The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 460 Engagement Banquet

July 29th is an auspicious day for everything in the eyes of a bunch of old magicians in Si Tianjian.

Early in the morning, Yang Qiaolian rushed into Zhu Xiu's bedroom, lifted him up, threw down a brand new crimson round-neck robe, and asked Ma Qing to put it on for him.

Zhu Xiu yawned and allowed himself to be manipulated, while Ma Qing dressed him up.

"My Marquis is really the most handsome husband in Kaifeng City!" Ma Qing looked at him and sighed sincerely.

I'm afraid that in Ma Qing's eyes, even if Zhu Xiu looks the same as him, he will still be considered the most handsome man in the world by his loyal old servant.

Yang Qiaolian considers herself the sister-in-law. When her mother Wu Youdi is ill in bed and unable to arrange the wedding herself, she, the sister-in-law, should step up and take charge of the overall situation.

However, what Yang Qiaolian is familiar with is the practice of ordinary people in the Huainan area of ​​Haozhou, and it is not feasible for the bureaucratic class.

During this period, Yang Qiaolian followed an official invited from the Ministry of Rites to make up for the etiquette problems of the bureaucrats and aristocrats, so as not to lose the face of the old Zhu family.

Carrying the handwritten marriage letter, Bi Zhenhai selected eight tall and tall men, put on red robes, carried red poles and baskets, Zhu Xiu climbed on the red boy wearing a big red flower on his head, and the family happily headed to the Huaiyang Palace.

Wu Youdi was also carried into the carriage. She was getting engaged today and she couldn't be absent no matter what.

"Master Marquis, Madam Zhou has locked the courtyard door and cannot be opened." Ma Qing came forward and muttered.

Zhu Xiu sighed: "That's all, let her go."

When he arrived at the Huaiyang Prince's Mansion, Fu Zhaoxin was wearing a red robe. Those who didn't know it thought he was the groom's official, standing at the door of the mansion to welcome guests.

Zhu Xiu asked Fu Zhaoxin to invite the Zhu family to sit down in the mansion. Fu Zhaoxin patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, we are all one family. I will take good care of you, brother. You go to the second sister's boudoir to deliver the big stickers, and then come here with me." Welcoming guests.”

Zhu Xiu handed him the engagement letter and gift list, took the large sticker framed in red silk and went to see Fu Jinhuan in the boudoir of the back house.

In addition to the appointment letter and gift list, people in the north also have the custom of writing a big post. This big post is written by an auspicious old man who is over 60 years old and whose husband, wife and children are still alive. It probably contains some auspicious words and the names of both the man and the woman are signed to count as a gift. .

In the back house of the prince's palace, the entire boudoir was newly decorated, with red lanterns hanging on the corners and happy words posted on them, giving it a festive look.

"Zhu Xiu, come up quickly!" Shi Lingyan stuck his head out of the second-floor window and waved to him.

In the attic, Shi Lingyan held up the big poster and read it curiously. His bright eyes asked curiously: "After writing this, you and Sister Huan'er are considered husband and wife?"

Zhu Xiu smiled and said, "It's just a matter of finalizing the marriage and announcing it to relatives and friends. We will not be officially married until November [-]th."

Shi Lingyan blinked and pouted in disappointment: "Then I have to wait until that day before I can return to the Marquis Mansion to be with you."

Zhu Xiu gently stroked her braid hanging down her waist: "Yan'er, I'm wronging you by letting you pass as a concubine."

Shi Lingyan said nonchalantly: "I don't care about concubines and wives, as long as I can be with you!"

Zhu Xiu was greatly moved. He held her tight waist and hugged her gently. Shi Lingyan leaned in his arms.

"Hehe~ After we get married, can we sleep together at night like we did in Jingzhou?"

Shi Lingyan lay next to his ear and whispered.

Zhu Xiu was embarrassed and coughed dryly and said: "When you come through, we are also husband and wife, so we can naturally sleep together. But Yan'er, you must not say this to others, it will make a joke! Especially your father , if he finds out, my life will be at risk!"

Shi Lingyan's dark brown eyes blinked: "But dad already knew it!"

Zhu Xiu's legs went weak and she almost fell down the stairs. She quickly held on to the guardrail and said, "Seriously? What did Lao Shi say?"

Shi Lingyan said with a smile: "Dad was very angry at first and scolded you. Then he asked me if I felt uncomfortable in any way. He also always asked me if there was any movement in my stomach."

Old Zhu Xiu was so ashamed that it turned out that this guy Lao Shi had seen through everything secretly.

In fact, sometimes Zhu Xiu would reflect on the fact that he really couldn't be blamed for his mischief during those years in Jingzhou.

Shi Lingyan is such a well-developed girl. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, she is already full of exotic customs. The Shatuo woman has the unrestrained enthusiasm of the northwest region. The two of them often hug each other, which would not be a problem for any young and energetic young man. No.

Fortunately, Zhu Xiu knew how to avoid risks, and no accidents had happened in the past two or three years.

It was just a waste of a lot of lamb intestines, which made Lao Shi unable to find any lamb intestines to eat when he was eating kebabs or mutton shabu-shabu.
Shi Lingyan put her arms around Zhu Xiu's neck, buried her head on his shoulder, and breathed into his ear: "Zhu Xiu, please marry me quickly. I want to be with you day and night, just like when we were in Jingzhou." Same."

Zhu Xiu's heart was burning, and she took a few sips on the girl's cheek.

There was a coughing sound from the boudoir on the second floor. Shi Lingyan ran away with a laugh and jumped down the stairs.

Zhu Xiu straightened her robes and walked in solemnly, holding a large sticker.

Fu Jinhuan was sitting in front of the dressing table, not wearing any wedding clothes, only wearing an ordinary skirt and silk.

There was no need for her to show up for the engagement today. She could just stay in the boudoir and watch the excitement of the palace.

Zhu Xiu handed the big sticker forward, opened his mouth and found that he didn't know what to call it.

Fu Jinhuan took the post and glanced at him: "Why, is it difficult to call Huan'er like my father and brother?"

Zhu Xiu said awkwardly: "Huan'er."

Fu Jinhuan curled his lips and said, "Without you calling Yan a child, he would naturally be affectionate!"

Zhu Xiu was speechless.

Fu Jinhuan glanced at the large sticker a few times, dipped his pen in ink, and carefully wrote his name next to Zhu Xiu's signature at the end.

Zhu Xiu looked at her white neck, as graceful and charming as a swan, and was stunned for a moment.

Fu Jinhuan held the large sticker and blew gently to make the ink dry faster.

"Do you know why I foolishly went to hang a banner on the tower, knowing that the official would grant me a marriage, so that the whole city knew that I, Fu Jinhuan, was proposing to you, Zhu Xiu?"

Fu Jinhuan handed him the big sticker and smiled meaningfully.

Zhu Xiu took it with both hands, honestly shook his head and said, "I really can't figure this out."

Fu Jinhuan raised his head slightly, and said indifferently: "I want you to know that I am not willing to marry you because of the marriage gift from the government, but because I really love you in my heart! I know what I want, and a good marriage can be It’s something you can never ask for, now that it’s here, I will never miss it!”

Fu Jinhuan's cheeks were flushed and her voice was trembling. It took a lot of courage to express her feelings in person. She had encouraged herself in every possible way before, but when it came time to speak her mind, she was still a little shy and timid.

Zhu Xiu felt tenderness in her heart and said softly: "I am lucky to be favored by Huan'er!"

Fu Jinhuan's eyes were bright: "Then you are willing to marry me, are you under pressure from the official marriage, or do you need Fu's help to stabilize your status, or is it something else?"

Zhu Xiu was silent for a moment and bowed solemnly: "It's both. But the root cause is that when we parted ways in Anding County, Jingzhou, I knew that Huan'er's beautiful image had been deeply engraved in my mind, and it has been lingering ever since. It won’t go away.

As the saying goes, love at first sight is nothing more than that.

It's just that I was just a small border town military envoy at that time, and Huan'er was the charming daughter of the Fu family, so I never dared to hope that a good match would come true! "

Fu Jinhuan pursed his lips and chuckled: "Seriously? But why do I feel that you have always been careless about me, and we often argue and make noises when we get along? Is this considered a good relationship?"

Zhu Xiugan smiled and said: "I didn't know what was going on at that time. I was young at heart. I actually wanted to take advantage of the dispute to get closer to Huan'er."

"Really?" Fu Jinhuan stared at him suspiciously. Seeing that Zhu Xiu's face was unnatural, he smiled sweetly and said, "That's all, you never speak seriously, and it's hard to tell the truth from the lie. I'll just believe you and take what you say. Just tell the truth!"

Zhu Xiu smiled and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fu Jinhuan stood up, took a step forward, raised his head slightly, and murmured: "After we get married, you and I will become one! You will never let me down, and I will never let you down. This is my oath!"

"Huan'er." Zhu Xiu called softly with tenderness in her heart, and opened her arms to embrace the beauty.

Fu Jinhuan pushed him away as if in annoyance, and rolled his beautiful eyes: "Do you think I'm that wild girl from Lingyan, and I dare to hang out with you before I'm married?"

"Uh" Zhu Xiu was stunned, his face turned red and his heart was pounding.

Listening to this tone, Fu Jinhuan was afraid that he was trying to get something out of Shi Lingyan's mouth.

As he spoke, Fu Jinhuan's cheeks became more and more rosy, and he said angrily: "Why are you still standing here stupidly? Why don't you go to the door of the house to greet the guests?"

"Hey~" Zhu Xiu responded hurriedly, cupping his hands and turning away.Fu Jinhuan sneered again: "Let your Ehuang, Chan'er and other lovers relax. I, Fu Jinhuan, am not a petty person. As long as they are sincere to you and are willing to respect me as a great lady, wait until one or two years." Later, I will make the decision to let them pass."

With a "bang", Zhu Xiu slipped on the stairs and fell flat on her butt. She quickly stood up, rubbed the sore spot, and slithered away with a grin on her face.

Fu Jinhuan chuckled happily when he heard the movement.

Looking at the beautiful face in the bronze mirror that I felt pity for, she sighed softly.

~~~
When Zhu Xiu handed the big sticker to Fu Yanqing, the banquet hall was already full of guests.

Fu Yanqing briefly looked through the post and handed it to his third brother Fu Yantu.

Fu Yantu was nearly sixty years old. He had fought with Emperor Zhuang Li Cunxu in his early years. He injured his legs and feet and walked with a slight limp. He rarely appeared in public. On Fu's big day, Fu Yanqing invited him to host the engagement banquet.

"My dear son-in-law, hurry up and greet the guests in the front hall. Duke Taiyuan and the others are here." Fu Yanqing said with a smile.

Zhu Xiugong cupped his hands, greeted the guests in the banquet hall, and hurried away.

At the corner of the corridor, he was suddenly stopped by a maid holding a tray: "Uncle! Uncle!"

"Who is the girl?" Zhu Xiu took a look and felt that this slim maid looked familiar.

The maid pursed her lips and smiled: "My slave, Mo Xiang, is the personal maid who serves the second lady in her boudoir. Back then, I accompanied the second lady to Jingzhou. Why don't you remember her?"

"Oh~ It turns out to be Miss Mo Xiang. Forgive my blindness, I didn't recognize her for a few years. Since you are Huan'er's personal maid, why haven't I seen you since Jingzhou?" Zhu Xiu said with a smile.

Mo Xiang's eyes flashed with sadness, and she whispered: "My father passed away two years ago. The second lady was kind-hearted and asked me to go back to my hometown to take care of my family and mourn my father. I didn't come back until a month ago."

Zhu Xiu said apologetically: "My condolences~"

Mo Xiang calmed down her sorrow and said with a chuckle: "My slave and my second wife have grown up together. If my second wife can marry my uncle, my slave will also be happy."

Mo Xiang's cheeks were a little flushed with embarrassment. She was Fu Jinhuan's maid. When Fu Jinhuan got married, according to the rules of a wealthy family, she had to accompany him in the dowry.

From now on, she will be regarded as a member of the Hou family. Whether Zhu Xiu wants her or not is another matter.

Zhu Xiu also thought about this and felt a little embarrassed: "Ahem~ Well, if nothing happens, I'll go greet the guests first."

Mo Xiang said hurriedly: "Second Madam asked the slave to bring hangover soup. Please drink some first, so as not to drink too much at the banquet and get drunk again."

Zhu Xiu was stunned. It seemed that the night of hangover in the palace had left an impression on Fu Jinhuan as a very poor drinker.

"Huan'er is so attentive!~" But it felt good to have someone caring about her. Zhu Xiu picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

This hangover soup is not unpleasant to drink, it has a bitter-sweet taste.

"Thank you Huan'er for me." Zhu Xiugong cupped his hands and walked away gracefully.

With this bowl of hangover soup, he was confident that he could put Chai Rongli back into bed tonight.

Mo Xiang stared at him dreamily, feeling happy that the second lady got married to the man she wanted.

I just don’t know if Mr. Zhu will like her in the future.
Thinking of this, Mo Xiang felt a little uneasy.

~~~
"Hahaha~ What a great Zhu Xiu, you are so nimble in your movements. We haven't seen each other for a few days, and even the marriage has been decided!"

As soon as they met, Li Chongjin, the black guy, hugged Zhu Xiu and laughed loudly.

When Fu Zhaoxin saw Zhu Xiu's arrival, he felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He hurriedly ran away with the excuse that he had to go to the palace gate to welcome guests.

Li Chongjin was sometimes irritating with his words, and his jokes were not serious. In the past, Fu Zhaoxin dared to retaliate in person, and he was not afraid even if he made a move.

Now Li Chongjin is the nephew of an official, who oversees the entire palace, is in charge of the imperial army in front of the palace, and is the only prominent figure in Kaifeng City.

Fu Yanqing told him in private that he must never have a grudge with Li Chongjin and treat him politely.

Fu Zhaoxin couldn't do the job, so he could only choose to stay away from him.

Chai Rong said happily: "You and I are getting married on the same day. It's really a great fate."

Zhang Yongde smiled lightly and said: "I just don't know whose house I should go to to have the wedding ceremony on that day."

Chai Rong smiled and said: "I'm afraid you can only go to Zhu Xiu's Mansion. My father asked me to host the wedding in Qingning Palace, so I stayed in Qingning Palace that night. It's not too noisy in the palace."

Li Chongjin rubbed his hands and said excitedly: "Then go to Zhu Xiu's mansion and make a fuss!"

Zhu Xiu glared and said, "Let's agree first, don't go too far. If you get angry, don't blame me for falling out!"

"I know, I know, look at your cowardly look!" Li Chongjin scoffed disdainfully.

Just as he was talking, Zhao Kuangyin arrived, followed by Pan Mei.

Zhao Kuangyin, Chai Rong and others seemed much more reserved when they were together. They held each other's fists in greetings. The etiquette was thoughtful, but they lacked a sense of intimacy.

Chai Rong and Zhang Yongde were polite to him, but Li Chongjin used a few official words lukewarmly as usual.

Zhu Xiu dragged Pan Mei aside: "Pan Datou, do you still know how to come to see me?"

Pan Mei grabbed her beard and said sarcastically: "The outer palace has been training a lot recently, and I have become a Yamen again. I am an official, and I have to take leave to go out, so I haven't come to see you. But today you are engaged, I will definitely It's coming!

I'll go to the Zhao Mansion first and come with Zhao Yuhou, otherwise I'm worried that I, Old Pan, won't be qualified to enter the Huaiyang Prince's Mansion! "

Zhu Xiu said angrily: "You just say you are mine, who will not let you in?"

Pan Mei chuckled, winked and said, "It's true that you are the one who decided to get married so quickly. I heard about Xuandemen a few days ago. It was so lively, but it's a pity that I didn't watch it!"

Zhu Xiu punched him and feigned anger: "Don't fight with me! Let me ask you, why did you run to follow Zhao Da'er without saying a word?"

Pan Mei knew she was in the wrong and said sarcastically: "I met Zhao Yuhou when I arrived in Kaifeng that day. After talking about the current situation, he invited me to serve in the outer palace.

As soon as I thought that nothing happened anyway, and you didn't know when you would be back in Chanzhou, I agreed, thinking that I would get a job as an official first.
Zhao Yuhou is actually a good person, you better not jokingly call him Zhao Daer in the future."

Zhu Xiu glared angrily and shouted: "Hey, you Pan Datou, how many days have you learned to protect your new owner?"
I have nothing to do with you and Zhao Dal'er, but please stop flattering your new boss in front of me!I just can’t stand it! "

Pan Mei blushed and said angrily: "What a fart! When did grandpa say that he wanted to join Zhao Da'er, uh~ Zhao Yuhou? If you can't come back in Chanzhou, I can't stay idle all the time. Of course I have to find a job first!" It’s also good to have gangster qualifications!”

Zhu Xiu squinted and sneered: "Are you really not thinking of getting rid of me and seeking refuge with Zhao Da'er?"

Pan Meiniu's eyes widened and she pointed three fingers at the sky: "This is such a fucking injustice! I swear to God, I have never had such a thought!"

Zhu Xiu curled her lips and her expression improved a lot.

Pan Mei said angrily and funny: "I am a grown man in his twenties. I can't live and eat in the Hou Mansion for free and rely on you to support me, right? Zhao Yuhou kindly helped me find a job. I am grateful. What's wrong with people being more polite?
If you are not happy, just say a word and I will leave immediately! "

Pan Mei paused and added: "But you have to promise me to help me find a job in the Forbidden Army. If I don't want to be an escort, I can at least be a captain!"

Zhu Xiu was waiting for his words, and said with a smile: "The outer palace has a bright future. You should work hard first, and I will help you make plans when I have the opportunity."

Pan Mei looked suspicious, unable to guess what this kid was thinking.

"You really don't mind if I and Zhao Yuhou get closer?" Pan Mei said strangely.

Zhu Xiu Dayi said solemnly: "You are all soldiers and generals of our Great Zhou Dynasty. You are both the forbidden army of the inner palace, so naturally you should get close to each other."

Pan Mei curled her lips: "This damn thing sounds like a human saying."

Zhu Xiu smiled a little weirdly. It would be best for Pan Mei to gain a firm foothold in the inner palace. No matter how close he was to Zhao Kuangyin, as long as his heart was always towards him.

"Let's go, drink and drink! Don't even think about running away tonight, Master Ben will give you all to drink and get down!"

Zhu Xiu dragged Pan Mei, called Chai Rong, Li Chongjin and others, and laughed arrogantly.

All the brothers burst into laughter and rushed into the banquet hall with their arms around each other. Each of them held a jar of burning white knives and Taibai drunk, leaving all the guests dumbfounded.

After a while, ghosts and wolves were singing in the palace banquet hall, and the strong smell of wine filled the sky of the mansion.
(End of this chapter)