Zhulan doesn’t want to go to any of the invitation posts at the moment, so she replied to each one, saying that she just came back and needs to rest for a few days.
At noon, Zhulan received a letter from Shi Qing. She was confused. She had just left the capital, so what did Shi Qing want? When she opened the letter, she was stunned. "Shi Qing and Miss Yao will get married in three months?"
Mrs. Song, "Second Miss Yao?"
Zhulan read it carefully and said, "The matchmaker that the Emperor arranged for, Shi Qing and Miss Yao Er, these two are really a perfect match!"
Mrs. Song smiled and said, "They are indeed a good match."
Zhulan read the letter again. Shi Qing not only came to announce the good news, but also wanted to ask about Miss Yao Er. Zhulan thought that it would be a good outcome for Miss Yao Er to marry Shi Qing. Shi Qing would have an easier life in the future if he married Miss Yao Er, a virtuous wife.
Zhulan took the letter, wrote down everything she knew, and finally added a few words of blessing. After finishing the letter, she asked Butler Ding to send someone to deliver it to the capital.
Zhulan's shoulders were a little tense, so Mrs. Song came forward to massage them. Zhulan said, "My shoulders are sore, and they haven't gotten better after a day of rest."
Mrs. Song, "You haven't painted for a long time. The painting you did the other day took a little too long. You need to rest for a few more days."
Zhu Lan closed her eyes and said, "I think Yao Yao also wants to inquire about Shi Qing's news, but it is not easy to write to me."
Mrs. Song said, "Miss Yao has also met Mr. Shi twice, so she should have some impression of him."
Zhulan hummed and stopped talking. Mrs. Song’s massage technique was really good. She felt so comfortable that she wanted to sleep.
In the capital, at the Yaohou Mansion, Bai wiped her tears, "Now even my concubines don't take me seriously. They just blocked me and mocked me. My poor daughter, how will she live in the future?"
Yao Yao was also stunned when she heard about the marriage. Later, she found out that Shi Qing was familiar with the Zhou family, and she felt relieved. Now she could stay in the capital, which was much better than getting married. As for Shi Qing's background, she really didn't care. Anyway, her reputation was not good. "Mother, think positively. Your daughter is staying in the capital. You can see her in the future if you want to. Don't be sad."
Bai felt upset, "It would have been better to choose someone from the list to get engaged first, so as to avoid marrying into the Shi family who are from a merchant family."
Yao Yao, "Mom, I am glad to marry into the Shi family. My daughter has been under your watch since she was young. If she really marries someone else, you won't know whether she is dead or alive. You will cry then!"
Moreover, if she stayed in the capital, she would be able to help her brother in the future, so she was satisfied with the marriage.
Bai's handkerchief was wet. Seeing that her daughter was not unwilling, she choked up and said, "Mother will definitely prepare a generous dowry for you."
Yao Yao, "Mom, please don't say anything wrong."
She just hoped to take more out so that she could secretly prepare some for her younger brother. She really didn't believe her father.
In Jinzhou, Zhulan was listening to Xuehan playing the piano when Changlian walked in, "Mom."
Zhulan motioned for Changlian to sit down, "What's the matter?"
Chang Lian asked, "Mom, I passed the imperial examination. During this two-month vacation, should I go back to my hometown to pay respect to my ancestors?"
Zhu Lan said, "I was just about to tell you about this. Your father said that your eldest and second brothers should go back to worship the ancestors this time, and you don't have to go back. You and Rongchuan have already been in the limelight, so it's better for you to stay at home."
Chang Lian took the fruit from his sister and said, "Then I'll trouble you, big brother and second brother."
Zhu Lan asked, "Have you seen Dong Zhan?"
Chang Lian nodded, "I saw him when I came back yesterday. The child is not bad. It seems that my father-in-law carefully selected him. I wanted to send him back because I thought he was not good. But now that I have seen him, I think I will keep him. After all, he is my father-in-law's family."
Zhulan agreed, "Instead of clinging to you in the future, it is better to raise this child carefully. The Dong family will have someone to rely on and won't have to focus on you anymore."
"My son thinks so too. He will study with Deng Yun first and will be sent to the academy in a few days. Mother, my son is going to the capital. The child still needs to stay in the Zhou Mansion. I will trouble you when the time comes."
Zhulan is very experienced in raising children. "There are many children in the family, so this one doesn't matter. Why are you being so polite to your parents?"
Chang Lian stood up and said, "Mom, Dong and I are going to the temple to burn incense tomorrow. Are you coming?"
"I won't go. Your Aunt Tao will come over tomorrow to discuss the engagement. I want to stay at home."
Chang Lian was very optimistic about his second niece's marriage, "Yulu is a blessed girl, but, mother, Mingyun is not young anymore, do you and father want to see it?"
Zhulan did not hide her plan, "Your father and I think that Mingyun's wife should not be from a high-ranking family, but it is not easy to choose such a person. The meaning of the eldest grandson's wife is different. Not only must she be well-educated, but she must also have a broad mind and a broad perspective."
Chang Lian said: "This person is not easy to choose."
"So I have to look for it slowly."
Xue Han plucked the strings again, "Third brother, would you like to listen to the new song I learned?"
Chang Lian smiled and said, "Okay."
Xue Han played the song again. This song was released last year and was very suitable for unmarried girls to play. Xue Han liked this song very much. After practicing it for a long time, she finally got the chance to play it.
Zhulan looked at her daughter with a happy face. The more she looked at her, the more she felt that her daughter was outstanding. It was really a good deal for Rongchuan.
Then Zhulan thought of Xuehan's dowry, which needed to be doubled on the original basis, and she was thinking about how to earn more money.
The next day, Tao came to the door and said, "Congratulations first, my son has passed the imperial examination and my future son-in-law will be a third place winner."
Zhulan invited Tao into the house, "Congratulations have been sent on your post, come in and sit down."
Tao, "You still have to congratulate him in person."
"We haven't seen each other for a while. How have you been these days?"
Now that she has her little son, Tao is content. "All right, I'm fine. I don't have to worry about the family anymore. I feel much more relaxed."
Zhulan was happy. Last year, at the end of the year, Lord Wang's concubine's daughter got engaged quickly, and got married at the beginning of the year. She married to another place, so Mrs. Tao really had nothing to worry about. "No wonder I think you look a lot younger."
Tao, "Let's not be polite. Let me get down to business first. We need to choose a date to formally get engaged. You see, we still have to go through the formalities."
"Then follow the procedure. The date for the engagement will be chosen after the horoscopes are matched."
Last time, we didn’t go through any procedures, we were just verbally engaged. This time it’s official, so we still have to go through the procedures.
Tao, "Okay, I'll get ready then."
Tao was quick-witted. She brought a matchmaker to the house the next day and immediately compared their horoscopes. They found that Yu Lu and Wang Wei's horoscopes matched well, so they could be considered a good match. Then they set a date for the engagement, which was a day when Zhou Shuren and Wang Ju were on leave.
The two families were familiar with each other, and the engagement process went smoothly. When Zhulan met Wang Wei, the boy's appearance was not outstanding, only average. However, as the eldest grandson, the boy's demeanor should not be underestimated.