Chapter 164: On That Day I Was Glorious, Heroic and Spirited [Many Thanks for Everyone's Support

"Silver coins: nine out, thirteen back."

"Ah? There's such a good business?" Wang Wang Ruofu asked, her eyes wide open.

After passing through Datong Gate,

the carriage processions of the two Marquis Houses moved through the bustling streets of Bianjing City.

In the carriage, Bai Shi smiled at Sun Shi and said, "You, you! I truly never saw it coming in the past; this time, you've really picked up another wonderful daughter-in-law!"

Sun Shi smiled and replied, "Even so, I must thank you, sister, for your many aids. Just now, I caught a glimpse of the Sheng family's eldest daughter, and I am quite satisfied with her! However, there is also that eldest son-in-law who passed the metropolitan examination! Alas~"

"You are really gaining an advantage yet pretending to be modest!"

Laughter echoed from inside the carriage.

"Sister Wu is not feeling well, so she could not come; she asked me to convey this to you." After Sun Shi finished speaking, Bai Shi paused for a moment and asked, "Is she alright?"

"It's nothing! Do not worry."

Outside the carriage, Xu Xu Zaizhang glared at Xu Xu Anmei, who was lifting the carriage curtain to look at him from within.

Before he could say anything, Xu Xu Zaijing, riding beside him, lightly tapped his horse's flank to draw alongside, tilting his head and smiling at him.

"Little Five, why are you looking at me?"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled faintly and said, "Looking at your face turning red, brother."

"You!" Xu Xu Zaizhang wanted to put on a stern face to scold his younger brother, but for some reason, his face turned even redder.

Immediately overwhelmed with shame and anger,

Xu Xu Zaijing laughed, tugged the reins, and dodged his second brother's slap,

then slowed his pace and exchanged shoulder pats with Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong, who had caught up.

"Brother Jing, I heard about what happened on the canal, though only the general outline. Once your family is settled, we will hold a welcome banquet for you at Fan Tower and gather with the other young men we are close to for a chat."

Xu Xu Zaijing said, "Good!"

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's reply, Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong rode closer to the front and whispered, "Brother Jing, I notice you seem different from before you left the capital; I heard you saw blood?"

Xu Xu Zaijing, looking utterly surprised, whispered back, "This... you can tell?"

Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong said, "Hehe, my family has cousins in Chuzhou; when they returned earlier, they said they went to settle some matters for our Hu Yan clan."

Xu Xu Zaijing frowned, recalled for a moment, and then said, "Those criminal soldiers from the naval forces?"

"Yes. Let's not talk about that. These past few days, Wu Wu Da Da Niangzi's Wu Lou business has been exceptionally good; later, we shall first play polo, then go to Wu Lou for some high spirits."

As the few of them talked, they rode along the road back to Quyuanjie.

Upon arriving at the Xu residence,

Xu Xu Zaijing immediately went to the stables to check on his master.

While feeding chunks of meat to his muscular, sleek-furred dog, he recounted the encounters from the journey.

"What happened afterward to those elite soldiers you encountered in Chengnan, Yang Zhou?" Xu Xu Zaijing's master asked.

"They were taken away by people from the Imperial City Bureau. Some time later, that Brother Zhao from the Imperial City Bureau actually thanked me with some small trinkets for our family's cotton armor."

Listening to Xu Xu Zaijing's words, a look of deep contemplation filled his master's single eye.

After a while, Xu Xu Zaijing's master shook his head and said, "No more thinking about it; come with me."

Speaking thus, a smile appeared on the master's face: "Take a look at it."

Xu Xu Zaijing followed a few steps behind his master out of the room and saw, in the horse track, a small foal standing beside the beautiful black horse.

Xu Xu Zaijing let out a sharp whistle; the black horse ran over, sniffed him, and then affectionately rubbed against Xu Xu Zaijing.

Beside her followed a small foal that looked no less spirited than the black horse; Xu Xu Zaijing vaulted into the track, knelt on one knee, and kissed this foal as well, but the foal felt no attachment to him and repeatedly tried to break free, only to be conquered after Xu Xu Zaijing picked it up and put it down several times in vain.

Throughout the year, countless officials departed from or arrived in Bianjing; the Sheng family was merely one among them.

However, the news that Xu Xu Zaizhang, the fifth young master of the Xu family, who had made a great impression at the first-day morning court audience, had returned to the capital, spread throughout the entire circle of nobility and aristocracy in Bianjing by the next day.

At exactly the Chen hour (around 8:00 AM)

Liang Liu Lang, the sixth young master of the Liang family, came early to the Xu residence on Quyuanjie; after paying respects to Sun Shi and receiving a chicken drumstick, he proceeded to Xu Xu Zaijing's small courtyard.

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing practicing calligraphy, he did not disturb him, but instead stood under the grapevine in the courtyard, watching Seeing Seeing Qingcao carefully wipe the large fish tank.

Glancing at the cat not far away, Liang Liu Lang offered the half-eaten chicken drumstick in his hand.

The cat glanced at him and ignored him.

After finishing a sheet of calligraphy, Xu Xu Zaijing stretched and walked out of the study; Liang Han set the chicken bones aside, walked over, and asked, "Brother Jing, when do you have time to go to my family's polo ground and Wu Lou?"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled at him and said, "What is the matter? Is not your family's Wu Lou already famous throughout all of Bianjing? Why still drag me along?"

Liang Han scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Is it not that all us brothers miss you?"

Xu Xu Zaijing said nothing; taking the fish food handed over by Seeing Seeing Qingcao, he prepared to feed the fish, but then he paused, counted the fish in the tank, and turned his gaze toward the cat nearby.

Feeling Xu Xu Zaijing's gaze, the cat suddenly leaped up, scrambled several times to the top of the wall, and ran out of Xu Xu Zaijing's courtyard.

"Seeing Seeing Qingcao, next time you see this little beast, beat it out," Xu Xu Zaijing said.

Beside him, Liang Han looked embarrassed, swallowing hard as he met Seeing Seeing Qingcao's confused gaze directed at him.

"Brother Jing, I... I will tell you the truth."

That afternoon, just as the Wei hour arrived,

a group of young masters from the families of nobility and officials in Bianjing were drinking sweet wine in a private room at Yuxian Yuxian Zhengdian,

when Liang Han, who had been at Xu Xu Zaijing's place in the morning, asked a noble young man in the private room, "Did you not say Seeing Rong Rong Xian would come here today? Why has he not arrived yet?"

"Yesterday at Qiyun Tower, he said he was going to buy wine for Lady Fu Fu Chang Hou's banquet; perhaps... we should go directly to the Rong family..."

Just as Liang Han was about to speak, a young tea-and-wine attendant from Yuxian Yuxian Zhengdian hurried in: "Young masters, Young Master Rong has arrived."

"This is for you." Liang Han tossed a string of cash into his hand.

"Thank you for the reward, Sixth Young Master!"

Having said this, Liang Liu Lang glanced at the others in the small room, then turned and exited.

Arriving at the main hall of Yuxian Yuxian Zhengdian, Liang Liu Lang feigned surprise and called out, "Brother Rong! What are you doing here?"

"Liu Lang! I was just about to buy some fine wine."

After exchanging a few more words, Liang Han remarked as if by chance, "Brother Rong, the Jing-ge'er of Marquis Marquis Yongyi's household has returned to the capital; it is said he will play polo the day after tomorrow and will also visit our Wu Lou."

Hearing this, Rong Rong Xian's eyes lit up as he said, "Oh?" Looking at the not-yet-old Liang Han, a thought stirred in Rong Rong Xian's heart, and he said, "Previously in the palace, I competed alongside Jing-ge'er against the Northern Liao barbarians; I have missed him greatly."

"Brother Rong, here are two invitations; this humble brother will await your presence then!"

"Liu Lang, on that day, will it just be our group of young men?"

"Brother Rong, there will be folding screens at the polo grounds then, so it will be no problem even if female relatives attend," Liang Liu Lang said, striving to suppress his somewhat excited voice.

"Good! I will definitely be there then."

Liang Han then pretended to carefully select some wine with Rong Rong Xian before taking his leave to go to a small private room.

In that private box, the group of young masters made a clamor for a while before dispersing separately.

Shen hour, third quarter (around four in the afternoon).

Nan Jiang Tang Lane, not very far from the palace walls.

The Rong residence.

The inner courtyard.

Huixue Courtyard.

Rong Rong Feiyan was at a table in the outer room, holding small shears; she trimmed a few flowers and arranged them in a vase.

Beside her, the maid Seeing Xi Bu watched the flower arrangement in the vase with a puzzled expression and whispered to Seeing Ningxiang nearby, "This... why does it look somewhat familiar, yet I cannot recall where I have seen it?"

Seeing Ningxiang also frowned in thought, then her eyes lit up as she said, "It looks like an archery target; I saw one before at Wu Wu Da Da Niangzi's Wu Lou."

Seeing Xi Bu looked closely and indeed saw a red flower in the center, surrounded by yellow flowers of varying shades.

Hearing the little maid's words, Rong Rong Feiyan adjusted the flowers in the vase with a slightly flushed pretty face, making it look less like an archery target.

Then she glanced across the room, where an elegant soft bow, extremely rare for a boudoir, hung on the opposite wall; next to the soft bow hung a quiver, from which protruded over a dozen white-feathered arrows.

Looking at the feathered arrows, Rong Rong Feiyan smiled at the corner of her mouth, for some reason.

"Sister! Sister!" Rong Rong Xian's noisy voice came over.

This made Rong Rong Feiyan glance around in some panic, while Seeing Xi Bu and Seeing Ningxiang hurriedly squatted and bowed to Rong Rong Xian as he entered.

"Brother, how many times must I say it? Can you wait for the female servants to announce you before coming in?" Hearing his own sister's crisp voice, the smile on Rong Rong Xian's face froze.

Then, disregarding her concern, he said, "Sister, Liang family's Sixth Young Master gave me two invitations, and I heard..."

Before Rong Rong Xian could finish speaking, Rong Rong Feiyan frowned and said, "Brother, didn't I tell you! I have no time to attend those polo gatherings, tea-tasting parties, or fragrance-and-clothing assemblies!"

"Sister, no, I..."

"If you continue like this, I will enter the palace and tell Sister about your conduct these past days!"

Hearing these words, Rong Rong Xian's expression froze; if Sister learned of his conduct... Rong Rong Xian's eyes darted about, then he swallowed, unsure whether he was frightened or had thought of something else.

Amid his chaotic gaze, he spotted the set of feathered arrows on the wall; after looking at them a few times, he struggled to forcefully suppress the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl up, and he heaved a sigh.

Then he walked to the wall where the feathered arrows hung and said, "Alas! Recalling the first day of the month, when I and the young men of the capital competed against those Bai Gao Northern Liao barbarians, today it feels like a dream!"

Rong Rong Feiyan rolled her beautiful eyes at her brother who was pretending to be profound, said nothing, and took a brush to write on a paper beside the vase: "You still have the face to..."

"Today at Yuxian Yuxian Zhengdian I met Liang family's Sixth Young Master, who said that Xu family's Fifth Young Master has returned to the capital; Fifth Young Master still remembers my heroic bearing from that day and invited me to Wu Lou to recall the splendor of that day, so..."

Upon hearing "Xu family's Fifth Young Master," the brush in Rong Rong Feiyan's hand paused; she suddenly lifted her head to look at Rong Rong Xian, a movement so vigorous that the hairpins and ornaments on her head clinked.

"Brother, you!"

"Forget it; this brother will return first, lest I provoke your displeasure and you go to the palace to report on me."

Saying this, Rong Rong Xian shook his head and walked outward; with his back to Rong Rong Feiyan, he glanced backward from the corner of his eye...

"I'll give you half my monthly allowance!" Rong Rong Feiyan's voice came; Rong Rong Xian halted his figure and said, "Two months!"

"Deal! Give me the invitations!"

At dusk.

The young masters who had previously gathered with Liang Han at Yuxian Yuxian Zhengdian dispersed among various Yuxian Zhengdian establishments near Pan Lou, southeast of the imperial palace.

"The day after tomorrow, there will be an elegant tea-tasting gathering at Wu Lou; confirmed news, Miss Rong Rong Feiyan will attend; the invitations are here!"

"Qiao Jiu Lang! Miss Rong hasn't left her home for three months; you are spouting nonsense!" shouted a son of an official family.

"Hehe! This news came from Liang Liu Lang's hands this afternoon; believe it or not as you wish!"

Liang Han had inherited his mother Wu Wu Da Da Niangzi's strengths, and among the young masters of Bianjing, his news was very well-informed and reliable.

"Jiu Lang! I believe it!" said a young man from a noble meritorious family.

"Fifty taels starting price," the youth called Qiao Jiu Lang shouted.

"Here, take this jade pendant! Give me the invitation!"

Qiao Jiu took the jade pendant and examined it carefully but did not hand over the invitation; smiling, he said, "Gao Qi Lang, do not rush! This jade pendant of yours is worth only eighty taels."

"Here is a draft for ninety taels; Jiu Lang, give it to me!"

A round of bidding ensued in the shop.

The next day,

At Pan Lou, in a private box, Liang Han and his companions from yesterday collected their profits; having distributed nearly twenty invitations, they gained nearly five hundred taels.

Subsequently, he lightly tapped his horse's flank and came to Xingguo Ward, where noble meritorious families and high ministers gathered,

delivering several invitations to the Zhang family of the Duke of Britain, the Zheng family of Marquis Marquis Zhongjing, and the Gu family of Marquis Lady Ningyuan.

Jiying Lane.

The Sheng residence.

The items from various courtyards had been moved into the yard yesterday, and now the female servants, maids, and servants were all busy sweeping and cleaning the courtyard.

In Weirui Pavilion, Wang Shi pondered carefully over her elder sister's words from yesterday, then nodded and said, "Nanny Liu, come in!"

Not tonight.

If there are any typos or awkward passages, please do not hesitate to point them out!

The extra chapter for monthly tickets will be released tomorrow!

Thank you all for your support!

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(End of this chapter)