Chapter 27: Recognizing Kin
Mrs. Yun was supported by Cheng Pei, and the clever maid had already brought over a wooden stool. Mrs. Yun turned the wooden plaque over and over in her hands, as if she had seen a treasure of the ages. Originally, her heart was as dead as ashes, but from the moment she saw the plaque, the dryness in her eyes disappeared. As long as there were male descendants of the Yun family alive, the incense would not be extinguished, and Mrs. Yun felt that she could face the ancestors of the Yun family with dignity. The two maidens would have a place to rely on, and even if she died immediately, she would smile in the nine springs.
"Mrs. Cheng, where is the owner of the wooden board? Why didn't he come himself?" After the initial surprise, Yun He's mind was filled with doubts again.
"Yongge is currently in the Left Wuwei Army in Longyou, without a military order, he dare not return to the capital privately. Congratulations, old lady, your grandson is indeed a remarkable person, at the age of 15, he was granted the title of Ping'an County male and took office as a secretary in the Lanzhou Zhenchongfu Military Affairs Department, a seventh-rank official. This was discovered by the imperial court's investigation officials when they visited his hometown. Yongge originally thought he was an orphan, raised by his teacher since childhood, and didn't know he had relatives in the world. When the officials informed him that you and Yongge were related, he was overjoyed to the point of spitting blood. After waking up, he ordered someone to rush back to the capital and entrust me with finding your whereabouts. I inquired about it and finally found you, old lady." She then took out a letter from Yun Yong.
Yun Lao Fu Ren took the letter, opened it, and saw that it was written in fine script with an unknown pen. The writing was strange but not unpleasant to look at, even having a few strokes of beauty. Unlike others who wrote from right to left vertically, this letter was written horizontally from left to right. Yun Lao Fu Ren slowly read the letter, trying to get used to it.
In the letter, Yun Yong explained his origins, which were fabricated to increase credibility. He emphasized that he was picked up by his teacher in chaotic Chang'an and wore a wooden sign on his body, which was the only proof of his identity. After his teacher failed to find any members of the Yun family, he felt that the world would soon be in chaos and could only take the infant Yun Yong with him when he left Chang'an, hiding in the wilderness of Longyou until his teacher's death. In May, he returned to the world and wanted to ask his relatives for help finding his parents.
At this point, Old Lady Yun was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down her face as she exclaimed: "Who are you? You're the child of Eldest Young Master, your poor mother risked everything to save you on the third day after you were born and escaped from the Yun estate. Your father died trying to protect you, I held him in my arms as he took his last breath. I thought for sure that a weak mother and young child wouldn't survive being pursued, but heaven has eyes, you've managed to leave behind a descendant of the Yun family." She bent down and picked up Er Ya from beside her leg, hugging her tightly and kissing her repeatedly, leaving the little girl bewildered, staring blankly with her bright black eyes at her grandmother.
"This must be the young lady from the mansion, she's really beautiful. In a few years, I don't know how many talented men will be vying to marry her." Madame Cheng pinched Xiaoyu's face and casually hung a green jade pendant around her neck. She then picked up Daoyu and the old servant standing beside her opened a brocade box containing a milky white bangle. Madame Cheng took out the jade bangle and put it on Daoyu's wrist, but it was a bit big. "It's a bit big now, but in two years it will fit perfectly," she said with a smile. "With such grandchildren, Old Lady Yun is truly blessed."
Madame Yun came from a wealthy family and had seen many precious treasures before. The gifts Madame Cheng gave to the two girls were rare and exquisite jade stones. She wanted to decline them, but according to Yun's letter, it was clear that she should not refuse the kindness of the Cheng family. So she accepted the gifts graciously, thinking that Yun would find a way to repay them later.
Madame Yun now felt a sense of contentment, thinking that with her son, everything was fine. What did they have in their poor and declining household that was worth plotting against? If Yun were not a member of the Yun family, with his title, he could easily take over the Yun household without any effort. Moreover, in his letter, Yun said that even if she were not a member of the Yun family, he would still support her for the rest of her life and asked the Yun clan members to move to his fiefdom, where they would be safe from harm.
Thinking about this, Madame Yun's heart felt warm, and she said to Madame Cheng, "Our home is humble, but please have a cup of plain water before you leave."
As they entered the house, Madame Cheng couldn't help but sigh at the sight of the dilapidated walls and the thatched roof that let in the sky. The narrow hut had only one bed and a loom, with three large ceramic bowls on a earthen platform, containing a thin porridge that reflected their images. She thought to herself: "Has Old Madame Yun been reduced to such poverty?" Looking up, she saw six ancestral tablets hanging on the wall opposite her, each with a portrait of a different person. She bowed her head in respect and Old Madame Yun returned the courtesy from where she sat. "Are these the deceased male members of the Yun family?" Old Madame Yun replied in the affirmative. "But which one is Young Master Rong's ancestor?" Old Madame Yun smiled but didn't answer, instead saying to Madame Cheng: "I don't know if you've met anyone who has seen Young Master Rong, but I think he must be my eldest son's grandson." Madame Cheng clapped her hands in delight and turned to instruct the servants to summon several men. Soon, a group of robust men entered the hut, bowed their heads in respect to Madame Cheng, and greeted her. "You several men have met Master Yun before, do you still remember what he looked like?" One of them, Cheng Dong, replied with his hands clasped together: "Yes, milady, Master Yun was a man who respected talent and treated us commoners with kindness. I remember what he looked like."
"Since that's the case, take a look at the portraits on the wall, are there any that resemble Master Jue?"
Four big Han hands pointed at the fifth portrait in unison, and they said in unison: "Madam, this portrait is almost indistinguishable from the young master's, only the age doesn't match."
"Yes, yes, this is what the old lady's eldest son looked like when he was 25 years old. Rong'er is only 15 years old now, and there are some differences in their ages, which is natural. Poor my daughter-in-law, she fled with her child on a cold winter night, but unfortunately, she has not been heard from since. I'm afraid it's mostly bad news...". Seeing the old lady crying again, the two little maids also hugged the old lady and cried loudly.
After crying for a while, Madame Cheng wiped away her tears and said to the old lady: "Madam, please don't grieve too much. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Now that we've found Rong'er, it's a joyful day! I heard that His Majesty has issued an edict, freeing all members of the Yun family from slavery and elevating those with low social status. They will be allowed to stay in the Ping'an County male residence. I believe it won't be long before your descendants gather together again. When Rong'er returns from Longyou, the whole family will reunite, what a happy event that will be! From now on, there will only be good days ahead. You should be happy, otherwise, when Rong'er returns to the capital and you're not well, how can I face him?"
After Cheng Dong and others pointed to the eldest son's portrait, Yun Zhao's last bit of worry also dissipated, her whole body was shrouded in great happiness, her whole body soft and smiling towards Madame Cheng nodded, this is indeed his own grandson, he brought back unparalleled glory, he reached the pinnacle that his ancestors and parents had not reached, the fifteen years of suffering of the Yun family were not in vain, those who bullied the Yun family, insulted the Yun family, betrayed the Yun family, ignored the Yun family, look, the old woman's grandson is back, you will be punished, you will definitely be punished.
