The Emperor of Tianyu attached great importance to the visit of the Prince of Northern Jin. He not only met the request of the twelfth prince to stay in a separate courtyard, but also planned to hold a grand banquet to solemnly welcome the distinguished guest from afar.
"Let's call all the Xiao family members into the palace. They are relatives, so it would be good to have a formal meeting." The emperor thought for a while and decided.
"Are you all invited?" King Jing asked casually.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" His younger brother seemed to have some concerns. Was there something wrong with the marriage between the Xiao family and the princess, or was there a problem with the Xiao family? Things had developed to this point, and the emperor really didn't want anything unexpected to happen in this marriage.
"No problem, but the Xiao family has quite a few children, and they've never seen a big scene before. I'm just worried that they won't understand the rules and will be laughed at by the people of Northern Jin."
"Not really! How about letting them meet alone first and hold the welcome banquet the next day." The emperor in turn asked for King Jing's opinion.
"How about I hold a family banquet at the palace to entertain both families?"
"Why bother? Just come to the palace. I'd also like to take this opportunity to see the Xiao family's twins, a boy and a girl. I think there's also a little granddaughter of the old Marquis Xiao who wants to marry her freely! I'm just curious, what kind of child could have so captivated the old Marquis Xiao that he'd rather not have the plaque I bestowed upon him than issue an imperial decree for her."
King Jing finally realized what he was worried about. He was afraid that the little girl of the Xiao family would be favored by others. His son's thoughts had already been revealed. As her father, he had the obligation to keep an eye on his daughter-in-law until she understood his feelings and must not let her be robbed by others.
"Your sister-in-law really likes that girl, so you must not promise her to anyone else easily."
"I don't have that right anymore. Do you want to..." My brother wants the Xiao family's granddaughter to marry his nephew? Why didn't you mention it before? I have lost my right to speak now, okay?
"No, we just like that child. Achen hasn't come to his senses yet and doesn't understand these things at all. But the girl is really good, and I owe the Xiao family a favor. I just wanted to fulfill the old marquis's wishes in this matter, so I said a few words." He was just guessing about his son's feelings. Now everything was unknown, and it was not the time to make a conclusion. As long as the girl didn't agree, he could let his son handle the rest of the matters himself after a few years when he understood his feelings.
After the Xiao family received the order to enter the palace to meet the in-laws, some were surprised; some were overwhelmed with joy; and some were worried and uneasy...
"Madam Ruan, please teach the children the rules of entering the palace for an audience." Tong Mingyu found Madam Ruan and asked her for help.
"Since Madam has spoken, I will do my best to teach you. Actually, you don't have to worry too much. Ping'an and Ruyi have been learning the rules for so long. The only difference is the difference between being in the palace and being outside. Just a little guidance will be enough. The young masters are smart people and will understand with a little guidance."
"Hearing you say that, I feel relieved. Please pay more attention to the attire of Ping'an and Ruyi when they enter the palace. As long as they are not impolite, it will be fine. They are used to being casual in their daily lives, and too formal attire will make people feel uncomfortable. What do you think?"
Nanny Ruan had been in the palace for decades, so of course she understood the meaning of Tong Mingyu's words as soon as she heard them. That was because she didn't want her daughter to attract other people's attention!
"I'll see to it, but with Ping'an's appearance, even if he were dressed in the most ordinary clothes, he would still attract attention. Fortunately, we have the old master's will, so why should you worry?"
"Fortunately, my father-in-law protects her like this, otherwise I really won't be able to sleep." The Chinese New Year is just over a month away, and then it will be the eighth birthday of the twin children, a boy and a girl. As his daughter gets older, Tong Mingyu becomes more and more uneasy.
The child's appearance has hardly changed since she was a child. If there is any difference, it is that her eyes are brighter and her skin is more rosy and smooth like jade. She is so beautiful at such a young age. How can her mother not be worried!
"Ping'an is the most insightful child I've ever met, so you don't have to worry about her. She will definitely not let you and the Xiao family down in the future."
"If that's the case, it couldn't be better. All this is thanks to you. I am sincerely grateful to you. Without your teaching, I don't know what this child would become!" As Ping'an grows older, he becomes less naughty and more quiet. But don't forget that there is also Ruyi in the family who refuses to settle down. No one can predict what will happen when the two sisters get together. It's impossible not to worry!
Xiao Rui, Xiao Jun, and Xiao Qi had an additional study assignment after school each day: Nanny Ruan's help with etiquette lessons. Xiao Yao hadn't wanted to watch, because her brothers and Ah Qi were just starting to learn, and there was no telling if they would make a fool of themselves and get punished. It wasn't appropriate for her to watch from the sidelines.
"Let's take a look! If you brothers don't understand something, maybe we can help!" Xiao Yuan said with a beaming smile. No matter how you looked at her, it seemed that she didn't want to help, but just wanted to stay and watch the fun.
"I'll go read a book nearby, you can help here!" He didn't want to join in the fun, for fear that the brother and sister would start fighting and he would become the one who got hurt.
Nanny Ruan was also helpless about Xiao Yuan's behavior, but she knew that the child had no bad intentions and was just a little naughty.
Compared with the two girls, Nanny Ruan taught the three boys in a straightforward and simple way. She started with the rules to be followed when entering the palace, and completed the training task in just three days. Although Xiao Rui was lazy, he also knew the occasion and the matter. For such a major event that concerned the honor and disgrace of a family, he was extremely serious.
Not to mention the sensible Xiao Jun and the obedient Xiao Qi, they all knew what entering the palace meant, so how could they be careless!
"That's... over." Xiao Yuan stuttered in disbelief. He'd been with her for three whole days! How much less time had I spent playing, how much less food had I eaten? It was like he was saying the loss outweighed the gain! This was too much to accept.
When I was learning the rules, I was criticized and punished. Even my sister, who was so smart, practiced some rules over and over again. Why is it so easy for my brothers to pass the test when it comes to their turn? This shouldn't be right!
"Mammy, I have completed the task you assigned me, right?" Xiao Rui felt itchy in his hands and even more in his mouth as he faced his sister who was a little disappointed that she didn't get to see the fun.
"Yes, your studies are over, and you three will enter the palace the day after tomorrow. Just follow Madam's instructions." Madam Ruan liked the Xiao children very much. Although they had different personalities and temperaments, there was no open or covert fighting or infighting between the siblings. At most, the two siblings from the third room would exchange a few words, exposing each other's shortcomings. Everyone just treated it as a way to lighten the mood, as it was not a big deal.
"I've been holding it in for three days now. Don't think I don't know why Ruyi refuses to leave. She just wants to watch the fun! Now that she can't watch the fun anymore, she's disappointed. Humph, I'm going to teach her the rules of being a younger sister today."
Xiao Rui was a person who grew taller but had no memory. Because he was an enemy of his two younger sisters, he had no idea how many times he had been punished by his grandfather and uncles. As a result, he would correct himself after being punished, but would make the same mistake again, with no peace of mind.
"Don't mess around, or I'll tell my grandfather about you." Looking at his brother walking towards him, Xiao Yuan felt a little regretful that he had made such an obvious expression of frustration. If someone saw through him, would his fourth brother come to settle the score? Who else could be his external support?
Xiao Yao stayed with her for one day, but refused to come again the next day. The rules for boys and girls had no similarities at all, and were simply incomparable. The more she looked at it, the angrier she became. In ancient times, there were many indulgences for men, but women were as strict as possible.
Take learning the rules, for example. I've been studying with my master for two years, and I'm still barely at the beginner level. There's still so much to learn and practice. My sister and I have spent countless days studying over and over again just to get into the palace. But what about the brothers? They breeze through the task in just three days, without breaking a sweat or feeling tired. I can't bear to watch any more. It's hard not to compare, but once you do, it's incredibly frustrating.
"Ruyi, come here. Fourth brother wants to discuss learning the rules with you." Xiao Rui rolled up his sleeves and said as he walked.
"I have something to do today. Let's discuss it in front of grandfather another day." I don't believe you dare to be so arrogant in front of grandfather. Xiao Yuan decided to be a good woman and not suffer a loss in front of her. She found the right opportunity to slip away.
"Fourth brother will take you back, how about that, isn't that nice of you?"
"I'd better not trouble Fourth Brother. I can handle it by myself. You guys go back and rest! You have to get yourself together before you go back to the palace!"
"Okay, you three go back first." After watching the excitement for a while and seeing that the little girl had nowhere to hide and was about to fall into the clutches of the devil, Nanny Ruan asked the boys to leave first.
Xiao Rui felt a little regretful that he couldn't have a "good talk" with his sister. He knew that Nanny Ruan was protecting his sister, but he had to walk away obediently. Even his grandfather and grandmother had to give face to this Nanny, so how could he dare to act rashly? It was a pity. He was so close to catching his sister, but today's operation failed again.
The adults and the two boys who were already working only needed to wear official uniforms. What was difficult was that the other six children had the opportunity to enter the palace for the first time. Should they dress formally or conservatively?
Before they could make a decision, Prince Jing's Mansion sent new clothes and matching jewelry to Xiao Yao and Xiao Yuan. Qiu Ying also told the Xiao family not to worry, because Prince Jing and the Crown Prince would come to the palace the day after tomorrow, and with their help and care, nothing would happen.
After hearing Qiuying's words, the Xiao family finally put their minds at ease. Qin thought this was a good omen. She believed that if everything went well in this entry into the palace, it would only benefit the youngest son's marriage and the future of the other sons, and would not bring any harm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
