The Fu Mansion was crowded and lively that night.
Fu Xiaoguan briefly recounted the things he had done in Shangjing. Of course, he did not mention that he scolded the Minister of Rites until he vomited blood, nor did he mention the assassination attempt that made his family worry. What he said was simple and easy, and seemed to be easy to do.
Mr. Fu had some idea of the difficulties involved, but the six women believed it and admired him very much.
Finally, Mr. Fu brought up a serious topic once again, "Son, do you have someone you like? The doorstep of our Fu Mansion is almost being trampled by matchmakers, especially the daughter of the head of the Yao family, who keeps coming to your Seventh Mother's place. In my opinion, this girl is quite good, warm and virtuous, and good at giving birth... Are you going to settle this matter this time?"
The six women all looked at Fu Xiaoguan, who touched his nose and smiled, "Don't worry about this. I already have someone I like in Shangjing. You can all see him when you go there during the New Year."
"Who is it? Tell me about it." Qu Linglong asked curiously.
Although she is already married, she is still only sixteen years old, and her mentality is still that of a curious girl.
"Dong Shulan, the daughter of Minister Dong of the Ministry of Revenue, once came to Linjiang to discuss matters concerning the imperial merchant."
"Oh, it's her, no wonder!" The six mothers were shocked. Fu Xiaoguan actually hooked up with the Minister of Revenue. No wonder he could thrive in the capital. This guy is really amazing. It's a pity for those girls in Linjiang. They must still be thinking about him in their boudoirs.
Fu Daguan frowned. He knew very well the situation of his family. Although he had once told Fu Xiaoguan that he wanted to marry a wife like Dong Shulan, he still felt a little nervous when Fu Xiaoguan said it was Dong Shulan.
If the two families are not well matched, there might be betrayal.
"Does their family...have any objections?" asked Official Fu.
"What can I object to? Shulan and I are in love with each other, and besides, I have the status of a Jinshi (Jinshi) granted by His Majesty."
Official Fu thought about it and said, yes, my son is now an official appointed by the court, so this matter should be possible.
"When are you going to propose? Dad should be prepared."
"No rush, let's talk about it in two or three years."
"How can this be possible? Can Shulan wait? Will her parents agree? No, no, how about we go to Beijing before the New Year and then come to propose marriage?"
"This... really needs to wait a little longer, because there's more than just Shulan."
"Uh..." Official Fu was stunned, but Liu Niang laughed. "You are amazing. You have found two people you like in just two months since you went to the capital. But I don't know who this other one is."
"This, this other one is the Ninth Princess Yu Wenyun."
"Ah...!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise, even Officer Fu was stunned.
Princess!
No, isn’t the princess looking for a prince consort?
Could it be possible that the Ninth Princess would marry?
How did this guy hook up with the princess?
Looking at all the jewelry and jade he brought back, could it be that they were gifts from his relative, the emperor?
I guess so, otherwise why would the emperor personally write an inscription for the Fu Mansion? This is to glorify the Fu family and raise the status of his son-in-law.
So the six mothers looked at Fu Xiaoguan with more and more enthusiasm, especially the second mother Qi. Only at this moment did she feel that what Fu Xiaoguan had said just now was not a lie.
If I and the princess get married, it will be a simple matter to pray for wealth and prosperity for Xiaoxi. The focus of the Fu family will probably be moved to Jinling in the future.
"The situation is a bit complicated, so don't worry, Dad. I'll handle it. As for the other people who come to propose marriage, just tell them that I already have a partner and ask them to give up. And don't mention the matter of the Ninth Princess and Dong Shulan. It will damage their reputation. Remember this."
The banquet became more and more lively. Mr. Fu drank a lot of wine and got drunk. Mr. Fu didn't care about him because he had six mothers. He went back to the backyard, took Su Mo out of the Fu Mansion and went to Linjiang Academy.
Qin Bingzhong left Beijing two days earlier than him. He wanted to meet Qin Bingzhong, mainly to take Qin Chengye away.
Back in the Qin Mansion in Shangjing, Qin Chengye said that he was very interested in firearms. He had also studied and discussed them with the masters at the Firearms Bureau. There were many ways to improve them, but the court did not attach importance to this thing at all and did not allocate funds, so those methods could only remain on paper.
This kid has a very good characteristic. He likes to study and has a sharp mind. He can talk endlessly about how to improve firearms, which is extremely close to the flintlock rifles of his previous life.
Fu Xiaoguan thought he might have stumbled upon a treasure. Furthermore, before leaving, Qin Chengye mentioned that many craftsmen at the Firearms Bureau also wanted to leave. If Fu Xiaoguan was willing, he would go and talk to them and see how much he could take with him. Furthermore, Yu Wenjun had asked Concubine Shang for help and obtained a dozen or so craftsmen from the Foundry.
This undoubtedly provided the first batch of talents for the research and development of Xishan firearms, and they were the best talents in the world.
When he arrived at Linjiang Academy, there was no light in the pavilion beside the lotus pond. The weather was already cold, and Qin Bingzhong's body could not withstand the winter cold.
Led by the doorman, he and Su Mo went to a two-story building inside, which was brightly lit.
In the study on the second floor, Fu Xiaoguan met Qin Bingzhong and Qin Chengye. Everyone was very happy and gathered together to make tea.
"When did you arrive in Linjiang?" Qin Bingzhong asked.
"This evening."
"Why don't you take a break and come back tomorrow?"
"We have to go to Xishan tomorrow, so time is pretty tight... Chengye, how many masters did you bring with you?"
Qin Chengye looked excited, like a bird that had finally escaped from a cage.
"Eight of them, all veterans, but I gave them the salary just as you said. You can't go back on your word."
Fu Xiaoguan laughed and patted Qin Chengye on the shoulder, "Don't worry, I just have a lot of money."
Qin Chengye immediately laughed and said, "You probably don't know how much money it would cost to modify this firearm into what you said."
"Don't be afraid, just go for it boldly."
Qin Bingzhong looked at Qin Chengye with complicated eyes. Ever since Qin Tong's death, he had actually always wanted to train this grandson to be a talented person. Qin Chengye's academic performance was not bad, but his preferences were different from those of many other students.
Now Qin Chengye has finally embarked on another path. It can be seen that he likes it from the bottom of his heart, so let him go.
"Mo Wen has taken up his post. He said he would come to Linjiang to see you after everything is settled."
"How can I do that? He's a Daoist governor now. I'll go visit him after I finish my work at Xishan."
Qin Bingzhong smiled slightly: "If you really want to know, his success is entirely due to you."
Fu Xiaoguan was stunned. Qin Bingzhong shook his head. "I know about your relationship with Her Royal Highness the Ninth Princess, but I didn't expect you to be so important to Concubine Shang!"
"Before I left, I heard some news. I thought about it for a long time and decided to tell you so you can be prepared."
Fu Xiaoguan's expression suddenly grew serious. Qin Bingzhong slowly spoke, "The people of Huang have accepted Your Majesty's terms. This means they will build a palace for the Third Princess to marry. Of course, it won't be as grand as our Dayu Palace. According to rough estimates, the palace will be completed in the autumn or winter of next year. When the Third Princess is sent to Huangguo, you will most likely be the representative of the marriage delegation."
"Who said that?"
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Yu Shurong!"
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