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“Father, Auntie…” Yun Kexin seemed to have done something wrong, her voice very low.
“Seventh Young Lady, come here,” Yue Clan waved to Yun Kexin, “come over to Auntie.”
“Seventh Young Lady, Father heard some rumors in the Palace and rushed back to find you,” Yun Yang said, “but the three maidservants you have at Tian Zhuang are not allowed to disturb you. What happened?”
“It’s nothing, just feeling troubled,” Yun Kexin lowered her head, unable to face the concerned gazes of Yun Yang and Mother, and said, “Kexin is sorry for worrying Father and Auntie.”
Yun Ke looked somewhat surprised, opening his mouth in astonishment but ultimately remained silent.
“It’s alright, we’ll think of a way once we return home.” Noticing Yun Kexin’s nervousness, Yue Clan comforted her, “Kexin, things aren’t as troublesome as you imagine; it’s just a bit of a hassle.”
Yun Kexin almost shed tears: Mother trusts her so much and doesn’t question where she went yesterday?
“Seventh Young Lady, Auntie means that we can report the matter of the Brocade Box’s will to the Emperor,” Yun Yang added for Yue Ziyun, “the trouble lies in not knowing whether the Emperor will act recklessly for the Crown Prince. The imperial decree is paramount; we can only—”
Yun Kexin's heart suddenly tightened, nearly losing her balance. She concealed her inner unease and smiled calmly:
“Father, Auntie, don’t worry about me. If it comes to this point, Kexin will accept it.”
“What about Young Lord?” Yue Clan asked tentatively upon seeing Yun Kexin’s dejected expression.
Young Lord? A glimmer of light crossed Yun Kexin's misty eyes before she quickly composed herself:
“To gain is my fortune; to lose is my fate.” She replied briefly—she had already revealed everything about her past life to him on that day aboard the ship, leaving no regrets.
“Seventh Young Lady, remember this: until the very last moment, never give up lightly. Do you understand?” Yue Clan spoke softly, already having an understanding in her heart.
Yun Kexin nodded in agreement with a calm heart.
“Second Sister-in-law, should we go to the Palace immediately to meet the Emperor?” Yun Yang pondered for a moment and said, “We need to inform him about Second Brother’s will; otherwise, I worry that if we delay any longer, the imperial edict will be issued.”
“But Third Brother, have you considered that if you inform the Emperor about the Brocade Box?” Yue Clan glanced at Yun Kexin and expressed her concerns, “I’m afraid that matters concerning Seventh Young Lady will also come to light. Do you not regret it?”
Yun Yang was taken aback and suddenly understood what Yue Clan meant. He then said without hesitation: “I do not regret it!” After a pause, he looked at Yue Clan firmly and added, “Second Sister-in-law, this matter pertains to Duke's Residence affairs and does not involve state politics. The Sovereign will not care about this…”
"My Third Brother, how should I face the clan elders?" Yue Clan looked at Yun Yang and slowly spoke.
"Second Sister-in-law, don't worry. That incident from years ago did not comply with the law, and Yang has long regretted it. This is an opportunity for redemption, and I will be prudent," Yun Yang said, his expression calm and his words careful. However, Yun Kexin still sensed that the conversation between her mother and adoptive father was about the 'Adopted' matter, deepening her respect for her adoptive father.
"Father, Auntie, there's something I forgot to tell you," Yun Kexin hurriedly said before her adoptive father could leave. "I have asked Fourth Uncle to let him meet Consort Xiang, hoping that through Consort Xiang, the Emperor will change his mind. Shouldn't your meeting with the Emperor be postponed?"
"What? Seventh Young Lady actually moved Fourth Uncle?" Yue Clan looked at Yun Kexin in disbelief.
"This is wonderful," Yun Yang chuckled. "If Fourth Brother truly convinces Consort Xiang to 'whisper' in the Emperor's ear, and with my endorsement behind it, things will be much easier... Second Sister-in-law, I shall take my leave now. Once I figure out how to proceed, I will inform the Sovereign."
"Third Brother, take care," Yue Clan smiled as she watched him leave.
After Yun Yang departed, Yue Ziyun took Yun Kexin's hand and examined her for a moment before gently smiling and saying:
"Our Seventh Young Lady is becoming more and more beautiful and charming."
Yun Kexin unabashedly replied, "That's because I look like Mother."
Yue Clan's eyes suddenly turned red as she held Yun Kexin's hands tighter, murmuring, "Good girl..."
She then lightly wiped her eyes and sniffed before saying, "Kexin, although Auntie cannot tell you about the situation in the Brocade Box, I can reveal this—whoever has your heart, go tell him that you are born in the Year of the Rabbit and belong to the Wood element. Do you understand?"
Yun Kexin was stunned and looked at Yue Clan in confusion. "Auntie means that if I have feelings for Young Lord, I should tell him this?"
"Exactly!" Yue Clan said seriously yet lovingly. "And he must remember it; otherwise, you may never have a chance to be together."
"Yes, Kexin understands!" Yun Kexin replied earnestly.
Yue Clan had initially worried that Yun Kexin would ask many questions out of curiosity but was relieved to find her so well-behaved and understanding. She gently stroked Yun Kexin's head and said, "Kexin is really good..."
Yun Kexin smiled as she bid farewell to her mother. The usually quiet Yun Ke accompanied her out of the Southern Courtyard. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped and looked around to see no servants busy nearby. He then pulled Yun Kexin aside and unexpectedly said, "Seventh Sister, you really shouldn't come back; you should follow Young Lord far away."
Yun Kexin widened her eyes in shock, staring at Yun Ke, speechless. She blushed and said, "Brother, I... how did you know?"
Yun Ke led Yun Kexin to a more secluded corner and said, "Silly sister, even though I am just the Deputy Commander, I walk around the Palace every day. I've heard rumors about the Empress Dowager wanting to make you Consort Qin. I was planning to find you to discuss countermeasures, but soon after, the Ministry of War received a resignation letter from Qingyuan Marquis, and I was to take over the Commander position. Then Seventh Sister disappeared. As for the three maidservants, I initially thought it was just a coincidence, but after sneaking into Tian Zhuang at night and finding no trace of you, combined with Young Lord's actions, it became quite clear. When I saw you returning to Duke's Residence, I was anxious but could only pretend to be 'looking for you everywhere' to avoid 'ears on the wall.'"
Yun Kexin lowered her head anxiously; she never expected that the "truth" she wanted to hide would be so easily uncovered by her brother.
"I'm sorry, Yun Ke cousin. Kexin was reckless. Please keep this a secret for me and don't tell Father and Auntie." Yun Kexin nervously fiddled with her clothing.
"Silly sister, what are you talking about?" Yun Ke said gently. "If I wanted to 'tell on you,' would I have waited until now? In fact, when I realized what was going on between you and Young Lord—" he skipped over the more sensitive parts, "I thought if it were true, I would definitely support you. The unfilial duty of not carrying out Father's last wishes falls on me."
Less than two hours after returning to Duke's Residence, this was already the third time Yun Kexin felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had never felt such a profound sense of family as she did today, realizing the significance of her rebirth. Suddenly recalling what Feng Yinxiao had mentioned about Fu Yueheng, she felt a pang in her heart and asked delicately:
"Brother, regarding what you mentioned earlier about Young Lord entrusting his position to you, I heard him say something about it too. How did it go? Was everything smooth?"
"Not bad; I intercepted that resignation letter in time," Yun Ke replied. "Fu Shilang hasn't seen it yet because I wanted to wait until the news was confirmed before making any decisions. Now that Young Lord has returned, I will privately give him the resignation letter."
Yun Kexin admired her brother's straightforward nature; however, it was precisely this character that might leave him unaware of the darkness and dangers of court politics. She frowned and said:
"Brother, in court matters, always be cautious and remember not to let narrow-minded people take advantage of or harm you."
"Thank you, Seventh Sister; your brother understands," Yun Ke replied calmly. "I'll take you back to Third House..."
Cloud City met with Consort Xiang in a private room at Lingming Pavilion Teahouse outside the palace.
"The famous wealthy merchant of Great Taihe only eats this?" After changing out of palace attire into regular clothes, Consort Xiang still looked enchanting and beautiful. Her almond-shaped eyes glanced at the dishes on the table as she sarcastically remarked at Cloud City, "Are you being frugal or calculating how much silver it costs just to treat me to a meal?"
Cloud City chuckled but dared not meet Consort Xiang's gaze directly; his eyes were fixed on the "four dishes and one soup" on the table. "It's not that I'm stingy; it's just that Consort Xiang seems to have forgotten your previous longing for 'simple meals.'"
Consort Xiang's eyelashes fluttered as she bit her lip and said, "Cloud City, stop pretending to reminisce with me. If you have something to say, say it quickly; I don't have time to waste with you." Her cold tone couldn't hide the tremor in her voice.
"You’re still as clever as before," Cloud City said while serving food onto Consort Xiang's plate with a leisurely smile. "My thoughts can never escape your notice; you're like a 'fairy.'"
Now Consort Xiang not only trembled in her voice but also felt her heart stir as if touched:
"Don't tell me it's for your good niece, Seventh Sister?"
"Consort Xiang—"
"Call me 'Xiang'er'!" Consort Xiang couldn't help but raise her voice, lightly calling out as her gaze fixed on Cloud City, her apricot eyes reddening.
"Xiang... Xiang'er!" The long-lost nickname slipped out, causing Cloud City to be enveloped in a mix of awkwardness and sweetness. "Do you still hate me?"
"Hate!" Consort Xiang answered almost without thinking, but her tone was very calm, lacking any anger; instead, there was much melancholy. "I hate your indecisiveness. When that old thing, your Third Uncle, presented me to the Emperor like I was a Tribute, you didn't say a word. Cloud City, you ruined my life, and I have hated you for a lifetime."
"I know Xiang'er hates me," Cloud City seemed to be trying to bolster his courage with alcohol as he kept drinking. He raised his eyes, no longer avoiding her. "So no matter how you treated me later on, I don't blame you, including that day during Third Uncle's birthday. I knew that Dead Eagle was sent by you through the Shadow Guard; you wanted to infuriate him."
Consort Xiang shot him a sharp glance and sneered, "That's right! You made me stay in the deep palace alone. Why should I let you marry another woman and have children? Dream on! So I had the Shadow Guard keep an eye on your every move. You can earn money and indulge in pleasures, but you absolutely cannot have any contact with any woman—not even a glance; otherwise, that woman will surely become a ghost under the Shadow Guard's blade!"
Cloud City closed his eyes in shock and took a deep breath. "Yes, many years ago, to force myself to forget you and due to Mother's repeated requests, I agreed to marry a Noble Young Lady. But not long after, that girl's family came in panic to cancel the engagement; then there was a time when a regular female customer at my shop flirted with me, but she never appeared again..."
"You have quite a good memory," seeing Cloud City lost in his pain, Consort Xiang felt a mix of resentment and pity in her heart, yet she still said, "As for Yun Jinxiu that old thing, back then he broke up couples and climbed up by stepping on my shoulders; doesn't he deserve to die? Even if I chop him a hundred times, it won't ease my hatred!"
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