Chapter 119 Entering the Mansion
The sun had just passed the middle, and the Duke Anguo's Mansion, located in the west of Yujing City, was in a hurry.
The attendants were cleaning and busy, making Anguo Gong's whole body spotless, clean and tidy, just like celebrating the New Year.
It’s the first time that Dong Bed’s charming guest comes to visit, and he wants to show the best side of the Duke’s Mansion.
What's more, this charming guest is a prince and a noble person.
Everything is ready and waiting eagerly.
An Guogong and Xiao Ruoyu were sitting in the front hall, drinking tea and waiting.
Xiao Ruoyu seemed to have a needle under his butt, twisting and fidgeting from time to time.
Duke An Guo was reading a book with a calm and peaceful look on his face.
"Dad, there's no need to be so grand, right?"
"The Tian family has to give you face. Although he is your brother-in-law, he also represents the emperor's face."
"...Yes." Xiao Ruoyu had nothing to say.
Duke An Guo has always taught him that he should always be respectful to the royal family and never become proud of the royal family just because he is hereditary and has an ironclad book of elixirs.
Instead, be more humble, be grateful, and never take it for granted.
Otherwise, it will be the beginning of the Xiao family's downfall, it will be an unworthy descendant, and it will be a sinner for the descendants of the Xiao family, and they will not be able to enter the temple after death.
An Guogong was reading a book and said slowly: "Is your eldest sister ready?"
"The eldest sister didn't make much preparation. She said she was already engaged. There was no need to be so polite. Instead, she lost our closeness."
"Yeah, that's fine." An Guogong nodded.
Xiao Ruoyu was helpless.
Whatever I say is wrong, I will be punished, but whatever my eldest sister says is right.
At this moment, the manager of the palace raised the curtain and came in, saying softly: "Master, my uncle is on the street."
"Open the middle door."
"Yes." The fat steward responded, turned around and ran out, shouting from afar: "Open the middle door, open the middle door!"
There was excitement and high spirits in his voice.
A girl from Duke Guo's Palace married into Prince Qing's Palace and became the eldest concubine. From then on, the declining Duke An's Palace was different and became more confident.
With the blessings of the royal family and relatives, you can hold your head high when you go out.
"Let's go." An Guogong looked at Xiao Ruoyu and strode out.
Xiao Ruoyu stood up to follow and walked out quickly.
As the father and son left the front hall, the guards and personal guards gathered together, forming a large crowd, surrounding them around the screen wall and outside the gate.
After a while, at the end of the long street, a group of guards came slowly, surrounded by an agarwood carriage with eight treasures and purple chi. The six horses were strong and handsome, and they were all precious horses.
With neat steps and leisurely expressions, they slowly arrived in front of the gate of Duke Anguo's Mansion and stopped right between the two mottled stone lions.
Behind the carriage were a group of attendants carrying eight large boxes. The red paint was shiny, and the people carrying the boxes walked heavily.
Inside are some silks, jewelry, cakes, tea sets, etc., selected from the palace's warehouse.
The cultivation resources in Prince Qing's Mansion are almost nonexistent, but there is no shortage of these worldly things. The fiefdom pays a lot of tribute every year.
Zou Fang held the white jade whisk in her hand and opened the carriage door.
Chu Zhiyuan got out of the carriage wearing a mink coat and mink hat, and slowly stood up straight, his handsome face like a crown jewel in the sun.
The guards around him were all dressed in brocade and silk robes, making him even more elegant and elegant.
Chu Zhiyuan took a few steps forward and came to Duke An, smiling and bowing with his fists clasped. "I met my father-in-law."
Although they haven't gotten married yet, they are already engaged. For Prince Qing's Mansion and Duke Anguo's Mansion, the engagement is the same as getting married, and they will not change it again.
He can be called the Duke of the country or father-in-law.
Now the imperial court and Dazhen are in a stalemate. They are arguing over who Princess Dazhen will marry. Duke Anguo must also be worried.
He called his father-in-law directly to reassure him.
When Anguo Gong Xiao Youping heard this title, he immediately clasped his fists in relief and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, there is no need to be polite. Please come in."
"Yes," Chu Zhiyuan looked at Xiao Ruoyu: "Ruoyu's cultivation has become more and more advanced."
"I have met the prince."
Xiao Ruoyu was a little shy and couldn't open his mouth to call him brother-in-law.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and exchanged greetings with Duke An, and followed him inside. Someone behind him carried eight large boxes of gifts in.
Zou Fang followed Chu Zhiyuan like his shadow.
Duke An Guo knew the royal rules, and this kind of personal eunuch was always with him.
——
In the front hall, maids served tea.
Chu Zhiyuan took a sip, put down the tea cup, and first apologized. He should have come to visit earlier, but it was really rude to delay it until now.
Duke An Guo waved his hand, knowing that he was busy and had to concentrate on his practice. This was his own family, so there was no need to talk about so many false etiquette.
Duke An Guo quickly talked about the Ministry of Rites.
"The Ninth Princess is arriving in the next few days, and the Ministry of Rites will send someone to greet her."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded.
"Your Majesty, do you want to go and greet guests this time?"
"Forget it, son-in-law, it's not my turn to get involved in the Dameng mission."
"Ninth Princess Li Hongzhao has extraordinary talent and extraordinary intelligence. She really cannot be treated like an ordinary person. She can be seen without seeing her."
"Isn't the person who came this time evil?"
"It's probably because of our alliance with Dazhen. I originally wanted to send Dazhen away first, but I didn't expect that we were never able to negotiate a good marriage."
"In my opinion, father-in-law, will the imperial court choose to back down in order to allow Dazhen to leave before the Mongolian delegation arrives?"
"...It's not impossible."
"My son-in-law is determined not to marry Princess Dazhen."
"Sigh... I'm afraid I won't be able to control you anymore, Prince." Chu Zhiyuan frowned: "Father-in-law, do you have any ideas?"
"It depends on the emperor."
"The imperial grandfather once promised not to let me marry Princess Dazhen, but now it seems that this may not be true."
"The Emperor sometimes has no choice but to compromise."
"...If the imperial court really compromises, I will definitely not comply."
"What if the emperor makes a decree?"
"If you don't comply with the decree, the emperor's grandfather will be granted a further thirty years at most."
"It can't be like this,...it's really irresistible, so let's have two concubines."
Chu Zhiyuan shook his head solemnly.
Xiao Ruoyu snorted secretly, feeling that Chu Zhiyuan was acting coquettishly.
Which man doesn't want to have a group of wives and concubines, not to mention that Princess Dazhen is definitely a rare beauty in the world.
But Chu Zhiyuan really didn't want to marry Princess Dazhen.
If you get married, you will inevitably have endless troubles, and your family will be restless. How can you concentrate on practicing?
An Guogong Xiao Youping stroked his beard and pondered, his eyes fixed on Chu Zhiyuan, and he could see that Chu Zhiyuan was determined and was not trying to make himself happy.
He thought for a while: "If it doesn't work out, then get married as soon as possible and get married before they make a plan. Dazhen will give up."
Chu Zhiyuan was startled, and then said embarrassedly: "This is too humiliating."
"There's nothing wrong with being hasty," Xiao Youping said: "The key is whether you two can live happily together, the rest is not important."
"Father!" Xiao Ruoyu couldn't help it.
When he heard about the Ninth Princess, he still couldn't take it in. He felt that the court affairs were too far away from him and he didn't take it into his heart.
But when he heard about marrying Princess Dazhen, he immediately became energetic.
After listening to my father Xiao Youping's suggestion, I couldn't sit still.
The eldest sister is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Guo. She is a noble daughter among noble ladies. Her engagement was so hasty and simple as that of a commoner. It was already extremely shabby.
Now if we get married in such a hurry, what will outsiders think?
You must feel that Duke An Guo's palace can't wait to marry his daughter into Prince Qing's palace, but this is too perfunctory and unreserved.
This will inadvertently disparage the eldest sister and the Duke's government.
They can say all kinds of ugly things, and they will inevitably say that noble women are not valuable, making them look like losers.
Chu Zhiyuan pondered and said slowly: "There is no problem with my son-in-law."
Xiao Youping stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Okay!...I will keep an eye on the court to see the results of the negotiations. With Li Hongzhao's arrival, there may be changes."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.
Xiao Youping probed Chu Zhiyuan's thoughts and felt at ease. He stopped talking and changed the subject: "The matter between you and Mr. Kang Guogong has caused a lot of trouble."
"Mr. Kang Guo..." Chu Zhiyuan smiled, picked up the tea cup and took a sip.
"Kang Guogong originally had three legitimate sons, the eldest and the second were gone, and now only this single seedling is left."
"No wonder you are so pampered."
Xiao Youping said slowly: "Kang Guogong was extremely harsh to the eldest and second son, even harsh, and pushed them extremely hard, which led them to take risks. The eldest son was killed by Dameng's Cloud Rider, and the second son was killed by Da Meng. Zhen’s Lingshuang Iron Cavalry”
Chu Zhiyuan suddenly frowned.
This is indeed tragic enough.
"Almost all of his efforts were invested in the eldest son. After the eldest son was gone, he turned to the second son, but the second son was gone too. When the third son Song Tianhai came, he changed his past harshness... In fact, he also spent time I only hope that the third child can be safe and live in peace, and there is no need to hold up the lintel of the Duke's mansion, just don't cut off the incense. "
"Sad, deplorable, pity."
"So I doted on Song Tianhai very much and protected him very much."
"My son-in-law understands." Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly: "I will be measured."
He understood what Xiao Youping meant, not to retaliate too harshly against Song Tianhai, otherwise the situation would be out of control.
Then it depends on whether Kang Guogong knows his interests or not.
It was respectable to have his two sons killed in battle, but he would not be tolerated for his contempt and bullying of Prince Qing's Mansion.
"Actually, Ling'er has martial arts skills."
"Oh——?"
"The ancestors of the first generation once acquired a miraculous skill. No one could practice it after keeping it in the house, but Ling'er did it."
"Ruoling is actually a martial arts wizard?"
"Haha..." Xiao Youping said with a smile: "He is indeed a genius, but in a daughter's family, especially the daughter of a disciple like us, there is no need to fight and kill. The right way is to teach your husband and your children."
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "I'm afraid Ruo Ling and my father-in-law have different ideas, right?"
How could a martial arts prodigy be content with caring for his husband and raising children at home?
"I can only wrong her. The huge Duke's mansion would have been in chaos long ago without her support."
Chu Zhiyuan sighed: "I am good at literature and martial arts."
Xiao Youping stroked his beard and said with a smile: "She is in the back garden... Ruoyu, take your brother-in-law over and have a look."
"Yes."
Xiao Ruoyu breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly agreed, stood up quickly, and hurriedly left the front hall.
Sitting here listening to them talking, so old-fashioned, is really boring.
Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fists and saluted Xiao You, then followed Xiao Ruoyu behind.
The two walked through several yards and came to the back garden, which was completely new. They saw Xiao Ruoling in colorful clothes in a small pavilion on the rockery.
The sun shone slantly in the small pavilion, shining on Xiao Ruoling, coating her with a layer of glow.
Like a white jade statue illuminated by the glow, it is as beautiful as a dream.
Chu Zhiyuan sighed inwardly.
The most beautiful woman in Yujing is indeed worthy of her name.
It is a beautiful thing to have such a beautiful woman in your arms.
No wonder Song Tianhai felt so sad and crazy about it.
(End of chapter)