Getting ready for marriage
In the Grand Chancellor's Mansion, Xiao Yucheng was furious. He smashed all the bottles and jars he saw, but it was still not enough. He drew his sword and chopped up the priceless Huanghuali wood table and chairs, leaving him with nowhere to sit. He stood with his hands on his hips and roared.
"They're kidding me! How dare they marry Pei Zhaoying to someone else?"
The servants trembled with fear and knelt down to ask him to calm down. Only Xue Can touched his nose and said slowly:
"I originally thought His Majesty would endure the loss of face and marry His Highness to the Lord to maintain a check and balance. It seems His Majesty is arrogant and opinionated. We must be wary of His Majesty letting his will run wild and ruining our hard-earned kingdom."
Not only Xiao Yucheng and Xue Can thought so, but the elders in the aristocratic families who had experienced ups and downs all believed that Pei Zhaoying had no one else to marry, so Xiao Yucheng was very arrogant and domineering for a while.
"But my lord, think positively. You don't need to marry a princess, and you can take back those concubines."
"Get out! Get out! You are not the one who is being humiliated, yet you are just seeing things happening!" Xiao Yucheng hated losing face the most. Thinking about what had happened before, he gritted his teeth and cursed Xue Can as well.
He was standing in the messy room, fuming when he heard footsteps. He was about to pick up his sword to punish the servant who hadn't noticed, but when he looked up, he was stunned for a moment and then cursed:
"Are you here to laugh at me? Xiao Bo, have you already conspired with Pei Zhaoying to stab the Xiao family?"
"The imperial edict is before us, and we must not be disrespectful." Xiao Bo raised the rosewood box containing the imperial edict a little higher, and based on his understanding of Xiao Yucheng, he used a few words to torture his soul.
As expected, Xiao Yucheng was so angry that his blood rushed to his head and his neck turned red and thick. He wanted to find a place to sit down, but unfortunately he had to bear the consequences and could only stand there.
Xiao Bo looked at the debris on the ground, picked up a piece of ice-cracked celadon fragment and said:
"I came to clean up my mother's old things. I probably won't have a chance to go back to the Xiao family after this trip. It seems that all the vases she liked were smashed by you."
"Well, being a princess is like marrying into the royal family. You should just be a son-in-law of the royal family!" Xiao Yucheng remembered his identity as the head of the Xiao family and felt an extra layer of embarrassment. "But I'm telling you, the princess is extremely precious. The wedding ceremony is extravagant and complicated. With so many mouths to feed and clothe, the Xiao family's public funds can't afford it. Please find a solution yourself!"
As the saying goes, a penny can make a hero fall.
After the Xiao family became wealthy, they built an extravagant mansion and employed many soldiers. Each family had a lot of property, so it would be a lie to say that they couldn't come up with money.
Xiao and Cheng calculated that the salary at the Dali Temple was meager and Xiao Bo lived a simple and poor life, so they had to cut back on money.
"Thank you for reminding me."
Xiao Bo remained unmoved. He wrapped up a piece of the broken vase that his mother had loved when she was alive and walked out.
He remembered that his mother loved porcelain with ice cracks, saying that it embodied the vitality of spring after the ice cracked and the warmth of spring returned.
However, ever since his mother married into the family, his brother felt that she was going to take over his property, so his uncle found ways to move away all of his mother's favorite things.
When Xiao Bo was a child, he was often treated harshly by his uncle. Things that he could not understand before became clear to him after he grew up.
Xiao Bo then half-turned his body, grinned and said:
"You reminded me, and I remind you too—people should learn to cherish their blessings, lest they become angry and upset when they are gone. Furthermore, don't act as if you have everything you don't have, as if you have it all under your control, which will only make you a laughing stock."
He looked extremely warm, as if the two of them were brothers, living in harmony with each other.
After he finished speaking, Xiao Bo jumped up, nimbly dodged the flying porcelain pieces, and gracefully left the house.
Xiao and Cheng using money to negotiate the matter was a very bad idea.
"Brother Xiao Bo, I'm rich, I'm really rich! I can afford a house in the capital, a large house with two courtyards on Zhuque Street!"
Xiao Bo, despite his usual aloof demeanor, smiled and responded to all the congratulatory messages from his colleagues, looking like a newlywed groom. Xie Zheng was different. Holding the gold he had just withdrawn from Changlefang, he approached Xiao Bo with an incoherent thank you.
"Well, I've already said that if you bet on me, I guarantee you'll get rich." Xiao Bo looked at his naive appearance, curled his lips, sat down in the dormitory, poured two glasses of water, and signaled him to calm down.
Xie Zheng drank the whole thing with a gulp, and then thought of congratulating him:
"Congratulations! Your husband's salary is almost two thousand dan (approximately 2,000 dan). However, the various etiquette of Princess Shang's family cannot be abandoned. It would be bad if the gift list was too meager. Do you have any idea?"
He had listened to Xiao Bo's words and bet a small amount of silver, and got an amazing return with huge odds. Xiao Bo himself must have earned even more.
But it is not easy to be a son-in-law of the emperor. Since the founding of the dynasty, some commoners who have won the imperial examinations have lived off their wives, while the better-off families of dukes and marquises still have to empty their family savings to put together a gift list to avoid being laughed at.
Xiao Bo smiled and tilted his head to his side when he heard this:
"The thing I have the most in my life is yellow and white things."
"I don't believe it. If you're rich, why are you still staying in the dormitory? Wouldn't it be better to go out and live on your own?"
"It's quiet and convenient here, and there are guards patrolling the area at the Dali Temple's expense. It doesn't matter where I live alone. When it comes to discussing marriage, I can't let the woman down."
Xie Zheng seemed to understand, chatted for a few words, and ran out with the gold to find a government-certified broker to look at the house.
In Changlefang, the one hundred taels of gold that Xiao and Cheng had previously sent people to pledge had gone through many rounds and rounds, and had increased in value several times, and finally flowed into Xiao Bo's hands.
Xiao Yucheng was furious. After hearing the news, he raised his hand and overturned the copper basin that the maid brought for washing hands.
Water splashed everywhere, and the copper basin hit the maid's forehead, making it red. Poor girl still had to kneel down in panic and beg for forgiveness.
Xiao Yucheng randomly picked a direction and kicked down the flower stand, not caring whether it hit anyone.
After venting their anger, Xiao and Cheng's eyes changed and they came up with a new plan. With mixed feelings of joy and anger, they asked people to pay a large sum of money to monopolize the market's top-quality wedding ceremonial objects, such as jade ruyi, peace buckles, dragon and phoenix pendants, jade pendants, etc., as well as rare antiques and exotic animals that could be used as betrothal gifts for royal relatives and nobles. All those in circulation should be collected first.
He wanted Xiao Bo to have enough money but also not receive any ceremonial objects that would bring honor to the royal family, so that he would be embarrassed by carrying nothing but gold.
Xue Can calculated the military expenses and advised Xiao Yucheng with a bitter face not to fight with Xiao Bo any more:
"My lord, although you have fallen flat on your face here, a man of honor in this world should not be concerned with temporary gains and losses. My lord is a man of great things. To put it bluntly, Lord Xiao Bo is your Xiao family's affair. You are the head of the family, and brothers of the same clan should share the same glory. If you insist on giving up and taking out so much silver, Chengzi's military supplies will be a little short, and I'm afraid the brothers will complain."
"You don't understand. Xiao Bo and I have never been considered family." Xiao Yucheng was reluctant to talk about the past generations' ugly fight over the family property. His gloomy face made it clear that the situation was serious. "Xiao Bo is a venomous snake from the Xiao family. I don't know when he will betray the family and bite me back. I have to be on guard. I am not afraid of powerful enemies outside. The only thing I fear is the pests within the family who can destroy the family's lifeline in one fell swoop."
Betraying the family is such a heinous crime. Xue Can was shocked. He never thought that Xiao Bo had such a shocking idea.
Some are happy while others are sad. The whole Princess's Mansion is busy preparing for the wedding.
Pei Zhaoying didn't care about empty formalities, and Pei Heng wanted to make amends, so he made a big move. As a result, he received impeachments of "exceeding the rules" during the morning court for several consecutive days, but all of them were suppressed.
"Hmph, he owes me anyway. What's wrong with me covering for him more?" When the news reached Pei Zhaoying's ears, she didn't care at all and was not moved at all. She broke off a piece of jujube paste cake to feed the bird, and murmured inconspicuously in the smoke of lingling incense, showing her delicate and cute girlish nature.
Then she thought again, fortunately the prince consort was Xiao Bo. If it was Xiao Yucheng, no amount of empty formalities would be useful and would not save the rest of her life.
Pei Zhaoying got angry when he thought about it, broke off a large piece, and threw it into the air in front of the bird with all his strength. The bird understood human nature and flapped its wings and flew away, fearing that something had happened.
"Your Highness, please don't be upset. This is such a wonderful marriage! Look at the gift list that Master Xiao Bo sent. I have never seen so many wonderful things in my life!"
Pei Zhaoying glanced at Qiluo and said, "You've been with me for over ten years. You've seen all sorts of good things. You're such a loser."
"Your Highness will know once you see it. Your Highness, please take a look! Speaking of which, the Xiao family has only become rich in the past two generations, and their family wealth is really rich! There are many things that are not even available in the imperial palace storehouse!" Qiluo leaned over and presented the gift list to her. Even though she was knowledgeable, there was still uncontrollable amazement in her tone.
The man's family of the Shangzhu was not required to pay a corresponding betrothal gift. Pei Zhaoying knew that Xiao Yucheng would not help Xiao Bo. Today, Xiao Bo sent hired workers to deliver dozens of loads of betrothal gifts, and Pei Zhaoying became suspicious.
After receiving the gift list, Pei Zhaoying took a quick look at it and soon his eyes widened.
The gift list was written by Xiao Bo himself, and the scent of ink is still there.
Ten pairs of Tianshan snow lotus, ten hundred-year-old dragon blood ganoderma, a box of cordyceps sinensis, several loads of white hyacinth, agrimony, musk, bezoar, leopard bones... Hangzhou silk and satin are placed under the rare medicinal materials, and the treasures are used as a backdrop for the rare treasures.
The first load was gold, and the rest were endless precious medicinal herbs, all of which were beneficial to Pei Zhaoying's injuries.
A few days ago, when Lu Yunqi came to take Pei Zhaoying's pulse, he was still muttering that it would be best to have Cordyceps sinensis to nourish Pei Zhaoying's body. Unfortunately, the Imperial Hospital's medicine garden could not grow it, and the continuous wars cut off the tribute route from the west.
Maybe at that time, Xiao Bo just listened to it casually and kept it in mind.
Pei Zhaoying's eyes were swollen with discomfort. Instead of being happy, she was anxious and frowned.
"Where did he get all this money and valuables? Did he steal it or rob it? Your Majesty's rewards flow like water, so I don't need him to spend any money. This guy...don't let this cause trouble and end up in trouble, or be found in my house!"
She had never fallen in love, but she felt an indescribable anxiety and concern, which turned into a bunch of incoherent complaints when she spoke.
She really wanted to be happy, and she really wanted Xiao Bo to jump out of the paper and stand in front of her.
Jin Chenxiao had already led people to inspect all the boxes and identified all the medicinal materials to see if there were any abnormalities. He happily reported back:
"Your Highness, the inspection is normal. These precious medicinal herbs are all genuine! They are not available on the market, nor in the palace! As soon as the lid was opened, the strong and intense smell of the herbs came to me. It is refreshing to smell it. But I am so angry. After seeing the leopard bones sent by Lord Xiao Bo, I realized that the leopard bone medicinal wine prescribed for me by Jishidiang last time was a lie. One day I will definitely kill him and settle the score..."
Pei Zhaoying was so angry that she bared her teeth at her:
"You're nothing!"
Jin Chenxiao suppressed his smile, lowered his head and stood still.
Qiluo didn't understand Pei Zhaoying's scolding at first, but after thinking about it, she realized it was just her shyness before marriage, and she felt relieved. She smiled and advised:
"Your Highness, I don't think this was stolen or robbed. It must be Lord Xiao Bo's own wealth. These are priceless treasures. Where would he steal them from? Most families always prepare betrothal gifts for their sons early on. Lord Xiao Bo's kindness is legitimate, Your Highness, just accept it."
Pei Zhaoying snorted twice, without showing a happy expression, and listened to Qiluo's words.
Xiao Bo's handwriting on the gift list was not as neat and rigid as usual. It was free and unrestrained. He suddenly changed his writing style, which attracted Pei Zhaoying's attention.
She was angry that he had too many secrets and would not let her see through them at a glance, even if it was for her own good.
She was afraid that Xiao Yucheng would make things difficult for him, and that he would not like the position of the prince consort... But he was different, contrary to all of Pei Zhaoying's expectations, and became the princess in a grand and calm manner, as if he was two different people from the Xiao Bo she had met before!
Pei Zhaoying simply wanted to crush the red gift list written with gold powder, and crush Xiao Bo through the paper, but in the end she did not get angry any further. She put the gift list aside, holding her snow-white cheek, feeling embarrassed and angry.
However, Qiluo was right. The rare medicinal herbs that Xiao Bo could use as a betrothal gift were indeed accumulated by his parents for him.
Before his father married into the Xiao family, he was the young master of the most prestigious and upright sect in the martial arts world. However, no matter how big a martial arts organization is, it is nothing more than a lowly gangster in front of the smallest official.
Xiao Bo's father had an unknown amount of private collection. After discussing it with his wife, he registered it and sealed it in a secret room in Yaoyue Tower. Someone was assigned to look after it and leave it to his son. It would never be embezzled or divided up by the Xiao family.
After a while, some gossip was spread by the hired workers who carried the boxes, and soon became the talk of the town. It was said that the betrothal gift sent by Master Xiao Bo was full of rare treasures, especially those medicinal herbs, which had only appeared in legends before, but now appeared in the world. Just by smelling them, they felt that they could prolong their lifespan, relax their muscles and invigorate their blood circulation. No wonder Xiao Bo could become the royal son-in-law.
Xiao Yucheng thought that by monopolizing the wedding gifts he could give Xiao Bo a resounding slap in the face, but the slap landed on his own face, causing him to have a headache and he did not go to the patrol camp outside the capital for two days.
When the news reached Pei Zhaoying, she was being dressed up by her maids and was about to attend a small family dinner in the palace to discuss the details of the wedding.
This time her hair was styled in a loose and casual style, giving it a lazy beauty, without pulling on her scalp and making people irritated. Pei Zhaoying curled her brows in comfort, and the person in the mirror looked like Chang'e in the Moon Palace, calm and compassionate.
If Xiao and Cheng were not having a good time, she would be having a good time.
The rumors spread by the servants were deliberately instigated by her. Otherwise, even the smallest matters in the Princess's Mansion would not have been spread out.
The family banquet was held in the pavilions and waterside terraces in the southwest corner of the imperial garden. It was a breathtaking sight. The emperor and Xiao Bo had already arrived. Pei Zhaoying was deliberately late and apologized slowly.
Pei Zhaoying only looked at the corner of Pei Heng's bright yellow dragon robe, not paying any attention to Xiao Bo. She was stubborn and became annoyed because no one was fighting her.
"There's no need to be so polite, my sister. The marriage has already been decided. This is just an ordinary family dinner. I'm just enjoying myself with my sister and brother-in-law. There's no distinction between the emperor and his subjects."
Pei Zhaoying expressed her gratitude, and Xiao Bo followed suit to thank the emperor for his favor, which was like the wife following the husband's lead.
The emperor sat at the top and considerately arranged the seats for the two of them to be parallel and close to each other so that they could talk.
Pei Zhaoying signaled the eunuch with her eyes to take some food. It was the first time she focused on eating at a palace banquet. After a while, she noticed that her breathing was disordered.
Xiao Bo was a martial artist with great skills. He must have been able to sense it from such a close distance. Pei Zhaoying hated herself for trying to hide her feelings but only revealing her restlessness. She put down her chopsticks, drank some tea to clear her mouth, and began to lose her appetite.
She is a pool of water so clear that you can see the bottom at a glance, and Xiao Bo is a cloud that moves unpredictably. How unfair.
Xiao Bo answered the emperor's questions fluently, but the silence of the people around him made him unsure. Pei Zhaoying was even more interested in the patterns on the teacup than him. Could it be that she was still dissatisfied with this marriage?
Xiao Bo was distracted, glancing at the dishes that Pei Zhaoying particularly favored and the tea that he had sipped many times, and then he paid attention to it again.
He emptied the family savings left by his parents, just because those medicinal herbs were beneficial to Pei Zhaoying's injuries, but it seemed that he couldn't get a smile from her in return.
It was clear that in his previous life, when he disguised himself as a humble musician to investigate a case, she ignored the worldly differences and smiled at him so innocently and beautifully...
The emperor asked, "Does Lord Xiao have any plans to open a residence? I'm afraid it's inconvenient for my sister to live in the Grand Chancellor's Mansion."
Pei Heng asked someone to inquire about the recent clashes between the Xiao brothers. The more intense the fight, the more likely the family will fall apart, which will benefit Pei Heng. What Pei Heng wants to see is the coexistence of the "two Xiaos", rather than the unity and growth of the Xiao family.
Xiao Bo bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. I appreciate it. However, Your Highness is not mobile and is used to living in the Princess's Residence. As the Consort, I should prioritize Your Highness's wishes and dislikes and not change your daily life just because of a marriage. If Your Highness does not object, I am willing to move to the Princess's Residence."
Pei Zhaoying worked hard to make her mansion impregnable before the wedding, not with the intention of moving to another family. However, Xiao Bo took the initiative to suggest it, and considering her, she immediately lost her aggressive attitude and said that she would definitely not dislike her son-in-law.
This was the first time she mentioned the word "prince consort" in front of Xiao Bo, and she spoke vaguely and passed it over without saying a word.
The man next to him had a hint of joy in his eyes: "I thank you for your generosity."
A gentle breeze blew away the warmth on Pei Zhaoying's cheeks. She remained motionless, keeping her body steady.
Perhaps, it was normal for a young lady to feel palpitations when getting into a bridal sedan for the first time, but she seemed to have a guilty conscience and did not dare to look directly at Xiao Bo's face.
Seeing that Xiao Bo always took the royal etiquette into consideration and was humble and respectful, unlike his cousin, Pei Heng became more determined to have two Xiaos. He poured himself a drink and happily ordered Pei Zhaoying to stay in the palace until she was married.
Pei Zhaoying's heart skipped a beat. On the surface, this was a reward, but in the palace, one's eyes and ears were always blocked and one couldn't do anything.
"I dare to ask Your Majesty for a favor. Could you please allow me to visit the palace more often to accompany Your Highness? I have always worried that Your Highness would not be used to having another person around. In Daliang's wedding customs, married men and women always have to spend time together. I am willing to serve Your Highness often."
Pei Heng was in a good mood and responded without hesitation. He even went ahead with a cheerful face, letting Quan clean up Xiefang Palace temporarily while they enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains.
Pei Zhaoying and Xiao Bo both saw him off respectfully, and then they looked at each other cautiously. Xiao Bo nodded his chin with a very slight arc - the palace was short of Pei Zhaoying, but he was still there, so there was no need to worry too much.
Is he fulfilling the duties of a counselor, or is he doing his job as a son-in-law?
Pei Zhaoying wanted to get straight to the point and pierce through this layer of window paper and ask him a bold question.
After a brief pause, the spring breeze suddenly became stronger, ruffling Pei Zhaoying's hair and blowing something that Xiao Bo had gathered in his sleeve to the ground.
Pei Zhaoying subconsciously leaned over to pick it up for him. A person in a wheelchair could reach out and pick up things faster than a normal person. She cursed herself for liking to pick up things for Xiao Bo so much. Last time it was a jade pendant fragment, this time it was -
Her fingertips touched the soft fabric, and the regular embroidery patterns rubbed against her fingers. When Pei Zhaoying realized what the object was, thunder sounded in her ears, and her entire ears quickly turned red.
Xiao Bo shouldn't be holding this thing.
"Your Highness?" Xiao Bo called her softly, with a slight smile that hinted at his cunningness, as if he was waiting for her to fall into his trap.
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