The General's Mansion was particularly lively today. Red lanterns were hung in both the inner and outer courtyards, and servants occasionally set off firecrackers, making the people of Yunxiang County curious about what was going on in the General's Mansion. Even many children were watching from outside.
When sulfur and saltpeter mines were discovered, Yang Haiyan asked a master craftsman to make firecrackers. She made a lot of them and set them off on special days, such as the New Year and other festivals. It is very interesting.
Although the people of Yunxiang County were not familiar with the General's Mansion, which had only been there for four or five months, they still had a good impression of it. First of all, the general had solved the problems of the city wall and the beast mountain, so they didn't have to worry about wild beasts appearing in the cold winter.
Secondly, the General's Mansion recruited soldiers and managers for the military camps and fields. The General's Mansion also collected grain, and when collecting grain, the silver was never in arrears. The people were very happy about this.
Finally, and most importantly, the General's Mansion does not oppress the people. For the common people, the most feared thing is that a high-ranking official comes to the local area, and this high-ranking official oppresses the people, making the whole county a mess. But after four or five months, everyone knows that the General's Mansion is not like this, so how can they not be happy
Although the general's mansion was bustling, the guests in the mansion were not many. The Qin family had no relatives in Yunxiang County, and the only people they invited were those from the county government. And the protagonist Du Ke was from the capital, so he had even fewer relatives here, so the general's mansion was not full of talents.
However, since there are fewer people, it will be easier to entertain them.
In the inner courtyard, Yang Haiyan entertained the wife of County Magistrate Yang, Mrs. Lu, and the wife of Captain Yang. Grandma Qin, Mother Qin, and Aunt Qin San were also there. Qin Siya and Qin Qiuya entertained the young ladies, including County Magistrate Yang's daughter and Meng Qiu.
Qin Shoucheng was not idle either. He brought Niu Dan and Kun Daying to entertain Lu Dawei, Lu Xiaowei, the son of Captain Yang, and the son of Magistrate Yang. They were all classmates in the academy and were very familiar with each other.
Qin Shouye was brought by Qin Fang to be the accountant of the military camp. It was a good thing for Qin Shouye to come into contact with more people and broaden his horizons.
Wei Ting stood up first: "Today is a happy occasion for Lord Du and General Qin. Let's toast to Lord Du and General Qin."
As Wei Ting finished speaking, Shen Lixian, County Magistrate Yang, County Assistant Bai, and Song Zhubu also stood up and said, "We respectfully salute Lord Du and General Qin."
County Magistrate Yang was filled with emotion. Before Qin Fang came, he was still wondering how a boy from a poor family could achieve what he has today. But now, after attending this apprenticeship banquet, he realized that the person behind Qin Fang was actually Lord Du Ke, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War. Lord Du was the emperor's confidant.
Indeed, it is very important to choose the right teacher.
He must not offend Qin Fang, and should get along well with him.
Of course, County Magistrate Yang did not intend to rely on Qin Fang, curry favor with Qin Fang, and then get promoted and make money. With his status, it would be enough for him to guard Yunxiang County and live a peaceful life. If he came before the emperor, the emperor might find fault with him because of the Yang family's affairs and punish him. Fortunately, during the time when Qin Fang took office in Yunxiang County, he and Qin Fang got along well.
Du Ke stood up. He rarely drank on weekdays, but today he was happy, so he naturally had to drink a few glasses. "In this case, I would like to thank you all for your kindness. You have been in the officialdom for a long time and are more experienced than Qin Fang, a young man who has just entered the officialdom. Qin Fang will need your care in the future."
Actually, Qin Fang had only been in the officialdom for three months, starting from this year when he was officially named General Wude. Before that, he had been in the military camp, which was not considered as entering the officialdom.
Wei Ting said: "Master Du is very polite."
Shen Lixian also said: "That's right, General Qin is Master Du's disciple, maybe we need General Qin to take care of us."
County Magistrate Yang listened to their teasing with a smile, as he had no right to speak here.
Du Ke was a person who didn't like to talk nonsense with others. After saying some polite words, he got down to business: "I came to Yunxiang County this time because of the emperor's order. Since Lord Yang is here today, I will talk about the emperor's order..."
The male guests talked about serious matters, while the female guests chatted about daily life.
The wife of County Magistrate Yang's eyes stopped at Qin Qiuya for the first time. Yang Haiyan had just introduced her as Qin Fang's cousin, the only daughter of the third branch of the Qin family, who was thirteen years old this year. Mrs. Yang was a smart person. Qin Fang was able to bring all the people from the Qin family here, which showed that he respected his uncle from the next branch of the family and wanted to promote him, so she naturally looked up to Qin Qiuya.
Moreover, this girl was gentle and polite, although she was a little petty and introverted, but since she had just come from the countryside, this kind of personality was understandable and would naturally change after a period of time. Even if she didn't change, she thought this kind of personality was not a big deal.
Thinking of this, Magistrate Yang's wife asked, "My dear, has Miss Qiuya agreed to marry you?"
No one present was a fool, and everyone understood what this meant.
Aunt Qin was very nervous, but she was not good at speaking and didn't know how to say it. Therefore, she could only look at Yang Haiyan.
Yang Haiyan replied, "Not yet. Qiuya is only thirteen years old this year. According to my family's wishes, I have three younger sisters. Now that my eldest sister is married, the remaining two sisters want to stay for a few more years. However, a good girl is not afraid of being chosen, but a good man is chosen early. So, if you meet a good man, you can also look at him first."
The earlier you meet someone, the more you can interact with them and get to know them more thoroughly.
The wife of County Magistrate Yang said, "That's right. That's the reason."
Captain Yang's wife and Mrs. Lu also smiled. They had no idea about Qin Qiuya. Captain Yang's son was only ten years old this year, and Lu Dawei and Lu Xiaowei were twins, only nine years old this year. If they had any ideas, it would be with Qin Siya.
Maybe it was because Magistrate Yang's wife mentioned Qin Qiuya's marriage that they all thought of Qin Siya. It was nothing for a girl to be one or two years older than a boy. On the contrary, it was good for a woman to be older to have children. So, they all had their eyes on Qin Siya. However, neither of them showed it.
The wife of County Magistrate Yang only mentioned it to Qin Qiuya, and didn't mention it again afterwards. But everyone knew that the mention of it was a sign of things to come, but they didn't say it openly.
After the dinner was over, everyone went back home.
The wife of County Magistrate Yang and County Magistrate Yang were sitting in the carriage on the way back. County Magistrate Yang's wife said, "Today, I met General Qin's family members among the women. They are all down-to-earth people. They all look friendly and easy to get along with."
County Magistrate Yang raised his eyebrows: "Why are you telling me all this?" What does the affairs of these women have to do with him
The wife of County Magistrate Yang said, "General Qin's family is simple and honest. His cousin is thirteen years old this year and is planning to get married."
After hearing this, County Magistrate Yang thought for a moment and asked, "Are you going to arrange a marriage between my son and General Qin's cousin?"
The wife of County Magistrate Yang said, "My son is fifteen this year, and you are not going to let him take the imperial examination. Although you can protect him now, in the end... I want to find him a kind and simple Yue family that can be his backer. In fact, General Qin's biological sister is the most suitable. Although she is only ten years old this year, it doesn't matter if my son waits. But in our family's situation, General Qin will definitely not marry his biological sister to our family, so we step back and choose General Qin's cousin. What do you think?"
County Magistrate Yang was silent. In fact, he hoped that his son would take the imperial examination. He was a Jinshi, so naturally he also hoped that his son could pass the examination. But for the safety of his son and the safety of the Yang family, he had to let his son down. It was not easy for the Yang family to go before the emperor at present, and it would be better to be as far away from the capital as possible. Therefore, his son's greatest achievement could only be to become a scholar. If he passed the examination to become a scholar, at least in Yunxiang County, even if he went there in the future, his son would be able to live here with dignity.
If the Yang family wants to take the imperial examination again, it will only be after three generations.
But when his wife mentioned the Qin family's marriage, he was also somewhat moved. The Qin family was now on the rise. If his son was engaged to General Qin's cousin, and General Qin was a student of Lord Du, then his son could... take the imperial examination? In the future, even if someone brought up the affairs of Taifu Yang's family, with Lord Du and General Qin backing his son, it should be fine.
When Magistrate Yang's wife saw that Magistrate Yang was silent, she knew that she was thinking. As a mother, how could she not consider her son
Let alone the fact that County Magistrate Yang's family was tempted, Yang Haiyan mentioned this matter while taking a bath and lying on the bed with Qin Fang: "My husband, today Madam Yang talked to me about Qiuya's marriage. Although County Magistrate Yang is a good person and Madam Yang is not a difficult person to get along with, I don't agree with Qiuya marrying into the Yang family."
Qin Fang was stunned: "You are not overthinking it, are you? Maybe Mrs. Yang wants to be a matchmaker."
Yang Haiyan said, "I'm just saying that. Because of the succession, the Yang family was implicated. Although the Yang family is fine, there is no guarantee of what will happen in the future." Although the Yang family is not mentioned in the novel, now that Qin Fang is on the path to becoming an official, she wants to avoid anything that will affect Qin Fang when she can avoid it. She was originally from the Yang family, and this identity is sensitive enough. If the Qin family and the Yang family have other relationships, then they have to be careful of villains and gossip.
Qin Fang said, "Those kinds of things have to be decided by Uncle San and Aunt San. Just mention it to them."
Speaking of Third Aunt, Yang Haiyan remembered what Qin's mother said: "Actually, my mother mentioned it to me today. She said that Third Uncle and Third Aunt want to find a good young man among your subordinates to match Qiu Ya. What do you think of Tao Shan?"
Taoshan
Qin Fang was completely stunned after hearing this. He really had no intention of matchmaking with his subordinates, but after hearing his wife's suggestion, he thought it was okay. Compared to the Yang County Magistrate's family, he felt that Tao Shan was better. If Tao Shan followed him, he would go with him wherever he was transferred to in the future. In this way, Qiu Ya would also be able to grow up, and he could take better care of her: "I'll ask Tao Shan tomorrow."
Yang Haiyan said: "When asking, you must also explain Qiuya's situation clearly, especially since she is looking for a son-in-law... If the son-in-law is not found, you can also agree with the man that the first child born to the two of you, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl, will follow Qiuya's surname Qin. This way, it can be regarded as leaving a thought for Third Uncle."
Qin Fang heard this and thought it made sense: "Okay, I'll talk to him. Yanyan... It's a beautiful day, and today is another good day. Shouldn't you also congratulate your husband?"
Yang Haiyan rolled her eyes at him and said, "I've been busy for you all day today, isn't this also a way of congratulating you?"
Qin Fang smiled and immediately changed the topic: "Yan Yan has been tired for a day, so I will give her a massage." He was really happy today, and because he was happy, he was very happy. Qin Fang even felt that he had never been as successful as today in his life. Even when he was named a fifth-rank general of Wude, he felt that it was not as good as today. "Yan Yan, I am very happy today." He sat up from the bed, took her hand and gave her a massage.
Yang Haiyan raised her eyebrows and looked at him. It was rare to see a hint of red on the man's dark face. He was really drunk. Yang Haiyan said, "Every day in the future will be as happy as today." He was only 22 years old. If it were modern times, he would still be playing in the university club.
Qin Fang nodded: "Well, as long as you are here, I will be happy like this every day from now on."
Yang Haiyan raised her head and patted his face: "It's time to go to bed. The teacher will definitely talk to you tomorrow."
Qin Fang grabbed her hand and said, "I can't sleep. Yanyan, I can't sleep. Let's celebrate. Maybe I'll fall asleep while we celebrate." Then he picked Yang Haiyan up from the bed and let her sit on his lap. "Yanyan, let's try something new today."
Yang Haiyan: "Play with you..."
Before she uttered the first word, Qin Fang had already kissed her lips.
Yang Haiyan blinked and met his gentle eyes full of smiles. This man was really good. She put her arms around his neck and responded to him enthusiastically.
the next day
General Qin, who was a little drunk last night, made a fuss late at night. Although Yang Haiyan got up early today and did not stay in bed, she still felt a little tired.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, Du Ke called the demolition people over: "General, Xiangjun, the master invites you to come over after breakfast to discuss the errands." The person who came was Du Ke's follower, named Zhang Hao. Zhang Hao followed Du Ke since he was a child and had a very high status in the Du family.
Qin Fang asked, "Does my wife want to join in?"
Zhang Hao said, "My Lord said that the township master knows the situation of this mission best, so he still wants to hear the township master's opinion."
After hearing this, Qin Fang stopped talking and said, "We have already had breakfast. Let's go with Uncle Zhang."
When Qin Fang and others were about to reach the courtyard where Du Ke was settled, they ran into Wei Ting. Although the courtyard outside was large, the courtyards of these guests were settled close together, so it was inevitable that they would bump into each other.
When Wei Ting saw them, his eyes lit up: "General Qin, Lord Bingyun, I was looking for you for something, but I didn't expect to meet you now. What a coincidence."
Qin Fang said, "What a coincidence? What does Lord Wei want to talk to us about? We are just about to go find our teacher."
Wei Ting said: "Then let's go and tell Lady Du, and ask her to be a witness."
Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan looked at each other, confused by what Wei Ting meant.
They all arrived at Du Ke's yard. Du Ke was doing boxing in the yard. When he saw Qin Fang and the others coming, he stopped boxing and said, "Qin Fang, you are here. I came to discuss joining with you. Why is Wei Ting here too?"
Wei Ting smiled and said, "Master Du, I also have something to do here. My father asked me to do it. Please be a witness."
"Oh?" Du Ke was surprised. "It's inside."
When they got inside, the servants served tea. The people who served tea were all brought by Du Ke himself. No matter where he went, the followers he brought were all his own people. He was used to it. Now he was in the general's mansion and in the student's home, so he felt more at ease.
Du Ke: "Drink tea."
"Yes." Everyone picked up their teacups.
After taking a sip of tea, Wei Ting said, "Lord Du, General Qin, Lady Bingyun, when we were at the border in the past, I, Wei Wu, recognized Lady Bingyun as my sister. Many people in the Yongzhou military camp at the border knew about this. My father meant that if I recognized a sister, then she would be our Wei family's goddaughter, so our Wei family would have to fulfill the necessary etiquette. As luck would have it, Lord Du is here now, so I will ask Lord Du to be a witness on behalf of my father." He mentioned Wei's father, also meaning that Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan could not refuse.
Du Ke looked calm, but a thought flashed through his mind: The Wei family wanted to adopt Yang Haiyan as their goddaughter? What was going on? Of course, he did not approve of this, but judging from Wei Ting's expression, it seemed that this matter had already been decided. Du Ke looked at Qin Fang and the others.
Qin Fang was also stunned. Didn't he explain this matter clearly to Wei Wu, and Wei Wu also promised that he would not mention it again. Why did Wei Ting bring it up now? Moreover, Wei Ting didn't mention it when he first came to Yunxiang County, but now he mentioned it after he became his apprentice... Qin Fang immediately understood that if Yan Yan and the Wei family became godparents, and he was the teacher's student, then the Wei family and the Du family...
"Bingyun thanks Lord Wei for his kindness," Yang Haiyan said, bowing in the direction of the capital. The Lord Wei she was referring to was naturally Wei's father. "However, Bingyun has already recognized Master's wife as her adoptive mother, and has also accepted the recognition gift that Master's wife entrusted Master to bring. Naturally, she can no longer recognize the Wei family as her godparents." Yang Haiyan also touched the ruby hairpin on her hair. This was the one that the Crown Prince's wife gave her, and she had never used it before. Speaking of which, today was the first time she used it.
Then, Yang Haiyan bowed to Du Ke again and said, "Teacher, I like the hairpin my stepmother gave me very much. Please thank my stepmother for me after you return to the capital."
Du Ke was a man of few words. He felt aggrieved again, but his face was full of smiles: "As long as you like it. This hairpin was given to your stepmother by her mother when she was a girl. It is a gift from those days. I was afraid that you girls would not like such things. It seems that you have similar preferences. When you have the opportunity to go to the capital in the future, she will definitely like you after you get to know her."
Wei Ting didn't react at first, and didn't think about who Yang Haiyan's adopted mother was. Now Du Ke took over the conversation, and he understood. Wasn't Yang Haiyan's master's wife Du Ke's wife? Du Ke accepted Qin Fang as his student, and Mrs. Du accepted Yang Haiyan as her adopted daughter
Come to think of it, it's not impossible.
But, isn't this just too much of a coincidence
But what else could he say now? Asking Yang Haiyan to recognize two godparents? That was too much of a stretch. "In that case, it's my fault that the Wei Mansion was not considerate enough, and it's also Wei Wu's fault that this matter was not made clear earlier."
Yang Haiyan said, "Second Young Master Wei is a cheerful person. He said I was his adopted sister because we were old friends and he was just trying to improve my status. He was afraid that my husband would bully me. He probably didn't expect that Lord Wei in the capital would take it seriously. I hope Lord Wei can explain to Lord Wei in the capital after he returns to the capital and ask him not to be angry with Second Young Master Wei. Otherwise, it will be my fault."
Wei Ting smiled and said, "No, no, this kid has always been a tactless person. Since he has made it clear, then it's fine. In this case, I'm sorry to bother you, and I'll take my leave first."
Qin Fang: "I'll take Brother Wei home."
Wei Ting: "Thank you for your hard work."
Qin Fang and Wei Ting went out, leaving only Du Ke and Yang Haiyan in the room. Yang Haiyan's heart was pounding. She had no choice but to ask Du Ke to stop Wei Ting because she couldn't think of any other reason at the moment. And when she thought of this reason, she was very sure that Du Ke would not refuse.
But at this moment, there were only her and Du Ke in the room, and she still felt a little nervous and uneasy.
Du Ke's eyes were like a sharp sword. At least that's what Yang Haiyan felt. She felt Du Ke's eyes were very sharp.
But in Du Ke's opinion, it was not like that. He felt that the woman in front of him was very smart. Such a smart woman, paired with his talkative student, was... quite interesting. Du Ke could feel Yang Haiyan's nervousness, and even saw sweat on her forehead. As if he could feel her nervousness enough, Du Ke spoke up: "Why did Bingyun reject Wei Ting? The Wei family is one of the top families in the capital. If Bingyun Xiangjun recognizes the Wei family as his godparents, I'm afraid he will be very famous when he arrives in the capital."
Yang Haiyan lowered her head and said, "The Wei family and I have a grudge, although we are not mortal enemies. In fact, the Wei family has helped me in some ways, but it is true that there is some hatred. If I recognize the Wei family as my godparents, I am afraid there will be a lot of rumors about me in the future. Moreover... although those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters, I am a woman and I don't do big things, so in some areas, I don't agree with the Wei family." She didn't dare to look Du Ke in the eye.
Du Ke raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh?"
Yang Haiyan paused and continued, "I was sold to the Yang family by my parents when I was five years old. I was favored by the eldest lady and followed her from then on. I wore better clothes and ate better than other maids. I was even lucky enough to learn needlework and read from a famous teacher with the eldest lady..." At this point, Yang Hai knelt down, "Lord Du, the court affairs are not something that a girl like me can think about, nor are they something that a girl like me can manage. The Yang family is in trouble, which is good for me. I have been promoted from a slave to a good family. However, the eldest lady of the Yang family has been very kind to me. I have no right to blame the Wei family for what they did to the Yang family, but I have the right to disagree. In a hurry, I borrow the name of Mrs. Du and ask for forgiveness from Lord Du."