Chapter 302

The elderly Xiao Xiao Gongye Ling and his wife sat in the main hall.

Behind a screen to one side,

Madam Li, the second wife of the Xiao Xiao Gongye's eldest legitimate son who had died young, was sitting on an embroidered stool, clutching a handkerchief, listening to the words outside with eyes full of concern.

"Xiao Xiao Gongye, this humble servant followed our young master to the Xu residence this morning. After playing for a while, descendants of other noble families also went, inviting him to go see the Great Nu Ritual coming out of the palace!"

"The young master wanted to go too..."

"Originally, he was going to take a carriage, but the young master found Jingge'er's mount incredibly rare. Our family's relative, Wulang, had his servant change the saddle, and they prepared to go out riding together."

Hearing this, the Xiao Xiao Gongye stroked his graying beard in approval, while the Duchess and Madam Li behind the screen both looked worried.

The Old Madam asked, "Didn't our nanny stop him?"

The servant said:

"Replying to the Madam, she did stop him."

"But as soon as Wulang heard that Zongge'er had never ridden a horse, he said that a boy still needs to exercise and gain experience."

"The two of them trotted around the racetrack twice. The nanny saw it was safe, and the young master was very happy, so she allowed it."

The Old Madam nodded and said, "What else? What time did they return?"

Hearing her mother-in-law's question, Madam Li also pricked up her ears to listen intently.

"They said it was around 3:40 PM!"

"The nanny said the young master fell asleep on the way back!"

Seeing the Old Madam's worried look, the servant immediately said:

"The nanny said, Old Madam and Madam, please don't worry. When the young master fell asleep, Wulang protected him very well, and he didn't suffer from any wind or cold."

"He was wrapped in a cloak and carried directly to Madam Sun's warm bed."

The Old Madam nodded and said again, "Then why did you come back so late?"

The servant cupped his hands:

"Replying to the Old Madam, it was the nanny who told this servant to wait until the young master woke up before returning."

The Old Madam nodded and waved her hand gently to signal him to continue.

The servant bowed and said, "The young master slept for more than half an hour. When he woke up and was talking to the nanny, he said..."

He raised his eyes to look at the Old Madam before continuing:

"He said that Jingge'er took him racing from the Nanxun Gate all the way to the Xinzheng Gate, overtaking the young masters of the Zhang and Gu families along the way."

Hearing this, everyone reacted differently. The Old Madam and Madam Li both looked somewhat worried.

But the Xiao Xiao Gongye Ling laughed when he heard this:

"Hahahaha, this brat! His sworn brother takes him out to play, and he turns around and sells him out!"

The Old Madam glared at the Xiao Xiao Gongye and asked, "Was Zongge'er frightened?"

The servant shook his head:

"This humble servant doesn't think so, because the nanny relayed the young master's words as saying he wanted to play more times."

"However, I heard the nanny say that after Madam Sun found out about this, she chased Wulang and slapped him quite a few times."

Behind the screen, Madam Li felt some concern upon hearing this. Just as she was about to have her maidservant go and ask, she heard the servant say:

"The nanny said, Old Madam and Madam, please don't worry. Madam Sun said Wulang has thick skin and flesh, and it made her hands hurt."

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Ling continued to stroke his beard and asked, "What was Zongge'er doing before you came?"

"When the nanny sent this servant back, she said the young master was setting off firecrackers with Wulang."

The Old Madam and Madam Li, who had just calmed down, had their hearts jump back into their throats:

"Setting off firecrackers is so dangerous! What if he gets pricked by bamboo splinters?"

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Ling sat in his chair and shook his head:

"It's fine. And it's too late to say anything now, don't worry about it!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand and said, "Take your reward and go!"

The servant cupped his hands and left.

Madam Li also walked out from behind the screen:

"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Zong'er has never slept outside before. This daughter-in-law is worried in her heart."

The Old Madam nodded repeatedly.

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Ling said:

"If he really couldn't stay, it's not like the Xu family doesn't have carriages! Let's go, let's go see the children of the third branch."

Quyuanjie.

Lanterns hung on both sides of the street.

From time to time, patrolling guards stood for a while under the lanterns at the street corners.

Lanterns were lit on the distant fire-watching tower, clearly indicating someone was on duty.

The main gate of the Marquis Yongyi Xu family was closed, but the lanterns at the gate hadn't been taken down; long candles stood inside the lanterns, meant to burn all night.

In the spacious main courtyard,

Madam Xie was holding her son, Zaizhang was keeping Hualan company, and Anmei was holding incense sticks in her hand.

They were all looking ahead.

In the middle of the courtyard, Xu Zaijing was holding Lu Zezong in his arms. Lu Zezong was holding a lit incense stick, and the glowing red tip was brought near the fuse of a firecracker.

Seeing the fuse ignite, before Lu Zezong could react, he had already been carried away to the side by Xu Zaijing.

The fuse burned out, but there was no sound of an explosion; only a spinning firework, hissing and sparking, ran back and forth on the ground.

Qingcao, Hua Xiang, and Yun Xiang were also standing to the side watching with great interest, but somehow, the sparking "fire rat" firework "darted" to their feet.

It scared the three young maidservants in their new cotton clothes so much that they shrieked and jumped, running toward the house.

This caused everyone in the courtyard to laugh.

When Xu Zaijing turned his head, he saw Hualan's hand urging Zaizhang to go light one too.

Thanks to the relationship between the Lu and Li families, the Xu family had received quite a few exquisitely crafted fireworks and firecrackers. When Lu Zezong lit another firework that sprayed a tree of fire,

Qingcao, Hua Xiang, and the three sisters returned to the courtyard, watching the beautiful fireworks in the field beside Xu Zaijing.

After setting them off for another half hour, Nanny Zhu came to the courtyard to call everyone back into the house to prepare for the meal.

Xu Zaijing was not in a hurry; he stayed behind, waiting for everyone else to enter the house first.

Qingcao, Hua Xiang, and Yun Xiang waited beside him.

Xu Zaijing closed his eyes,

Sniffed the scent of fireworks and firecrackers in the cold air,

And looked up at the night sky with eyes full of emotion.

"Young Master?"

Hearing Qingcao's call,

Xu Zaijing exhaled a puff of white air toward the night sky,

Lowered his head and said, "Let's go, let's go inside too."

Inside the Imperial Palace,

A team of Imperial Guards, each carrying a lantern, patrolled through the palace.

On the open ground in front of the palace,

Fireworks still rose into the sky from time to time, exploding and scattering sparks.

Inside the palace hall, which was brightly lit by candlelight,

The Emperor and Empress sat together, smiling as they watched their only Imperial Prince.

At this time, the Imperial Prince Zhao Fang was standing in front of Consort Rong,

Looking carefully at the little princess in Consort Rong's arms.

"Consort Rong, little sister still looks more like you. Looking like you is good, pretty and beautiful!"

Consort Rong looked at the loving expression in Zhao Fang's eyes and said with a smile, "It would be better if she looked like her Imperial elder sister; that would be even prettier!"

Hearing Consort Rong's words, Zhao Fang turned his head to look at his little sister in the Empress's arms and smiled, showing his teeth.

Later that evening,

The Emperor, Empress, and consorts finished their meal.

The Empress invited Consort Rong to come into the hall to play card games.

The Grand Eunuch helped the Emperor, who had drunk some wine, take off his shoes and boots.

The Grand Eunuch looked at the Emperor, who was leaning leisurely against the bolster by the side of the bed.

The Emperor first glanced at the Empress and Consort Rong, who were very interested in their card game, then looked with great affection at Zhao Fang and the two princesses sleeping on the bed.

Then he waved his hand toward the Grand Eunuch.

The eunuch hurried to the Emperor's side and helped him massage his shoulders.

While Xu Zaijing was still setting off fireworks,

In Jingying Lane,

The Sheng family.

The young Sheng Changmei was brought to Shou'an Hall by the Old Madam.

Wei Shuyi also followed along.

Lin Xiao Niang was in Lin Qige, eating her meal while being served by Zhou Xueniang.

In the warm chamber of Wang Ruofu's Weiruixuan,

A banquet table had already been set.

Because the Old Madam was not there, Wang Ruofu naturally didn't need to stand and serve the dishes.

Instead, she sat at the head of the table with Sheng Hong.

The Sheng family's main branch was doing big business, and the dividends Sheng Hong received were not small. Added to the returns from Wang Ruofu's "investments,"

Tonight's banquet was even more luxurious than in previous years.

Sheng Hong looked around at his two sons and three daughters at the table.

Changbai was steady, Changfeng was handsome.

Seeing Mo Lan was gentle and beautiful, Rulan was cute and naive.

Minglan was white and chubby.

Thinking that his eldest daughter was now married into the Marquis's residence and his own official career was considered smooth,

Sheng Hong smiled with great satisfaction and said, "Bai'er, you are the eldest son, and you have been studying for quite some time. Before we start the banquet today, recite a poem first."

Changbai stood up expressionlessly, bowed to Sheng Hong and his wife, and said:

"Next year, how can there be no young men who can be praised."

Wang Ruofu, sitting at the table, blinked and said:

"Bai'er, why does this poem sound so familiar to your mother?"

As she spoke, she looked at Liu Mama beside her, and Liu Mama nodded hesitantly.

Rulan, who was to the side, pouted and said, "Mother, brother recited this same poem the year before last and last year..."

Minglan blinked her eyes and looked at Changbai, nodding.

Changbai bowed and sat down.

"Feng'er, you recite one too."

Changfeng stood up:

"Yes, Father! The north wind blows the snow at the beginning of the fourth watch..."

After he finished reciting, Seeing Mo Lan said, "Father, my brother recited a new poem, different from last year."

Sheng Hong smiled and let Changfeng sit down before saying:

"Mo'er, now that Hua'er is married, you are the eldest among the sisters at home, you recite one too."

When they were staying up for the New Year,

Changbai was looking at the book in his hand, writing a few characters from time to time, while the other younger siblings were playing.

Xiaoya Lane.

The Ni family residence.

Lanterns hung at the gate.

In the hall of the outer room of the cold main house,

Sacrificial offerings were placed in front of the spirit tablets inscribed with the names of their ancestors.

The incense sticks in the incense burner had already burned out.

But the candles on the candlestick were still lit.

In the inner room, separated by a wooden door,

A still-vigorous furnace fire was burning, making the whole room quite warm.

There were leftovers on the table.

Beside a candle lit on the table, there were two young people, one big and one small, holding books and studying.

Under the quilt on the bed nearby, a little girl was sleeping soundly, making snoring sounds.

The smaller young person walked over and straightened his sister's head, and the snoring sound disappeared.

When he turned back, he saw his elder brother had already put away their books.

"Brother?"

"No more reading. Now I'll test you: 'To be a person who is filial and fraternal,' what is the next sentence?"

"But likes to offend superiors."

Xingguo Lane.

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi's residence.

Qi Heng, who had drunk some fruit wine with his parents, was already dazed on the couch.

Buwei was serving attentively to the side.

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi and Princess Pingning were wearing thick cloaks.

The couple stood outside the hall, using the light of the lanterns to look at the characters pasted on the door.

Princess Pingning said, "I don't know if it's the effect of that inkstone, but I see Hengge'er's calligraphy has improved; it's even better."

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi nodded in approval and said:

"These days, people have been coming to me about the Chai family's affairs! I'm looking to see if..."

Princess Pingning put away her smile and looked at the Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi, saying:

"What kind of families are those? Do they really think I can't see clearly that what they are after is Zhengzheng's dowry?"

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi said:

"They are families of dukes and marquises, after all; they still have some power."

Princess Pingning snorted coldly:

"I think it's power used to bully good families!"

"If they really have the guts, they should either enter the imperial examinations or enter the battlefield. Look at what those families are entering!"

"It's either the pleasure quarters or..."

Princess Pingning stopped herself, shook her head in disgust.

The Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi sighed and nodded, "Then I will decline them."

Princess Pingning nodded, entered the room to look at the still-dazed Qi Heng,

And glared at the Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi again.

The Ningyuan Marquis Gu family residence next to the Qi family.

Madam Bai was sitting beside Pingmei, who was picking up vegetables from the dish in Nanny Chang's hand and putting them into the bowl in front of Madam Bai.

Madam Bai grabbed Pingmei's wrist and said with a smile, "Alright, you eat your own meal, don't worry about me."

"Yes."

Pingmei put down her chopsticks and looked with Madam Bai at Gu Dalang and Gu Er Lang in front of the table.

At this time, Gu Dalang was holding a wine cup, looking at Gu Er Lang, who was frowning and thinking, and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp:

"Erlang, have you thought of a way to solve the problem?"

"Brother, give me a little more time, let me think about it again."

Gu Tingyi sat on an embroidered stool with her little nephew on her lap. She held the little nephew's arm and shook it, saying:

"Your father has stumped your uncle!"

Pingmei, who was to the side, didn't interject to ask her husband to change the topic, but used her chopsticks to pick up vegetables and feed her own big son.

Nanny Chang, who was serving to the side, looked at Gu Tingye with eyes full of anxiety, secretly cheering him on.

Gu Er Lang racked his brains, his eyes lit up, and he said, "I've got it!"

Hearing this, Nanny Chang smiled as if she were happier than Gu Tingye himself.

Beginning of the Zi hour (11:00 PM).

Near the palace wall.

The Chai family.

In the warm main hall,

Chai Zhengzheng's father and two elder brothers were already drunk and lying on the bed.

Chai Zhengzheng was playing card games with her mother and maidservants.

"Boom!"

The sound of a firework exploding came from afar.

"This Bianjing is truly Bianjing; it's so late and people are still setting off fireworks."

Madam Chai sighed and said, "Zhengzheng, are you playing or not?"

Chai Zhengzheng looked at the cards in her hand and shook her head, "No."

After she finished speaking, Chai Zhengzheng continued to be in a daze. Just as she was about to think of something, the maidservant Yun Mu to the side said, "Da Niangzi?"

Chai Zhengzheng was stunned, frowned, and said, "Oh my, why is it my turn again? You guys keep winning, I'm not playing anymore!"

Madam Chai glanced at her and said, "Then give up your seat, Ziteng, you come play!"

Chai Zhengzheng gave the cards to the maidservant. She sat down on the embroidered stool behind the table to the side, looking at the things for making incense on the table, and began to fiddle with them out of boredom.

Madam Chai was playing cards and glanced at Chai Zhengzheng not far away.

Under the bright candlelight,

Chai Zhengzheng's set of red gold and ruby jewelry not only made her skin look like jade, her eyebrows like ink paintings, and her lips red without lipstick,

But it also complemented the light-colored jacket and bright red skirt she was wearing.

Watching Chai Zhengzheng's distracted look, Madam Chai said, "Zhengzheng?"

Chai Zhengzheng looked over in confusion: "Mother, what's wrong?"

"In two days, let's go buy a few more sets of ruby jewelry; you look good wearing them."

Chai Zhengzheng: "Oh!"

After saying "oh," she continued to lean over the table "studying" incense making. She decided not to think about him anymore!

Yeah!

Anyway, she had to enter the palace to see the Emperor tomorrow morning.

Northern front line.

Military prefecture under the Marquis Yongyi.

Because he held the Marquis's post and brought his family with him,

Guo Kui was assigned a small courtyard in the city.

Amidst the sparse sound of firecrackers coming from afar, Guo Kui returned to the small courtyard wearing his armor.

He placed a small porcelain bottle on the table. Before he could open his mouth, the mistress of the house said:

"It's New Year's Eve, why are you back so late?"

Hearing the words of the mistress of the house, Guo Kui felt the warmth in the small room, smiled, and didn't answer, but instead said:

"This charcoal fire is burning quite well!"

"Yes, I heard that when they were preparing the coal before, the son of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of England had his men bring a lot more!"

When she was helping Guo Kui take off his armor, he would hiss from time to time.

"What's wrong? Are you injured?"

Guo Kui nodded and said, "Yes, the Xu Hou's personal guards are truly capable of fighting! Here, use this to help me apply it."

He pointed to the small porcelain bottle on the table and continued, "They say it's an excellent medicine for reducing swelling personally prepared by the Xu Hou's medical officer. The Xu Hou's personal guards say the effect is surprisingly good."

"Master, then what rank are you now?"

Listening to the blunt question from the maidservant who was holding a basin of water,

Guo Kui said, "I am now a ten-man commander by the Xu Hou's side, and I also received a precious sword."

After applying the medicine to Guo Kui's injury and securing it with cloth, the three of them began to eat.

Marquis Yongyi's residence.

Xu Dalang looked at Di Jing, who was being helped to apply medicine by Yu Huguang:

"How is this one recommended by Little Five?"

Di Jing hissed and said, "He's just so-so, but he's stronger than those few."

As he spoke, Di Jing lifted his chin. Beside him, Ye Fang and Scar-face Hu Ma buried their heads in shame.

The sky was about to dawn.

Lu Zezong stood awkwardly in front of Xu Zaijing: "Sworn brother, can I not go and 'sell foolishness'..."

Xu Zaijing said with a straight face, "Zongge'er, do you want to become a fool?"

Lu Zezong shook his head.

"Then you have to go to the main gate and shout three times, otherwise..."

The young Lu Zezong lowered his head and said, "Alright, in the other home, others always shouted for me..."

"That's why you aren't smart."

"Oh."

After a while,

Lu Zezong's "selling foolishness" shouting echoed through Quyuanjie.

After Xu Zaijing brought him back with a smile,

He slapped the firecracker debris to pray for blessings.

Qingcao followed closely behind as in previous years,

Slapping the fire pile with a bamboo pole tied with copper coins,

But this year, she also brought the sisters Hua Xiang and Yun Xiang behind her.

The Rong family.

Rong Xian was waiting listlessly beside the carriage at the gate.

When he saw his younger sister walking out of the courtyard,

His eyes widened:

"Little sister, you didn't sleep last night, what happened to you..."

(End of chapter)