The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 524 - 491: That Old Stick-in-the-Mud Finally Left the Palace! (Part 2)
The reason behind it?
Yun Huai leaned against the window, his thoughts drifting back to sixteen years ago.
At that time, he was three years old.
...
Before entering officialdom, Minister Xue had sworn brotherhood with Father Yun, and the two families always had a good relationship. Even later, when they were one in the south and one in the north, they still frequently exchanged letters.
Until sixteen years ago, when Father Yun brought Yun Erlang to the Capital to participate in the martial arts examination.
The father and son originally planned to stay at an inn, but Minister Xue wouldn’t allow it and had someone bring them to the Xue Mansion.
At that time, Minister Xue had a daughter named Xue Qionghua, who fell in love with Yun Erlang at first sight.
The girl was a domineering person; whatever she set her eyes upon, she would go to any lengths to get, let alone a person.
Yun Erlang was already engaged, and he didn’t like someone of Xue Qionghua’s type.
Before leaving, Xue Qionghua confessed her feelings to him, but Yun Erlang politely declined. Unwilling to give up, Xue Qionghua insisted on accompanying them to Jiangnan for a visit.
Because of the relations between the two families, Father Yun couldn’t refuse.
Minister Xue doted on his daughter, so he let her go along.
Xue Qionghua thought that by traveling so far for Yun Erlang, living in their house, and spending every day with him, eventually, Yun Erlang would care for her until the day the girl Yun Erlang was engaged to appeared at the Yun Family.
Xue Qionghua fully witnessed Yun Erlang’s tenderness towards his fiancée, which filled her with an immense sense of crisis. In a fit of rage, while everyone was unaware, she abducted the three-year-old little Yun Huai and left a note, stating that if the Yun Family wanted the Sixth Son back, they should have Erlang bring bridal gifts to the Capital’s Xue Family to marry her; otherwise, not only would she not let the boy go, she would torture him to death.
To rescue his younger brother, Yun Erlang had no choice but to painfully call off his engagement, hastily having his parents prepare the bridal gifts, planning to go to the Xue Family to make the exchange.
However, he met Yun Huai halfway, along with the dead Xue Qionghua.
It turned out that along the way, Xue Qionghua vented her anger on little Yun Huai, pinching and hitting him. The poor little Yun Huai, at just three years old, was covered with bruises and welts all over his face and body. Hurt deeply, with his hands bound and unable to move, he used his head to ram her waist.
Coming from a martial arts background, even at three, he was stronger than an average child of his age, and with that blow, he directly knocked Xue Qionghua, causing her to fall back and hit her head on a sharp stone, dying instantly.
When Yun Erlang found him, little Yun Huai was so terrified that he curled up into a ball and couldn’t answer any questions, his teeth chattering with fright.
The dead are to be revered.
Yun Erlang couldn’t possibly proceed with the marriage, so he prepared a coffin at home and personally took Xue Qionghua’s body back to the Capital.
Minister Xue, upon seeing his daughter’s coffin, was so furious that he nearly strangled Yun Erlang on the spot.
Yun Erlang knelt before the memorial hall, explaining to Minister Xue the cause of Xue Qionghua’s death, only to be met with a cold sneer, "The person is dead, and you still want to push the responsibility onto her, trying to fabricate an unprovable story?"
Hearing this, Yun Erlang tightly clenched the note written by Xue Qionghua and said no more.
Minister Xue, grieving the loss of his beloved daughter, blamed Yun Erlang and ordered that if Yun Erlang dared to marry any woman in this lifetime, he would send people to raze the entire Yun Family.
The Yun Family, knowing they were in the wrong, not only agreed to Yun Erlang’s lifelong vow of celibacy but also willingly married off their daughter as compensation, that daughter being Xue Yinhuan’s biological mother, Yun Mi.
Yun Mi did not like Xue Yinhuan’s biological father, yet for the sake of making amends, she forced herself to smile every day, bore him children, but despite all this, the pressure and animosity from the Xue Family led her to fall into a chronic illness, which resulted in her eventual untimely death.
The relationship between the Xue and Yun Families completely ruptured.
Presently, what maintains the connection between the two families is the sibling duo of Xue Yinhuan.
...
Sobering back to reality, Yun Huai smiled at Zhao Xi, "It’s just some insignificant old past, Huanhuan is still young and has many opportunities to choose her own desired husband. Being bound together without affection like you were only brings too much pressure. Neither side will live happily, and I can’t stand by and watch my niece ruin her life. I hope His Highness might understand the concerns of an elder."
Zhao Xi didn’t intend to pry into others’ privacy, and seeing that Yun Huai found it inconvenient to speak, he didn’t press further, "Yun Liulang, you’re too serious. When I promised to have her enter the palace, it was considering that she had no parents and was alone and without support. Now that she has the care of her maternal grandfather’s family, I am, of course, happy for her and could certainly understand your sentiments."
While the two were speaking, Xue Yinhuan and her brother had already brought the wine, along with several exquisite small dishes.
Xue Yinhuan glanced at the backs of the two by the window, "Your Highness, Uncle, the food and wine are ready."
Both turned around and walked over slowly to sit down.
Xue Yinhuan personally poured wine for the two and curiously asked, "What were you two talking about that was so engrossing?"
Yun Huai replied, "I found His Highness to be a kindred spirit, so naturally, I talked a bit more."
Xue Yinhuan laughed, "It’s rare for Uncle to meet a kindred soul, come, you should have a toast."
Zhao Xi saw Xue Yan standing on the side doing nothing and urged him to come have a drink.
Xue Yan tugged at the corner of his mouth, timidly lifted his eyes to look at his little uncle, then said quietly, "I can’t drink."
Zhao Xi understood, "It seems your uncle is quite strict with you!"
Yun Huai said, "Children should be kept under rules; otherwise, if you don’t watch them, they easily go astray."
Zhao Xi nodded and looked at Xue Yan again, "Even if you don’t drink, come and sit since there are no outsiders here, there’s no need to be so reserved."
With a nod of approval from his little uncle, Xue Yan finally came over and sat down.
Xue Yinhuan said, "Strong liquor isn’t suitable, but I’ve brewed some fruit wine. Little Uncle, Erlang can have this, right?"
Yun Huai asked her, "Will it cause intoxication?"
"It doesn’t have much potency, unless you drink a whole vat at once; otherwise, it’s usually not easy to get drunk."
Yun Huai then asked Xue Yan if he wanted to drink.
Xue Yan nodded vigorously.
Clad in fine clothes, riding spirited steeds, wielding a sword across the Jianghu, waking to hold the power of the world, and falling asleep on a beauty’s lap.
Deep in a young man’s heart, there’s always an enthusiastic longing for heroic deeds.
Every time he gathered with his senior brothers, he always wanted to get as drunk as they do, but unfortunately, his little uncle was too strict, not allowing this or that, making him feel protected by his brothers like an unweaned baby.
Xue Yinhuan quickly brought the fruit wine, intending to personally pour it for Xue Yan.
Xue Yan stopped her, "Sister, I’ll do it myself."
After saying that, he picked up the wine pot.
Xue Yinhuan noticed his hand was trembling.
Though it was fruit wine, it was his first time encountering alcohol at thirteen years old, and excitement was inevitable.
He understood the etiquette quite well; after filling his cup, he didn’t drink immediately but raised the cup and looked at Yun Huai across from him, saying, "Erlang toasts little uncle."
Yun Huai raised an eyebrow, "Toast to what? There should always be a reason."
"I, I..." Xue Yan couldn’t articulate.
Yun Huai scolded, "Look at you, lacking ambition."
Xue Yan originally had a shy temperament, and with his little uncle’s words, his face immediately turned red. Holding the cup in his hand, he was at a loss whether to drink or not, caught in a dilemma.
"Erlang, drink quickly." On the side, Xue Yinhuan urged him, "Little uncle is just joking with you!"
"Oh." Xue Yan looked timidly at the person across from him again, slowly bringing the cup to his lips, and took a small sip. Almost the moment the fruit wine went down his throat, he frowned.
Xue Yinhuan noticed and quickly asked, "What’s wrong?"
"I thought it would be sweet," Xue Yan remarked.
Xue Yinhuan chuckled, "It’s brewed from fresh fruit, but I didn’t add much sugar. If you want to drink something sweet, I’ll brew it for you specially next time."
Xue Yan looked at her with delight, "So, does this mean Sister agrees to marry to Jiangnan?"
Yun Huai and Zhao Xi raised their eyes and looked at her when they heard this.
Xue Yinhuan’s face heated up and she immediately stood up, "You all keep drinking, there are two small dishes in the kitchen, I’ll go fetch them."
After saying this, she clattered down the cedarwood stairs of the Observation Pavilion.
It was only after she left their sight that she let out a long breath against the artificial hill.
Just as she was about to head to the back kitchen, she saw her maid walking towards her.
Xue Yinhuan asked, "Do you need me for something?"
The maid replied, "Miss, Third Young Master Ye has arrived, saying he wants to see the Fourth Young Master."
Third Young Master Ye, Ye Rong, Ye Ling’s elder brother. Although Xue Yan seldom returned home each year, the two had a good relationship.
Probably because Xue Yan hadn’t visited after being back for so long, the other had taken the initiative to come over.
Xue Yinhuan thought for a moment and asked, "Did he come alone?"
The maid answered, "And Miss Ye."
Xue Yinhuan nodded, "I’ll go greet them. You go to the back kitchen and bring the remaining dishes to the Observation Pavilion."
After the maid left, Xue Yinhuan quickened her steps towards the West Corner Gate.
Indeed, Ye Rong and Ye Ling were standing outside the corner gate.
Upon seeing Xue Yinhuan, Ye Ling sweetly called out, "Sister Huan."
Xue Yinhuan gave Ye Rong a salute, stood on equal terms, and said to the two of them, "Third Young Master Ye, Ah Yao, please come inside. We were just having a small gathering at the Observation Pavilion, and you’ve come just at the right time."
Ye Rong was stunned, "You all?"
"Yes." Xue Yinhuan explained, "His Highness, my little uncle, and Erlang are all here, it’s quite lively."
Ye Rong clicked his tongue, "That old stick-in-the-mud finally decided to leave the palace!"
