Chapter 13 Two Years Later
Xu Shuyao and her younger brother settled down in Jiyunzhai of Duke Chengguo's Mansion.
Two years passed in a flash. During these two years, Xu Shuyao rarely went out. She almost never went anywhere except to her aunt's house.
As for Songhe Hall, not long after she entered the mansion, Old Lady Xiao exempted the younger generations from paying respects and only required them to go there once every ten days.
As cousins staying in the mansion, Xu Shuyao and Liu Qingwan were exempted from paying their respects every ten days.
Xu Shuyao did not consider the daily greetings as a tiring task, but since Old Madam Xiao had instructed her to do so, there was no reason for her to disobey.
Because her younger brother went to school, she inevitably had more contact with the fourth and fifth sons of the Xiao family in the past two years.
Sometimes when I brought food for my younger brother, I would also prepare some for the two young masters.
Every time, they both accepted the drinks enthusiastically, but Xu Shuyao had no idea whether they ate them or not.
She had nothing, so she could only focus on these little things.
But don't overdo it, after all, there are differences between men and women.
Third aunt protected her two sons like the apple of her eye. If a cousin like her, who lived under someone else's roof, was too attentive to them, it might give people the impression that she was trying to curry favor with them.
It's just strange that several young men in the Xiao family didn't get married during this period, but my second cousin Xiao Jinyi was engaged to the eldest son of the Li family two years ago.
The Li family in the capital originated from the Li family of Zhaojun, and is a family of scholars and officials that has lasted for hundreds of years.
The Li family's ancestors had produced seventeen prime ministers and hundreds of Jinshi (imperial examinations). Even the current eldest son of the Li family is not only the future head of the Li family, but also a true top scholar.
Such a young man with outstanding talent, appearance and family background would be sought after even by the royal princess.
But the eldest son of the Li family has read the books of sages for so many years, and he wants to go to the court to show his talents.
So after choosing for a long time, he chose the second daughter of Duke Chengguo's Mansion.
Although the second master of the Duke's Mansion is incompetent, the eldest son has great power.
One of the two families was extremely prominent among the nobles, and the other was very prominent among the aristocratic families.
The marriage between Xiao and Li was a match made in heaven, and each side got what they needed.
Chen was very satisfied with this marriage. The old lady in the mansion had warned her not to get involved in the vortex of the princes' fight for the throne. At the moment, being able to choose the Li family was already the best choice.
However, Xu Shuyao still lived in Jiyunzhai. Since she knew that this was the only way for the young masters to enter the inner courtyard, she had always been very careful and had not made any mistakes.
Chen was not in a hurry either. As a stepmother, she believed that she had plenty of ways to make Xiao Jinrong submit.
However, the marriage of the eldest son in the mansion has not been decided yet, and the brothers below cannot bypass him, not to mention that his niece is still in mourning period.
But now two years have passed, Jinyi is about to get married, Xu Shuyao will be out of mourning after the new year, and now she is sixteen years old, so maybe it's time to take action.
Similar to Xu Shuyao, Liu Qingwan of the Rose Courtyard also lives a secluded life like her.
At first, the third wife took her niece to several banquets and tea parties, but later, for some reason, her involvement gradually faded.
Until now, if no one mentioned it on purpose, almost no one would have thought that there were two outstanding-looking cousins living in the Chengguo Mansion!
After August 15th, the second daughter of Duke Cheng's mansion and the eldest son of the Li family finally got married. The wedding was held with great fanfare, and even the nobles in the palace sent rewards.
Xu Shuyao, who was in mourning, wore the new dress made by the mansion on this day.
Although it is not red, it is a little brighter than usual.
Since the clothes were sent by Jinhuatang, there was no reason for Xu Shuyao not to wear them.
She didn't care about these superficial formalities. Her father had passed away two years ago, and she and her younger brother just remembered him in their hearts. As for the rest, when living under someone else's roof, it was natural to follow the host's preferences.
What's more, this is my cousin's wedding day.
Xu Shuyao was wearing a light green embroidered jacket that day. Her hair was black and shiny, her eyebrows and eyes were clear, and her neck was as white as snow. She looked like a new lotus standing gracefully on a branch.
There were many ladies at the wedding banquet. They noticed this new face with outstanding looks at a glance. After asking around, they soon found out her identity.
When they heard that she was just an orphan whose parents had both died, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, the young ladies who came here today did not all have such simple purposes.
The marriages of several young masters from the Chengguo Mansion have not been decided yet. This is a well-known fact and everyone is watching!
Especially the Crown Prince, who is already the leader of the second-rank imperial guards at such a young age. He is a man of both literary and military skills.
What's more, Xiao Mo is tall and handsome.
Although those eyes like cold stars were a little cold, the young man had a noble aura and such a prominent family background.
As long as there is a possibility, no one would not want to give it a try. Maybe... maybe this is the one that is missing?
It is said that the eldest son of the Xiao family and the daughter of the Shen family were engaged when they were children, but now he is twenty years old and there is still no movement. It is obvious that something went wrong in their marriage.
The young ladies' minds were floating. In addition to focusing their attention on the men of the Xiao family, they would also intentionally or unintentionally glance at Shen Jingshu who was not far away.
It would be understandable if Prince Xiao did not get married a few years ago, after all, the girl was still young at that time.
But now the lady of the Shen family is sixteen years old, and the Xiao family is still sitting on the ground, which is a bit unreasonable.
As the eldest daughter of Master Shen's family, Shen Jingshu is not only dignified and beautiful, but also has a good hand in calligraphy.
Even the fathers of the young ladies at the banquet often asked them to learn from this noble lady from the capital after returning home, simply because Madam Shen was famous not only among the ladies, but also with the emperor.
It is said that at a palace banquet, the noble ladies competed to perform, but Shen Jingshu remained unmoved. Later, she was provoked by Princess Huayang and had to compete. She performed blindfolded calligraphy. The girl was calm and composed, and her cursive writing won a lot of applause.
Not only is the calligraphy beautiful, but it is also written while dancing, which not only fits the viewing experience of a palace banquet, but is also blindly written and can ensure quality.
The emperor was also present at the time. He not only praised Master Shen for his good upbringing, but the queen also rewarded Shen Jingshu with gold, silver, pearls, jade and other items. She also blamed Princess Huayang for her arrogant temperament and asked her to reflect on her mistakes in seclusion for the next few days.
As a result, Shen Jingshu's reputation as a talented woman became known to everyone, and she almost became a role model among the noble ladies of the capital.
Therefore, seeing that her marriage with the Prince of Chengguo had encountered difficulties, the young ladies couldn't help but feel that they were making fun of her.
So what if she is a recognized talented woman?
Isn’t it because the marriage failed and people disliked you?
Shen Jingshu felt the gazes cast on her from all directions, but she remained upright and smiled gently and warmly.
As for what's really going on in her heart, only she knows.
Xu Shuyao was not aware of this until the third lady Jinshan leaned over and whispered in her ear, only then did she know that this was the person the prince was engaged to.
But she just glanced at him, and when she saw him looking at her, she even gave him a rather friendly smile.
Even if she could get married, her younger brother would have to deal with the Duke's Mansion in the future. Xu Shuyao would not do anything to make enemies for herself.
No matter when the future Crown Prince's wife comes in, it's always a good idea to express goodwill in advance.
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