My second uncle's birth mother was a maidservant brought from the grasslands by my grandmother, and she had been with my grandmother since she was a child.
My grandmother followed my grandfather through many hardships in her early years. After giving birth to my father, her health was damaged and she could no longer have children. After my father turned one year old, my grandmother arranged for Caiyu, who was by my side, to become my grandfather's concubine. Two years later, Caiyu gave birth to my second uncle. Three years after that, she died in an avalanche while giving birth to a daughter. The girl had been in her womb for too long and died shortly after birth.
My second uncle grew up with my father and loved reading and painting. After passing the imperial examination at the age of 18, he traveled with his wife to study.
My second aunt was my grandmother's niece, the daughter of my grandmother's half-brother. However, she was not a noblewoman of Mongolia; she was born to a slave. My grandmother took a liking to her when she returned to Mongolia to visit relatives, and from then on, my second aunt had a surname and was freed from her status as a slave.
In Mongolia, slaves were born slaves, and while men could strive to become warriors of their tribes, it was very difficult for women to rise above their circumstances.
My second uncle was a free spirit who loved painting. His paintings were very evocative and he disliked the intricacies of officialdom.
He passed the provincial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign (at the age of 24), after which he declared that he would no longer take the exams or serve as an official in the court. He then took his wife and daughter on a trip, saying that he had no inspiration for painting at home. His grandfather was very disappointed in him.
My second aunt only gave birth to one daughter in the fifth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, and had no more children after that. My second uncle's concubine gave birth to a daughter in the eleventh year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
My second uncle had difficulty conceiving, so he suggested to my grandfather that he adopt a member of the clan. However, my grandfather and father still hoped that my second uncle would have his own son.
For the sake of having offspring, when my second uncle was 31 years old, my grandmother arranged for him to take a concubine. However, three years later, there was still no sign of pregnancy in his harem.
They also consulted the imperial physician, who said that my second uncle's pulse was normal and he was in good health.
Of the wives and concubines in my second uncle's courtyard, all except for the second daughter of the second wife, Bojili Yierha (meaning chrysanthemum), whose birth mother had difficulty conceiving, were all healthy with normal pulses.
Grandfather and father gave up hope and helped Second Uncle find a suitable heir.
At this time, my grandfather brought up the matter of going to the capital again. My second uncle thought about it and agreed. My father helped my second uncle find a position as a county magistrate in Anhui. The local prefect was the sister of my great-grandmother. Their family members went to the capital to take the imperial examination and passed the examination. Because they were Han Chinese, they were ostracized. Later, my father helped him find a position as a doctor in the Imperial Academy (a seventh-rank official). After that, they became closer.
This time, Father entrusted them with taking care of Second Uncle. Second Uncle then packed his bags and went to take up his post, leaving Second Aunt to handle matters concerning her adopted son.
During this period, several candidates for heirs were considered, but none were satisfactory. At the same time, the father also asked whether the fourth and seventh brothers should be adopted, but the second uncle declined.
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