Chapter 48 Chapter 48 People are born with ambition
The cold rain continued to fall for many days.
The sky was gloomy, and Xie Yi's mood was just like the weather, which hadn't been sunny for a long time.
Yun Wu tried to soothe him several times, but his mood didn't improve. Even though Yun Wu knew he had a bad temper, she didn't know how to soothe him, let alone why he was so angry.
People are born with ambition.
From the moment we are born, we carry many expectations on our shoulders. Others' and our own.
Lord Xie has revived his impoverished family. Xie Chong will uphold the Duke's mansion and continue its glory. Even for Xie Fei, the most unemployed, Chen Qiutang hopes every day that he will strive for success.
As for Xie Yi, more expectations were placed on him.
But Yun Wu was the only one who didn't do that to him.
To say Yun Wu had no expectations of him was, of course, impossible. She would be pleasantly surprised by her husband's lesser-known strengths, but she never asked for anything. It was as if she had accepted from the outset that he would achieve nothing, and therefore held no further illusions.
If a person with no ambition and no desire to make progress meets this person, he will definitely feel free and at ease.
Unfortunately, Xie Yi is a proud man.
Born with special blood, his original ambitions were far greater than many others. Yun Wu's lack of high hopes for him was even more painful than looking down on him.
After coaxing him for many days without any improvement, Yun Wu invited him out when the rain stopped and the weather cleared up.
Although Xie Yi was in a bad mood, he changed his clothes and put on the new hand warmer that Yun Wu made for him.
Although it is not yet the coldest time of the year, the weather has been getting colder in recent days, with a biting wind. Not long after I went out, snowflakes were floating in the wind.
Xie Yi lifted the carriage curtain and peeked out. Snowflakes flew towards him, landing on his hair and his clothes, leaving a layer of white on his fur collar. He thrust the hand warmer into Yun Wu's hands and, as he stepped out of the carriage, he still felt a little indignant: "God is so ruthless."
Yun Wu: “…”
Why is the weather also to blame?
She was wrapped in a thick cloak and holding a hand warmer in her hand, so the cold could not get in. When she entered the teahouse, it was full of people and it felt lively.
Yun Wu had already booked a private room in the teahouse. When the small window of the room was opened, she could see the stage in the middle of the lobby below. The outside of the stage was crowded with scholars.
Xie Yi asked, "What's the big deal today?"
"I heard there are students debating here today." Yun Wu mentioned two names, both of whom were famous talents in the capital. She smiled and said, "It's fun to watch."
Xie Yi didn't say whether it was true or not.
He poured a cup of hot tea for them both and placed several plates of delicious snacks on the table.
After finishing a cup of tea and eating a few snacks, he saw that more and more people were watching below. One of the protagonists had already stood on the high platform, but the other opponent had not appeared yet.
"Could it be that he deserted the battlefield and ran away?"
Yun Wu also peeked down and said, "Strange, why haven't they come yet?"
Even the other people who came to watch the fun became agitated and talked a lot.
It would be bad to just sit there and wait, so Yun Wu suggested, "Why don't we go see a play? There's a theater nearby, and there's a new play that's really popular recently, perfect..."
Before he could finish his words, cheers suddenly erupted from the audience.
“Here it comes!”
"It's Master Ye who's here!"
"Mr. Chen suddenly fell ill today, so we specially invited this year's top scorer, Mr. Ye, to come to his rescue!"
The crowd parted to both sides, and the young man who walked in surrounded by people was handsome and gentle. It was Ye Huaiqing.
Yun Wu: “…”
A sneer suddenly came from the side.
Yun Wu: “…………”
"Just right." Xie Yi sneered twice and said sarcastically, "There will be a good show here."
Yun Wu quickly closed the window, blocking his view of the people below. She said weakly, "I really didn't know he would come."
"Come on, what did I say?" Xie Yi ordered, "Chun'er, open the window."
The little maid looked at Yun Wu, then at Xie Yi, and after considering their expressions for a long time, she finally opened the window.
As the small window opened, the hustle and bustle outside came into my ears again.
Below, Ye Huaiqing had already stood on the high platform, bowing to the crowd and explaining his purpose. He had just won the title of Jieyuan, and was at the peak of his fame. No one objected to the sudden change of debaters; everyone was eager to witness the Jieyuan's style in person.
Ye Huaiqing looked around and caught a glimpse of the private room on the second floor out of the corner of his eye. He immediately raised his head and looked there.
Inside the window, there is a beautiful, gentle and familiar face looking down.
Ye Huaiqing was slightly startled, his heart subconsciously filled with joy, his entire body ablaze with excitement. However, before the joy could even show on his face, it froze. He had already spotted another person in the elegant room, sitting with Yun Wu, half of their body exposed. They were tall, dressed in brocade.
He only took a quick glance and then looked away hastily and awkwardly.
Ye Huaiqing calmed himself down and bowed to the man opposite him: "Brother Cheng, please."
The debate began quickly.
The previously noisy teahouse became quiet, and the onlookers all held their breath, listening to the two people's debate, and applauding their wonderful arguments and speeches from time to time.
Yun Wu was also listening carefully.
Now that things have come to this, it’s too late to leave, so I might as well listen to this talk openly.
Ye Huaiqing has the talent of being the top scorer in the imperial examination, and the young man who debated with him is also a famous talent in the capital. He got a good ranking in the autumn examination. Both of them are knowledgeable, and their arguments are sharp and tricky. The debate is also very exciting and worth watching.
Yun Wu was unknowingly mesmerized by the listening.
Suddenly, during the exciting debate below, a cold snort suddenly came into her ear.
Yun Wu suddenly came to her senses and turned around to look. Sure enough, she saw Xie Yi with his arms folded, staring at her coldly with his phoenix eyes.
If looks could kill, she would have been a stranger by now.
Yun Wu picked up the teacup, took a sip calmly, and whispered, "I think..."
Xie Yi: "Hmm?"
Yun Wu said calmly, "If my husband were standing down there, those two wouldn't be his match."
Xie Yi: "Oh?"
Yun Wu: "My husband is very knowledgeable and has a head full of knowledge. However, he is a low-key person and does not compete with others, so his strength is not known to others. Fortunately, I know it best."
The corners of Xie Yi's lips curled up slightly, his expression relaxed a little, and when he looked at the people below, they didn't look so hateful anymore.
Soon, the debate on the stage came to an end.
Ye Huaiqing won the title of Jieyuan based on his own ability. Naturally, he has real talent and knowledge, and he also won today's competition.
The students watching were so excited that their blood boiled. They cheered and applauded. Suddenly, the crowd dispersed to the sides, and a man in elegant clothes walked out from behind the crowd.
"Good!" The man clapped his hands and laughed, "As expected of Master Huaiqing, you are truly an unparalleled talent."
Xie Yi's expression changed slightly, and he reached out to close the window.
Yun Wu was curious about the identity of the visitor, but before she could see clearly, the window was closed. She turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing to see."
"Then let's go somewhere else?"
Xie Yi said: "Wait a little longer."
Yun Wu was confused, but did as she was told.
The crowd in the lobby was in an uproar, and the sound of discussions kept reaching their ears.
"Is it the Second Prince?"
"I didn't expect that even the Second Prince would come to today's debate."
"It must be Master Ye's demeanor that attracted the Second Prince!"
“…”
Second prince?
Yun Wu was slightly surprised to see a nobleman appear in this small teahouse. She thought the same as everyone else, that the second prince must have come here specifically for Ye Huaiqing.
No matter what, he has real talent and knowledge.
The Ye family is an important official in the court, and now that several princes have grown up, it is not convenient to interact with court officials directly, so it is most convenient to win over their sons.
But these have nothing to do with Yun Wu.
She listened boredly, but saw Xie Yi half covering his mouth and nose, with a look of deep thought on his face.
"What's wrong?"
Xie Yi slowly shook his head: "Nothing."
She just closed the window, so she didn't notice. Xie Yi didn't look like a member of the Xie family. Everyone thought he looked like his deceased mother. In fact, her husband looked a bit like the second prince.
He looks like the deceased former crown prince. If he were to walk in the sunlight, he would definitely be recognized by the former minister from more than 20 years ago.
They waited until the crowd of onlookers had dispersed and only a few people were left in the teahouse before they walked out of the private room.
When we left the restaurant, the remaining guests in the lobby were still discussing what had happened before.
"Young Master Ye has won the Second Prince's favor, and his future is bound to be bright."
"Ye Huaiqing is already the top scorer in the provincial examination. He will surely do well in the next spring examination. He doesn't need the Second Prince's support. His future is limitless."
"If only I had Ye Huaiqing's talent..."
Yun Wu lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped out of the teahouse, her hand suddenly being grasped by someone. She was stunned for a moment, looking down at the hand that was wrapped around her. The joints were slender and distinct, veins bulged faintly on the back of the hand, and the palm was burning hot.
Yun Wu smiled and interlocked her fingers with his.
Xie Yi suddenly asked her, "If I didn't become an official, didn't become a general, and just lived my whole life as a lazy idler, unable to bring honor to you, would you be willing to do that?"
"Did you hear what my sister-in-law and the others said?" Yun Wu asked back.
Recently, Xie Yi's health has improved a lot and he no longer needs to take medicine or see a doctor, which has made his brothers and sisters-in-law feel more active.
As for this youngest brother who was in poor health, Da Langjun cared about him very much. He first asked Meng Daru for his favor. After Yun Wu helped Xie Yi to refuse, Da Langjun looked for other opportunities for him.
The eldest son had good intentions, and the eldest and second sisters-in-law also came to Yunwu's side to ask for help.
The Duke's Mansion doesn't support idlers, so even if you don't want to make progress, you have to find something to do. It just depends on what Xie Yi thinks.
Yun Wu shook his hand and smiled gently, "Even if you don't want to be an official or a general, there are many ways to be a lazy idler. I think my sister-in-law and the others mean the same thing."
Xie Yi said nothing and led her forward.
The snow got heavier.
The snow fell on the two of them, and white frost fell on their black hair. Their shoes stepped on the bluestone slabs, leaving two parallel rows of footprints.
People are born with ambition.
If you want to move forward, to climb up, and to protect the people around you, you must hold the confidence firmly in your own hands.
Xie Yi's gaze passed through the snow curtain and fell on the towering imperial city in the distance.
Somewhere in the dark, something took root in his heart and broke through the ground.
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