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墨書 Inktalez
Outside the chamber, there was a rustling sound. Yue Ziyun hurriedly released her hold on her husband, wiped the corner of her eyes, and went to open the door, only to find three children standing in a row at the entrance. The youngest, Yun Kexin, was smiling gently at her.
"Mother, dear, Mother, dear..." Yun Kexin raised her face, her tender voice slowly enunciating the words.
This was the first time since she turned one that Yue Ziyun heard her daughter call her this way. Her nose tinged with emotion as she quickly picked her up and held her tightly in her arms. As they entered, Yun Kexin immediately spotted her father standing by the table and joyfully reached out her hands, calling out, "Father, Father, want, Father..."
Yun You stepped forward to take the child from Yue Ziyun's arms. Looking at his daughter's innocent smile and hearing her clearly call him "Father" for the first time in a year made him feel even more reluctant to part with her. With mixed emotions, he said:
"After all, she is my own flesh and blood; she knows to call us 'Mother' and 'Father.'” He gently stroked Yun Kexin's head and smiled lightly. “Good girl, your mother and I are already content to hear you call us 'Mother' and 'Father' before you were adopted. But you must remember not to call us that anymore in the future so as not to hurt your adoptive parents' feelings—since you have been adopted by the Third House, from now on, Third Uncle and Third Aunt will be your real 'Mother' and 'Father.' You must listen to them obediently, understand?"
Yun Kexin nodded innocently—over the past year, ever since she began to babble until now when she could speak slowly and clearly, she had been very careful. She had persistently referred to her biological parents as "Second Uncle," "Auntie," "Cousin," and "Cousin," while calling the couple from the Third House "Father" and "Mother."
She worried that if she accidentally slipped up or revealed her true feelings even slightly, Fu Lianyin might find a way to strip away even the rare moments they spent together.
"We're about to open the ancestral hall soon; you all should pay attention," Yun You glanced at Yun Ke and Yun Yan beside him. "Be more solemn; do not ask questions that shouldn't be asked."
That evening, in the northern room of the courtyard, members of the Yun family gathered together. At the head of an Eight Immortals table sat two elderly men with white hair and serious expressions—Yun Jinxu's two brothers: Yun Jinyu and Yun Jinxiu.
Sitting next to Second Uncle was his wife—Second Matriarch Qian Hanqiu: dressed simply with a serene expression, yet there was an air of authority about her that suggested she had been a long-time daughter-in-law who had finally become matriarch; Third Uncle was known for being miserly and stingy. In his youth, when several matchmakers came to propose marriage for him, he hesitated over the bride price and refused to part with it. As a result, his marriage was delayed repeatedly until he grew old alone.
On the right side at the lower end of the table sat the widow of Duke E—Zhou—with silver hair dressed in dark formal attire, holding Buddhist prayer beads. At first glance, she appeared very plain; only the pearl-embroidered headpiece added a touch of elegance.
Deep down, Yun Jinxiu felt somewhat envious of his brother's smooth sailing in both career and family matters—though he had passed away and his title temporarily revoked, his descendants were all outstanding:
His eldest son Yun Ci served as the chief physician in the imperial medical office (the highest official) at rank five and was highly trusted by the current Taihe Emperor; his second son Yun You was a top scholar five years ago and worked at Hanlin Academy; he was granted the title of Marquis eight years into Taihe; his third son Yun Yang held a second-rank position as Deputy Minister of Justice; his fourth son Yun Cheng disliked officialdom but managed to thrive in business at a young age.
The only one who could compare with Duke E's offspring was Second Uncle's eldest son Yun Chen—Yun Kexin's cousin—a young and promising general who had died on the battlefield many years ago. Now he only had one daughter named Yun Qing (a cousin), who married Prince Lanling. However, despite Second Brother having a daughter who became a princess, her prominence still paled compared to that of Duke E's descendants.
Yun Jinxiu had privately muttered: Could it be that the eldest brother's offspring overshadowed the brilliance of the other branches? Second Master Yun Jinyu did not believe in such "nonsense," but the listener took it to heart; his wife, Qian, and Zhou harbored some resentment in their hearts...
Thus, taking advantage of the fact that the Yun clan's elders were still alive and held the highest qualifications, they acted as "clan elders." On the surface, they did not interfere with the major affairs of the Duke's residence, but in reality, they were plotting how to suppress the Second House. This matter of "adoption" was decided two years ago after learning that Yue Ziyun from the Second House was expecting again, following a push from certain circumstances during a "Three Elders Council."
"Ahem," Second Master Yun Jinyu glanced around the room and cleared his throat, saying, "The ceremony begins—Ancestors above, let Seventh Young Lady pay her respects to her adoptive Mother and Father in front of the family elders. From now on, she shall be considered part of the Third House; this cannot be changed."
Yun Kexin coldly glanced at the three elders sitting at the head table, feeling a sense of shame: how could they have the audacity to conduct a ceremony in front of the Ancestors when they were scheming behind their backs? It was evident that the saying "thick-skinned" was not without reason.
While she was inwardly scolding them, she was led by Yun You to the center of the Main Hall, stopping a few paces away from the three elders. "Yun Kexin, first bow to the clan elders and thank them."
Yun Jinyu wanted to say "no need," but Yun Kexin had already obediently bent her knee and bowed three times to the elders, followed by a sweet smile.
Then Yun You brought her over to where Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin from the Third House were seated on the right side. "Yun Kexin, quickly bow to Mother and Father; Ancestors and family elders are here to witness. Call them 'Mother' and 'Father'..."
Yun Kexin tried to pull her hand away from Yun You, ready to go through with the formalities when unexpectedly—
"Dad, Mom, I want to know why Seventh Sister is being adopted by Third Uncle and Third Aunt."
It was Yun Ke's voice! His question rang out like a telephone ringing in an empty house—loud and jarring, yet no one answered. Only Third Uncle Yun Jinxiu shot him a glare and ignored him, hoarsely saying, "Continue."
However, Yun Ke continued with conviction: "Adoption means that a branch of the family has no sons and adopts a child from within the clan as an heir. Among our Yun clan relatives, aside from Fourth Uncle who is unmarried and has no children, only Third Uncle and Third Aunt have no children. Adoption can be understood," Yun Ke's tone was youthful yet aggressive. "But Seventh Sister is a girl; I want to know where this adoption comes from."
"How dare you!" Yun Jinxiu was furious, his white beard bristling as he glared. "This is a decision made by the clan elders; how can you discuss it? Get down! You have no say here!"
Yun Ke had always been gentle and respectful; it was rare for him to openly confront someone like this. Yue Ziyun was startled and hurried forward to pull her son back, but Yun Ke seemed resolute in wanting an answer and stubbornly refused to move despite Yue Clan's futile attempts to persuade him.
Third Uncle shot a glare like a knife at Yun You. Feeling ashamed, Yun You stepped closer to Yun Ke's side and coldly said, "Kneel!"
Yun Ke glanced at his father, his lips moved but ultimately he said nothing, turning his face to look at the three elders seated at the top.
Yun Jin was about to explode when he saw Yun You without a word kick Yun Ke's knee joint. "Thud!" Yun Ke lost his balance and fell to the ground, his kneecap hitting the floor with a crisp sound.
"Unfilial son!" Yun You raised an eyebrow and shouted, "Have you forgotten what I instructed you before? Apologize to the clan elders!"
"Father, I just don't understand—"
"Shut up!" Yun You was furious, his eyes wide open. "This is the Yun Clan's ancestral hall; how dare you make a fuss here? If you say more, Family Law will punish you!"
The ancestral hall fell into dead silence, so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing. The Yue Clan turned pale, wanting to plead for their son, but they saw Yun Jin lift his eyelids and direct his gaze at the kneeling Yun Ke, slowly saying, "Ke'er, you have a point, but the 'adoption' that the clan elders speak of is different from your understanding."
Yun Ke looked up at the Second Elder seated at the top, his stubborn expression turning into one of confusion. He had hoped to hear a reasonable explanation, but unexpectedly Second Matriarch interjected:
"Since Yun Ke wants a reason, then Second Aunt will tell you. Before Xin Jie was born, the clan elders consulted someone for divination. Her fate is tied to Xing Ke's parents; only 'adoption' can resolve it," Qian said, pausing briefly before her expression darkened. "But these reasons are not something we as elders need to explain to you as a junior—if this trend continues, will the clan elders have to 'explain' every major decision in the family to juniors in the future? Is there still any distinction between elder and younger in the Yun family?!"
Qian Hanqiu's tone was calm and unhurried, showing patience like an elder admonishing a junior. However, her words seemed sharp enough to condemn everyone from Second House.
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