When Madam Xie saw the contents, she said to Xie Jue, "Remember your elder sister's expectations of you, and don't disappoint her."
Xie Jue happily agreed and went back to his own courtyard.
Madam Xie immediately called Ying'er in: "Go and see if the eldest master and young master have returned."
Ying'er will call Xie Anfeng and Xie Yu over in a little while.
Madam Xie showed them the letter that Xie Zhaozhao had asked Xie Jue to bring.
Xie Zhaozhao brought the letter back through Xie Jue, indicating that this matter was very important.
Xie Anfeng thought for a moment and said, "I have an old acquaintance with Liu Jigao, the prefect of Yingzhou. I have met his second son, Liu Zekun. He is humble, polite, and quite ambitious. He may very well pass the imperial examination next time. It would be good for Tingting to marry him."
Madam Xie nodded: "I also have some impression of Liu Jigao, whom you mentioned. His wife is from a prominent family. This family is of high moral character and has a good reputation in the area. It is good fortune for Tingting to marry into their family."
Xie Yu said, "Third Sister is too proud. She doesn't even think much of Ling Xun. If we ask her to go to Yingzhou, I'm afraid she won't be willing."
“If she is unwilling, she should sign a letter severing ties with the family, and her life and death will be up to her own.” Madam Xie said without hesitation, “We raised her in the mansion, not expecting her to bring much benefit to the family, but only hoping that she will not be a burden to this big family.”
Madam Xie pointed to the end of the letter and said, "Zhao Zhao went to Huguo Temple on the 29th to offer incense to her mother and invited Yu'er to go with her. What does this mean?"
Xie Yu couldn't think of anything for a moment, so he said, "In previous years, I would take my sister to offer incense to our mother. I guess she wants to do it the same way."
That evening, the Xie family sent a letter by express courier to Liu Jigao, the prefect of Yingzhou.
Despite the common saying that "engagement should not be arranged in the twelfth lunar month and the wedding should not be completed in the first lunar month," Madam Xie and Xie Anfeng decided to first arrange a small engagement.
Three days later, Prefect Liu, accompanied by his wife and second son Liu Zekun, rode at full speed to the Xie residence in the capital to personally propose marriage to Xie Tingting.
Prefect Liu found the letter quite strange, wondering what Xie Anfeng meant by being willing to marry his eldest daughter to his second son.
The two families were so different in social standing that he couldn't believe it.
Why the rush during the Lunar New Year?
Xie Anfeng led him to the study and did not hide the truth from him: "First of all, I am familiar with Brother Liu and know Ze Kun well, which is better than an arranged marriage. In addition, the Crown Princess has passed away, and the Crown Prince will definitely choose another consort. The Xie family does not want to climb the social ladder and seek only peace and safety."
Only then did Liu Jigao understand why Xie Anfeng had chosen his family for marriage.
When the Crown Prince was choosing a consort, the Xie family preferred to marry their daughter to someone of lower social standing rather than send someone to the palace.
I never expected that Ze Kun would get such a great deal for free.
Xie Anfeng was a high-ranking official, equivalent to a vice prime minister. His sister was a concubine in the palace, and his eldest son-in-law was Gu Ge Lao, the emperor's most favored close minister!
Liu Jigao felt he must have been incredibly lucky to be able to marry into the Xie family.
Madam Xie has already sent someone to bring Xu Shi and Xie Tingting back from the ancestral temple, and told Xu Shi about arranging a marriage for Xie Tingting.
After Xie Anfeng and Liu Jigao reached an agreement, and Madam Liu had also made arrangements with Madam Xie and Madam Xu, they sent their personal nanny, Liu, to summon Xie Tingting to meet with Madam Liu and Liu Zekun.
After being confined to the family temple for so many days, Xie Tingting was finally brought back. She and Xu Shi thought it was New Year's Day and that Xu Shi should come back to manage the household affairs.
I never expected they would come back to discuss marriage.
Xie Tingting was brought to Madam Liu by Granny Liu. Madam Liu took her hand and said happily, "When the Third Miss was little, she was very cute with her fair skin. Now that she has grown up, she is even more beautiful."
Xie Tingting remained silent, looking at Madam Liu with a forced smile.
Seeing her like this, Madam Liu knew that she was unwilling.
Liu Zekun saw that Xie Tingting was very beautiful and liked her, so he blushed.
Seeing his embarrassment only increased Xie Tingting's annoyance. She, the third young lady of the Xie family, was married off to Yingzhou, and was still just a scholar without any official rank.
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Around the Dragon Boat Festival, the newly appointed top scholar did come to our residence for a few days before moving away. Otherwise, he could have had a friendly sparring session with Brother Zekun."
She spoke lightly, but Mrs. Liu instantly understood her meaning and felt a chill in her heart.
Is this because she looks down on Ze Kun's lack of knowledge? Is it because she looks down on Ze Kun for being a commoner? Or is there something she has to do with the newly appointed top scholar?
Madam Xie glanced at Xie Tingting and said with a faint smile, "Go and play with your younger sister!"
Xie Tingting left Wutong Garden and went to wait in Xu's courtyard.
When Madam Xu returned, she was furious, her face turning ashen. All her daughters had been married off to lower social classes, and now she wanted to marry Tingting off to Yingzhou!
Xie Tingting naturally didn't want to marry into Yingzhou, but she knew she couldn't fight city hall, so she smiled and said to Madam Xu, "Mother, I haven't seen my sister in a long time. Is it alright if I go to the Marquis's residence to see her?"
Xu thought that she hadn't seen Xie Xiangxiang for half a year and wondered how she was doing. Xie Anfeng forbade Xie Xiangxiang to come back or visit her, so Tingting secretly going to see her sister was a good idea.
When Xie Tingting arrived at the Marquis's residence, the two sisters missed each other dearly after not seeing each other for half a year. They held hands and cried. When Xie Xiangxiang learned that Xie Tingting was going to marry into Yingzhou, she was furious.
"Father and grandmother's hearts are completely biased; they want to save all the good things for those two siblings. Xie Zhaozhao is already married; do they still want us sisters to marry down?"
"I don't want to, but Mother can't make the decision," Xie Tingting said. "Sister, we can't get engaged in the twelfth lunar month and get married in the first lunar month. I won't make an engagement in the next few days. Sister, the Crown Princess has gone. Can you ask your brother-in-law to help make the match?"
Xie Xiangxiang said, "Are you crazy? The Crown Prince is already thirty-one, how old are you? Father and grandmother will not agree."
"Oh, of course they disagree! They want to marry me off to Yingzhou!"
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