That night, not only Xu Rao's family couldn't sleep, but Ning Shi and the others also couldn't sleep for a long time. The old lady's words sounded like a casual chat with the elders and grandchildren, but upon closer examination, they were not quite what they seemed.
Some things are best left unsaid. After lying down, Ning couldn't sleep and tossed and turned. That night, the young master and the marquis were in the study in the front courtyard sorting out the gifts and money sent by various families. Xu Di's wedding was not only attended by relatives, but also by many colleagues in the officialdom and even some marquis's mansions. After these gifts were sorted out, the marquis and the young master had to review them. In the future, there would be a standard for gift-giving when any family has a wedding or funeral.
The Crown Prince asked Lady Ning, "Why are you tossing and turning all night instead of sleeping?"
Ning said, "Do you think the old lady has something on her mind?"
The prince said, "The old lady is getting on in years, what could she possibly want? Now that her great-granddaughter-in-law has been married into the family, she's just waiting to hold her great-great-grandson."
Ning said, "No, no, let me tell you what the old lady said last night."
Ning then repeated the old lady's words verbatim. After hearing this, the young master remained silent for a long time. Ning felt her heart pounding and carefully asked, "This is about the Yongyi Marquis's mansion back then. It's been decades. I don't believe the old lady has no ulterior motives for bringing it up again."
The prince sighed and said, "When people get old, they always think about things from years ago. Don't think too much about it. Just urge our children to study hard. Hua'er is this age. If he studies hard and gets a degree, it will be easier to find a good match with a prominent family."
Ning said, "Oh my, I'm so envious of my third sister-in-law for finding such a daughter-in-law. It's good that she comes from a humble family and we can teach her well."
The prince sighed and said, “Hua’er is different from Di’er. Di’er is very capable. Even without anyone’s help, he can still achieve great things. Our Hua’er is not like that. Not only do we need to help him, but we also need to arrange a marriage for him with a prominent family so that his in-laws can help him out. Our Hua’er, once he inherits the title, should just take good care of the family business passed down from our ancestors.”
Ning sighed and said, "After listening to what Grandmother said just now, I think we've been thinking a bit too far to the left. We always say that we don't expect Hua-ge to achieve anything great in the future, just to keep the family business. But starting a business is difficult, and keeping it is even more difficult. What if Hua-ge doesn't have the ability and can't keep the family business?"
The prince was speechless for a moment. Yes, what if the child couldn't protect this family business? In this vast capital, how many powerful families had once been glorious, only to fall into ruin in the hands of their unworthy descendants?
Ning said, “Hua’er is already fourteen years old, Your Highness. Do you think we should let him study at Sister Ru’s academy for a few years, just like my third brother and sister-in-law? I’ve heard that our brother-in-law is very good at teaching students. Many people have passed the imperial examinations under his guidance. Last year, his academy even had a student who passed the imperial examination.”
The Crown Prince said, "Di-ge'er has already gone, and I heard he took several young masters from the Zhang family with him. Would it be inappropriate for our Hua-ge'er to go along as well?"
Ning said, "I didn't ask you to send Hua Ge'er over right away. Let's discuss this with Father again. I think the third brother's child is in much better spirits after going out for a while."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince smiled and said, "It's not just the children of my third brother's family; I also feel that the hearts of our Yao'er have grown considerably since the beginning, judging from the letters she wrote."
Hearing about her youngest daughter, Ning sat up abruptly and said happily, "Who says otherwise? I think it was the right thing to send Yao'er to Liaodong. It was bound to be tough for her along the way, but if she hadn't endured those hardships, how would she have known how wonderful her life would be later? I heard she even went with them to climb Changbai Mountain, which is deep in the mountains and forests. I wonder how she got up there and how she got down."
The prince put his elbow under his head and said longingly, "I've heard that there are treasures everywhere on that mountain. Even if it's not for those treasures, just going up there to take a look would make me feel good."
Seeing the longing look on the young master's face, Ning asked, "When do you think we can go and see him?"
The prince looked at Ning Shi. A glass palace lantern sat on the footstool by the bedside. The light was dim through the sky-blue bed curtains. Ning Shi looked at the prince with hope in her eyes, making the prince feel as if he had returned to the time when they had just gotten married. The two of them were in the prime of their relationship, full of affection. He couldn't help but raise his hand and gently stroke Ning Shi's no longer young face.
Ning blushed and said softly, "Oh dear, what are you doing?"
The prince said, "Don't worry, I will always take you to see it. When our Hua'er gets married, you can hand over this household to Hua'er's wife. Then we can go, even if we have no money or worries."
Upon hearing this, Madam Ning lay down and said with some disappointment, "Our Hua-ge'er is still not married. We have to wait for him to pass the imperial examination. It's going to be a long wait."
The prince said, "Don't worry, we've had this idea for a while now, so let's take it slow and we'll be able to go and see it eventually."
The next day, Xu Di and Li Yuexi ate breakfast early and headed to Tianjing Hutong.
The Li family had been waiting at the gate for a long time. When they saw Xu Di and Li Yuexi's carriage enter the alley, Li Yuexi's little nephew ran into the courtyard like a gust of wind, shouting as he ran, "Aunt and Uncle are back! Aunt and Uncle are back!"
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