Chapter 6 006 The most venomous tongue in the capital, but the Luo family doesn't know! ...
On the morning of the tenth day of the ninth month, the Luo family's caravan, which had traveled a long way from Yangzhou, finally arrived at the capital.
It was still two or three miles away from the capital. There were no farmhouses or crops around. The yellowish-brown land was flat, with only a few wildflowers and weeds growing at most calf height.
Taking advantage of the fact that Xiao Yu was sitting in the car and couldn't see what was happening on her side, Luo Fu stuck her head out of the car window and looked out at the distant capital city.
Luo Song rode alongside his sister's carriage. Seeing that his sister was also staring in amazement, he exclaimed, "What a high city wall!"
Compared to the capital, Guangling City is practically a great-grandson!
Luo Fu was filled with excitement and said to her brother, "I heard from my brother-in-law that Xindu was built in the twelfth year of Yongcheng. If we consider Xindu as a person, then you two are the same age."
The new capital, Luoyang, had north and south city walls that were about 15 li long and east and west city walls that were about 12 li long and over 6 zhang high. It was majestic and a gathering place for powerful and wealthy people.
Luo Song felt honored.
Suddenly, two fine horses galloped from outside the city gates of the capital. After getting close enough to recognize that the leader was Lord Xiao, Luo Song told his sister, Luo Fu, who quickly pulled her head back and drew the curtains.
Xiao Rong was there to pick up his prospective in-laws, bringing along his second son, who was also off duty that day. As soon as the father and son arrived at the car, all the men in the car got out.
Xiao Rong gave Luo Dayuan a warm hug and pointed to the young men behind him, introducing them to his good brother: "This is my second son, Xiao Lin. He's pretty good at martial arts and works in the Imperial Guard."
Xiao Lin smiled and bowed to Luo Dayuan: "Greetings, Uncle Luo."
The 26-year-old military officer shared the same fair complexion as his younger brother, Xiao Yu, only slightly tanned. However, unlike Xiao Yu's scholarly and upright demeanor, Xiao Lin had long, narrow eyes that gave him the appearance of a treacherous official when he wasn't smiling. When he smiled, he seemed to be scheming and harboring ill intentions.
Luo Dayuan silently wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Luckily, Xiao Rong had brought Xiao Yu to propose marriage. If it had been Xiao Lin, no matter how honest and sentimental he was, he wouldn't have agreed.
"Well done! At such a young age, you've already joined the Imperial Guard, the most trusted force of the Emperor. You've truly surpassed your predecessors." Luo Dayuan praised him sincerely.
Xiao Lin modestly stepped back behind his father, then glanced at his third brother, who had lost weight from the long journey. He cast a sympathetic look at his brother. Brothers are brothers, but asking him to marry a village girl for a method that might not even work on his elder brother's injury would surely cause Xiao Lin a huge fight with his father.
Xiao Yu ignored his second brother's excessive sympathy and introduced him to Pei Xingshu and Luo Song, two peers.
Xiao Lin looked down on his third brother's marriage alliance deep down, but he didn't show it on his face. It was just that they had only just met and there really wasn't much to say to each other.
Fortunately, Xiao Rong didn't linger too long. He knew that getting to the capital was the priority, so he personally helped Luo Dayuan into the carriage while he continued riding a horse. This time, Xiao Yu and Pei Xingshu also switched to riding horses.
Upon arriving at the city gate, Steward Lin, whom Master Pei had sent in advance to rent a residence for Pei Xingshu, was already waiting there. After recognizing his young master, Steward Lin excitedly came forward to greet him and offered words of concern.
Pei Xingshu stopped his father-in-law, who was about to get out of the carriage, and gestured for Steward Lin to pay his respects to Xiao Rong and his sons. Then he had Steward Lin lead the way.
Steward Lin rode a mule, the same one that pulled his carriage when he went to the capital; both were provided by Master Pei.
Because there were distinguished guests present, Steward Lin did not make the foolish mistake of introducing the bustling city he had passed through to his new master. He focused on walking forward and, about half an hour later, pointed to a courtyard house with one entrance and said, "Young master, this is the place. The rooms prepared for our in-laws have all been arranged."
Pei Xingshu nodded and dismounted with Xiao Rong and the others.
Before the Roland sisters got out of the car, Xiao Rong said to Luo Dayuan and his wife in a cheerful voice, "My dear brother and sister-in-law have just moved into their new house, so we won't go in and bother you. You can rest for a couple of days. I'll ask your sister-in-law to come and visit on the morning of the 13th. She wanted to come with me to pick you up this morning, but I was afraid you would have to take up too much time entertaining her, so I didn't let her."
Wang Qiuyue smiled and said, "Sister-in-law meant well, so please ask the Marquis to convey our thanks to her. I will thank her in person in a couple of days."
After exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Rong took his leave with his two sons.
As soon as they left, everyone on the Luo family's side breathed a sigh of relief. Some got out of the car, while others carried their luggage.
The courtyard house rented by the forest manager is a relatively large courtyard house, with three main rooms and two side rooms on the north side, three rooms in each of the east and west wings, and a row of rear rooms on the south side.
The three main rooms, from east to west, are Pei Xingshu and his wife's bedroom, the central hall, and the study.
The north room of the east wing was for Luo Fu, the south room was for Luo Dayuan and his wife, Luo Song lived in the south room of the west wing, and the north room was already filled with the dowry that the Marquis's mansion had prepared on his behalf.
Manager Lin and his wife Zhang, who worked as a cook, lived in a back room. Their daughter Shuangyan, who was Luo Lan's maid, lived in the east wing room with Ping An. Another servant lived in the gatehouse.
After a busy period, the mansion was soon filled to the brim by the people from Yangzhou.
Luo Dayuan felt embarrassed and said to his son-in-law, "This courtyard is for you to study in. Now that we're here, how can you find any peace and quiet..."
Pei Xingshu laughed and said, "Father-in-law, you're too polite. To be honest, with you all here, Lan'er can adapt to the new house more quickly. She's comfortable here, so I can focus on my exams."
Roland glared at him, letting the father-in-law and son-in-law exchange pleasantries, and took her mother and sister to see the dowry sent by the Marquis's mansion.
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After a day of rest, they spent another day strolling through the most bustling market in the capital. On September 13th, the Luo family prepared tea and fruit early in the morning, waiting to entertain their prospective in-laws, including Deng.
Around 9:00 AM, a carriage stopped outside the courtyard gate. The family, having received a message from the gatekeeper, quickly came out to greet it. After passing the screen wall, they saw a slightly plump woman dressed in silk standing in front of the carriage. She was in her forties and simply wore a jade hairpin. Although there were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, she was still a beautiful woman with enduring charm.
Strangely, despite being a noblewoman who had been a marquis's wife for over twenty years, Deng seemed even more approachable than Xiao Rong, who had always been very enthusiastic. Perhaps Xiao Rong's enthusiasm was mostly a pretense because he needed something from the Luo family, while Deng genuinely didn't treat them as country folk or outsiders.
Or perhaps, the reason why the Luo family felt close to Deng was because she also possessed a simple, rustic charm that no amount of dressing could conceal.
Both sides silently sized each other up before Wang Qiuyue, who was standing at the front, nervously asked, "Are you the Lady of the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion?"
Madam Deng smiled, stepped forward and took her hand, saying, "That's what outsiders call me. Sister-in-law, just call me sister-in-law. I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me. I've lived in the capital for over twenty years and I still haven't gotten used to it. I just hope to have more sisters-in-law like you around, people from the same village. We can all speak the village dialect, do whatever we want, and be carefree. No one will have to laugh at anyone else."
The warm hands and straightforward words immediately bridged the gap between her and the Luo family.
Wang Qiuyue happily led Deng Shi into the courtyard.
With the neighbors no longer watching, Wang Qiuyue introduced Deng's family members.
When it came to the younger generation, Deng praised each one. When it came to the youngest, Luo Fu, Deng looked at her future daughter-in-law's rosy face and said happily, "Such a beautiful girl, it's a pity that she married my third son. But don't worry, Fu'er, your aunt will treat you like her own daughter. If the third son dares to upset you, I'll beat him with a feather duster."
Luo Fu took it as her future mother-in-law being polite and lowered her head shyly.
Deng was a female guest. Luo Dayuan, Pei Xingshu, and Luo Song accompanied her for a cup of tea before leaving, leaving the women to entertain Deng.
Madam Deng brought three gifts. One was for Wang Qiuyue. When she presented the gift, she said, "It's all my husband Xiao's fault for being so heartless. He forgot his old friends after getting rich and powerful. He kept me in the dark all these years and made me a villain because of him. This gift is both my apology to my sister-in-law and a greeting gift from me as her sister-in-law. Please don't be polite with me."
Since the gift was given with such sincerity, Wang Qiuyue accepted it.
Madam Deng then beckoned Roland to her side, took Roland's soft little hand and patted it, her loving eyes filled with regret: "It's true that I like Fu'er, but I also like you, my older sister. You look like a gentle and clever beauty. If you had been my daughter-in-law back then, I would have woken up laughing in my dreams... Never mind, let's not talk about the past. After seeing Xing Shu just now, I know that Lao Xiao has done a good deed by accident, because our eldest son is a rough man and really is not good enough for you. It's also because you are blessed to have avoided him."
Roland: "..."
Is Prince Xiao really that bad, or is Madam Deng deliberately trying to smear him because she's afraid she'll have designs on him?
"Please accept this; it's a token of my appreciation." Madam Deng placed the gift box in Roland's hands. "Since we both live in the capital, you should visit the Marquis's residence often."
Roland thanked the elder softly and accepted the gift.
The last gift was, of course, for Luo Fu. Deng smiled warmly and said, "I won't say much to you. We'll be family next month, and we'll have plenty of time to spend together."
Luo Fu held the gifts in both hands and looked into Deng Shi's gentle eyes, which eased her anxiety about marrying into the Marquis's mansion.
After the bride-to-be Luo Fu left, Deng discussed the matter of asking a matchmaker to propose marriage with Wang Qiuyue. It was unavoidable to send Xiao Rong to Yangzhou, but the marriage between the two families could be arranged hastily, but it could not be done perfunctorily. All the necessary steps of the matchmaker and betrothal ceremony must be followed.
All the arrangements for these noble families have been made. The Luo family just needs to wait for the matchmaker to come to their door. They don't need to worry about anything or put in any effort.
At night, Wang Qiuyue leaned against her husband's chest, looking at the blurry window frame, and felt a little worried: "The Marquis's mansion arranged the marriage too quickly and too meticulously. They say that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Now the Marquis's mansion is giving us such a big piece of gold. Could it be that they have buried some kind of pit for us? Is the young master Xiao's leg injury just a pretext?"
Luo Dayuan: "I thought so too, and I even told Xingshu. Xingshu is reliable. Before we left Yangzhou, Xingshu wrote a letter to Steward Lin, asking him to carefully investigate the situation of each branch of the Hou family, especially Xiao Yu, and to be thorough in every detail."
Wang Qiuyue sat up abruptly: "What should I say? What should I say?"
Luo Dayuan chuckled and said, "The Marquis's family is roughly what Xiao Rong described. They are marquises, but among the noble families in the capital, they are just ordinary. Xiao Rong's official position is not high either, unlike those founding heroes who are dukes and marquises, all of whom hold important positions. However, because of Xiao Rong's loyalty in protecting the emperor back then, the emperor would reward him from time to time. His eldest son's marriage to the Left Prime Minister's family was bestowed by the emperor."
Wang Qiuyue took a breath. This kind of imperial favor was not enough for Xiao Rong. In the countryside, it was already the highest level of preferential treatment he could receive!
Luo Dayuan: "Xiao Lin's wife is the granddaughter of the Duke of Dingguo, but the specifics of how she came to be there are unknown among the common people."
Wang Qiuyue: "...One is a noble lady from the Prime Minister's mansion, and the other is a noble lady from the Duke's mansion. It seems that our Fu'er's relationship with her as her sister-in-law will be difficult in the future."
The couple remained silent for a while before Wang Qiuyue asked the most crucial question: "What is Xiao Yu's reputation like?"
He looks good, but who knows his true nature?
Speaking of his prospective son-in-law, Luo Dayuan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "He did indeed pass the provincial examination with top honors when he was nineteen, which earned him some good reputation among the people of the capital. However, he was only a provincial examination winner and never became an official, so not much of his story spread among the common people. This is normal; just like in Guangling, only the most virtuous and the most wicked become well-known throughout the village. Later, after failing the imperial examination, he went to Songshan Academy, and the people of the capital didn't know who he was anymore."
If one truly wants to find out about Xiao Yu's character, one must seek out families who frequently interact with the Marquis's residence. However, these are all nobles and high-ranking officials, and Steward Lin has no connections in this area. He is also afraid of making a rash mistake and losing the information. Furthermore, the servants of wealthy families are often cunning, and if this matter is reported to the Marquis's residence, the Xiao family might blame the Luo family...
Therefore, Wang Qiuyue concluded: "There should be no problem, and I trust my own eyes more."
Luo Dayuan: "Yes, Xiao Yu values etiquette even more than calligraphy. What kind of outrageous things could such a person do?"
The couple comforted each other and went to sleep peacefully.
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The betrothal and engagement process between the two families proceeded quickly. After the "setting the date" was completed on the second day of the tenth lunar month, the wedding ceremony was scheduled for the twelfth day of the tenth lunar month.
After Xiao Rong became successful, he not only lost contact with Luo Dayuan, but also with some distant relatives from his hometown. Since all his new friends and relatives were in the capital, the Marquis's mansion finally sent out the wedding invitations on the fifth day of the tenth month after everything was ready.
The Left Prime Minister's Residence.
Prime Minister Yang Sheng didn't return home until evening after finishing his duties. Before he could even change out of his official robes, his wife, Madam Xu, rushed over, displaying an unusual excitement she rarely showed. She handed him a wedding invitation, saying, "Look, take a look!"
Yang Sheng took the wedding invitation with one hand and, with the other hand, helped his wife undress him. After reading it and confirming that the message from his daughter was true, Yang Sheng couldn't help but sneer: "What a Xiao Rong! Knowing that no official or noble in the capital would marry his daughter to Xiao Yu, he actually went to a rural family in Yangzhou to hire one."
Thinking of Xiao Yu's handsome appearance and talent, Madam Xu felt very sorry: "He is a god-like person, but he has a sharp tongue. Otherwise, given the relationship between our two families, I would be willing to play matchmaker for him."
Yang Sheng's face turned cold. He crumpled the invitation in his hand and gritted his teeth, saying, "He should be grateful that the Emperor has made our families related by marriage. Otherwise, I would have exiled his entire family to the frontier!"
The prime minister, who was in his early fifties, turned pale with anger. Madam Xu quickly helped her husband up and patted his chest, saying, "Alright, alright, Xiao Rong sent him to Mount Song to reflect for three years. I suppose he should have changed his mind and won't go against you anymore."
Yang Sheng was still angry. He threw down the wedding invitation and said, "Whoever wants to go can go. I won't give him that face."
Madam Xu: "That won't do. You'll embarrass the Xiao family. What if the Xiao family makes things difficult for their daughter?"
Yang Sheng: "They dare!"
Xu: "Anyway, you have to go!"
At the same time, Li Gong, the white-haired but youthful-looking Duke of Dingguo, was also discussing the marriage with the Xiao family with his wife.
Recalling Xiao Yu's sharp tongue, Li Gong was extremely fortunate that he was a military general who only knew how to lead troops into battle but not how to govern a country, so that Xiao Yu couldn't find a way to criticize him.
He put down the invitation and said gloatingly, "Let's go early then, there might be a good show to watch with Prime Minister Yang."
Although Emperor Yongcheng in the palace did not receive a wedding invitation, Xiao Rong had to ask him for leave to hold a wedding, so Emperor Yongcheng knew that Xiao Rong's third son, who had offended almost all the young men and women of the noble families, was finally getting married.
"Although Xiao Yu's marriage is indeed difficult, isn't it too unfair to him to marry a village girl?"
When the emperor had some free time, he would chat with his senior ministers about everyday matters and show some concern for the younger generation, especially those with real talent like Xiao Yu.
Xiao Rong said with a bitter face, "It's good enough that he can get a wife. He has no right to be picky. Besides, I have a past relationship with the Luo family, so it can be considered a double blessing."
Emperor Yongcheng hummed in agreement: "After marriage, I hope Xiao Yu can learn to be more mature and steady. Too much rigidity leads to breakage. He is talented, and I hope he can serve the court more."
Xiao Rong broke out in a cold sweat. Too much rigidity leads to breakage. The Emperor knows what his son has done and is now targeting him!
A note from the author:
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Waaah, here it comes! 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!
Please! Please! [Please!] [Pigeon]
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