Chapter 71: Cold Melon, Hot Melon, Please Eat Melon [Many Thanks for Everyone's Support

After deliberating for a moment, Sun Shi said:

"Sister, what about this Eleventh Young Master of the Hu Yan family? Does he have any concubines or mistresses? How is his family?"

Wu Da Da Niangzi replied:

"His mother is quite a conscientious woman."

Sun Shi unhappily patted her.

Wu Da Da Niangzi said, "If you won't listen, I won't say it then, hmph."

Bai Shi, sitting nearby to keep them company, said:

"Sister, I want to hear."

"I haven't heard of this Eleventh Young Master having any concubines. Moreover, apart from the eldest branch, the other two branches of their family are quite decent. The Jinghai Marquis's second son died young, leaving only these four sons. The fifth son controls the maritime transport over in Dengzhou, while the third and fourth sons also hold shares in the grain transport."

"Why is the eldest branch like that?" Sun Shi asked with some curiosity.

"Hmph, isn't it because that Lady of the Marquis Household favors her eldest son? Naturally, since the Jinghai Marquis title will ultimately go to the eldest. With these three other branches supporting him, why would he risk his life?"

Sun Shi listened, pondering in her heart.

Wu Da Da Niangzi continued speaking:

"The Lady Pan of the fifth branch has always been in Dengzhou; I don't know much about her, so you'll need to judge for yourself when the time comes. However, though she doesn't come from a great family of bell-ringing and cauldron-feasting renown, her entire demeanor is very imposing. She is somewhat like our younger sister Bai."

Bai Shi nodded and said, "Sister, are you saying this Lady was raised in gold and jade luxury?"

Wu Da Da Niangzi raised her tea cup toward Bai Shi and gave it a little shake, meaning: Smart.

Bai Shi said to Sun Shi, "Sister, at least there will be fewer scheming struggles over family assets; when the time comes, Sister Wu and I will naturally come to back you up."

Sun Shi said, "Then I shall listen to my two sisters."

"Good, then I will inform the Hu Yan family."

"Thank you, Sister." Sun Shi sincerely performed a deep curtsy.

"Let's go."

"If this can be settled, it would truly be a fine marriage," Bai Shi said.

Jinghai Marquis Household

The Fifth Branch of the Hu Yan Family

Seeing Hu Yanjiong sat at his desk, jiggling his leg; after a while, he stood up and walked to the main hall.

"Has Mother returned yet? It's been so long since she left."

"Eleventh Young Master, the Lady Mistress has not returned yet."

He returned to the study, picked up a book on shipbuilding, read only a few pages, and then sighed dejectedly.

"Fu Ding, do you think Mother might get rejected?"

The young servant Fu Ding, standing nearby, said:

"Young Master, the Lady certainly couldn't just arrive at another Marquis Household and state her business outright, especially since our family has rejected Lady Wu's matchmaking attempts several times before."

"That's true."

Saying this, he was about to go out to the open ground beyond the hall to look at the flowers and birds.

After glancing only briefly, he walked again to the second gate.

Gazing anxiously, he finally spotted his own mother's carriage.

He hurried back to his courtyard, grabbed a book, and pretended to read.

Hearing the voices of the male and female servants, he knew his mother had entered the courtyard.

He walked over, feigning composure.

Speaking in a deep voice, he said:

"Mother, did it go smoothly?"

This Lady bore the surname Pan; the Pan family was in the Jingdong East Circuit, and the region from Dengzhou to Mizhou was home to genuine powerful clans, who had earned mountains of gold and seas of silver through maritime trade with the eastern vassal states.

After forming a marriage alliance with the Jinghai Marquis, their family's strength grew even greater, and the clan had also helped her husband gain control over the maritime transport.

Eleventh Young Master Seeing Hu Yanjiong had always been raised under her care; his several older brothers had already formed many connections with the noble families of Bianjing, so by the time it came to Seeing Hu Yanjiong, there was no such urgent need to climb socially.

Having investigated the family traditions of those interested in forming marriage alliances and also listening to her own son's wishes, Lady Pan had politely rejected quite a few noble families of Bianjing.

Most of them assumed that because this fifth branch had long resided in Dengzhou, they were unfamiliar with the situations of the various families in Bianjing, and their motives for seeking marriage were often impure, so naturally, nothing could come of it.

She had originally thought that Eleventh Young Master was simply young and had no mind for marriage,

but yesterday, this child who was the apple of her eye had actually said that the young daughter of the Xu family was quite nice.

Lady Pan had initially suspected the two had exchanged tokens privately; she grabbed Seeing Hu Yanjiong's young servant Fu Ding and interrogated him thoroughly before learning that the problem lay with her own son.

The two had barely even met face-to-face; he had only caught a few glimpses through the cracks in a folding screen, yet her foolish son was already bewitched completely.

Unable to visit directly, Lady Pan could only take a box of southern pearls to pay a visit to the Yongchang Marquis Household.

After beating around the bush, she explained her purpose.

Originally, Wu Da Da Niangzi had maintained a stern expression, since she had visited the Hu Yan family several times only to be rejected each time, which had caused her to lose face.

However, Lady Pan's words, both explicit and implicit, pointed out the unsavory aspects of those other families,

and upon seeing the huge southern pearls Lady Pan had brought, along with her tactful tone of request, and especially upon hearing that it concerned the young lady of the Xu family,

Wu Da Da Niangzi immediately performed a slight change of face, shifting from a stiff, unyielding expression with eyes that avoided looking at people perfunctorily, to eyes fixed on the speaker, nodding continuously, her words full of praise for Lady Pan's choice.

However, Wu Da Da Niangzi did not speak definitively; she did not say it would certainly succeed, only that she would go to the Xu family to inquire and try.

Lady Pan naturally responded that if it succeeded, that would be best, but if not, the southern pearls were still her token of goodwill and apology.

Returning to the Hu Yan family,

Lady Pan looked at her youngest son, who was forcing himself to appear composed; she said nothing, but instead sighed deeply, her eyes not meeting Seeing Hu Yanjiong's directly.

Watching his mother's expression, Seeing Hu Yanjiong's demeanor gradually changed, shifting from composure to panic.

"Mother, could it be that she is already betrothed?"

Pan Da Da Niangzi still said nothing.

The young servant Fuding outside the door, seeing his young master's appearance, quickly circled around to the side of the main hall, took a bowl of sweet soup from one of Wu Da Da Niangzi's maids, and carried it into the main hall.

"Ahem, Young Master."

Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong's complexion was poor; hearing his young servant's voice and looking at the tea bowl on the tray, he finally felt he had been somewhat rash.

Not yet married, and already forgetting his mother, failing to ask after her well-being.

He hastily lifted the sweet soup and said:

"Mother, please take a sip to calm your breath first."

"That's more like it."

Pan Da Da Niangzi accepted the sweet soup.

Glancing at her own son, she said in an ill temper:

"Stop standing there so stiffly; Wu Da Da Niangzi did not say the Xu family's young miss has a settled engagement. She has already gone to the Xu residence; whether good or bad, there will be a definite answer soon."

Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong hastily lowered his head to conceal his face brimming with ecstasy.

He spoke in a cheerful tone: "Troubling you, Mother."

"Hmph. You haven't even seen her face yet, and your soul is already lost; you truly bring me honor."

"Mother, I, I did not."

At dusk, the fifth branch of the Jinghai Marquis Manor received a note from the eldest daughter of the Wu family, inviting the eldest daughter of the Pan family to the Yongyi Marquis Manor to taste tea.

That night, Sun Shi, the Eldest Da Niangzi, sighed within her own courtyard:

"What sin have we committed that for the marriages of our children, my husband is almost never home?"

She could only write another letter, pay silver, and request the courier station to send it by fast horse to the Western Army at the greatest speed.

Glancing at Xu Xu Anmei, who was still playing and frolicking with Xu Xu Zaijing inside the room, Sun Shi said:

"An'er, come here; your mother has something to say to you."

After Sun Shi spoke, Xu Xu Anmei said with complete indifference: "Isn't it just a few aunts coming to taste tea? I know, Mother; I certainly will not commit any breach of etiquette."

The Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

With the Imperial Prince in good health, the Empress, whose mood grew increasingly comfortable, seemed to be growing younger in reverse.

Although Consort Rong was considerably younger than the Empress, when the two stood together, one could hardly discern any difference in their ages.

Moreover, the Empress's complexion was in no way inferior to that of the youthful Consort Rong; everyone's eyes were invariably drawn to the Empress without their realizing it.

It was not that Consort Rong lacked beauty, but she simply lacked something in terms of demeanor.

The palace attendants could perceive this, and naturally, the Emperor perceived it even more distinctly.

During these days, the Emperor had gone nowhere else, spending every night in the Empress's palace; indeed, the Empress had grown somewhat weary of the Emperor and was urging him to visit the other consorts in the palace.

Today, urged until his heart felt sour, the Emperor went straight to Consort Rong's palace.

The Empress, meanwhile, patted the Imperial Prince while listening to a palace attendant's report.

"Your Ladyship, the eldest daughter of the Wu family sent word early; the younger son of the Jinghai Marquis family, Brother Jiong, has intentions toward the Xu family's daughter, Sister An. Tomorrow he will go to the Xu residence for a viewing."

Upon hearing 'Xu family,' the corner of the Empress's mouth lifted slightly as she looked at her imperial child.

"Brother Jiong?"

"The eleventh son of the Hu Yan family," the palace attendant replied.

The Empress pondered for a moment before saying:

"His mother is from the Pan family of Dengzhou, is she not?"

"Yes."

"They are one of the wealthiest households in the east; tomorrow, select an auspicious time and send two baskets of the ink-jade watermelons delivered by our family to the Xu residence."

"Your Ladyship, the family delivered a total of nine baskets."

"No matter; just send them."

"Yes."

On this day,

At the hour of Wei (1:00 PM),

Wu Wu Daniang and Pan Da Da Niangzi entered the second gate of Xu Fu together.

At the second gate, Bai Shi and Sun Shi stood together; behind them was Xu Gu Dalang's wife, the Second Miss Xie, who was holding Gu Gu Tingyi by the hand.

"The weather has grown hot; troubling Sister to wait here for so long."

"What words are these, Sister?"

After a round of greetings, everyone entered the main hall hand in hand.

Inside the main hall, large blocks of ice were placed to cool the air; maids fanned with palm-leaf fans, making the atmosphere very refreshing.

Pan Da Da Niangzi looked at Bai Shi, who sat nearby keeping company; her gaze swept back and forth, constantly identifying the clothes and jewelry on Bai Shi's person, with the result: immensely wealthy, surpassing the Pan family by just a tiny bit.

The several women chatted, gossiping about matters Pan Da Da Niangzi did not know, making the room very harmonious for a time.

Two quarter-hours later,

The maid Xiao Dan hurriedly arrived outside the hall:

"Eldest Da Niangzi, rewards have been sent from the palace."

A flash of amusement passed through Wu Wu Daniang's eyes.

Sun Shi, however, appeared somewhat surprised.

After offering apologies, Sun Shi hastened to welcome the visitors from the palace.

Pan Da Da Niangzi's face showed no change whatsoever, yet her eyes held a look of contemplation.

Seeing my own work featured in the category recommendations for the first time, I was extremely excited.

Even more so, I was filled with awe and trepidation.

I beg for your support through recommendations and tips.

The author sings: There isn't a single drop of oil in my bowl; the support of you great readers resolves a thousand sorrows.

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(End of Chapter)