Dong Shulan's second uncle Dong Xiangfang was sitting in Xiangmingxuan at this moment. His thin face showed a serious expression. The lid of the teacup in his hand had been opened, but he had not taken a sip for a long time.
His youngest son, Dong Xiuhuai, sat at the bottom, looked at his father, and thought that ever since his third uncle's family sent someone to tell him that his cousin Shulan was coming to visit, his father's face had been gloomy, as if he was having trouble making up his mind.
I think it must be Sister Shulan’s fiancé.
Previously, everyone had assumed that Sister Shulan was going to marry Yan Xiwen, but they hadn't expected such a dramatic reversal in such a short period of time. That small landlord from Linjiang City had somehow managed to defeat Yan Xiwen, and now the Yan clan hadn't reacted at all!
This was a very strange situation. The Yan clan in the capital was as majestic as a mountain, while the riverside landlords were probably not even small hills in their eyes. In his past meetings with Yan Xiwen, Dong Xiuhuai knew of his feelings for his cousin, and there was no mistaking them. Yet, Yan Xiwen simply accepted it, and even Master Yan hadn't said a word about it.
But Dong Xiuhuai felt that Fu Xiaoguan was not bad either, because his reputation in the academy had reached its peak, and even Yan Xiwen was far inferior to him.
This was the story of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman. Although Fu Xiaoguan was born into a landlord family, he now held the status of a Jinshi (Jinshi) granted by His Majesty and served as an idle official. It was rumored that the Imperial College was compiling a "Records of the Grand Historian"—a monumental work that would compile historical events spanning thousands of years, and that Fu Xiaoguan was also the initiator.
Last night, while staying up all night, I chatted with my father. He'd also learned that Fu Xiaoguan was going to the Wu Dynasty to participate in the Cold Food Festival literary gathering. He explained that he was the only person mentioned in the Wu Dynasty documents. This suggests that Fu Xiaoguan's fame extends far beyond the capital, even to the distant Wu Dynasty, thousands of miles away. So, for such a gifted young man, my father should have been congratulating them. Why was he so hesitant?
Dong Xiangfang finally took a sip of tea, put the teacup down, and said, "Go to the front hall. Shulan and the others will be here for a chat."
Dong Xiuhuai agreed and left Xiangmingxuan. Dong Xiangfang took a deep breath and looked up at the plum tree outside the window.
The snow on the plum branches is melting, and a few flowers have already bloomed. The red and white colors contrast with each other, which is so beautiful.
Not long after, the laughter of Dong Xiuhuai and Dong Shulan was heard outside, and then they walked into Xiangmingxuan. Dong Xiangfang's gaze passed over Dong Xiuhuai and Dong Shulan and fell on the face of the last young man.
It was he who brought shame to the Minister of Rites in the Golden Palace.
Dong Xiangfang was unaware of the incident. As the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple, he could not attend court meetings unless specifically summoned by His Majesty. He later heard about the incident and felt it was a pity for the young man named Fu Xiaoguan. He had offended the Shi family, one of the six major clans in Shangjing, upon entering the Golden Palace. He was afraid that he would be unable to move forward in Shangjing.
He paid no attention to Fu Xiaoguan. His knowledge of him was no different from that of the common people in the capital, save for the book "A Dream of Red Mansions" and the poem "Water Melody Song". It wasn't until the end of the year, when the documents delivered to His Majesty by the Wu Dynasty envoys were transferred to the Honglu Temple, that he got to know Fu Xiaoguan in detail for the first time.
Only then did they realize that this young man was the son of a large landowner in Linjiang, and that he had written the disaster relief strategy for His Majesty. Well, this young man was a talent, but the Honglu Temple was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, and Shi Chaoyuan was the Minister of Rites, so he didn't try to get to know Fu Xiaoguan, but simply admired his talent.
It wasn't until he heard rumors that his third brother Dong Kangping's daughter Dong Shulan seemed to be in a relationship with this Fu Xiaoguan that he realized something was amiss. Because things between Yan Xiwen and Dong Shulan were progressing smoothly, if such rumors were to spread at this time, it would be extremely bad for Dong Shulan's reputation. The Yan clan was strict and attached great importance to reputation, and if things went wrong, the marriage would be in jeopardy.
He had gone to talk to Dong Kangping several times, but it seemed that his third brother didn't care much.
He originally wanted to find Fu Xiaoguan and tell him not to be a toad wanting to eat swan meat and to leave on his own initiative, but he didn't expect Fu Xiaoguan to return to Linjiang.
This time I came here to meet my relatives!
And from the beginning to the end, the Yan clan had no attitude towards this matter.
Therefore, if Fu Xiaoguan had not been planning to go on a diplomatic mission to the Wu Dynasty, he would definitely not have approved of their relationship.
But now the situation is obviously different. Dong Xiangfang knows very well that since Fu Xiaoguan has returned successfully from his mission to the Wu Dynasty, His Majesty will definitely give him more rewards.
So now, facing Fu Xiaoguan, there is no need to make things difficult for him.
This is why he was so conflicted and hesitant.
Fu Xiaoguan walked at the end with a smile on his face, looking calm and unrestrained. In Dong Xiangfang's eyes, this boy... was really steady.
Dong Shulan brought Fu Xiaoguan and Dong Xiangfang to meet and greet each other. Then Dong Shulan introduced them and Fu Xiaoguan bowed to Dong Xiangfang again. Everyone sat down and drank tea.
Dong Xiangfang did not ask the questions that Fu Xiaoguan thought he would ask. He chatted with Dong Shulan and occasionally said a few words to Fu Xiaoguan. He did not talk about court affairs, but just family matters. He said that Shulan was the apple of the Dong family's eye and you can't let her suffer any grievances.
Fu Xiaoguan agreed to all of them, saying that this was his responsibility and thanked the elders for their concern.
After chatting for two incense sticks, seeing that it was getting late, Dong Shulan thanked Dong Xiangfang for letting them stay for dinner and took Fu Xiaoguan to the house of his third uncle Yuan Su, the last one left.
Watching Fu Xiaoguan's receding figure, Dong Xiangfang didn't sigh this time. Instead, he said to his son Dong Xiuhuai, "This year, during the Cold Food Festival, we will be sending envoys to the Wu Dynasty to attend the Wenhui. The Yu Dynasty has a quota of 100 people. Your father hopes you can go."
"I...?" Dong Xiuhuai's surprise showed that he had no confidence in himself, because there were too many talented people in the Yu Dynasty. There were 5,000 students in the Jixia Academy alone, and the Lanting Poetry Society was even more talented, not to mention the numerous prefectures, counties and counties in the Thirteen Circuits of Dayu.
It is certainly a great honor to be able to represent the Yu Dynasty on a diplomatic mission to the Wu Dynasty. It will be a great asset for him to become an official if he passes the imperial examination in the future. This was the decision Dong Xiangfang made after careful consideration.
"On the night of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Fu Xiaoguan will definitely go to the Lanting Lantern Festival. You should go too, and by the way...invite him and Shulan to your house as guests."
…
Just as Dong Kangping expected, Dong Xiangfang did not make things difficult for Fu Xiaoguan, and just as Dong Shulan worried, his third uncle Yuan Su did not treat Fu Xiaoguan well.
At this moment, he asked Fu Xiaoguan a question right in front of Dong Shulan: "In what aspects do you think you are better than Yan Xiwen?"
Fu Xiaoguan smiled calmly and touched his nose: "Shulan and I are in love with each other. I don't think there is any need to compare with anyone else on this matter."
"Haha..." Yuan Sui sneered twice, "No need to compare? You have nothing to show for it. Even if you are famous for your literary talent, can literary talent really make a living? Don't think you are great just because you wrote a book or a poem. Life is not just about poetry. What is more important in life is power and influence!"
"Yan Beixi, the head of the Yan clan, was also a man of great literary talent in his youth, but did he write any poetry after becoming an official? The same is true of Yan Shidao. Three generations of the Yan clan have established their current position in the Yu Dynasty. Was it through poetry and prose? No, it was through their positions in the court!"
"Shulan is young and doesn't understand these things. She only sees your beauty. But in my eyes, all your beauty is worthless!"
Yuan Su let out a long sigh and looked at Fu Xiaoguan who was still smiling, feeling more and more disgusted.
Madam Yuan, who was sitting beside him, glanced at Fu Xiaoguan sideways, then turned to look at Dong Shulan with a smile, "Shulan, don't rush this matter. Men are afraid of choosing the wrong profession, and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. A woman's lifelong happiness depends on this one time, so you must be cautious. You know your third uncle is a straightforward person, but he is also doing this for your own good. You are a golden phoenix, and you are meant to live in the paulownia tree. There is no reason for you to fly into the withered grass."
"Wait a minute, Xiwen will be here soon. He's been serving as the county magistrate in Yao County. You haven't seen each other for a long time. You can have a good chat when he arrives. Be obedient, your aunt won't harm you. Seeing you jump into that kang, your aunt is so anxious."
Dong Shulan was very angry.
Fu Xiaoguan and I love each other, what does it have to do with you?
He even called Yan Xiwen here. What does this mean?
Her face turned cold, and she was about to give face to her third uncle and aunt. Fu Xiaoguan grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it, saying, "Oh, Brother Xiwen is coming too? That's a good thing."
Dong Shulan calmed down after being pinched by Fu Xiaoguan. He thought that it was a good thing that Yan Xiwen came. He had to pay homage to Fu Xiaoguan as a disciple. So he would let his third uncle see who was better, Yan Xiwen or Fu Xiaoguan!
Yuan Su frowned, "You ignorant fellow! Although you assisted Yan Xiwen in capturing three rebel leaders and beheading eight hundred people in Xishan, the main credit went to Yan Xiwen. Who do you think you are?"
I think it's because Yan Xiwen is a kind child that he mentioned you, but you have nothing to do with the rewards given by His Majesty at the beginning of the year. It is obvious that Yan Xiwen will be promoted to the position of prefect soon. His future is bright and he is following the same path as his father Yan Shidao.
The Yan Clan will have four prime ministers in the future. This is something that has never happened in the two hundred years of Yu Dynasty history! How dare you call me Brother Xiwen? Is that something you can call me?
"You don't need to try to climb up to the Yan family. You can't climb up anyway. In fact, I think the most important thing for a person is to know themselves. Your father is the largest landlord in Linjiang and the richest man in Linjiang. Your family is not short of money. Wouldn't it be great for you to be a rich young master? Why are you thinking of coming to Shangjing to interfere with Shulan's future? It's not too late for you to quit now. After all, this status hasn't been determined yet. Otherwise, if you provoke the Yan family... I'm afraid you won't even have the chance to be a rich young master."
The smile on Fu Xiaoguan's face became even wider, as if he didn't understand what Yuan Su said.
"You won't believe me, but I really do want to be a rich young master, but my strength doesn't allow it! There's one more thing I have to tell you. You've said so much, but have you ever thought about why the Yan clan didn't cause me any trouble?"
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