Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 737 What was the purpose of stepping out from the crowd? [Thank you! Thank you again! 37k words owed]

New Year's Day,

Early morning,

It was still early, the moon had not yet risen, the sky was dark, and only a few stars could be seen in the sky.

Quyuan Street,
The Marquis of Yongyi's Residence

Bright lanterns hung high in front of the gate, illuminating a large area nearby.

You can vaguely see that the candle inside the lantern has burned down to almost nothing.

At this time,

Street corner direction,

Someone carrying a lantern walked briskly towards us.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Marquis of Yongyi's residence, by the light of the lanterns, one could clearly see a servant wearing earmuffs and carrying a lantern.

The servant glanced at the gate, then took out a card from his pocket. Looking at the two silk bags on the gate, the servant hesitated for a moment before putting the card into one of the bags.

As he was handing out the invitations, the servant glanced into the silk pouch, then squeezed another one. Realizing he was the first to hand out New Year's greetings, the servant smiled smugly, turned, and quickly left.

Not long after the servant left
People arrived one after another at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, riding horses, donkeys, carriages, and sedan chairs. Their actions were all very uniform: they all threw New Year's greeting cards into silk bags.

Sometimes, two or three servants or stewards would meet together, exchange New Year's greetings with clasped hands, and then put their invitations into a silk bag.

6:00 AM (卯时正刻)
"Oh oh oh-"

The sound of a rooster crowing could be heard.

The moon also appeared on the horizon.

The streets and alleys of the city gradually became more crowded with pedestrians.

In addition to the smell of burning coal, there was also the smell of other things being ignited in the air.

Voices began to rise in the Xu family's courtyard.

The Qingyun Courtyard is not far from the Xu family's gate.

The gate was tightly closed, and some remnants of fireworks and firecrackers were piled up and set on fire in the courtyard.

The Yin family's sons and daughters stood beside Qingyun, curiously watching Hua Qing chanting incantations as she beat the fire with a whip made of braided copper coins.

Outside the courtyard,
Quyuan Street,

At the main gate of the Marquis's mansion,
"Squeak."

The side gate of the Xu family's house opened.

Xu Zaijing walked out with his hands behind his back, looking utterly dejected, followed by Lu Zezong, Dai Ge'er, Zhong Ge'er, and several other children.

“Brother,” Lu Zezong said, looking at Xu Zaijing.

"Uncle," the nephew and niece called out.

Xu Zaijing shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself, "Is this the punishment for being unmarried?"

Then, Xu Zaijing took a deep breath and shouted, "Selling idiocy, selling idiocy for a thousand strings of cash!"

With Xu Zaijing setting an example, the other children laughed and shouted.

This commotion attracted the attention of many pedestrians on Quyuan Street.

After shouting, Xu Xingdai and the others laughed and ran back to the courtyard.

"Slow down! Watch your step!" Xu Zaijing shouted.

"Understood, Uncle!"

The children replied with smiles from the direction of the second gate.

"Ugh!"

Lu Zezong, who didn't run after them, sighed softly.

Xu Zaijing turned his head to look and said, "What's wrong? Sighing on the first day of the Lunar New Year, that's not good! Quick, spit a few times."

"Pah, pah, pah!" Lu Zezong obeyed obediently.

Xu Zaijing nodded approvingly and asked, "What's on your mind?"

Dressed in brocade and wearing earmuffs, Lu Zezong, who was only up to Xu Zaijing's waist, took a deep breath like a little adult.

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Zezong said somewhat dejectedly, "Brother, next year isn't right. Are you not going to visit my house this year?"

Xu Zaijing nodded, then noticed that his sworn brother was looking down and couldn't see, so he said, "That should be it!"

Lu Zezong glanced at Xu Zaijing and said, "That's true! My sworn brother, you've reached the age where you should marry a sister-in-law."

Xu Zaijing smiled and patted Lu Zezong on the shoulder: "You little devil! When it's inconvenient for me to go to the Duke's Mansion, you can come to the Xu family to play!"

As they talked, the two walked under the covered walkway.

"Hmm!" Lu Zezong looked up and smiled at Xu Zaijing.

By the light of the lanterns in the corridor, Xu Zaijing looked at Lu Zezong and continued, "Brother Zong, it seems like you have something on your mind."

"Huh? Brother, you could even tell that?" Lu Zezong asked in surprise.

Xu Zaijing nodded emphatically: "Yes! I can tell! Tell me, and see if I, as your older brother, can help you solve this."

Lu Zezong glanced at Xu Zaijing and shook his head, saying, "Brother, there's no point in telling you this."

Xu Zaijing put his arm around Lu Zezong's shoulder and asked with a smile, "So sure?"

"Mm!" Lu Zezong nodded, pursing his lips.

Looking at his sworn brother beside him, Xu Zaijing pondered for a moment and tentatively asked, "What? Brother Zong, do you have a girl you like?"

"what?"

Lu Zezong's eyes widened, and he froze.

After exchanging a glance with Xu Zaijing, Lu Zezong quickly lowered his head and waved his hand, saying, "No!"

"That's not the case!"

"Brother, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

"I'm so young, how could I possibly have a girl I like?"

"Oh--"

Seeing his sworn brother's expression, Xu Zaijing, who had been asking a random question, suddenly understood that he had asked the right one.

Seeing that Xu Zaijing did not continue to ask questions, Lu Zezong thought he had gotten away with it and looked up at Xu Zaijing as he walked away.

"It's alright even if you have it!" Xu Zaijing laughed.

“Brother, you!” Lu Zezong frowned as he looked at Xu Zaijing.

"Fine, fine! You don't have a girl you like, okay?" Xu Zaijing said helplessly.

Lu Zezong nodded.

Seeing his sworn brother lost in thought, Xu Zaijing didn't say anything more, and the two quietly walked towards the backyard.

suddenly,

"Which one is it from?"

Xu Zaijing asked abruptly.

Lu Zezong, who was thinking about something, blurted out, "Which family is Cao from? My sworn brother?"

Before Lu Zezong could panic and regret his actions, Xu Zaijing suppressed his surprise and laughed, "Eh? Brother Zong, although you reacted quickly, how could you use foul language?"

Lu Zezong was taken aback, then breathed a sigh of relief and bowed slightly, saying, "It was my brother who misspoke."

Xu Zaijing's eyes were full of thought as he looked down and put his arm around Lu Zezong's shoulder.

East of the palace, along the moat,

The Chai family's main hall in the backyard.
Yunmu looked helplessly at Chai Zhengzheng, who was curled up in the recliner, dozing off, and said, "Miss, although they are not coming to pay New Year's visits today, we still have to go to the palace later!"

"You've come back to the courtyard and already lie down! Get up quickly!"

Chai Zhengzheng didn't even open her eyes, muttering to herself, "There's no rush to enter the palace! Let me sleep for a while, it's not too late to get up and wash later."

“You’ve had plenty of time to rest since you came back from the palace this morning!” Yunmu said, pulling on Chai Zhengzheng’s arm.

"Fuyi, come and help!" Yunmu called out.

It took two maids working together to pull Chai Zhengzheng up from the recliner and press her down in front of the dressing table.

Looking at Chai Zhengzheng, who still had her eyes closed, Yunmu said helplessly, "Judging from today, Lady Xu might bring Liu Niang to the palace. I wonder what that little noble lady looks like now."

"Oh, right!" Chai Zhengzheng suddenly came to her senses and said with a quick glance, "You should find a few more cute and lovely pieces of jewelry for me to give as gifts."

"Yes, girl."

morning,

The sky was bright.

Near several palace gates, there were many fine carriages parked.

Every now and then, well-dressed men and women would dismount from their horses or carriages and walk through the palace gates toward the inner palace.

A quarter of an hour later,
The palace where the empress resides
Outside the palace,

The families of many officials and nobles from the capital stood there. As they breathed and spoke softly, wisps of white vapor appeared around them.

After meeting the Lu family of Duke Lian, Lu Zezong left Xu Zaijing's side and returned to the Lu family.

Along the way, they would greet the people from the Marquis of Yongyi's residence whenever they saw them.

Once everyone had stood still,
Then an official came out of the palace and began to summon each family member to come into the palace to offer New Year's greetings.

As in previous years, the Qi State Duke's family was summoned to the palace by the palace officials early on, and the families following behind remained unchanged.

However, this year is different.

such as,

Even though there were still members of the Duke's family, such as the Han and Tan families, outside the palace,

However, the families of marquises such as the Cao, Xu, and Gu families had already been summoned into the palace by the palace officials.

Such changes,

This caused a change in the expressions of many people outside the hall.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, when people go to the palace to pay New Year's respects, they can enter the hall according to their military rank, which would make everyone look good.

but,

But the royal family did not do so.

That shows that the royal family's dislike for the families ranked lower has reached a point where they no longer want to hide it.

In the palace,

Because Zai Duan was currently serving in the military, he did not come to the rear court, but instead attended the grand court assembly on the first day of the month.

Therefore, under the leadership of Madam Sun, everyone from the Marquis of Yongyi's residence bowed to the Empress, Consort Rong, the Crown Princess, the two princesses, and the Second Prince to wish them a Happy New Year.

The Empress looked at the Xu family members, extended her hand and smiled, "Everyone, please rise."

"Thank you, Queen."

After the Xu family members straightened up, the Empress looked at the little girl holding Xu Zaijing's finger and said, "Madam Xu, this must be your youngest daughter."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Madam Sun nodded with a smile.

"Good child, come here, let me take a look." The Empress smiled and beckoned to Ningmei.

Xu Zaijing smiled down at his younger sister and said, "Sixth Sister, go and wish the Empress and the Crown Princess a Happy New Year."

Ning Mei wasn't shy at all. After letting go of Xu Zaijing's fingers, she took two cute steps forward and knelt on the thick carpet.

"Happy Chinese New Year, Auntie and Crown Princess! Xu Jianingmei wishes you a Happy New Year."

Looking at the adorable little Ning Mei, the wives and noblewomen of the officials standing nearby all laughed.

"Oh my! Good child! Come here and let me see you." The Empress smiled and reached out her hand.

Crown Princess Gao Taotao looked at Ning Mei with a smile on her face.

Ning Mei glanced back at Xu Zaijing and Madam Sun, then stood up and walked toward the Empress with her short legs.

The female official standing nearby quickly stepped forward to protect him.

Upon reaching the Empress, the Empress picked Ningmei up in her arms and laughed, "Look at you, little one, you're even cuter than your brother was when he was a child."

Ning Mei's eyes darted around, and she nodded with a smile, saying, "Ning Mei thanks Your Majesty for the compliment."

"When you have free time in the future, come to the palace to visit your two older sisters often." After saying half a sentence, the Empress shook her head with a smile, patted Ningmei's clothes affectionately, and said, "Ningmei, you are not old, but you are quite senior."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall burst into laughter again.

After exchanging a few more words, the Empress finally put Ningmei down and let her return to Xu Zaijing's side.

Following behind the Xu family were the Zheng family.

The newlywed Zhang Wu Niang followed Zheng Xiao and Madam Zheng, bowing to the royal family to wish them a Happy New Year.

After offering words of encouragement, the Empress smiled and rewarded Zhang's fifth daughter with a set of jewelry.

Over the years, many noble ladies have come to the palace to pay their respects in the first year of their marriage.

However, on the first day of the lunar new year, only a handful of families receive a reward.

Beside Princess Pingning, Qi Heng looked at the Zheng family members, his eyes flickering as he pursed his lips.

Subsequently,

The remaining nobles and officials entered the palace to offer New Year's greetings.

After it ended,
There was still some time before the emperor, the crown prince, and the important officials of the court arrived.

The Empress smiled and spoke to the Cao family of Marquis Tuoxi. The others in the hall understood and began to whisper among themselves.

At this moment, Xu Zaijing was holding his younger sister.

Ning Mei rested her chin on Xu Zaijing's shoulder, her big eyes darting back and forth.

Whenever Ningmei sees a beautiful lady or noblewoman, her eyes crinkle with a smile.

If an unfamiliar noblewoman waves to her, Ning Mei will politely wave back.

Many people can't help but laugh when they see this scene.

Not far from the Empress and Consort Rong, Rong Feiyan and Ning Mei, who was perched on Xu Zaijing's shoulder, exchanged a glance.

After Rong Feiyan smiled at Ning Mei, she saw Ning Mei's eyes widen as she grabbed Xu Zaijing's ear and said something.

While Rong Feiyan was still wondering, Xu Zaijing's gaze swept over under Ning Mei's direction.

Ning Mei seemed to ask a couple more questions, and Xu Zaijing looked at Rong Feiyan and nodded repeatedly with a smile.

In front of everyone, Rong Feiyan suppressed her shyness, and after exchanging a few breaths with Xu Zaijing, she looked away.

When Rong Feiyan looked at Ning Mei again, she saw Hua Lan placing a cute little piece of jewelry into Ning Mei's hand.

Rong Feiyan peeked out and saw Chai Zhengzheng standing not far away next to Madam Chai, smiling and waving at Ning Mei.

Just as Rong Feiyan felt a little regretful, she suddenly noticed that Xu Zaijing had glanced in her direction again.

Rong Feiyan, who knew how beautiful she was through the diamond mirror, happily bit her lip lightly.

At this time,

"His Majesty has arrived! His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Outside the palace, the high-pitched voice of the chief eunuch rang out.
The once noisy hall quickly fell silent.

Qi Heng, who was standing next to Princess Pingning, took a deep breath in nervousness.

quickly,

The emperor led Zhao Fang into the hall, followed by many nobles and high-ranking officials, including Gu Tingyu and Xu Zaidan.

Everyone in the hall bowed in respect.

The emperor smiled and nodded, then walked with Zhao Fang to the side of the empress and others.

The nobles and high-ranking officials went to their respective families.

While the hall was still slightly chaotic, the Empress pointed to the Xu family members and said a few words to the Emperor and her son Zhao Fang with a smile.

The emperor smiled kindly and nodded, while Zhao Fang looked on with curiosity.

After a while,
Just as the hall was about to quiet down,

Just as the chief eunuch was about to step forward and loudly announce the New Year's greetings to everyone in the hall, Qi Heng quickly took a few steps away from the Duke of Qi and Princess Pingning.

Seeing Qi Heng walk to the front of the Emperor and Empress in the hall, the chief eunuch quickly suppressed the breath he had been holding in.

at the same time,

Because Qi Heng did not discuss it with his parents.
The Duke of Qi and Princess Pingning were also somewhat taken aback.

Princess Pingning, who instinctively thought her son was about to say something auspicious, had a look of confusion mixed with expectant joy in her eyes.

The Emperor, Empress, Zhao Fang, and Crown Princess also noticed Qi Heng, who stood out from the crowd.

The emperor smiled, looked at Qi Heng, and said in a kind voice, "Yuanruo, what brings you here today, child, to stand out from the crowd?"

The Empress, who seemed to know something, exchanged a glance with the Crown Princess and looked at Qi Heng with a kind smile.

The hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone turned their attention to the eldest son of the Duke, who was standing before the Emperor and Empress.

Qi Heng took a deep breath, lifted his robe, and knelt on the carpet. He kowtowed to the Emperor and Empress, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I, Qi Heng, humbly request Your Majesty to grant me this marriage."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Qi understood in a flash, and his brows furrowed immediately.

Upon hearing this, Princess Pingning didn't think of anything else; just hearing Qi Heng's words struck her like a thunderbolt!
"Heng'er! Shut up!"

"Yuan Ruo! Come back!"

The Duke and his wife of Qi reacted quickly, their expressions anxious and their tone stern as they reprimanded them.

The sound echoed throughout the hall.

The emperor continued to smile, but the empress and the crown princess's smiles faded, and their brows furrowed slightly.

Standing next to her mother-in-law, Madam Sun, Hua Lan was completely unaware of what was happening. She still curiously tiptoed and peeked over the shoulder, watching the commotion in front of the Emperor and Empress.

Xu Zaijing looked at Qi Heng with some disbelief, but then he knew what Qi Heng was about to do.

(End of this chapter)