The local governments of Jing State even issued orders to actively promote various literary gatherings. Especially in Xiangzhou and Jiangzhou, which are close to the Yangtze River, local governments mobilized all their staff to light lanterns, set off firecrackers, race dragon boats, hold literary gatherings, perform operas, hold banquets, light boat lanterns, etc., concentrating various traditional customs on this day.
Many officials have petitioned the cabinet and the king, asking Jing State to establish a "Jiang Jun Festival" to commemorate Fang Yun becoming the master of the Yangtze River.
Jiangzhou, Dayuan Prefecture, Ji County.
The whole city was decorated with lights and every household was filled with joy. The wealthy families in the city responded to the county magistrate's call and set up a banquet on Wenyuan Street, and people from all over the city flocked there.
The scholars in the city gathered in various literary gatherings, some in restaurants, some in the wild, but most of them were on the banks of the Wudao River.
Ji County is bustling, but three streets away from the famous Fang Yun Fang family courtyard, the Ge family is deserted.
Ge Xiaomao, the only son of the Ge family, is getting married today. The courtyard is decorated with lights and colors. There are ten tables of banquets in the courtyard, and more than twenty tables of buffets are prepared outside the courtyard according to the customs of Ji County and set up on the street.
However, there was no one outside the yard. There were only four tables of people sitting in the yard, all of whom were relatives of the Ge family and their in-laws.
The Ge family's in-laws are the Sheng family of Ji County. Although they are not a famous family, they are also a well-known and wealthy family in Ji County. The dowry alone includes a shop and hundreds of acres of fertile land, which makes ordinary people envious.
Even if the Sheng family's banquet could not seat twenty tables, it would not be a problem to fill ten tables. But now, only two tables of guests invited by the Sheng family came.
The Sheng family members at both tables had gloomy faces, and they didn't even touch the table full of delicacies.
The Ge family members next to them also looked unhappy. Some looked sad, and some looked at the Sheng family with resentment.
According to usual rules, the parents and grandparents of the two families should sit at the same table, but today they are completely separated.
The two newlyweds have finished their greetings, and the bride and groom are sitting in the main hall, with their heads down and in silence.
Although the groom Ge Xiaomao did not pass the imperial examination, he had studied for many years and was well-mannered. However, his gloomy complexion made him look unlike a scholar.
The bride standing next to him was pretty, with her eyebrows lowered and eyes drooping, motionless, with a sad look on her face.
In the evening of July, insects chirped, birds chirped, the air was hot, and the red candles were shining brightly, but the flames were cold.
At the Ge family's table, a middle-aged man in his forties with a head full of white hair said, "Dear relative, please come over here. This is a big wedding banquet, and we can't lose etiquette."
A middle-aged woman at the Sheng family table sneered, "Why, are you from the Ge family criticizing us for being rude? Last year, who swore with all their might that even if Fang Xusheng didn't come, he would still give us a calligraphy and gifts, so that our Ge and Sheng families would be honored and the two newlyweds would receive the blessing of the Xusheng? And now? Not only did we not even see the Xusheng, but the scholars in the city also avoided us under the pretext of celebrating the Jiang Jun Festival, and some even skipped the gifts! It's so unlucky to be associated with your Ge family, who would dare to go there to join in the fun."
Everyone in the Ge family was ashamed and annoyed, but unable to refute.
Father Ge, who had spoken earlier, sighed and said, "My dear relatives, this wedding is a matter between the two families, but in the final analysis, it is Xiao Mao and his wife's business. How are they going to live in the future if they make such a fuss on the wedding day? I have repeatedly come to your house to apologize, why won't you let it go?"
Ge Xiaomao gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.
Suddenly, the bride beside him reached out her hand and gently touched Ge Xiaomao's fist.
Ge Xiaomao froze for a moment, then slowly loosened his clenched fists.
Their hands still touched.
"We, the Sheng family, are not giving in? Say it again? Say it again!" Mother Sheng slammed the table, stood up, and her voice flew out of the yard.
Father Ge had a sad face and lowered his head slightly, not daring to even look at Mother Sheng.
Everyone in the Ge family glared at Mother Sheng, but since their status was not as high as that of the Sheng family, no one dared to refute.
Mother Sheng pointed at the Ge family and said, "How dare you, the Ge family, say such things about our Sheng family? If the engagement had not been made long ago, if my daughter's reputation had not been taken into consideration, we, the Sheng family, would have broken off the engagement no matter what! Our Sheng family is also a well-known family in Ji County. Our ancestors have Jinshi scholars, and there are also Juren masters within the third degree of mourning! They are even high-ranking officials in Dayuan Prefecture! What do you, the Ge family, have? Ah! What do you have!"
The Ge family was ashamed. The Ge family had only produced a scholar, but that was a hundred years ago. They all hoped that Ge Xiaomao would benefit from Fang Xusheng's influence, but who knew that Ge Xiaomao never got the chance to become a student. There were even rumors in Ji County that all the scholars in Ji County Academy of Literature took good care of Ge Xiaomao, but Ge Xiaomao always performed poorly in the examination room, and the examiners were helpless.
Mother Sheng put her hands on her hips and said angrily, "When you were trying to get close to our Sheng family, what did your Ge family say? They said that my stupid son-in-law would definitely pass the imperial examination this year, that Xu Sheng would definitely send someone, and that if I gave birth to more sons, I could adopt them to the Sheng family, and even ask Fang Xu Sheng to take me as a disciple, or at least pass on my skills to me. What about now? What about now!"
Mother Sheng slammed the table hard again, causing the dishes to tremble.
"Just the day before yesterday, you said that we, the Sheng family, should swallow our anger, fearing that we would anger Mr. Ge. Today, we dare not invite Mr. Ge to come. Is it our Sheng family's fault? If my stupid son-in-law really had a friendship with Fang Xusheng, why didn't he come until now? What about those classmates of the stupid son-in-law? They didn't come because they knew very well what kind of person Ge Xiaomao was. He was lazy and didn't do his job all day long. He just held a book and called it reading? However, fortunately, those classmates didn't come. If all the classmates of the stupid son-in-law came, these dozens of tables really couldn't accommodate them. After all, those classmates left in waves. Do you know what people say about my stupid son-in-law? Ge Xiaomao is iron, but the students are changing! Even so, what do you, the Ge family, say about our Sheng family? Have you any shame!"
Everyone in the Ge family became even more angry.
The groom Ge Xiaomao was so angry that his hands were shaking.
The bride slowly raised her delicate hand and placed it on Ge Xiaomao's hand.
Ge Xiaomao's eyes turned red and he almost cried.
Mother Sheng glanced at everyone in the Ge family, then looked at Ge Xiaomao with contempt, and her voice rose three points.
"If Ge Xiaomao and Fang Xusheng had not been classmates, even if your Ge family rose to prominence, you would never have seen our Sheng family! When my daughter turned sixteen, did you know that all the people who wanted to marry her were lining up the door? We changed the door sill three times in one year, and it had to be covered with iron sheets! Do you know why we chose your Ge family? Because Fang Xusheng's classmates all had wives! They are all people of literary status! When I promised my daughter to your Ge family, what did the neighbors, relatives and friends say? They said that our Sheng family's ancestors were very happy that we could marry Fang Xusheng's classmates, and we had a good relationship with them! What about now? What about now!"
"I'm really blind!" Mother Sheng screamed at the top of her lungs like a chicken or a duck.
At this moment, a cold snort came from outside the door.
"Who would mourn the wedding of a newlywed?"
Then a group of scholars came, led by a scholar.
Ge Xiaomao looked up suddenly.
The leader was Lu Lin, who had entered the examination room with Fang Yun that year, and was a fellow student as well.
Behind Lu Lin is Liang Yuan, who now holds a very high position in the Fang family and is responsible for many business affairs.
There is also Lu Zhan. It was he who helped Fang Yun into the examination room. Now he is a handsome scholar and is quite famous in Dayuan Prefecture.
The most eye-catching person is a man of similar age to Ge Xiaomao, Fang Zhongyong, who has become a scholar.
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