Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 702 Taking Measurements and Making Clothes [Thank you! Bowing again!]

"Young lady, don't worry! That Granny Kong is still talking to the old lady in Shou'an Hall."

Zhou Xueniang quickly said.

Lin Qinshuang stopped after taking two steps.

Lin Qinshuang of Weiruixuan could get close to him, and she could find some reason to do so.

She dared not go to Shou'an Hall, firstly because the old lady had explicitly forbidden her from going there; secondly, the old lady could see through any pretext she used.

Seeing Lin Qinshuang's expression, Zhou Xueniang said, "Young mistress, why don't I wait near Shou'an Hall?"

"Alright."

Shouantang,
Granny Kong sat down on the day chair opposite the old lady.

"The young masters have arrived."

Following the announcement from the maid, Xu Zaijing and the other five entered the hall with smiles on their faces.

"Great-aunt".

"grandmother."

"Old lady."

The seven men each clasped their hands in greeting.

When they called for someone, everyone except Xu Zaijing looked at Granny Kong with a curious expression.

This somewhat unusual behavior was noticed by Granny Kong.

By observing how the seven people addressed the old lady, Granny Kong quickly identified them: the Xu family's son, the Sheng family's son, and the sons of the Qi and Gu families.

"Children, come sit down."

The old lady smiled and waved her hand.

Everyone agreed and took their seats.

Seeing the curious looks on everyone's faces, the old lady smiled and said, "Children, this is Granny Kong, a good friend of mine when I was young."

Upon hearing this, all six people showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.

"Are you Granny Kong?" Gu Tingye asked, somewhat surprised.

Granny Kong nodded with a smile: "Absolutely genuine."

Gu Tingye quickly cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Please don't take offense, Granny. It's just that my Gu family wanted to invite you before! Unfortunately, we were not destined to meet, and it didn't work out."

Granny Kong smiled and nodded, without explaining anything further, simply saying, "That's a real pity."

After nodding, Granny Kong looked at Qi Heng with a slightly strange expression.

The young master of the Duke's mansion, lost in thought, would unconsciously smile whenever he looked at Granny Kong.

As Granny Kong pondered what was going on, the old lady smiled and said, "The estate has sent over some freshly picked fruit, all of which has been rinsed and chilled with well water. Children, come and have a taste."

Everyone laughed and agreed.

After thinking for a while, Granny Kong, still clueless, shook her head slightly and put Qi Heng's matter out of her mind.

Looking at Xu Zaijing sitting in the chair, Granny Kong's eyes were full of admiration.

After glancing at Xu Zaijing a few times, Granny Kong noticed the composed Changbai and the youngest Changzhen.

The old lady asked with a smile, "Has Zhongge'er been behaving well lately?"

After Zai Zhang finished answering, the old lady looked at Gu Tingye again: "How is Erlang's child doing lately?"

After a series of questions and answers, and a few more casual remarks,
Taking advantage of the lull in the conversation, Zai Zhang stood up and said, "Great-aunt, then we'll head back to the school first."

"Go! When you return home, bring some fruit back with you."

After everyone acknowledged this, they filed out.

Watching everyone's retreating figures, Granny Kong sighed softly.

Hearing the sigh, the old lady looked at Granny Kong with some confusion.

From a young age, Granny Kong was sharp-tongued and eloquent. She was the one who caused others distress, while she herself rarely felt sad or sighed.

"What's wrong with you today?" the old lady asked with a smile. "Are you worried because you saw my little grand-nephew?"

Granny Kong forced a smile but didn't say anything.

“This isn’t like you!” the old lady said again.

Granny Kong picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Your little grand-nephew is handsome and cheerful. He not only has military merits, but he is also eager to learn and make progress. No wonder so many families have taken a liking to him!"

"Look at the wealthy and powerful families in Xijing, they can't compete with the extravagant families in Bianjing."

The old lady nodded with a smile: "His mother is very worried."

Then, Granny Kong said with some doubt, "That's right, your little nephew is different from others, and the way he looks at me is different too."

The old lady was taken aback and said, "Different? Is it because he has been to the palace frequently since he was a child? As you know, my niece-in-law's family has a very good relationship with the Cao family."

Granny Kong nodded gently: "Perhaps!"

As she spoke, Granny Kong glanced at the old lady again.

The old lady said with a hint of reproach, "Just say what you have to say, why are you always staring at me like that?"

Granny Kong carefully chose her words and said slowly, "Your little grandson, the seventh son of the Sheng family."

Before Granny Kong could finish speaking, the old lady nodded: "That's right! That child and Zhen'er share the same birthday and were born at the same time."

Seeing the old lady's expression, Granny Kong said apologetically, "Sister, I shouldn't have said that."

The old lady pursed her lips and waved her hand, saying, "It happened decades ago, it's nothing!"

Granny Kong nodded and said, "Your Seventh Master seems mature beyond his years, and his personality is much more composed than that of Feng-ge, who is several years older than him!"

The old lady smiled and said, "They were all raised by their own mothers, so I can't say much about any mistakes they may have made. What happens to them in the future is up to their own fate."

Granny Kong shook her head: "Look at Sanlang Changfeng, he just blurts out whatever comes to mind. That's not a good habit!"

Then Granny Kong stood up and said, "Sister, I'll go over there first and check on my two students."

The old lady smiled and nodded: "Cuiwei, go and lead the way."

"Yes, old lady."

Seeing that Granny Kong and the others had left Shou'an Hall, Zhou Xueniang hurriedly returned to Linxi Pavilion to report the news.

On the way to Wei Rui Xuan,
Granny Kong walked along, fanning herself with a round fan and glancing around. She looked to one side and said, "Cuiwei, is that Wei Xiaoniang's courtyard over there?"

"Yes, Granny, name him Jin Anzhai."

"Oh! Not a bad name. Every day when Qilang returns to his courtyard, he often passes by Shou'an Hall! By the way, what kind of person is this Wei Xiaoniang?"

Cui smiled and said, "Granny, it's not proper for me, as a servant, to gossip about my master."

"What talk about the master! Just say it."

"Yes, Granny! Unlike Linxi Pavilion, Wei Xiaoniang has always been dutiful and law-abiding."

Listening to Cuiwei's description, Granny Kong nodded.

quickly,

Granny Kong then arrived outside the Wei Rui Xuan courtyard.

Caihuan, who was waiting outside, bowed to Granny Kong and then hurriedly ran into the courtyard.

After a while,
Wang Ruofu walked around the artificial hill and led Rulan and Minglan to meet them.

After bowing to the two women, Wang Ruofu, beaming from ear to ear, said, "Please come in, Granny."

"Please, Madam." Granny Kong said, glancing at Minglan with a hint of amazement in her eyes.

Without saying much, Granny Kong smiled and went into the house with everyone.

After taking a seat,
Wang Ruofu smiled and said, "Granny, I've been waiting for so long, you've finally arrived!"

It was almost Dragon Boat Festival, and the afternoon was already getting a bit hot.

The main house and courtyard gate of Wei Rui Xuan are both open, and you can see the courtyard gate at a glance from inside the house.

After talking for a while,
Wang Ruofu then saw Lin Qinshuang and Zhou Xueniang peeking around at the entrance of Weiruixuan Courtyard.

When Wang Ruofu gestured to Caihuan with his eyes to drive away Lin Qinshuang and the other woman,
Granny Kong then took another careful look at Minglan.
suddenly,

Granny Kong recalled the way Young Master Qi Heng looked at her in Shou'an Hall.

Granny Kong was well aware of her reputation in Bianjing; she wouldn't dare say she was number one, but she was definitely in the top three.

"Madam, did the two young ladies attend school before?" Wang Ruofu, seeing Caihuan leave to drive away Lin Qinshuang, quickly smiled and looked at Granny Kong, saying, "Yes, Granny! Mother made the decision herself, saying that the young ladies would learn to read and understand reason if they studied, which would be beneficial to their future."

Granny Kong smiled and nodded, remaining outwardly calm, but inwardly she had some guesses.

Outside the Wei Rui Xuan courtyard,
Caihuan held the copper basin that had just been splashed with water in one hand and put her other hand on her hip, watching the two old women sweeping the ground with brooms, shooing Lin Qinshuang and Zhou Xueniang away.

Watching the two women, master and servant, being driven away, Caihuan said resentfully, "Hmph! Let's see if this family is surnamed Sheng or Lin."

On the way back to Linxi Pavilion,
Lin Qinshuang walked briskly, panting heavily, clearly quite angry with Caihuan.

Zhou Xueniang helped Lin Qinshuang up: "Young lady, judging from the eldest lady's expression, she definitely won't let the fourth young lady attend Granny Kong's class."

"You have to go, even if they don't want you to!" Lin Qinshuang said firmly. "Although Granny Kong has been away from the capital for three or four years, have you seen her reputation decline?"

"And look at the kind of people that Granny Kong taught before? They were all noble ladies from duke families or daughters of imperial concubines!"

"She just returned to the capital to tutor at our home, and everyone is sending her gifts like they're free! What does this mean? It means they have deep friendships, and it's also a network of connections for Mo'er when she becomes the mistress of the house!"

Zhou Xueniang nodded in agreement with a look of sudden realization, "No wonder! Even those with money and power might not be able to invite her!"

Lin Qinshuang nodded and said, "If Mo'er can't attend this class today since Granny Kong is here, she'll be significantly shorter than her two younger sisters!"

"When it comes time to arrange marriages, everyone will surely choose those two girls. What will become of my Mo'er then!"

"No way! Even if I have to force it in, I'll still stuff Mo Lan in!"

Zhou Xueniang: "You're right, young lady!"

in the afternoon,

The sun sets in the west.

Jiying Lane,
Xu Zaijing and his classmates left the Sheng family's gate together.

Looking west from horseback,

You can see that the few dark clouds that were blocking the sun have been edged with gold by the sunlight.

As they were talking, Gu Tingye noticed Xu Zaijing suddenly freeze in shock and asked, "Fifth Brother? What's wrong?"

As he spoke, Gu Tingye glanced a few times in the direction Xu Zaijing was looking.

Before Xu Zaijing could explain, Alan rode up to him and said, "Young masters, the madam says you should go home quickly."

"What's wrong?" Xu Zaijing asked.

"They said someone from the palace has come."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing and Zaizhang bowed to Qi Heng and Gu Tingye, then hurriedly spurred their horses and galloped towards the Marquis's residence.

On the way, Xu Zaijing asked Alan a few questions, but Alan didn't know much.

Back at the Marquis's residence,

Xu Zaijing and his brother hurried into the front hall of the front yard.

Upon seeing the eunuch Huai Bao standing in the hall, Xu Zaijing quickly cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Lord Huai Bao."

He turned slightly and bowed to his mother, Madam Sun, and his two sisters-in-law.

Huai Bao, who was sitting and drinking tea, quickly stood up, smiled, nodded, and cupped his hands, saying, "Greetings, gentlemen."

After looking Xu Zaijing up and down, Huai Bao waved his hand and said, "Men, get to work!"

After a conversation, Xu Zaijing learned that Prince Zhao Fang's wedding was a few months away, and besides members of the imperial family, Xu Zaijing, the eldest son of a marquis, was also among the best man.

The eunuch Huaibao brought people to measure Xu Zaijing's height in order to make the ceremonial robes for the ceremony.

Xu Zaijing opened his arms, letting the young eunuch measure his figure, and looked at Huaibao with a smile: "My lord, besides me, there is also Yuan Ruo?"

“Yes, Goro!” Huaibao said with a smile.

After saying that, Huaibao added, "Let it grow a little longer, who knows, Wulang might grow taller in the next three months."

"Yes, sir." The young eunuch stood on a low stool, tiptoed, and climbed a little higher.

Xu Zaijing said with a smile, "Lord Huaibao, does this mean that the sixth son of the Liang family, Marquis of Yongchang, is also going?"

Upon hearing this, Huai Bao smiled and said, "Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother isn't going."

"Liang Han isn't going?" Xu Zaijing was slightly surprised.

Huai Bao nodded.

Xu Zaijing's eyes twitched a few times, and after forming a guess in his mind, he looked at Huaibao.

Huai Bao was the adopted son of a high-ranking official in the palace and was also good at reading people. Seeing Xu Zaijing's eyes, he smiled and nodded, saying, "Fifth Brother, it's just as you guessed."

After thinking for a moment, Zai Zhang, who was sitting to the side, shook his head in confusion.

When the sun sets,
Xu Zaijing and Zaizhang escorted the eunuch to the main gate.

Huai Bao glanced at Xu Zaijing and said with a smile, "Fifth Master, you are always self-disciplined. I'm just being nosy about the things you need to be careful about these next few months."

Xu Zaijing looked somewhat embarrassed and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I know the importance of this matter."

Huai Bao smiled and bowed, "Then this servant will take her leave. Please wait a moment, gentlemen."

With that, Huaibao walked toward the carriage.

Watching the imperial guards disappear into the distance, Zai Zhang said uncertainly, "Xiao Wu, the eunuch doesn't mean he wants you to remain a virgin, does he?"

Xu Zaijing nodded helplessly: "That's right."

Yongchang Marquis's Residence

In the back hall,
As dusk fell, Lord Liang and Madam Wu glanced at the dejected Liang Han.

Lord Liang: "Sigh!"

Madam Wu frowned and said in a scolding tone, "Sixth Brother, what did I tell you back then? Didn't I tell you to learn more from Jing-ge?"

Liang Han nodded.

Madam Wu: "And what happened? Did you listen to me? You're not that old, but you've already ruined your health with wine and women. When Physician Yu took your pulse, he shook his head and didn't even give you a chance to plead for him."

Liang Han swallowed hard, looked up and said, "Mother, it's not entirely my fault. Keeping maids in my room is like putting meat in the house."

Madam Wu glared at him: "Shut up! Haven't you seen all the maids around Jing-ge'er? Aren't they all prettier than the ones around you? How can he resist?"

Liang Han mumbled a few words.

"Speak louder, I can't hear you!" Lord Liang scolded.

“My son said that Jingge trains for half an hour every day, which exhausts his energy, so he can naturally endure it.”

"Bang!" Lord Liang slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and glared at the table, saying, "So you're saying it was my fault for not training you in martial arts?"

Seeing Lord Liang's expression, and fearing that Liang Han would be punished by family law, Madam Wu quickly advised, "Lord Liang, that's not what Liu Lang meant."

As she spoke, Madam Wu gave Liang Han a series of meaningful glances.

Liang Han understood: "Father, that's not what you meant."

Lord Liang continued to glare angrily at Liang Han.

Then, Lord Liang sighed, "His Highness is the future. To be able to serve as his personal best man on his wedding day is such a wonderful thing. With this favor, Liu Lang will be able to..."

Madam Wu nodded and continued, "My lord, on the day of His Highness's wedding, the personal attendants were not available, but Sixth Prince still had the opportunity to follow on the periphery."

“The sons of families like the Duke of Lingguo, the Duke of Hanguo, the Marquis of Jinxiang, and the Marquis of Zhongshan are no different from Liu Lang.”

"Besides, Liu Lang and Jing Ge'er grew up together and have a deep bond, so you don't need to worry too much, Lord Marquis."

Upon hearing this, Lord Liang nodded and said, "That's true."

After saying that, Lord Liang pointed at Liang Han a few more times in anger.

The Duke of Qi's Mansion

backyard,

Princess Pingning waved her round fan, looked at Qi Heng, and said, "Heng'er, this concerns His Highness. I believe you know the importance of this matter."

Qi Heng stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Mother, rest assured, I will keep myself pure and upright these next few months! I will never let you worry."

Duke Qi smiled and nodded: "My lady, Yuanruo has always been obedient and sensible, so you can rest assured."

Princess Pingning said, "Heng'er, sit down."

Princess Pingning then looked at Duke Qi and said, "I'll also take a walk around the manor these next two days to see if there are any hidden dangers."

In a certain mansion,
Under the candlelight,
In a study full of signs of restoration,
Someone stood in front of the bookshelf, shoved a book back onto the shelf, and whispered, "Finally, we're almost there!"

(End of this chapter)