Chapter 326: Zong Ge, have you learned it? [Thank you all for your support!]

"Madam, Princess Pingning and the Young Xiao Xiao Gongye have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Sun Shi said: "Good, good, good! Please invite them in quickly!"

Soon, Qi Heng, dressed in new clothes, followed behind Princess Pingning into the room.

Seeing everyone, Qi Heng bowed and greeted them, then stood beside Xu Zaijing and Lu Zezong.

Princess Pingning's eyes were full of heartfelt smiles. While laughing and talking with Sun Shi, she glanced at Qi Heng, who was standing with Xu and Lu. Princess Pingning couldn't help but think of her own father, the Marquis of Xiangyang.

A few days ago, the Marquis of Xiangyang had almost shamelessly asked the Princess to come to the Xu house to beg the Xu family to add Qi Heng to the list of boys for bed-warming.

Because they knew the Xu family's plans, Princess Pingning had already decided on the candidates who would come with Qi Heng. The one invited was the noble daughter of the Cao family, the Marquis of Tuoxi.

This was a daughter of the Empress's own brother, who had just returned to the capital not long ago and was two or three years younger than Qi Heng.

Since they were coming as a pair and their statuses were so noble, the Empress had also nodded, so Sun Shi naturally did not refuse.

After everyone talked for a while, a maid dressed in festive attire said at the door: "Madam, Your Highness, the Huyan family is almost here."

After Sun Shi and Princess Pingning looked at each other, she said: "Zhang Ge, take your younger brothers to welcome them!"

"Yes, Mother."

At the gate of the Yongyi Marquis Prefecture,

There were six carriages from the Huyan family filled with wedding gifts.

The ones riding horses to deliver the wedding gifts were the legitimate sons of the fourth and fifth branches. Xu Zaijing had met one of them before; it was Huyan Tai, who had assisted the Gu and Xu families in capturing bandits in the Yongcheng section of the Grand Canal.

When Xu Zaijing was talking and introducing them beside Xu Xu Zaizhang,

The Huyan family members also dismounted. When Huyan Tai and the others walked toward the Xu family gate together, looking at the teenagers behind Xu Xu Zaizhang, they secretly clicked their tongues in their hearts.

This... Xu Zaijing, who is favored by the Emperor, is set aside for now;

This Young Xiao Xiao Gongye Lu, the future Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian, is Xu Zaijing's sworn brother;

Young Xiao Xiao Gongye Qi, the future Xiao Xiao Gongye of Qi, is a classmate of the Xu brothers!

Xu Xu Zaizhang is the eldest son-in-law of Minister Sheng of the Ministry of Personnel.

Look at their own family again; they are no longer the descendants of the Marquis of Jinghai. If it weren't for the Yongyi Marquis expressing his stance, they wouldn't even know if they could keep their official positions.

Not to mention other business interests.

Huyan Tai and the others hadn't thought much before they saw Xu Xu Zaizhang smiling and taking the initiative to walk over with his hands cupped. He even opened his arms and hugged Huyan Tai and the others.

Xu Zaijing followed behind with the same actions.

The two brothers hugged the Huyan family members with quite a bit of force. Whether this was enthusiasm or something else, it was a matter of opinion.

Qi Heng's movements were a bit stiff, while Lu Zezong was full of interest.

This immediately hugged away all the anxiety of the Huyan family members.

"A joyful journey, please come in!"

"Please!"

Entering the hall for guests in the courtyard, Huyan Tai and the others finally saw the eldest legitimate son of the Xu family, Xu Zaiduan.

The reason he didn't go out today was that the Marquis of Xu was currently stationed in the north, and Xu Zaiduan was returning to the capital on his father's behalf, so he was considered an elder in terms of status.

Everyone sat down, and dishes and wine were served.

Inner courtyard.

Xie family's Third Miss Xie Rui, Gu Tingyi, the three Lans, and several cousins from the maternal Sun family were accompanying Anmei as relatives.

A group of young ladies were chattering, talking about the wedding dress and headpiece placed behind Anmei.

In the past two years, Xu Minghua had become increasingly important, and the Xu family had become increasingly prominent. Anmei's wedding also had the intentions of Bai Daniang and Pingmei,

So Anmei's wedding dress and headpiece were even more complex and valuable than Pingmei's.

Don't look at how Rulan is talking intimately with the Sun family cousins now;

In fact, at the beginning, Rulan, like Seeing Mo Lan, ignored the Sun family girls.

But listening to the plots of the miscellaneous books and novels in the capital that the Sun family cousins were chatting about, Rulan's ears pricked up.

Rulan walked to the side of the Sun family cousins unconsciously, inserting a few words from time to time. No matter what, Rulan was also the legitimate daughter of a scholarly family.

She had seen more miscellaneous books than the Sun family girls. After a while, Rulan was like a fish in water, chattering non-stop, and was having a heart-to-heart talk with the Sun family girls.

Seeing Mo Lan huddled beside Gu Tingyi and Xie Rui. Relying on the fact that Minglan got along well with Gu Tingyi, she also inserted a few words.

And the one that Anmei and Gu Tingyi were focusing on was an eight or nine-year-old girl sitting on the bed. This was the Empress's own niece.

This noble girl didn't know if it was because she wasn't used to the climate, but her complexion was not very good, and since everyone around her was a stranger, she was a bit constrained.

Everyone was chatting happily.

Huaxiang walked in with a smile, bowed, and said with a smile: "Young ladies, the Huyan family's wedding gifts have arrived."

Hearing this, the young ladies in the room stopped talking one after another and looked at Anmei with a smile.

It made Anmei, who had a straightforward personality, feel shy.

Minglan smiled, grabbed a few candied fruits from the tray held by Yunxiang, and distributed them to Gu Tingyi, Anmei, and that Cao family noble girl.

Gu Tingyi gently pinched Minglan's white and chubby small face and said: "Minglan, didn't you say you wanted to diet? If you eat more, you will be even fatter."

Minglan looked at the candied fruits in her hand and said: "If I don't eat my fill, where will I get the strength to diet!"

As soon as this was said, the Cao family noble girl and the others beside her all laughed.

Anmei also lovingly touched Minglan's small bun.

Minglan ate to herself, looking at the room full of girls, and thought to herself, when her eldest sister got married before, it wasn't this lively.

Early Weishi (after 1:00 PM).

Lunch was already finished.

On Quyuanjie, several luxurious carriages arrived again.

The carriages drove directly to the second gate of the Yongyi Marquis Prefecture. One by one, the noble ladies, either holding the hands of their nurses or their maids, walked off the carriage and walked toward Sun Shi's courtyard.

For a time, the road to the Xu family matriarch's courtyard was filled with pearls and jade, and the air was filled with jewelry and finery.

The noble ladies first met Sun Shi, and only then went to find Anmei.

Wu Daniang also arrived at Sun Shi's room at this time, having just teased the only two male babies in the room wearing open-crotch pants.

Looking at the charming young ladies one by one, Wu Daniang cracked white pumpkin seeds and whispered to Bai Daniang beside her.

"Yo, this is the first time Zheng Ni has worn clothes of this color!"

"Miss Feiyan's skin looks really white!"

While speaking, Wu Daniang had a smile on her face, nodding and greeting the noble ladies who looked over from time to time.

"Zhang Wu Niang is... Hahaha, she was released by her mother. I just said, how could Little Wu Niang miss this excitement."

"Aiyo, this Miss Zhengzheng, she is dressed really well!"

Listening to Wu Daniang's words, Bai Daniang also cracked melon seeds and nodded repeatedly. In her eyes looking at the young ladies, there was both appreciation and scrutiny.

"Big Sister Wu, which family is the young lady in that corner from?"

Hearing Bai Daniang's words, Wu Daniang leaned out to look and said: "The eldest daughter of the Yu family, Yanran."

Bai Daniang nodded, then her eyes lit up and she said: "And this one who just came in?"

Wu Daniang looked at Bai Shi with a smile and said: "The second daughter of the Hai family, Chaoyun."

"Hiss! The Hai family?"

"Hmm!"

Bai Daniang looked at Hai Chaoyun, nodded with satisfaction, and said with some regret: "What a pity! This Hai family does not allow concubines!"

Wu Daniang on the side raised her eyebrows.

Soon the young ladies left this place and went to where Anmei was. In the hall, the madams began to discuss in a buzzing manner.

Several of them even came to Wu Daniang to inquire about it.

Anmei's small courtyard.

The three Lans and the Sun family sisters had already sensibly come outside the house.

At this time, it was around the Weishi hour, which was the warmest time of the day.

Inside Anmei's room.

The young ladies, who were a bit constrained in front of the matriarchs just now, were much more relaxed.

Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan were talking to Anmei.

Anmei's personal maid Ye'er would occasionally hold a jewelry box and walk out, and after being registered by a special person, it would be placed in Anmei's dowry room.

The steward in charge of registration looked at the items in the jewelry box and clicked his tongue in surprise. Nothing else, they were too valuable.

Looking at the appearance of everyone in the room, especially seeing Rong Feiyan, whom she had met several times and was fairly familiar with, the Cao family noble girl became a bit more lively than before.

Everyone gave their gifts and talked.

After a while, Cuichan, who was beside Hualan, came to invite the Cao family noble girl, as they were preparing to go to the Huyan family.

The Huyan family sent six carriages of wedding gifts. In fact, the Xu family could return twelve carriages or even more.

But the Xu family only returned the same six carriages of gifts.

On the way to the Huyan family.

Xu Zaijing was riding a horse, with Lu Zezong in front of him, and Qi Heng riding a horse beside him.

In the carriage behind them sat the daughter of the Marquis of Tuoxi and the nurses holding the eldest grandsons of the Gu and Xu families.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong's new wedding courtyard was not in the same residence as Madam Pan and the former Marquis of Jinghai and his wife.

It was newly purchased by the Huyan and Pan families. The courtyard area was not smaller than the Sheng family's, but the location was much better.

At the gate of Seeing Hu Yanjiong's new wedding courtyard, Xu Zaijing saw Madam Pan and hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed, saying:

"Greetings, Auntie, may you have a peaceful spring!"

Madam Pan looked at the young boys and girls from the noble families beside Xu Zaijing and nodded with a smile in her eyes.

Without saying much, everyone walked into the new wedding room, and Zhu Mama directed the maids to start decorating.

Similar to the decoration when Hualan married over to the Sheng family at the Xu house, they hung curtains, made the bed, and placed jewelry boxes.

After the decoration was completed, because he and Xu Xu Zaizhang had already rolled on the bed once when Pingmei got married.

Xu Zaijing, once bitten twice shy, rolled on the bed quite skillfully, said the auspicious words, and immediately walked outside.

Qi Heng and Lu Zezong imitated it with great interest.

The daughter of the Cao family, the Marquis of Tuoxi, stayed until the end and completed the rolling on the bed together with the two babies, Xu Xingdai and his cousin.

Looking at the simple and honest appearance of the two babies, this girl smiled a lot more.

Outside the door, seeing Lu Zezong and Qi Heng come out.

Xu Zaijing said: "Zong Ge, have you learned it?"

Lu Zezong blinked, looked at Xu Zaijing, and smiled: "Brother, I've learned it!"

Xu Zaijing looked at the busy servants in the courtyard and said: "Hmm, you are the youngest and have many sisters at home, you must warm the bed at least six times."

Lu Zezong nodded with a serious expression, as if he had a heavy responsibility.

At this time, the Cao family noble girl walked out with the nurses holding the Gu and Xu family children. After glancing at Qi Heng and Lu Zezong, she lowered her head slightly.

Afterward, Zhu Mama arranged for the maids to stay and watch, and Xu Zaijing took everyone to the banquet prepared by the Huyan family.

Nowadays, the Pan family almost monopolizes trade with the Jin Kingdom, and their family assets are abundant.

When the Xu family servants and maids who followed, such as Zhu Mama and Cuichan, sat at the banquet, and the Huyan family's nurse distributed the wedding money, everyone checked it, and there was joy on their faces.

After finishing the meal.

Xu Zaijing took everyone back to Quyuanjie.

After talking for a while in the room in Sun Shi's courtyard.

Princess Pingning soon said goodbye with Qi Heng and the Cao family noble girl. Xu Zaijing accompanied his mother and sister-in-law to see them off to the carriage at the second gate.

Returning to the courtyard, Xu Zaijing sat on a chair, drinking hangover soup. From morning until now, he had really drunk a lot of wine.

And Zhu Mama and Cuichan continued to talk about what they saw and heard at the Huyan family.

At this time, a maid walked over holding the keys and handed them to Sun Shi.

Xu Zaijing had sharp eyes and knew that they were for the room by the racetrack.

These two days, there were many people and it was chaotic, and the room by the racetrack was full of weapons. Whether it was Master Yin Bo's room door or elsewhere, they were all locked.

Xu Zaijing asked in confusion: "Mother, this is?"

Sun Shi smiled and looked at her daughters-in-law, saying:

"It's because the young ladies of several noble families heard from Zhang Wu Niang that the room the Li family repaired for our family was neat and good-looking. Before leaving, they begged me for the keys."

After Xu Zaijing nodded, he took another sip of hangover soup.

The sound of carriage wheels rumbling.

Outside the carriage, there were also the voices of commoners on the street, talking, shouting, and hawking.

In the carriage, after Seeing Xi Bu and Ningxiang looked at each other, they said:

"Young Lady, you..."

Rong Feiyan, who seemed to be thinking about something, looked over and said:

"Seeing Xi Bu, what's wrong?"

"Young Lady, I don't know why, but when Ningxiang and I followed you into the room by the field of the Xu family's young master, it felt a bit different!"

Rong Feiyan asked in confusion: "Different? Is it?"

Ningxiang nodded hurriedly and said:

"Young Lady, there is! The room where our young master keeps his weapons, I have also helped clean it several times, but..."

Ningxiang tilted her head and thought for a while, then said:

"But, I can't say it, it just feels like the Xu family's room is different from ours."

Rong Feiyan smiled and said: "Should it be neater and cleaner than my brother's room?"

The two maids looked at each other, nodded hesitantly, and then seemed to think of something else, saying:

"Young Lady, the arrows used by the Xu family's young master, why are they so thick?"

Seeing Xi Bu said, measuring with her hand, and continued:

"I also saw Miss Zhengzheng behind us, she was carefully weighing an arrow!"

Rong Feiyan nodded, she had also seen it.

The carriage drove north along the bustling street.

In the carriage, Miss Yun Mu sat on one side, smiling and saying to Chai Zhengzheng, who was sitting in the middle:

"Young Lady, you are in such a good mood after getting on the carriage!"

Chai Zhengzheng lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the street scene outside, and said with a smile on her lips:

"Stained with the joy of Big Sister Anmei, naturally I am in a good mood!"

Miss Yun Mu pursed her lips and nodded noncommittally.

Another personal little maid beside her, Fuyi, said:

"Young Lady, that iron spear placed in the room, Miss Feiyan and Miss Zhang, neither of them could lift it. Is it really something a person can use?"

Chai Zhengzheng put down the carriage curtain in her hand, looked over, and said: "Naturally, there are people who can use it."

"Oh!"

Passing through the bustling Pan Lou Main Street, passing outside the Donghua Gate of the Imperial City, and turning into an alley with white walls and blue tiles, the surroundings became much quieter.

Getting off the carriage at the second gate and returning to her courtyard.

While helping Chai Zhengzheng change her clothes, Miss Yun Mu said:

"Young Lady, when we came out of that room, Miss Feiyan's personal maid even asked me!"

Chai Zhengzheng looked over in confusion.

"Asked me if I felt anything different!"

Chai Zhengzheng stopped changing her clothes and replied: "Is there anything different?"

Miss Yun Mu nodded and said: "Yes, but I can't say where."

Chai Zhengzheng signaled Miss Yun Mu to continue, and then said to the other maid: "Fuyi, go to the door of the outer room and watch."

"Yes, Young Lady."

There were only the two of them in the room. Chai Zhengzheng whispered: "Miss Yun Mu, did you see the arrow I was holding?"

Miss Yun Mu nodded while hanging Chai Zhengzheng's clothes on the rack and said: "I saw it. You pulled it out of the quiver. What's wrong, Young Lady?"

Chai Zhengzheng whispered: "Those arrows and that iron spear have killed people."

Miss Yun Mu's hand trembled, and she lowered her voice, saying:

"Ah? Young Lady, this... have killed people?"

"Was it... before in Yan..."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded. When Qingyun was cleaning the bloodstains on the arrows and the iron spear, she was watching from the side.

Miss Yun Mu whispered: "No wonder it felt a bit different."

The sky was already dark.

Yongyi Marquis Prefecture.

The kitchen was brightly lit, and the kitchen staff were coming in and out, still busy preparing dishes for tomorrow.

In Anmei's courtyard.

A pair of clean little civet cats were carried out by the maid.

On the bed in the bedroom.

Just now, her mother Sun Shi had already told Anmei about her dowry.

The dowry given by the Xu family was set aside for now.

For the others, just like when Pingmei got married, Old Madam Sheng also gave her a manor.

Her sister Pingmei added two shops in a bustling section of Bianjing, while Xie Shi and Hualan each gave shares of the "Gold Unchanged" business in the south.

Other relatives mostly gave silver notes, jewelry, and the like.

Putting the certificates for the land and shops together with the silver notes into a precious wooden box.

Sun Shi reached out and tucked Anmei's loose hair behind her ear, saying:

"Nowadays, the Huyan family has encountered changes, but your father sees that Jiong Ge is still motivated. In the future, if he achieves merit, it is not impossible to restore the title."

Anmei nodded.

"Your mother-in-law is a good person. The courtyard is newly purchased just so that you young couple can be undisturbed."

"But after you enter the Huyan family, you cannot be arrogant because of favor, and because our family's situation is good, you cannot act wildly! But you also cannot be bullied by others and not say a word!"

"Hmm, I know, Mother!"

Sun Shi breathed out deeply, looked at her daughter, and said:

"Time passes so quickly."

"By the way, the embroidered painting sent by the Sheng family's Little Niang that you were thinking about has also been put in your trunk. You can look at it yourself later."

Anmei nodded hurriedly.

After speaking, Sun Shi got up from the bed, touched Anmei's cheek again, and then turned and left the room.

A quarter of an hour later.

Ye'er poked her head in and looked at Anmei, saying:

"Young Lady, the two Daniangzi have arrived."

"Please invite them in!"

Xie Shi and Hualan walked in with their arms linked, carrying things with their maids. Anmei smiled with a blushing face:

"Sisters-in-law, please sit down. Ye'er, serve tea!"

After a while, the maids all retreated from the bedroom.

Xie Shi looked at Hualan and said: "An Jie, your second sister-in-law and I want to tell you some things..."

A quarter of an hour later.

Xie Shi and Hualan walked out together. Hualan nodded with some discomfort on her face and said: "Eldest sister-in-law, what you said... is very good."

Xie Shi said: "Is it different from what the Sheng family's Auntie said?"

Hualan: "..."

Early morning.

The sky was bright.

Xu Zaijing and his two brothers stood outside the ancestral hall door.

Sniffing lightly, it was full of the smell of incense and burnt paper money.

Anmei's prayer voice came from the ancestral hall: "Ancestors, please listen, today I marry, I dare not act on my own..."

Listening to her sister's words, Xu Zaijing looked up at the clear blue sky and thought to himself:

I don't know if my great-aunt prayed like this when she got married decades ago.

Back then, when great-aunt said "dare not act on my own," would her voice have become lower?

I don't know if great-aunt's was lower, but his own sister's voice in the ancestral hall was indeed much lower:

"Five sons... two daughters, seven children reunited. Two sons-in-law, accomplished and virtuous."

After praying, Anmei returned to the courtyard, and the Full-Fortune Madam began to thread her face.

Xu Zaijing and his two brothers came to the front hall for guests in the front courtyard.

Gu Tingyu was sitting on a chair at this time, talking to several elders of the clan who came from Daizhou. Don't look at Gu Tingyu's young age,

But whether in the Gu family or the Xu family, when discussing matters, his seat was always very far forward.

Xu Zaijing looked at his kind brother-in-law and then looked at himself.

One civil and one military.

Before Seeing Hu Yanjiong enters the Xu family gate, he must let him experience what despair is!!!

Gu Tingyu, who was on the chair, looked at his brother-in-law Xu Zaijing and smiled.

During the time Seeing Hu Yanjiong went north with him, he was not afraid of the bitter cold in winter and went into the river. His performance along the way, coupled with the support of the Gu and Xu families,

He will definitely have a future.

He understood his brother-in-law's meaning!

Before, when he married Pingmei, Little Five didn't make things difficult for him, the brother-in-law.

Thinking of this, Gu Tingyu nodded slightly and gave Xu Zaijing a "leave it to me" look.

At this time, a servant came to the door, cupped his hands at everyone, and said: "Gentlemen, the Huyan family has sent wedding gifts again."

South of Bianjing City.

Outside the Nanxun Gate.

A convoy, mostly flatbed carriages with small flags with the character "Bai" on them, arrived here.

A man on one of the carriages looked at the towering city gate tower and said to the carriage behind him:

"Mother, Madam, we have arrived in Bianjing."

Hearing this,

In the carriage, a woman whose face looked somewhat like Wei Shuyi lifted the carriage curtain and looked out.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 327 =====