Еvеrуоnе in the room wаs stunnеd upon hеaring this.
Thе еldеst dаughtеr оf the Duke оf Liangguo's household—wasn't thаt А Zhu?
Hоw cоuld shе bе mаrried оff tо Ваоding?
Zhou Shаojin anxiоuslу askеd, "When did this hapрen? Hоw comе nоnе оf us knеw аbоut it?"
Old Mаdаm Guo frоwnеd, сleаrly аlsо feeling thаt this mаtter wаs rather inaрpropriаtе.
Сheng Сhi knew that onсе thеse wоrds wеrе sроkеn, theу wоuld divert еverуone's аttentiоn, sо hе addеd еvеn mоre astonishinglу, "Actually, I was thе one who fаcilitatеd this mattеr!"
Zhоu Shaоjin and Old Madam Guo both widened their eyes.
Only then did Cheng Chi slowly explain, "In February, Prince Qing, who was enfeoffed in Sichuan, was charged with seizing commoners' fertile land. Not only was he demoted in rank, but he was also fined two years' salary. The Duke of Liangguo felt that the implications of this incident were unfavorable, so he wanted to marry his daughter to a family that could best be entrusted with her lifelong happiness.
"He came to me for help.
"Coincidentally, when I went to the capital, I ran into Yuan Bieyun. He had just returned from Baoding and mentioned an old friend of his surnamed Fan. I thought it was quite suitable, so I brought it up to the Duke of Liangguo.
"The Duke of Liangguo sent people to investigate for several months and took a liking to the Fan family's second son.
"I wrote a letter to Yuan Bieyun.
"Yuan Bieyun also thought it was suitable and personally made a trip to Baoding. The marriage was basically settled. After the Dragon Boat Festival, they should come to propose formally.
"The Duke of Liangguo wanted to marry off his daughter as soon as possible. A few days ago, he even sent Zhu Pengju to choose an auspicious date.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the Zhu family's eldest daughter will be married off after the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Zhou Shaojin was left speechless.
A Zhu, just married off like that?
She glanced at Cheng Chi, then at Old Madam Guo, feeling as if she were in a dream.
Old Madam Guo, however, looked displeased and said, "What kind of background does the Fan family have? Don't you dare play matchmaker recklessly!" Then she glanced at Zhou Shaojin.
Her meaning was: Since that family's son is so good, why didn't you arrange this match for Zhou Shaojin?
In front of Zhou Shaojin, Cheng Chi couldn't say much.
Originally, this person was intended for Zhou Shaojin, but later he discovered that the Fan family was too rigid in their ways, and Baoding had harsh weather with frequent sandstorms. Zhou Shaojin was already timid and reserved by nature; if she married into such a family, she would likely become even more constrained. In contrast, the lively and cheerful Zhu Zhu, who could climb trees and rooftops without hesitation, was more suitable.
He could only say, "What the Duke of Liangguo's household values is the other party's character. The Fan family was one of the top official families in Baoding during the previous dynasty. Although they have fallen from grace now, their family principles remain intact—once, someone carrying a fortune stayed overnight at the Fan family's villa and died suddenly. The Fan family safeguarded his wealth for twenty years without touching a single coin."
In other words, their descendants might not be outstanding, but they could uphold their promises.
Old Madam Guo understood.
Zhou Shaojin, however, clicked her tongue in surprise and asked curiously, "Uncle Chi, how did others know that the Fan family safeguarded that person's wealth for twenty years? And how could that person's descendants prove the wealth was theirs?"Cheng Chi smiled and said, "That person had a loyal servant who went home to report the news. However, the family's only child was still young, and they feared that if they went to demand it, the Fan family might resort to murder for the money. So they endured it for a long time. It wasn't until that family's child passed the imperial examination and gained an official rank that they went with the loyal servant to demand the belongings. Because someone had died in their own manor, the Fan family opened the trunks. They wanted to find some clues and only then discovered the money and valuables. And because it was considered unlucky for someone to die on the estate, the Fan family eventually sold the manor cheaply and stored the trunks in their own cellar. Later, when the family came to claim the property, the quantity and items matched exactly. The Fan family, fearing someone might be impersonating them, requested the local authorities to investigate the person's hometown. Only then did they return the property to the family. That's how the story spread."
If that's the case, then A Zhu will certainly be treated well by the Fan family after she marries in!
Zhou Shaojin thought of Gu Shiqigu again and said with a smile, "Uncle Chi, I also want to invite the Gu family's seventeenth young lady!" Then, lifting her eyes and seeing Old Madam Guo, she added, "And the Guo family's young ladies!"
She also needed to ask Cheng Jia to see if she could come along to watch the dragon boat races.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Originally, I reserved two adjacent private rooms so you could also entertain your own friends. Just make a list of who you want to invite, and then have Nanny Lu send out the invitations for you."
This way, no family would refuse Zhou Shaojin's invitation.
Old Madam Guo didn't pay attention to these small details; she was still thinking about Zhu Zhu's marriage.
When Zhou Shaojin happily pulled Chunwan to the Floating Emerald Pavilion to make the list, she asked Cheng Chi, "A Zhu holds the title of a commandery princess. For her marriage, I'm afraid it will require approval from the Imperial Clan Court and the Ministry of Rites."
"I've already asked Yuan Bieyun to handle this matter," Cheng Chi said. "A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Over the years, the Liangguo Duke's residence has been respectful toward us. It's only right to help them out now. Their situation is quite difficult as well."
Old Madam Guo nodded slowly and said, "What about the Liu family's eldest young lady? Pengju's marriage seems rather hasty!"
Cheng Chi smiled and replied, "Pengju chose her himself. If anything happens, he'll have to bear the consequences. It's not for us outsiders to comment."
"That's true," Old Madam Guo sighed. "Your elder brother chose your sister-in-law himself."
Cheng Chi fell silent.
It seemed everyone had their flaws.
Her mother's flaw was Madam Yuan.
Whenever Madam Yuan was mentioned, her mother found fault with her no matter how she looked at it.
Fortunately, the old lady hadn't lost her senses and only complained to him in private.
Meanwhile, Zhou Shaojin was happily discussing with Chunwan whom to invite: "A Zhu was personally mentioned by Uncle Chi, so she must be invited. Besides, she invited me to see the lanterns during the Lantern Festival last time, and she's about to get married soon. The Gu family's seventeenth young lady and Cousin Jia must also be invited... Cousin Jia will definitely be the happiest when she finds out—she won't be confined anymore. And the Gu family's seventeenth young lady, if she makes an appearance in front of everyone, she might even secure a good marriage! But which of the Guo family's young ladies should I invite?"
She began to feel troubled.
She had only met the Guo family's young ladies once, and they all seemed rather reserved and serious. She wasn't sure if they would accept the invitation.
If only her sister were here.
Then she could watch the dragon boat races with her sister.Zhou Shaojin grew excited and decided to write a letter to Zhou Chujin, telling her that during the Dragon Boat Festival, Cheng Chi would accompany her and Old Madam Guo to watch the dragon boat races.
She and her sister had only seen dragon boat races once when they were very young, at Mochou Lake. Back then, she seemed to have been carried on Madam Fan Liu’s shoulders. They arrived late and only remembered the crowds and noise. There were many snacks, and her sister held her little hand tightly the entire time. They could hear the chants of the rowers but never actually saw the dragon boats. After much effort, they squeezed their way to the Water Pavilion by the lake, but it was nearly noon by then. The dragon boat races had already ended for the time being, and the sun beat down on the lake, steaming with heat. Tired and thirsty, she drank a bowl of chilled sour plum soup served by the stewardess and fell asleep leaning against Madam Fan Liu.
But this time, Uncle Chi had said they could watch from a private room.
They wouldn’t have to squeeze through the crowds like last time.
Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but sit up straight.
That year, she and her sister were already living in Nine Prosperities Lane. Madam Mian had taken them to the races, but they could only sit in the temporary Water Pavilion set up by the lake.
Meanwhile, the Misty Light Pavilion beside Mochou Lake had stood there since the founding of the dynasty.
Securing such a spacious private room was likely no easy feat.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart raced with excitement as she pressed the letter to her sister against her chest. After a long while, she finally instructed Chunwan to deliver it to Ma Fushan.
After the meal, Cheng Chi asked her, “Have you decided whom to invite?”
Zhou Shaojin widened her eyes and said, “Does Uncle Chi have someone you wish to invite?”
Could it be the young ladies of the Guo family?
As she pondered this, she heard Cheng Chi laugh and say, “Even if I wanted to invite someone, I couldn’t possibly sit with all of you. Just focus on your own arrangements.”
Zhou Shaojin smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Cheng Chi shook his head and paid her no further attention.
Zhou Shaojin, however, remained in high spirits. It wasn’t until she heard the news that Cheng Nuo and Wu Baozhang’s wedding date was set for the eighteenth day of the eighth month that she unhappily said to Chunwan, “The Fifth Branch is really something! They clearly know Cousin Gao’s wedding is scheduled for the tenth day of the ninth month, yet they rush to bring the bride in before him. No wonder nobody likes the people from the Fifth Branch!”
It seemed like an attempt to overshadow Cheng Gao.
Chunwan also felt indignant on Cheng Gao’s behalf.
But Madam Fan Liu chuckled and said, “What do you children know? Master Gao’s wedding is the one being conducted with proper grandeur and dignity. As for Master Nuo, announcing the engagement one day and rushing the wedding the next—it clearly shows they don’t value the bride. Even after she enters the household, she won’t have the same dignity as Madam Gao.”
Zhou Shaojin thought it over carefully and realized this was indeed true.
She then whispered gossip to Madam Fan Liu, “What do you think Madam Wen is trying to do? Isn’t she afraid her future daughter-in-law will be laughed at?”
Madam Fan Liu glanced around and, seeing no one else nearby, lowered her voice and said, “I heard from Qi’er that it was the Wu family’s idea. They say Madam Wu is pregnant and due to give birth by the end of the year. They’re afraid the commotion might disturb the fetus, so they chose this date.”
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips and smiled.
She found it quite satisfying.
Regardless of the real reason, Madam Wu had once again slapped Wu Baozhang in the face.
Moreover, Madam Wu’s child was a boy, meaning Wu Baozhang’s brother, Wu Taicheng, would have a harder time from then on.In her previous life, after Cheng Lu was expelled from the Cheng family, Wu Baozhang also broke off her engagement with him and married a failed scholar, settling down in Huzhou. Cheng Yi once told her that the scholar did not think much of Wu Baozhang. Her life was very difficult, losing several pregnancies and relying on secretly mending clothes for others to make ends meet. Wu Taicheng did not follow Prefect Wu to his post in Yunnan but stayed in Jinling, becoming an idle loafer. He often went hungry, and his wife eventually ran off with someone else. People in Jinling mockingly called him "the great young master."
Now that she thought about it, these two siblings were truly unique.
The son and daughter of a prefect actually ended up like this.
Especially Wu Baozhang—in her mind, she was a very cunning and scheming person. Even if she was engaged to Cheng Lu, she shouldn’t have married so carelessly.
And Prefect Wu ultimately died while serving in Yunnan.
It seemed like evil deeds brought evil retribution—the Wu family’s ending was not good.
This was also an important reason why, after being reborn, she did not harbor deep hatred for Wu Baozhang.
In fact, in this life, Wu Baozhang married more reliably than in her previous life.
Perhaps this meant that if she did no evil, she would not suffer retribution?
Zhou Shaojin pushed these thoughts aside and continued to agonize over which of the Guo family’s young ladies to invite!
※
Sisters, here’s an extra update for the Qingming Festival holiday!
The evening update will still be around eight o’clock—this way, the pressure is a bit lighter.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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