Chapter 100 Chapter 100 The prince’s wedding banquet invited famous people from all over the capital…
The prince invited all the famous families in the capital to his wedding banquet. Some of the prominent families in the capital came. The front yard seemed to be full of people, so more than a hundred tables were set up in the back garden before everyone could sit down.
Of course, people also came to the Jinning Palace. The Jinning Prince and other court officials sat in the front yard, while the Jinning Princess and the Jinning County Lady sat in the back garden with the inner family.
Jin Shiyue is now engaged to Yang Xu, and her leg injury has almost healed, so she can walk without any hindrance.
He had just heard Shen Xuan’s dowry list outside, and he was also very surprised.
As the Princess of Jinning County, his dowry was already quite a lot, but Shen Xuan had more than him.
Seeing Shen Xuan so prosperous, Jin Shiyue was happy for him. It was a pity that Shen Xuan went straight into the bridal chamber and she didn't get to see him. She was afraid that she could only visit him after the wedding.
At the banquet, there were people like Jin Shiyue who were happy for Shen Xuan, but there were also people who were not quite convinced.
For example, Qian Ruofang, who had never liked Chen Xuan, felt quite uncomfortable when she saw that he had married one of the best men in the capital and had become so famous.
Lord Qian is very close to the eldest prince. As things stand now, even if there is no Shen Xuan, the fiancé who fell from the sky, it is impossible for the children of the Qian family to marry Xue Fenglin.
But before Xue Fenglin clearly sided with the Ye family, the Qian family also wanted to win him over. Qian Ruofang and Xue Fenglin had met several times at banquets, and Qian Ruofang was quite fond of him.
Seeing that Xue Fenglin had really married this country boy, she quietly discussed with her sisters at the banquet, "The one who is most sad about the prince's wedding today is probably the Princess of Jinning County, right?"
"She is a county lady of noble status, and she has actively pursued the prince for a long time, but she is no match for a country boy."
Unexpectedly, the little sister who usually agreed with her said in surprise: "Fang Jie'er, don't you know? The Princess of Jinning County has been engaged to the son of the Prince's Junior Tutor Yang, and they will get married in the fall."
"Young Master Yang is a new top scholar and will soon be appointed to the Imperial Academy. He has a promising future. I wonder how such a good marriage could have fallen into the hands of Jin Shiyue? I saw his mother frequently visiting your home and the Liu family, and I thought he would choose a marriage partner from among the talented women in the capital."
Qian Ruofang was stunned, with mixed emotions on her face. Only then did she realize that Yang Xu was actually engaged to Jin Shiyue.
Yang Xu's mother, Mrs. Yang, had often gone to Qian's house to talk to her mother, and seemed to have a good impression of her. But the Yang family is a noble family with little wealth. Although Yang Xu has good character and appearance, Qian Ruofang and the Qian family still look down on him.
Fortunately, Yang Xu later passed the imperial examination and became the third place in the imperial examination, and the Qian family began to become more friendly towards Mrs. Yang.
However, Mrs. Yang has not come to the Qian family since last month, saying that she had caught a cold. Unexpectedly, it was because of her engagement with the Prince of Jining's Mansion that Mrs. Yang was too embarrassed to go there again.
"This matter has already spread throughout the capital. Lord Qian and Madam Qian must have known about it a long time ago, but they just didn't tell you, right?" The young lady said after seeing Qian Ruofang's expression.
Qian Ruofang curled her lips reluctantly and said, "There are many people in my family who want to propose marriage. If everyone were to speak up, it would be hard to explain. My family doesn't like the Yang family, which has no foundation. It's natural that mother and the others don't say anything about such a small matter."
"That's true." The young lady nodded and said, "Mr. Yang is good, but with your status and talent, it's only natural for you to marry a prince or a prince. You don't like him, so just wait for Mr. Qian to choose a handsome man with a prominent family for you!"
The girls who were on good terms with Qian Ruofang were all from Xiafeng's family, Lord Qian. As the legitimate daughter of their father's immediate superior, Qian Ruofang had always been the center of attention.
Qian Ruofang knew that although the young lady's words sounded nice, there were actually not that many good men of the right age in Beijing.
Ye Chen is the eldest son of the Ye family and is of the same mind as the second prince. The Qian family will definitely not consider it. There are also several princes in the capital whose families either have young children or are already past the age of marriage and have already started a family.
There are also some sons of court officials who have good status and family background, but either they are not so good-looking or they are playboys. They can only seek a job as an official and often go to brothels.
Qian Ruofang, who has always been confident, suddenly felt a little nervous. No longer daring to be picky, they began to anxiously plan for a suitable marriage.
The banquet was extremely sumptuous, with a constant stream of food and wine being served one after another, and the meal lasted until dark in the evening.
After the banquet, Qian Ruofang and Madam Qian got on the carriage, and then she couldn't help but say to Madam Qian: "Mother, I heard that Yang Xu and the Princess of Jinning are engaged?"
"Indeed, there are some rumors." Madam Qian nodded and said, "But Master Yang is just a man without real power, and his family has no property. It's not a very good marriage, so let it go."
Seeing Madam Qian's nonchalant look, Qian Ruofang couldn't help but ask, "Mother, have you and father already chosen a marriage for me?"
Madam Qian glanced at Qian Ruofang and then said, "I wasn't going to tell you originally. Since you've already guessed it, I'll just be honest with you."
"The princess of the eldest prince's mansion suffered from hemorrhage after giving birth. She has not recovered after more than two months of nursing. She is almost at the end of her life."
"After the princess left, the eldest prince must choose a new princess. He has always had a good impression of you, and your father and I also think that it is most appropriate for you to marry into the palace."
"If the eldest prince has a chance in the future..." Madam Qian paused and said, "You are the one who is second to none and above everyone else. Isn't that a promising future for you?"
"Ah?" Qian Ruofang was stunned, only then did she realize that this was what Mr. Qian and Mrs. Qian had planned.
The title of Crown Prince's Consort does sound noble, but the eldest prince is already over 35 years old this year. The previous princess also gave birth to a pair of children. If she marries again, she will be someone's stepmother!
Besides, the eldest prince was a little fat and had a beard, so he did not have the handsome figure of a young talent. Qian Ruofang felt a little disgusted with him.
But seeing Mrs. Qian's expression, Qian Ruofang knew that the matter was probably almost certain. As a child of the Qian family, she could not resist her parents' wishes, so she could only lower her head in depression. Thinking of Shen Xuan who married Xue Fenglin and Jin Shiyue who was engaged to Yang Xu, she hated them even more.
Madam Qian seemed to see a hint of disappointment on Qian Ruofang's face, and said to her at this time: "The arrangement your father and I made for you is of course the best path. This man's appearance is nothing but a mirage. In the end, power is the most important thing."
"For example, the prince who is getting married today will soon be assigned to Sarawak. What good is there in such a poor place? I heard that even the water in the underground wells is bitter. How can it be as prosperous as the capital?"
"Besides, decades later, if they return to Beijing, I wonder how they will look up to you? They might even kneel down and kowtow to you."
Qian Ruofang felt a little relieved and nodded, "Mother, you are right. As a daughter of the Qian family, I am not so short-sighted."
When it was almost evening, a group of maids came into the house with plates and replaced all the wine and food on the Eight Immortals Table with new ones. It was obvious that Xue Fenglin had ordered it in advance and prepared it for Shen Xuan.
Shen Xuan had a little meal at noon, and most of the food and drinks were still untouched. Seeing that it was getting dark outside, dinner was served again. He sent Jinzhi and Jingui away, asking them to have dinner first and come back later.
He was a little hungry at this time, so he sat down at the table, filled a bowl of rice, and started eating.
If the wedding banquet is too noisy, it might last until the middle of the night. Xue Fenglin didn't know when he would be back, so he specially arranged wine and food for Shen Xuan in advance. Shen Xuan would not wait foolishly.
After Shen Xuan had a good meal, he called Wu Wang, who was guarding outside, and asked him to find someone to take the things on the table away.
After a while, another maid came in and cleared the leftovers on the table, but replaced them with snacks, fruits and a pot of Hejiu wine. It was obvious that the table could not be left empty until Xue Fenglin came back.
After a while, Jinzhi Jingui came back from dinner, and Shen Xuan asked them to prepare a bathtub for him to wash.
He got up early this morning and was very sleepy now. After washing up early, he prepared to go to bed.
"Brother Chen? Are you really not going to wait for the prince?" Jinzhi looked outside the door and asked with some guilt.
“I don’t know how long the prince will be in trouble, so I won’t wait for him.” Shen Xuan said.
After he finished speaking, Jin Gui on the side said to Jin Zhi: "Just listen to Chen Ge'er's arrangements. The prince will not blame Chen Ge'er, right?"
Chen Xuan smiled in his heart, thinking that Jin Gui has always been smarter than Jin Zhi, so he values him more, and it is worth it for him to train him to be a first-class attendant by his side. ”
He asked Jinzhi Jingui to put away the bathtub and clothes for changing, and then let them go out. He walked behind the screen and immersed himself in the hot water.
The warm water soaked over his neck, making Shen Xuan relax completely.
The hair accessories on his head had been removed long ago, and his hair was loose. He picked up a bamboo ladle next to the bathtub, scooped a spoonful of water, and poured it over his head.
After washing for a while, Jinzhi asked outside the door: "Brother Chen, do you want me to add some hot water?"
"Come in." Shen Xuan said with his eyes closed.
Then there was a creaking sound as the door opened. Footsteps were heard coming in, and the wooden door slammed shut again.
Shen Xuan felt someone walk up behind him and pour a bucket of hotter water into the bathtub. The bath water, which had originally been a little cold, immediately returned to the perfect temperature.
"Okay, you can go out now." Shen Xuan said with his eyes closed.
But the person behind him did not move, instead he placed a pair of big hands on Shen Xuan's hair.
"You..." Shen Xuan looked back in surprise, only to find that the person standing behind him was not Jin Zhi, but Xue Fenglin, who had a hint of alcohol on his face.
"You're back?" Shen Xuan asked when he saw him wearing a bright red wedding dress and there seemed to be a hint of drunkenness in his eyes.
"I finally managed to escape back." Xue Fenglin raised the corner of his mouth, shook his head helplessly and said, "I pretended to be drunk and had people carry me back. Otherwise, I would have been forced to drink again! These bastards are jealous of me having such a good husband, jealous of me and you, and won't let me spend the wedding night with you!"
Xue Fenglin usually said some inappropriate things to Shen Xuan, but today's words were particularly inappropriate, and even contained swear words.
Seeing his appearance, Shen Xuan thought that he must be really drunk, so he shook his hand and said, "You go to the front to rest and sober up, I'll come out after I finish washing."
"No! I want to wash your hair myself!" Xue Fenglin acted like a rogue, snatched the bamboo scoop from Shen Xuan's hand, and took the soap beside him to wash Shen Xuan's hair.
That soap was made with milk, and it was sold in Shen Xuan’s own shop. It feels smooth and tender on the body and has a light fragrance.
Shen Xuan let him bathe him with a bit of laughter and tears, and then felt the big hands move from the hair to the top of the head, and then from the top of the head to the shoulders and neck...
After a while, Shen Xuan was suddenly bitten on the ear from behind, which frightened him so much that his face turned red and even his breathing became disordered.
Then, Shen Xuan felt Xue Fenglin's hot breath hitting his ears, and he said in a low voice: "When I was in Yunshui Village, I wanted to do this... to you..."
"Xuan Ge'er, do you know how long I have been waiting for this day?"
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