Chapter 557: Jing Ge'er says

"Jing Ge'er, I"

Gu Tingye stopped mid-sentence, reached out with a touch of gloom, and grabbed a handful of hazelnut kernels from the snack tray on the table in front of him.

Just as he was about to pop the kernels into his mouth,

a conversation he'd had one day with his personal maid, Qiu Niang, flashed through his mind.

This caused Gu Tingye's movements to pause.

He tilted his head to size up Xu Zaijing and said with a smile at the corner of his mouth, "Jing Ge'er, you don't know the taste of it. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand!"

Xu Zaijing widened his eyes: "Yuan Erlang, what do you mean by that?"

Gu Tingye tossed the kernels into his mouth with a flourish, sized up Xu Zaijing again, and said, "Nothing much, just..."

"Tsk~ wait until you're no longer a virgin, Jing Ge'er, then you can tell me to show restraint!"

After saying this, Gu Tingye smirked and tilted his head to raise an eyebrow at Liang Han, who was sitting to the side: "?"

Liang Han pressed his lips together firmly, shook his head, and said, "Ye Ge'er, what did you say? I didn't hear anything!"

"Huh? Liu Lang, you and I said..."

Gu Tingye, still smiling, had just begun to speak when he felt his neck tighten. His body was pulled backward uncontrollably, and in an instant, he was locked in a chokehold and dragged into an embrace.

Feeling the powerful arm tightening around his neck, Gu Tingye reacted quickly, shouting urgently, "I was wrong! I was wrong! Jing Ge'er, brother was wrong! You aren't..."

Xu Zaijing: "Hmm?"

Gu Tingye: "Uh, nothing! It's nothing!"

Xu Zaijing: "Hmm."

Feeling the arm around his neck loosen, Gu Tingye straightened up and stuck out his tongue.

Liang Han, sitting to the side, glanced at Xu Zaijing, then at Gu Tingye, and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Liu Lang, what are you laughing at?"

Gu Tingye said, reaching out to grip the armrest of the chair Liang Han was sitting on.

"Creeeak—"

The chair, with Liang Han still in it, was pulled close by Gu Tingye with one hand.

"Ye Ge'er, I wasn't laughing," Liang Han said, waving his hands.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes!" Liang Han nodded repeatedly.

At this moment,

the sound of a door opening and voices came from behind the screen. Qi Heng and Zheng Xiao walked in, side by side, circling around the screen.

Looking at everyone in the private room, Qi Heng smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Little Duke, you've arrived! Sit here!"

Liang Han stood up from his chair, walked quickly toward Qi Heng, and invited him to sit in the chair Liang Han had just been occupying.

Everyone took their seats.

Zheng Xiao waved a hand at his personal attendant.

A moment later,

musicians behind another screen in the room began to play music with a soothing rhythm.

Dishes from Pan Lou were brought into the private room like a flowing stream.

Zheng Xiao, sitting in the seat of honor, filled his cup with wine, raised it, and said, "Since you all could come to the banquet, I will toast everyone first! Please!"

Xu Zaijing and the others also raised their cups one after another.

Everyone had arrived in the afternoon, and by now, they were quite hungry.

After draining a cup of wine,

everyone began to eat the dishes without ceremony.

Seeing Qiao Jiulang, sitting not far from Liang Han, filled his wine cup, raised it, and said, "Zheng Erge, has Fourth Brother Zhang not returned to the capital yet?"

Zheng Xiao raised his cup and shook his head: "He won't be back this year."

"Oh!"

Looking at the nodding Seeing Qiao Jiulang, Xu Zaijing said, "Zheng Erge, I recall that Fourth Brother Zhang Fangling's daughter was born less than two months ago, right? He's not coming back even for that?"

Zheng Xiao nodded: "There is much to do in the army."

After glancing at Gu Tingye, Zheng Xiao continued, "Don't just talk about Fourth Brother; even Brother Yue of the Huang family, the Earl of Shoushan, won't be able to return this year."

Hearing this, Gu Tingye, who was eating, pursed his lips with a sour expression.

Xu Zaijing nodded and raised his cup to have a drink with Zheng Xiao.

Zheng Xiao drank two cups in a row. Gu Tingye found it difficult to toast again, so he raised his cup to Qi Heng and said, "Yuanruo, how much of your coursework have you completed?"

While Gu Tingye and Qi Heng were talking,

Xu Zaijing ate and said, "Zheng Erge, did you return to Bianjing directly from Beizhou?"

Zheng Xiao picked up some food with his chopsticks and shook his head: "No. After you all returned to the capital, I went to Bozhou with my elder brother. We selected and trained a battalion of infantry before returning."

"Bozhou?"

"Yes! Fifth Young Master, what about Bozhou?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "I was talking to Brother Xian earlier, and I did hear him say there was a commander in the Bozhou army promoted by the Rong family who was said to be highly skilled in archery and horsemanship."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zheng Xiao smiled, put down his chopsticks, and said with great interest, "Oh? Does Fifth Young Master know his name?"

Xu Zaijing looked into Zheng Xiao's eyes, smiled, and shook his head: "I don't."

Zheng Xiao was taken aback, then smiled and pointed a finger at Xu Zaijing: "Fifth Young Master, you'll have to be punished with a cup of wine for that!"

While everyone was talking,

maids and servants brought in meat slices that had been blanched in the Bo Xia Gong hot pot, served with dipping sauce.

After Xu Zaijing and Zheng Xiao had a cup of wine, he looked at Hua Xiang, who was serving the meat, and tilted his head: "You three should eat something too."

"Yes, Young Master."

Subsequently,

everyone continued to drink and talk.

After three or four cups of wine,

a commotion and the sound of a door opening came from the entrance of the private room.

When Xu Zaijing and the others looked toward the door,

someone was already shouting as they circled around the screen and walked in.

"Yo! You all are here! Yuan Erlang, long time no see!" Seeing Rong Xian, dressed in a bright red brocade robe, walked in with a smile and cupped his hands toward Zheng Xiao.

Zheng Xiao stood up and gestured: "Brother Xian, come, sit! Let's have a few cups together!"

Gu Tingye said with a smile, "I say, Brother Xian, how many bright red brocade robes do you have? Why are you wearing this color every time I see you?"

Seeing Rong Xian looked down at his clothes and laughed, "I do have a few of this color."

Seeing Rong Xian turned to Zheng Xiao and added, "Yuan Erlang, I won't sit. Several of my brothers-in-law from the Dou family have returned to the capital and are waiting for me!"

"I just saw Qingyun and the others outside, so I came in to say hello."

As he said this, Seeing Rong Xian smiled at Xu Zaijing, who was beside Zheng Xiao.

Zheng Xiao said, "Alright, then I won't keep you, Brother Xian."

Seeing Rong Xian waved his hand: "Come over for a drink in a while!"

After everyone in the private room nodded in agreement, Seeing Rong Xian turned and walked out with a smile.

Everyone took their seats again.

After exchanging a few words,

new dishes were brought in; they were the ones Seeing Rong Xian had ordered.

"It's been a while since I last saw Seeing Rong Xian, but has he really changed this much?" Zheng Xiao said with some surprise.

Gu Tingye, sitting to the side, ate the newly served dish and said, "Has he?"

Zheng Xiao nodded affirmatively: "In the past, Seeing Rong Xian wouldn't have been this thoughtful."

Xu Zaijing and the others nodded one after another.

Taking advantage of a lull in the conversation,

Qi Heng, sitting next to Gu Tingye, spoke up: "Jing Ge'er, Second Uncle, I was thinking that after we finish paying our New Year's greetings in the palace on the first day of the New Year, why don't we visit Jiying Lane in the afternoon?"

"Firstly, to pay New Year's greetings to Scholar Zhuang, who has worked hard for a year. Secondly, we have caused much trouble while studying at the Sheng family this past year, so paying a visit to express our gratitude would be appropriate."

Gu Tingye nodded upon hearing this and looked at Xu Zaijing: "Jing Ge'er, what do you think?"

Xu Zaijing looked at Qi Heng, who was staring at him, and said, "Yuanruo has thought this through very carefully. Let's go together after we come out of the palace on the first day."

After Xu Zaijing finished speaking,

a smile appeared on Qi Heng's face, and he cupped his hands: "Good, then it's a deal!"

Gu Tingye asked suspiciously, "I say, Yuanruo, why are you so happy that we're visiting the Sheng family?"

Qi Heng was taken aback, looked at Gu Tingye, and said, "Second Uncle... I..."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Xu Zaijing, who was watching him with an unreadable expression, and said, "I... I'm just having some difficulties with my coursework! How could I not be happy to be able to ask the scholar for guidance when I see him?"

"Oh," Gu Tingye nodded.

Zheng Xiao raised his cup and said, "Yuanruo is truly diligent! If I were as hardworking as you, perhaps I could have passed the provincial examination too."

Qi Heng raised his cup, smiled, and happily drained it in one gulp.

Xu Zaijing's mind turned, and he said, "Yuanruo, I wonder what difficulties you've encountered in your coursework? Tell me about them; perhaps I can help you solve them!"

Qi Heng, holding his empty wine cup, blinked and said, "Jing Ge, uh... uh... there are quite a few difficulties, I can't explain them in one sentence."

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded.

Gu Tingye said, "Yuanruo, if you had listened carefully in class, you wouldn't have so many difficulties!"

Qi Heng nodded repeatedly: "Jing Ge, Second Uncle, you are right!"

Liang Han, sitting to the side, stood up and said, "Alright, alright! Let the three provincial graduates stop talking for now. We came out today to have fun, not to study! Drink!"

Everyone laughed and raised their cups to drain them together.

Xu Zaijing put down his wine cup.

Qingcao, with some dipping sauce on the corner of her mouth, walked over, carrying a tray with several plates of peeled and sliced sugarcane blocks, the color of jade.

After placing the porcelain plate with the sugarcane blocks, Qingcao leaned into Xu Zaijing's ear and said, "Young Master, I heard outside that it's snowing!"

Xu Zaijing nodded.

Then, he smiled and pointed to the corner of his own mouth.

Qingcao was startled, hurriedly wiped it with her hand, looked at the dipping sauce on her hand, and smiled with some embarrassment.

After Qingcao returned behind the screen, Xu Zaijing stood up and walked toward the window of the private room.

"Jing Ge'er, what's wrong?"

Zheng Xiao asked suspiciously.

"It's snowing, I'm going to look at the snow scene."

Xu Zaijing said.

As he spoke, he walked to the window and opened it.

"Whoosh~"

A gust of cold wind rushed toward his face,

waking up Xu Zaijing, whose cheeks were a bit hot from drinking.

"Hoo~"

He exhaled, and white vapor could be seen in front of him.

Standing in the private room and looking out, the wooden railing of the corridor outside the room was already slightly white.

By the candlelight in the private room, one could vaguely see snowflakes dancing in the wind, drifting from the sky onto the corridor floor.

In the darkness not far from the wooden railing, no snowflakes could be seen,

as if it weren't snowing at all.

Only the Qiyun Tower, which was adjacent to Pan Lou and connected by a flying bridge,

relied on the many red lanterns hanging outside the building

to occasionally reveal the snowflakes falling rustlingly around Qiyun Tower in the winter night.

Zheng Xiao walked to Xu Zaijing's side and smiled, "Once this snow falls, many families in the capital can hold banquets again."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

After the others also crowded to the window to take a few looks, Zheng Xiao led everyone out and went to the private room where Seeing Rong Xian was.

Upon entering the private room,

Zheng Xiao hadn't said two sentences,

when Gu Tingye widened his eyes in surprise: "Chenmin, you're here too?"

In the private room, the young man standing beside the Dou family disciples called out with a smile: "Jing Jing Biao Ge!"

The one calling him cousin was Yang Chenmin, the son of Gu Tingye's aunt. Yang Chenmin's own aunt was also the Da Niangzi of the Dou family, so because of this close relative relationship, he was invited by the Dou family to attend the banquet.

Xu Zaijing was no stranger to the other Dou family disciples present; he had dealt with most of them when Seeing Rong Xian got married.

After everyone exchanged greetings and toasts,

Zheng Xiao had a look of surprise in his eyes as he tilted his head to drink.

The reason for his surprise was that in the private room where Seeing Rong Xian was, several members of the Dou family were disciples of the Duke's mansion, all older than Xu Zaijing and the others, and most were already married.

It was fine when they were drinking with Gu Tingye or even Qi Heng and the others,

but when they drank with Xu Zaijing, the posture of these few men's wine cups was set a bit too low.

Zheng Xiao smiled after a second thought,

understanding in his heart that it was only because he had known Xu Zaijing for a long time!

If he really weren't very familiar with Xu Zaijing, after knowing Xu Zaijing's past achievements and academic accomplishments, his own wine cup posture might have been even lower than the Dou family brothers'.

After drinking a few cups of wine,

and after the two groups exchanged more polite words of invitation and refusal at the door of the private room, Xu Zaijing and the others returned to their own private room. After resting for a while, they left the private room under Zheng Xiao's guidance, preparing to go home.

While walking down the stairs,

Zheng Xiao grabbed Xu Zaijing's shoulder, leaving him for last.

Walking side by side on the stairs, looking at the few people laughing and joking in front, Zheng Xiao said, "Fifth Young Master, does your command still have any elite infantry from the former Bai Gao?"

Xu Zaijing looked at Zheng Xiao and shook his head: "I don't know that very clearly! Why, Zheng Erge, do you want a few?"

Zheng Xiao nodded and said, "Although the army has issued manuals for training infantry, I think there are some things about infantry that definitely aren't all in there, so I was thinking of taking a few to the army."

"Zheng Erge, you should have said so earlier!" Xu Zaijing continued while thinking, "It's been so long since the recovery of Bai Gao; if there were truly good soldiers, most would have already been selected by several families and given military posts!"

"I know!" Zheng Xiao said with some regret in his tone, "I just thought that since you, Jing Ge'er, have been to Bai Gao, I would ask you first. If you have no way, I will go find Marquis Xu, and General Cao and the others!"

Xu Zaijing smiled with a playful look in his eyes: "Did you not go ask Eldest Brother Zhang?"

Zheng Xiao glared at Xu Zaijing with some embarrassment on his face and said, "I... this... how could I trouble Eldest Brother Zhang."

"Then you trouble me?" Xu Zaijing continued.

"What is our relationship!" Zheng Xiao said, putting his arm around Xu Zaijing's shoulder.

Xu Zaijing shook his head helplessly and smiled: "Alright then, I do have a friend who might have some news about elite infantry. When I see him, I will help you ask!"

"Fifth Young Master, I knew you could do it."

Zheng Xiao smiled and squeezed Xu Zaijing's shoulder hard.

"If there isn't any, don't blame me!" Xu Zaijing added.

"Of course!"

As they were talking,

the group, dressed neatly, left Pan Lou.

At the entrance of Pan Lou,

it had already been swept several times by the staff, and there wasn't much snow.

The bright lanterns were swaying constantly in the wind, causing the shadows of Xu Zaijing and the others at the entrance to move constantly as well.

Although Qi Heng was returning to Xingguo Lane in the company of Zheng Xiao and Gu Tingye, the Duke Qi's mansion still sent four servants to pick up Qi Heng.

After saying goodbye, everyone boarded their respective carriages and left Pan Lou in the wind and snow.

Because it was snowing on a winter night,

Xu Zaijing looked out through the gap in the carriage curtain he had lifted.

On this road from Pan Lou Main Street back to Quyuanjie, one could hardly see any commoners out.

But the military patrol posts along the road all had lanterns lit, and from time to time, one could see patrol soldiers on duty in the watchtowers in the wind and snow.

At the entrance of the military patrol posts, the patrol soldiers would bow and salute when they saw the carriage with the Xu family flag in the wind and snow.

Quyuanjie,

Marquis Yongyi's mansion, backyard,

Matriarch Sun Shi's courtyard,

in the main room,

"Fifth Young Master is back."

Amidst the maid's announcement, Xu Zaijing walked in, carrying the chill of the outdoors.

Looking at her son, whose cheeks were slightly flushed from drinking,

Sun Shi smiled:

"Jing'er, you've returned just in time! As soon as it started snowing tonight, the Zhang family of the Duke of Ying sent an invitation, inviting you to attend a banquet!"

Just as he sat down, Xu Zaijing, who hadn't even taken a sip of the warming drink, said in surprise: "Ah? Another banquet?"

Sun Shi nodded with a smile: "The nanny who delivered the invitation from the Zhang family said they originally wanted to invite you after the New Year, but since it's snowing, they decided to take this opportunity to invite you over!"

Xu Zaijing hesitated: "Mother, we've already been to the Feng family together, why is the Duke of Ying's family still sending an invitation?"

Sun Shi chided him: "One family is one family! Can the Feng family thank them on behalf of the Zhang family?"

"Besides, the Zhang family also sent an invitation to the Duke of Lian's family. Your sworn brother will also go, and there will be several younger members of the Zhang family there too."

Xu Zaijing scratched his head and nodded: "Mother, your son understands!"

Xingguo Lane,

Duke Qi's mansion, backyard,

under the warm yellow candlelight, Qi Heng sat below the Duke and Duchess of Qi, holding a bowl of hangover soup in his hands.

After taking a sip of the hangover soup, Qi Heng said: "Mother, Jing Ge'er said that on the first day of the New Year, we will go to the Sheng family. One reason is to pay New Year's greetings to Scholar Zhuang, and the other is that we have caused much trouble at the Sheng family this year, so visiting to express our gratitude is good!"

"I thought it made sense as soon as I heard it, so I nodded and agreed."

The Duke of Qi, sitting above, nodded repeatedly: "Jing Ge'er, this child, is still very thoughtful! Yuanruo, you can just go to the Sheng family with them when the time comes."

Princess Pingning looked at Qi Heng's expression, and as her thoughts turned, she said: "Heng'er, you have been studying at the Sheng family for several years, why does Jing Ge'er want to go to the Sheng family this year?"

Qi Heng's hand holding the hangover soup tightened. He tried hard to control his expression and said: "Mother, I... don't know."

Princess Pingning gave a hum.

After Qi Heng returned to his own room,

the Duke of Qi looked at Princess Pingning's somewhat unhappy expression and said: "My lady, what's wrong?"

Princess Pingning pursed her lips and shook her head: "Nothing, it's just Yuanruo, this child, why has he started telling lies!"

The Duke of Qi looked toward the direction of Qi Heng's room: "Ah? Yuanruo, he..."

Princess Pingning nodded: "Hmph! Look at how shifty his eyes were!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 558 =====