Despite Xu Lingyi's repeated assurances, he failed to change the dowager's determination. In the end, everyone had no choice but to let Xu Lingyi personally hand over the sign and invite her to the palace to meet the Empress Dowager.
No matter whether it was the inner court or the Cining Palace, they dared not be negligent in the slightest. After the sign was handed in at noon, within an hour, Eunuch Lei personally led two eunuchs dressed in sixth-rank clothing to pick up the Madam. Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang accompanied the Madam into the palace.
Lord Sun came to visit unexpectedly.
"Entered the palace..." The old man was a little disappointed.
The fifth room was noisy for most of last night, and everyone had guessed the purpose of Lord Sun's visit.
Chief Steward Bai respectfully invited Lord Sun to sit in the outer study: "...He has been gone for almost an hour, he should be back soon!"
There is a rule in the palace that one can only eat meals but not lunch. For the afternoon meal, each palace would make some snacks in the small kitchen to fill their stomachs. Under such circumstances, there was naturally no such thing as leaving any meals for the palace. In addition, the inner palace had to leave the food, so it was time to leave the palace at the hour of You.
Old Marquis Sun looked at the sky and went to the study accompanied by Butler Bai.
Xu Sichen rushed over immediately.
"Grandfather, you are here." He hurriedly saluted to the old Marquis Sun and said, "I want to go to Guizhou with my sixth brother... He is only one year older than me, but now he is the Earl of Wujin and the general of Guizhou. I can't stay at home like this anymore. In the past, he couldn't even beat me in archery!"
Upon hearing this, Manager Bai immediately retreated quietly and closed the door for the grandparents.
"You are the eldest son, and you can benefit from imperial favor in the future. Your father is not worse than your fourth uncle. When the late emperor was alive, he made great contributions in battles, and now he has made great contributions by recommending Gong Dongning... What will your brother do in the future?" Old Marquis Sun asked Xu Sichen gently.
His grandfather, who had always supported him, stood on his mother's side this time, and Xu Sichen was surprised.
He couldn't help but lower his head and think.
The room fell into silence.
Xu Sichen's expression gradually became depressed.
Old Marquis Sun saw this and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
This time, he miscalculated.
He knew Xu Lingyi's intention of sending Xu Sijin to Guizhou, and he had originally planned to send Xu Sichen there afterwards. But when he saw Xu Sichen's childish face and thought that he only had this one daughter, and his daughter had only two sons, his heart softened. He thought it would be better to wait a few years until Xu Sijin had established a firm foothold in the military camp and Xu Sichen was older and had learned martial arts better, then it would not be too late to go.
Who knew that just this hesitation would lead to earth-shaking changes.
First, the Tartars marched south, and in less than two rounds, Fan Weigang was defeated and Xuantong City was captured; Ouyang Ming was ordered to take charge of the situation, but he was defeated miserably; the emperor changed generals at the critical moment and transferred Gong Dongning to take charge; the emperor wanted to save Ouyang Ming's life, so he left 20,000 troops for him to chase Duoyan and gain military merit, but he was ambushed by Duoyan; Xu Sijin, who followed Ouyang Ming out to cheer for him, was fearless like a newborn calf, and called on 3,000 guards of Yulin Guard to chase Duoyan. The commander of Yulin Guard was even more clever, and he actually handed the troops to Xu Sijin... The development of the situation was dazzling, and he had no time to make any arrangements before he received the news that Xu Sijin had captured Duoyan alive.
As a result, Xu Sijin was conferred the title of Wujin Earl, while Ouyang Ming, the person the emperor wanted to support, ended up having his entire family exiled.
If I had known this would happen, I would have made up my mind to send Brother Chen to Guizhou as well!
Xu Sichen didn't think too much about it.
The same words, spoken by his grandfather who once held a high position in government and had the power to rule the country, would be more convincing to him than if they were spoken by his mother who only doted on her younger brother.
If anyone needed to make concessions, it could only be him, the older brother.
"Grandfather," he raised his head and looked at Old Marquis Sun with a resolute look, "I will stay at home and let my younger brother go to Guizhou with my sixth brother!"
He still remembers to take care of his younger brother at a time like this... Old Marquis Sun nodded with satisfaction.
There was a sound of a woman crying at the door.
The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw the Fifth Lady standing there wiping her tears.
"Mother," Xu Sizhen hurried over and took out a handkerchief for the Fifth Madam, "I was wrong, please stop crying!"
After listening to this, the Fifth Lady cried even more sadly.
The palms and backs of the hands are all flesh. Cheng Ge'er is young, so she pays more attention to him, but it doesn't mean that she doesn't care about her eldest son. The eldest son has always been more successful and capable than the younger son. Now she wants the eldest son to give up his bright future to the younger son. How can she not feel uncomfortable?
"Okay, okay, stop crying!" Old Marquis Sun said with a smile, "I'll discuss this matter with Marquis Yongping, you just wait for the news."
With my father in charge, everything will be arranged perfectly.
The Fifth Lady nodded with sobs.
Chief Steward Bai reported through the curtain: "The old Marquis, the Fifth Madam, the Seventh Young Master, the Madam Dowager, the Marquis, and the Fourth Madam are back!"
The Fifth Lady quickly stuffed the handkerchief into her sleeve and said, "Dad, please sit here for a while. Chen Ge'er and I will go and welcome the Madam."
Old Marquis Sun said "hmm", the Fifth Lady went to the Chuihua Gate, and Xu Sichen went to the main gate.
The Second Lady, Jiang, and Yingniang were already waiting in front of the hanging flower gate.
"I don't know what the Empress Dowager and mother said?" The Fifth Lady chatted with the Second Lady with a smile.
"Everything has its pros and cons." The second wife said calmly, "Even if the emperor does not agree, after two or three years, we can use this as an excuse to transfer Jin Ge'er back to Yanjing. It may not be a bad thing. The emperor can't let people have no descendants!" She looked confident and obviously didn't take this matter to heart.
The Fifth Lady couldn't help but smile when she heard this: "Second sister-in-law is still thinking far ahead. We don't have such foresight as Second sister-in-law." But she thought to herself, what if the emperor doesn't allow me to be transferred back? I heard that those who are generals are more lucrative than county magistrates and prefects in Jiangnan. What if Brother Jing doesn't want to be transferred back?
These words were just thoughts, but Jiang couldn't help but look at the second wife and admired her greatly.
While they were thinking about it, the lady's carriage stopped in front of the hanging flower gate. Eleventh Lady got off the carriage first, and then helped the lady out.
When everyone looked at the lady dowager, she was smiling so much that her eyes were narrowed. She not only did not look tired at all after entering the palace, but was full of energy and her face was rosy. It was obvious that the trip was worthwhile.
Everyone smiled and surrounded the lady as she entered the hanging flower gate.
"...I never thought that even Concubine Song would set her sights on our Jin'er." Back in the room, the Dowager Lady was helped to change her clothes by the Second Lady while she proudly talked to the Fifth Lady, Jiang, and Ying Niang about the situation of entering the palace. "She refused to leave even when the Empress Dowager winked at her. She sat there and insisted that Eleventh Lady give her a clear answer. If the Empress Dowager hadn't told her to leave first, I'm afraid we would have to wait for some time before we could leave the palace."
"Empress Dowager Song!" The Fifth Lady looked at Eleventh Lady as if seeking confirmation, but the Second Lady said, "She is the Eighth Prince's biological mother, right? I heard that the Song family was originally a minor official in Pengcheng. Because her daughter was beautiful, she entered the palace and was favored, so she was appointed as the Pengcheng Commander. I'm afraid it's not appropriate, right?" As she spoke, her eyes fell on Eleventh Lady.
Eleventh Lady could only smile bitterly: "The Queen Mother personally sent us out of the Cining Palace. When we knelt to say goodbye, the Queen Mother asked me to visit the Zhou family more often when I have time. Madam Zhou came to the palace a few days ago to talk about the marriages of several cousins, and also mentioned that I had not visited the Zhou family for some time."
Some things can only be understood but not expressed in words.
The Second Madam and the Fifth Madam were both stunned.
The old lady waved her hand disapprovingly, "No need to rush, the decree won't come down until after the Chinese New Year anyway. We'll just have to pick a marriage for Jin'er these days." As she spoke, an expression of longing appeared on her face, "Then let the Empress Dowager grant Jin'er a marriage, and we'll hold Jin'er's wedding in a lively manner. Maybe next Chinese New Year I'll be able to hold my great-grandson again!"
The eight characters haven't even been written yet, and already he's talking about his great-grandson!
Eleventh Lady was a little amused and helpless.
The old lady turned around and asked the second lady, "Do you think I should dress up and buy two new clothes? Then I can follow the eleventh lady to find a wife for Jin'er!"
"Of course!" The Second Lady coaxed the Grand Lady, "You have walked across more bridges than we have walked on roads. With your help, Jing'er's marriage will be a success."
"That's what I think too!" The lady nodded immodestly and said, "I've thought about it. Concubine Song is definitely not an option. The Zhou family is not a good choice either. There is a queen in the middle. When a couple lives together, there is no time when the upper lip touches the lower lip. If the daughter of the Zhou family relies on the fact that this marriage was arranged by the queen, wouldn't our brother Jin be at a disadvantage..." The lady stroked her head, "I need to think about this matter carefully before I make a decision!"
Eleventh Lady looked at the lady's embarrassment and said with a smile: "Marry a woman of virtue, as long as she has good character. Our Jin Ge'er is not a person without any problems..."
"We are not in front of outsiders, so we still have to be polite and modest!" The lady said somewhat displeased, "I think there is nothing wrong with our brother Jin. Not only is he handsome, but he is also filial and considerate, gentle, polite and generous. Wherever he goes, he never forgets to bring gifts for his family..."
It is good to have your own children, and this is particularly evident in the case of the Lady Dowager.
Eleventh Lady had no choice but to nod and go back to tell Xu Lingyi about it.
Xu Lingyi laughed and asked her, "How about finding a suitable marriage for him in the army?"
"Choosing a marriage in the army?" Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.
"Jin'er is going to open his own residence in the future, so it's best to find a daughter of a general." Xu Lingyi pondered, "It doesn't matter how high the family background of the daughter-in-law is, but she must be capable, have good character, and have many brothers."
Brothers fight tigers together, and fathers and sons fight together in battle. Being born into a military family means that everyone in the family is serving in the military camp. As long as they are not the scumbags, Xu Lingyi can help support a few people. By then, Xu Sijin will have his uncle to help him, and with the power of numbers, others will be a little afraid of him.
Eleventh Lady nodded slightly: "I'm afraid that by then the girl will also be a man of swords and guns." She was a little worried, "Jin'er has an impatient temper and he only responds to soft words and not hard ones..."
"We'll discuss it carefully when the time comes!" Seeing that Shiyi Niang agreed in principle, Xu Lingyi smiled and said, "Not all the girls in the military families are big and strong. We have to choose someone suitable for Jin Ge'er!"
Before he finished speaking, a servant came running in: "My Lord, Madam, Mo Zhu, who is with the Second Young Master, has returned to the capital. He said that he was sent by the Second Young Master to come and greet you and Madam, and to bring something to the Sixth Young Master. He just arrived, and the steward asked me to report to the Lord and Madam."
Due to the failure of the war in the north, the imperial court was afraid that the Japanese pirates in Fujian would take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack, so it blocked the news from Jiangnan. By the time Xu Siyu learned that the people from Guizhou Dusi were ordered to go to Xuantong and wrote to inquire about Jing'er's details, Jing'er had already captured Duoyan, and then the news began to flow.
Judging from the date, Xu Siyu might have just heard about the surrender of prisoners at the Meridian Gate.
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I can't log in to Qidian... From 18:15 to now...