Chapter 513: Don't go making trouble at other people's homes

Xu Zaijing looked a bit embarrassed and said:

"Brother Xian, you... you flatter me too much!"

Rong Xian waved his hands and said decisively: "What flattery? No flattery at all!"

Xu Zaijing laughed and said: "What do you mean I'm the most reliable? Is Brother Ye unreliable? Is Brother Heng unreliable too? Their family backgrounds are much better than mine!"

Rong Xian paused, then nodded and said: "The Young Duke's family background is indeed very good! But... you know about the conflicts we had when we were children."

Placing the large Gao sword back onto the sword rack, Rong Xian continued:

"I'm afraid Princess Pingning still holds a grudge against me. If my sister were to marry into that family, could she have a good life?"

"Gu Yuan Erlang? Hmph! He's just so-so!"

"Also, Brother Jing! Whether it's entering the palace to pay New Year's greetings or attending any celebrations, you've seen my sister a few times. How is her appearance?"

Rong Xian looked straight at Xu Zaijing: "Say it with your hand on your heart!"

Watching Rong Xian's 'interrogation', Xu Zaijing nodded: "Miss Feiyan is naturally beautiful, elegant, and dignified."

This wasn't Xu Zaijing just buttering up Rong Xian;

Rong Feiyan was, after all, the younger sister of Imperial Consort Rong, who had gained favor through her beauty.

From the first time Xu Zaijing saw Rong Feiyan in the palace and learned she was the Imperial Consort's sister, he discovered that this girl's appearance and temperament were completely different from what he had seen in television dramas.

Xu Zaijing naturally didn't rudely stare at the young lady,

but his eyesight was excellent. In the few times they had met over the years, seeing her face gradually mature, it always gave Xu Zaijing a familiar feeling. Who did she look like...

Looking at Rong Xian's smug expression, Xu Zaijing said: "However, Brother Er, the marriages of noble children like us have never been decided by ourselves. You should have a deep understanding of this!"

Hearing this, Rong Xian sighed with some frustration. After glancing at Xu Zaijing, he said: "My sister mentioned this to me once. If you were a dissolute playboy like me, it would be fine. But you have a bright future, and marrying into my family..."

As he spoke, Rong Xian shook his head.

The future Emperor would be the robust and healthy Imperial Prince Zhao Fang.

Once the current Emperor passed away, the Rong family's favor would be about at its end.

At that time, the Rong family would have little power left to assist their in-laws, nowhere near that of the civil officials whose families had held high positions for generations, or the new batch of imperial relatives.

Seeing Xu Zaijing speechless and not knowing what to say, Rong Xian hurriedly patted his arm and said: "Alright, I shouldn't have said these things! There are other families to visit, I'm off!"

Saying this,

Rong Xian walked out toward the main hall.

Xu Zaijing hurriedly followed to see him off.

Qingcao and the other two maids also followed.

Watching Rong Xian's figure disappear along the courtyard corridor, Qingcao, who was beside Xu Zaijing, looked at him and said: "Young Master, it's truly rare to see the Rong family's young master so serious."

Xu Zaijing looked at Qingcao and smiled: "After all, she is his own sister."

Qingcao nodded.

Xu Zaijing turned and returned to the study to continue his lessons for the day.

In the evening,

At Madam Sun's courtyard,

Xu Zaijing brought his maids to have dinner.

Sitting at the table listening to Madam Sun and his two sisters-in-law talking,

Xu Zaijing learned that today seemed to be a good day; besides the Rong family, the Gu family had also sent wedding invitations to the Xu family.

And the Gu family had sent two invitations.

"Mother, does that mean the marriages of those two rascals in the Gu family's fourth and fifth branches are both settled?"

Looking at Madam Sun, who nodded, Xu Zaijing said: "That rascal Gu Tingyang, he can actually find a wife?"

Beside him, Xu Xingzhong laughed: "I heard that Gu Tingyang kept a very low profile for a while in order to marry the daughter of the Hong family."

"After that marriage fell through, it just so happened that a daughter of an official who had newly arrived in the capital was waiting to be married. That period of keeping a low profile worked, and no scandalous deeds were heard about! Since it's a long-established marquis household, the marriage was settled."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing shook his head with a smile: "He really got lucky—"

"Ahem!"

Seeing Madam Sun's warning look, Xu Zaijing stopped and changed the subject: "Mother, why does it feel like the marriages of the Gu family's fourth and fifth branches are so dragged out? And they sent two invitations?"

As soon as Xu Zaijing said this, Xu Minghua, who was sitting beside Madam Sun, also looked over.

Glancing at the curious Xu Minghua beside her, Madam Sun's lips curled with a hint of mockery: "Naturally, they have to drag it out!"

"Mother, do you know some secret?"

Xu Zaijing asked with a smile.

After pondering for a moment, Madam Sun looked at the people at the dining table and nodded: "It doesn't count as a secret; you'll know in a few days when the Gu family holds the weddings anyway!"

"I heard from your eldest sister that when your brother-in-law and the Marquis of Gu were discussing the division of the family property, they only then realized that the Gu family had already divided their property while the previous Marquis of Ningyuan was still alive!"

"Ah!?" Xu Minghua exclaimed in surprise.

Madam Sun nodded affirmatively.

Xu Minghua continued: "These... these years, looking at the actions of the Gu family's various branches, it doesn't look like they've divided the family."

When a family divides and sets up separate households, social exchanges should be handled individually. Like when Xu Xingzhong got married, he had to send three sets of gifts, and of course, it came out of his own branch's pocket.

Don't underestimate weddings and funerals; for a family of the Gu's status, a single round of social exchanges costs dozens or hundreds of taels!

And the Gu family is a marquis household that helped found the dynasty; over the years, they have had quite a few relatives...

But all these years, the Gu family has always sent one gift for all three branches.

Xu Zaijing, who was beside them, thought for a moment, and a cold smile appeared on his lips: "Heh~"

"That's because the Marquis of Gu is deeply affectionate toward his brothers. Whenever something happens, the first branch steps forward and pays! As a result, the marriages of the relatives of the fourth and fifth branches are almost all settled, but when their own sons get married, they want to follow the rules of a divided family."

After Madam Sun finished speaking, Xu Minghua nodded: "Hmm... so dragging out the marriages means the gifts are paid for by the first branch, but when the Gu family's smaller branches get married and receive gifts, they keep them for themselves?"

Madam Sun didn't answer her husband, but looked at her younger son not far away and said: "Jing'er, what are you sneering at?"

Xu Zaijing said: "Mother, I'm laughing at the insatiable greed of the Gu family's smaller branches."

In fact, the real reason Xu Zaijing was sneering,

was that he had just thought,

the reason the marriages of the Gu family's fourth and fifth branch children were so sluggish might be even more so because: Bai Shi did not die early!

Bai Shi's dowry, which was like a mountain of gold and a sea of silver, naturally did not fall into the hands of Little Qin Shi and the Gu family's fourth and fifth branches.

As the matriarch of the Gu clan, Bai Shi's help was limited due to her duties; after all, Gu Tingye and Gu Tingyi were not yet married.

Compared to before, the Gu family's smaller branches lacked such a large windfall to decorate their facade, so their actions naturally differed.

Most of the matriarchs in the households of Bianjing were shrewd; after inquiring from various sources, they could naturally figure out a thing or two.

Added to the plans of the Gu family's smaller branches, it would be strange if they weren't sluggish.

Xu Minghua, who was beside him, picked up his chopsticks and said: "Jing'er, although the Gu family's smaller branches had unpleasant dealings with us before, don't go making trouble at their home when the time comes!"

"Yes, Father, your son understands!"

The next day,

Xu Zaijing returned to the Marquis's residence after finishing his lessons at the Sheng family's,

and just as he had finished riding a lap around the racecourse,

he saw A Lan near the Master's wooden house waving at him.

Xu Zaijing hurriedly rode his horse over,

"Young Master, look!"

A Lan shouted.

Xu Zaijing looked in the direction A Lan was pointing,

and saw a line of more than a dozen flatbed horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods and covered with tarpaulins entering from the main gate.

Xu Zaijing hurriedly rode his horse over.

These carriages were the same as in previous years; it was the caravan from the Zhu family fortress in Xiangzhou delivering various vegetables and meat to the Marquis's residence.

What was the same was that the leader was still the old man whom Xu Zaijing had to call Seventh Grandfather.

What was different was that the Zhu family youths who had previously sat on the carriages were now all riding horses.

Xu Zaijing dismounted in front of the caravan,

bowed, and said: "Seventh Grandfather, is it you who came again this year?"

The old man of the Zhu family nodded with a smile.

The youths beside the carriages also dismounted one after another, bowed, and shouted: "Greetings, Fifth Uncle."

After Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile, he looked with some emotion at the old man whose white hair had become even more prominent: "Seventh Grandfather, let's go into the courtyard."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing led the people toward the main hall of the outer courtyard.

While Xu Zaijing was accompanying the Zhu family relatives in the main hall,

Xu Minghua brought Madam Sun in,

"Greetings, Marquis, Madam."

"Eh, Seventh Uncle, no need for such formalities!"

Looking at the bowing old man, Xu Minghua hurriedly stepped forward to support him, and then nodded toward the several youths who were bowing to the side.

"Sit, everyone sit!"

After everyone was seated, Xu Minghua looked at the Zhu family youths, whose eyes were darting around, and said: "Jing'er, take your nephews out to play."

Xu Zaijing stood up and agreed.

After Xu Minghua nodded, he looked at the old man: "Seventh Uncle, how was the harvest in the fortress this year..."

Just as Xu Zaijing led the people out of the main hall,

he saw Chu Zhan looking around near the inner ceremonial gate.

On the racecourse,

Xu Zaijing was brushing the hair of his little chestnut horse in front of the wooden house.

Chu Zhan, looking very proud, led his own mount out of the stable,

and began to ride slowly around the racecourse with the youths he had known before.

"Chu Zhan, coming here this time, why do I feel there are so few people in the Marquis's residence?"

Listening to the question from one of the Zhu family youths, Chu Zhan said: "Those few Bai Gao children, they have all moved outside to live with the two Li family brothers, so naturally there are fewer people."

"Oh!"

Several Zhu family youths nodded one after another.

"Chu Zhan, are you going to the north with us next year?"

Chu Zhan looked surprised: "Ah? Are you going to the army next year?"

"Yes! Once it warms up in the spring, we will go to the cavalry to train!"

Now that Zhu Qinghu was already a cavalry commander, the Zhu family children naturally had to follow Zhu Qinghu and begin their 'transformation'.

"Come, I'll teach you a move; I learned it from the personal guard brothers."

As he spoke, Chu Zhan rode his horse and started running.

Beside the wooden house, watching the jubilant youths, Xu Zaijing smiled to the side and said: "A Lan, go teach them!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

The sky gradually darkened,

Chu Zhan and the others, covered in dust, gathered near the wooden house and began to unsaddle their mounts.

Xu Zaijing sat on a folding chair at the door, looked at the Zhu family boys, and said: "Do you remember the Rong family's young master?"

"Uncle, is it the one from the Marquis of Hou Fu Chang's family?"

"Is it the one who couldn't beat us!"

The Zhu family youths said one after another.

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile: "That's right, it's him!"

"Remember, remember!"

"Back then, I even earned quite a few copper coins from him."

"He even said he would guarantee me a future."

"Hahaha!"

Looking at the happy boys, Xu Zaijing said: "Since you know him, then in two days, when he gets married, I'll take you to the wedding feast."

On the seventh day of the tenth month,

There was one day left until Rong Xian's wedding date,

The entire Rong family's front and back courtyards had long been cleaned and wiped spotlessly clean,

In the courtyards, red silk ribbons and 'double happiness' characters could be seen everywhere, and servants were coming and going, full of a festive and busy atmosphere.

At the second gate leading to the backyard,

Rong Feiyan was wearing a light blue cross-collared long shirt, her hair tied in a simple bun, and wearing arm-binders; her attire looked very capable.

Rong Feiyan stood beside her mother with her maids, looking at the woman standing and talking not far away.

"Madam, this is the list of various utensils moved to your honorable residence; please take a look."

Madam Rong looked at the paper handed over, feeling slightly embarrassed: "Ahem, Yan'er, you take a look."

"Yes, Mother."

Rong Feiyan nodded,

Ningxiang, who was to the side, walked over and took the paper.

After taking the list, Rong Feiyan glanced at it and said to the Rong family's managing mama: "Have you counted them?"

"Replying to the Da Niangzi, according to your instructions, they have all been counted one by one; the numbers are correct, and after testing, there are no defects or damage."

Rong Feiyan nodded and said: "Good, stamp it."

Seeing the appreciative look in the woman's eyes, Rong Feiyan smiled and bowed, then added:

"This Mama, I heard from the Zhang family sister of the Duke of Ying that you have been doing this kind of wedding utensil rental business in the capital for a long time, and the Duke's residence uses your things for weddings; you are very experienced."

"The Duke's young lady flatters me! This little woman has just seen more of it, that's all."

Rong Feiyan smiled: "You are experienced, so I must trouble you to go into the courtyard and see if there is anything improper in my home."

Madam Rong, who was to the side, frowned and said: "What is there to look at?"

Rong Feiyan said: "Mother, it's better to trouble this Mama to take a look. If there is really something improper, preparing it in advance is better than having a slip-up tomorrow when Brother gets married and making people laugh."

"If we are laughed at, it will be my sister's face that is lost."

"Fine!" Madam Rong waved her hand: "I'll go to the main gate to take a look."

Watching Madam Rong leave with her people,

Rong Feiyan and the woman both bowed.

Afterward, Rong Feiyan smiled and reached out: "This Mama, please."

The woman held her handkerchief, smiled, nodded, and said: "The Da Niangzi is truly thoughtful."

Rong Feiyan smiled: "We've been talking for so long, and I haven't asked for your surname."

"Da Niangzi is too polite, this little woman's surname is Tao, and my maiden home is in Wuling Township, Xiangzhou."

The woman said.

Rong Feiyan blinked, thought for a moment, and smiled: "No wonder Sister Zhang recommended you!"

Hearing this, the woman's smile became even brighter, knowing that Rong Feiyan was an expert who knew her background.

At this moment,

"Hahaha! Good! They actually came to Bianjing!"

"Come! Just let them come!"

In the front hall not far away, Rong Xian's laughter and voice could be heard.

Rong Feiyan glanced at Ningxiang beside her: "Go ask what Brother is so happy about! Also, ask clearly how many more people are coming, so the family can prepare."

"Yes, Da Niangzi."

After speaking, Rong Feiyan accompanied Mama Tao into the inner courtyard.

This Mama Tao walked through the courtyard while looking at the hall that had been cleared out.

Seeing the woman's thoughtful look, Rong Feiyan said: "Mama Tao, is there anything improper?"

Mama Tao nodded and said: "In this room, the tables..."

Listening to Mama Tao's instructions, several maids rearranged the tables, adding one more to the hall.

After walking around some more, Mama Tao said:

"Miss Rong, it looks like quite a few guests will be coming to the inner courtyard tomorrow, but there are too few places to change clothes."

Rong Feiyan looked around and nodded repeatedly: "Then what should we do?"

Mama Tao smiled: "In the courtyard for changing clothes, use cloth to partition off a few places, burn incense, lay oilcloth on the ground, and place chamber pots, with someone dedicated to cleaning them each time."

Rong Feiyan nodded: "Then you..."

Mama Tao: "Naturally, I have them; they can be delivered by noon."

"It's fortunate that I asked you to take a look; otherwise, something would have gone wrong."

Rong Feiyan said sincerely.

"Miss Rong is too polite. Then this little woman..."

Just as Mama Tao was about to take her leave, Ningxiang walked over quickly, bowed, and said: "Da Niangzi, the female official beside Imperial Consort Rong has brought the palace mamas."

"Hurry and invite them in! Hurry and invite them in! Mama Tao, you..."

"Miss Rong, may this little woman follow beside the palace mamas to watch and learn more?"

"Naturally, you may."

As she spoke, everyone walked toward the front hall.

On the way,

Ningxiang whispered a few words in Rong Feiyan's ear.

"Did he come in person?"

"No, Miss. It was Qingyun from the Fifth Young Master's side who came to say so."

The eighth day of the tenth lunar month,

auspicious for weddings,

at the end of the Yin hour (5:00 AM).

In the inner courtyard of the Xu residence,

Sun Shi looked at her youngest son's attire and shook her head, saying, "Change your clothes. Why are you dressed so handsomely! You are the groomsman, not the groom!"

(End of chapter)