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Xun Cong
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Meanwhile, after getting on the carriage, Yu Lingxin just discovered that Xun Ying actually wasn’t in Ming Jinrou’s carriage. Pondering for a moment, she also understood, “Ying’er is in the carriage behind us accompanying the Wen family young ladies?”
“En.” Whenever mentioning the Wen family young ladies, Ming Jinrou was just unhappy, “Previously heard the empress’s side say that the Yiyang Marquis couple will arrive in the capital at the end of the ninth month and will be able to have those two taken back. Yet, in the end, on the twenty-eighth of the ninth month, they sent a letter saying that the Yiyang Marchioness fell sick again, so will still need to hold up a few more days.”
Yu Lingxin recalled Wen Ruoqiong’s frail and delicate appearance, shaking her head, “Perhaps the Wen eldest miss takes after her mother, their bodies both not too good.”
“If her body isn’t good, then there’s further no reason to send to our family!” Ming Jinrou angrily snorted, “I wrote a letter to my father. He said he plans on going to the Quan province again from the Zhang province, and might not even be back for the new year, so even if really wanting to discuss marriage for my brother, still need to wait until the spring of next year.”
Yu Lingxin nodded, “Stalling for now is also good. However, how come those two still need someone accompanying them? Counting the days, they should’ve been in the capital for more than three months by now.”
“Last time, after getting reprimanded by the empress, these two sisters just turned into little white flowers, constantly just looking for my grandmother and my brother to cry pitifully.” The more Ming Jinrou said, the angrier she got, “What can my brother say, nothing more than just letting me take care of them, but I don’t want to deal with them, and further too lazy to watch them put on an act. In any case, Ying’er’s temper is good, so just let her watch them.”
Although inside the horse carriage, they can’t see the Wen’an Marquis Manor’s carriage behind them, Yu Lingxin still instinctively turned and gazed in the direction of the carriage window, “Then wouldn’t Ying’er be……….”
Ming Jinrou pouted, “Second cousin-in-law, you can’t be too partial. Although that is your actual sister-in-law, but I’m also you two’s younger sister. Ying’er merely just needs to look after them for this trip. I have to endure them everyday living in my home.”
The corner of Yu Lingxin’s lips slightly raised, reaching out to pat Ming Jinrou, “You’re this capable, so they aren’t able to bully you. I’m worried that with Ying’er’s personality………..”
“Then you don’t understand Ying’er that well.” Ming Jinrou slanted her mouth, “She may appear good-tempered normally, and don’t like to argue with others, but she very much have her own ideas inside. Although often times she doesn’t mind, but when she really has her mind set on something, not even eight horses can pull her back. On this bit, she and fourth older cousin are quite similar.”
“You’re talking about………” Yu Lingxin suddenly had a thought. That faint uneasiness from a few days ago crept up her heart again.
“Older sister, it can’t be that you don’t know that second cousin also has a younger brother?” Ming Jinrou said, “I normally see you two just like an old couple, seemingly knowing everything.”
“Oh.” Yu Lingxin randomly answered, even not too minding Ming Jinrou’s teasing in the latter half. Thinking for a moment, her expression slightly turned serious, “Jinrou, help me call him over, I have something to say to him.”
Ming Jinrou blanked, “Right now? This……this urgent?” However, seeing how Yu Lingxin’s expression became very serious, and although puzzled, she still lifted the left carriage window’s muslin curtains next to her and called out ‘second cousin’.
Xun Che was currently talking with Ming Jincheng on horseback in the front. Hearing this, he immediately pulled the reins, directly pulling up to the right side of the horse carriage. In the carriage, Ming Jinrou was just about to ask Yu Lingxin whether or not she wanted to switch places, but Xun Che had already leaned over by the right window, “Huijun?”
Yu Lingxin didn’t lift the thin curtains, just asking through the window, “Today’s flower banquet, will fourth young master come?”
This question was truly asked without any heads or tails. Ming Jinrou who was listening to the side once again blanked. However, outside the carriage, Xun Che just fell silent, unexpectedly responding, “I understand.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
After saying this, he immediately pulled the reins and turned the horse away.
This time, Ming Jinrou already wasn’t just shocked. When it comes to that mutual understanding between Yu Lingxin and Xun Che that came from don’t know where, she can be said to have seen several times already.
But this time, it practically reached a new level. These two only said about ten words in total. Without even asking, Xun Che just knew that it was Yu Lingxin calling him, and Yu Lingxin’s vague words, he also just understood.
Exactly what did this mean?
Yu Lingxin dryly coughed, feeling too embarrassed to look at Ming Jinrou. Because this time, she also didn’t know how to explain.
She naturally knew that Xun Che had a younger brother that was ranked fourth in their generation and two years older than Xun Ying, called Xun Cong. Just, this fourth young master truly was somewhat hard to describe. In the last lifetime, Xun Che can be said to be disappointed to the extreme towards Xun Cong, and prior to death, he also didn’t meet with Xun Cong again.
And after Xun Che passed away, Yu Lingxin only occasionally saw the already broken-legged and depressed for many years Xun Cong when offering sacrifices to the ancestors every year.
As such, in this life, Yu Lingxin only ever occasionally mentioned during the few times she met with Xun Che, but Xun Che seemingly wasn’t willing to say in detail, so she also just temporarily placed aside.
Then again, it was just Tianxu year 13 right now after all. Xun Cong should still be studying at Maolin Academy in Jiyang. When it comes to the academies of Great Sheng, the most well-known in the capital was Qingyang Academy where Yu Zhengshan was currently studying at. But, this was at the foot of the emperor after all, the capital flourishing, and there were also many children of noble and high ranking officials’ families in the academy. Although the teachers were all very well-known, the rules ultimately were more relaxed.
In this aspect, Maolin Academy was the complete opposite. Jiyang was only about a hundred li[1] from the capital, the flourishing level naturally greatly different, and the academy has always pursued a high level of study, strict and rigorous, renowned for being restrictive. As such, for the noble families of the capital, if they want to have their sons strictly restricted, then most will send to Maolin Academy to study for a few years.
In the past life, Xun Cong precisely stayed at Maolin Academy from twelve to fifteen, only returning to the capital in the early spring of Tianxu year 14. In terms of learning, he can also be considered to have formed a very good foundation. At the time, Xun Che also once held very big expectations towards this younger brother.
However, no one ever expected that in less than half a year later, Xun Cong would become very familiar with the Zhu family children. During this time in the last lifetime, the undercurrents in the capital although were violent, but relationships on the surface were still there.
Especially, at the time, there was also the Xun family second branch pushing along the waves. Xun Che and Qin Wang had put all their energy and attention on the political conflicts in court, so his restrictions towards this younger brother wasn’t strict enough. He always felt that there was still his parents and teachers above, so Xun Cong probably won’t go astray.
However, by Tianxu year 15, when Xun Cong mentioned for the first time that he wanted to marry Noble Consort Zhu’s niece, Ruiyang Junzhu, Xun Che finally realized the severity of the problem. But, just as Ming Jinrou said, Xun Cong and Xun Ying, in terms of personality, although were relatively easy-going, but once they had their mind set on something, it was just difficult to turn around.
Especially given that Ruiyang Junzhu was a stunning beauty, extremely beautiful. The young Xun Cong was already infatuated to the bones. Never mind Xun Che, this older brother, even his parents’ opposition wasn’t enough to make him change his mind.
Of course, this marriage arrangement didn’t smoothly take place. On one hand, it was just that the state of the imperial court simply didn’t allow it, and on the other hand, as Xun Che and Qin Wang’s opposition against the Zhu family grew increasingly severe, Xun Cong also became a target that got schemed against.
Although even now, Yu Lingxin still doesn’t know what exactly happened to Xun Ying in Tianxu year 16, but from everyone’s attitude afterwards, she was able to guess a little. Xun Ying’s tragic death that year, Xun Cong probably held some responsibility.
He certainly won’t harm his own younger sister, but for him to get used by others, it was inevitable. Afterwards, due to the enormous guilt and self-blame, as well as the blow from breaking his legs and becoming crippled for life after falling off the horse, Xun Cong although lived, he nevertheless was no different from having died, becoming muddled and indulging in alcohol all day, abandoning himself to despair. Even his own mother, Ming Huayue, was also unwilling to see him in the end.
In the past life, the reason why Xun Che needed to take a wife and adopt a child within the clan, it actually wasn’t really because he lacked a woman to take care of him on the sickbed, but rather because at the time, Xun Cong, as the last male in the family, was completely unable to uphold the family’s honor. As such, Xun Che had no choice but to marry and adopt a child, letting their family name continue under his name.
All in all, the various turbulences of Xun Cong’s life practically all started from when he became infatuated with Ruiyang Junzhu.
According to what Yu Lingxin would occasionally hear from Xun Che and Ming Jincheng between sighs in the past life, Xun Cong probably became familiar with the Zhu family children through the comings and goings between peers after graduating from the academy and returning home in Tianxu year 14, and afterwards, through them, became infatuated with Ruiyang Junzhu.
After all, based on the Xun family’s standing, Xun Cong had a lot of opportunities to meet the Zhu family children and Ruiyang Junzhu, this kind of imperial clansmen. Xun Che also never asked in detail exactly when Xun Cong met Ruiyang Junzhu for the first time, and when he thoroughly fell for her.
But having returned to the past again, when recalling Ruiyang Junzhu, Yu Lingxin nevertheless had a bit of suspicion.
Just like Xun Che and her, when outsiders look at them, they might feel there’s nothing between them, at most just having appeared in the same place a few times.
Then, between Xun Cong and Ruiyang Junzhu, could it have been someone’s deliberate arrangement? Somewhere outside of Xun Che’s knowledge?
Since Jiyang was only a hundred li from the capital, and Xun Che normally won’t go to Maolin Academy to visit Xun Cong, suppose that Xun Cong at this time have already started having dealings with the Zhu family children, and young boys by nature were just playful, wanting to skip class and play, secretly going to look at beauties and so on, which was actually also within reason.
“You two……….” Seeing Yu Lingxin clearly avoiding her eyes, Ming Jinrou also blanked for a moment, not knowing what to ask. Clearly, Yu Lingxin and Xun Che’s words, she’d all heard, also knowing the meaning of every word, but she still completely didn’t understand, not even knowing where to start asking from.
“Right, Jinrou, what presents did you prepare for the Zhu family miss?” Yu Lingxin voluntarily leaned towards Ming Jinrou, forcibly changing the topic.
Ming Jinrou rolled her eyes, “Trying to change the subject, don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Yu Lingxin pursed her lips into a smile, “Then, I’ll talk. The poetry gathering held at your manor next time, won’t let you lift a finger in the slightest, alright?”
“That originally is just second cousin’s matter.” Ming Jinrou rolled her eyes at her again, “Second cousin-in-law, you dealing with it is only natural.”
Yu Lingxin smiled, “But your second cousin is working hard for who? Isn’t it still for the one that you’re constantly thinking about?”
Mentioning Qin Wang, Ming Jinrou’s expression instead became a bit complicated, “Speaking of which, does older sister know, Miss Lu will also come today.”
[1] Ancient unit of measurement, 1 li = approx. 500m
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Ming Jinrou does have a point. Been thinking this for a while but the whole club thing sounds like a massive pain that neither her nor Xun Ying really like.
ML owes them a big favor.