Cheng Chi, who was far away in Baoding Prefecture, was standing in front of the gate of Baoding Prefecture Yamen.
For the first time in his life, he felt so nervous.
Zhou Zhen was a serious, polite, generous and elegant person. After what happened to Cheng Xu, Cheng Chi had no idea whether he would agree to let him marry Zhou Shaojin.
Huaishan stepped forward and handed over the note.
Li hurriedly sent someone to the front yamen to report to Zhou Zhen who was handling official business.
Zhou Zhen was a little surprised and asked the boy who brought the visiting card in, "Didn't the Madam tell me what it was about?"
The servant hurriedly said, "Madam just told you to hurry back. The fourth master of the Cheng family handed in a note in such a hurry and went through the side door. I'm afraid there must be something important."
Zhou Zhen put down the work in his hands and hurried back to the back court.
He is the head of a mansion, but he does not live in the government office but rents a house outside. The Zhou family is not a wealthy family, so people will definitely suspect that he is corrupt. But in the mansion, Shao Jin's marriage is inevitably on people's mind. So when Chu Jin proposed that Shao Jin stay in the capital and find a marriage for Shao Jin with an equal status in the capital, he only put forward the requirement that Shao Jin should not marry far away. When Jiuru Lane was divided, what he was most worried about was that the relationship between the fourth and second houses had become increasingly weak over the years because of Shao Jin. Now that the first house has settled in the capital, the fourth house has lost the support of the first house. Will it be implicated
Zhou Zhen wrote several letters to the fourth room to ask.
A few days later, he received a letter from Cheng Yuan, the second master of the fourth house who was serving as an official abroad, saying that he might be transferred to Liuzhou, Guangxi as a magistrate in the near future, and also hinted to Zhou Zhen that this position was recommended by Cheng Jing.
Although Guangxi is not a good place, Liuzhou is not bad. What's more, he was promoted from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a sixth-rank Tongpan.
Later, Mrs. Guo came to Beijing and asked Shao Jin to accompany her.
He thought that Cheng Xu was not in the capital, and that Old Madam Guo had encountered such a disaster, so she must be in a very bad mood, so he asked Shao Jin to accompany her. He pretended not to know and said nothing.
At this time Cheng Chi suddenly visited him... I wonder if something happened to Shao Jin, or if something happened to the Cheng family
Cheng Chi waited in the flower hall for only a moment, and when he saw Zhou Zhen, he quickly stood up and saluted.
Zhou Zhen felt even more uneasy.
Cheng Chi was successful at a young age and was loved by his two elder brothers and Cheng Xun. Although he was not arrogant, he was not an easy person to get along with. Why did they suddenly show such respect to him
Could it be that what Cheng Chi asked for would make things difficult for him
Zhou Zhen was thinking in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He smiled and asked Cheng Chi to sit down. He told the maid to ask Li for his treasured Da Hong Pao to serve the guest. Then he greeted Cheng Chi, "When did Brother Zichuan arrive in Baoding? Have you had breakfast? Where are you staying?" At this point, he wanted Cheng Chi to be more polite and live with him. Then he thought that the Cheng family and the Zhou family were no longer the same as before, and he and Cheng Chi were not familiar with each other. It would be too intimate to say such a thing. He paused and took back the words, saying, "I don't know what Brother Zichuan wants to talk to me about? If it's not urgent, why don't you stay for lunch? Baoding is not as good as Jinling, let alone the capital. There is nothing delicious. Fortunately, the chef in my house came from Jiangxi, and he cooks some authentic Jiangxi dishes. I also have a small jar of Lihuabai, which is a good wine to go with the dishes."
Brother Zichuan...
It was fine in the past, but now...
Cheng Chi felt a little embarrassed, but the embarrassment only lasted for a moment.
Since he has decided to marry Shao Jin, he will face many things.
The title is just one of them!
He smiled and said, "You are welcome, Lord Zhou. I am here for a private matter."
It’s “Mr. Zhou” again.
Zhou Zhen frowned secretly.
Since Cheng Chi wanted to draw a line between himself and him, he didn't have to marry into the Cheng family's eldest branch.
However, after Li came back from the capital, she praised Cheng Chi very much, saying that Cheng Chi had taken good care of her. Madam Guo also gave Shao Jin a house that was originally intended for Cheng Chi, giving them enough face in front of the Liao family. She also helped Li's uncle introduce the eunuch of the wine and vinegar bureau of the inner palace. Now he started doing business with the inner palace and let him meet the people of the eldest house. He had to thank him no matter what... That's why he respects Cheng Chi so much.
In terms of status, he was a Jinshi in the Bingxu year, Cheng Chi was a Jinshi in the Renchen year, and he was even higher than Cheng Chi in both years!
He picked up the teacup and took a sip quietly.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Everyone says orchids are not easy to grow. But I always felt that my family was unfair to me. Why could my elder brother and second brother study and become officials, while I had the talent for studying no worse than them, but had to be confined at home to take care of chores for the rest of my life. I was always in a bad mood and was not happy with everything I saw. So my mother gave me a pot of Jianlan and asked me to put it on my desk and take good care of it until it bloomed.
“I don’t mind.
“When I’m in a good mood, I water the plants. When I’m in a bad mood, I feel irritated even when I look at the Jianlan orchid.
“I feel that this is evidence that my self-cultivation is not good enough.
"On several occasions it had been lost in the garden and found again.
"Gradually, I don't know if it's because I got used to it, or because Jianlan was still alive despite my treatment, but I couldn't help but start paying attention to it, and occasionally I would put it on the windowsill to let it get some fresh air.
"In just over a month, the Jianlan plant had grown into a graceful, upright and beautiful plant.
“I often help it prune and water.
"Gradually, I found that growing flowers is a very interesting thing.
“It grows tender little leaves, and stretches its branches when it feels comfortable. Whenever I look at it carefully, it is a little different. The tender branches that stretched to the east a few days ago have begun to grow to the west these days, or the leaves under the pressed branches have unknowingly poked out, revealing their tender green tips… It is like a timid child, playing mischievously when I am not watching it…
“I suddenly discovered that growing flowers is actually quite interesting.
“Only if you can calm down, you will find many differences.
“My greatest pleasure now is growing flowers and plants.
“And the longer you spend with flowers and plants, the more attached you become to them.
Cheng Chi's voice gradually lowered: "Look at my sadness, look at my grief, look at my sadness, but silently accompany me..."
Zhou Zhen had no idea what Cheng Chi was talking about.
He blinked his eyes and thought to himself, is there something wrong with the fourth master of the Cheng family, the eldest branch? Otherwise, why would he be a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, but he is not allowed to serve as an official but is instead confined at home...
He had no choice but to drink another sip of tea in silence.
Cheng Chi stood up, his expression sincere and earnest, and said in a deep voice: "Master Zhou, I would like to marry the second young lady of your mansion, please allow me!"
Zhou Zhen opened his mouth, but didn't come back to his senses for a long time.
Huahe... Shaojin
What's the meaning
Marry Shaojin
To marry Shaojin!
Zhou Zhen stood up suddenly and said, "What did you say?!"
The voice was sharp and piercing, yet it was filled with a hint of panic and helplessness.
He asked again: "Do you want to marry Shaojin?"
Cheng Chi nodded and said seriously: "Yes! I want to marry Shao Jin, please help me!"
His daughter, a daughter as delicate as a flower, was actually coveted by her uncle Cheng Chi... What on earth did the eldest son of the family do to Shao Jin
All Zhou Zhen's blood rushed to his head.
His face flushed red: "Impossible! Don't even think about it! I will never marry my daughter to you..."
Where is Chu Jin
Does she know that Cheng Chi covets Shao Jin
She wrote a letter to him and left Shao Jin in the capital. Was it a coincidence or a premeditated plan
And there is the Lee family.
She stayed in the capital for such a long time, and when she came back, she praised Cheng Chi vigorously... He thought of the business of Li's uncle... Did she really not know? Or did she make a deal with Cheng Chi because she discovered something
Zhou Zhen was so angry that his fingers were shaking. He pointed at Cheng Chi and shouted, "Get out! Get out! Don't dirty my place!"
Cheng Chi knew that he would not have a good ending. Hearing this, he took a deep breath and said, "Master Zhou, I really love your daughter and I respect her and you very much. Miss Zhou Er has a gentle and kind temperament and treats people with gentleness and generosity..."
"Get out! Get out!" Zhou Zhen was furious when he heard Cheng Chi's words. He pointed at the door and said, "Get out now! For Madam Guo's sake." Madam Guo might have known about this a long time ago. He just felt even angrier and said, "I will pretend that this matter never happened... Changgui, Changgui," he shouted the name of his follower loudly, "I will send someone to bring Shaojin back. From now on, our Zhou family and your Cheng family will no longer have any relationship..."
Zhou Zhen was more excited than Cheng Chi had imagined.
He should retreat at this time and leave first.
Seeing that there was no reply to his first letter, Zhou Chujin would definitely write a second letter. If he left, when Zhou Zhen received Zhou Chujin's letter, it was unknown how he would punish Shaojin.
His emotions overwhelmed his reason at this moment.
Cheng Chi took a few steps forward and bowed to Zhou Zhen, saying sincerely: "Master Zhou, please be patient..."
Zhou Zhen was too lazy to listen. He ordered Li Changgui, who came rushing over, with a look of disinterest, "Kick him out!" He then turned away and ran towards the inner house.
Li was happily planning to host a lunch banquet for Cheng Chi with Li Ma. "This stone chicken is a specialty of Jiangxi. My brother sent it here specially. It is much better than other stone chickens. We must make a bowl of this vegetarian stone chicken. And we must also make some of the fat fish head from Poyang Lake, smoked bamboo and smoked meat..."
The door curtain suddenly clanged, and Zhou Zhen walked in with a vicious look on his face.
Li was dissatisfied and stood up and shouted "Master!"
Zhou Zhen shouted solemnly: "Everyone get out!"
Nanny Li exchanged a worried look with Li, and filed out of the upper room with the maids and servants serving in the room.
Zhou Zhen then erupted like a volcano: "What did you do when you were in the capital?" He couldn't tell Li about his daughter's affairs, fearing that Shao Jin's affairs would be spread by others. "Why did Cheng Chi introduce business to Li's uncle? And gave the house in Yuqian Hutong to Shao Jin? Did Madam Guo know about the house? Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
He was suspicious at the time.
But Chu Jin and Li both said that it was the dowry given to Shao Jin by Old Lady Guo. He thought it was the gift given to Shao Jin by Old Lady Guo for Cheng Xu's matter... Now it seems that it may not be the case!
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Sisters, this is the first update for the first pink ticket add in June.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: The update will be around nine o'clock in the evening.
※(To be continued)