Chapter 63: Husband and wife are one? The prince is preparing a betrothal gift?
Pei Jun said this on purpose. In fact, he even quietly emphasized the word "go" for fear that King Jingbei didn't hear clearly.
Bai Zhu reacted the fastest, his face turned stern, and he almost drew his sword again.
Xiao Yizi came back to his senses in a trance, as if he had just had a big dream.
Xie Yao looks so heroic and heart-warming when riding a horse.
Pei Jun was afraid that Xie Yao would be angry because of riding a horse, so he said this on purpose to anger him in advance.
Xiao Yizi didn't care about Pei Jun's words. He just looked away and said in a very calm voice, "Go back home."
Xie Yao pulled the reins: "Your Majesty, please stay."
Xiao Yizi stopped and didn't look back.
"In a few days, the Earl's Mansion will hold its Winter Solstice Banquet. This year it will probably be more grand than in previous years. Will Your Highness come?" she invited.
The wheelchair turned around, and Xiao Yizi looked up at the woman riding on the fiery red horse with a sharp gaze: "Miss Xie, do you want me to come?"
Xie Yao: "If the prince comes, we will be one as husband and wife. If he doesn't come, he might miss a good show."
Xiao Yizi's fingers on the wheelchair trembled slightly, and four words echoed in his mind:
Husband and wife are one.
He was silent for a long time without answering, and let Bai Zhu push him into the carriage.
He had no interest in watching plays, because in the past, when others wanted to watch him as a play, he killed them. Later, no one dared to watch the play in the places where he appeared.
Even a good show like the one at Yunhe Tower was just something he happened to watch.
As soon as I got in the car, I heard Pei Jun's voice: "Second Miss Xie, can I attend the Winter Solstice Banquet?"
Xie Yao: "No."
Pei Jun exclaimed, "Why is the Second Miss so heartless? I just wanted to come to the Bo's Mansion for another meal..."
Xie Yao said, "The Winter Solstice Banquet at the Bo Mansion is a good opportunity to meet men and women. If Minister Pei wants to marry my half-sister Xie Zhi, he can come."
"Uh, excuse me."
The carriage moved forward, leaving the conversation of the two people behind.
Xiao Yizi's eyes darkened slightly, and he suddenly said, "Bai Zhu, am I really that old?"
Hearing the conversation between Xie Yao and Pei Jun, it was obvious that they had just met for the first time, but they got along very well.
Bai Zhu was shocked: "Your Majesty, why would you ask such a question today?"
"Probably... I ate too much." Xiao Yizi closed his eyes, feeling that it was unnecessary for him to ask this piece of wood.
When he returned to the palace, the imperial physician was waiting to take his pulse.
Afterwards, Bai Su came forward and said, "Your Highness, we have captured another group of Xirong spies. The leader is related to the third prince of the Xirong royal court."
Xiao Yizi's face suddenly turned cold, and a trace of blood flashed in his eyes: "Keep it for now, I will kill it myself."
"Go ask again..." He gave Bai Mi a few more instructions, and his voice suddenly lowered.
Only then did he go to Ninghui Courtyard to pay his respects to Old Madam Xiao.
"Grandson sends his regards to grandmother."
Old Madam Xiao secretly looked at Xiao Yizi and found that he looked much better than last time.
She said that the second young lady of the Xie family was a good medicine and treasure for her grandson, and she must cherish her. She found that it was so effective after just meeting her today.
She only hoped that Yizi could regain some of his former vigor and remind him that he was still a young man, and she would be satisfied.
Madam Xiao suddenly said, "Yizhi, did you go to the Xie family to deliver the engagement today?"
"It's just a reward from the palace to Miss Xie Er. It can't be considered a betrothal gift." Xiao Yi was stunned and answered respectfully.
He recalled the sight of Xie Yao riding a horse, and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "She really likes the war horses sent by Xirong."
The smile is gentle and fleeting, but it cannot be ignored.
When Madam Xiao saw his expression, she almost forgot what she was going to say.
When had she ever seen her grandson show such an expression?
"Ahem, since you know this doesn't count as a betrothal gift, have you prepared one yet?" Old Madam Xiao gathered herself together and frowned. "Are you trying to make the Bo Mansion feel that the Xiao family can't afford it?"
"My grandson hasn't—"
"Well, do you think that since the emperor has granted the marriage, we can propose without setting a date?" Old Lady Xie pretended to be angry.
"Of course not," Xiao Yizi reacted and said helplessly, "Grandma, this is my grandson's first marriage and I haven't thought it through."
"Just remember that the betrothal gifts must be prepared in advance and they must be generous. They should be sent to the Xie family before the wedding day. This is to tell the Xie family that our Xiao family will never treat Ayao badly." said Old Lady Xiao.
Xiao Yizi's eyes darkened slightly, but he shook his head: "My grandson feels that Xie Yao doesn't care about the Xie family's attitude. She might even ask my grandson to bring back all the betrothal gifts and leave nothing for the Xie family."
He had long seen that what Xie Yao did after returning to Beijing was completely against the Xie family.
Apart from her mother, she probably doesn't care about anyone in the Xie family.
"This child, it seems that his own home is also a den of tigers and wolves." Old Madam Xiao was slightly stunned, and she understood something and couldn't help but sigh.
"Indeed, back then, the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion was so cruel to send such a young child to the Strong Women Camp."
Xiao Yizi frowned and slapped his forehead, "If I had known earlier, I would have given her these eight horses. She would have liked them. But now, I don't know what to give as a betrothal gift. Just gold and silver is too vulgar."
Madam Xiao said, "If you say Ah Yao will return the betrothal gifts, then I must give her more. No matter how vulgar the gold and silver are, it cannot be less. This is for her alone. It is our Xiao family who gives her the confidence and peace of mind. When she marries in, I will give her the keys to the family as well."
"Grandson understands."
"As for the wedding dress, it needs to be prepared in advance."
"yes."
"As for your question about not knowing what she likes, there are still twelve days. Let's see. Don't look at what you have, but look at what suits her taste."
To her liking?
Xiao Yizi nodded thoughtfully, thinking of Xie Yao's attitude towards her mother Xu during lunch.
As soon as he thought of this, he picked up the tea to calm it down, but saw a note on the table.
"This is?"
Madam Xiao: "Oh, the invitation from the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion arrived at noon, inviting the Xiao family to the Winter Solstice Banquet."
She thought to herself that her grandson had been injured for the past two years and hadn't even attended the emperor's palace banquet twice. She shook her head and said,
"I originally wanted you to go. The Xie family will be our in-laws in the future, so you should go. But I guess Wenchangbo was questioned by the emperor yesterday, and he wanted to ask someone to support him. Asking Wenyuan and his wife to go will be enough."
Xiao Wenyuan is the son of Xiao Yizi's third uncle and his cousin.
"There's no need to send my family," Xiao Yizi said calmly, "The princess doesn't like the Xie family, so why should I help them?"
"That's right. The Xie family hasn't been very kind to Ayao, and it's annoying to see. I'll just not go."
The old lady said nothing more: "Go and prepare the betrothal gifts. If there is anything missing, take what Grandmother has. Whatever the storehouse can give, give it to her."
Xiao Yizi nodded, left the old lady's yard, and called Bai Zhu.
"Pass on my order to the Jingbei Army and send the princess's wedding dress to us at an urgent speed of eight hundred miles." He gave the order in a deep voice.
"Yes!" Bai Zhu was shocked and received the order.
Just as he was about to go down, he remembered that the future princess had personally invited the prince at the door, and he asked, "Prince, are we really not going to the Xie family's winter solstice banquet?"
"Do you know what the Xie family's Winter Solstice Banquet is about?" Xiao Yizi asked back.
"Sacrifice to the ancestors and then hold a banquet? Our palace doesn't have such a custom, but I heard that the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion holds it every year."
"The winter solstice is as important as the New Year. The Xie family has been plagued by misfortunes lately. The Earl of Wenchang has been held accountable by the Emperor, and Xie Yao's concubine sister has also been removed from the imperial roster. The more things go wrong, the more the Xie family wants to celebrate a grand occasion. They'll use the opportunity of gathering relatives and friends to marry off their concubine's daughter, or find another woman from the capital to bring into the palace."
"The prince said that the Xie family wants to climb up the social ladder, and if we go there, we will just be carrying their sedan chair."
Xiao Yizi nodded.
Bai Zhu understood. It seemed that the prince would not go, but it was right not to go.
The prince had refused the emperor's invitation to a palace banquet before, let alone a small banquet at the earl's mansion.
He was about to leave when he bumped into his younger brother Bai Mi who was coming in.
Bai Xi was holding in her arms an exquisite and thick sandalwood purple python robe, a dark blue brocade casual dress, an ink-colored robe embroidered with vermilion auspicious patterns, and a crescent-white robe.
These were all newly made by the old lady for the prince a few days ago, and they are almost drowning out the others.
"Your Highness, I've inquired and found out that men now wear all kinds of clothes when attending banquets, so I've brought them all here. How about we try them all on?"
Bai Zhu looked back suddenly and saw that his prince had a blank expression on his face and turned his head away silently.
"Do you think I should try them all?" the prince said in a low voice.
Bai Mi immediately realized that the prince was in poor health, and it would be troublesome to try several items at once.
"Oh, then, right, let's go with this python robe. The prince has worn it before, so we can just wear it when the time comes..."
"Put it all down and get out."
Xiao Yizi pointed at the robe in his arms and said lightly.
"Shall I stay and help the prince change his clothes?"
"roll."
In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the next day was the winter solstice.
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