and jealousy.
As for herself in the dream? She also married into a wealthy family, but the man was just a fool who benefited from his ancestors' influence. He was neither handsome nor talented like Ye Huaiqing. He lived a mediocre life in the second half of his life and even had a concubine in the backyard.
She and Yun Wu were half-sisters, not much older than her father. Growing up, she had been doted on by her mother and had always looked down on Yun Wu. She was as insignificant as a weed, seemingly trampled upon by anyone who came, yet in the end, she enjoyed the kind of prosperity and splendor that ordinary people could only dream of.
What's missing here?
It’s just that Yun Wu married a good husband.
After waking up, those dreams are as clear as yesterday and still vivid in my mind.
It must be the gods' pity, sending down a special warning to remind her to seize the opportunity and not miss it. Therefore, after waking up from the dream, she urged her mother to exchange the engagement with Ye Huaiqing for her.
Yun Hui looked at herself in the mirror. The girl in the mirror had a pretty face, plump and rosy cheeks. Adorned with gorgeous jewels, she looked radiant, no worse than anyone else, and completely different from the haggard self in her dream.
Now that she is the one marrying Ye Huaiqing, everything Yun Wu got in the dream will belong to her in the future.
As for the Third Young Master Xie?
There was no such person in her dream. Perhaps he had died of illness a long time ago.
…
Yun Wu went hungry for several meals and broke the mirror. When she was grabbing the shards and hesitating whether to stab herself with them, the maid who was guarding her finally called for help.
After not seeing her for a few days, her daughter, who was as beautiful as a bud on a spring branch, had quickly withered and become haggard. Seeing this, Father Yun couldn't help but feel distressed and sighed, "Awu, why are you doing this?"
"Daddy, do you really not know?" Yun Wu asked with red eyes, "Daddy wants to marry me off to the Xie family for good luck, but have you ever thought about what my future will be like? It's nothing but a dead end."
Father Yun asked anxiously, "How could it be a dead end? Ah Wu, why would Daddy harm you? Third Young Master Xie may be sickly, but Duke Xie is a truly kind man. Even if you were wronged after marrying him, you still have Daddy and Mom to support you. Ah Wu, you've always been obedient and sensible, so why can't you be considerate of Daddy?"
Yun Wu shed tears and said nothing.
Obedient and sensible?
She also wanted to be as willful as Yun Hui and ask for whatever she wanted, but who in the Yun family would indulge her?
support?
Her mother passed away before she could remember, and her uncles lived far away in her hometown of Lizhou, just ordinary people there. She hadn't seen them for more than ten years.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Father Yun sighed, lifted his coat and sat down beside her, explaining to her with both emotion and reason: "Awu, Daddy hasn't had it easy either. Daddy went to the capital with Uncle Ye to take the imperial examination back then, but now, what's your Uncle Ye like? What's my situation like? Last year, when officials were transferred, I was almost transferred to Pingzhou. Pingzhou is poor and remote, and it was a place of exile in the previous dynasty. I also used many connections to stay in the capital. Living in the capital is not easy, and your brother is still young. Isn't you the only one Daddy can rely on?"
"When you marry into the Xie family, Master Xie will remember your contributions and help Dad move around and move up a position. If I get promoted, won't you be the one who benefits in the future?"
"Besides, the Xie family also has their eyes on you."
"The Duke's Mansion has already sent a betrothal gift, which is more than what the Ye family gave. They are sincere in wanting to marry you. You and Xie San should live a good life and bring you happiness. The joy may even cure his illness."
He spoke from the bottom of his heart, with such sincerity that Yun Wu felt desolate.
She had a lot of things to say in rebuttal, but when she looked up and saw Yun's father's earnest and sincere face, she was too lazy to say anything.
She had known that it would probably be useless to tell him.
Everyone has their own selfish desires, but no one cares about her.
Now she was trapped in this small courtyard, with no one to turn to for help and no way to escape. Even if she escaped, she would have nowhere to go, and as a weak and defenseless woman, it was difficult for her to survive in this world.
The simplest thing would be to die. Without her, the Yun family, which had already received the betrothal gift, would not be able to explain to the Duke's Mansion.
But if she died, there would really be nothing left.
Yun Wu pursed her lips, lowered her head, and stared at the embroidery on the shoe without blinking.
Yun's father spoke until his mouth was dry, but he could only see her curled up in a ball. Yun's father stroked the black hair on her head soothingly, and suddenly felt a slight tremor under his palm. Looking down, he saw a few wet marks on the ground.
After all, she was still a young girl who hadn't experienced the ups and downs of life. Not long ago, she was still a childish girl, but in the blink of an eye, she had quietly grown into a graceful and beautiful woman, and in the blink of an eye, she was already of marriageable age. Seeing this, Yun's father felt pity for her.
He said lovingly, "Awu, be obedient."
"Daddy, do I have to marry Third Young Master Xie?"
"The betrothal gifts have been accepted, Ah Wu, do you want Daddy to be a man who goes back on his word?"
“…”
…
As the weather gets warmer day by day, time flies and it is already late spring in March in the blink of an eye.
As the wedding date approached, the Yun family became bustling inside and out. The eaves were hung with red lanterns, wedding characters were posted on the doors and windows, red silk was everywhere, and auspicious stars were shining brightly.
Madam Yun, upon hearing from her servants that Yun Wu had been quietly embroidering her wedding gown, was immediately satisfied. She figured Yun Wu, always docile and submissive, would be incapable of any further trouble, so she had the lock on Yun Wu's courtyard door removed a few days in advance.
As expected, until the day of the wedding, Yun Wu did not make any trouble and had no objections.
Before daybreak, as soon as the cocks crowed, all the servants of the Yun family got busy. The two brides were also called up by the maids to dress up, put on their wedding dresses, and cover their heads with veils, waiting for the groom to come and pick them up in a sedan chair carried by eight people.
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