Chapter 465: Better go to the Xu family less in the future [Bowing in thanks! Bowing again!

Wu hour (after 11:00 AM)

The sun is fierce,

The spring breeze is blowing gently,

The emerald green branches and leaves of the willow trees hanging on the shore are swaying gently in the wind.

On the sparkling water surface of Jinming Pool,

The huge and exquisite large dragon boat is sailing towards the Ao House on the north bank,

The thick and long oars extending from both sides of the boat are rowing in unison, and splashes of water are stirred up between the oars being raised and falling.

With the dragging assistance of dozens of small dragon boats and tiger-head boats around,

And because the guests on the boat had already disembarked, the speed of this large dragon boat was quite considerable.

When the large dragon boat was slowly stopped into the tall Ao House,

Xu Zaijing had already arrived at the place where Gu Tingye, Liang Han, and others were fishing by a small boat,

The small boat was hanging a flag of the "Pool Garden Office" that managed it, and this Pool Garden Office was the government office that managed Jinming Pool.

Seeing Xu Zaijing jump onto the shore, the small boat sailed towards the water inlet of Jinming Pool.

"How is the harvest?"

Xu Zaijing walked to Changbai, who was closest to him, and asked.

While speaking, he also looked at the water bucket on the side.

Changbai shook his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Not many fish."

Xu Zaijing, who hadn't seen clearly what was in the water bucket, smiled and said: "Fishing is just a pastime, Changbai, you don't have to be too..."

Before he finished speaking,

Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Tingye and Qi Heng, who had different expressions not far from Changbai,

He hurriedly took a look at the big fish in Changbai's water bucket, and after seeing it clearly, Xu Zaijing shook his head somewhat helplessly: "Changbai, you can't say that in the future."

Subsequently,

Xu Zaijing sat on the folding chair moved by Buwei, took the fishing rod handed over by the fishing cart, put the bait and threw it into the water to start fishing: "Second Young Master, for tomorrow's polo field, have you found the people?"

Gu Tingye, who was under the canopy cloth on the side, looked at the fish float on the water surface and said: "The few of us are enough!"

"Second Uncle, Liang Han and I are not old, I'm afraid we will suffer losses when the time comes! Why not call the Huang family of the Shoushan Earl..."

Gu Tingye frowned and glared at Qi Heng fiercely,

Qi Heng hurriedly pursed his lips tightly and turned to look at the water surface.

Xu Zaijing smiled and said: "Heng Ge'er, rest assured, with the few of us, you two might not necessarily have the chance to play!"

Zheng Xiao on the side stretched and leaned back on the chair comfortably: "After playing a polo match with you, I will go to the north."

Xu Zaijing took the empty fish hook from the water, and while re-hooking the bait, said:

"What day? We will go to see you off when the time comes!"

"Before the tenth of the third month."

Qiao Jiulang, who was fishing on the shore, nodded repeatedly, and Changfeng beside Qiao Jiulang also wanted to nod, but after thinking about it, he didn't move.

"Whew~"

Qingyun rode a horse and led a small Li horse, and stopped a carriage of the Xu family not far away.

Qingcao brought Huaxiang and Yunxiang off the carriage,

After Qingyun brought Buwei to move all kinds of things off the carriage,

The three female officials skillfully adjusted the charcoal stove to boil tea.

Two quarters of an hour later,

"Cough cough"

Xu Zaijing cleared his throat and leisurely lifted a small fish the size of a ring finger out of the water.

"Young Master, drink tea."

Yunxiang walked over with a tray,

Xu Zaijing smiled, threw the small fish back into the water, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and then received the tea cup into his hand.

On the other side,

Cheng Qiuniang, the personal female official beside Gu Tingye, glanced at her young master who was drinking tea, smiled and pulled Qingcao's hand and said something.

Buwei and Qingcao were quite familiar, and without saying anything, he took the tea cup from the tray and offered it to Qi Heng.

Further away,

Not far from Liang Han, Huaxiang looked at the female official with a somewhat unfamiliar face and a look of vigilance in her eyes, feeling somewhat confused, but still smiled: "Sister, please let Liang Sixth Young Master drink tea."

That female official looked Huaxiang up and down, looking at the exquisite fabric of Huaxiang's clothes and the exquisite jewelry on her hair bun, a trace of jealousy appeared in her eyes, and she squeezed out a smile: "Sister, we have tea prepared."

Huaxiang was stunned and was about to speak when Liang Han turned his head and said: "The two girls beside Jing Ge'er are from the Marquis Xiangyang mansion, and they are very good at preparing tea soup. Bring it over for me to taste!"

"Yes."

That female official's mouth twitched and replied.

Gu Tingye, who heard the conversation, turned his head and raised his eyebrows at Xu Zaijing.

They had already recognized that the female official beside Liang Han was the Spring Ge girl who was clinging to Liang Han beside the Ao House last year.

The Yongchang Marquis mansion is a famous wealthy household in Bianjing,

Liang Han is well-informed in terms of women,

The girls he fancies naturally won't be bad in appearance.

But it also depends on who they are compared with. Compared with Cheng Qiuniang beside Gu Tingye, her appearance is naturally a sure win.

But if the object of comparison is the Yunxiang and Huaxiang sisters beside Xu Zaijing...

Although they are only slightly better in appearance, their growth environments are different. Even if the sisters are female officials, there is some gap in the temperament of this Spring Ge girl.

Xu Zaijing looked at Liang Han, who seemed to enjoy the jealousy of the Spring Ge girl and was gently patting her little hand, and shook his head gently.

The Li family Taotie and Chimei brothers and Qingcao and the others were already familiar with each other, and after saying thank you, they sipped.

On the day of opening Jinming Pool,

The flow of people around was huge,

Inside and outside the pool garden, there were many colored sheds for performances and vendors selling snacks and drinks.

So for the lunch of Xu Zaijing and others,

It was food brought from their respective homes, as well as snacks purchased by servants and female officials in the surrounding area.

Everyone fished until the afternoon before dispersing,

In Xu Zaijing's water bucket, a fish the length of a palm was swimming, which was his "huge" harvest in the afternoon of picking the tall one among the short ones.

When everyone was about to leave,

A flatbed carriage tied with a large wooden bucket walked over from the west side.

The leader was wearing the official uniform of the Pool Garden Office,

Looking at Xu Zaijing who was about to mount his horse, the official hurriedly brought the carriage over, cupped his hands and said:

"Fifth Young Master, please stay! This carriage is the Jinming Pool fish harvest ordered by the palace for the Xu family! The third month of spring is the time when carp are fat and tender."

Xu Zaijing walked towards the official and cupped his hands: "Thank you, Master!"

"Fifth Young Master is polite!" The official smiled and cupped his hands in return.

Qi Heng, Gu Tingye, and others on the side listened to the conversation, looked at the wooden buckets in the hands of their servants, and then looked at the half-person-high thing on the carriage that was about the size of a large water vat.

This...

After the Pool Garden Office master left,

Qiao Jiulang, whose family was in the aquatic product business, was the first to get on the carriage,

After lifting the lid of the large wooden bucket, looking at the fish swimming in the bucket, Qiao Jiu said: "Jing Ge'er, looking at these fish, they are not big or small, and the meat quality is just right. It was done with heart."

"Jiulang, how does it compare to the one in your shop?"

Liang Han asked with a smile on the side.

Qiao Jiu waved his hand somewhat embarrassedly and said:

"This, the aquatic products of my family naturally cannot compare with those in Jinming Pool."

"Haha!"

Watching Qiao Jiulang's appearance, everyone laughed one after another.

Subsequently,

Everyone mounted their horses one after another and walked slowly towards the outside of the pool garden.

You hour, two quarters (around 5:30 PM)

Quyuan Street,

Marquis Yongyi Mansion,

Backyard,

Xie Shi, who didn't go to Jinming Pool to join in the fun, was holding her daughter with a full face of smiles and sitting in a chair: "Father, Mother, is there anything, why are you two so solemn?"

Hualan, who was sitting in the lower seat, also had some curiosity in her eyes,

Xu Xu Zaizhang cast a questioning look at Xu Zaijing.

Xu Minghua held Xu Xingdai, pondered for a while and said: "Today, Marquis Xiangyang, the old Marquis..."

Listening to Xu Minghua's account,

Xie Shi's eyes widened, and when she looked at her mother-in-law Sun Shi somewhat incredulously, she got Sun Shi's affirmative nod.

Subsequently, Xie Shi lowered her head and looked at her daughter who was still ignorant in her arms, and said: "Then, the daughter-in-law will write a letter to the husband, this must let him know earlier."

Because he already knew, Xu Zaijing was quite calm when he heard about his niece's marriage on the side.

"Father, is Marquis Xiangyang, the old Marquis, a bit too anxious? How old are the children!"

"But, speaking of which, it is also a good marriage."

Xu Xu Zaizhang said with some emotion on the side.

"Perhaps Marquis Xiangyang has his own considerations, and with His Majesty's consent, we will just wait for the children to grow up."

Sun Shi said with a smile, and then looked at the granddaughter in Xie Shi's arms.

This little girl is mostly the future eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis Xiangyang...

The next day,

Looking from the high city gate tower,

The flow of Bianjing people going to the west of the city today is still very large, and the number is no less than yesterday,

Si hour (10:00 AM)

West of Jinming Pool,

In the polo field,

The tents around the field were hung with light gauze to block the wind and sun,

In a tent with a position that was neither good nor bad,

Wang Ruofu sat in the main seat, pushed a plate of dried fruits towards her cousin-in-law First Madam Li: "Sister-in-law, our family watches polo every year, to tell you the truth, I'm a bit tired of watching it. Today's scene is far less good-looking than the chrysanthemum appreciation meeting around the Double Ninth Festival."

First Madam Li took a dried fruit from the plate and nodded with a smile, but her attention was on the polo field outside.

Watching her cousin-in-law, who was focused and only had concern for polo in her face, leaning forward and looking outside, Wang Ruofu felt somewhat uncomfortable in her heart and picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea.

"Boom boom!"

Fine horses ran past.

"Ha!"

"Giddyap!"

On the field, the sound of shouting and driving horses came from time to time.

"Ha, I won!"

Behind the tent, Pinlan's cheering voice came over.

Not long after,

Pinlan, carrying a hammer ball stick and wearing a butterfly jade ornament on her head, walked out from behind the tent.

Rulan, who was carrying the same style of hammer ball stick behind her, said somewhat unconvinced: "Pinlan sister, I will put this jewelry with you first, and we will come for another round in the afternoon."

"Good, I will accompany you to the end!"

Minglan, who was behind the two, looked at Pinlan with full admiration in her eyes.

Hearing the conversation between the two, Sheng Wei's wife, First Madam Li, looked over, and looking at the butterfly jade ornament on Pinlan's head that didn't belong to her, she immediately straightened her face and reprimanded: "Pinlan, you are the elder sister, playing hammer ball with your younger sister, why did you wear your younger sister's jewelry?"

Pinlan was stunned, and hadn't spoken yet.

Rulan puffed out her chest and said: "Big Aunt, I am willing to bet and lose, I will win it back in the afternoon!"

First Madam Li smiled at Rulan, then continued to straighten her face and look at Pinlan: "Look at how sensible your younger sister is! Hurry up and return the thing to your younger sister."

Pinlan wanted to speak but stopped, but still took off the jade ornament, smiled at Rulan, and handed it to Rulan.

"I don't want it if you give it to me! I want to win it back!" Rulan said with her neck stiff and arms crossed.

Once Wang Ruofu saw the jade ornament in Pinlan's hand, she glared at Rulan with an ugly face:

"Listen to your Big Aunt! Why don't you hurry up and take it!"

Rulan stiffened her neck in another direction, just in time to see Liu Cui Mama standing on the side.

Looking at the look of reproach in Liu Cui Mama's eyes,

Rulan pursed her lips and looked at Pinlan, and finally took the jade ornament.

Subsequently, the tent was somewhat awkwardly quiet.

Minglan behind her turned her eyes and said loudly: "Rulan sister, Pinlan sister, let's go see if Jing Jing Biao Ge has played yet!"

Hearing this,

The atmosphere in the tent relaxed,

First Madam Li looked at Minglan with appreciation and said: "Go and see quickly! This scene is much livelier than the polo field of the Zhang family girl in Youyang."

"Let's go!"

Pinlan stretched out her hand towards Rulan and Minglan.

Then the three sisters walked towards the tent door with a smile.

On the seat near the outside,

Watching the three Lan walking over with a smile, Shulan, who was sitting in a lady's posture, smiled with some envy.

At this time, knights playing polo galloped past, bringing up some dust.

Seeing Mo Lan waved her hand in front of her somewhat disgustedly and whispered: "Dirty things."

"Clang clang!"

In front of the tent near the middle of the polo field,

The hanging copper gong was struck.

"New game! Han Fifth Young Master of the Duke Hanguo family vs. Gu Er Young Master of the Marquis Ningyuan family!"

Listening to the shouting of the referee not far away,

The three Lan at the tent door all poked their heads to look.

"That, that one riding the black horse is Jing Jing Biao Ge Jing!" Rulan stood on tiptoe and pointed to the distance and shouted.

"Da Niangzi, be careful under your feet!" Magpie behind Rulan pulled Rulan's clothes, full of worry and exhortation.

There were also many people standing at the tent door around.

At this time,

A manager of the polo field brought servants carrying a huge tray and walked over, shouting while walking: "Betting! Distinguished guests, see if there is anything you like! If you bet right, you can offset half the silver!"

"Take a look, take a look, they are all authentic things with storefronts in the city!"

This is actually a variant of Guanpu (betting), where polo field spectators offset the silver of goods by betting on the outcome.

Even if you don't bet right, you can buy it at the original price.

But if you don't buy it, the half silver you bet will be lost.

This is also a business that makes money without losing.

Not far from the Sheng family tent,

The manager was talking to the woman beside the tent: "This lady, that Han Fifth Young Master comes to my polo field every day!"

"Look at the wooden partition on the side, the jade sign hanging at the top is that Han Fifth Young Master's!"

The woman looked at Xu Zaijing and Han Fifth Young Master who were still preparing: "How about the Gu family boy of the Marquis Ningyuan? Where is the sign?"

"This lady, that Gu family boy of the Marquis Ningyuan also comes quite often, the sign is in the third from the bottom of the wooden partition."

The woman pondered for a while, looked at the large tray carried by the servants behind the manager, and randomly pointed to something: "Just bet on Han Fifth Young Master to win."

As she spoke, she waved her hand,

And the nanny behind her asked for the silver and handed it out.

Rulan and Minglan, who heard the conversation, looked at each other and whispered: "Second Uncle Gu has been studying in our house, how can he come to the polo field often?"

Pinlan looked at Rulan and Minglan with some curiosity.

Minglan thought for a while and whispered: "Maybe it's a boy from another branch of the Gu family? Didn't Hualan sister say that the Gu family has a fourth branch and a fifth branch?"

Rulan nodded suddenly: "Then, who should we bet on?"

Minglan looked at Pinlan who signaled her to speak first, and said: "Although Jing Jing Biao Ge Jing always messes up my hair, he is a relative after all, I... if I have to choose, I will choose Jing Jing Biao Ge Jing!"

"Pinlan sister?"

Pinlan poked her head to look: "You look at the mount of Jing Jing Biao Ge Xu, it's so divine, you know you should bet on him!"

The three were discussing,

The polo field manager had already walked over and cupped his hands: "Several young ladies, which side to bet on? What good things to choose?"

The three Lan looked at the things on the tray from the side of the table, and there happened to be a piece of jewelry similar to Rulan's jade ornament.

"This, this!" Rulan pointed with a smile.

"Young lady has good eyes, this is a jewelry shop opened by a master craftsman from the Li family of the Ministry of Works, half price is sixty strings of cash!"

Once they heard this price, the three Lan looked at each other with the silver in their hands.

"Or, choose something else?" Rulan said hesitantly.

Pinlan pondered for a moment and said: "Wait for me!"

As she spoke, she walked towards Shulan.

Very quickly, Pinlan walked over with a twenty-string silver note, and together with other fragments, put them into the manager's hand: "Bet on Gu Er Young Master!"

At this time,

A nanny walked to the door of the Sheng family tent,

And whispered in First Madam Li's ear: "First Madam, the Sun family son-in-law sent someone to say that he needs some silver to attend the poetry meeting of the talents in Bianjing."

First Madam Li nodded and said: "Go to the account room to withdraw it."

In the Duke Qiguo tent,

Princess Pingning swept a glance at her son beside her.

There, Qi Heng was supporting his chin with his hand, bored.

Watching Gu Tingye and Xu Zaijing who were preparing to mount their horses not far away, he sighed heavily:

"Alas! My good grandfather, good uncle!"

At the same time, he thought: 'In the future, I better go to the Xu family less, otherwise I will see that little aunt... alas!'

Brothel,

Chaoyun Pavilion.

The long-time madam in the building looked through the door crack at the few people drinking and feasting in the room,

and pointing to one of the young men with a beard on his lips, she said: "Look, it's that one. I heard he came from Youyang in the countryside, and he is very generous with his money!"

"Madam, don't worry, your daughter will certainly drain him dry."

(End of chapter)