Li Yuexi said, "Be careful and pay attention to safety." After saying that, she was still not at ease and said to Xu Zhi, "Ninth Sister, you sit here and rest. I'll go and check on things."

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you just keep busy."

Xu Ru had called the Xu family's daughters outside earlier because she was afraid that Zhang Zhaoci would cry because he was reluctant to let his daughters get married. Now they had followed Zhang Zhaoci to the side hall, so Xu Ru let the daughters in.

When Xu Tong heard Xu Bai say that it was lively outside, she wanted to go and see what was going on. Xu Mian quickly stopped her and said, "My dear sister, we should stay here and watch over Ninth Sister. How can a young lady like you go to the front yard? There are many men there."

Xu Tong wanted to see the excitement but couldn't, so he was anxious. When he saw Xu Bai there, he said to Xu Bai, "Seventh Brother, hurry up and go to the front yard to keep an eye on things. If there's anything interesting, come and tell us."

Xu Bai deliberately provoked Xu Tong, saying, "Fifth Sister, why don't you come with me to the front and watch the excitement? I'll protect you, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Tong grabbed Xu Bai's hand and tried to walk towards the front yard. Xu Mian couldn't stop her. Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Third sister, it's rare to have such a lively atmosphere. Let fifth sister go and take a look. If the other sisters want to come along, they can too. We're all at home anyway, what could possibly happen?"

Seeing that her younger sisters were somewhat interested, Xu Mian had no choice but to agree. She instructed them to take good care of their maids and servants and not to act alone, as accidents were more likely to happen in crowded and chaotic situations, and this had to be taken into account.

Li Yuexi said with a smile, "Sisters, come with me. We'll just stay here and keep watch."

Xu Gui, Xu Ju, and Xu Li happily led their maids outside, while Xu Mian remained in the room with Xu Zhi.

Xu Zhi asked, "Third sister, why don't you go to the front?"

Xu Mian sighed and said, "Ninth Sister, when a sister gets married, there should always be a sister in the family to accompany her in the room. Let the other sisters go outside to watch the excitement, and I will stay in the room with Ninth Sister."

Now only Xu Zhi and Xu Tao were in the room. Xu Zhi held Xu Mian's hand and said, "Third sister, the other day I thought you had something to say."

Upon hearing this, Xu Mian looked at Xu Zhi and felt as if Xu Zhi's bright eyes could see right into her heart. These eyes were now brimming with concern, and she couldn't help but smile, saying, "Thank you, Ninth Sister. Before I came, there were indeed some things I couldn't understand, but I've figured them out now. Ninth Sister, to be honest, my mother wants me to marry my cousin from my uncle's family. I've always felt that I'm a daughter of a marquis in the capital; how could I marry into the countryside? What if those people I often play with..." "Wouldn't the girls laugh at me to death if they found out? But then I thought, my cousin on my maternal uncle's side is a good-tempered and ambitious man. Although I come from a marquis's family, the Marquis of Yongning is only my great-uncle. There are very few people in the capital who value our status. Moreover, there are families who want to find a suitable match for their lackluster sons and sisters, hoping we sisters will marry into those families. In that case, it's better to marry someone as ambitious as my cousin. Life is for yourself, not for others to see. What matters most is that you benefit yourself, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi couldn't help but look at her usually taciturn third sister with new respect.

Of the eight older sisters in the Xu family, the third sister is the least noticeable, followed by the second sister, Xu Tao.

Xu Mian and Xu Tao both take good care of their sisters at home, but they don't express their own opinions much. Whenever the sisters have a dispute, it is Xu Mian or Xu Tong who helps mediate. However, Xu Mian is more gentle than Xu Tao.

Xu Zhi held Xu Mian's hand and said, "Third sister, you're right to think that way. People do many things in life to make their lives better. My mother once told me that a couple's life together is like wearing shoes. Only the person wearing the shoes knows whether they fit or not. How can others tell from the outside?"

Xu Mian smiled and said, "That's exactly the point. Of all the families in the capital, how many look glamorous on the outside but are actually a mess on the inside? Even the most prestigious families we associate with have their share of unsatisfactory things that make us feel uneasy."

While the sisters poured out their hearts to each other, the front yard was bustling with activity.

When Zheng Boyuan got married, he married the daughter of Magistrate Xu of Hexi County. The garrison at Yanmen Pass held Magistrate Xu in high esteem. Because of this, Zheng Boyuan hired a house repairman to repair the rented house at his home. The repairman did his best to fix the house perfectly, but asked for little pay. In the army, when his comrades learned that Zheng Boyuan was going to be Magistrate Xu's son-in-law, their attitude towards him became much better.

Zheng Boyuan, a young man from the capital who joined the army, rose through the ranks from a common soldier. In the past few years, thanks to his relentless fighting spirit, his thorough study of military strategy, and his considerable tactical acumen, he was promoted quite quickly. Naturally, his rapid promotion made others unhappy, and he was often secretly sabotaged. However, since it was learned that Zheng Boyuan was going to marry the daughter of Lord Xu, the attitude of his comrades in the army changed drastically. Fewer people tried to trip him up, and they treated him with great courtesy. Some even told Zheng Boyuan that the daughter of the Xu family had also fought alongside him in Hexi to defend the country, and if Zheng Boyuan were to wrong her, many in the army would teach him a lesson.

Zheng Boyuan listened very attentively. He knew that the Xu family had shared life and death with Hexi City back then, and his mother-in-law had even given birth to her child on the battlefield. Hexi City itself was built by his father-in-law. Zheng Boyuan was very satisfied with being able to form a marriage alliance with the Zheng family.

On the wedding day, many comrades came early to help with the wedding procession. People like Ma Ming, Chen Tianci, and Zhou Mingde, who had been stationed at Yanmen Pass for many years and had risen to the rank of lieutenant general, also volunteered to help with the wedding arrangements. Zheng Boyuan was very grateful.

Upon arriving at the Xu family's gate, Zheng Boyuan saw several young men in martial attire standing there. After dismounting, Zheng Boyuan came to the gate and said to Xu Di, who was standing to the side, "Brother, I've come to fetch my wife."

Before Xu Di could speak, he heard one of the young men say, "Our daughter isn't someone you can just take away so easily."

The men behind Zheng Boyuan were all veterans. Upon seeing these young men in their smart uniforms, they felt a surge of protectiveness. Ma Ming smiled and asked, "Young man, tell me, how can we take your daughter away?"

Zhang Yukang got into position and said, "If you want to go to the backyard to pick someone up, you'll have to pass five checkpoints. But don't worry, we're just having a little sparring, and we'll stop when we've got it over with."

After Zhang Yukang finished speaking, a captain wearing soft armor came out from behind Ma Ming and said, "I'll take a few moves from this young man."

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yukang rushed forward without saying a word. His movements were extremely nimble, which drew cheers from the crowd from Hexi who had come to fetch the bride.