Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 738 Marriage or Feud? [Thank you! Thank you again! 36K words owed]

Listening to their parents' scolding,
Feeling the unprecedented sternness in his parents' words,
Qi Heng, who was kneeling in front, couldn't help but turn around to look.

Just as I turned around,

Qi Heng then saw his father, the Duke of Qi, kneeling anxiously on the carpet, cupping his hands and saying, "Your Majesty! This child, Yuan Ruo, has behaved improperly! I have failed in my duty to raise my son, and I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

Princess Pingning and Duke Qi knelt on the carpet in the same manner, but Princess Pingning also glanced at the Empress and the Crown Princess with concern.

After the Duke of Qi finished speaking, Princess Pingning hurriedly said, "Father! Mother! Please forgive me!"

"In fact, some time ago, Heng'er studied the classics and historical texts for several days in a row in order to complete his studies, which took a lot of effort!"

"I stayed up all night to celebrate the New Year, and my mind became somewhat hazy and confused! That's why I behaved improperly before the Emperor and spoke incoherently. I beg the Emperor and Empress Dowager for forgiveness!"

With that, Princess Pingning kowtowed.

Seeing this scene, the words the servant had said to him last night, which had not been meant to persuade him, suddenly came to mind for Qi Heng.

at the same time,

Everyone in the hall, regardless of age or gender, focused their attention on the Qi family of three.

As his gaze swept over the expressions of the crowd, Qi Heng instantly felt an increased pressure on him.

But thinking of his family background, Minglan's status, and the vast difference between them, Qi Heng, kneeling on the ground, took a deep breath, turned his head, and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty."

The emperor, still smiling, waved his hand at Qi Heng and said, "Yuan Ruo, listen to me first!"

Qi Heng was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

The emperor smiled and said, "Marriage is a major life event, and it has always been based on the arrangement of parents and matchmakers! Although I very much wish to help others achieve their happiness, I cannot overstep my bounds!"

Hearing the emperor's words, Qi Heng looked troubled and nodded reflexively.

As he nodded, Qi Heng glanced curiously at the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and Empress, whose expressions were not very pleasant.

"The Duke of Qi and Ping Ning also said that you have been studying hard for many days and haven't slept all night. You should wait until you have rested before you talk to me."

After the emperor finished speaking, Zhao Fang, who was standing to the side, smiled at Qi Heng.

Princess Pingning, kneeling on the ground, felt a jolt in her heart when she saw Zhao Fang's smile.

Princess Pingning, accustomed to the palace, was adept at reading people and could tell that although Zhao Fang wore a smile, there was little genuine joy in his eyes.

Having understood the emperor's attitude, Qi Heng could only cup his hands and say, "It is Your Majesty! I was being presumptuous."

"Haha, it's a small matter! Pingning, you and your husband may rise!" the emperor said with a smile.

The Duke of Qi and his wife bowed and agreed.

Upon hearing this, Qi Heng kowtowed again, then stood up with a regretful expression and walked towards his parents.

As he approached his parents, Qi Heng seemed to sense something and looked towards the standing nobles.

The expressions of the nobles varied: some were full of curiosity, some looked admiring, some gave him reproachful looks, and some shook their heads slightly.

among them,

The one with the most unfriendly expression was the elderly Marquis of Xiangyang.

The old Marquis of Xiangyang not only looked at Qi Heng with reproach in his eyes, but also looked at his son-in-law, the Duke of Qi, with the same hostility.

Standing behind his father and brother, Chai Zhengzheng looked at his cousin not far away, then turned his head with an inscrutable expression and exchanged a glance with Madam Chai and his two sisters-in-law.

Hua Lan, the second eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Yongyi, no longer stood on tiptoe with a curious expression. Instead, she frowned and looked at her husband, Zai Zhang, with her eyes full of questions for him.

Other noblewomen, such as the Duchess of England and Lady Zheng, all shook their heads.

quickly,

Looking at the restored order in the main hall,
After taking a deep breath, the chief eunuch shouted in a loud voice.

High-ranking officials, nobles, and their families all offered New Year's greetings in unison.

After three shouts in unison, the emperor, empress, and their family walked towards the back of the palace.

The people inside the hall slowly dispersed outside.

There was such a big commotion just now.

At this point, whatever others say when they approach will sound like they're watching a joke.

Therefore,
As they walked out of the palace, apart from the Marquis of Xiangyang and the Chai family, who were related to the Qi family, none of the other families gathered around the Qi family.

After leaving the main hall,

As the crowd gradually dispersed, the distance between people became less close, making it much easier to talk.

The Marquis of Xiangyang, leading his two sons, frowned as he looked at Princess Pingning and the Duke of Qi, and reprimanded them in a low voice: "How have you two been teaching Yuanruo all this time?"

The Duke of Qi, walking beside the head of the Chai family, hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Father-in-law, your son-in-law has been negligent."

Princess Pingning glared at Qi Heng and said, "Father, don't worry about this! Just keep an eye on my two younger brothers."

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Xiangyang shook his head, his breath steaming in the air, and looked at Qi Heng with exasperation, saying, "You fool! You really do whatever comes to mind! Are you trying to make a marriage alliance or an enemy?"

"How can you do things like this?! You've offended someone so badly!"

Qi Heng glanced at his maternal grandfather with a mixture of confusion and panic in his eyes.

Madam Chai, who was supporting Princess Pingning, sighed and advised, "Sister, what's done is done, there's no use in getting angry! Fortunately, Yuanruo didn't reveal the young lady's name!"

"When you get back, talk to Yuan Ruo properly. This matter will be over soon."

The Chai family members all nodded in agreement.

Princess Pingning took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The Marquis of Xiangyang frowned as he looked at the Qi family, shook his head, and said, "After leaving the palace, I will go to the Duke's mansion."

“Father, no need!” Princess Pingning said firmly.

Because the carriages stopped in different locations, the three families quickly separated, with the Chai family heading towards Donghua Gate.

at the same time,

As the high-ranking officials, nobles, and their families dispersed towards the various palace gates, they would occasionally turn back to glance at the Qi family.

"I never would have guessed that the young master of the Qi family, who is so refined and fair-skinned, would have such audacity!" said the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duke Dou family.

“Sister is right! He looks more promising than the Duke of Qi was in his youth,” the Lady of the Ma family of the Marquis of Jinxiang echoed with a mocking smile.

Then, a relative of a high-ranking official from the Yang family came over, covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and whispered, "Look at what happened today, Princess Pingning was really humiliated! At best, it's because the young master is young and impetuous; at worst, it's because the Duke and Duchess of Qi failed to raise their son properly!"

"Let's see if she's still around, telling us how outstanding and promising her son is!"

"You still look down on our girl? Hmph!"

Upon hearing this, the other two quickly nodded, while using handkerchiefs to cover their mocking smiles.

After scoffing twice,

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Dou family, who spoke first, said in a low voice, "Gentlemen, tell me, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, did Young Master Qi want to ask His Majesty to grant him a marriage, or was he instigated by someone else?"

As soon as this word comes out,
Both officials' wives fell into deep thought.

Looking around at the crowd heading towards the palace gate, Lady Jinxiang said in a low voice:
"I think that Young Master Qi must have been instigated to do this. He just wants to get this done in front of His Majesty and make it a fait accompli!"

"I wonder how stunningly beautiful that woman is that she could bewitch the young master so much that he would even go so far as to ask the emperor for a marriage decree."

Just as the officials' wives from the prestigious Yang family were about to nod in agreement, they saw the eldest daughter-in-law of the Dou family gently shake her head.

Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the Yang family officials and the wife of the Marquis of Jinxiang, the eldest daughter of the Dou family smiled and said, "Sometimes, it's not necessarily true that a woman has to be exceptionally beautiful or stunningly gorgeous!"

"Hiss, what do you mean by that?" asked the Lady of Jinxiang.

Madam Dou smiled slightly, exhaled a puff of white breath, and whispered:
"Perhaps it's because Princess Pingning has been keeping a close eye on Young Master Qi, and he's been abstaining from women for so many years, which has made him feel stifled!"

"But at the young master's age, he is both curious and excited about this kind of thing. If someone actually climbs into his bed, can the young master resist?"

"I think it's most likely that the young master accidentally caused this trouble! And the trouble is that he got some woman pregnant!"

"This girl doesn't need to be particularly beautiful. She just needs to make Young Master Qi crave her and become hopelessly infatuated. After making vows of eternal love, she should then act delicate and cry a few times!"

"Perhaps, when she cries, she will hide in her words that she is very afraid of Princess Pingning. In that case, what man could resist her?"

Hearing what the eldest daughter-in-law of the Dou family said, the two people next to her nodded in agreement.

Lady Jinxiang pondered for a moment and said in a low voice, "Then it seems that the woman who had an affair with the young master was most likely not a maid or servant in the Duke's mansion."

“Madam is right! I think she must be a woman from a high-ranking family.” The official’s wife said, then looked back again.

Immediately, the Yang family official's wife said in a very low voice, "Could it be that noble lady from the Chai family?"

Lady Jinxiang shook her head: "Definitely not! The Chai family and the Qi family are a perfect match. If it were really a Chai family daughter, there would be no need for such underhanded tactics. Young Master Qi would simply tell Princess Pingning directly!" "If that were the case, the Chai family certainly wouldn't be going over there now!"

As they spoke,
The wives and noble ladies of the officials also approached the palace gate.

"Hey! Didn't you say that Young Master Qi was studying at the Sheng family in Jiying Lane? Doesn't the Sheng family have several daughters?" Madam Dou asked anxiously.

"Hiss—" The woman next to her gasped in the winter chill.

The wives and daughters of officials, ladies and noblewomen, were a group of people who were both intelligent and gossipy.

The discussions and speculations that followed them out of the palace were largely the same as those of the Dou, Yang, and Ma families.

As everyone knows, Xu's second eldest daughter, Hua Lan, is the eldest daughter of the Sheng family.

Therefore, more and more eyes are turning towards the Marquis of Yongyi's residence.

Feeling the gazes around her, Hua Lan frowned and approached Madam Sun: "Mother, after we leave the palace, I'm thinking of going back to the Sheng family first."

Madam Sun said in a deep voice, "Hua'er, don't be anxious."

As she spoke, Madam Sun glanced at Xu Zaijing and Zaizhang and asked, "Zhang'er, Jing'er, you two have been in the school with Young Master Qi for the past few years. Have you noticed anything unusual these days?"

Zai Zhang met Hua Lan's concerned gaze, shook his head and said, "Mother, I was sitting in the front row and I saw that Yuan Ruo did nothing out of line or impolite in the school."

The Xu family members then looked at Xu Zaijing. Knowing that this concerned the girls' reputations, Xu Zaijing carefully said, "Third brother is right! When Yuanruo is in school, she at most turns around and talks to Changfeng. There are few unusual situations."

"After Granny Kong left the capital last year, a screen was erected in the school, making it difficult to see people clearly."

Upon hearing this, Hua Lan's furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a weight was lifted from her heart.

When the Xu family arrived outside the palace gates, the Marquis of Xiangyang and the Qi family were still walking inside the palace.

The maids and servants of various households stood outside the palace gates.
After watching their respective families leave the palace,
Instead of dispersing and getting into the carriage, they gathered together, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

They could guess that something must have happened in the palace today.

Sun stood on one side of the palace gate for a while, waiting for the Wu family, the Gu family, and several other families to come out.

Xu Zaijing and his brother and sister-in-law stood aside.

As Xu Zaijing waved to his own carriage, he saw Alan leading the horse pulling the carriage closer.

Xu Zaijing glanced at the maid who was greeting him from inside the carriage, his eyes narrowed, and a question flashed through his mind.

Subsequently,

Xu Zaijing said a few words to Zaidan, then walked towards Alan.

"Young master," Alan said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting.

Qingyun, who was standing to the side, also called out to Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing nodded, frowning thoughtfully, and asked, "Alan, I remember last year you and Qingcao and the other two mentioned that the grooms of the Qi State Duke's Mansion and the Sheng Family had some misunderstandings because of Yuan Ruo?"

Alan was taken aback. After thinking for five or six breaths, he nodded and said, "Yes, young master! It should have been last November, the day after the school was closed due to snow, when the young masters went to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence for a banquet."

After listening, Xu Zaijing nodded a few times with a serious expression.

Then, looking at Buwei, who was standing not far away near the Qi family's carriage, his eyes filled with worry and occasionally peeking out on tiptoe, Xu Zaijing sighed softly. He had thought that after making so many changes, Buwei shouldn't be in any trouble! But...
Such a huge blunder occurred, yet Princess Pingning and Duke Qi were completely unaware. If they hadn't reminded the boy, he would likely be in grave danger.

"No way! Come here!"

Xu Zaijing waved to Buwei and called out.

The person wearing earmuffs was taken aback for a moment, then quickly ran over with a smile.

"Fifth Young Master, Brother Qingyun," Buwei greeted with a smile.

Qingyun smiled and nodded in greeting.

Xu Zaijing, however, had a serious expression.

"Fifth Young Master, what's wrong with you today?" Noticing that Xu Zaijing was in a bad mood, Buwei hurriedly asked.

Xu Zaijing pulled Buwei aside and whispered quickly, "Buwei, just now in the palace, Yuanruo publicly asked His Majesty to grant her a marriage."

"What!? How could the young master be so disregard for Miss Sheng's reputation?" Buwei stammered in panic.

Having confirmed his suspicions, Xu Zaijing sighed and continued, "Buwei, Yuanruo was stopped in time by His Majesty and the Duke and Duchess of Qi, and did not reveal Minglan's name."

"Oh!" Buwei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good! That's good!"

Xu Zaijing shook his head and said, "No, that's not good! Around November last year, the Sheng family's coachman had a dispute with Wang Huzi, the Qi family's coachman, over the matter of the banquet we had at the Ningyuan Marquis's residence after the snow."

Upon hearing this, Buwei asked in disbelief, "So, the Duke and the Princess might already know?"

Xu Zaijing nodded in affirmation and asked, "Buwei, tell me, what else happened that day?"

"Young master, he... he gave the Sheng family an inkstone! An inkstone for their personal use in the study!" Buwei said absentmindedly.

Xu Zaijing was taken aback, then patted Buwei on the shoulder and said, "Buwei, listen to me!"

"Ah? Fifth Young Master, you say so." Buwei, flustered, looked at Xu Zaijing and said.

"After returning to the Qi family, no matter what the Duke and Princess Pingning ask you, you must answer without reservation!"

“If Yuan Ruo is the only son of the Duke’s mansion, even if the sky falls, the Duke and Princess Pingning will be there to support him. But you are his personal servant, which is of great importance!”

"If you dare to hide even the slightest bit of information, you'll probably be beaten to death."

Not even a shiver ran down my spine: "Kill him?"

Xu Zaijing nodded emphatically.

Hearing this,

My legs felt a little weak: "I..."

After saying that, Xu Zaijing patted Buwei on the shoulder and strode towards the palace gate.

At this moment, the Marquis of Xiangyang and the Qi family members had just left the palace gate.

Princess Pingning walked over with a somewhat apologetic expression as she looked at the waiting Xu and Gu families.

Looking at Hua Lan standing next to Madam Sun, Princess Pingning took a deep breath and gave Hua Lan an apologetic pursed-lip gesture.

Hua Lan nodded in return, her expressionless face.

Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye walked together to the front of the Marquis of Xiangyang.

"Yuan Ruo."

Xu Zaijing called out to Qi Heng in a low voice.

As he walked out of the palace, Qi Heng, realizing he might have really gotten himself into trouble, looked at Xu Zaijing with a blank expression.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's waving gesture, Qi Heng looked up at the Marquis of Xiangyang, who was nodding with a frown.

Then, Qi Heng walked over and whispered, "Brother Jing, Second Uncle."

Gu Tingye shook his head and said, "Yuanruo, you are really bold! I wouldn't even dare to say these things in front of His Majesty."

Qi Heng forced a smile.

Xu Zaijing glanced at Gu Tingye, took two steps, hugged Qi Heng, and whispered urgently in Qi Heng's ear, "Yuanruo, have you thought about what will happen to your taciturn personal servant Buwei after we return to the manor?"

Qi Heng was taken aback and was about to speak when Xu Zaijing lowered his voice and answered for him, "If it really is a matter of life and death, only you can save him!"

Feeling lost and helpless, Qi Heng quickly grabbed Xu Zaijing and asked, "Brother Jing, how can I save him?"

Xu Zaijing sighed and said in a low voice, "Of course, we'll stand in front of or on top of Buwei!"

After saying that, Xu Zaijing patted Qi Heng on the back again.

Subsequently,

The families separated, boarded their carriages, and headed towards their respective homes.

As everyone who had come to the palace to pay New Year's respects returned home, the news that Qi Heng, the young master of the Qi State Duke's Mansion, had publicly asked His Majesty for a marriage decree began to spread throughout the capital.

With such a grand occasion, the wives and noble ladies of officials would naturally add their own understanding, guesses, and speculations to their conversations as they chatted and gossiped on their way home.

Therefore,
Before all the people who had entered the palace had returned home,
Some people confidently asserted that before Qi Heng stepped out from the crowd, he gave Rong Feiyan a deep look.

Many people who have seen Rong Feiyan's appearance today agree with this statement.

Some people say that the woman Qi Heng asked for a marriage decree to marry might be the niece of Madam Xue, the eldest daughter of the Qi family.

This strategy was devised because Princess Pingning was trying to separate the couple.

The subject of much speculation and discussion, however, was the several girls from the Sheng family in Jiying Lane!
(End of this chapter)