They made the excuse that they heard Chu Yongcheng's sister was a concubine and that their family had very strict family traditions, and they were afraid that the academician would not agree to let his daughter marry him off. So Chu Yongcheng and the Chu family immediately arranged this banquet.
This was also within Xiao Heng's expectations.
Of course, he didn't really care whether Chu Yongcheng's sister would become a concubine or not, he just wanted to go and see Qin Zhengtong's attitude.
Xiao Heng used to be a member of the Imperial Guard, supervising all officials. Even if he was a prefect in a remote area, his reputation and character could not escape his eyes and ears.
In his impression, Tan Zhengtong was considered a good official.
But now, something happened at the post station in Zhaotong, and the prefectural government not only did nothing, but also announced that he was dead and hunted them down under the pretext of searching for assassins.
He wanted to see who was behind Tan Zhengtong.
This can be regarded as uncovering the accomplice in Yunnan.
Besides, staying with Qin Zhengtong is the safest thing now.
After having the best sleep in the past twenty days, when they woke up, Xiao Heng, Su Rong and the others were all full of energy. They looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.
Master Chu has sent someone over to invite them to have breakfast.
After the family finished their meal, they moved to the flower hall and waited for the car to be prepared outside. Madam Chu asked Xiao Heng eagerly, "Mr. Deng is handsome and talented. Is he married?"
Her son married someone else's daughter, but when Madam Chu saw Master Deng, she felt even more satisfied - with such a good family background and good character, if he could be married to her niece, wouldn't that be double happiness
Su Rong coughed and said sternly, "Our young master is already engaged to the daughter of the governor of Guizhou."
Madam Chu opened her eyes wide, and her pupils trembled.
Master Chu glared at her and became even more enthusiastic towards Master Deng: "You two are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. We must give you a generous gift when the time comes..."
Master Deng nodded with a smile on his face: "We are all family relatives, why do you have to say these foreign words? My brother and I hit it off right away. We have been like brothers for a long time. I also treat him as my brother-in-law..."
Chu Yongcheng felt proud and straightened his back immediately.
Master Chu also had a smile on his face: "Oh, that's true... Mr. Deng is a rare talent, he thinks highly of me..."
Even Mrs. Chu, who was a little shocked at first, immediately agreed with a smile: "Yes, yes, our Ah Cheng is very grateful to Mr. Deng for taking care of him..."
Of course, a niece is not as important as a son.
After chatting and laughing, the carriages and horses were soon ready. Master Chu greeted everyone to go out, and then hesitantly looked at Master Deng: "Can you ride a horse?"
Master Deng shook his head: "I have always taken a sedan chair."
Civil officials do love to ride in sedan chairs. Mr. Chu has some understanding of this, after all, his son-in-law, the prefect, always rides in a sedan chair whenever he goes out.
He smiled and nodded: "Of course, of course, please, please!"
He and Chu Yongcheng rode on horseback, surrounding the sedan chair and exiting the alley. Although there were searching officers and soldiers everywhere, no matter which force they were from, when they heard the name of their mansion, they consciously and automatically let them pass, and no one came to stop them.
Xiao Heng sat in the sedan chair, looking at the soldiers who had just broken into the inn and were now chasing the people in the streets and alleys. He lowered the curtain with an indifferent expression.
I originally wanted to listen to Tan Zhengtong's reasons, but now it seems that there is no need to listen to them anymore. No matter what his reasons are, under his governance, he coldly condones these soldiers to harm the people. He deserves to die a hundred times.
The sedan chair soon arrived at the prefectural government office.
Chu had someone take a white porcelain bowl and carefully fill it with ginseng soup and send it to the front yard. She also specifically reminded him, "Tell the master to take care of his health and eat early."
After the people downstairs went out, she heard that her family had arrived, so she stood up with a smile on her face and walked to the gate of the yard.
Madam Chu had already brought Young Mistress Chu in. She was startled to see her standing in the yard, and hurried over to her, saying angrily, "My dear little ancestor, this is a critical moment for you, how can you just walk around casually? What if something unexpected happens? You are too careless!"
One of the main reasons why Tan Zhengtong looked down on Mrs. Qiu was that the son she gave birth to was useless and had no future at all, so Mrs. Chu's baby had to be born safely, as this was a major matter in consolidating her position.
Seeing that her mother and sister-in-law were so concerned, Chu couldn't help but laugh: "How can it be as terrible as what mother said? The doctor said that walking more will also be good, and the master also told me to listen to the doctor! By the way, where are father and brother?"
Speaking of this, Mrs. Chu's smile became more obvious: "Oh, the prefect is in the front yard. They went to the front yard to talk first." She helped Chu into the house and praised her daughter happily: "Oh, the prefect really thinks highly of you. He even came to personally welcome your father..."
This shows that Qin Zhengtong really treated the Chu family as his in-laws. Otherwise, why would he be bothered by the family of a concubine
Madam Chu was in high spirits, her eyes were hidden from sight when she smiled.
Chu herself had not expected that Tan Zhengtong would personally receive her father and brother. She was so honored that her face lit up, and she shook her head naturally: "What are you talking about, mother? We are all family, and the master naturally respects father."
Then he asked Mrs. Chu with concern: "Mother, how is my brother's classmate?"
"Oh, very good!" Speaking of this, Madam Chu couldn't stop talking: "Not only is he very handsome, but he also has an aura of nobility. Our family is rich enough, but the gems inlaid on his belt are from Japan. It is said that they were given to Lord Deng by local gentry when he was the academician of Min..."
Chu was all smiles when she heard that her younger brother had such an opportunity: "That's a good thing. Mother must remind my younger brother not to go out and cause trouble these days, and don't ruin a good thing."
Qin Zhengtong had asked her about the Deng family several times and was very concerned. This time he even met her brother and father in person. Chu also knew that this marriage was an excellent one.
The two of them were chattering about sweet things, and Mrs. Chu couldn't get a word in, so she could only listen attentively.
There was also a lot of chatter in the front yard.
Tan Zhengtong came to greet him personally. This was the first time for Master Chu. He was flattered and felt more proud and confident in front of Master Deng. After greeting Tan Zhengtong, he introduced him to him: "This is the son of Master Deng, the governor of Guizhou Province, and also my son's classmate and friend."
Qin Zhengtong looked behind him and saw that the young man was tall, well-mannered, and extraordinarily handsome, so his brows relaxed a lot.