Winter came a little early in the capital this year. In Jiang Yanyi's memory, it seemed that there were only a few autumn rains, and the weather was getting colder day by day.
When she woke up that morning, the light in the room was a little dim. She said to Chenyu, "I'm afraid it will be another rainy day today."
Huo Jianjia came in from outside carrying a wash basin and said, "Master, you have to wear something warmer today. It's sleeting outside!"
"Rain and snow?" Jiang Yanyi had just finished combing her hair. She stood up and walked to the door. She saw that it was indeed cold rain mixed with fine snow falling in the yard outside. The cold wind penetrated into her collar, making her shiver.
Jiang Yanyi said with some emotion: "It's winter again."
At this time last year, she and Qiu Kui were running a small antique soup shop in Xizhou, and what she thought about most every day was how to make money.
Only one year has passed, but when I think back to that time, it seems like a lifetime ago.
Thinking of Qiu Kui, Jiang Yanyi couldn't help but feel worried again. It was late spring when she left Xizhou, and Qiu Kui's belly was not yet obvious. The blacksmith was a caring person, so he let Qiu Kui stay at home to take care of the pregnancy and hired a maid to take care of the housework.
Counting the months, the baby in Qiu Kui's belly is probably more than eight months old now.
She said, "Jianjia, please keep an eye out for me. If there are any caravans heading to Xizhou in the near future, just let me know and I'll ask them to bring some things to Qiu Kui."
Huo Jianjia and her daughter used to be escorts in the Beijing Escort Agency and had extensive connections in the capital. Although she no longer escorted, she still had good relationships with those escorts. It was easy to find out the direction of a caravan.
Huo Jianjia was good friends with Qiu Kui, so she nodded vigorously and said, "I'm afraid Sister Qiu Kui will give birth in two months."
Jiang Yanyi said, "The climate in Xizhou is not good for people. When Ruyi Tower and Noodle Shop in the capital are opened, she and Blacksmith Luo will come here to settle down and you will have company."
Huo Jianjia was very happy and grinned: "Then I will teach their children how to use the sword!"
Jiang Yanyi couldn't help but laugh when he heard that.
Chenyu pondered the meaning of Jiang Yanyi's words. She looked at Huo Jianjia calmly, then at Jiang Yanyi, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Jiang Yanyi sat on the embroidered cushion, holding the hot water bottle in one hand and flipping through the account book with the other, and said to Huo Jianjia, "Jianjia, go to the kitchen and get breakfast."
Huo Jianjia responded and went to the kitchen. Jiang Yanyi then looked at Chenyu and said, "Ask whatever you want to ask."
Chenyu twirled her fingers nervously, bit her lip and asked, "Master... don't you plan to bring Jianjia into the palace?"
Jiang Yanyi turned his eyes away from the account book and looked out the window where the rain and snow were falling: "Jianjia's personality is not suitable for the palace. She will be more comfortable in the vast world outside the palace."
She retracted her gaze and looked at Chenyu: "My original intention was to bring you into the palace. If you don't want to, I won't force you."
Chenyu knelt down immediately and said, "I swear to follow you till death. Wherever you are, I will be there."
Jiang Yanyi said, "Get up, don't let Jianjia know about this first."
Chen Yu nodded repeatedly.
Jiang Yanyi continued to look at the account book, but his eyes were a little dazed and he couldn't read any further.
She had been thinking about whether to bring Huo Jianjia into the palace in the future for some time. There were many rules in the palace, and Huo Jianjia didn't like being bound. Jiang Yanyi really felt that it was unfair to let Huo Jianjia be confined in the palace.
Just as I was worrying, Huo Jianjia came back with the food, her smile almost reaching her ears, obviously she had encountered something happy.
Jiang Yanyi asked her, "Why are you so happy?"
Huo Jianjia said, "Master, the southern border has won a great victory. The Minghan Kingdom was beaten so hard that it asked for peace. The Liaonan King's army is already on its way back to the capital!"
Jiang Yanyi was also extremely surprised to hear the news. After months of anxiety, he finally waited for this great victory.
*****
It was the end of November when Feng Shuo and his troops arrived in the capital.
The sky was grey and snowing heavily, but both sides of the long street were still filled with people waiting to welcome the triumphant army.
Chu Changping and Chu Chengmao, as Feng Shuo's subordinates stationed in the capital, went to the city gate to greet them early in the morning.
Jiang Yanyi left home later than the others. It was because of this delay that she saw an unfamiliar servant crying and begging the guard at the gate: "Brother guard, please be kind and inform Mr. Chu San that my master hanged himself this morning. If he hadn't been discovered early, he would have been dead."
The guard said impatiently, "Today, the Liaonan King's army is returning in triumph. The Third Master went to the city gate to welcome the army and is not at home. Besides, your master would not have hanged himself earlier or later, but chose to hang himself today. Isn't this deliberately bringing bad luck to the Liaonan King?"
The servant cried and was speechless, but he failed to report the letter to Chu Changping, and he didn't dare to go back like this. When he saw Jiang Yanyi, he was like seeing a savior, "Miss Jiang! Miss Jiang! I kowtow to you, please tell Master Chu the Third Master a message! My master is still threatening to hang himself, I hope Master Chu can go and persuade him!"
Jiang Yanyi frowned. She was used to being called "Miss Chu" outside, and suddenly someone called her "Miss Jiang". She was still a little uncomfortable. However, since the servant could call out her real surname, he must recognize her.
"Whose servant are you?" she asked.
Chenyu, who was standing by, held an umbrella for her, but tiny snowflakes were still blown by the wind and fell into her hair.
It was snowing heavily today. She wore a brocade jacket inside and a rabbit fur cloak with fine silver embroidery outside. The clothes and her eyes were both cold and chilly, making people feel chilly for no reason.
The servant hurriedly said, "Miss Jiang, don't you recognize me? I am Geng Qing, the servant of the Lu family. I used to work for the young master."
After almost completing the task, the young servant suddenly felt a chill in his heart. In his haste, he hadn't remembered that last year the Jiang family said that the eldest daughter of the Jiang family had died suddenly. Then who was the person in front of him
Jiang Yanyi ignored his shock. Knowing the identity of this servant, he realized that the master who hanged himself in his family must be Academician Lu.
Feng Shuo was about to ascend the throne after returning to the capital. Academician Lu was a great scholar of the time. His suicide at this time was extremely unfavorable to Feng Shuo.
Jiang Yanyi thought for a moment and said, "Yang Xiu, go to Lu Mansion."
It would definitely be too late to look for Chu Changping now, so she decided to go and take a look in person.
The Lu family was located in the west of the city, not in the same direction as the east where the army was entering the city. The streets were not congested, and the carriage took a quarter of an hour to reach the Lu family.
After getting off the car, Jiang Yanyi looked at the plaque in front of the gate of the Lu Mansion. This was once a noble mansion, but now there was dust and dirt on the plaque.
The servant led her to the main courtyard tremblingly, and Huo Jianjia and Chenyu followed behind her.
As soon as he entered the yard, he heard the sound of a teacup breaking in the bedroom: "I won't drink this medicine. The King of Liaonan has already entered the capital. Only when I leave, the entire Lu family will have a way to survive."
The servant was about to report it but Jiang Yanyi raised his hand to stop him.
I heard the woman crying again: "It's all the debt of my children! If that rebellious son hadn't been so obsessed as to break off the engagement, why would the Lu family have become enemies with the Chu family?"
Jiang Yanyi pushed the door open at this time and said, "Lord Lu and Madam Lu may think too much of our Chu family."
She walked against the light with a hint of mockery on her lips.
When Mr. and Mrs. Lu saw Jiang Yanyi, they were both horrified.
Madam Lu pointed at Jiang Yanyi's hand and trembled: "You... aren't you dead?"
Jiang Yanyi looked at Madam Lu and felt that she was very different from the domineering noblewoman in his original memory.
She smiled and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint Madam Lu."
Madam Lu had been immersed in the inner palace for many years and knew the affairs there very well. She immediately thought of the time when Jiang Yanxi entered the palace. The two sisters were like enemies, and she was afraid that Jiang Yanxi had faked his death.
The pair of children that Chu Changping suddenly had were undoubtedly the siblings of the Jiang family. Thinking of this, Mrs. Lu's pupils shrank sharply.
In other words, the King of Liaonan wants to marry the person in front of him!
It seemed like it was just yesterday that Feng Shiyan suppressed the Lu family for Jiang Yanxi and exiled Lu Linyuan to the outside of the Great Wall. All the ministers in the capital had witnessed the cruelty of the King of Liaonan. Mrs. Lu almost couldn't stand just thinking about Feng Shuo's revenge on the Lu family after he ascended the throne.
Her knees softened and she knelt in front of Jiang Yanyi, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Yanyi, it is our Lu family that has let you down. Please show some mercy and leave a way out for the Lu family!"
Jiang Yanyi avoided her kneeling, and Mrs. Lu's eyes showed more panic and collapse.
Grand Secretary Lu was lying on the bed, and he shouted, "Get up! Why are you kneeling? My old Lu family has lived a life worthy of the emperor and the people. If the King of Liaonan wants to kill my Lu family for a woman, then I will use the blood of my entire Lu family to let the world see how he is different from that dead tyrant!"
Jiang Yanyi frowned. She originally wanted to persuade this stubborn old man, but now it seems that this old man is really not likable at all.
She said, "Master Lu, you have said everything you can. I just want to ask you one question: what has the King of Liaonan done to you?"
Lu Daxueshi was speechless for a moment, and then angrily said: "The Liaonan King has evil ambitions, and it is only a matter of time before he deals with the Lu family."
Jiang Yanyi sneered: "The mountains and rivers of Daxuan are about to collapse, and it was this ambitious man you mentioned who saved the mountains and rivers. He had to fight for his reputation in this life, but you guys just gave him a bad name with a single move."
"Master Lu, there is no need to worry about the future. When your Lu family broke off the engagement, I was grateful to your son for not marrying me. How could I bear a grudge? Your Highness is a broad-minded person and never lets his emotions get in the way of politics."
Lu Daxueshi's face turned blue and red after being scolded by Jiang Yanyi. He said angrily, "How can I trust you, an unfilial person who can deny his biological father and let him suffer in the cold? After my son arrived in Xizhou, he took refuge with the King of Liaonan, made meritorious deeds many times, and persuaded the Marquis of Xing'an to surrender. Since the King of Liaonan was a virtuous man, why did he lock him up in the prison of Xizhou? Now he is not even used as a teacher in the school?"
Jiang Yanyi's eyes were filled with coldness, and he raised his eyebrows slightly: "Lord Lu is speaking up for Master Lu, but do you know what Master Lu did before he was imprisoned? In order to protect Jiang Yanxi from harboring Turkic spies, when the prince used Jiang Yanxi as bait to contain the court, he colluded with his former subordinates to rescue Jiang Yanxi."
"Oh, Lord Lu probably doesn't know that Jiang Yanxi is the princess of the previous dynasty. You said, Master Lu betrayed the prince several times for his sweetheart, can the prince still use him? As for Minister Jiang, not to mention that he harbored the royal family of the previous dynasty for more than ten years, he once sent me to death, and the father-daughter relationship between him and me was completely severed at that time."
After hearing these words, Academician Lu was so shocked that he was speechless for a long time.
Jiang Yanyi said all she could say. She turned and walked out. When she reached the door, she paused and said, "Lord Lu boasts that he has done his best for the people in his life. When the people of the world are displaced and their lives are difficult, you are shutting yourself in and imagining how the new ruler will persecute you."
She chuckled, full of sarcasm: "Don't stay in your house thinking about committing suicide every day and still feel that you are not ashamed of the people. Go out and see what those people who are in high positions and are truly not ashamed of the people are doing."
"You—" Academician Lu was so angry that his liver hurt. He pointed at Jiang Yanyi but could not refute a word.
Jiang Yanyi ignored him, put on the hood of his cloak and walked into the snow again. Chenyu hurriedly opened her umbrella and trotted to catch up. Huo Jianjia rolled her eyes at Mr. Lu and left quickly.
Mrs. Lu was busy stroking her husband's chest, fearing that he would be upset. She muttered, "This girl from the Chu family is about to fly up to the tree and become a phoenix. Her words are very sharp. Don't bother with a yellow-haired girl."
Academician Lu looked at the ceiling of the tent, his face showing embarrassment, but more of shame: "She is right. In the past year, after I was demoted, I have been complaining about everything. I claim to be loyal to the emperor and the people, but the empire is about to collapse, and I have never done anything for the people. I am ashamed..."
Mrs. Lu was a little surprised: "Master?"
Grand Secretary Lu said, "The current Daxuan Dynasty is in a period of reconstruction. After the King of Liaonan ascends the throne, the first thing on the agenda must be the restoration of the imperial examination. Send someone to bring the bamboo slips in my study."
Although he was a bit old-fashioned, few people in the world could compare with him in terms of knowledge. In previous imperial examinations, the final proposals were reviewed by him.
This year is a busy one, and there is no time to let the people below do it step by step. I hope that the imperial examination regulations can be redrafted after the new year.
*****
On the way back, Chen Yu said worriedly, "Boss, that Mr. Lu wants to commit suicide. You ridiculed him. If he really kills himself, what should I do?"
Jiang Yanyi leaned against the wall of the car and closed his eyes to rest: "This kind of old stubborn has an unpleasant temper, but he really cares about the people of the world in his heart. He doesn't believe in the monarch, and I will give him a hundred or a thousand guarantees, but he still won't believe it. Let him understand that he is ashamed of the people, and then he will know what he should really do."
Chen Yu said, "What if he hanged himself out of shame?"
Jiang Yanyi opened his eyelids and Chenyu shrank his neck.
She said: "To be promoted to the position of a great scholar in the world, he can't be a coward without responsibility."
Chenyu nodded, not quite understanding.
After Jiang Yanyi returned to the Chu family, the other members of the Chu family thought that she had gone to the east of the city to meet Feng Shuo. They asked her why she came back so late. Jiang Yanyi just evaded the question by saying that there were too many people on the street and the carriage could not drive easily.
When Chu Chengmao came back in the evening with a gloomy face, everyone realized that Jiang Yanyi had gone to Lu Mansion on behalf of Chu Chengmao.
Madam Chu's face turned sour when she mentioned the Lu family: "Why did you go to the Lu family? Their old man wanted to commit suicide, and you, a little girl, went to persuade him, but he still died. Can't you be blamed?"
Jiang Yanyi hugged Madam Chu's arm and acted cute: "My second brother and father went to the East City Gate at that time, and the servants from their mansion came to find them. No one from our mansion went. If anything happens to Grand Secretary Lu, won't it be our fault?"
"You are so clever!" Madam Chu tapped her forehead and sighed, "The Lu family is still a noble family, but their behavior is becoming more and more unpresentable. Do they really think that our Chu family owes them anything?"
Chu Chengmao sneered, "A few days ago, I was patrolling the city with my troops and had an argument with a kid from the Lu family's side branch. I gave him a lesson, but I'm afraid that kid from the side branch will go back and exaggerate and say that our Chu family wants to take revenge on their Lu family."
Madam Chu immediately glared at Chu Chengmao and said, "At this critical moment, you should restrain yourself and avoid making enemies for the Chu family."
Chu Chengmao agreed, and then said to Jiang Yanyi, "You are famous. The old stubborn Lu family is very arrogant. Since entering the capital, my father has sent many lobbyists, but Mr. Lu refused to support the King of Liaonan. He shouted that the country is no longer a country and he wants to retire and return home. After you went to the Lu family to persuade them today, the King of Liaonan held a banquet. Although Mr. Lu did not go, he gave gifts. Many troublemakers in the capital who rely on their seniority act according to the wind. After Mr. Lu expressed his position, they softened their attitudes."
Chu Shubao and her sisters immediately looked at Jiang Yanyi with admiration: "Ayi, how did you do it?"
Jiang Yanyi said truthfully: "I just scolded him a few words."
Chu Shubao and the others looked extremely confused, obviously not believing it.
****
After Feng Shuo returned to the capital, he temporarily lived in the palace. He was busy with many trivial matters and could not spare time. Jiang Yanyi was under the watchful eyes of Chu Changping. The guards of the Chu family in the capital were much stricter than when they were in Xizhou. Seeing that the wedding date was approaching, Feng was afraid of arousing the dislike of his future father-in-law, so he did not dare to climb over the high wall of the Chu family.
After thinking it over, he went to the Grand Empress Dowager diligently for two days.
The Grand Concubine teased him: "It can be seen that the war is over, and you are really free. You have time to spend three meals a day with your mother."
Feng Shuo did not respond, but picked up a handful of bamboo shoots for the Grand Empress Dowager: "This year's winter bamboo shoots, please try them."
After the meal, Feng Shuo stood up and said, "My son will come to see mother again tomorrow."
The nanny who served the Grand Empress Dowager watched Feng Shuo walk away before she said, "The prince is a filial person. He comes to eat with you every day. I heard from the servants in the study that the prince handles government affairs at night and always rests until three o'clock in the morning."
The Grand Concubine looked at the maid and smiled, "Alright, he has been trying so hard to please me for so many days, and even you, the maid, are speaking in his favor. Send my invitation to the Chu family and ask the girls of the Chu family to come to the mansion for Laba Festival."
No one knows a son better than his mother. How could the Grand Empress Dowager not know what Feng Shuo was planning by suddenly coming to her so frequently
***
Since Feng Shuo returned to the capital, Jiang Yanyi had not seen him once and had not even received a single letter from him.
Jiang Yanyi learned from Chu Changping that Feng Shuo meant to get married before ascending the throne. The original wedding date was February 2, when the dragon raises its head. In order to catch up with the day of enthronement, the wedding date was changed to December 18.
The time was of course a bit tight, but fortunately the Chu family started preparing several months in advance and had prepared everything that needed to be prepared.
Jiang Yanyi had originally planned to stay at home for the next half month to wait for her marriage, but since the Grand Empress Dowager had sent her the invitation, there was no reason for her to refuse.
What's more, the Grand Empress Dowager had said that all the girls of the Chu family would go. After this trip, the status of the three sisters Chu Shubao among the noble ladies in the capital would be different. In the future, when it comes to marriage proposals, as long as the man is not a marquis or has a title, they will be the only ones to choose.
On the Laba Festival, Jiang Yanyi and the three sisters of the Chu family went to the palace together. The Grand Empress Dowager invited them to drink Laba porridge: "When you get older, you like to be lively. This is the Laba porridge that I learned to cook with the monks of the Huguo Temple. You can try it and see how it tastes."
Laba Festival was originally called "Buddha's Enlightenment Day" because Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment on this day. Drinking porridge on Laba Festival has become a custom. It is said that drinking porridge on this day can get the Buddha's blessing, so Laba porridge is also called "Buddha porridge".
The Laba porridge cooked by the Grand Empress Dowager was soft, tender and sweet. The aroma of coix seed, red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, longan and red beans all bloomed on the tip of the tongue when you took a bite. Jiang Yanyi and the others all said it was delicious.
Chu Huibao loved sweets the most and drank three bowls of food. If the Grand Concubine Dowager hadn’t been afraid that she would upset her stomach and asked her to stop drinking, she would have had a fourth bowl.
However, because of her support, the Grand Concubine Dowager was very happy. She rewarded Chu Huibao with a pair of golden butterfly pearl flowers and asked the sisters to come to her house often when they were free.
There was still an hour before lunch, and the Grand Concubine Dowager seemed a little tired, so she asked an old maid to take them to the Merlin in the mansion.
As soon as Chu Shubao arrived at Meilin, she ran away with her two sisters and disappeared. Jiang Yanyi followed their footsteps and searched for a long time but couldn't find them.
After passing a rockery and stone forest, Jiang Yanyi saw an octagonal pavilion built above Meilin, and turned and left without thinking.
A low, mellow voice came from the pavilion: "I have drawn another picture for you, don't you want to take a look before you leave?"
Jiang Yanyi pretended not to hear and continued walking back.
There was more laughter in Feng Shuo's voice: "You've gone far away. I have to call you louder so that you can hear me."
This was a naked threat. If Chu Shubao and the others were attracted, even though the two of them were getting married soon, Jiang Yanyi would still feel embarrassed to be seen meeting in private.
She turned around and walked into the pavilion with an expressionless face.
Feng Shuo looked at her with amusement: "Your lips are so pouty that you can hang a pot on them."
Jiang Yanyi rolled his eyes at him: "Aren't you busy? How come you have time today?"
Feng Shuo picked up the teapot on the clay stove and made her a bowl of hot tea. Hearing this, he raised his eyebrows and said, "I have a good wife who helped me deal with Master Lu. It has been much smoother for me to take over the capital."
Jiang Yanyi took the tea but didn't drink it. He put it on the low table and said, "I have to go find the sisters who came with me. The prince is a busy man. I don't think he has time to care about me."
The second half of the sentence finally made Feng Shuo understand what she was upset about. After returning to Beijing, he never found a chance to see her and never sent her a letter.
He looked somewhat helpless. He held her slightly cold hand and rubbed her hand bones beside the clay stove to keep her warm. "What do you think the two guards who have been following you are for? Your uncle doesn't look happy when he sees me now. I wrote a letter to you on the first day I returned to Beijing, but your uncle intercepted it."
When they were in Xizhou, they were always polite in front of outsiders. After arriving in Hengzhou, Feng Shuo would hold hands in public from time to time, and would even go to Jiang Yanyi's yard in the middle of the night to look at her and say a few words to her.
Yang Xiu didn't say anything, but he made notes in the small notebook in his arms and gave it to Chu Changping after returning to Beijing.
Chu Changping glared at Feng Shuo, thinking that it was impossible for his well-behaved niece to be disrespectful, and he put all the blame on Feng Shuo.
Jiang Yanyi listened to his explanation and felt amused and embarrassed when he thought about Chu Changping knowing all this: "Then how dare you call me over?"
Feng Shuo touched her red cheek with the back of his hand, and a smile that only he could understand flashed across his eyes: "I have to tell you in person, I am here to marry you with this kingdom as a betrothal gift."
The court officials all asked him to ascend the throne first and then discuss the matter of appointing a queen, but he refused.
She and he had fought together to build this country. She should not have received the honor she deserved after he became emperor.
He was admired by the people and worshipped by all officials. She should stand by his side and share all the honors with him.
A cold wind blew through the pavilion, and the painting he had just finished was blown to the feet of Jiang Yanyi. When she bent over to pick up the painting, she found that he had painted a painting of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains for her.
******
As the wedding date drew closer, Madam Chu was afraid that Jiang Yanyi had lost her mother and no one would teach her the things to pay attention to when getting married. So one morning when the younger generations went to pay their respects, she left Jiang Yanyi alone and gave her a few colorful booklets, asking her to take them back and read them by herself.
"Of the two maids around you, only Chenyu is barely pleasing to the eye. The little girl named Jianjia has a big birthmark on her face. Your family won't say anything, but if you take her as a dowry maid, you will be laughed at. Grandmother has prepared a few good maids for you. You can take them with you. With useful people around you, everything will be convenient when you get married."
After Madam Chu finished speaking, she asked Madam Lin beside her to bring in the maids.
Jiang Yanyi looked at the maids, all of whom looked pretty and charming, and roughly guessed what Old Madam Chu meant.
She pinched her handkerchief and said, "Grandmother, the prince treats me very well, and I brought a few beautiful maids with me when I got married. Isn't this disappointing to him?"
Madam Chu sighed: "Child, you are as stubborn as your mother in terms of feelings. Forget it, the one you want to marry is not an ordinary nobleman, so it's up to you."
After returning from Old Madam Chu's courtyard, Jiang Yanyi's face was covered with a layer of worry.
Huo Jianjia asked her, "Is the boss worried about something?"
Jiang Yanyi looked into Huo Jianjia's clear and pure eyes and said, "I'm getting married soon, and I'm always a little nervous. Jianjia, come with me to the ancestral hall to burn incense for mother."
Huo Jianjia nodded and obediently followed Jiang Yanyi to the ancestral hall.
Jiang Yanyi lit three incense sticks, bowed three times to Madam Jiang's spirit tablet, and inserted the incense into the ash burner before asking her, "Jianjia, you signed a contract with me before, saying that you would be with me for ten years. Have you ever thought about where you will go after ten years?"
Huo Jianjia said, "According to the escorts who worked with my father, when I was still a baby, my father carried me in front and hung a wine gourd behind him while escorting. I have never seen my mother in my life. If the boss doesn't need me anymore, the only thing I want to do is to continue on the path my father has taken. If I make a name for myself, I will open my own escort agency so that my father can have something to brag about to others."
Huo Jianjia said this with a look of longing on her face.
Jiang Yanyi said: "If you can open an escort agency now, would you be willing?"
Huo Jianjia was stunned for a moment, and seemed to understand something. She looked at Jiang Yanyi with her black and white eyes and said, "Boss, you don't want me anymore?"
Jiang Yanyi ruffled her hair: "Silly girl, it's not that I don't want you."
Huo Jianjia sometimes behaved very stubbornly, but at this moment she was surprisingly sober. She lowered her head and said, "Actually, I know everything. I have a reckless personality and there are many rules in the palace. If I enter the palace, I will cause trouble for you sooner or later."
Jiang Yanyi said, "I'm not afraid of trouble, Jianjia. Eagles won't be kept in cages, and good horses won't be kept in stables forever. Do you understand what I mean?"
Huo Jianjia nodded as if she understood, then turned her face away.
Jiang Yanyi thought she was angry, and after a while, he wanted to continue explaining to her, but he found that water droplets were sliding down from under her hair that covered most of her face.
She wasn't angry, she was crying.
Jiang Yanyi took out a handkerchief to wipe her face: "Good girl, why are you crying?"
Huo Jianjia's voice was hoarse: "Master, please don't chase me away. I won't go to the palace. I can still help you with things outside the palace."
Jiang Yanyi said, "I told you that you are a silly girl, but you still don't believe me. When did I say I would drive you away? After I enter the palace, I can no longer personally look after the business outside. I have talked to my sister-in-law, and she is willing to help me take over the business openly. I will invest in opening an escort agency for you. When the time comes to escort any valuable goods, I will inevitably need the people in your escort agency to help. Aren't you also helping me?"
This is what Jiang Yanyi has been planning for the past few months. If she becomes the ruler of a country and continues to be busy with business every day, it would be embarrassing.
So this time when she came to Beijing and tried to open Ruyi Tower and Noodle Shop in Beijing, she kept it in the dark. It was Xue who contacted the merchants openly, which paved the way for Xue to help take over the business later.
Jiang Yanyi had his reasons for choosing Xue to help manage his business.
Although Xue is still in charge of the Chu family's finances, as soon as Chu Chengmao gets married, she will have to take the initiative to hand over the power of finances if she does not want to offend her sisters-in-law.
The Chu family's status was rising, but only the third branch held official positions, while the first and second branches only benefited from it.
Chu Shubao and her sisters were able to marry into good families, but Xue had no way out. She could only hope that her son would become a useful person in her life.
She gave Xue a good choice, and Xue would naturally help her run the business wholeheartedly, after all, the reward was a 10% dividend. Xue also understood Jiang Yanyi's future status, and knew that if he hid it from her and pocketed it, it would definitely be asking for trouble, and she would never do such a thing that would ruin her future.
These days, Jiang Yanyi has been teaching Xue how to do business, and he obviously feels that Xue is a natural at doing business. She learns everything Jiang Yanyi teaches her very quickly, and can even apply it to other situations.
With the Chu family's current status and the support of the future queen Jiang Yanyi, no one in the business world dares to trip up the Xue family.
Before making this decision, Jiang Yanyi also talked to Chu Changping, who supported her choice very much.
If a family wants to live in harmony, they can't rely on one branch for everything. The first branch has never been able to rise to prominence until Chu Chengbai's generation. Fortunately, Xue is smart and sensible. She will teach the children well in the future. The younger generations will be friendly and respectful to each other, and the Chu family will prosper and become a big family if the family is passed down from generation to generation.
*****
On the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the people from Feng Mansion came to urge the wedding. Jiang Yanyi had watched other people's weddings in the past just for fun, but she had no idea about the specific steps.
She had only heard of "make-up urging poems", but this was the first time she knew that someone from the man's family would bring wine, food and roosters to the mansion the day before, which was called "urging make-up".
As Jiang Yanyi's sister-in-law, Xue rushed to Feng Mansion with several carriages of bed sheets and quilts prepared by the Chu family early in the morning after the Feng Mansion came. Jiang Yanyi heard from the old servant that this was called "preparing the room", and the bride's family would bring quilts and quilts to decorate the new room the day before the wedding.
In some places in later times, the bride's dowry also included bedding. Jiang Yanyi was not very clear about these customs before, but now he has completely understood them.
Facing this major event in her life, Jiang Yanyi was a little nervous. She hardly slept that night, so she simply got up and lit the revolving lantern that Feng Shuo had made for her on her birthday. Looking at the rotating revolving lantern, her mood gradually calmed down.
She only slept for two hours in the second half of the night before being woken up by Xue to get dressed.
"My aunt passed away early. An elder sister-in-law is like a mother. I will comb your hair on my aunt's behalf." For the sake of celebration, Xue wore a pomegranate skirt trimmed with rabbit fur.
Jiang Yanyi sat in front of the dressing mirror and nodded, "Thank you, sister-in-law."
There was a hint of melancholy in Xue's voice: "Grandmother woke up at four o'clock in the morning. She was afraid that you would cry when she came over and delayed your dressing, so she stayed in the yard and didn't come over."
Jiang Yanyi was also a little reluctant in her heart. Madam Chu really loved her and Chu Yangui. Maybe because she was about to get married, she became sentimental. She burst into tears and said, "Grandma, please trouble my sister-in-law to take care of you in the future."
Seeing her crying, Xue couldn't help but have tears in her eyes as well, and said, "I will take good care of grandma."
After tying the hair into a bun, Chu Shubao, who is an expert at applying makeup, personally applied makeup to Jiang Yanyi. In order to highlight the luxurious golden and red wedding dress, the makeup had to be painted in a gorgeous tone.
Jiang Yanyi had sparkling peach blossom eyes. Chu Shubao used golden eye powder to lengthen the ends of her eyes, and filled them with vermilion eye powder, drawing a phoenix-tail fire cloud that almost extended to her temples. It was gorgeous and noble. The most rare thing was that Jiang Yanyi pulled off this makeup. When she opened her eyes and lowered her eyes, she looked like a phoenix looking down on the world as the sun rose.
When the maids who were helping in the room saw this, they were so shocked that they didn't know what to say. It was only when the sound of firecrackers in the street brought them back to their senses.
Xue looked outside and said, "The groom is here. Hurry up, go to the ancestral hall. Third Uncle is waiting there."
***
Feng Shuo arrived outside the gate of the Chu family. Most of the people who came with him to welcome the bride today were generals in the army. Among the civil officials, the only one who had a close relationship with him was Chi Qing.
The relatives of the Chu family did not dare to embarrass the future emperor. It was all thanks to Chu Chengmao and a few relatives who refused to let them in easily.
"Groom, please write a poem to urge the bride to get ready! The bride won't come out without you!" The matchmaker shouted quickly to make the atmosphere more lively.
Even though Feng Shuo was a cold-hearted person, facing the eager eyes of his future brothers-in-law, he had to lower himself and compose a poem to urge her to put on her makeup: "The fourth Miss Chu is noble, she is marrying into a royal family; the Mother of Heaven mixes the powder, the Brother of the Sun gives her flowers out of pity... May I ask if you have finished your makeup? The east is about to dawn."
Everyone cheered, and Chu Chengmao, who was blocking the door, took the lead in cheering, "One song is not enough, let's have another one!"
Everyone knows that the King of Liaonan is a great martial artist, but there are few opportunities to see his literary talent, so they also echoed: "Another poem!"
Feng Shuo realized that he would have to face some difficulties from his brother-in-law if he wanted to enter the Chu family's gate today, so he accepted his fate and continued to compose a poem to urge her to put on makeup: "It is said that you should put on rouge under the candlelight, but don't act like a fool in front of the mirror. You don't need to put on makeup all over your face, but leave your eyebrows for the painter to paint."
***
Jiang Yanyi just arrived at the ancestral hall when Feng Shuo was blocked at the gate.
Her wedding dress was made according to the etiquette for a princess, it was gorgeous and complicated. She was supported by Xue, and several maids helped to hold up the hem of her skirt, so that she could barely walk with a head full of pearls and jade.
She married Feng Shuo, and all the elders who were related to the Chu family came today.
Jiang Yanyi knelt on the cushion in the middle of the ancestral hall as instructed. Chu Changping held three incense sticks in his hand and said to the tablets of his ancestors: "Ancestors, I am Changping, the thirteenth generation descendant of the Chu family. Today, your daughter will marry into the Feng family. I am deeply moved."
After saying this, he bowed three times to the ancestral tablet, burned incense, and then sat in the main seat to lecture Jiang Yanyi: "When you go to your home, don't forget to be respectful."
Chu Changping lost his wife at an early age and never remarried. His mother's teachings were given by Xue, who was standing by: "Think of me day and night and never disobey my orders."3
Jiang Yanyi bowed his head and said, "Yanyi will remember father's teachings."
The master of ceremonies sang: "Bye."
Jiang Yanyi bowed four times to Chu Changping, was helped to stand up, and said goodbye to Madam Chu and her husband.
Madam Chu held Jiang Yanyi's hand tightly and refused to let go, crying like a tearful person. Later, it was still Old Master Chu who held Madam Chu back and told someone to take Jiang Yanyi away quickly.
Following the host's shout of "The bride is getting married", Jiang Yanyi put on a veil and was led to the front yard.
The bridal sedan chair has to be carried on the bride's brothers' back from the front yard.
Chu Changping called Chu Chengmao to come over and carry Jiang Yanyi, but Chu Yangui stood up and said, "Father, I'll do it."
Chu Changping was so busy today that he noticed that Chu Yangui didn't use a wheelchair. He immediately said, "You have an injury on your leg. What are you doing? Let your second brother carry you."
Chu Yangui refused to give in and just smiled and said, "I'll carry my sister to the bridal sedan."
After saying that, she walked directly to Jiang Yanyi, stared at her through the red veil for a while, turned around and half-knelt down, tilted her head and said with a smile: "Sister, let me take you to the bridal sedan. Don't worry, I won't let you fall."
He was laughing, but his voice was full of pleading.
Chu Changping was quite troubled and asked Chu Zhong to take Chu Yangui away.
Jiang Yanyi looked at the hem of the young man standing in front of him, hesitated for a moment, slowly took a step forward, and placed the weight of his body on the boy's thin but not frail shoulders.
She had not spent much time with the young man, but she knew him well in some ways.
For example, at a moment like today, he would not stand up unless he was absolutely sure.
He was begging her, begging her as her sister to trust him.
The originally noisy front yard became silent after Chu Yangui carried Jiang Yanyi on his back.
The snow in the yard had already been cleared away by the servants. Chu Yangui carried Jiang Yanyi on his back and took every step steadily.
He felt the weight on his back, as if he was carrying the whole world, and he said, "Sister, I am your brother, whether you marry or not, I am your brother."
Jiang Yanyi said bitterly: "Silly boy, just say stupid things. Of course you are my brother."
Chu Yangui remained silent and continued walking forward, but his steps were slower.
After completing this journey, the sister whom he had protected since childhood would become a wife of the Feng family. According to the Daxuan etiquette, her life and death would have nothing to do with the Chu family from then on.
It seemed like just yesterday that she was fighting and crying with him, so why is she suddenly getting married
When they were almost at the gate, Chu Yangui suddenly said, "Sister, you must live well."
If you can't live a good life, I will kill all those who make you live a bad life!
Jiang Yanyi lay on his back and hummed softly, her tears falling onto his dark robe under the veil.
Chu Yangui looked at Feng Shuo who was standing not far from the door and said slowly: "You are my only sister. If you are wronged, you must tell me. Don't think I am incompetent. Sister, I will have a promising future."
Jiang Yanyi felt that she had shed fewer tears this morning than now. She said, "Sister's Yan Gui is the most capable, how can she be useless? If you keep saying this, sister will get married with tears all over her face today."
Chu Yangui smiled, carried Jiang Yanyi on his back and walked out of the Chu family's gate. When he sent Jiang Yanyi to the bridal sedan, he looked at Feng Shuo for a moment before grinning, "Brother-in-law, I leave my only sister to you."
Feng Shuo nodded seriously and patted Chu Yangui on the shoulder: "I will treat her well."
After Jiang Yanyi got on the sedan chair, Feng Shuo bid farewell to Chu Changping and also got on the horse.
"The bride is getting ready!"
At the matchmaker's shout, the wedding sedan carried by eight people was taken to Feng Mansion with music and fanfare in a grand manner.
It started to snow again. Chu Yangui looked at the wedding procession going away and whispered softly, "Mother, I am sending my sister off to marry."
The snow falls silently, and there is no echo between heaven and earth.
The author has something to say: The next chapter will probably be locked, and will be updated on time at 6pm tomorrow (sneaky.jpg). Babies, remember to check it out, otherwise it will be useless if it is locked.
1 Adapted from "Five-character Poems to Urge the Dressing" by Tang Lu Chang
2 Quoted from "Urging Makeup" by Xu Anqi of the Tang Dynasty
3 Quoted from "Da Ming Hui Dian", the wedding process was based on that of the Ming Dynasty.
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