Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 706 Sister, please [Thank you! Bow again! 38k words owed]

Next,
Inside Shou'an Hall,

A quiet place,
Qi Heng and Qi Yuanruo were so happy because the Sheng family's daughter had such a good person as Granny Kong to teach her.

Granny Kong was quite famous. Her teachings were like a brick under the feet of the Sheng family's daughters, allowing them to look further ahead in terms of marriage prospects.

"You must have misread it, right?" the old lady asked uncertainly.

Granny Kong shook her head: "Qi Heng and your young lady are not related, they are just classmates! If the young lady marries well, Qi Heng wouldn't be so overjoyed."

“Granny, you mean…” asked Mama Fang.

Granny Kong nodded affirmatively, and looked at Mama Fang with a smile, saying, "Suqin, you guessed right! Among these young ladies, there is the one that Young Master Qi is interested in."

"Of the three girls, Minglan, who was raised by the elder sister, is the most outstanding! I think she is not only beautiful, but also has a good personality and a heart full of beauty. She is probably the one."

Madam Cui asked in confusion, "Granny, I see that Fourth Miss Mo Lan is slender and pretty, how come she isn't Fourth Miss?"

Granny Kong waved her hand: "Ru'an, Mo Lan's personality has been spoiled. Although she has some cleverness, she only knows how to flatter and fawn over others! I can see that, do you think Young Master Qi can't?"

"How could the daughter-in-law of the Duke's mansion have such a personality?"

After saying that, Granny Kong said with some delight, "Looking at this young master, he must have thought about many things, and naturally he knows the difference in social standing between your two families!"

“Minglan being able to be taught by me has undoubtedly made up for some of the shortcomings, which is why he is so happy.”

With a smile on her face, Granny Kong turned her head and looked at the old lady with a hint of seeking credit.

but,
What they saw was Old Madam Sheng with a stern face.

The old lady looked at Granny Kong with a stern face and a little nervousness. Although the old sisters had not seen each other for many years, the tacit understanding from their youth was still there.

Granny Kong immediately understood what the old lady meant and waved her hand, saying, "Elder sister, don't worry! I've tested her overtly and covertly, and it seems that Minglan has no interest in the Duke of Qi's mansion."

When Minglan heard old stories about the Marquis of Xiangyang's mansion and the Xue family, her eyes rarely lit up.

The Marquis of Xiangyang's family was the maternal family of Princess Pingning, while the Xue family was the maternal family of Princess Pingning's elder sister-in-law.

If you are interested, you should listen carefully, so that you can better conduct yourself after marrying into the Qi family.

Upon hearing this, the old lady loosened her grip on the fan slightly.

"Older sister, Minglan is a girl raised by you. Why do you seem so nervous?" Granny Kong asked, raising an eyebrow.

The old lady said with a face full of emotion, "What kind of family is the Duke of Qi's mansion? Don't you know the character of Princess Pingning?"

The old lady waved her fan and said, "Don't even mention Minglan, even Hualan's own sister Rulan, that princess might not even look at her! If Minglan has such thoughts, she's only harming herself!"

Granny Kong shook her head, saying in strong disagreement, "Princess Pingning may disagree, but the young master is fond of her! She only has one son, how could Princess Pingning go against the young master's wishes?"

The old lady frowned and said, "It's precisely because she only has one son that Princess Pingning dotes on him to the core, which is why she won't agree! Don't waste your energy on this!"

Granny Kong nodded helplessly and said, "Alright, alright! Old sister, I can handle that! But fundamentally, we need to make Young Master Qi give up his idea!"

"If you ask me, if Princess Pingning had foresight, she should have agreed to this marriage!"

Without asking why, the old lady said directly, "If you have a long-term vision, then at least you need Changzhen to pass the imperial examination. By then, how old will Minglan be?"

Granny Kong thought for a moment and smiled, "That's true!" Then she picked up her teacup and took a sip of her drink.

The old lady also picked up her teacup and sipped her drink.

Then, noticing the way Granny Kong was staring at her, the old lady said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Granny Kong smiled and said, "Elder sister, the letters you sent me from outside the capital seemed to carry a melancholy tone. It was only after you returned to the capital that this feeling gradually dissipated."

The old lady frowned and asked with a smile, "Is there?"

Granny Kong pursed her lips and replied firmly, "Of course there is!"

After saying that, Granny Kong looked at the old lady and asked, feigning ignorance, "Why is that? How strange!"

The old lady glanced at Granny Kong with a somewhat unnatural expression, then looked away and said, "What do you mean, 'why'? It's just your imagination!"

"Sigh!" Granny Kong sighed again and said, "Back then, I wrote you so many letters, trying to help you repair your relationship with your maternal family, the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion!"

"Not only did you not listen, but you also scolded me so badly in that letter!"

"They're practically ready to break off all ties with me."

The old lady slapped her thigh, feeling quite embarrassed, and said, "Oh dear! Why did you bring this up?"

Granny Kong looked at the old lady with a "I'll bring it up" expression.

The matriarch, standing nearby, intervened, saying, "Granny! My young lady did listen to what I said back then! Isn't Lady Xu the same Lady He whom my young lady sought out?"

"Besides, some things depend on the people involved! Back then, it was Xu Hou's mother who was in charge of the household. Given her personality, no matter what we did, the relationship between the two families could never be repaired!"

"Actually, my daughter has always been very grateful to the nanny over the years."

Granny Kong smiled.

Looking at the old lady, Fang's mother continued with a sigh, "Actually, my daughter already had family back in Yangzhou."

"After arriving in the capital, Marquis Xu, his wife, and several young men all treated my daughter as their closest relatives and elders."

“In the past ten years, my daughter has rarely suffered any injustice! Before, if the Sheng family had any trouble and my daughter didn’t help, it was as if she had committed a terrible crime!”

"Nowadays, no one dares to force her like that anymore."

The old lady listened to Fang Mama's words and looked at Kong Mama with great emotion.

these years,

Ever since Sheng Hong passed the imperial examination and married Wang Ruofu as his first wife, the old lady began to relinquish her power, and she suffered a lot of mistreatment in the Sheng family.

The old lady was, after all, Sheng Hong's legal mother, not his biological mother. They had no blood relation and were only maintained by a nominal relationship.

It was only because of the constraints of etiquette and law that Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu showed filial piety; otherwise, who knows what would have happened.

In the distant future,
Back then, Wang Ruofu couldn't distinguish right from wrong and interfered in the affairs of the outer court, almost causing trouble.

Sheng Hong also insisted on bringing Lin Qinshuang into the family.

Closer ones,
Sheng Hong insisted that Mo Lan come to the old lady's side.

Lin Qinshuang, who entered the Sheng family against the old lady's wishes, still wanted the old lady to support her after Mo Lan grew up, taking advantage of the Marquis Yongyi's only daughter's status and paving the way for Mo Lan's advancement. She was purely trying to disgust the old lady.

Wang Ruofu, however, held onto Rulan tightly, showing no intention of helping the old lady out of her predicament.

As for the future, let's not talk about that.

Every single incident was an act of bullying the old lady.

It implies that good people should be held at gunpoint.

but,
Things began to change after Xu Zaijing and his group arrived in Yangzhou, especially after the Lady of the Marquis's Mansion stepped in to help the Sheng family out of their predicament and save Hua Lan's reputation.

The Marquis of Yongyi's mansion was gradually gaining power and was increasingly valued by the emperor. Only then did Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu respect the elderly and care for the young, obediently following orders and no longer daring to make things difficult for or disobey the old lady.

The truth is, the old lady already has her family backing her up!
Having a way out,
Some people will speak out for her.

Ordinary people dared not bully the old lady.

All of this may be because Granny Kong tirelessly wrote letters to the old lady, hoping that she could repair her relationship with the Marquis's mansion.

Thinking about all this, the old lady smiled at Granny Kong, raised her drink with a meaningful look in her eyes, and said, "Sister, please."

Granny Kong understood the old lady's meaning and smiled smugly.

In early June,
The weather is getting hotter and hotter.

The people of Bianjing began to rush to the north of the city to offer sacrifices to Lord Cui.

Fortunately, the school had a rotating fan blowing on an ice chest with a copper pipe inserted, so the sweltering heat wasn't too unbearable.

That afternoon,

The Marquis of Yongyi's Residence

Xu Zaijing, returning home, walked towards his courtyard with green grass in his arms.

"Young master, young master, I saw something interesting today," Qingcao whispered.

"Hmm? What is it?" Xu Zaijing asked, "Did Xiaodie tell you?" Qingcao shook her head, looked around, and said, "Young Master, today Brother Qingyun told me that he saw Miss Pinlan with a white bandage wrapped around her hand. It looks like she's injured!"

Xu Zaijing asked in confusion, "Injured? Pinlan has been taking classes in the Sheng family's backyard, how could she be injured?"

Qingcao continued, "It wasn't just Miss Pinlan! On our way to Jin'anzhai, Sister Xiaodie and I also saw Miss Sheng Wu carrying a white cloth!"

"Could it be that these two girls got into a fight?"

Xu Zaijing's eyes darted around, and he already guessed what had happened: it was probably Granny Kong showing off her power, letting the four Sheng family girls make mistakes and act recklessly, and then seizing the opportunity to punish them severely.

I just don't know when the penalty was imposed.

Xu Zaijing could not have imagined anything else.

But with Granny Kong around, they're bound to get to the bottom of things and expose Lin Qinshuang's true colors!

As the matriarch of the household, Wang Ruofu was sure to find the conversation thoroughly enjoyable!

She secretly wished that Granny Kong could stay in the Sheng family forever, to be Wang Ruofu's mouthpiece, and to scold Lin Qinshuang like this every day!
With Wei Shuyi as a 'positive example,' Granny Kong's words will likely be even harsher.

"Young master? Young master?" Qingcao called out from the side.

Seeing Xu Zaijing looking over, Qingcao said, "I called you several times, but you didn't hear me. What are you thinking about?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "It's nothing! When you have time, Qingcao, go to the backyard of the Sheng family often, get close to Xiaotao, Xique and the others, and ask Granny Kong how she disciplines people."

Just as Qingcao was about to nod, Xu Zaijing laughed and said, "However, you might not get any answers from him."

“This servant will give it a try,” Qingcao replied.

"Hmm! If you really want to find out, don't forget to tell your young master."

"Hehe, don't worry, young master!"

Back in the courtyard,

Yunxiang and Huaxiang quickly came forward to greet them.

She helped Xu Zaijing, who was covered in sweat from the journey, to bathe and change his clothes.

When Xu Zaijing finished washing up and came out, he saw two lotus flowers with their stems intertwined in a vase in the main room.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's gaze, Qingcao smiled and said, "Young Master, this was just delivered by Sister Yunjin."

Xu Zaijing nodded: "That kid Tan Xiao is in the navy, how could he have the time to look for this?"

Qingcao laughed and said, "He said he found it during his free time from training."

Xu Zaijing smiled.

The sun sets,

The stars and moon rise into the sky.

After the stars and constellations shifted,

A new day has arrived.

Although it was cool in the morning,

However, when Xu Zaijing arrived at Jiying Lane, he still felt a bit sticky. He only felt much better after washing his face.

quickly,

It was exactly 6:00 AM (卯时正刻).
Scholar Zhuang walked into the school, fanning himself with a folding fan.
Xu Zaijing looked up at the seat in front of Gu Tingye, which was still empty.

Zhuang Xuejiu frowned slightly as he glanced at the paper, then sat down at the table and said, "Please hand in yesterday's assignments."

During a break in class in the morning, Xu Zaijing looked at Qi Heng and said, "Yuanruo, do you know why Erlang didn't come today?"

Qi Heng shook his head and said, "Brother Jing, I'm not entirely sure either."

Changfeng, standing behind Qi Heng, looked at the two of them and said, "Second Brother Gu has been looking very worried these past two days."

Before Changfeng could finish speaking, Qi Heng patted his forehead with a knowing look and said confidently, "I understand!"

Looking at Xu Zaijing, Qi Heng said, "It's almost certainly Third Aunt's fault."

Xu Zaijing nodded quickly upon hearing this, as Qi Heng's third aunt was Gu Tingyi.

I reckon she'll be due to give birth around this time of year.

really,

Before school ended at noon, Shi Tou grinned as he entered the classroom to apologize and ask for leave for Gu Tingye and Zhuang Xuejiu.

After Shi Tou finished speaking, Xu Zaijing and the others learned that the Huang family of the Marquis of Shoushan had a new baby boy.

Seeing the curious expressions on everyone's faces, Zhuang Xuejiu smiled, waved his folding fan, and said, "Alright everyone, let's end get out of class now."

Everyone stood up and agreed.

They then surrounded the stones.

Xu Zaijing asked, "Shitou, has Huang Jia Dalang returned?"

Shi Tou cupped his hands and shook his head: "Reporting to Fifth Young Master, my son-in-law has not returned to the capital! But we have already sent an urgent messenger."

Xu Zaijing smiled.

Changbai laughed and said, "Erlang finally has a nephew."

Everyone in the classroom burst into laughter.

Time flies.

It was late June.
Twenty-four days ago,
Two towering flagpoles have been erected in front of the Shenbao Temple in the west of the city.

The people of Bianjing City braved the heat to go out and see all the excitement.

The stalls selling various iced drinks, cold snacks, and fruits along the street are doing very well.

Xu Zaijing, who had intended to go out for a trip, was forced to stay at home by Madam Sun, the wife of Marquis Xu, to prevent anything from happening again.

Xu Zaijing also enjoyed reading and practicing calligraphy in his cool study at home.

morning,

Xu Zaijing didn't write many characters.
The maid, Yunxiang, knocked on the door and then pushed it open, curtsied, and said with a smile, "Young master, the madam requests your presence in the main hall."

Looking at Xu Zaijing's expression standing behind the table, Yun Xiang smiled and said, "The sister who came to deliver the message said that a relative has come."

"A relative?" Xu Zaijing placed the brush on the brush holder and said, "Put away the paper and brushes, I'll go take a look."

Yun smiled and agreed.

They hurried to the vicinity of the main hall in the backyard.
Before even entering the door, Xu Zaijing heard hearty laughter coming from inside.

After entering the house,
Go around the screen,

Xu Zaijing looked at the burly man sitting with Zai Zhang in surprise and laughed, "Brother-in-law, why did you come back to the capital?"

Huyan Jiong stood up with a smile and looked at Xu Zaijing, saying, "Fifth Brother! I was naturally summoned to the capital by His Majesty!"

"Oh!" Xu Zaijing nodded, walked to Hu Yanjiong's side, and, ignoring the heat on his body, smiled and hugged his brother-in-law.

Hu Yanjiong, who was initially taken aback by Xu Zaijing's enthusiasm, patted Xu Zaijing's arm after he came to his senses.

Then, Huyan Jiong tilted his head slightly and said, "Wulang, have you grown taller again?"

Xu Zaijing chuckled.

After everyone took their seats, Xu Zaijing said, "Brother-in-law, is it because the situation in the north has eased a bit that you were able to return to the capital?"

Hu Yanjiong nodded: "I suppose so! Within a month, either my father-in-law or my brother-in-law will return to the capital to attend His Highness's wedding ceremony."

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, good! I haven't seen my father and elder brother for quite some time."

Seeing Xu Zaijing's silly grin, Hu Yanjiong shook his head with a helpless smile.

If the Western Army soldiers who regarded Xu Zaijing as a legendary figure saw Xu Zaijing grinning foolishly at this moment, I wonder what their expressions would be.

(End of this chapter)