Chapter 104 He Wants to Get Married
Dai Li did not know Wei Cheng, but upon hearing that the other party's surname was "Wei," she immediately knew that this was Qin Qinian's maternal clan.
Why would the other party send her a visiting card? Shouldn't they have sent it to Qin Qinian instead?
The date on the visiting card is tomorrow afternoon.
Dai Li closed the visiting card and said, "Okay, I understand."
Nianxia was not a native of Yuyang and did not know the Wei family at first. However, after leaving the mansion more often and hearing a lot of gossip in the city, she roughly understood the connection.
“Madam, if you don’t want to see her, you might as well just cancel,” Nianxia whispered.
Dai Li smiled and said, "I'll take a look later."
The "later" that Dai Li mentioned was during dinner tonight, and she brought up the matter directly at the dinner table.
As autumn deepens, the weather grows colder day by day. In the cold, food cools down quickly, and gourmets, who appreciate fine cuisine, rack their brains to figure out how to enjoy piping hot dishes in the dead of winter.
Thus, the earliest hot pot appeared during the Zhou and Shang dynasties, which is the bronze ding that is well-known to the world.
Although this thing was later mostly used to commemorate achievements, it was originally used as a cooking tool by nobles to cook vegetables and meat.
Later, during the Han Dynasty, nobles still used bronze pots, but with many improvements. The pots were divided into two parts: one for seasonings and the other for food.
Seasonings can impart other flavors to food, so in this era they were also called "dyeing". Hot pot was called "dyeing stove" or "antique soup".
The latter's name is also quite interesting, taken from the homonym of the "gudong" sound when food is put into the pot.
It is unclear when, but Qin Shaozong and Dai Li no longer ate separately when they ate together; instead, they sat at square or round tables to eat together.
Later, when they returned to Yuyang, Qin Yunce and Qin Qinian joined them at the table. Qin Shaozong then had a round table set up again, so that the five of them could sit around without feeling crowded.
There were just the right number of people; one stove wasn't enough, so two were placed on the table.
Dai Li and Qin Shaozong shared one, while the other three teenagers shared one.
A variety of plates and dishes of different sizes were laid out on the table, some containing raw meat slices, and there were many kinds of meat slices. There was lamb and pork, of course, and there was also a cow that had died of disease today; fish balls and shrimp balls were placed aside, and vegetables took up another corner.
Qin Qinian ate with gusto, without even looking up.
Just then...
“I received a visiting card during the day from the Fifth Daughter of the Wei family, and I haven’t replied to her yet. My lord, do you think I should reply later?” A gentle female voice rang out at this moment.
The table fell silent for a moment, except for the sound of someone still chewing.
But soon, it seemed he had been kicked under the table by his elder brother, and the sound stopped. The owner of the voice looked up in surprise, "Madam Dai, my aunt sent you a visiting card?"
Dai Li simply nodded and said nothing more.
Generally speaking, if you want the other party to pay you a visit after receiving a visiting card, you should reply promptly.
Just as Qin Qinian was about to utter the words "Was this sent to the wrong person?", he was stepped on under the table again.
The boy subconsciously turned to look at his older brother beside him, only to see that the latter, like Qin Yanzhou, was looking at the two elders, waiting for them to speak.
Qin Qinian: "..." Fine.
The bone broth in the iron pot was still bubbling and boiling, with cooked shrimp balls floating on top, which were quickly picked up by a pair of chopsticks.
The jade chopsticks, holding shrimp balls, passed through the condiment holder on the stove before being placed into another small bowl belonging to Dai Li.
"If she wants to come, then let her come. As the mistress of the mansion, it's no problem for Madam to meet her," Qin Shaozong said calmly.
Dai Li paused, then gave him a heads-up, "It's fine to meet, but I have to make it clear beforehand that I'll only treat you as a regular guest."
"That's how it should be," Qin Shaozong said calmly. "Qin San, your aunt will be visiting tomorrow. Don't go out wandering around. Stay in the mansion and greet the guest with your wife."
Qin Qinian's cheeks were bulging, like a hamster. He couldn't speak, he just nodded repeatedly.
After instructing his youngest son, Qin Shaozong looked at Dai Li and asked, "Does Madam need my presence tomorrow?"
Instead of answering, Dai Li asked, "Has your injury healed?"
This man had been holed up in his residence for over a month, with officials coming to visit him in droves, but he only managed to personally summon a handful of them. Dai Li wasn't sure what he was really planning, but she was definitely making some kind of move.
Once the layout is halfway done, is it okay to move around freely?
Qin Shaozong laughed and said, "It's been over a month. If I still can't move, people outside will scold me for smashing Mr. Ding's plaque."
"Do as you please," Dai Li said indifferently.
Qin Qinian glanced at Dai Li, then at Qin Shaozong. In those few short sentences, he felt…
Father is quite keen to go with Madam Dai to meet guests tomorrow.
In autumn, it gets dark late. After dinner, seeing that it was dark but not yet curfew, Dai Li wrote a reply and had it sent over.
While Dai Li was writing her reply, Qin Shaozong took Qin Yunce for a walk in the mansion to relax.
He didn't go to the study, but instead spoke casually: "Yun Ce, write a letter to your aunt and tell her that I have just recovered from my illness. Ask her to bring her youngest daughter to Yuyang for a few days. Your aunt loves collecting medicinal herbs. Ask her if the Shi family has any musk or he shou wu. If they do, tell her not to be stingy and to bring them all over."
Qin Shaozong's mother gave birth to three children. He was the second oldest, with an older brother and a younger sister.
Leaving aside her brother who died in battle, her younger sister married a subordinate surnamed Shi under Qin's father after she came of age.
The Shi family is quite influential in Nanyu County, a prominent local clan. Their subordinate has already risen to the rank of County Magistrate and is a handsome and talented young man. All things considered, it could be considered a good marriage.
Yuyang and Nanyu are neither too far nor too close; it takes four days by carriage. Qin Hongying, who is married, can only return to Yuyang once or twice a year at most.
As if remembering something, Qin Shaozong added, "The letter will be sent out of the city tonight by express courier. After the guards arrive in Nanyu, they will wait at the Shi residence and set off back with Hongying."
A look of surprise flashed across Qin Yunce's eyes, but he nodded in response, "Yes, Father."
The guards were waiting at the Shi residence, a silent urging. Seeing this, the aunt must have simply packed two sets of clothes and hurriedly returned with her cousin.
Qin Shaozong: "Go and do it."
Qin Yunce bowed and took his leave.
Qin Shaozong stood under the corridor, the deep night reflecting in his eyes, making his brown eyes appear dark and inscrutable.
...
The night passed in the blink of an eye, the sun rose high, and the east was already white.
Today's Yuyang is no different from yesterday's. Teams of soldiers are still intercepting caravans and demanding high prices for medicinal herbs. Also, Qin Shaozong's confidants, led by Kuang Ye, are visiting prominent families in the prefecture.
Their first request was to acquire Polygonum multiflorum and musk.
The noble families gasped inwardly; both items were extremely valuable.
If we give it to them, they're just buying it, so we won't be doing them much favor; if we don't give it to them, we've already faced the imminent danger of Marquis Wu'an, and if we refuse to accept their offer to collect medicine now, we'll inevitably offend them.
Dai Li had no idea how troubled the prominent families were. This afternoon, a carriage bearing the Zou family's nameplate arrived at the side gate of the Qin residence as scheduled.
Wei Cheng was the fifth daughter of the middle generation of the Wei family, and she married into the Zou family. It was at her friend Zou Yude's birthday banquet that Wei Conglin attended the event, which led to the major incident that followed.
The gatekeeper had already learned in advance that distinguished guests were visiting today, and he went forward to greet them as soon as the Zou family's carriage arrived.
Wei Cheng got out of the car and before she could say anything, she looked up and saw Qin Qinian standing by the side door. She paused for a moment and then smiled.
"Auntie." Qin Qinian stepped forward with a smile.
The young man, who often mingled in the army, was not good at being subtle. After exchanging greetings, he asked, "You wanted to come see me, so why did you send a visiting card to Madam Dai? You sent it to the wrong place. You should have sent it to me."
Wei Cheng smiled and said, "Besides coming to see you, I also came to see her. I heard that my brother-in-law brought back a beautiful woman when he returned to Yuyang. Everyone outside is saying that she is a rare beauty in the north. I was just curious, so I came to see her. However, considering that she is probably older than you, I can only send this visiting card to her."
She did not bring up the pretext of "visiting Qin Shaozong in his illness," because only male members of the Zou and Wei families with official positions were qualified to present such a visiting card.
Qin Qinian suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Last night, Madam Dai mentioned this at the dinner table, and I almost thought you sent the wrong invitation card. It turns out you didn't."
These words made Wei Cheng's brow twitch.
They talked about this at the dinner table? They dined together? And that's not all, there was even a follow-up comment, "So it was true after all."
How can it be wrong?
That woman was nothing more than a favored concubine, a mere maidservant. How could she possibly rise above her master? In terms of status, she couldn't even come close to the legitimate son of the Lord of the North.
But her nephew not only didn't find anything wrong with it, but his words and attitude towards her were also quite affectionate. She had only been in Yuyang for a little over a month, yet Qinian treated her so well; had he been bewitched?
Wei Cheng's thoughts raced, a sense of foreboding creeping into his mind, but he smiled and handed over a heavy booklet. "Qinian, this is the gift list. Take a look."
Qin Qinian took it and casually flipped through it. "Aunt, why do you always bring something when you visit?"
"What are you saying, child? How can you visit someone's home without bringing a gift? Although your brother-in-law's family has everything they need, I, as his aunt, treat you like my own son. Naturally, I always wish I could bring everything I own to make you happy," Wei Cheng said with a smile.
"You really don't need to do that," Qin Qinian shook his head.
He had no worldly desires; his greatest wish was to achieve great deeds on the battlefield, just like his father, and to be renowned throughout the land.
Wei Cheng gestured to the servants to carry the things inside. "This place is not the Marquis's mansion after all. It is inconvenient to live outside. Although we are not lacking in food and clothing, it is certainly not as convenient as home. It is better to prepare more in case of emergency."
"We really don't lack anything. Father has practically moved everything from the Marquis's mansion over here," Qin Qinian exclaimed.
Wei Cheng frowned almost imperceptibly. "Qinian, why doesn't your brother-in-law go back to the Marquis's residence?"
More than a month has passed, and Qin Qinian has already forgotten about Mo Yanyun's instructions that day. Moreover, the one who asked the question was his own aunt, "Madam Dai feels more comfortable living outside, so she lives outside."
Wei Cheng was dumbfounded and remained stunned for a long time.
As they spoke, the two turned through a small side door to the front courtyard, and then proceeded to the main hall.
“Qinian, that Lady Dai…” Wei Cheng’s words trailed off.
There was no need to inquire further, for she had already seen the person.
At the head of the main hall sat a beautiful young woman, dressed in purple with black hair, her appearance radiant, like a peony in full bloom on a golden platform.
She looks quite young, but looking into her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes, one can see a calmness and gentleness that comes with age, which is completely different from that of the young girl.
She was radiant, like a pearl shimmering with light, as if the entire main hall were brightened up as well.
Unaware of Wei Cheng's astonishment, Qin Qinian, who had brought the people back, introduced them to Dai Li: "Madam Dai, this is my aunt, my mother's younger sister."
Then she turned to Wei Cheng and formally introduced Dai Li.
Dai Li looked at Wei Cheng, who appeared to be around thirty years old. She had a beautiful face, her hair styled in a bun, adorned with various gold and jade hairpins. She wore a long, flowing blue-green dress with subtle, flowing patterns, exuding wealth and elegance.
"Madam Wei, please have a seat," Dai Li said with a smile, then called Nian Xia, who was standing nearby, to serve tea to Wei Cheng.
Since they didn't know each other before and she wasn't trying to curry favor with the other person, Dai Li wasn't particularly enthusiastic; she was just being polite.
All the daughters of the Qin family had married into other prefectures, and Wei Cheng had always been the most popular woman among the noble ladies of Yuyang. Accustomed to being pampered, she felt disgruntled at being treated coldly.
At the same time, she suddenly realized that her father's words were not unfounded.
Three days ago, a woman from the Wei family who had married far away to Yanzhou returned to visit her relatives and brought back a lot of news.
According to the other party, Marquis Wu'an won a surprise victory in Yanzhou, breaking through the formidable pass in front of Bai Ri City in less than ten days. He then led his troops all the way to the border between Si and Yan provinces, defeating the Sizhou army in a series of defeats, with some fleeing and others dying. He even captured the third son of Xie, the governor of Sizhou.
With such unstoppable power, how could Marquis Wu'an have been seriously injured?
Suspicion arose, and the father connected various things, including Cai Yuan being able to visit the sick while their Wei family could only see Qin Yunce, and the Cai family's subsequent change in behavior, doing many things against them in the fields.
The Wei family, who were already feeling uneasy, were suddenly enveloped in a cloud of doubt.
Another day, her father received some news and sent someone to summon her back from the Zou family home early in the morning. The first thing he said to her was:
Marquis Wu'an wishes to remarry!
Wei Cheng had previously been completely skeptical.
There are no prominent families with the surname Dai in the north, so the Dai family must have come from a humble background. For a daughter of such a family to be a concubine would be an honor, let alone to aspire to be the principal wife?
Not to mention, the Marquis of Wu'an had promised in his early years that if he were to remarry, he would only marry a woman from the Wei family.
Shocked and angry, Wei Cheng smiled and sat down. "Everyone outside is saying that my brother-in-law brought back a great beauty. I just heard Qinian mention you. He said you are gentle and easy to get along with. I thought to myself, how could there be such a perfect woman? But now that I've seen her, it's really true."
Qin Qinian hadn't said these words before, but that didn't stop him from recalling everything that had happened over the past month, so he nodded upon hearing them.
"You flatter me. I'm just an ordinary person. I wouldn't dare to claim perfection." Dai Li also started to flatter Qin Qinian, but she was praising him. "Qinian is a kind-hearted kid. He can see the beauty in even the most ordinary things."
Wei Cheng smiled and said, "That's true."
Qin Qinian was completely dizzy.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Wei Cheng said, "Serving someone in illness is the most exhausting thing, yet Madam Dai is still radiant. Is it because she is naturally beautiful, or because your brother-in-law can't bear to see you serving her at her bedside?"
Dai Li raised her eyebrows slightly. She didn't choose either of them. "It must be because of Mr. Ding's superb medical skills. After one dose of medicine, the Marquis's wound stopped hurting and he fell asleep immediately, unaware of the thunder outside."
Wei Cheng sighed with a hint of worry, “Serving the sick is still quite tiring. Why don’t you send someone back to the Marquis’s residence and call Pingzhi over? She is the most docile and hardworking.”
The other person's tone was full of worry, but Dai Li had a gut feeling that the "Ping Zhi" she mentioned was probably no ordinary person.
Dai Li didn't ask any questions, but instead looked at Qin Qinian beside her, "Qinian, what do you think about calling Pingzhi over?"
Caught off guard by the question, Qin Qinian first exclaimed "Ah!" with a blank expression, "Who is Pingzhi?"
Wei Cheng chuckled helplessly, "Speaking of which, she is also your aunt, Qinian, but I am her blood relative, while she is her cousin, so the relationship is more distant."
Dai Li's eyebrows twitched slightly; she roughly understood.
Qin Qinian was still confused. "My aunt? Why is she at the Marquis's residence?"
“When your sister passed away, you were not even two years old. Not long after, Qin Dalangjun had that incident, and the mansion was in complete chaos. Your father was worried that you would be left unattended, so he discussed with the Marquis about sending Pingzhi to take care of you,” Wei Cheng said with a smile.
Dai Li picked up her teacup and took a small sip.
The "Wei Pingzhi" she mentioned is probably the illegitimate daughter of the Wei family that the Wei family wanted to marry Qin Shaozong as his principal wife.
However, Qin Shaozong did not want a concubine's daughter to occupy the position of wife, which would make the Qin family a laughing stock among other prominent families, so he rejected the Wei family's request.
In retrospect, although he did not marry the Wei family woman, he did bring her back to his residence.
Qin Qinian looked somewhat puzzled. "Aunt, are you referring to Consort Li? She seems to be the only one from the Wei family in the household. Is she really my paternal aunt?"
These words sent a chill down Wei Cheng's spine.
Why was Wei Pingzhi referred to as "Li Ji" in the Marquis's mansion? Was that Li Ji really Wei Pingzhi?
Moreover, over the years, the nephew was completely unaware that his aunt lived in the household.
This is too bizarre.
Wei Cheng couldn't help but feel regret. If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have worried that her nephew would be distracted by his other aunts, and she would never mention Wei Pingzhi whenever she saw him.
Wait a minute, Wei Pingzhi's birth mother seems to have... surnamed Li.
Out of the corner of her eye, Dai Li caught sight of a tall figure walking out of the side corridor. She turned her head and, unsurprisingly, met a pair of light brown eyes.
Yesterday he asked her if she needed his help, and she told him to do as he pleased. This afternoon he went to his study, and she thought he wouldn't come back.
"Father, you've arrived." Qin Qinian also saw Qin Shaozong.
Dai Li sensed an undercurrent in the brief exchange between the aunt and nephew.
She didn't want to get involved, but now that Qin Shaozong had arrived, Dai Li immediately threw the mud away. She was still not used to calling the other ladies "Mrs. Mou," so she said, "My lord, Lady Wei has suggested that Wei Pingzhi come here to serve."
Qin Shaozong paused, "Who is Wei Pingzhi?"
Dai Li: "..."
This father and son are truly of the same ilk.
A few eerie silences filled the hall before Qin Qinian finally whispered, "Father, Wei Pingzhi should be Consort Li."
In Qin Qinian's early years, when he was still young, he, his elder brother, and his elder sister were all raised by Chen Ao, who was his grandmother's trusted confidante who accompanied her in her dowry.
Therefore, he didn't know much about Li Ji, only that there was such a person in the mansion. After all, how could a son be overly curious about his father's concubines?
Qin Shaozong said calmly, "No need, she has already found a new place to go."
Author's Note: Here I am, 5000 words today! [starry-eyed]
Please, please give me some nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
