Yun Qike was not the eldest son of Duke Yi. Before him, Duke Yi's wife had given birth to a direct heir, the concubine Yun Shuangfu. However, Duke Yi's concubines had brought children to the Duke's palace one after another.
Although Duke Yi Guo respected the rules and never neglected his first wife because of this, nor did he give birth to an heir who was more favored than his legitimate daughter, but... no matter whether he did not deny Duke Yi's wife, how could he not have any regrets in his heart
After Yun Qike was born, both the Duke and his wife breathed a sigh of relief.
Yunzhao attached great importance to the belated heir. Not only did he invite him to be crowned the crown prince when he was just one month old, so as to prevent the older concubines from getting ready to make a move, but he also took him with him as a young boy to train his legs when he was busy with government affairs. .
Yun Qike, who had high hopes for him, had heard the most about him since he was a child. He was the eldest son of the Yun family and the only legitimate son of the Duke and his wife. The future rise and fall of the Yun family depended on him, so he had to work hard and not slack off at all. ... He grew up in that Zhitou Realm, and he indeed had the idea of dedicating himself to the prosperity of the Yun clan until his death.
Until he met Yun Fenghuang whose surname was Xie Shi.
Until now, Yun Fenghuang thought that the meeting was a coincidence, because she was very familiar with Yun Qingman at that time and often went in and out of the Duke's Mansion. It was normal for her to meet the young master of the Duke's Mansion in the garden of the Duke's Mansion. What
Actually no.
Yun Qike passed by the garden on purpose that day, and his purpose was to take a look at "Cousin Xie" who was talked about a lot among the family members.
Because someone told him that cousin Xie, who was his eighteenth aunt Xie, would be better able to cling to the Duke's palace. She specially selected the most beautiful niece from her mother's family and found an excuse to take her over and marry her as his concubine. .
Yun Zhaocuo's only legitimate son was very doting on him, so he was not allowed to have early contact with women to avoid being distracted and hurting his body.
Maybe Yun Qike didn't take it seriously when he heard the news. As the eldest son, he had long been accustomed to all kinds of flattery from his clan members. The eighteenth uncle Yunju and the eighteenth aunt Xie happened to be neighbors of the Duke's Mansion. They lived close to each other and moved around frequently. They had always been one of the most attentive people to flatter Yunzhao and his wife.
At that time, he was thinking that his parents would have the final say in matters of marriage, and he was afraid that Aunt Eighteen's petty thoughts would not be able to get past his parents.
But more and more people thanked his cousin in front of him, and all of them praised her for being a rare beauty. She was very articulate, good at dancing, and within a few months of coming to the imperial capital, he married Mrs. Yi Guogong and the fourth young lady Yun Qingman in the palace. She was so coaxed that she felt dizzy and treated her like a serious cousin.
"Your Majesty, don't you really want to find a chance to meet him?" A clan brother who played well with him teased, "Your Majesty, at his age, there should be someone in the room who knows both coldness and warmth. Besides, the Duke's wife and the Fourth The ladies all like it, but I’m afraid that cousin Xie will add fragrance to the crown prince’s red sleeves soon.”
Yun Qike was very interested in the rumors that he was attracted to beauties at first. He himself was handsome, and his aunt and uncle were all recognized as beautiful. Moreover, because Duke Yi Guo did not have the very traditional concept of a scholar-bureaucrat, he was very particular about the beauty of his aunt and concubine. Separation, wives and concubines are separated, there is no way out for the unruly Dongren in the house, so Mrs. Yi Guogong does not have any special restrictions on the appearance and dress of the maids.
The people he has served around him since he was a child are quite handsome, and they are conscious of their knowledge, and they are not the kind of men who are easily attracted to them.
Was he curious about how that girl pleased his own mother
Although he has been taken by Duke Yi since he was a child and has not been in contact with Duke Yi's wife for a long time, how can he not care that Lady Yi is just a legitimate son
Yun Qingman, who was raised by Yun Qike at his mother's knee, didn't know much about his own mother's temperament: Mrs. Yi Guogong seemed gentle and generous, but in fact it was difficult to get close to her.
In particular, the Duke's mansion has been beaten by poor relatives from all walks of life for many years. The Duke and Mrs. Guo don't say anything to her face, and she is really bored in her heart.
Aunt Eighteen's family are all poor relatives who beat Qiufeng. The poor relative took a niece from a remote rural area and tried to give it to the Duke's wife's only daughter. It's good that the Duke's wife didn't ask anyone to beat her with a stick. , treated that girl very kindly...
Yun Qike was surprised, and at the instigation of the people around him, he secretly inquired about the whereabouts of Yun Qingman and cousin Xie, and chose to have a quiet encounter in the garden.
On that rainy summer day, the two girls had just returned from a banquet outside. They were anxious to go back to Yun Qingman's yard to shut up, so they walked in a hurry when passing by the garden.
The bluestone-paved path is lined with oleanders on both sides, blooming red on the branches and blooming everywhere in sight with the wind and rain.
Looking eastward under the pitter-patter rain curtain, it seems like a bleak picture of mist.
The dark green moss and shiny leaves were washed clear and deep, and the red petals that should have been eye-catching were not lively and bright, but instead conveyed an ominous feeling of being blown away by the wind and rain.
When Cousin Xie came over holding an umbrella on one leg and holding a primrose yellow embroidered pleated cherry crepe skirt on the other, wearing wooden clogs and stepping on oleanders all over the ground, it was like the whole world was lit up.
Yunqi Ke clearly remembered that she was wearing a bun with clouds that was common among girls who had not left the pavilion. The mutton-fat jade and pomegranate hairpin inserted at an angle was warm and plain, which made her green hair look like ink. Her red lips were swaying. When she looked up, her eyes were flowing. Looking forward to the glory, his eyes are respectful and restrained.
He was originally curious to see what kind of person Xie cousin was, but somehow, after meeting her, he immediately thought of the "red sleeves add fragrance" that his clan brother teased.
If such a girl is by your side...
The tips of Yun Qike's ears were red, and he deliberately did not look at the cousin, so he stopped Yun Qingman from shutting up and asked her where she came back from and why she ran in such a hurry. How has it been recently
Yun Qingman was pleasantly surprised that her brother-in-law misunderstood her concern and introduced a new playmate under his calm guidance without any thought: "Thank you, cousin."
Taking advantage of those words, Yun Qike looked at the silent girl openly.
If before that he had doubted the rumor in the family that "if the eighteenth aunt brought her niece over, she would become the prince's concubine", he believed it now.
Because Cousin Xie, who was rumored to be eloquent and clever, seemed to be a different person in front of him. She said nothing, looked at her nose and heart, and seemed to be mute and deaf... If not because of his fault, he had What's the intention, why should it be so different
When she was silent like that, the liveliness that was unique to a girl suddenly disappeared, and an indescribable sadness and indifference lingered in her body.
Yun Qike was surprised in his heart, and his eyes could not help but stay on her for a longer time. In order to cover up the gaffe, he smiled and said, "Should I call her cousin Xiaoxie?"
Some time passed after that incident, but there was still no news that Xie's cousin came in. Yun Qike couldn't hold himself back and asked his mother tactfully.
Mrs. Yi Guogong figured out what he meant and was very surprised: "Who told me the rumor? Did my eighteenth aunt's niece grow up like a pearl at home, and was she treated as a concubine? Because of my sister's troubles, I had to come to the Imperial Capital to be married. My 18th aunt asked him early in the morning to find a kind and kind family for her. If she becomes my concubine, will she also be able to serve as a good wife for the descendants of our Yun family? We don’t even consider it!”
Is that true? Not marrying Yun's son was not Jiang's request. She thought about her family's origins in the Northern Territory, so it would be difficult to frighten her future son-in-law. When a daughter marries in the imperial capital, her aunt and her family are the most reliable people to rely on, and the Xie family and his wife rely solely on the Yun family.
If your daughter marries a son of the Yun family, it doesn't matter if her husband's family is a good person. But whenever there is a dispute, will the Yun family not turn to her own people
Therefore, it is better to let her daughter marry someone other than the Yun family, so that the Yun family will become her daughter's immediate help.
Mrs. Xie was told by her sister-in-law to visit her niece in person as soon as she arrived in the imperial capital, and explain it to Mrs. Tongyi Guogong.
Otherwise, how could Mrs. Yi Guogong have mistaken Yun Fenghuang and Yan Yuese for allowing the girl to come and go frequently in her home, let alone have an idea for her legitimate son? !
Yun Qike felt embarrassed and disappointed after listening to his mother's words. He was very embarrassed.
Mrs. Yi Guogong looked at her son and felt sorry for her son. She explained to him: "My eighteenth aunt's niece is indeed more sensible. She hit it off with our Qingman, so that Qingman and her sisters were not as good as my eighteenth sister at that time." My aunt’s niece is my aunt’s niece. Maybe it’s because of that that rumors started to spread in the clan against her.”
That's not because the Yun clan members really want to get Yun Fenghuang to be Yun Qike's concubine, but because they know the temper of Mrs. Yi Guo.