Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 669: South City Watching the Stage [Thank you! Goodbye! I owe you 36k more]

Jiying Lane,
Sheng family,

In the backyard, at the entrance of Linqi Pavilion,
Yunzai stood beside Lin Qinshuang holding a lantern, looking at Zhou Xuenniang who was walking hurriedly towards them not far away, wearing a brocade cotton coat and holding a handkerchief.

When Zhou Xueniang came closer, Lin Qinshuang frowned and asked, "Why, the master didn't come?"

Zhou Xueniang bowed and lowered her head and said, "My dear little lady, the master is not in the Madam's Courtyard, but in Shou'an Hall."

Lin Qinshuang looked at the dim sky and asked in confusion, "What is the master doing going to Shou'an Hall at this hour?"

"I asked around, but the maidservant at Shou'an Hall was very tight-lipped, so I didn't get anything out of her! It was only on the way that I ran into the maidservant at the front yard, who told me a few words."

Zhou Xuenniang said this and looked up at Lin Qinshuang.

"Well, go on." Lin Qinshuang said.

"It is said that there was a letter from Yingchang Mansion at the front gate, which was delivered to Weirui Pavilion. After that, the master went from the study to Shou'an Hall."

Hearing this, Lin Qinshuang rolled her eyes and said to herself, "Yingchang Prefecture? I guess it's a letter from the Wang family. I wonder what it's about."

As she spoke, Lin Qinshuang looked in the direction of Shou'an Hall.

at this time,

In Shou'an Hall,

Old Madam Sheng sat on the chair with a smile on her face, and there was a letter on the small table beside her.

Looking at Sheng Hong and his wife who were sitting at the bottom, the old lady smiled and said, "The eldest lady's sister-in-law's words in the letter were sincere. I think the Wang family is sincere in wanting to marry Rulan."

Sheng Hong smiled, revealing two dimples, and said, "Mother is right. I wrote back to my uncle before, saying that I would wait until Changbai and Changfeng passed the imperial examination before arranging a marriage for Ruer, and my uncle agreed."

The old lady nodded: "Hualan is the eldest lady of the Marquis's Mansion. If Bai'er and Changfeng both pass the imperial examination, Ru'er will be more confident if she marries into the Wang family."

"It's what the letter said. The Wang family also wrote back to the Kang family. What's going on?"

Hearing the old lady's question, Wang Ruofu forced a smile and said, "Mother, it's nothing. My elder sister heard that the Wang family wanted to arrange a marriage for their child, and Ruer had to wait for two years, so..."

The smile on the old lady's face disappeared: "Hmm?"

After stealing a glance at Sheng Hong, Wang Ruofu lowered her head and said, "Just say that my niece Kang Yuaner has reached the age of marriage, and she doesn't have to wait, she can marry back to the Wang family."

"How did the eldest aunt of the Kang family know this?" Sheng Hong asked with a frown.

Wang Ruofu lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I, I accidentally said it when my sister and I were chatting."

"You!" Sheng Hong looked at Wang Ruofu speechlessly.

The old lady said in a deep voice: "Madam, it is a good thing that the Wang and Sheng families are interested in discussing marriage! But your sister's actions are just trying to compete with relatives for benefits and marriage opportunities."

"It seems that he is not afraid of damaging the relationship between the two families."

After the old lady finished speaking, Wang Ruofu bowed her head and said, "Eldest sister said that she has no one close to her in the capital, and only has me as her biological sister. I can't just leave her aside and ignore her."

Sheng Hong frowned and said, "Then have you ever thought that with the children of two noble families attending school in our family, and with the eldest aunt interfering, the Wang family will think that our family doesn't like Brother You?"

"No, no way?" Wang Ruofu said blankly.

Seeing this, Sheng Hong shook his head with some disgust.

The old lady at the head waved her hand and said, "No matter what the Wang family thinks, the fact that they have sent this letter shows their attitude."

"Hong'er, please write a reply to the Wang family yourself. Ru'er still has two brothers and one sister who have not yet arranged a marriage. It will take several years for her to get married."

"Don't let Wang's brother only focus on Ru'er and delay himself. If two years pass and the two children are still not settled, everything will be fine."

Sheng Hong stood up and bowed, saying, "Mother, I understand."

The old lady looked at Wang Ruofu who also stood up and said, "Madam, the winter solstice is approaching."

Wang Ruofu was stunned, looked up at the old lady, and hurriedly said, "Mother, I understand! I have already asked someone to prepare new clothes for my brothers and sisters."

"As for the maids and servants, we also asked the tailor to come and measure them."

The old lady smiled and said, "My lady, you have done a good job, so I am relieved."

Looking at the old lady's expression, Sheng Hong bowed and said, "Mother, I will..."

Before she finished speaking, Wang Ruofu said, "Mother, on the winter solstice, His Majesty will leave the city to offer sacrifices to the heavens. Do you think we should build a viewing shed outside Nanxun Gate?"

The old lady nodded and said, "Every three years, a viewing platform should be built! However, I will not go that day. You and the children should go to watch the ceremony together."

"Yes, mother." Sheng Hong said.

"That's right." The old lady said.

Sheng Hong and his wife hurriedly stopped.

"Hong'er, as a court official, you have to accompany the emperor during the three days of the winter solstice! Winter nights are bitterly cold, so you must take care to maintain your essence during these days to prevent colds."

Sheng Hong looked embarrassed and lowered his head, saying, "Yes, mother, it was saved by your son."

Turn around,

at noon,

After lunch,
Yun Xiang looked at Xu Zaijing who was standing in front of her and reaching out his hand to her, and quickly turned around to pick up the cloak from the wooden platform behind her.

"Sir, are you going out?"

Yun Xiang asked with a smile.

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded: "Let's go out for a walk to digest the food. You don't have to follow me."

"Yes, son."

"I'll go too." said Gu Tingye on the side.

After the two of them put on their cloaks and walked out of the courtyard, they saw Qingyun sparring with a muscular young man near the Sheng family's gatehouse.

Xu Zaijing had good eyesight and could tell that it was Qingyun who was teaching and the young man who was learning.

It looked like the stone that was Gu Tingye's personal follower in his memory.

Seeing Xu and Gu approaching, the servant of the Sheng family hurriedly bowed and greeted them.

Xu Zaijing smiled and waved to Qingyun and Shitou who had stopped saluting, saying, "You continue."

Gu Tingye said with a smile: "Shitou, don't try to be brave, Qingyun is not someone you can just 'deal with'."

"I have already learned my lesson." Shitou said with a smile.

Xu Zaijing and the other man nodded and continued walking forward.

Strolling to the stables and casually touching the head of a horse, Gu Tingye asked, "Wu Lang, will you join the Imperial Guards to protect the emperor during the winter solstice?"

Xu Zaijing shook his head: "I won't go! But my third brother has already received the order."

"Yeah!" Gu Tingye nodded with a smile.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's inquiring eyes, Gu Tingye said proudly: "Yes, Wulang, I will go to protect the emperor in those few days."

Xu Zaijing smiled slightly: "Yes! I heard from my eldest brother before that on the day of the winter solstice, His Majesty will get up after three o'clock in the morning (one o'clock in the morning) and will be busy with the matters of offering sacrifices to the heavens and ancestors until dawn."

Gu Tingye's smile disappeared, and he asked in surprise: "Three more hours?"

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Three o'clock! Erlang, as a guard, you may have to stay up all night."

Thinking of the biting cold of the winter night, Gu Tingye twitched his lips.

The day before the winter solstice,
At three o'clock in the morning (around one o'clock in the morning),

The moon is rising and the night sky is dotted with stars.

South Lecture Hall Lane,

Rong family,

Back to the snowy courtyard,
The yard was completely silent, with only a faint flicker of fire on the window of the side room where the stove was.

In the main bedroom,
There is an exquisite copper water tank placed above the dragon fire channel. Under the heat conduction, a faint water vapor is emitted.

The girl's gentle breathing could be heard softly in the house.

suddenly,

"Moo!"

In the distance, there were the sounds of elephants roaring, and in between, there were the neighing of horses.

After a while,
The maid Ningxiang carried a lantern and walked into the bedroom quickly and lightly. "Miss, are you awake?"

Rong Feiyan sat up from the quilt, pulled aside the curtain, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Hmm! What's going on outside?"

"It sounded to me like the cries of elephants and horses."

"What time is it?"

"Look at the end of midnight."

Rong Feiyan let out a long sigh: "The end of midnight? The emperor should have left the palace at this hour."

"What the girl said is right, but I don't know why there is the roar of elephants." Ningxiang said as she poured a cup of warm water from the table and handed it over.

The style of the cup is very similar to the one used by Xu Zaijing.

Rong Feiyan moistened her throat, and neither the master nor the servant spoke, and the room fell silent again.

Faintly, there were bursts of horse hooves sounds coming from a distance.

"He hasn't come out for a long time." Rong Feiyan said softly.

The girl didn't mention any names, so Ningxiang didn't ask any more questions. She just said softly, "There's still a year before the imperial examination, so that person must work hard."

"Yeah." Rong Feiyan took another sip of water and handed the cup over.

Lying back on the bed, Rong Feiyan closed her eyes and said, "I don't know when it will snow."

Ningxiang tucked the corner of the quilt for her daughter: "It should be soon."

After waiting for a while, when Rong Feiyan's breathing became calm, Ningxiang got up from the bed and lowered the curtain.

the next day,
On the day of the winter solstice,

It was still a little dark in the early morning, but the east was already slightly green.

Outer city of Bianjing,

Outside Nanxun Gate,

After crossing the moat all the way to the Nanqingcheng Zhai Palace, there are many lanterns lit on both sides of the official road.

In the light of lanterns, you can see all kinds of valuable carriages and horses parked on both sides of the road, as well as various viewing sheds with charcoal stoves lit. These viewing sheds were temporarily built by wealthy families in the capital, and they were also used to watch the emperor's imperial procession.

To know,
Winter mornings are extremely cold. When the north wind blows, your face exposed outside will be frozen and painful.

The emperor and the royal family had to start their busy work from midnight (after 1 a.m.). On the way back to Beijing after finishing their work in the early morning, they might go to a shed to warm up.

Moreover, building viewing sheds on both sides of the road can not only provide a place for viewing ceremonies, but also provide some protection from the cold wind, which can be regarded as a sign of loyalty.

In a viewing shed,

Wang Ruofu, wearing earmuffs and a fur coat and holding a hand warmer in his hands, stood at the edge of the viewing platform, looking curiously at a royal guard knight standing on horseback not far away.

The brothers and sisters of the Sheng family who came with them were also dressed in the same way, and were wrapped up very tightly.

Rulan woke up early, yawned, exhaled a breath of white air and said, "Mom, what are you looking at?"

Others also looked at Wang Ruofu curiously.

Wang Ruofu said without turning her head: "I saw the imperial guards who just rode over there, and their figures look a bit like Zai Zhang."

"Mother Liu, come and take a look too."

"Yes, madam."

Hearing this, Rulan stood up and walked over.

When the other people saw this, they followed Rulan and stood beside Wang Ruofu.

In everyone's sight, a knight in armor was standing by the roadside holding a torch.

The armor looked quite delicate, and it flashed a cold reflection under the light of the torch.

As the horse breathes, white air appears from the mouth and nose of the man from time to time.

But it was still a little dark at this time, and their backs were to the Sheng family's shed, so people could not see clearly.

After looking for a while, Wang Ruofu called softly, "Son-in-law?"

Hearing the shout, the knight turned around.

"Mother, everyone looked at us and we didn't react. It seems that he is not our eldest brother-in-law." Rulan said from the side.

Wang Ruofu felt a little regretful and said, "Maybe my eyes are blurry! If it's not my son-in-law, please send a bowl of hot soup over. It's too cold this morning."

"Yes, ma'am." Mrs. Liu replied.

quickly,

Han Niu, a close follower of Changbai, walked over with a bowl of slightly hot tea.

Those who could set up a stall on the roadside were either rich or noble, and there was a lantern with their names on it. The Royal Guard Knight did not refuse. After drinking the hot soup, he felt a current of heat entering his body, which offset a lot of the coldness.

The Xu family's guardhouse was standing on the east side of the official road, and there were also cavalrymen stationed in front of them for guard. Coincidentally, it was Gu Tingye.

Xu Zaijing naturally also brought over a bowl of hot soup.

The sky is getting brighter,

The sun shines from the east.

Although the torches held by the imperial guards along the way could provide warmth, they were extinguished one after another for safety reasons.

From the direction of Nanqingcheng Zhai Palace in the distance came a chorus of shouts of "Long live!"

After a while,

Junrong, who was playing drums, gongs and other musical instruments, came towards them.

Following behind Jun Rongzhi were seven elephants dressed in gorgeous attire.

The elephant's back is covered with red brocade and its head is tied with a golden bridle. The rider sitting behind its ears is wearing brocade clothes and holding a sharp weapon like a pickaxe in his hand to control the elephant.

When the elephant passed by, the nephews and nieces standing next to Xu Zaijing stared at it intently and couldn't help but exclaim "Wow".

Xu Zaijing looked down at the children's curious and amazed expressions, as if he knew what gifts to give them in the future.

To the north of the Xu family's watchtower,

West of the official road,

In the Chai family's shed,
Jun Rongzhi, who was passing by, was playing music very loudly.

Looking at the Imperial Guard knights with their backs to them in front of the shed, Yunmu leaned close to Chai Zhengzheng's ear and said, "Miss, I didn't expect it to be so fateful that the third son of the Xu family is actually in front of our shed."

Chai Zhengzheng, wearing ear protection, smiled at the rising sun. Just now, the Chai family gave Zai Zhang hot soup and a hot water bottle to warm his body, which made Zai Zhang express his gratitude.

suddenly,

Chai Zhengzheng noticed the gazes coming from somewhere else and turned around in confusion, only to see someone in the viewing booth not far away staring at her.

Yunmu glanced at the extinguished lantern in front of the viewing platform and whispered in Chai Zhengzheng's ear, "Miss, he is a descendant of the Zhongshan Marquis Sha family. He looks really rude."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a straight face: "Humph! I don't know what he is looking at! The elephant is coming."

The voice just fell,

"Moo-"

Among the seven elephants dressed in costumes, one raised its trunk and began to neigh.

While roaring, the elephant also took two steps towards the Zhongshan Hou's guard shed on the side of the road.

As the elephant's direction of travel changed, the rider sitting behind the elephant's neck raised a pickaxe-shaped sharp weapon and pecked at the elephant's head.

But contrary to the rider's expectations, the elephant did not correct its course.

As such a huge beast approached, there was some chaos in the guardhouse of Zhongshan Marquis and its vicinity, and the imperial cavalry stationed in front of the stable had to rein in their horses and move aside.

The people of the Sha family who were sitting on the chairs fell backwards in panic. There was a series of clanging sounds, and it turned out that the charcoal basin used for heating was knocked over by someone, and the red charcoal fire scattered everywhere.

The elephant rider reacted quickly, increasing his force and pecking again, leaving the sharp weapon inside the elephant's skin before pulling again.

"Moo!"

The elephant neighed again in pain, and raised its front hooves slightly.

(End of this chapter)