Chapter 272: Ending Part 7
Just a few days later, Xia Qingchen's imperial decree of marriage was issued, and Xia Jinghe and Nanxing's marriage was finalized, with the wedding date set for the seventh day of July.
Although there are still several months to go, Jiang Muyu has already started to get busy. Not only does he have to prepare the betrothal gifts, but he also has to prepare the dowry. He cannot afford to let down either side, and he cannot delay either side.
At this age, Xia Jingtang has begun to learn to be a business owner and can help her handle some trivial matters. With her help, Jiang Muyu feels a little more relaxed.
Nanxing is also busy here. After all, she is about to become the Crown Princess and has a lot to learn.
She had never been a virtuous woman, and had been wielding swords and guns all day long. Jiang Muyu and Xia Qingchen had never restricted her. Only now had she begun to learn the palace etiquette and rules in an orthodox way.
On this day, Jiang Muyu was discussing the wedding banquet with Xia Jinghe when Yun Yan suddenly hurried in and said, "My queen, there's a letter from the capital."
Jiang Muyu put down what he was doing, took the letter from her and asked, "Who wrote this?"
"It's the old lady."
In the past few years, Mu often wrote to her, always a thick stack of letters, chattering about some political affairs in the capital, interesting stories in life, and the latest situation in the mansion. Jiang Muyu would read them carefully and then keep them in a wooden box.
It's the same this time.
She opened the envelope and saw three folded sheets of paper. The first sheet that caught her eye was filled with handwriting, and she read through them one by one.
He suddenly smiled and said to Xia Jinghe beside him: "I have good news."
Xia Jinghe was looking at the guest list. Hearing this, he raised his head and asked, "What good news?"
"Your ninth aunt gave birth to a legitimate son a few days ago."
Xia Jinghe smiled and said, "It is indeed good news. Ninth Aunt has been married for many years and has never had any children. This has almost become a source of worry for her."
"Yes." Jiang Muyu was also deeply relieved.
Four years ago, Jiang Muqing and Lin Hanzhi got married.
When Jiang Muyu first heard the news, he was unable to react for a while, but after thinking about it carefully, he suddenly found some clues.
These years Jiang Muqing has been disguising herself, waiting for the right time to make a breakthrough. The person she wants to marry is not Shen Mofeng, but the top scholar.
She has always been unknown, not because she is timid and mediocre, on the contrary, she is the wisest person in the mansion.
Born as a concubine's daughter and not favored by her mother, she has always concealed herself and lived a low-key life in the mansion, so as not to be regarded as a thorn in the eyes of anyone. This is the only way to secretly find a way out for herself and make a beautiful comeback.
It doesn’t matter whether Shen Mofeng is the top scholar or not. What she has always been attracted to is not Shen Mofeng as a person, but his identity, status and talent as the top scholar.
Jiang Muyu would not blame her. On the contrary, he admired her very much. As long as she didn't do anything against the law, it was understandable to use some tricks to find a way out for herself.
After Lin Hanzhi passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar, he was neither proud nor complacent. He made great achievements in the court and was highly regarded by the emperor. Now he has become an important official. Jiang Muqing's status also rose, so the Marquis and the Mu family also valued her very much.
Jiang Muyu continued reading. The second letter mentioned Jiang Muxue. She couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and the melancholy in her heart surged out along with the content of the letter.
Xia Jinghe's eyes followed the list, occasionally writing and drawing, but his remaining eyes were always concerned about her emotions. Seeing this, he turned around and asked in confusion: "Mother, did the letter say anything bad?"
Maybe it was the bond of blood, but she actually felt a little hard in her throat. "Your eighth aunt passed away a few days ago."
Xia Jinghe was also stunned: "He went?"
She nodded. "The letter said that she had been a little crazy for a few years. The Zhong family was afraid of losing face so they imprisoned her in the mansion. Over time, she accumulated resentment and became ill. She refused to take medicine properly, so she died."
At this point, she sighed softly and continued, "If she had been willing to behave herself, I would have been willing to find her a good marriage out of my little sisterly love. But she was not content and acted like a spoiled child. Otherwise, I would not have been so cruel."
Xia Jinghe comforted her, "You don't have to feel guilty, mother. Eighth aunt ignored the relationship between sisters and poisoned you. You have done your best to save her life. She deserves what she has today."
"Forget it, forget it. Everyone has left."
Jiang Muyu put the second letter aside and opened the third one. As soon as he saw the handwriting, he knew it was not written by Mu, but by Jiang Chenyan.
There was only half a page of paper. After reading it, she subconsciously looked at Xia Jinghe, pursed her lips, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Xia Jinghe noticed something and realized that it might be related to him, so he asked, "What did grandma say again?"
"It's not your grandmother, it's your sixth uncle."
"Oh?" He smiled. "Sixth uncle doesn't write to you often."
"Yeah, you should take a look at it yourself." Jiang Muyu handed him the letter.
Xia Jinghe took it and looked at it. He showed no emotion and just smiled faintly: "It is a blessing for a merchant's daughter to marry into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
Jiang Muyu stared at his expression and confirmed that there was nothing unusual. She breathed a sigh of relief and finally put the worry in her heart back into her stomach. She took the letter back, folded it and put it back into the envelope.
Shen Qingxi married Xie Beiran. He was able to say this so calmly after hearing the news. It seemed that he had really broken away from the control of the script. Otherwise, she was not sure whether marrying Nanxing to him was the right choice.
…
Although Shen Qingxi married into the Zhenguo Mansion, the Zhenguo Mansion is no longer what it used to be.
A few years ago, Duke Zhenguo suddenly suffered a stroke while drinking and having fun with his colleagues in Ruyifang. Even though the emperor asked the imperial physician to come to the palace for treatment, he was still unable to be saved. He woke up, but his mouth and eyes were crooked and he could not walk normally. Even going to the toilet required someone to help him.
The legitimate son of the Duke of Zhenguo also met with misfortune. During a hunting trip, his horse got startled and fell off a cliff, killing him instantly. The Duke of Zhenguo's family business unexpectedly fell into the hands of Xie Cheng, a bastard.
Xie Cheng had been an official in the court for many years. Although he did not rise to the top overnight, he had already reached the third rank. In addition, he was a man of deep thoughts and ruthless methods.
Ever since he inherited the title of Duke of Zhenguo, even Xie Beiran, the legitimate son, had to depend on him to survive in the mansion.
What's more, Xie Beiran is a real playboy. He doesn't have any special abilities, but he is an expert in pursuing women and living a life of debauchery.
Shen Qingxi had always looked down on Xie Beiran, but she had never fallen out with him because of his status. But she didn't know what tricks he had used to make the emperor personally decree an agreement to grant them a marriage.
She cried all day but couldn't change the facts. Because Shen Mofeng was an official in the court and her family was not from a prominent family, she definitely didn't have the courage to disobey the emperor's order.
Therefore, on an auspicious day chosen by the emperor, Shen Qingxi was put on a bridal sedan by her family and was carried into the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion amid the loud sounds of gongs and drums.