Have a banquet at noon.
Liu Zhao sat in the upper seat, next to Lord Gu.
After drinking a few glasses of wine, Lord Gu patted Liu Zhao's shoulder and started yelling.
"Son-in-law, I'm having a hard time! That brat Gu Ting has been in the army for several years, and he only sends me a letter every Chinese New Year. I think he has clearly forgotten his last name and where his home is. I told him a long time ago that he can't be sent out to join the army, because he will learn bad things if he joins the army. This brat just won't listen. And Xiaojiu is also confused and actually sided with the brat."
Liu Zhao had a faint smile on his face, without a trace of impatience.
Gu Yan, on the other hand, looked nervous.
Seeing that Lord Gu's wine glass was empty, Liu Zhao took the initiative to pick up the wine pot and pour wine for Lord Gu.
"Father-in-law drinks."
“Hah…”
Lord Gu raised his glass and drank it in one gulp.
"I've been doing everything I can to help my children, but not one of them has shown any appreciation. This one, that one, they're all going to be soldiers after the New Year. What sin have I committed to deserve this bunch of unfilial sons?"
The fourth brother, Gu Heng, and the eighth brother, Gu Gong, both lowered their heads. They had a thousand rebuttals, but they didn't have the courage to speak them out loud in front of the eldest prince, Liu Zhao.
Besides, they will have to report to the military camp after the Lantern Festival.
If Lord Gu wants to complain, let him do so.
Liu Zhao kept smiling as he continued to pour wine and urge people to drink, "Father-in-law, drink."
Liu Zhao did not express any opinion on what Lord Gu said.
Lord Gu drank one glass after another, and when he drank too much, he kept yelling.
"I have been studying since I was young, and I passed the imperial examination when I was just over 20, which means I have made great progress since I was young. Over the years, whether I was sent to work in the outer city or in the capital, I have always worked diligently and never dared to slack off. However, as I get older, I am getting worse and worse. Son-in-law, I, your father-in-law, am so distressed!"
"Father-in-law, it won't be bitter if you drink a few more glasses of wine."
Most of the wine in the pot went into Lord Gu's mouth.
As expected, Lord Gu was drunk by Liu Zhao.
"I'm not drunk, I can still drink. Come, let's continue drinking."
Drunk people like to say they are not drunk.
Seeing this, Gu Yan quickly sent someone to help Lord Gu down to rest.
It's so embarrassing.
It’s Chinese New Year, is it really necessary to be like this?
As half the head of the family, Gu Yan had to apologize to Liu Zhao and Gu Shan's husband.
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "That's fine! Drinking is all about having fun."
Seeing that Liu Zhao was really not angry, Gu Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After drinking, there are all kinds of fun activities.
After resting for an hour or two, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao set off for the palace in a carriage.
At the Gu Mansion, it was not until the evening that Mr. Gu woke up from his drunkenness.
As soon as he woke up, he asked the butler Gu Quan, "Where is the prince?"
"The person has left."
"Gone? Why didn't you stop him?" Lord Gu was anxious and angry.
Butler Gu Quan said, "His Highness has another dinner tonight, so we have to hurry back."
Throughout the first month of the lunar year, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao rushed from one banquet to the next, spending every day feasting.
When Lord Gu heard this, he slapped his thigh and was very annoyed.
"What a mistake! How could I have gotten drunk? His Highness is truly cunning. I spoke so clearly, but he didn't even respond. He just kept playing dumb with me. And then he even got me drunk. How despicable."
Butler Gu Quan was busy trying to comfort Master Gu, "Master, don't worry. Wait until the new year begins, and then go to the Ministry of Personnel to sound out any concerns. If that doesn't work, go directly to the palace and ask Second Aunt and His Highness to intervene. There's always a way to help Master get reinstated."
"Not only should he be reinstated, it would be best if he could be promoted to one of the six ministries."
Lord Gu once again regretted not seizing the opportunity and got drunk.
He also hated Liu Zhao for being too cunning, for forcing him to drink all the wine without telling the truth.
"Liu Zhao is a man of deep thoughts."
Butler Gu Quan agreed with this.
Every time Liu Zhao came to visit Gu's house, he never revealed anything in front of others.
In the carriage, Gu Jiu asked Liu Zhao, "I heard from the servants that during the lunch break, the master kept pulling you aside and talking nonsense."
Liu Zhao smiled and spoke seriously, "I'm not talking nonsense. These are all my father-in-law's sincere words. I didn't expect my father-in-law to trust me so much. I'm really flattered."
Gu Jiu almost couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing on the spot.
The corners of her mouth twitched. "Did he plot against me and Third Brother? Of course he did. I know he has a lot of grievances against me."
Liu Zhao shook his head slightly, "Father-in-law is proud of you."
Tell lies with open eyes.
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at him.
…
They drink every day, and on the fifth day it is the Su family's turn.
Early in the morning, Gu Jiu brought the children and Liu Zhao to visit the Su family.
Liu Zhao was very strange this New Year.
He was actually willing to accompany her to visit relatives and friends. In previous years, he was extremely impatient to do such things.
It's really rare that Liu Zhao is willing to spend some time on social etiquette.
In fact, Liu Zhao was not ignorant of the ways of the world, he just didn't want to.
As long as he wants, he can make every aspect perfect.
Gu Jiu secretly asked him, "Why are you willing to go out with me as a guest?"
Liu Zhao said implicitly, "It's quite interesting."
Is it just because it's interesting?
When we arrived at the Su family, they opened the middle door to welcome us.
Gu Jiu got off the carriage and kept saying that it was too polite.
We are all family members, so there is no need to be so formal.
"Yes, yes. This is the first time His Highness and the little grandson have come to visit us, so it's only right that we have a grand ceremony."
The three-courtyard house purchased by the Su family in the capital is very large for an ordinary family.
Front yard, courtyard, backyard, everything is available.
But for Gu Jiu, this yard is not as big as the east yard where she lives.
This is the real version of living in Beijing, it is not easy.
It is not easy to buy such a house in the capital.
The Su family finally reaped the rewards of their hard work by purchasing this house, and they finally showed signs of prosperity.
Without much fuss, the Su family entertained guests in the courtyard, which was convenient for both male and female guests.
The whole family of relatives sat in the flower hall, eating and drinking, and they were very intimate.
As they chatted, they talked about Su Zheng's marriage.
My aunt, Mrs. Tao, said, "I thought his marriage would be easy, but unexpectedly, he has encountered obstacles at every turn in the past six months. Later, after careful consideration, I found that there was something fishy going on.
I don’t know who my family offended, but whenever there is a suitable opportunity, someone always comes out to cause trouble.
"Xiaojiu, look at what's happened. I'm so worried. He's almost thirty and still hasn't found a marriage. What should I do?"
Su Zheng was standing beside him, feeling very embarrassed.
Gu Jiu waved his hand and asked him to go to the next room to talk, taking Liu Zhao with him.
After the people left, Gu Jiucai said, "The responsibility for this is mine. I didn't notice anything was wrong in time."
"How can I blame you for this? Xiaojiu, you can't take everything on yourself. It's too tiring."
Gu Jiu shook his head, "Aunt, listen to me. The source of this matter is in our palace, or more precisely, Princess Huyang. Princess Huyang fell in love with Cousin Su and wanted to betroth her daughter to him, but I refused.
Who would have thought that she would secretly send people to keep an eye on you. If there was any sign of trouble, anyone would come out to sabotage Cousin Su's marriage. It's not that Cousin Su is a bad person, it's just that Princess Huyang is too overbearing."
Aunt Tao was shocked. "Hu, Princess Huyang really has taken a fancy to my A Zheng?"
"Exactly! But don't worry, auntie. As long as you don't want to, no one can force Cousin Su to marry Chen Min."
"So Princess Huyang's daughter is called Chen Min. What kind of girl is she?"
"Gentle and virtuous, with a beautiful appearance. Now she is raised by the Queen Mother."
After hearing this, Aunt Tao waved her hands repeatedly, her expression somewhat panicked. "Not worthy, not worthy. We should reject this marriage. But what if Princess Huyang continues to do evil in secret? If we reject her, will we offend her?"
Gu Jiu said, "Don't worry, Aunt. Princess Huyang has promised to evacuate everyone."
My aunt, Mrs. Tao, covered her chest with her hands, feeling relieved.
"To be honest, Xiaojiu, at first, when I heard that the princess had taken a fancy to my son, A Zheng, I was quite happy. However, I have also heard a little about the reputation of this Huyang Princess since I came to the capital. Her daughter is the niece of His Majesty and the granddaughter of the Queen Mother. Such status is not worthy of our family. Thank you, Xiaojiu, for rejecting the princess on our behalf."
Tao was very glad that Gu Jiu did not match Su Zheng with someone casually.
Princess Huyang's daughter is so scary.
If Su Zheng really had a mother-in-law like Princess Huyang, the consequences would be unimaginable.
If she met a relative like Hu Yang, she would really want to die.
Huyang has a bad reputation and is definitely not a good family to marry into.
Gu Jiu paused and said, "I promised Princess Huyang that I would give both parties a chance to see each other. After seeing each other, you can just reject me directly."
"Do you want to see each other again?"
"Otherwise, Hu Yang will always be thinking about cousin Su Zheng."
Aunt Tao was worried. She simply called Uncle Su and Su Zheng over and told them about the matter in front of Gu Jiu.
Uncle Su looked at Su Zheng and said, "It's up to you. If you want to marry, your father won't stop you."
Su Zheng smiled bitterly. He had never even met the person, so how could he want to marry a stranger?
Su Zheng asked Gu Jiu, "Can we not see each other?"
Gu Jiu shook his head. "Princess Huyang is a bit clingy. Only by formally rejecting her after seeing her can we put an end to her thoughts."
"Listen to Xiaojiu. My aunt is famous among the royal family for her ability to cling to people." Liu Zhao walked in and sat down next to Gu Jiu. "Since she has set her sights on Cousin Su, she won't let it go unless she is given a formal explanation. Xiaojiu can't help you fend her off every time. This matter must be officially concluded."
Uncle Su decisively decided, "Then let's meet. After the Lantern Festival, pick a date, why not..."
"Why not just stay at the palace? We don't have to wait for the Lantern Festival. The palace will host a party on the eighth day of the first lunar month. My uncle, aunt, and cousin Su will all be there. I'll also notify Princess Huyang."
Aunt Tao nodded.
Uncle Su made the decision, "Then we'll meet on the eighth day of the first lunar month. After we meet, I'll formally reject you."
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