Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 673 has arrived [Thank you! Goodbye! 36k more to go]

"The Lord is here."

Outside the house, the maid's voice was heard.

The old lady continued reading the letter, folded it and placed it on the table, then turned to look at the door.

Seeing Sheng Hong, who had not changed his clothes and was still in his official uniform, the old lady smiled and said, "Hong'er, why are you in such a hurry to come here? It won't be too late to change your clothes and come back later. Please sit down."

Sheng Hong walked to the middle of the room, bowed to the old lady, and said, "Thank you, mother! I also heard some news about the winter solstice."

"Oh?" The old lady sat up straight, looked at Sheng Hong with interest, and said, "Hong'er, but about that day, why did the elephant turn to the Zhongshan Marquis family?"

Sheng Hong nodded repeatedly after taking his seat, and said, "Mother, that's exactly what happened."

After saying that, Sheng Hong smiled at Fang Mama who was serving him tea.

Putting down the teacup, Sheng Hong continued, "My colleagues from the Ministry of Personnel and officials from the Ministry of Rites went to the Elephant Farm to question them."

"It is said that during the winter solstice, the elephant riders at the elephant sanctuary starved the elephants for two days in order to make them obedient."

"Coincidentally, there were not only candied radish strips on the table of the Zhongshan Marquis's family, but the color of the eldest daughter's bridal robe also resembled sugar cane."

Listening to Sheng Hong's words, the old lady nodded slightly.

Sheng Hong picked up the teacup, drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and said, "According to my colleagues, people at the elephant breeding farm said that elephants have very long noses, and sometimes they can smell things better than dogs."

The old lady nodded and said, "So, the elephant was hungry and smelled the scent of sugar and carrots, so it mistook the shawl of the girl from the Sha family for sugar cane, and that's why the mistake happened?"

"Yes, mother." Sheng Hong said, "Today, the Ministry of Rites also allocated some money to the Zhongshan Marquis family as compensation."

The old lady nodded: "That makes sense."

After saying that, the old lady looked at Sheng Hong's expression and said slowly, "Hong'er, what's wrong? Is there anything else?"

Sheng Hong looked up at the old lady and said with a smile, "Mother, a colleague knew that Xu Jiajing's son was not engaged yet, so he stopped my son and asked him a few questions when he was leaving the yamen."

The old lady smiled, glanced at the letter on the table, and said with a smile: "What did you say?"

"My son didn't say much. After all, this is my cousin's family affair."

"Hong'er, you did the right thing."

Sheng Hong took another sip of hot tea, exchanged glances with the old lady, and said, "Mother, there is one more thing. The Yingguogong Zhang family and the Zhongjinghou Mansion are trying to compete for a position."

Hearing this, the old lady's smile disappeared, and she frowned and asked in confusion: "The Zhang family and the Zheng family? These two families have always been on good terms. If there is anything, they can just discuss it. Why would they fight for a position?"

Sheng Hong quickly put down the teacup and said, "Mother, I didn't explain it clearly. The Zhang and Zheng families worked together to compete with other families for a position."

The old lady nodded thoughtfully, then raised her chin, motioning Sheng Hong to continue.

"The two families are working together to fight for the positions of the newly established cavalry in the north. Their opponents are the Gan family, the Tan family, and the Liang family."

"The Liang family? Is it the Yongchang Marquis Mansion?" the old lady asked with some confusion in her eyes.

"Yes, mother." Sheng Hong continued to explain: "It's for Liang Jingzheng, the eldest son of the Liang family. Liang Jingzheng joined the cavalry, so he can naturally bring the children of the Gan and Tan families with him. Before that, the Yongchang Marquis also went to the Ministry of Personnel to greet us."

The old lady's eyes turned and she asked, "Then the Zhang family and the Zheng family, are they fighting for the second son of the Zheng family?"

"Mother is right."

The old lady nodded slowly: "One duke and one marquis versus one duke and two marquises, Hong'er, what do you think of this?"

Sheng Hong pursed his lips and said thoughtfully, "Mother, both sides are dukes of our dynasty. In terms of connections, the three families only have a slight advantage! But, my son thinks that in the end, it still depends on seniority and merits."

Hearing this,

The old lady had a look of admiration for Sheng Hong in her eyes and said, "Hong'er, it's good that you can think of this."

Sheng Hong bowed quickly: "Thank you for the compliment, mother."

The old lady smiled and said, "The newly-built cavalry is led by the son of the Huang family, the Earl of Shoushan. This son is also the trusted deputy general of the Prince of Yingguo and the son-in-law of the Marquis of Ningyuan."

"Others can tell at a glance that the Zhang family is paving the way for their future son-in-law. Liang Jing, I remember that this child is the same age as Xu's eldest son-in-law, Yu Ge'er, right?"

Sheng Hong rolled his eyes and nodded: "Yes, mother."

"Compared to Zheng Erlang, what achievements does Liang Jing have?"

Sheng Hong said: "Liang Dalang was commended for his assistance to Beizhou before! But when Zheng Jiaerlang came to the rescue, he also helped Dezhou to destroy the bandits, so his contribution is even greater."

Glancing at the old lady, Sheng Hong continued: "Mother, now that you've said that, the result is..."

The old lady smiled and said, "Hong'er, not only that, you should also think more about the palace."

After hearing this, Sheng Hong suddenly understood and quickly stood up and bowed, saying: "Mother, I understand." The old ancestor of the Tan family had offended the queen before.

"Well! Go ahead." The old lady said with a smile.

When the lights come on,

Wei Ruixuan,
In the chamber where the maid was staying,

The maid Gingko came in with a tray in her hand.

He glanced at Jiu'er who was eating dried fruit and said, "Jiu'er, I went to the main room to serve food to the lady just now, why didn't I see your mother, Madam Liu?"

Jiuer glanced at Gingko and said, "The lady has something to do. My mother is out to do something."

"Oh! What did you eat? Is it delicious?"

Jiuer pursed her lips in disdain: "Here, would you like to try it?"

"it is good!"

Thinking of her mother's depressed look, Jiuer sighed again.

Main house,

Bright yellow candlelight shone through the window.

inside the house,

Thanks to the dual effects of the floor heating and the incense burner, the room was very warm.

Sheng Hong, who had changed into home clothes, sat at the table and ate comfortably. Wang Ruofu sat opposite him, holding the wine jug with a smile on her face, ready to pour a glass of wine for Sheng Hong.

Seeing Wang Ruofu's actions, Sheng Hong quickly put down his chopsticks, raised his glass and said with a smile: "Thank you, Madam."

After filling the wine glass, Wang Ruofu said with a smile: "Sir, what are you talking about! This is the good wine sent by my elder sister. Sir, please try it."

Hearing this, Sheng Hong was slightly stunned, then he raised the wine cup and took a sip.

After smacking his lips a few times, Sheng Hong nodded: "Hmm! Good wine!"

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

Wang Ruofu saw this and smiled and filled Sheng Hong's glass again.

Sheng Hong, holding the wine glass loosely, took another close look at the attentive Wang Ruofu.

The words "If someone shows kindness to you without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief" floated through Sheng Hong's mind.

Seeing Wang Ruofu looking at him with a smile, Sheng Hong smiled back and asked, "Have the children been well behaved these past two days?"

"Be obedient!" Wang Ruofu smiled and nodded, then picked up some food for Sheng Hong and said, "Sir, try it. This is the knife fish that Huaer sent!"

"Hua'er specifically told me how to make it. He said that it should be marinated with salt, then coated with batter mixed with eggs and fried."

Sheng Hong smiled and nodded, then picked up the fish and started eating.

After a moment, Sheng Hong nodded repeatedly: "Hmm! Delicious!"

Wang Ruofu, who was standing by, smiled, pursed her lips, looked at Sheng Hong and said, "Sir, it's the end of the year now. Things in the government office must be very busy, right?"

"Yeah." Sheng Hong responded while concentrating on eating the fish.

Wang Ruofu blinked, swallowed his saliva, and said, "Sir, I heard that the newly built cavalry in the north is already complete?"

Sheng Hong put down the fish bone and glanced at Wang Ruofu: "Why, the nephew of the Kang family wants to join the army to seek a future?"

Wang Ruofu smiled, picked up another piece of fish for Sheng Hong, and said, "Brother Jin is too young to join the army. It was my sister who was asked by another family to do so."

Sheng Hong's eyes flashed with impatience, but he suppressed his thoughts and said, "Oh?"

Seeing that there was a way, Wang Ruofu was quite encouraged and continued, "It's the Liang family of Yongchang Marquis. You know the character of Mrs. Wu, sir. She is the most kind-hearted person."

Wang Ruofu was halfway through her words when she looked at Sheng Hong, who had put down his chopsticks and had twitched his eyes, and asked in confusion, "Sir, what's wrong with you?"

"Aunt, she said that it was Madam Wu who asked her to come?" Sheng Hong asked Wang Ruofu with a wry smile.

"Uh, sir, this is what my sister said! She also said that Liang Jia Dalang..." Wang Ruofu realized something was wrong, and her flattering smile gradually disappeared, and she did not continue speaking.

Sheng Hong took a deep breath and said, "Madam, do you know where the eldest son of the Liang family came from?"

Wang Ruofu nodded.

Sheng Hong said with a hint of anger: "He is the eldest son of a concubine, and he passed the imperial examination. He also made contributions in the army. Maybe he can inherit the title!" "Think about it carefully. Will Madam Wu help him?"

Hearing this, Wang Ruofu thought of Chang Feng. If Chang Feng had the possibility of inheriting the Sheng family, she, Wang Ruofu, would...
Looking at Sheng Hong who was staring at him, Wang Ruofu hesitated for a moment and said, "Of course not."

"Not too stupid!"

After Sheng Hong finished speaking, he raised the wine cup to his lips, then put it back heavily on the table and said, "Please buy some more of the things that the Kang family sent and send them back."

"Oh." Wang Ruofu lowered her head.

"The Kang family lent money at high interest before, and mother has already told you not to have anything to do with the Kang family! If you continue to do this, I..." As he said this, Sheng Hong pointed at Wang Ruofu hatefully.

later,
In Linqi Pavilion,

Lin Qinshuang held a hand warmer in her hand and looked at Zhou Xuenniang beside her, saying, "Have you rewarded the little maid who delivered the message?"

"My dear, I gave you a hundred coins."

Lin Qinshuang nodded, with a sarcastic smile on her face, and said, "Wang Ruofu is such a fool! It's only because she was born well that she became the mistress of the Sheng family!"

"If my family hadn't fallen on hard times and there was any Xiangyi Yaji, people like her would definitely be embarrassed and then trampled under my feet!"

Zhou Xuenniang nodded and praised: "That's right!"

Lin Qinshuang took a breath, looked in the direction of Molan's bedroom, and said, "Mo'er has always been outstanding, and often shows up at poetry gatherings in Beijing. I hope she can marry into a good family!"

"The fourth young lady can definitely do it!" Zhou Xuenniang agreed.

"Kang Wangshi, this vicious and treacherous woman, although she slapped me twice before, but over the years, I think she is my best friend."

"All those bad things Wang Ruofu did were to push Hong Lang towards me."

As she spoke, Lin Qinshuang slowly clenched her hands holding the hand warmer, and said bitterly: "You are also pushing it towards that bitch Jin Anzhai."

Hearing this,

Zhou Xuenniang hurriedly whispered, "Little girl! Things are different now! Little girl Wei is not alone now. Outside, there is Xiaodie who married the Viscount's wife's younger brother, and there is also a younger sister who manages the salt manor."

"The Seventh Young Master is smart and studious, and the Master is very concerned about him. Please don't do anything stupid."

Looking around with a guilty conscience, Zhou Xueniang said in a lower voice, "When Wei Xiaoniang was the housekeeper, she didn't make things difficult for our courtyard. I guess she doesn't know about the affairs in Yangzhou."

Lin Qinshuang frowned and said, "She doesn't make things difficult for us because of Honglang!"

Zhou Xuenniang nodded repeatedly: "What I said is true, but, as the years go by, we women..."

Lin Qinshuang looked at Zhou Xuenniang, reached out and touched her cheek, and sighed sadly.

But she was only worried for a while. Lin Qinshuang took a deep breath, straightened her chest and said, "It's okay. When Feng'er goes to high school and Mo'er marries a good family, I can still stand firm in the Sheng family."

Putting the hand warmer aside, Lin Qinshuang smiled and said, "Let Kang Wangshi and Wang Ruofu do it. Who knows, the housekeeper power may fall into my hands in the future."

"What the young lady said is very true."

New Year's Eve,

in the afternoon,

A large Nuo ritual procession of thousands of people left the palace and walked on the streets of Bianjing.

This Grand Nuo Ceremony was originally a ceremony in the palace to exorcise ghosts and eliminate epidemics. Along the way, many people from Bian Jing followed it on the roadside.

The common people kept beating their clothes, hoping to benefit from the royal ceremony and to get rid of some evils.

In the procession of the Great Nuo Ceremony,
In addition to many people from the Ministry of Rites,

There were also many tall guards of the palace guards around, wearing golden armor, masks and holding colorful flags.

Among these squad guards, there was a sturdy man holding a flagpole.

The man was also wearing a mask so his face couldn't be seen clearly. He was looking at the street through the holes in the mask.

When he saw a noble young man riding a black horse and talking to someone on the street wearing a cloak, the man's eyes behind the mask narrowed slightly, filled with resentment.

The man only watched for less than a breath.
suddenly,

The noble young man's gaze swept over here for no reason.

This change made the man quickly turn his head and look forward.

roadside,

Xu Zaijing glanced at the Nuo ritual team in confusion. Seeing nothing unusual, he turned his head and said, "Zong'er, Dai'er, do you still want to go to Longwan outside Nanxun Gate?"

Lu Zezong, who was riding a horse, thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Brother, I'd better not go. It's new for the first time, but after going a few times, I feel that everything is the same."

Xu Xingdai nodded.

"Okay, let's go back then." Xu Zaijing said with a smile.

As they spoke, they turned their horses around and rode towards Quyuan Street.

Xu's backyard,

Sun looked at Xu Zaijing and others who entered the house in surprise.

"Oh, why did you come back so early today?" Sun asked with a smile.

“Grandma, we didn’t leave the city to go to Nanxun Gate. We just looked outside Suzaku Gate for a while and then came back.”

"No wonder." Sun smiled.

"Then, mother, Zong Ge'er and I will go to set off the firecrackers on behalf of Ge'er." Xu Zaijing said with a smile.

When Xie and Hualan in the room heard this, they smiled helplessly.

"How old are you?" Sun smiled and waved her hand: "Go ahead, be careful."

Seeing Xu Zaijing and others walking out of the house with a smile,

Sun smiled and sighed, then looked at her two daughters-in-law and said, "Before they get married, they look like children no matter how you look at them."

"Mother is right! But it will be soon!" Xie said with a smile.

Hua Lan, who was holding her sister-in-law Ning Mei, also laughed when she heard this.

Sun nodded and said, "I hope so! I wonder if Miss Bai will not be able to adapt today."

Xie and Hualan, the two sisters-in-law, looked at each other and understood.

evening,

The sound of firecrackers could be heard from all around.

During this period, huge fireworks were launched into the sky and exploded from time to time in the palace in the north.

Xingguofang,
Ningyuan Hou Mansion,

In the main house in the backyard,
Yanran habitually placed her hands in front of her bulging belly and winked at Gu Tingye.

Gu Tingye looked at Yanran blankly, not understanding what was going on.

Seeing this, Yanran glared at Gu Tingye with disdain, turned around, leaned over and whispered to her sister-in-law Pingmei.

Pingmei listened to Yanran and whispered, "It's all the same. There aren't many boys who are careful."

As she spoke, Pingmei patted Xingge'er's butt in front of her and whispered, "Go and hug your grandmother."

"Oh." Gu Shixing said, holding a candied fruit in his hand and walked up to Bai: "Grandma."

When Bai took it with a smile, Gu Shixing went straight into Bai's arms.

In the first year of Gu Tingyi's marriage, Bai, who was a little sad because she couldn't see her daughter, smiled after hearing what Gu Shixing said.

Nanny Chang, who was somewhat touched, also took a deep breath and looked at Pingmei and Yanran with admiration.

Stay up all night,
early morning,

From time to time, sporadic firecrackers could be heard around the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion.

Xu Zaijing came out wearing a cloak and pulling aside the cotton curtain.

Lanterns are hung in the yard.

Although it was dark, the light was still good.

After taking a breath of cold air, white air exhaled from Xu Zaijing's mouth.

Looking up at the twinkling stars in the sky, Xu Zaijing turned around and shouted, "Dai brother, you guys come out quickly, we are going to sell dementia."

The children in the house responded one after another.
Outside the house, Xu Zaijing continued to look at the starry sky. He didn't know what he was thinking about, and he smiled slightly.

(End of this chapter)