Unmarried - 6
Zhao Zhuyu didn't care that there were outsiders present; she desperately wanted to talk to her daughter and know every detail of her daughter's life over the past ten years.
She wanted to make it up to her daughter!
"Your head injury is best treated by resting and avoiding unnecessary thoughts."
Yun Yixia stood at a distance, looking at the woman on the bed who was as fragile as a dodder vine, her heart filled with complex emotions.
After thousands of years of struggle, women have finally gained a little breathing space in modern society, but they still cannot escape the inherent workplace discrimination.
The hardships faced by women in ancient times living in a 100% patriarchal society are unimaginable.
Yun Yixia had investigated Zhao Zhuyu's maternal family; they were a well-known wealthy merchant family in Jiangnan, whose main business was incense.
Zhao Zhuyu had given the "Zhao Family Incense Manual" to Yun Yixia a long time ago.
She also earned her first fortune with this incense recipe, which led to the establishment of her current business information empire.
Does Yunyi Xia resent Zhao Zhuyu?
It's probably out of resentment!
If Yun Yixia had not been born to a concubine, she would have had greater room for development and would not have had to go through several life-or-death ordeals in her childhood.
Similarly, Yun Yixia was grateful to Zhao Zhuyu for handing over the incense manual, which enabled her to earn her first pot of gold in this unfamiliar world.
"You blame me!"
Zhao Zhuyu's tears fell like rolling beads, a sight that would evoke pity in anyone who saw it.
Unfortunately, some people have already been tempered and honed in the crucible of life and death, forging a strong and unyielding heart.
"The female doctor will stay and take care of you. If you need anything, have Granny Rong come to me!"
Yun Yixia still didn't answer, told Aunt Zhao to rest early, and then left with Bai Wei.
She didn't want to speak ill of a woman in a pitiful situation, nor did she want to comfort someone while bearing her past pain.
After the flower-viewing banquet, everyone was watching to see which young lady the Empress Dowager would choose as Prince Kang's second wife.
What happened in the Yun family's backyard could not be kept from Jiang Xiumei.
Upon learning the whole story, she was amazed by the third brother's ability to handle the problem, but at the same time, she had a feeling that things were about to get out of control.
However, Jiang Xiumei couldn't care less about Yun Yixia at the moment; her two daughters' mischief was causing her a lot of trouble.
The fourth brother's illness showed no signs of improvement. The doctor said that the symptoms were easy to treat, but the underlying emotional issues were difficult to resolve.
Jiang Xiumei wanted to bring her fourth son back to recuperate, but Yun Wenyao disagreed.
He believed that the fifth prince should keep a low profile now that he had just caused a scene at the Empress Dowager's banquet.
The fifth son was punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall, losing his monthly allowance, and copying the Heart Sutra one hundred times; otherwise, he was not allowed to step out of the courtyard.
Jiang Xiumei's pleas were to no avail; the fifth son's actions had caused too much trouble, leading to Yun Wenyao's marginalization within the Ministry of Revenue.
If Yun Wenyao isn't allowed to vent his anger, he'll make things difficult for Yun Wenyao in the future.
The two masters of the Yun family were unhappy, so the servants were extremely careful in their work, afraid of making any mistakes that would incur their masters' wrath.
"Young man, I am a servant of the Lady of Pinghui County."
"This is an invitation from my county princess to Miss Yun San."
"Please pass this on to Third Madam!"
The gatekeeper of the Yun residence respectfully accepted the invitation and invited the visitor in for a cup of tea, but the visitor politely declined.
He watched the county magistrate's servants leave, then turned to the steward and asked him to deliver a formal invitation to the inner courtyard.
The county magistrate's invitation arrived at Jiang Xiumei's desk, and she felt a mix of emotions, unable to describe her feelings.
Yun Yixia doesn't seem to be as weak and easily controlled as she appears!
But she usually stays indoors and never leaves the house, and she didn't even attend the flower viewing banquet... When did she catch the eye of Princess Pinghui?
As Jiang Xiumei pondered whether to keep the invitation, Yun Wenyao returned unnoticed and stood beside her, picking up the red invitation with gold lettering and subtle patterns.
"Princess Pinghui invited Third Sister to Kaibao Temple?" Yun Wenyao's lips curled into a smile. "Get Third Sister a nice dress! I'll personally take her to see the princess!"
He shook off his frustration at being ostracized in the Ministry of Revenue and began to study with great interest what clothes would be more appropriate to wear.
"It's not easy for the county magistrate to invite you, and Fifth Sister..."
Jiang Xiumei wanted the fifth brother to come along; she couldn't let the third brother have all the good things.
"Shut up!" Yun Wenyao glared at her fiercely. "Princess Pinghui is the Empress Dowager's own niece."
"Wu Niang's one tantrum wasn't enough, do you want her to make a second one?"
Ever since the fifth prince caused a scene at the Empress Dowager's banquet, he has found it increasingly difficult to move forward in the Ministry of Revenue.
His superiors came one by one to reprimand him, while his colleagues watched and laughed, making his life increasingly difficult.
Now that things have finally turned around, how could he possibly let the fifth son get involved again?
The couple had a big fight because of this, but Yun Yixia just smiled calmly when she heard the news.
The person Yun Wenyao cares about most is himself!
Jiang Xiumei has the heart of a loving mother, but unfortunately, her child is hopelessly hopeless.
No matter how unwilling Jiang Xiumei was, she still had to prepare a dress for Yun Yixia to wear to the appointment.
Outside Kaibao Temple, the mountain path winds and the trees are scattered. As believers enter the mountain gate, the branches of the ancient locust tree stretch out into the air, as vigorous as a coiled dragon.
The main hall stands majestically, with intricate brackets and layered buildings rising higher and higher. The bells on the eaves harmonize with the chanting of Buddhist scriptures, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
Yun Yixia followed behind Yun Wenyao, walking on the blue bricks towards the meditation room.
"Esteemed guests, the county princess is in her meditation room!"
The young novice monk who was leading the way performed a Buddhist salute and took his leave. Yun Wenyao was stopped by the guards as he walked inside.
"The county magistrate has ordered that Yun San Niang be summoned."
"Okay...okay!"
Yun Wen instructed Yun Yixia to "be careful with her words and actions," and the guards urged her to enter as soon as possible. He dared not delay any longer and stepped aside.
"May Princess Pinghui be well!"
After entering the meditation room, Yun Yixia greeted Princess Pinghui with impeccable manners, leaving no room for error.
"Get up!"
Princess Pinghui looked Yun Yixia up and down, and seeing that the other party's attitude was respectful but not servile, she nodded in satisfaction.
Do you know why I invited you here?
"My daughter doesn't know!"
Yun Yixia looked up and saw Princess Pinghui sitting on a wooden stool, her hair tied up in a high bun, her face as white as jade, and a delicate pearl flower between her eyebrows, exuding a low-key and exquisite air.
Behind the county princess stood a stern-looking old woman with deep frown lines between her brows. She scrutinized Yun Yixia from head to toe, her critical gaze making people uncomfortable.
"Come! Sit down and let's talk!"
Princess Pinghui gestured for Yun Yixia to sit opposite her, examined her carefully, and nodded in satisfaction.
Yun Yixia's fair, oval face still had some baby fat, her crescent-shaped eyebrows framed a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes, a round, upturned nose, and pink, petal-like lips. Her figure was graceful yet not seductive, and her demeanor dignified yet not stiff.
No wonder my cousin has his eye on her!
She had lived in Xijing for many years and had no idea that such a beautiful and dignified woman existed.
Shi Pinghui started by talking about the young lady's daily outfits, and the conversation naturally turned to Zhao Yunkang, asking Yun Yixia what she thought of him.
"Ah?" Yun Yixia gently shook her head. "Princess, I am not qualified to comment on the heroes of Daqing!"
Having roughly guessed what Princess Pinghui meant, Yun Yixia was not at peace.
She cannot marry into the royal family!
The fact that the Prince Kang's second wife was to be included in the imperial family genealogy would make it difficult for her to extricate herself from the situation later.
Why aren't you qualified?
Shi Pinghui became somewhat interested, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Yun Yixia, whose eyelashes were lowered.
"Women confined to their chambers, their vision limited to a small space, how can they possibly evaluate the heroes who guard the frontier?"
"Plus, my daughter's background is somewhat..."
When the topic turned to the Prince of Kang, they both knew that this was actually a blind date without a male protagonist.
People raised in imperial families don't need to say everything; the other party will naturally understand that there are hidden secrets.
If they want to know, the county princess, the empress dowager... will eventually find out about the affairs of the Yun family's inner quarters!
Even the legitimate daughter of a fifth-rank official is not qualified to be a princess, let alone the daughter born to a concubine.
"Um!"
Shi Pinghui nodded, took the initiative to end the conversation, and ordered the nanny to escort Yun Yixia out.
Yun Wenyao's eyes lit up when he saw Yun Yixia. Knowing that this was not the place to talk, he quickly led her down the mountain.
"Clang~~~"
The mountain bell suddenly rang out, its deep and resonant sound spreading outwards in layers.
Yun Yixia stood at the foot of the mountain and looked back at Kaibao Temple. She was filled with emotion. The sound of the bell a thousand years ago and a thousand years later was no different.
"Third Sister, what are you daydreaming about? Come on up here!"
Yun Wenyao couldn't wait to know what the county princess and the third sister-in-law were talking about.
"promise!"
Yun Yixia boarded the carriage and sat obediently near the door, quietly repeating her conversation with the county princess.
Why do you say that?
Yun Wenyao stood up in a rage, slamming his head against the ceiling with a thud, his fingers trembling as he pointed at his good-for-nothing daughter.
Why is it that none of his children are presentable?
"Father, who gave birth to me... can I really hide this from the heavens?"
Yun Yixia hugged herself in fear, her voice trembling slightly, completely unlike her usual dignified demeanor in front of the county princess.
"Father, I heard in the opera that deceiving the royal family will result in the extermination of nine generations of one's family!"
When the county princess mentioned Prince Kang, I could only vaguely mention him... Father, Third Mother knows her mistake!
Yun Yixia clung tightly to the car wall, her cowardly persona intact.
She didn't believe that once Yun Wenyao calmed down, he would still dare to lie and deceive the royal family.
"That's enough!"
Yun Wenyao sighed deeply; the Third Sister's true identity could not be hidden from the royal family.
He was destined never to become the father-in-law of Prince Kang!
Go back and talk to Madam Jiang, tell her to hurry up and marry off Third Sister. It's annoying to see her stuck at home like this.
As the sun set in the west, the Empress Dowager summoned Princess Pinghui to the palace for a meal, with the Emperor and Prince Kang personally accompanying her.
"Tell me quickly! How is Yun San Niang?"
Shi Anwan waited until after the meal before speaking, her eyes fixed intently on Shi Pinghui.
"Second Brother truly lives up to his reputation as a general who can shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces!"
Shi Pinghui, abandoning her dignified demeanor at Kaibao Temple, gave Zhao Yunkang a thumbs-up with both hands.
"How did you see that Yun San Niang was a beauty from the palace wall?"
Is she beautiful?
Zhao Yunkang put down his teacup and unfurled the scroll Zheng An handed him.
Humor~
She is indeed a beauty!
The walls of the Hundred Flowers Palace were not low, and Zhao Yunkang could only see Yun Sanniang's black hair and snow-white skin when he looked down; he could see nothing more.
"Second brother, isn't she beautiful?"
Shi Pinghui raised her eyebrows playfully, behaving entirely like a young girl.
She had liked her second brother since she was a child because he always managed to teach her a lot of martial arts skills, bypassing her parents and aunts.
"Beautiful!" Zhao Yunkang casually put down the scroll. "And then?"
There are many beauties in Xijing, and my well-informed cousin wouldn't be interested in Yun San Niang just because of that.
"There's something wrong with her background!"
"What's the problem?"
Shi Anwan pressed for details, revealing that the previous Princess Consort of Kang was someone she had forced her son to marry into the household, which led to numerous scandals and nearly caused a rift between her and her son.
This time, when choosing a princess, the son took the initiative to want Yun San Niang.
She thought that as long as she didn't go too far, promoting a fifth-rank official wouldn't be a big deal.
“Yun San Niang didn’t say anything specific!” Shi Pinghui shrugged. “It’s really not easy for her to bring up elders.”
Shi Anwan looked at her eldest son, Zhao Yunxian, who immediately promised to arrange for someone to investigate.
"No need to be so nervous!" Zhao Yunkang said calmly. "If Yun San Niang doesn't work out, we can remarry later, like the Princess Consort."
He has little desire to marry, and he will be heading to the frontier in the future, so why should he leave a woman alone in an empty room?
"Second brother, don't be in such a hurry!" Zhao Yunxian suppressed a laugh. "Let me investigate and find out the results first!"
The Empress Dowager has finally managed to bring her second son back, and she will not let him leave easily!
"Then! Thank! Your! Imperial! Brother!"
You're welcome!
Zhao Yun Kang closed his eyes in disgust. What emperor was as servile as his elder brother?
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