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"Seventh Young Lady, although you have repeatedly stated that you are not considering Marriage at the moment," Fu Lianyin said with a gentle smile, "your mother still wants you to meet a few friends. After all, those from well-off families won't wait for you. If you don't mind, others might take the opportunity, like that Young Lord—" She sighed with regret and continued, "So, Xin'er needs to understand your mother's intentions."
Ah, the approach has shifted from singular to diversified, but it's still the same old trick! Meeting a few friends? Is she trying to stir my youthful feelings and leave me at a loss? This way, she can disrupt the arrangements of the Second House while intervening in Marriage, all while trying to please Yun Yang. What a beautiful thought!
"Which noble young man does Mother want to introduce me to?" Yun Kexin asked with a bright smile.
"The heir apparent of the Wei family, Wei Qing," Fu Lianyin said with a playful smile, "He is fourteen years old, last year's martial arts champion, currently a thousand households commander, and quite a prominent figure in the palace."
Wei Qing? The first person to drive out the Tartars and pacify the border rebels during the Great Taihe! In my previous life, I had never seen him but had heard of him; his reputation was second only to Feng Yinxiao.
"Fourteen?" Yun Kexin chuckled in disbelief as she pulled back from her previous thoughts. "Mother, I am only nine years old; Wei Qing is five years older than me..."
"Being older is better; he will care for you," Fu Lianyin suddenly said shyly. "The master is also three years older than me, but Xin'er can see how much your father cares for me." She tilted her head and threw a flirtatious glance at Yun Yang.
Yun Yang knew that Fu Lianyin was determined to have him take charge of the Seventh Young Lady's Marriage, which he found quite shameful. However, since she wasn't targeting Yun Kexin directly and was not scheming against her everywhere, he felt somewhat moved when he heard her mention someone like Wei Qing from the Wei family.
"Xin'er, Wei Wen Wang is an elder statesman in court, and his son Wei Qing is an exceptional talent," Yun Keyang said without maintaining his stern demeanor, supporting the Fu family’s proposal but still not showing any warmth. "Quickly thank your mother."
Yun Kexin obediently replied with a cold smile, "Thank you, Mother. However, I have a question that I wonder if I should ask?"
Fu Lianyin was overjoyed by Yun Yang's "affirmation," knowing she had taken the first step toward "peace" and "unity as husband and wife," which put her in a good mood.
"Seventh Young Lady can speak freely," Fu Lianyin said generously.
"Mother, since that Wei Qianhu has such good conditions, why has he not married yet?" Yun Kexin asked straightforwardly without holding back. "Given that he was last year's martial arts champion, he should have already crossed the threshold for proposals by now. How come—"
"There's just no suitable match, which is why nothing has been settled," Fu Lianyin leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Yun Kexin with a patient expression. "This Wei Qing has quite high standards; he must agree himself. Fortunately, he is still young, so Wei Wen Wang and the princess haven't pressured him too much."
Yun Kexin felt a chill run down her spine from Fu Lianyin's sudden "intimacy," and hurriedly pretended to adjust her sleeves to pull her arm back. Meanwhile, she thought to herself: This Wei Qing has such high standards that he doesn't even look at girls of his own age; how could he possibly consider a 'girl' five years younger than him? Fu Lianyin must be well aware of this and is intentionally trying to embarrass her, forcing her to focus on Fu Yihang in the end!
Yun Kexin nodded and said, "I will follow Mother’s arrangements."
"That's right," Fu Lianyin reached out to pat the back of Yun Kexin's head, the feigned intimacy feeling more awkward than genuine hostility. "Then I will take Xin'er out for a stroll."
Yun Kexin scoffed silently, thinking: It's not 'strolling'; it's more like 'going out to sell'!
After a moment's thought, she declined, saying, "No, Mother, I don't have much time these days. How about later?"
Fu Lianyin frowned slightly, feeling displeased but masking it with a smile. "You're right; I almost forgot that in a few days is Ke'er’s martial arts champion selection. We need to focus on that first."
Yun Kexin smiled and said nothing more.
As they entered the main hall, Yun Ran was idly bored. Upon seeing Yun Yang and the others arrive, she quickly jumped out from the inner room with a bright smile. "Ran'er greets Mother and Father." She didn't even glance at Yun Kexin but merely pouted before turning to Yun Xiao with a beaming smile. "Eighth Younger Sister, would Elder Sister Five take you out to play?"
She took it upon herself to grab Yun Xiao's hand, but unexpectedly, Yun Xiao shook off Yun Ran's hand and turned her face away, saying, "I don't want to; Xiao'er only wants Seventh Sister, not Elder Sister Five."
Yun Ran was taken aback and couldn't express her anger in front of Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin. She could only force a smile and say, "Xiao Sister, Elder Sister Five has cream rolls and willow leaf candies here..."
These were two of Yun Xiao's favorite snacks. Over the past few days, Yun Ran had been desperately holding back her cravings while saving money to prepare for this moment of flattery and persuasion. Sure enough, when Yun Xiao heard this, she turned her face back around with sparkling eyes and asked with a smile, "Really? Elder Sister Five isn't lying to me?"
"Of course, as an older sister, how could I deceive my younger sister? Eighth Younger Sister, follow me," Yun Ran said, pulling Yun Xiao's hand while turning to Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin with a flattering smile. "Father, Mother, let me take care of Xiao Sister today, alright?"
Yun Yang remained noncommittal, while Fu Lianyin frowned, wishing she could shake off Yun Ran's hold on Yun Xiao's hand. However, she reconsidered; if she wanted to reshape the image of a "virtuous wife and mother" in the Third House, she had to be fair. If she favored the legitimate daughter and neglected the Concubine Daughter, it would only provoke Yun Yang's displeasure. The thought made her angry; as a proper wife, it was ridiculous that she had to let her child be led around by someone else.
"Very well, I will give Ran'er a chance today," Fu Lianyin said, though she had already discarded Yun Ran in her heart. She still maintained a friendly demeanor. "Take good care of Xiao Sister. You see how close she is with Seventh Sister; Fifth Young Lady needs to put in more effort."
"Yes, Mother. I will definitely be a good sister," Yun Ran said with a smile as she took Yun Xiao's hand and left.
Once they entered the bedroom, Yun Ran pulled out a large pile of snacks and treats, placing them in front of Yun Xiao. She offered water and peeled sugar cubes, doing everything possible to please her. After Yun Xiao had eaten just one milk candy and some sweet steamed pudding, Yun Ran eagerly asked her questions like "Eighth Younger Sister, do you like Elder Sister Five?" and "Which sister treats Eighth Younger Sister the best?" However, Yun Xiao was too busy eating to respond to her inquiries about Elder Sister Five, only giving half-hearted replies like "Oh" or "Mm." No matter how impatiently Yun Ran pressed for answers, it was futile.
"Elder Sister Five, can you get a bag for Xiao'er?" After eating a bit, Yun Xiao wiped her mouth and said softly, "I can't eat anymore; I want to save it for later."
"Sure! Xiao Sister is so smart to know how to hide snacks," Yun Ran flattered her at the right moment and went to get a cloth bag to help put the treats inside. She smiled and said, "Look at all this! Eighth Younger Sister can enjoy them slowly; no one will snatch them from you."
"Thank you, Elder Sister Five," Yun Xiao said as she jumped off the chair with the bag in hand and headed for the door. "Goodbye."
Yun Ran was taken aback: her efforts to win over Yun Xiao were not just for that purpose; she also wanted to find out what their parents had discussed about Yun Kexin earlier in the corridor—she had heard a maid mention something about it to her husband and wife regarding Eighth Sister. This made her suspicious. So while trying to bond over snacks, she hoped to extract some information from the innocent child's mouth. However, before she could even speak up, Yun Xiao had already eaten something and dashed away.
"Eighth Younger Sister, wait!" Yun Ran shouted anxiously from behind while stomping her feet. "Where are you going? Mother told you to stay with me today..."
"Elder Sister Five," Yun Xiao paused and turned around, raising the bag in her hand with a grin. "Seventh Sister likes snacks too; I'm taking this to her before coming back."
With that, she made a face at Yun Ran and scampered off.
"What? Eighth Younger Sister, you..." Yun Ran was so furious that her head spun; her vision blurred as her tongue stumbled over words. She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Come back! Eighth Younger Sister, come back!"
However, Yun Xiao had already disappeared in a flash.
"Bastard, just like your mother, you're worthless!" Yun Ran was so angry that her nostrils flared, standing there cursing loudly in her heart—she had saved up her allowance for a month and endured a month of cravings, all to win her over, only to have it all go to please Yun Kexin in the end. It was enough to make her want to spit blood.
Yun Ran continued to curse and mutter as she turned back, but suddenly realized that it wouldn't do to just leave like this. If Yun Xiao bumped into something on the way, wouldn't she be the one in trouble?! With this thought in mind, Yun Ran reluctantly chased after her.
Yun Xiao ran around the Western Courtyard but could not find Yun Kexin. Feeling a bit anxious, she happened to see Granny Feng returning after collecting the laundry and asked if she had seen Seventh Sister. Granny Feng mentioned that Seventh Sister was in the pavilion and would take her there once she finished tidying up the clothes.
Yun Kexin was indeed in the pavilion, along with her three maids: Shan Ling, Shan Ying, and Shan Yue, enjoying tea and chatting.
"Seventh Sister, is it true that Third Madam really intends to arrange a marriage with the Wen Wang residence?" Shan Yue took a sip of tea and teased with a smile, "This would be quite a happy event."
"What happy event?" Shan Ying rolled her eyes at Shan Yue and replied irritably, "If Sister marries Wei Qing, what will happen to our Young Lord? He is quite fond of Sister—" Shan Ying suddenly stopped mid-sentence as if realizing something taboo, closing her mouth but still pouting.
"No matter how the Young Lord feels about Sister," Shan Ling put down her Hetian Jade lotus cup and said seriously, "If the Third Master and Third Madam are determined for Sister to marry into the Wei family, there's nothing we can do. After all, marriage is 'arranged by parents and matchmakers'; how can Sister go against that?!"
"And that's not all," the most lively and clever Shan Yue now wore a bitter expression as she tapped her fingers on the table. "Haven't you heard that the Second House is planning to arrange a marriage with the Duke of Yan's residence? They want to betroth Yun Yan to Marquis Qingyuan? According to what Shan Ling said, wouldn't that mean there’s no hope left for Sister and the Young Lord..."
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