Under such circumstances, Tao Dayong brought his men back to Taojia Village. The whole village was shocked, and even the county magistrate came from the county town specially.
In fact, Yuan Jing and Tao Dayong have been exchanging letters with the clan leader in the past few years. There are Yuan Jing's clan members in Taojia Village. If the clan members commit crimes, Yuan Jing will not end up well in this era of collective punishment. Therefore, Yuan Jing also hopes that the clan leader can manage the clan members well. At the same time, he hopes that there will be a few younger generations in the clan who can stand out and enter the officialdom in the future, so that Tao Yuanze and his descendants will not be without the support of their clan members.
But the time is still short. Up to now, except for Yuan Jing who has passed the examination, no one in Taojia Village has passed the examination to become a student.
Tao Dayong used to be nervous when he saw the county magistrate, but now he has met many officials and nobles in the capital, so he feels very comfortable communicating with the county magistrate. The villagers of Taojia Village can see this and realize that Tao Dayong is different now.
Tao Dayong stayed in Taojia Village for a month and completed all the things he had discussed with his family, including buying sacrificial land, allowing school-age children in the village to go to school for free, supporting the elderly and widowed people in the village, and paying the monthly salary of the school teachers from the output of the sacrificial land.
Although no one had lived in Yuan Jing's house in the past few years, someone had always kept it clean, so Tao Dayong moved in when he returned to the village. He also left some money for the clan leader to help rebuild a house. The old lady had said long ago that when she got older, she would still return to Taojia Village, and he and his wife also had the same idea.
Tao Dayong returned home in glory this time, and he was very happy. Perhaps the only thing that spoiled his mood was that his sister-in-law always looked for him behind his eldest brother's back, saying that she missed the old lady and wanted to go and take care of her, and also wanted the old lady to meet her grandson Tao Jinbao. Tao Dayong knew what Wang was thinking, and now that Tao Yuzhu was still in the capital, it was impossible for Tao Dayong to get Wang over there. If Tao Yuzhu knew the news, she might turn around and get close to Yuan Jing from his family.
Of course, Tao Dayong didn't know that there was no possibility that Tao Yuzhu would leave the yard, so he remained wary of Tao Yuzhu and Wang.
Until they were leaving, the brothers Tao Dayong and Tao Dazhu were drinking and talking together again, and Tao Dayong asked Tao Dazhu if he wanted to go to Beijing.
Tao Dazhu cried bitterly when he thought of the past. He missed the old lady very much. He felt that he was an unfilial son as he had not been able to show respect to her in the past few years. He asked his second brother to take good care of the old lady. He would stay in Taojia Village and guard the Tao family's roots until the old lady came back one day.
Tao Dayong's eyes also became red. Before they got married and had children, the two brothers had a very good relationship. On this day, both brothers got drunk. When they woke up the next day, Tao Dazhu told Dayong to just go back to the capital and not to worry about the couple. He knew what Wang was thinking and he would control her.
On the day Tao Dayong left the village to return to Beijing, Tao Hua brought her family, as well as people from the Yue family and the Song family, including the married Daya, Erya and Sanya, all came back to see Tao Dayong off.
Now they have Tao Yuanjing to rely on, and they live a good life. They are not greedy like Wang. With Tao Yuanjing as a role model, they urge their children to study hard. Maybe they will be able to pass the exams in the future. Isn't this the path Yuanjing took?
Tao Dayong left some things for his second sister Tao Hua and the Song family members of his Yue family. Some were instructed by the old lady, and some were advised by Mrs. Song. They both took out money from their own small treasury, but Tao Dayong gave them privately to avoid making Mrs. Wang jealous.
Until he left Taojia Village, Tao Dayong never mentioned Tao Yuzhu, and his clansmen and relatives never mentioned such a person either. Many years had passed, and everyone had long forgotten about this person. They really thought she had died outside, and they didn't think she could survive alone outside.
When he returned to the capital, Tao Dayong no longer felt sad and happily plunged into his busy life again, because Yuan Jing bought another farm and connected it to the original one, and gave it to Tao Dayong to manage. Tao Dayong was very happy to have something to do.
Then Yuan Jing bought another shop and handed it over to the old lady and Xiao Song. They sold food and various snacks made with goat's milk. Later, Yuan Jing also taught them how to make snacks such as biscuits and cakes. It must be said that the business was quite good. The busier the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law worked, the younger they looked, and the small treasury was filled again.
The whole family, including Tao Yuanze who was studying in the academy, came to the farm again. Di Yu also came with them. Di Yu was very excited to think that he could ride horses and hunt in the farm. The elder brother had been disappointed with this son a long time ago, and this son might return to the ranks of military generals.
"Oh, Brother Cheng is here again. This time, Brother Cheng will take us into the mountains to hunt wild boars and deer." Seeing Mu Cheng'an riding a horse at the foot of the mountain, Tao Yuanze ran over happily. Now the identity of "Cheng'an" is also well known to the Tao family. Seeing him appear, the Tao family members are no longer restrained.
Tao Dayong was quite open-minded. He thought, he was just a guard in the Zhenbei Palace. It wasn't the Zhenbei Prince himself who was visiting, so there was nothing to worry about. He greeted Cheng An in a very friendly manner and asked him what he wanted to eat. He told the cook to add more dishes.
"Cheng'an" also casually ordered a few dishes, then said goodbye to the Tao family, and went into the mountains to hunt with Yuan Jing and the two children.
The old lady smiled and watched them go into the mountains. She turned around and said something to Xiao Song and Tao Dayong, almost causing them to fall over: "Do you think this guard named Cheng An is a good match for our Yuan Jing?"
Tao Dayong and Xiao Song were both a little frightened. Tao Dayong patted his chest and said, "Mom, what are you talking about? Cheng An is a guard in the Zhenbei Palace."
The old lady glared at her son. It had been so long, but he still hadn't accepted reality? "Don't you see how many people our Yuan Jing has been close to since he came to the capital? And didn't Guard Cheng treat our family well? Yuan Ze's martial arts master was introduced by Guard Cheng. Even Di Yu said that this martial arts master's kung fu is very good, better than that of the Di family. Don't you want to think about what kind of family the Di family is?"
The Di family is a family of military commanders, so how could their martial arts master be bad? Of course not, their own martial arts master is better, which shows that Cheng Shiwei is really dedicated to the Tao family.
"There is also Tao Wu who is beside Yuan Jing. He is also introduced by Guard Cheng. I think Guard Cheng is not an ordinary guard. He must be a very useful person around the Regent. With the Regent around, are you afraid that Guard Cheng will always be a guard? I think Guard Cheng will be very successful in the future because of his demeanor."
"Guard Cheng treats us so attentively. It's better to be Guard Cheng than anyone else. Our Yuan Jing is also very happy to be with Guard Cheng."
After two encounters, the old lady actually started to pay attention to Cheng Shiwei, and the more she looked at him, the more satisfied she became.
Xiao Song and Tao Dayong looked at each other, they really hadn't thought so much about it before, but after hearing what the old lady said, they realized that Guard Cheng was really attentive to the Tao family. If Cheng An was really devoted to their Yuan Jing, then it was not impossible.
"But will Guard Cheng agree? If he agrees to not marry for the rest of his life, he and our Yuan Jing will be a good match. What about Guard Cheng's family?" The couple, including the old lady, were very worried about Yuan Jing.
The old lady made the decision and said, "Talk to Yuan Jing some other day. If it can be arranged, do it sooner rather than later. We can't always let Guard Cheng follow our Yuan Jing around like this without knowing his place and contribute to the Tao family."
Tao Dayong and Xiao Song nodded in unison, saying that it was right to settle the status as soon as possible.
In the mountains, Tao Yuanze and Di Yu ran away. Of course, there were people arranged by Mu Chengan watching them from behind. He and Yuan Jing walked in the mountains hand in hand.
Mu Chengan complained: "I have shown my face in front of your family many times. When will I be able to establish my identity?"
Yuan Jing chuckled. Occasionally, his family members mentioned "Cheng Shiwei" and praised him. They patted him on the shoulder and said, "If you work harder, maybe my grandma will consider you becoming a Shiwei."
In fact, Yuan Jing also knew that the old lady had already paid attention to Shangcheng Guard, and she just needed to wait for further progress, and maybe she could get him engaged.
Mu Chengan was still dissatisfied: "You can't always come here as Guard Cheng, right? When we are together in the future, I will still be Guard Cheng? Do you think you can keep this identity a secret forever?"
"Of course not," Yuan Jing scratched his chin, "but I'm still afraid of scaring my family." After all, he was an ordinary person. "But no matter how scared I am, I have to tell you. After we move, your identity will be exposed sooner or later."
"Alas, it's really not easy to marry you home." Mu Chengan said hypocritically.
"Who will marry whom? Now it is our Tao family who will give you the status." Yuan Jing emphasized with his chin raised.
"Okay, whatever you say is what it is." Mu Cheng'an didn't care about the verbal status. The real thing would be to lure the person to his bed. Anyway, this person was his, Mu Cheng'an.
Yuan Jing didn't hear the hidden meaning, and proudly patted the chest of the person next to him and said, "Don't worry, I won't be indecisive about you. We in the Tao family don't like this."
Mu Cheng'an was so amused by his little behavior that he grabbed his paw and bit it. The two of them played and fought in the woods. The secret guards who followed behind couldn't bear to look at the prince who had become childish after growing younger.
That night, Mu Cheng'an stayed at the Tao family's farm as usual. At night and early the next morning, he took Tao Yuanze and Di Yu to practice martial arts. Tao Dayong and Xiao Song didn't take it seriously at first, but after being reminded by the old lady, they found that this guard Cheng was really no different from a family member.
So when Tao Dayong was with Cheng'an again, he asked him openly and secretly about his family and future plans. Mu Cheng'an, who was as shrewd as a human being, could easily understand what Tao Dayong meant. He was secretly happy in his heart and expressed his determination verbally. He was the only one left in the family. His parents died early and his relatives could not control him, so he had to make his own decisions on everything. As for the future, he just needed to find a close friend to live with.
This made Tao Dayong even more satisfied. Wasn't it because of his family Yuan Jing that he appeared? It would be better if he didn't have any family. If he had family, maybe they would ask Cheng An to get married and have children, and would agree to let him be with a man?
Tao Dayong told the old lady and Xiao Song again. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law agreed with Tao Dayong and were even more satisfied with Guard Cheng An. They wanted the matter to be settled as soon as possible, so they called Yuan Jing and asked directly:
"Yuan Jing, have you and Guard Cheng An already fallen in love? Grandma and your parents think Guard Cheng An is a good person."
Yuan Jing almost couldn't hold back his expression. Except for Tao Yuanze and Di Yu who went back to their rooms, the three pairs of eyes in the room were all looking expectant. What else could Yuan Jing say? Of course, he gritted his teeth and said, "He's not bad. He's very good to me and my family."
The old lady had an expression that said "I thought they had fallen in love with each other a long time ago", and Tao Dayong felt relieved at last, but at the same time, he felt sour, as if he was marrying off a daughter, even though he was obviously raising a son.
No, it was Yuan Jing who married Cheng the guard into his family. Yes, that’s right.
Yuan Jing looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. The old lady patted his hands and said, "Yuan Jing, if you have anything to say, just tell me. I will make the decision for you and your father will listen to me."
Tao Dayong was upset. As a father, was he the one with the lowest status in the family?
Yuan Jing gritted his teeth and confessed honestly: "Actually, Cheng An's last name is not Cheng."
"Huh? What's his last name?" Tao Dayong asked curiously.
"His last name is Mu."
"Oh, is your name Mu Chengan? This name sounds nice." Tao Dayong called him by his full name.
The old lady also said happily: "I think it sounds good too."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a thud in the room. The old lady and Mrs. Song looked at the same time and saw Tao Dayong sitting on the ground with a look of astonishment on his face. Yuan Jing wanted to cover his face, but he was still scared.
Neither the old lady nor Mrs. Song reacted. The old lady hit her son and said, "You are fine, but you can't even sit on the stool properly. What's the point of talking to me?"
Xiao Song also disliked it, saying that this matter had already been agreed upon.
Tao Dayong had a sad face and asked his son for confirmation: "Yuan Jing, this can't be what Dad thinks."
Yuan Jing quickly helped his father: "Dad, is there any difference if I call you Chengan or Mu Chengan?"
"What a difference!" Tao Dayong clapped his hands, "Mom, Alan, Mu..." Tao Dayong was frightened and didn't even dare to call out his name. "That's the King of Zhenbei, the Regent King! Think about who is the owner of the manor next door?"
Tao Dayong was about to cry. He had been thinking about getting another man to marry into the Tao family and become a member of the Tao family. Now, the man his son fell in love with was the current regent, the most powerful man in Daxia. How dare he say such a thing? Thinking of how he had instructed the regent to do things during the day, Tao Dayong wanted to turn back time and quickly covered his mouth.
"That's the Regent. Isn't Cheng An just a guard under the Regent?" The old lady hasn't reacted yet. Well, when mentioning the King of Zhenbei and the Regent, no one would call them by their names.
"Mom, Cheng An is not a guard, he is the regent himself! If you don't believe me, ask your eldest grandson!" Tao Dayong said weakly.
"Really?" the old lady raised her voice.
"Grandma, calm down. Mom, calm down too." Yuan Jing hurried to comfort them, fearing that they would roll their eyes and faint.
The old lady took a long time to calm down. Little Song was dazed and looked at the old lady and her husband for help. The old lady and her husband had to decide on this matter. At the same time, she was frightened. No wonder she felt that the guard was so imposing. It turned out that he was not just a little guard.
Little Song swallowed her saliva. When she thought about how the Regent treated her as an elder during the day, she suddenly felt a strange sense of vanity in her heart.
The old lady tightly grasped her grandson's hand and asked again, "Guard Cheng'an is the King of Zhenbei?"
"Yes, grandma, you are right."
The old lady repeated again: "Guard Cheng'an is the current regent?"
"Yes, Cheng An is the regent."
The old lady took a breath and continued, "Cheng An, who was very polite to an old woman like me during the day, is he really the regent?"
Yuan Jing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, especially seeing his mother had the same look in her eyes, so he nodded in agreement: "Yes, grandma, you read it right, Cheng An respects you as an elder, and the same goes for dad and mom."
The old lady touched her chest again, and was a little scared to accept this identity: "No wonder Master Huineng said that our eldest grandson is destined to be rich and noble, the master is right."
"Grandma, even without the Regent, your grandson can still make you live a life of wealth and honor."
"Yes, grandma's eldest grandson is blessed and capable." The old lady nodded affirmatively. She did not live a good life relying on the regent.
But the old lady had a new worry: "Will the Regent live with you, Yuan Jing, for the rest of your life? What if the Regent changes his mind?"
The regent is too powerful. Can her grandson make decisions with him? At this time, the old lady feels that she is not as good as a guard. The guard can only listen to her grandson. If the regent regrets one day, won’t her grandson suffer?
Yuan Jing saw that his parents also showed the same worried expressions, and he felt warm in his heart. His parents and grandmother always considered him first and were worried that he would suffer.
"Grandma, Mom and Dad, Cheng An's health was ruined by the late emperor. He can't have children, so the little prince was adopted. But Cheng An has had no one around him over the years. Grandma, I think you can trust him. Besides, your grandson is younger than him. It's Cheng An who should be worried and afraid. What if one day I find him too old?"
Yuan Jing muttered to himself, hoping that Cheng An didn't know what he said, otherwise he would definitely make a fuss again.
If Wu Yi, who was squatting on the roof, heard it, the corners of his mouth would twitch violently a few times, and he would feel sympathy for his master. He reminded his master that he must take good care of himself, otherwise one day he might be disliked by Young Master Tao.
The three people in the room then remembered the age of the Regent. Yes, the Regent had an adopted son, who seemed to be older than Yuan Jing. That meant that the Regent could be Yuan Jing's father.
Tao Dayong hesitated: "Is he too old?" Doesn't that mean that the son-in-law is almost as old as his father?
Wu Yi almost rolled down from the roof and wiped the sweat from his forehead silently.
The old lady and young Song accepted it well: "It doesn't matter if you are older. Only when you are older will you know how to care for others."
In this way, what Yuan Jing said makes some sense. The Regent is older than Yuan Jing, so it is the Regent who should be worried.
Bah, bah. Their Yuan Jing is not the kind of person who is indecisive. He is definitely trying to live together with her. Their Yuan Jing has a good temper.
The old lady looked out the window and asked her eldest grandson in a low voice, "Is it true that the prince is infertile? Did the late emperor ruin his body?"
Yuan Jing often took Mu Chengan's pulse. In fact, he knew that his body had been well-adjusted long ago and there would be absolutely no problem for him to have a baby. But the problem was that he couldn't have a baby. Bah, Mu Chengan couldn't have a baby either.
But this did not stop him from speaking out to reassure his family, so he nodded and said, "This is true. In fact, Cheng An and I have known each other for a long time. Dad, do you remember the time when we went hiking outside the city of Wenchang? It was that time that I met an injured Cheng An in the mountains and helped him, but I didn't know his identity at that time. I only found out when I met him again in the capital later."
Wu Yi thought to himself that the third place winner had a really sharp tongue and had frightened his family members.
After being reminded, Tao Dayong also remembered: "Then the strict investigation in the city means to investigate the then King of Zhenbei? I didn't expect Yuan Jing to have known the King of Zhenbei so early."
It seems that the two of them are indeed destined to be together. The three elders all remembered what Master Huineng said about not forcing a marriage. Is it true that marriage is destined by heaven?
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