Returning to one's parents' home
The day after the wedding is the day for the bride to return to her parents' home.
"Is the gift ready?" Xie Zhuo asked.
"Her Highness the Princess has already made preparations; the carriage is waiting outside the mansion," Uncle Tong replied.
"Ah Qiao, don't be late for the auspicious time." Fu Zhi Qiao had been putting on makeup at the dressing table for a while when Xie Zhuo urged her on.
The people of the Great Wei Dynasty were particular about auspicious days for doing things. Before doing anything important, they would consult a master to calculate the auspicious time, especially for things like weddings and ancestral worship, where the exact time was always calculated.
Knowing that she was returning to her parents' home today, Fu Zhiqiao woke up just as dawn was breaking. She wanted to look her best in front of Yu Roulan, so she spent a little more time getting dressed.
Fu Zhiqiao slipped the last pearl-inlaid butterfly hairpin into her hair and replied, "Coming right away!"
Looking at Fu Zhi Qiao's gorgeous and exquisite makeup, with delicate floral decorations on her forehead, Xie Zhuo immediately knew where she had spent all her time.
As soon as they stepped out of the Prince's Mansion, they saw Granny Zhang waiting to the side.
Granny Zhang curtsied to the two of them, "Young Master, Madam, Her Highness the Princess has prepared the return gifts."
The gifts for returning to the bride's parents' home are usually prepared in advance by the groom's family. Fu Zhi Qiao nodded, took the gift list from Zhang Mama, and handed it directly to Yin Xing. "Please thank my father and mother for me."
On the day of their wedding, Fu Zhi Qiao's dowry was seen by the entire capital. The Fu family was generous, so the Prince's Mansion naturally couldn't be stingy either.
Zuo Murui was a person who valued face very much, so she immediately opened the storeroom and prepared a lot of brocade, fur, jade jewelry, tea, wedding cakes, etc., filling four carriages to take back by Fu Zhiqiao.
Xie Zhuo and Fu Zhi Qiao rode in one carriage, followed by four carriages carrying gifts for the bride's return visit, heading towards the Fu family's residence.
On the Fu family's side.
Today is the day my daughter and son-in-law are returning to their parents' home. Yu Roulan got up early in the morning and instructed the servants to clean the yard carefully. She also went to check the kitchen.
The cook replied, "Please rest assured, Madam, everything has been arranged. The lunch menu is all what the young lady likes, and the ingredients were personally selected by me. The young lady's favorite pigeon soup has also been prepared."
Yu Roulan was satisfied. "Chef Li's arrangements were very appropriate. She deserves a reward!"
After making sure everything in the manor was in order, she returned to her room, changed into a brand new robe, and sat in the main hall, asking every now and then, "What time is it?"
"Madam, please don't worry, we're on our way..."
A while later.
Yu Roulan muttered, "Why haven't we arrived yet?"
Just as Yu Roulan was getting anxious, slightly disordered footsteps came from outside the door, and the doorman excitedly called out in a drawn-out voice, "Madam! Miss and son-in-law are back!"
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Xie Zhuo got out first, then reached out to help Fu Zhi Qiao down.
Fu Zhiqiao took a deep breath, but when she arrived at her doorstep, she inexplicably became nervous. She adjusted her breathing and calmed down before accepting Xie Zhuo's help.
The moment Yu Roulan saw Fu Zhi Qiao appear, her eyes welled up with tears. She quickly stepped forward and lovingly stroked Fu Zhi Qiao's hair, "My child, let your mother take a good look at you!"
Fu Zhiqiao took the opportunity to step forward and hug Yu Roulan tightly.
Yu Roulan had so much to say, but at this moment she couldn't say anything. She gently patted Fu Zhiqiao's shoulder, and all her words were summed up in one sentence: "It's good that you're back!"
Seeing this, Xie Zhuo wisely stepped aside and waved for his servants to come and carry the return gifts from the carriage.
After the mother and daughter finished being affectionate, Yu Roulan noticed Xie Zhuo standing to the side.
Xie Zhuo bowed and said, "Your son-in-law greets Mother!"
"Hey! Good children, all of you are good children!"
The entrance wasn't a place to talk, so the group walked towards the inner courtyard.
Granny Huang whispered in Yu Roulan's ear, "Madam can rest assured now, there are four carriages full of gifts for the return visit!"
Whether the husband's family is satisfied with the new bride can be seen from the scale of the homecoming gifts.
Yu Roulan glanced at the gift list, feeling quite satisfied, but said aloud, "What's wrong with four carriages? Zhi Qiao's dowry is over a hundred loads!"
Back in the main house.
The servants knew that their son-in-law was an extremely distinguished person, so they all stood at attention and served him with utmost care.
Yu Roulan sat happily in the seat of honor. After receiving tea from the two men, she smiled and said to Xie Zhuo, "Young Master, did A Qiao cause you any trouble?"
"Mother, are you still calling him Prince?"
Xie Zhuo was very perceptive: "My son-in-law's courtesy name is Huaiyan. Mother can just call me Huaiyan."
Yu Roulan was taken aback for a moment, then readily agreed and changed her address to Huaiyan.
Xie Zhuo sat upright, his posture ramrod straight. "Please rest assured, Mother, everyone in the Prince's Mansion likes A Qiao very much."
Yu Roulan seemed to sense his nervousness and warmly invited him, "Don't just sit there, come and have some tea and snacks!"
After exchanging pleasantries with Yu Roulan, the two went to the Buddhist hall to offer incense to Fu Changyue.
After leaving the Buddhist hall, Fu Zhi Qiao was worried that Xie Zhuo would feel uncomfortable, so she took him to her study and found some local chronicles she had read before to help him pass the time. She then went to Yu Rou Lan's room to have a private talk with her.
"Zhi Qiao, have you been settling in well at the Prince's residence these past few days?"
Fu Zhiqiao sat on the daybed, nodded, and replied with a smile, "Both the Prince and Princess are kind people, and the old Prince is also very benevolent. Mother, don't worry, I haven't lost a single hair!"
"Stop being silly, you have no idea how worried your mother is. Ginkgo, you tell me!"
When Yu Roulan saw the four carriages of return gifts, she knew that the Prince's Mansion had not treated Fu Zhiqiao lightly.
In the days since Fu Zhi Qiao got married, she hadn't been able to eat or sleep well, and she felt empty inside. Now that she saw Fu Zhi Qiao with a rosy complexion and good spirits, her anxious heart finally calmed down a bit.
Yu Roulan inquired in detail about what had happened in the three days since the wedding. Yinxing answered vividly. When she heard Yinxing say with certainty that Xie Zhuo treated her daughter very well, Fu Zhiqiao nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
"You've been given the keys to the Prince's mansion's treasury?"
"It's not the key to the Prince's mansion, it's the key to our own courtyard."
Receiving the warehouse key meant she had authority, even if it was just her own little courtyard. Yu Roulan could finally breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good. Huaiyan is a good child!"
The mother and daughter cuddled for a while before it was lunchtime.
Faced with a table full of her favorite foods, Fu Zhi Qiao didn't hold back at all and ate heartily. Xie Zhuo did the same, occasionally using serving chopsticks to put food on Fu Zhi Qiao's plate and showing concern for her needs.
Upon seeing this, Yu Roulan's smile grew even brighter.
Because of the difference in their social status, she thought that her daughter would be the one taking care of the other in their relationship, but she never expected that she would be the one being taken care of.
The mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law and became more and more satisfied.
Xie Zhuo had a handsome face, and presumably because he was a military officer, he had a rather sharp aura, but at the same time he also had a touch of the refined temperament that only a noble young master would have. The two opposing qualities were well integrated in him.
More importantly, it was his attitude towards his daughter. Yu Roulan recalled the scene just now. Xie Zhuo's actions of serving food to Fu Zhiqiao were very practiced, and Fu Zhiqiao was not surprised. It can be seen that this is how the two usually get along.
After today's performance, Yu Roulan was extremely satisfied with Xie Zhuo.
As the sun began to set, lanterns were lit in every household, and Xie Zhuo and Fu Zhiqiao prepared to take their leave.
Yu Roulan personally escorted the two to the door. "Ah Qiao is stubborn, I hope Huaiyan, you will be more tolerant of her." Although she was talking to Xie Zhuo, her eyes were always on Fu Zhi Qiao.
Thinking of the daughter she had raised for over a decade who had now become someone else's daughter-in-law, Yu Roulan felt a sudden pang of sadness.
"I don't know when we'll meet again..." Yu Roulan was reluctant to part. She didn't want to say anything about saying goodbye, but she couldn't suppress the bitterness in her chest.
"Who said that? I'll come back to see you in a couple of days," Fu Zhi Qiao said with a smile, trying to reassure her.
Yu Roulan hurriedly said, "No, no, you're already married. If you keep running outside the manor, it will displease the prince and princess."
Xie Zhuo chimed in, "No, A Qiao can freely enter and leave the palace without needing to ask her father or mother for permission."
With Xie Zhuo's assurance, the turmoil in Yu Roulan's heart gradually subsided, and her smile became even more genuine. She waved her hand and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Don't delay any longer, hurry back!"
*
After his honeymoon ended, Xie Zhuo became busy again, and you could only see him in the mornings and evenings.
Fu Zhi Qiao was alone in the Prince's mansion with nothing to do. Although she could come and go freely, she did not make a fuss. She stayed in the mansion quietly, strolling around the garden and admiring the flowers, which was a kind of vacation for herself.
Ten days passed in a flash. Fu Zhiqiao greeted Zuo Murui and said that she had something to take care of at the restaurant and needed to go out for a while.
Zuo Murui showed no displeasure. She calculated that Fu Zhiqiao had been married into the Prince's Mansion for about ten days. She would pay her respects to her morning and evening, and spend the rest of the time in her own courtyard, quietly and without causing any trouble. Her behavior was so impeccable that no one could find fault with her.
Moreover, Xie Zhuo had already informed her that Fu Zhi Qiao was producing alcohol for the court and was working for His Majesty. Alcohol is a precious resource that benefits the country and its people, and its production cannot be delayed. If Fu Zhi Qiao wants to go out, no one in the Prince's Mansion is allowed to stop her. If she delays His Majesty's important business, she will be beheaded!
Having said all that, what else could she say?
Zuo Murui nodded to indicate that she understood, and told Fu Zhiqiao to return home as soon as she finished her business.
Taibai Tower, Taibai Wine Shop, and Fuyun Pavilion each have their own set of operating rules, so it doesn't matter that Fu Zhiqiao isn't personally overseeing things.
Defu, with his sharp eyes, saw Fu Zhiqiao approaching and immediately went to greet her, a charming smile on his somewhat round face: "Congratulations, Miss! Congratulations, Miss!"
Fu Zhi Qiao glanced at him with amusement, "You're the most clever one."
Defu cheerfully reported the latest developments at Taibai Tower to her.
The wine served at her wedding banquet with Xie Zhuo was all premium Taibai wine. Those who could attend the wedding banquet at the Prince's Mansion were not ordinary families. After drinking the wine, they found it to be very good and inquired about what kind of wine it was.
As a result, Taibai liquor became popular again thanks to this trend.
Wines of higher quality and more expensive, such as Zui Shi Xian and Te Ji Tai Bai Jiu, are also sought after.
At the foot of the capital, there are many wealthy officials and nobles who spend money like water, while Fu Zhi Qiao makes a fortune.
Go back upstairs.
Cheng Yexuan's letter was already on her desk. In the letter, Cheng Yexuan said that everything was going smoothly. Along with the letter, he also sent an account book. After reading it, Fu Zhiqiao had a clear understanding of the situation.
With successful examples already established and the entire supply chain readily available, replicating several more Taibai Wine Shops wouldn't be difficult.
After checking all the accounts, Fu Zhi Qiao stretched by the window and closed her eyes to rest for a while. Since getting married, she had had a very leisurely life in the Prince's mansion, and hadn't worked at such a high intensity for a long time, so she felt a little tired for a moment.
She spent two hours handling matters at Taibai Tower, and then inspected Taibai Wine Shop and Fuyun Pavilion before returning to the Prince's Mansion.
After getting married, life was not much different from when Fu Zhi Qiao lived in her own home.
The idea of getting up early every day to help her husband wash up and see him off is completely foreign to her. When Xie Zhuo leaves every day, she is still asleep. He doesn't wake her up, but gently kisses her forehead before getting up to go to work.
Moreover, just like her mother, the princess loved to make nourishing soups for her.
However, her mother's intention was simply to help her improve her health, while the other's was to help her get in good health so that she could conceive sooner.
Zuo Murui would send someone to deliver nourishing soup every few days, and Fu Zhiqiao had gotten used to it.
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