Chapter 218: New Year Greetings (Part 2)

It is better to say less about topics involving the emperor. Xu Lingyi smiled and changed the subject: "There is no rush for this matter. Once a teacher, you are a father for life. Knowledge is important, but the teacher's character is more important. It is better to choose carefully."

Eleventh Lady nodded. She thought of Mr. Zhao who had been a teacher at the Zhongshan Marquis Tang family... It was a pity that they didn't have this fate. Otherwise, if there was someone who had a close relationship with the Luo family watching over Brother Zhe, she would feel more at ease.

Eleventh Lady went to the Dowager's place with Xu Lingyi, feeling a little regretful. Everyone was there, and when they saw them coming in, they all stood up. Fifth Lady even joked, "Why did the Marquis and Fourth Sister-in-law take so long? We have been sitting here for a cup of tea. We are so hungry." She also went forward to tease Xu Siyi, "This child is so beautiful!"

Xu Siqi looked at the Fifth Lady with a pair of curious eyes. The Fifth Lady was pregnant, and the Madam Tai was afraid that she would be hungry, so she specially prepared snacks for her. On the way back to Hehuali, she ate snacks all the way back.

Eleventh Lady was not worried that she was hungry. But seeing her teasing Xu Siqi, she felt something was wrong, so she asked with a smile, "Why don't you come to see Brother Zhuo?"

"I am playing Gobang with my brother Qin in the room!" The lady said with a smile, and asked Xu Siyi, "Have you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten it!" Eleventh Lady responded with a smile and stepped forward to pay her respects to the lady.

"Let him go and play with Brother Zhe!" the lady ordered, and Madam Du helped him to the east room.

Bin Ju quickly bent his knees and said "yes".

Thinking of her promise, Shiyi Niang stepped back a few steps and patted Xu Siyi's head: "Brother Xu, you and Binju can have fun in Brother Xu's room. Lord Hou and I have something to do. I'll come and pick you up when it gets dark. Okay?"

Xu Siqi's eyes showed reluctance, but he nodded and said "OK" in a low voice.

Eleventh Lady smiled at him and touched his head. Then she let Binju take him to Chen Ge and went to the east room.

After dinner, everyone sat down in the west room to drink tea. Xu Lingyi asked Xu Lingkuan, "How was it? I heard that you played until midnight yesterday. Do you want to go back and catch up on some sleep?"

Xu Lingkuan immediately said, "That's nothing. If I hadn't seen Brother Qin and the others yawning, I would have been ready to play until dawn!" As he spoke, he remembered that his brother had never liked him to have a good time all night, so his voice lowered again.

Xu Lingyi remembered what Shiyi Niang said and regarded Xu Lingkuan as a colleague. In this case, he could not criticize his private affairs. He said to the third master Xu Lingning who was sitting beside him: "It seems that we can have some free time this year." Then he instructed Xu Lingkuan, "Since you are not tired, then your fourth sister-in-law and I will go to the Jiang family. If there are guests at home, you can help entertain them!"

Xu Lingkuan was overjoyed when he heard this, but then he showed some worry: "I, can I do it?"

"Isn't there still the third brother at home?" Xu Lingyi said with a smile, "What don't you understand? Outside, there are the chief steward Bai and the steward Zhao, and at home there is the third master, so don't be ashamed to ask!"

Xu Lingkuan couldn't help but look at Xu Lingning.

Xu Lingning smiled and nodded at him.

Xu Lingkuan was young and had a lively personality. In the past, he and his fourth brother had always taken care of any problems in the Xu family. Now that he was going to be sent out, he had to give the things he had on hand to a reliable person. Although he had played crazy with the children last night, he was able to control his playfulness and urged the children to rest before they got ugly. Since his fourth brother wanted to test his ability, he would of course assist him well.

The lady looked at him and nodded slightly, her joy evident in her words. Although she was angry that the child was not doing well, she still hoped that he could do well.

Xu Lingkuan was overjoyed. He had never expected that his third and fourth brothers would agree to let him represent the Xu family to entertain the guests... He jumped up and said, "Third and fourth brothers, don't worry, I will do my best."

The Fifth Lady looked at her husband with a smile. She did not expect him to be an official, nor did she expect him to get promoted or make a fortune, but she would still be happy if he could take on the responsibility of the family.

The Third Lady was a little unhappy. After all, they were brothers. During the Spring Festival, who knows how many dignitaries would take this opportunity to come to the mansion to congratulate them. But the Marquis gave such a limelight to the inexperienced Xu Lingkuan. The thought flashed through her mind, and she remembered that she would soon leave the capital with her husband, so why should she care about all these messes. Maybe, before they leave, Xu Lingkuan will make a big mess and need the Third Lady's help to solve it. Thinking of this, she smiled.

Eleventh Lady, however, felt a little sad.

Looking at Xu Lingkuan's behavior, it's not that he doesn't want to do anything, but his family has never regarded him as someone who can do things and has not even given him a chance.

After the family affairs were explained clearly, Xu Lingyi took Shiyi Niang to the Jiang family.

Jiang Bai, who was drinking and admiring orchids with a group of friends and nephews, was slightly surprised when he heard that Yongping Hou and his wife came to pay New Year's greetings. Yongping Hou was going to the palace to pay homage, but according to the time, he came to pay New Year's greetings after leaving the palace... The people present had envious eyes. Jiang Bai hurriedly told the servant to report to his wife, and then told his friends around him a few times and went to the flower hall.

The Xu family's carriage stopped in front of the Jiang family's hanging flower gate. Xu Lingyi and Jiang Bai went to the flower hall, while Shiyi Niang was welcomed by Madam Jiang into the main house in the inner courtyard.

Mrs. Jiang was also a very clear-headed person. The Xu couple's move was just a subtle way to express their determination to form an alliance with the Jiang family. She could not neglect it and received Shiyi Niang with the etiquette of a close family. Not only did she invite her own children to meet Shiyi Niang, she also introduced her two nieces and nephews who were visiting her home to Shiyi Niang.

Eleventh Lady was somewhat surprised to hear that the two children were Jiang Gui's legitimate son and daughter. Why did Madam Jiang Gui return to Yanjing with the two children when she was not in Taiyuan Prefecture to spend the New Year with her husband?

Madam Jiang explained, "...she said that Madam Wang was not feeling well, so she came back to check on her."

Eleventh Lady felt even more strange. She had seen Madam Wang in the morning, but she didn't see anything wrong with her. Moreover, since she came back to visit her mother, why didn't she bring the child with her, but stayed in Jiang's house?

She was completely puzzled, but did not dare to ask further questions. She had just given the two children gifts when a little maid came in and reported to Madam Jiang, "Mr. Chen's wife is here to wish you a happy new year!"

Eleventh Lady was very surprised.

She had never thought that Mr. Chen had such a close relationship with Jiang Bai. Then she looked at Mrs. Jiang, who was confused and obviously puzzled by Mrs. Chen's visit. It seemed that Mrs. Chen was an uninvited guest.

Eleventh Lady calmly brought the teacup...

The Xu couple did not stay long at the Jiang family before leaving. Jiang Gui and his wife personally escorted them to the carriage.

Eleventh Lady told Xu Lingyi about Mrs. Chen's visit: "...I wonder if you met Mr. Chen?"

"I met him!" Xu Lingyi smiled slightly, "It seems that Mr. Chen is in favor of lifting the sea ban!"

Eleventh Lady didn't understand: "What does this have to do with the Jiang family?"

Xu Lingyi looked at her and laughed: "The Wang Jiubao family has been dominating the sea for so many years, is it just relying on brute force?"

Eleventh Lady thought that not long after the amnesty was granted, Xu Lingyi received a letter from Wang Jiubao...

"You mean..."

"Since Emperor Xiao, our dynasty has been pursuing a closed-door policy. However, maritime trade is very tempting, with a profit of ten thousand times the investment, so some people are willing to take the risk." Xu Lingyi stopped smiling, "Over time, others will follow suit. Eight or nine out of ten wealthy Fujian merchants are in cahoots with pirates." He said something with a hint of meaning, "Now that Wang Jiubao has granted amnesty, he wants the emperor to lift the maritime ban. If he can find me, he can naturally find others as well."

Eleventh Lady still hasn't figured out what the connection is.

Xu Lingyi looked a little solemn: "If you want to lift the maritime ban, it won't work without the support of the nobles, and it won't work without the support of the scholars either!"

Shiyi Niang had a vague idea. When she studied history, she always read about the restrictions on national development caused by the ban on sea trade, and the tragic end of the reformers. She couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, do you also agree to lift the ban on sea trade?"

Xu Lingyi heard the worry in her tone and couldn't help but smile and touch her head: "I am a person who resigned and stayed at home to recuperate. These important matters in the court are naturally decided by the ministers. It is not my turn to criticize them."

If that's the case, why did you look for the pictures?

Eleventh Lady looked at Xu Lingyi in surprise, and saw a glimmer of cunning in his eyes.

The two returned home, and before they could even stand still, a servant came running over and said, "Fifth Master asked me to wait here. When I saw Master Hou, I immediately reported to him that Master Liang Ge had been waiting for you in the outer study."

Elder Chen was at Jiang's house, and Elder Liang had been waiting for Xu Lingyi... Seeing two elders in one day gave him a feeling of impending disaster.

Eleventh Lady and Xu Lingyi couldn't help but exchange glances, then one went to the outer courtyard and the other went to the lady's place.

The lady's place was also full of guests. Madam Liang, the wife of General Li, the wife of the Minister of Rites... Everyone chatted and laughed, played cards and drank, and left only when it was time to light the lamps.

Eleventh Lady took Xu Siqi back home. On the way, she asked him, "What did you play with your brothers?" He answered irrelevantly, "The pancakes at Fourth Brother's are delicious!" Eleventh Lady laughed.

When she returned to the house, Xu Lingyi had not come back yet. She called Amber over and said, "Come back to my parents' home with me tomorrow and sit with Shanhu. Ask about your aunt's condition carefully!"

Amber responded respectfully.

Xu Lingyi came back drunk. Shiyi Niang hurriedly asked the maid to bring him some sobering soup, and helped him wash up and go to bed. She then turned around and told the maid to put the tea bucket on the stool beside the bed - she was afraid that he would cry out for thirst in the middle of the night.

But he pulled her into the quilt: "Let the little maid do these things, you can rest too!"

The waiter in the room hurriedly retreated.

The heat from the quilt hit her face, and Eleventh Lady's heart was pounding. Since that time, Xu Lingyi had never... I never thought... Could it be true that wine is the medium of lust...

She forced herself to remain calm and said angrily, "I was afraid that you would get up in the middle of the night and be thirsty. Now, the maids have been scared away, so I have to do it myself."

"I'm not thirsty." The bright light from the Yangjiao Palace shone through the thin gauze curtains. He could clearly see her white jade face gradually turning red, like a red lotus blooming in June.

I should have changed this account long ago!

Xu Lingyi raised his lips and held her tightly in his arms...