The purge of the court, led by Pei Kunfu, the Minister of Revenue, continued until the snowy twelfth lunar month.
Early in the morning, Nanxing led the guards in the courtyard to clear the snow. Xie Zhaozhao, wearing a cloak, went with Yuanyuan and Manman to enjoy the plum blossoms and snow in the garden.
Yuanyuan said, "Miss, the plum blossoms in the garden are in full bloom. The gardener has added many new varieties this year. We can also hold a plum blossom appreciation banquet."
In fact, many people in Beijing want to come to Qingpuyuan to enjoy the scenery.
Some came for the scenery, others for the people.
The political situation in the court is currently turbulent and unpredictable. A plum blossom appreciation banquet? Xie Zhaozhao remained noncommittal.
Mo Yan ran in from outside and reported, "Madam, the Second Master and Second Madam have returned."
Xie Zhaozhao said happily, "Please come in quickly."
Hongying and Hongshu visited Zhang Hexuan in Yuzhou at the end of April. Zhang Hexuan's wife, Jiang Ningning, was acting as matchmaker for Gu Huanhuan and Gu Mianmian in the military camp of the Duke of Zhenguo, who was guarding the western border.
In early September, the two returned, bringing with them information on five potential husbands: three generals and two colonels.
In his reply, Zhang Hexuan told Gu Shaoyu and Xie Zhaozhao that the other party had simple family relationships, was reliable, and had a good temper.
Xie Zhaozhao went to the Gu residence as soon as she received the letter and told Gu Zhongyu and Madam Lu about the situation.
The two were overjoyed and immediately set off with Gu Huanhuan and Gu Mianmian.
With this departure, the two women were considered to have married.
Before leaving, Gu Huanhuan and Gu Mianmian came to Qingpu Garden to kowtow and express their gratitude to Xie Zhaozhao.
Xie Zhaozhao instructed, "You are going to the west, and we don't know when we will meet again. I only hope that you will uphold the virtues of a wife, be good wives and mothers."
They were also told that fortune and misfortune are intertwined; a general can earn military merit, but he may also lose his life. They should cherish their husbands, not despise them for being dirty or rough, and not demand that they meet the standards of the powerful and wealthy in the capital.
The journey was long, so Gu Zhongyu didn't bring much dowry for his two daughters. He used ten carriages in total, with three carriages of dowry for each of them.
Each of them brought two maids and some daily necessities for the journey.
Xie Zhaozhao added makeup for them: two sets of brocade dresses for each person, one set of headdress, hairpins, etc., plus a gift of five hundred taels of silver.
More importantly, they were given four female soldiers as dowry, all of whom were highly skilled in martial arts and shrewd and capable.
All four female soldiers had signed indentures, and Xie Zhaozhao bestowed upon them one of each of the four idioms: "half-sky crimson clouds," "sunlight and jade-like purity," "concealing one's brilliance and hiding one's talents," and "bright moon entering one's embrace."
They are named Zhu Xia, Yu Jie, Yun Yu, and Ming Yue respectively.
Zhu Xia and Yu Jie followed Gu Huanhuan, while Yunyu and Mingyue followed Gu Mianmian.
Gu Zhongyu and Madam Lu were extremely grateful.
Back then, when Xie Zhaozhao got married, she was accompanied by four hundred imposing guards. Now, bringing guards with you as part of a noblewoman's dowry has become a symbol of status.
With a smile as bright as a flower, the four female soldiers that Miss had gifted were given to Gu Huanhuan and Gu Mianmian as their maids for nothing.
The young lady is taking advantage of this opportunity to plant spies in the western frontier!
Gu Zhongyu and his wife, Madam Lu, accompanied their daughter to the west. They left in September, and three months later, the couple finally returned.
I tidied up the house a little and then came.
Upon seeing Xie Zhaozhao, Madam Lu was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes, and she hurriedly began to talk about the marriage between Gu Huanhuan and Gu Mianmian.
Gu Huanhuan married a young general named Deng Changze, who was nineteen years old. His family was a scholarly family in Sichuan. His father only married his mother, and he had two older brothers, both of whom were successful candidates in the imperial examinations.
Gu Mianmian married a captain named Fu Jun, who was a little older than her, twenty-six years old this year. He was from Beidai, a rural area, and his parents were both dead. He only had two younger sisters who were already married.
Both sons-in-law are honest men, in general.
Xie Zhaozhao frowned and said, "Deng Changze sounds alright, but this Fu Jun is twenty-six years old and only a seventh-rank captain. How come his promotion is so slow?"
She looked at Madam Lu with a detached expression; Madam Lu still favored her biological daughter to some extent.
Gu Mianmian was born to Wen, a concubine of Gu Zhongyu, but no matter what, she was still Gu Zhongyu's biological daughter. How could Lu, the legal mother, choose such an old seventh-rank officer for her child?
Madam Lu hurriedly explained, "Fu Jun is from Beidai. He is exceptionally tall and a bit clumsy with words, but according to Magistrate Zhang, he is exceptionally brave in battle. He was promoted slowly, but that's only because he is too honest."
Gu Zhongyu nodded: "Fu Jun is a bit older, but he's very honest and takes special care of Mianmian. They married so far away, we can't take care of them, so we can only rely on our son-in-law to take care of them."
He vividly remembers drinking with his two sons-in-law, Fu Jun and Deng Changze. Deng Changze passed out after only a few ounces, while Fu Jun drank three jars without changing his expression.
Gu Zhongyu immediately took a liking to this son-in-law.
The two watched them hold their wedding in Chongqing and made sure everything was settled before returning.
Gu Zhongyu brought two letters, written by his two new sons-in-law to Gu Shaoyu.
Gu Shaoyu saw that the letter was written carefully, especially Fu Jun, who only wrote a few short sentences, but every word showed his sense of responsibility: "Your Excellency, I will definitely fight bravely, kill the enemy and defend the country, and take good care of Mianmian."
Logically, as a captain, he could address himself as "your subordinate" or, by claiming kinship, as "my nephew-in-law," but he referred to himself as "this humble one."
Deng Changze wrote a lengthy two-page letter, which was commendable, as the recipient was indeed from a scholarly family.
Xie Zhaozhao smiled, her lips pursed. The Earl's family was marrying off their daughter, and she had made a fortune again!
The marriages of the two daughters of the second branch of the Earl's family have been resolved!
He presented two noble daughters to the border generals and gained two military officer sons-in-law.
They quietly placed four garrison troops on the western border.
A battle with Wei Anyuan is inevitable sooner or later. We must plan ahead and launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside to trap him in the Northwest.
I'm so happy today!
Xie Zhaozhao asked Nanxing to invite Gu Zheng as well, and they prepared a large feast for the whole family to get together.
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