Xie Anfeng, Xie Yu, and Madam Xie were overjoyed and kowtowed to express their gratitude.

Prince Jing and Duke Xun laughed and said, "Quickly accept Grand Secretary Gu's betrothal gifts!"

The one reading out the betrothal gift list was not an ordinary servant, but General Wei Ziying of the Thousand Bull Guard.

A pair of "Eight-Baby Vase Inlaid with Pearls"

"Ten bolts of silk."

"Five hundred bolts of brocade"

Five hundred bolts of silk

Five hundred hectares of fertile land

Two hundred thousand taels of silver

"Twenty thousand taels of gold"

...

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

The imperial guards carried the betrothal gifts.

The armor was perfectly uniform, and the gift box was of royal standard.

They were carried into the Xie residence in a continuous stream.

In no time, the front yard was filled to the brim, a vibrant red sight to behold.

These are definitely not the items on the Marquis's betrothal gift list, but... Xie Zhaozhao didn't know where these betrothal gifts came from either!

She had a vague suspicion that perhaps the betrothal gifts were prepared by Emperor Hui for this official.

After all, he neglected his marriage for the sake of the court and became an old man.

Yuanyuan's eyes reddened with emotion, and she burst into tears: "Miss, Miss, Grand Secretary Gu values ​​you so much."

What's the second young lady's betrothal gift anyway?

He even ran up to the lady and started jumping around. It was such a slap in the face!

Xie Zhaozhao listened blankly as the Imperial Guard read the announcement, while everyone in the courtyard expressed their heartfelt joy and envy. She remained silent.

After smiling for a while, her little face fell.

The betrothal gifts are generous, but Grand Secretary Gu hasn't returned yet!

When Xie Xiangxiang and Xie Tingting heard Lord Wei recite the list, their smiles vanished, their eyes turned red with jealousy, and they even snapped their fingers in frustration.

"Tch, what's the use of a generous dowry? What's the use of the emperor's favor? It's still a ghost marriage!" Xie Tingting said bitterly.

Yes, Xie Xiangxiang immediately became excited.

The betrothal gifts are good, but where are the people?

Grand Secretary Gu is indeed a favorite of the emperor; even in death, a posthumous marriage with a top-tier lady is arranged for him.

This is an attempt to tie Xie Zhaozhao to Gu Shaoyu; once the betrothal gifts are given, Xie Zhaozhao will have to marry him, carrying his memorial tablet with her.

Isn't that how the saying "a widow waiting to be widowed" came about?!

Xie Tingting was anxious, wishing she could see the news of Grand Secretary Gu's death immediately. She asked Xie Xiangxiang, "Second sister, is the news of Grand Secretary Gu's death accurate?"

Xie Xiangxiang said with great certainty, "Don't worry, it'll definitely be accurate. It's already past noon, where's Grand Secretary Gu? Still no sign of him, right?"

"Second sister, how did you make that judgment? Where did you get this information?"

"I...I can't say." Xie Xiangxiang wouldn't speak now.

She had to wait until news of Grand Secretary Gu's death arrived; only then would the news be a thousand times more shocking!

Xie Wanwan and Xie Xiuxiu were originally with Xie Xiangxiang to watch the fun, but their mother took them away under some pretext.

His Majesty has already arranged a betrothal for Grand Secretary Gu, and the Imperial Guards have been dispatched to carry the betrothal gifts. Even if Grand Secretary Gu were to die in the line of duty, the young lady would still enjoy the utmost honor in her life.

Second and third wives are already relatively unknown; they shouldn't be used as pawns by others.

The betrothal gifts were plentiful and extremely heavy. Wei Ziying sang a list of gifts, and every time he sang a line, a burst of cheers erupted.

Until the song ended, the entire courtyard became a sea of ​​joy.

Today, the government also invited relatives and friends to attend the ceremony and share the joy with the people.

The Xie family set up a row of snack tables outside the mansion gate, with various wedding cakes and even rock candy, which the people could take as they pleased.

The courtyard had hired opera singers and acrobats, and also set up a game area with various games such as pitch-pot and archery, where people could play freely.

Xie Xiangxiang's younger brother, Xie Jin, is eleven years old this year. He plays pitch-pot with his cousins ​​Xie Jue from the second branch of the family and Xie Lang from the third branch.

Zhou Linglu, the grandson of Prince Jing, and his group were also playing pitch-pot. They set up their own game, and everyone else added extra stakes.

Because everyone had placed bets, they played with extra seriousness, and every now and then someone would place a grand slam bet, drawing all the onlookers to that side.

Seeing the cheers going on, Xie Jin, Xie Jue, and Xie Lang ran over and insisted on placing their bets.

Zhou Linglu said, "We're going to play for money. Do you have any money?"

Who do you think you are? Xie Jin proudly pulled out two taels of silver, one tael of silver being worth a thousand coins!

Xie Jue and Xie Lang also placed bets, but after a few rounds, the three Xie brothers were too bad at the game, and Zhou Linglu and his group were unwilling to play with them.

"How about we bet bigger?" Xie Jin thought that with two taels of silver, even if it was a hundred coins per round, they could play many rounds.

Zhou Linglu didn't want to play with them; it was too boring. They played so badly, and if word got out that they were playing with a bunch of little brats, it would be embarrassing.

Xie Jin, his face flushed and neck red, asked, "One tael per round, are you in or not?"

Zhou Linglu and his group of spoiled rich kids happily accepted the offer of money.

They lost quickly; Xie Jin, Xie Jue, and Xie Lang were out of money.

Xie Jin suggested that he pay on credit first, since the item was in his own residence and he could simply go to the courtyard to retrieve it later.

One handful, one handful, and another.

In less than an hour, the three Xie brothers, Xie Jin, Xie Jue, and Xie Lang, had lost more than fifty taels of silver.

Xie Jue and Xie Lang dared not play anymore.

"You help me turn things around, and we'll make a comeback."

Xie Jue is twelve years old, and his skills are better than Xie Jin and Xie Lang's. Xie Jin was so angry that he begged Xie Jue to play a big game for him to win back his losses.

"One hundred taels per game."

When Xie Lang saw that they had lost more than three hundred taels of silver, he quietly slipped away.

He was the eldest son of the third wife. He was terrified after losing money and went back to admit his mistake to his mother: "Mother, I dared not play anymore after losing six taels. Xie Jin has already lost more than three hundred taels."

Madam Xie was terrified, yet also felt a strange sense of satisfaction. She immediately pulled him to find Madam Xu.

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