Chapter 90 Betrothal (Part 2) "Third Brother, you don't dislike me, I like you..."
In the west side room, Qingwen inserted two small wooden sticks into the spaces reserved at the top and bottom of the poem "Man Jiang Hong," thus completing the first part of the poem.
Hearing the commotion outside, she rolled up her things, put them in a wooden box, and came over to see what was going on.
“It’s a mirror.” Qingwen also leaned over to look at herself.
"The girl said she would keep it for later use and not use it as a return gift."
"Have you seen this before?"
Qingwen smiled and said, "Yihong Courtyard also has a side—" She suddenly paused, how long had it been since she thought of Yihong Courtyard? What surprised her even more was that she said the three words Yihong Courtyard so easily.
Even though I thought about it last time, I still grit my teeth and feel resentful.
Qingwen stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. Her tone became more natural: "The ones in Yihong Courtyard are bigger than this one, but they're not as smooth and clear."
She wiped that mirror countless times, but there was a small convex section on the right side near the middle, which made everything appear convex no matter what she looked at.
Yes, Xiren only asked her to wipe the mirror, saying that she was skillful, but no one else was trusted, for fear that she would ruin things.
"Perhaps her skills have improved," the maid said with a smile. "That one was from when the Grand View Garden was built, but this one was sent by Second Mistress Lian, several years ago."
Qingwen turned around and looked at herself from both sides: "It's fine."
On the morning of the seventh day of the third month, Mu Chuan sent a carriage to pick up the two matchmakers.
As His Majesty had mentioned beforehand, one of them was a member of the imperial clan, and by seniority, she was His Majesty's great-grandmother. Although she was beyond the fifth degree of mourning and held the lowest rank of nobility, she was of a high seniority, had a cheerful smile, and had given birth to four children who were all alive and well. She also had three grandchildren who were all doing well, so she became the most respected and prestigious matchmaker in the capital.
Another one is the Empress's sister-in-law. Needless to say, since the Empress bestowed the marriage upon her, her family was required to attend.
They had communicated beforehand, and the actual day couldn't be delayed at all. After exchanging a few polite words, they headed to the Rongguo Mansion.
The Rongguo Mansion was on high alert.
Because today they are letting the men from outside the main gate into the second gate.
The girls and maids had been instructed beforehand to stay inside, while old women guarded each intersection outside.
Unlike the people inside the house, these old women were quite relaxed.
"Surely not? People come to repair the house and plant trees every year. The gardeners are all men. They can just tell them not to come over and that's it. Why do you act like you've seen a ghost when the Earl of Zhongyong comes?"
"Who knows? There are plenty of servants running errands in the garden, and besides—" The old woman paused, lowered her voice, looked around, and then said, "Last time I was on night duty, I saw a man sneak in. I didn't see who it was, but judging from his clothes, he was at least twenty years old."
The old women exchanged glances. Who lived in the Grand View Garden? Either young ladies or widows. They simultaneously changed the subject with giggles: "I wonder when the Earl of Zhongyong will arrive?"
"I heard that he is eighteen feet tall and can draw a bow with a strength of three stones, but I don't know if it's true or not."
“I know that. I heard Granny Qian from the front yard say that Miss Lin is thin enough, isn’t she? She looks like she could be blown away by a gust of wind. When Master Bao stands next to Earl Zhongyong, he looks even thinner than Miss Lin.”
"Actually... Miss Lin doesn't seem that thin anymore? I didn't notice it before, but after taking off the thick clothes in spring, Miss Lin isn't that much thinner than the girls in our family."
"Your health has improved, huh?" An old woman said with a envious smirk. "I heard from Aunt Liu in the small kitchen that Uncle Zhongyong sent a lot of good ingredients, some of which were even tribute items."
"Stop talking! Someone's coming!" Several old women quickly bowed their heads and stood at attention.
Not far away, Jia Lian led the way, guiding the group towards the Grand View Garden.
He had a smile on his face, but it looked a little unnatural: "This way, please, everyone."
The emperor's great-aunt, Lady Wan, remarked first, "This is the garden where the emperor visited his family that day? It is indeed luxurious."
The Empress's sister-in-law, Madam Song, laughed and said, "As expected of the Rongguo Mansion, this garden is much better than the one at Consort Zhou's house."
Since they both praised it, Mu Chuan then found a fault: "There are not enough flowers, and the lush green looks a bit monotonous. A garden with a riot of colors is a good garden."
Although there were both praises and criticisms, none of them were kind. Jia Lian's expression was a mix of laughter and tears. He recalled the day the Imperial Concubine visited her family and said that the garden was too extravagant. Even earlier, when the garden was being built, the Second Master had said something similar.
At that time, the whole family was like crazy. In addition, he brought back a huge amount of money from Suzhou. Everyone had only one word on their lips: "decency".
Even though they knew the servants were greedy, spending a hundred taels of silver, forty taels might actually go to the right things, but nobody cared.
Because a concubine has appeared in their family, they are now relatives of the emperor. Once the concubine gives birth to a prince who will inherit the throne, they will be the most powerful and influential people in the land.
Such powerful and wealthy families shouldn't be concerned with such trivial matters.
Several years passed, and the Imperial Concubine was confined to her quarters. Although the Second Madam claimed that she had requested to be confined to the palace, Jia Lian did not believe her.
He had spent almost all the money he brought from the Lin family, and the road to the Rongguo Mansion—
"Since you're staying in the main courtyard, you must have to go in from here, right?"
Jia Lian quickly came to his senses and lowered his head even further: "Please, gentlemen, this way."
Lin Daiyu sat in the main hall, stiff and motionless, like a mannequin.
She knew she was nervous, and even overreacting, but she couldn't change it. She would either sit there, unable to stand up, or stand up and walk back and forth until she felt dizzy.
Why is she going to marry her third brother?
The weather is lovely today, sunny and breezy, with only a few white clouds in the sky.
Why isn't Third Brother here yet?
Lin Daiyu vented her anger in a fit of rage, displaying a kind of self-destructive despair, as if she hoped for an early death and rebirth.
"They're here!" Several shouts came from outside. Lin Daiyu suddenly stood up, looked around, and saw that everything was prepared. There would be no mistakes today.
Mu Chuan walked in. He was tall, so his vision was better. From a distance, he saw Lin Daiyu standing at the entrance of the main hall.
Perhaps because it was a joyous occasion, she was also wearing a short red vest with gold trim over it.
What a coincidence, his belt is also bright red today.
A smile appeared on Mu Chuan's face, and he lost control of his pace, taking two steps to get ahead.
Jia Lian didn't dare to speak; he was just leading the way. Madam Song wanted to laugh, but Madam Wan stopped her, giving her a rather amused look and whispering in Madam Song's ear, "We'll have a big laugh later."
Mu Chuan stood in front of Lin Daiyu as if no one else was there, his voice low and restrained like never before: "After today, we will be family."
Lin Daiyu's heart pounded with nervousness, and she had no idea what to say, so she just hummed in response.
Mu Chuan added, “I read the Great Wei Law. If your maternal family commits a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations, you can escape it because you are a member of my Mu family.”
Lin Daiyu heard it, but didn't think about it at all. She subconsciously retorted, "I've also read the 'Great Wei Law,' and there are cases. If someone in your family commits a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations, I can also escape because the process hasn't been completed yet, and I'm not yet considered a member of the Mu family."
"What are they talking about?" Madam Wan asked with a smile that was filled with countless questions. "All I hear is the Great Wei Code and the extermination of nine generations of one's family."
Song chuckled: "They're saying the Great Wei Code is based on human relationships... You know what, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this."
When someone spoke slightly nearby, Lin Daiyu struggled to react. She didn't dare to glare at her third brother, for fear that their eyes would meet.
Lin Daiyu lowered her head and turned it to the side, avoiding the gaze of the tall Mu Chuan who occupied two seats: "Please come inside and have a seat."
Seeing the group enter the house, Jia Lian breathed a sigh of relief, his whole body went limp, and he almost completely lost his composure as he went to the front gate of the courtyard.
Before they arrived, the old lady had specifically instructed him that, as the Empress had said, the Jia family should not interfere with the entire process, so he could only lead the way and was not allowed to do anything else.
Jia Lian probably understood that the old lady must have other plans, but he couldn't care less about anything else. He was now immersed in the panic of the Rongguo Mansion's impending doom, and even his legs were weak.
Although His Majesty was the matchmaker and the marriage was a done deal, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.
The two matchmakers sat down and began to praise the woman. After praising the man, they praised the woman, interspersed with introductions to the man's family.
Although Lin Daiyu had already visited the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, she couldn't help but blush a little when she heard people praising her third brother like that. However, when she secretly glanced over there, she saw that her third brother's expression was normal, and she couldn't tell anything from him.
She couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Both matchmakers heard it.
Madam Wan then smiled and said, "I imagine no one would be dissatisfied with someone of the Earl of Zhongyong's character, talent, appearance, and family background."
As Madam Wan was speaking, Madam Song gave Mu Chuan a wink: "Geng Shu."
Mu Chuan took out the Geng Shu (a document of marriage) and, without intending to have anyone else handle it, stood up and delivered it himself.
Lin Daiyu subconsciously reached out her hand, but her hand trembled slightly as she did so. The marriage contract contained her third brother's birth date and a brief description of his family background. Once she accepted it, the marriage agreement would be officially established.
"Daiyu?" Mu Chuan called out softly when he saw that she seemed to be in a daze.
"Ah?" Lin Daiyu almost snatched the letter from Gengshu. Holding the rather thick red envelope in her hand, two small dimples appeared on her face.
"Aren't you going to take a look?" Mu Chuan asked. Other things were fine, but this birth chart showed his actual birth date, the one for when he was twenty-five.
His parents didn't remember his birth date and time, but there were capable people in the Imperial Observatory who could deduce his birth date and time from his facial features and fortune, although Mu Chuan felt that this birth date and time might not be very accurate.
"What's there to see?" Lin Daiyu said softly, then glared at him fiercely, her voice even lower, "Sit back down, what will people think if they see this?"
Helpless, Mu Chuan had no choice but to obediently sit back down in her chair, since she had already accepted the letter of marriage.
With the most important step completed, Madam Song smiled and handed over the gift list, which was then collected by a maid.
"Thirty-two gifts, and a pair of geese."
To be honest, Lin Daiyu glanced at the gift list after receiving it, though she didn't really understand anything. The words "gold," "silver," and "jade" looked very familiar. The vases, silks, and ornaments also looked familiar, but she hadn't yet pieced together what they were.
Just then, the wild goose that had been brought in for her to see suddenly cried out, startling Lin Daiyu, who then suddenly remembered a question.
"This wild goose..." No one told her what to do with it, and she didn't want to ask anyone, since her third brother was there anyway.
Upon receiving Daiyu's pleading look, Mu Chuan reacted quickly: "Just keep her alive, she can't eat her."
The two matchmakers, who were a beat slower to react, laughed.
One person said, "The two have a great understanding and will surely be a harmonious and loving couple after marriage."
Another said, "If the girl likes to eat this, then we should ask Lord Zhongyong to go hunting for it."
Since gifts are received, they must be returned. Lin Daiyu gave an order, and the old woman brought out the return gifts. One was a jewelry box that Wang Xifeng had sent the other day, and the other five were prepared by her maternal grandmother.
The maidservant delivered the gift list, which Madam Song took and looked at. Before coming, Her Majesty the Empress had specifically instructed her to check what items had been brought back, their value, and so on.
Madam Song glanced at the list; at least from the gift list, everything looked good. She decided to wait until they were outside to decide on the rest. She then leaned over to show it to Madam Wan as well.
Having acted as a matchmaker many times, Madam Wan's reactions were almost instinctive. She subconsciously asked, "Is something missing?"
Lin Daiyu blushed, tilted her head, and pushed the wooden box on the table: "This is for... Marquis Zhongyong."
Madam Song laughed again: "Which one on this gift list isn't for the Earl of Zhongyong?"
Although Madam Wan didn't say anything, she laughed even louder than Madam Song.
Mu Chuan got up again, first saying seriously, "Then I'll take it?" Then he said less seriously, "What are you feeling guilty about?"
Mu Chuan was standing right in front of her, and Lin Daiyu had to raise her head to glare at him.
What is she feeling guilty about?
She was used to calling him her third brother, so when he suddenly started calling him "Loyal and Brave Uncle," she felt it was an attempt to cover up the truth and deceive others.
"Third Brother is so annoying!" Lin Daiyu said in a low voice.
Besides, the voices were soft, and Mu Chuan was blocking the sound, but they were all inside the house, so even if they couldn't hear what was being said, they could still hear them talking.
Madam Song smiled and said, "Although we are the matchmakers, when it comes to marriage negotiations, there are always some things that need to be discussed among ourselves. Shall I help you out for a walk? This courtyard is quite nice."
Madam Wan stood up nimbly, and before Madam Song could help her, she called her maid out as well: "Tell us what kind of trees and flowers are in this courtyard."
Suddenly, there was no one else in the room. Mu Chuan cleared his throat and blatantly flirted with the girl: "Tell me, what is it about me that's annoying?"
Unexpectedly, Lin Daiyu suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with tender affection and a hint of helplessness: "Third Brother, you don't dislike me, I like you."
Now it was Mu Chuan's turn to be under hard control.
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Lin Daiyu felt smug. Although it was a stroke of genius, she seemed to have found a way to control her third brother.
"It's just a little...embarrassing," Lin Daiyu smiled demurely yet confidently.
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