Wen Zhuoan laughed out loud and held Xu Lanyin's hand tighter. He felt that the promise he had made to his wife had finally come true.
The last ray of afterglow disappeared from the sky, and bright stars emerged one after another. Only then did Wen Zhuoan and Xu Lanyin return to Hexuan.
The doors and windows of the house have been open for fresh air these days, and today we have been burning incense all day, so there is no strange smell.
Xu Lan went to the east wing to feed Wen Mingxi before going to the upper room.
The two of them are very affectionate.
The next day, at noon, the imperial edict conferring the title of Marquis of Xiqing on Xu Lanyin arrived, along with the imperial decree granting Wen Zhuofeng a marriage. After receiving the decree and sending the eunuchs away, Wen Zhuofeng led Wen Zhuoan and his family to the Wen family ancestral hall in the southwest corner. Xu Lanyin, holding Wen Mingxi, kowtowed before the ancestral tablets, and Wen Zhuofeng also entered their names into the family tree.
In the afternoon, Xu Lanyin and her family of three went to Xu's house.
Chai was waiting anxiously at home.
Finally, he waited for them to come back. He hugged Wen Mingxi and kissed him, then looked at his daughter and son-in-law, smiling with satisfaction.
Xu Lanyue leaned on Xu Lanyin's arms and wanted to go to her sister's house to play for two days.
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Once the yard is tidied, I'll bring you four gentlemen from the Plum Garden over to play." Then he asked Xu Lanzhou, "I heard you're going to study at the Imperial College?"
Xu Qingyan's official position was not high enough to allow his son to enter the Imperial College, so Chai paid for his son to study there.
Studying at the Imperial College was an honor, and one could get to know many children of officials, building connections and broadening horizons. Xu Lanyin encouraged him, but also reminded him to be cautious in choosing friends.
Xu Lanzhou smiled and nodded in agreement, saying, "Brother will study hard and strive to pass the imperial examination next year."
Chai lamented, "My cousin is too confident. Ru'er passed the imperial examination last year. If he keeps up the good work and takes the spring examination this spring, he'll definitely pass." She then smiled, "Hongyu is so lucky to marry Mr. Wen and take charge of the household right from the start. Best of all, you two are sisters-in-law, what a wonderful fate. Calculating the dates, the imperial decree should arrive tomorrow. My cousin and his family will be so delighted."
Xu Lanyin was also happy for Qin Hongyu. She smiled and said, "I'm also looking forward to her marrying soon."
In the evening, Xu Lanting and Xu Qingyan returned from school and government office.
Xu Qingyan asked Wen Zhuoan, "I heard you want to join the Ministry of Justice? If you go there, you can only get to be the Chief of Police, not the Minister or Vice Minister." He then suggested, "Why don't you join the army? You'll have a better future there."
The Chief Constable was the head of the Six Gates of the Ministry of Justice, a fifth-rank civil servant, on par with a doctor. Previously, Xu Qingyan wouldn't have dared to imagine Wen Zhuoan holding this position. But now, he felt his son-in-law had a better future.
Wen Zhuoan smiled and said, "At the moment, I don't want to do anything else."
Xu Qingyan was at a loss and asked again, "Where will Master Wen go?"
Wen Zhuoan smiled again and said, "From what the emperor said, he might go to the Censorate."
After dinner, Xu Lanyin and her family returned to the Wen Mansion.
Nanny Ye brought over two notes and said with a smile, "Fourth Madam, before you left, the Nanyang Princess's Mansion and the Min Mansion sent us notes."
Xu Lanyin took it and saw that it was written that tomorrow Li from Min Mansion and Ma from Princess Nanyang Mansion would come to Wen Mansion to visit Fourth Grandma Wen.
Xu Lanyin smiled. The mistresses of the two mansions would come to visit her tomorrow.
Madam Ye reported again, "Hongye, the eldest maid who works for the Third Madam, said that the Third Madam wants the Fourth Madam to come over tomorrow morning to check the accounts with her."
Xu Lanyin said, "Go tell the Third Madam tomorrow that I have guests. Check the day after tomorrow. Then tell her to send a table of food over at noon."
The Liu family had been in control of the mansion for so many years, and since Third Madam Wen was a concubine's daughter, Xu Lanyin had to help sort out many of the affairs and accounts in the backyard. Even for Wen Zhuofeng and Qin Hongyu, she couldn't be lazy.
The next day, Xu Lanyin thought that Li and Ma would definitely bring Min Jia and Chai Zixiao, so she sent someone to Xu's house to pick up Xu Lanyue.
At the beginning of noon, they arrived at Hexuan one after another.
As soon as Chai Zixiao arrived, he said, "The Empress Dowager told me to call you Empress Grandma and my cousin-in-law Empress Grandpa. How can you be that old?"
Everyone laughed.
Min Jiapo said with great experience, "Aunt Yue is younger than me, but I have to call her Aunt. This is the order of generations."
Ma smiled and said, "Well, seniority doesn't matter age, old or young."
Xu Lanyin smiled at Ma and said, "I just came back from the palace the day before yesterday, and I went back to my parents' home yesterday. I also said that I would go visit my aunt and uncle today and tomorrow."
Ma smiled and said, "Grandma and Grandpa know you are busy, so we asked you to come and see you first and ask if there is anything you need our help with."
Seeing that Li and Ma were somewhat surprised at the simplicity of the courtyard, Xu Lanyin explained the reason again.
After lunch, we sent them away at the beginning of the afternoon.
In the next few days, Xu Lanyin and Mrs. Wen San sorted out many things in the Wen family. All the people from the Liu family were replaced and a group of new people were appointed.
Nanny Ye became the inner courtyard manager, this was Xu Lanyin's insistence. Nanny Ye was given to Xu Lanyin by Madam Qin. Not only Xu Lanyin believed in her, but also the Qin family.
Xu Lan had no extra people in other places, so Madam Wen San temporarily sent her confidants, and Qin Hongyu would bring her people to slowly replace them in the future.
By observing her words and expressions and listening to her inner voice, it was clear that the Third Lady of Wen was not a bad person and had no ill will towards the Wen Zhuoan brothers. Perhaps because she hated Old Lady Wen so much, she was very unkind to several people from the Second House.
Xu Lanyin hated the Wen Yan couple even more, and pretended not to see it as she allowed Mrs. Wen San to withhold money from them.
That day, when Xu Lanyin went to the meeting room, she saw Wen Jiao coming back crying, but she didn't ask much.
Madam Wen San said, "That delicate girl has her own ideas. She even wanted to go to the prison to see her parents. I didn't agree. Those two evil people said they were my relatives. I was so embarrassed, but she still wanted to go to see them."
Xu Lanyin smiled and said nothing.
Except for Old Huang who was sentenced to death by slicing, who has already served his sentence, the Wen Yan couple and several members of the Pu family who were sentenced to immediate execution will not be executed immediately, but will have to wait until the autumn.
Several other families who had done bad things together also received the punishment they deserved, including the Su family.
Madam Su had conspired with Lady Liu to marry Miss Su Er to Wen Zhuofeng, and had even spread rumors that Wen Zhuoan had jumped off a cliff to commit suicide for Miss Su Er. The Empress Dowager was furious. These two women were so wicked! Not only did they want to kill Wen Zhuoan, they also wanted to make Wen Zhuofeng suffer a lifetime of pain and guilt. Fortunately, Miss Su Er was clever enough to avoid the marriage.
Marquis Su's title was demoted to Earl, and his official rank was reduced by two levels. The Empress Dowager also issued an imperial decree denouncing Madam Su as unvirtuous and immoral. Marquis Su was furious and sent Madam Su to a nunnery for retirement, claiming she had committed a serious offense...
Madam Su was completely destitute, her children from her natal family disowned her, and she would never be able to leave the nunnery. Su Qing could now live a peaceful life, no longer fearing that someone would hunt her down, and she had avenged her past and present lives.
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