Chapter 52: Reprimand and Around the Spring Festival

Lady Ningyuan Hou Fu

Fuyao Courtyard

This is the name Gu Tingyu gave himself.

Before, he was just a sickly bird, but now he thinks he is a Peng.

In the study, Gu Tingye was looking at his eldest brother writing with eyes full of admiration.

"Eldest brother, your calligraphy is truly beautiful; if you wrote Yang Wuduan's poetry with this calligraphy, it would be beauty upon beauty, the peak of beauty. It's a pity that this Yang Wu..."

"Presumptuous!" Gu Tingyu stopped his brush and reprimanded.

Gu Tingye looked blank and asked in a low voice: "Eldest brother, what's wrong? Yang Wuduan's poetry is extremely good, 'Affectionate since...'"

"Little Two, are you speaking up for Yang Wuduan?"

"Eldest brother, I'm just saying his poetry is good, I didn't..."

"The current Emperor is benevolent, but one sentence ended Yang Wuduan's official career, yet Yang Wuduan's literary talent is known to the world; do you know that this might be a thorn in the Emperor's heart?"

"Eldest brother, it's just us brothers talking; besides, the Emperor is benevolent and broad-minded, naturally he wouldn't care about this..."

Feeling his eldest brother's torch-like gaze, Gu Tingye sheepishly shut his mouth.

"Little Two, you must know that disaster comes from the mouth."

"Yes, eldest brother."

"Self-pity when encountering setbacks is not the behavior of a gentleman."

"Oh."

Gu Tingye lowered his head to admit his mistake.

Looking at his unhappy brother, a flash of intolerance passed through Gu Tingyu's eyes.

"I heard the steward bought quite a few fireworks and firecrackers; we should have some fun tonight," Gu Tingyu said with a smile.

Hearing this, Gu Tingye raised his head, showed a smile, and nodded fiercely a few times.

New Year's Eve

Morning

Quyuanjie

In the morning, under the leadership of Xu Minghua, the Xu family pasted couplets, changed peach wood charms and lanterns, and had a lively atmosphere.

Busy until noon, Xu Minghua took his three sons and their respective pages to the horse racing track, and the father and four sons played ball-hitting game.

Sun Shi, on the other hand, took her two daughters to direct the maids and matrons of the mansion to prepare various foods for the evening, deep-fried, boiled, steamed, etc.

Xu Anmei, who had never participated before, was also dragged over by her mother; she also had to learn to manage the household.

After lunch, Xu Minghua led his three sons to a restaurant near Crooked River Street to enjoy some "afternoon tea."

They watched the tea-fighting between several tea shops.

Afterward, Xu Minghua rode his horse, took his three sons to visit families in Bianjing with whom they were on good terms, including the Marquis of Ningyuan's Mansion, Marquis of Zhongjing's Mansion, Duke of Qi's Mansion, and several others.

When the sky darkened, Xu Minghua dressed neatly and entered the palace to attend the royal banquet of the current Emperor.

After listening to the palace rituals and music, and the Emperor bestowed quite a bit of food, Xu Minghua returned to Crooked River Street.

Xu Minghua had the household steward buy quite a few fireworks and firecrackers.

After dinner, the Xu family was together in the courtyard.

Looking at the fireworks rising into the sky and exploding in the courtyard, there was an unclear look flashing in Xu Zaijing's eyes.

But it only flashed a few times and then disappeared.

He was still too young; in a few years, relying on the golden ratio, he could also create good things.

But if he created them and couldn't control them, and they eventually became weapons to deal with himself, that would be a loss that outweighs the gain.

Many of the maids who had just entered the Hou Fu this year were also spending the New Year in Bianjing for the first time.

Listening to the sound of firecrackers all around and the brilliant fireworks, Qingcao's eyes were full of memories.

At the horse racing track, the groom took out a firework and set one off over the track.

He calmed the restless horses.

"Getting used to this kind of noise, they won't be panicked when they encounter it on the battlefield in the future."

The table in Sun Shi's room was full of sweets like sugar and sand balls.

Pingmei was playing leaf cards with several personal maids with her sister.

Xu Zaijing was playing pitch-pot with his brothers.

The pages of several people also participated and received quite a few rewards.

When the sky was just beginning to brighten, Xu Zaijing came to the side of Quyuanjie with a sense of shame and shouted loudly:

"Selling stupidity, selling your stupidity for a thousand strings of cash, selling your dullness for ten thousand strings of cash, the more you buy the more I give, if you want to buy on credit, follow me."

After shouting, he covered his face and ran back to the Xu Fu.

When the roosters in the backyard crowed, the servants of the mansion prepared more than a dozen bamboo poles, with a long string of copper coins tied to them; the masters of the Xu family used these bamboo poles to beat the firecracker debris that had finished burning last night.

While beating, they prayed for blessings.

Afterward, they handed these bamboo poles to the servants, and the maids and servants also followed suit, praying for blessings and wishes for themselves or their families.

As the personal maid of the third legitimate son of the Xu family, although Qingcao was young, she could rank in the front to beat and pray for blessings.

While beating, Qingcao recited: "Praying for the heavens to have mercy, let elder brother's wounds heal, let younger brother's illness be cured..."

When the sky was bright, Xu Minghua put on his official uniform and went to the court to pay New Year's greetings to his colleagues, officials, and the Emperor.

The others of the Xu family were preparing to go to the palace.

The officials bowed and paid New Year's greetings in the palace; the Emperor said a few words and then returned to the palace, and the civil and military officials also returned to their homes.

The nobles who had official positions or family members in the palace followed behind the Emperor and returned to the palace together.

This time when the nobles went to the palace to pay New Year's greetings,

it was different from previous years.

Beside the Emperor after the court session, Empress Cao was holding the Imperial Prince in her arms, with no one else beside her.

Other concubines were kept far away.

Including the most favored Rong Fei.

Sitting below the Empress were the wife of the British Duke and a group of nobles; opposite the wife of the British Duke sat Princess Pingning.

When the Marquis of Ningyuan's Mansion went in to pay New Year's greetings, Gu Tingyu, who was originally behind Gu Yankai, deliberately walked to the very back.

This way, he was the furthest from the Emperor and his wife, and he, still looking sickly, would not spoil the mood of the nobles and bring unnecessary trouble.

"Gu Hou, is your eldest son's body healthy?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, he is much better, so I brought him to pay New Year's greetings to Your Majesty."

"Good child, I heard you are also going to take the examination?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good, reward him."

A transparent eunuch held a small box and placed it in Gu Yankai's hand.

Xu Minghua and the others in front finished paying their greetings and brought their sons in.

"Xu Hou, you have worked hard guarding the borders for the country all these years."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, this is the minister's duty."

"I heard your eldest daughter is betrothed to the Gu family's Yu Ge'er?" Empress Cao asked from the side.

"Yes, Your Majesty. It was just settled before the New Year."

"Good! Good! Little Jing Ge'er, I haven't seen you for a long time, come over and let me see you." The Empress holding the Imperial Prince said.

Xu Zaijing glanced at his parents and the Emperor, and seeing no one objected, he walked up.

Arriving beside the Empress, the Empress reached out a hand, and Xu Zaijing sensibly placed his own paw on it.

The Empress stroked Xu Zaijing's palm, asking with quite a bit of emotion: "How come Jing Ge'er, there are calluses on your hands? Is this from practicing calligraphy?"

When the Emperor heard this, he also turned his eyes to look at Xu Zaijing; if he studied well, he would be a talent in both literature and martial arts.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Empress was naturally well-maintained; a woman of nearly forty, her fingers were even more delicate than a young girl's.

Xu Zaijing looked up and only then discovered that the little Imperial Prince was wearing expensive silk on the outside, but the clothes on the inside were somewhat familiar.

It was the cotton-padded clothes Xu Zaijing had exchanged with the Empress.

The little Imperial Prince perhaps felt something; he bounced a few times toward Xu Zaijing from the Empress's arms, and in the eyes of the Empress's stunned maids, the Empress handed the little Imperial Prince into Xu Zaijing's arms.

At this action, even the wife of the British Duke was somewhat surprised.

Princess Pingning still wore a smile, her eyes looking at Xu Zaijing with an increasingly brilliant smile.

But the hearts of Sun Shi and Xu Minghua were in their throats, fearing that Xu Zaijing would make the Imperial Prince cry.

This little Imperial Prince's legs were quite powerful, kicking as he wanted to climb up, but he used all his strength and still remained motionless in Xu Zaijing's arms.

Perhaps accustomed to the smell of the clothes wrapping himself, suddenly smelling Xu Zaijing's scent, he actually leaned toward Xu Zaijing's neck.

"Oh my, my child, your saliva."

Seeing Xu Zaijing's embarrassed look, the Empress smiled and tore the Imperial Prince from Xu Zaijing's body.

The Imperial Prince was quite unhappy and even waved his hand at Xu Zaijing.

"Jing Ge'er, you go, you can come to the palace to sit more often."

"Thank you for the Empress's grace."

"If you don't summon me, I wouldn't dare to come often," Xu Zaijing thought to himself.

Thank you all for your support.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 53 =====

(End of Chapter)