Chapter 574: A Confusion of Opportunities

Yu Yongliu, the newly crowned top scholar who had passed the imperial examinations six times, was quickly appointed as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. Although he was only a sixth-rank official, he was a close minister of the emperor, responsible for lecturing on history and explaining scriptures to the emperor, drafting imperial edicts, and could even be considered an important minister.

As soon as this appointment was made, families in the capital city with girls of marriageable age became extremely anxious - they were anxious to find a way to get this fresh and popular gift for their own girls.

When Zhou Jijiu returned, he complained bitterly to his wife!

When Yu Yongliu was in the Imperial College, he saw that Yu Yongliu was a promising talent and mentioned to his wife the idea of ​​matching his daughter with Yu Yongliu.

However, Mrs. Zhou was obviously unhappy at the time, thinking that a student from a grassroots background was not worthy of her daughter from a noble and scholarly family!

So Madam Zhou persuaded Zhou Jijiu to wait until Yu Yongliu finished the examination and then see if he was qualified to be the son-in-law of their Zhou family.

As a result, Yu Yongliu performed very well in the examination and won the title of first place. Mrs. Zhou was delighted, but she also felt that she had to control her future son-in-law. It was just a first place in the examination. If she didn't control her son-in-law, he might bully her daughter in the future.

As a result, after all the hedging, the other party politely rejected the marriage proposal.

Mrs. Zhou was dumbfounded at that time!

But at that time, Madam Zhou could still convince herself that it was just a champion and she might not get a good ranking in the palace examination!

If you don’t want to end it, then don’t end it!

And so it came that Yu Yongliu won the sixth place in the imperial examination and became the new top scholar.

Mrs. Zhou regretted her decision so much at that time that her intestines turned green. After much thought, she finally swallowed her pride and went to Yu's house with a thick face.

As a result, the Yu family simply kicked them out, leaving them very embarrassed.

Zhou Jijiu had a big fight with Madam Zhou!

Just when things got better these few days, Yu Yongliu was appointed as the editor of the Hanlin Academy! This is great, the editor of the Hanlin Academy is a very noble and close minister of the emperor, and it is very likely that he will be promoted to the prime minister in the future. It can be said that his future is limitless!

There was such a loud noise in the Jijiu's house!

Zhou Jijiu scolded Madam Zhou for being short-sighted. She was a top scholar in the imperial examinations and a handsome man. She didn't hurry up and persuade him to get married, but instead she was making trouble! She was simply stupid! Now he was a close minister to the emperor, and there was a high probability that he would become a prime minister in the future. It was all because of Madam Zhou that the Zhou family missed such a good marriage!

Mrs. Zhou was so angry that her eyes turned red. She also scolded Zhou Jijiu. If Zhou Jijiu had been more resolute at the time and insisted on settling the marriage before the imperial examination, wouldn't there have been so many troubles? In the final analysis, it was Zhou Jijiu's short-sightedness!

The couple quarreled more and more fiercely, you blamed me and I blamed you, and finally they started fighting, and both sides were injured.

Later, this matter was spread by gossipers and became a laughing stock in the capital.

This also shows from the side how popular Yu Yongliu is.

The threshold of the Zhenxi General's Mansion was trampled down by the matchmaker. This was not an exaggeration, but a realistic description.

At first, Xingxing was still interested in accompanying her second aunt to receive the matchmakers, but eight matchmakers came in just one morning, including all kinds of rich girls, fat and thin.

Xingxing couldn't sit still anymore and ran out.

Even Xingxing couldn't hold out with her patience, which shows how many people came to propose marriage.

There was another big event in the capital. Yu Mingzhu, who was known as the "Pearl of the Capital" and the "First Daughter", went to the Baiyun Temple in the southern suburbs to practice meditation, saying that she wanted to pray for her eldest sister-in-law.

When this news got out, the circle of young ladies in Beijing almost went into an uproar!

Everyone knows what Baiyun Temple is!

Why would the most beloved daughter of the Duke of Xin, who is at the peak of his career, go to Baiyun Temple to practice meditation?

Not to mention such ridiculous reasons as "praying for my eldest sister-in-law"!

Could something have happened?

Many people could not resist their curiosity and asked all the relatives of Duke Xin's Mansion for the inside story.

Lou Ruhui, the cousin of Duke Xin and the legitimate daughter of Marquis Mingguang, was also left speechless by the questions and simply hid in the homes of her friends. At least her friends wouldn't pester her with questions!

That day, Lou Ruhui handed a letter to Xingxing and came to Xingxing's house to have some free time.

Speaking of Lou Ruhui's friendship, it was on Yu Mingzhu's birthday that Lou Ruhui and Xingxing hit it off at first sight. Later, Lou Ruhui fell on the back of her head while ice skating and almost lost her life. It was Xingxing who helped save Lou Ruhui's life.

After that, the entire Mingguang Marquis's residence was especially grateful to Xingxing. Every New Year, cartloads of gifts were sent to the Zhenxi General's Residence.

Naturally, the Zhenxi General's Mansion had to return the gift as well. As a result, the two governments interacted more frequently and their relationship became closer.

Lou Ruhui sometimes comes to play with Xingxing.

This time, when Lou Ruhui came to Xingxing's Qiushui Garden, she immediately lay down on the couch without any image and complained to Xingxing: "... Mingzhu's retreat has nothing to do with me. Xingxing, you don't know, there are people who asked me in a sarcastic tone, why Mingzhu, such a role model of a lady, has to go to retreat, why don't I go... I'm really impressed!"

Xing Xing comforted her, "Don't pay attention to those gossipers."

Lou Ruhui nodded: "I know, but they are really too annoying. It's ok for them to keep an eye on Mingzhu all year round, but why do they involve me as well?"

Xing Xing pursed her lips and smiled, her hands still doing needlework.

Lou Ruhui climbed up from the couch and came over to watch Xingxing doing needlework: "Wow, Xingxing, what are you doing?"

"My aunt, my auntie, and my eldest sister-in-law are all pregnant, and I want to make bellybands for their babies."

Xing Xing pursed her lips and smiled back.

Lou Ruhui saw that it looked like a doll's bellyband, so she touched it curiously. It felt smooth and soft, and it was a piece of brocade where every inch of cloth was worth an inch of gold. Lou Ruhui exclaimed again and again, "You are rich. Your family is really rich."

The two little girls chatted for a long time, and when it was getting late, Lou Ruhui, who had a belly full of cakes, said goodbye.

Xingxing took Lou Ruhui's arm and personally escorted her to the second gate.

Coincidentally, a matchmaker also came out of Bai Xiaofeng's yard and saw the eldest daughter of the Zhenxi General's Mansion talking affectionately and saying goodbye to a young girl.

The two matchmakers looked at each other in surprise. After they asked about Lou Ruhui's identity, they both took a deep breath.

However, things started to go a little awry from this point on - no one knew how the rumor got out, and it turned out to be that the legitimate daughter of Marquis Mingguang was discussing marriage with the newly crowned number one scholar Yu Yongliu!

It was a maid in Xingxing's courtyard who heard the rumor when she went out to buy rouge and powder. She was shocked and ran to report it to Xingxing. Xingxing was so shocked that she almost choked on her tea!