Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 744 Xu's Lifelong Reputation [Thank you! Thank you again! 34K words owed]

"Wow--"

"Hahaha! Make way, the fish are coming!"

On the way to Xuande Gate,

Five or six boys and girls, each holding a fish lantern, cheered and laughed as they passed by Xu Zaijing and his group.

The fish lanterns were incredibly lifelike and exquisitely crafted, each a different color, with candles lit inside. The 'fish tails' even swayed back and forth with the movements of the boys and girls, as if they were alive.

After that
Xu Zaijing and the others also turned around and looked at it a few more times.

The two children Qingyun was holding, along with Xu Xingzhong, looked at the fish lantern with expressions of fondness and envy.

Walking beside Hua Lan, Zhi Jie'er turned around and keenly noticed the gazes of the three children.

The group turned onto the bustling Imperial Street.

While passing a stall selling lanterns,
The Cao family girl took Hua Lan's arm and walked over.
She pointed to three exquisitely crafted fish lanterns and said to the maid who had come out with her, "Buy all three of them."

"Yes, girl."

After the maidservant received the lantern from the vendor, the Cao family girl smiled and placed it in the hands of Zhong Ge'er and the other two children.

Seeing Hua Lan nod, Xu Xingzhong quickly accepted the gift with a smile and said, "Xingzhong thanks Aunt Cao."

Sister Zhi smiled.

When Sister Zhi brought her maid to Qingyun, Qingyun quickly put her children down on the ground.

"Take it." Before Qingyun could even look over, Xu Zaijing called out with a smile from the front.

Qingyun bowed his head and instructed, "You must thank them."

"Yes, Father," the girl nodded happily.

"Thank you, Miss."

"Zhenzhi thanks you, young lady."

Hearing the two children's innocent words, a smile instantly appeared on Cao's face.

"You have such a sweet tongue," Cui Chan praised with a smile.

When Zhijie delivered the lanterns, Zaizhang walked forward to Hualan's side and shielded her on the inside.

Turning around, Zhi Jie could only walk to Lu Zezong's inner side.

Xu Zaijing stood on the outside of Lu Zezong.

Thus, with the women and children protected on the inside, the group continued along the Imperial Street, heading north towards Xuande Gate.

Under the colorful covered corridors next to the Imperial Street, there are not only people guessing lantern riddles and selling lanterns, but also various acrobatic performances.

The people walking north stopped and started watching the performances along the Imperial Street, occasionally cheering or exclaiming in surprise.

If a performance is particularly captivating and draws people to stop and watch, then this area acts like a riverbank that suddenly narrows, slowing down the already slow flow of people even further.

Although the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival is similar every year, the various performances next to the colorful tents are always a delight to watch, especially the monkey shows.

while walking,

When Xu Zaijing glanced at his sworn brother Lu Zezong, he noticed that Zhijie and Lu Zezong had somehow ended up holding hands.

See here,

Xu Zaijing pursed his lips helplessly and turned his head to look elsewhere.

at this time,

The Imperial Street was teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder, and women and girls in new clothes passed by Xu Zaijing and his entourage from time to time.

When passing by, most women and girls would only glance at Xu Zaijing up and down.

A free-spirited girl might smile, cover her mouth, and whisper a few words to her friend before staring intently at Xu Zaijing.

Some bold and outspoken young women would deliberately lean towards Xu Zaijing even when pushed and shoved by their friends.

Unfortunately,

Before anyone even arrived, Qingcao had already stood beside Xu Zaijing, using her back to shield her young master from all the burdens.

After the two groups separated,
Green Grass rubbed her waist and hips.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's questioning gaze, Qingcao said helplessly, "Young master, they couldn't 'get intimate' with me, and they thought I was in their way, so they twisted my waist forcefully. Luckily, my clothes are thick."

Xu Zaijing looked back, but the person twisting and pinching the grass had already disappeared into the crowd.

"Yes, Qingcao has suffered. I'll treat you to a good meal when we get home," Xu Zaijing comforted her.

Qingcao nodded: "Young master, then you'll need a jar of good wine."

Looking into Xu Zaijing's eyes, Qingcao continued, "I'll drink with my two younger sisters."

Xu Zaijing continued looking ahead and nodded, saying, "Okay."

"Thank you, sir."

As they got closer to Xuande Gate, the area around them became increasingly crowded.

In many places,

Xu Zaijing turned his head and saw Cao Zhi'er protecting Lu Zezong in her arms.
Just as he was starting to feel a bit sentimental, Lu Zezong looked at Xu Zaijing and pointed ahead, saying, "Brother, look, what are they doing?"

Zhi Jie, standing beside Lu Zezong, also had eyes full of curiosity.

Xu Zaijing looked over and saw several people standing beside a tall wooden pole, vigorously rotating several large, colorful fish lanterns hanging high up.

The back of the fish lantern is also supported by thin bamboo strips, from which a light, colorful silk shaped like a fish fin is held, making it appear as if it is swimming when it rotates.

Xu Zaijing glanced at Xuande Gate not far away and said with a smile, "Brother Zong, if you were on the Xuande Gate tower right now, what would you look like looking this way?"

Lu Zezong blinked.

at the same time,

Looking out from the towering Xuande Gate tower, you can see that the moon has already risen.

Bright lanterns hung under the eaves of the gate tower.

In the lantern light, one can see many high-ranking officials and dignitaries who have climbed the tower, standing on the carpet outside the tower dressed in thick clothes, admiring the scenery of the square below.

Not far from the sturdy colonnades,

Rong Feiyan, draped in a silver fox fur coat, stood by the parapet, her hands clasped together and her eyes closed in prayer as she looked at the magnificent Aoshan Lantern in her field of vision.

I just muttered a few words to myself,

A voice came from nearby: "Wow! Cousin, look at that lantern over there, it's shaped like a crane!"

Rong Feiyan, who had been interrupted, pursed her lips.

Opening her eyes and looking at the Da'ao Mountain Lantern, Rong Feiyan clasped her hands together again, closed her eyes, and continued to chant silently.

But she had just finished reciting a sentence,
Another voice rang out: "Hey! Cousin, look, those lanterns are still moving! They look like the goldfish swimming in Uncle's yard!"

Rong Feiyan, still with her hands clasped together and eyes closed, waited until the voices faded away before silently reciting the next sentence.

"Dragon! Dragon! Cousin, the dragon lantern over there is lit up!" The chattering voices rang out again.

Rong Feiyan's clasped hands were pressed together, the fingertips pointing directly at her delicate nose. At that moment, two puffs of white breath escaped from her nostrils, clearly indicating that this noble lady was somewhat angry.

Before Rong Feiyan could do anything, the voice continued: "Wow, that elephant over there is spraying water from its trunk!"

Rong Feiyan: "."

"No way! Cousin, you must be mistaken!"

Open your annoyed eyes,
Angrily, he lowered his clasped hands.

"If I don't teach you both a lesson today, I'm not surnamed Rong!"

Thinking about all this, Rong Feiyan gritted her teeth, her face stern, and angrily walked around the pillars toward the source of the sound.

"You two can—act as brothers?! Act as brothers?!"

Looking at Xu Xingdai and Gu Shixing, Rong Feiyan's face instantly lit up with a smile.

The two boys who were called turned around.

Looking at Rong Feiyan beside him, Gu Shixing laughed and said, "Sister Feiyan, oh dear! Cousin, why did you hit me?"

Xu Xingdai bowed and cupped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Aunt Rong Feiyan."

Gu Shixing quickly corrected his form of address, bowing and saying, "Happy Lantern Festival, Aunt Feiyan. What brings you here?"

Rong Feiyan smiled warmly and said softly, "Can you two tell me where that lantern that looks like a goldfish swimming is?"

Xu Xingdai stood on tiptoe, pointed into the distance, and shouted with a smile, "It's right there!" Inside the Xuande Gate tower,

Chai Zhengzheng sat behind her mother.
Listening to Madam Chai and Madam Bai, the wife of Marquis Gu, talking.

The two ladies had just finished talking about when Xu Zaijing was eight or nine years old, also on the Lantern Festival, when Pingmei faced thieves and bandits in the bustling market and calmly pulled out her hairpin to confront them.

Pingmei, sitting to the left of Bai Shi, was embarrassed by the praise from the two ladies.

"So, Xu Wulang has been a very brave child since he was little."

As Madam Chai spoke, Chai Zhengzheng behind her nodded repeatedly.

Bai and her daughter-in-law exchanged a glance, pondered for a moment, and then shook their heads, saying, "Actually, when Jing was little, he wasn't very brave either."

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng looked at Bai Shi with great surprise, and then glanced at Ping Mei, who was nodding, before his eyes instantly lit up with interest.

"Huh? When Goro was little, he wasn't very brave?" Madam Chai asked, puzzled.

Bai nodded: "I remember when I was pregnant with Tingyi, I was quite far along in the pregnancy, and Jingge often insisted on coming to my house to play."

"But for some reason, after returning home one day, Jing-ge started crying and making a fuss."

Pingmei looked at Madam Chai and her daughter, smiled and nodded, and said, "Mother is right. My mother tried many methods at the time, but Xiao Wu, who is usually obedient, just kept crying and making a fuss."

“When Xiao Wu was crying, he kept calling out ‘Yuqing’ and ‘Shangqing’. When my mother heard this, she tried taking Xiao Wu to Yuqing Temple outside the city.”

"The Taoist priest of Yuqing Temple spoke with Xiao Wu alone for a while, and then did some divination. Only then did we learn that he had been so frightened by a strange rock in Gu's garden that looked like a rat that he had lost his mind."

"Huh?" Chai Zhengzheng exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing the looks Pingmei and Xie Shi were giving her, Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Brother Xu Wu, were you afraid of mice when you were little?"

"How could a child not be afraid of a rat as big as that strange rock?" Madam Chai said reproachfully.

Chai Zhengzheng nodded repeatedly: "Mother is right! Sister-in-law Pingmei, what happened next?"

Pingmei glanced at Bai Shi and smiled, "Later, the Taoist priest of Yuqing Temple said that there is a connection between souls. After returning home, do as Xiao Wu said, and this matter will naturally be resolved in a month at most."

"So, what did Brother Xu Wu say after he got home?" Chai Zhengzheng asked with a smile.

Pingmei and Bai Shi exchanged a glance, and Bai Shi shook her head slightly with a kind smile.

Pingmei smiled and said, "It's quite amazing, in the end it actually fell on my mother."

Madam Chai, who had never heard of this before, looked at Madam Bai with curiosity.

Several officials' wives and noblewomen who had gathered around the area looked at Bai Shi unexpectedly.

Madam Bai laughed and said, "It's nothing. It's just that when Jing-ge was little, he sent Zhu-ma-ma to my house and told Chang-ma-ma that he liked his mistress, the eldest daughter-in-law, and that he couldn't just wander around the garden."

"Not even once!" Bai said with a smile and a shake of her head.

"And you, Lady Gu?" Chai Zhengzheng asked with a smile.

"I was heavily pregnant at the time, and for Jingge'er's sake, I naturally didn't go to the garden. Just as the Taoist priest of Yuqing Temple said, Jingge'er stopped crying a month before he was due to give birth."

"She's obedient and sensible, even now."

Upon hearing this, the ladies and noblewomen standing nearby nodded and began to discuss among themselves.

"It really works!"

"I just heard about this myself."

“There was a family who went to Yuqing Temple and later had twins! They said they walked up the mountain.”

"Shall we pick a day to go?"

While everyone was discussing it,
A female official walked up to the Empress and the Crown Princess, smiling and whispering a dozen sentences.

After hearing the lady-in-waiting's retelling, the Empress and the Crown Princess covered their mouths and chuckled.

Zhao Fang shook his head regretfully, "If I had known this would happen, I should have let Jing'er come to Xuande Tower to enjoy the lanterns today! That way, I could have asked him in person."

Standing behind Gao Taotao, Li Jialiangdi, with her eyes narrowed, nodded and smiled, "Mother, Your Highness, no wonder! It turns out that Xu Wulang likes to draw cute patterns on the cats because the boss is here."

The Zhao couple laughed again, and the Empress shook her head with a smile: "They're relatives from your own family, how can you talk about people like that!"

Li Jia Wu Niang smiled and bowed, "Yes, Mother, I know I was wrong. I won't say it again!"

Everyone laughed again.

While the people inside the gatehouse were talking.

Beside the pillars,
Under the lantern,
Hearing the faint laughter, Rong Feiyan looked at the precocious Xu Xingdai and said with a smile, "Brother Dai, what secret do you want to tell me?"

Xu Xingdai pursed his lips and remained silent for a moment.

At this time,

One of Zhao Fang's concubines, born into the Yao family of the Duke of Qian's mansion, appeared behind Xu Xingdai and Gu Shixing.

Noticing Rong Feiyan's gaze, Yao Jialiangdi signaled to Rong Feiyan not to make a fuss.

Rong Feiyan nodded slightly and continued to look expectantly at the two boys in front of her.

After a while,
Xu Xingdai whispered, "Aunt Feiyan, don't tell anyone what we're saying! If my uncle finds out, he'll spank me!"

As Xu Xingdai spoke, Yao Jialiangdi carefully and attentively turned her ear to listen.

Upon seeing this, Rong Feiyan thought to herself, "Truly, birds of a feather flock together."

Gu Shixing nodded repeatedly from the side: "That's right! Uncle will pull down our pants and then beat us up!"

"Don't worry, I will never tell anyone!" Rong Feiyan said solemnly.

As Rong Feiyan spoke, Yao Jialiang nodded with a serious expression.

Xu Xingdai nodded and whispered, "I saw my uncle practicing fishing in the big fish tank earlier!"

Upon hearing this, Rong Feiyan thought for a moment, then frowned and asked in confusion, "Practicing fishing in a large fish tank?"

Two boys away from Rong Feiyan, Yao Jialiangdi also frowned, her face full of questions and confusion.

Xu Xingdai nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Aunt Feiyan, when the weather is warm, the fish tank in my uncle's yard, which is always very clean, will be placed under the grape trellis."

“When my uncle doesn’t go to class, I go to visit him! I’ve seen him sitting not far away several times, holding a fishing rod, with the hook in the big fish tank!”

Upon hearing this, Yao Jialiangdi imagined the scene and then pressed her lips tightly together to stop herself from laughing.

Rong Feiyan took a deep breath and asked, "Dai-ge'er, Xing-ge'er, how many fish do your uncles keep in their big fish tanks? Have they ever caught any fish?"

The two boys exchanged a glance, whispered a few words to each other, and then Xu Xingdai nodded repeatedly, saying with certainty, "There are plenty of fish! Uncle often catches fish at home."

Upon hearing this, Yao Jialiangdi thought to herself, "So, this Fifth Young Master Xu was hiding all along because he couldn't catch any fish at Jinming Pond."

Before Yao Jialiangdi could finish thinking,
Xu Xingdai continued, "But I heard from Sister Qingcao that before fishing, my uncle would starve himself for two days."

Upon hearing this, Yao Jialiangdi was taken aback, then smiled, shook her head helplessly, and rolled her eyes.

Then, Yao Jialiangdi waved to Rong Feiyan and led her people into the gatehouse.

"Aunt Feiyan, you mustn't tell anyone!" Xu Xingdai emphasized.

Rong Feiyan blinked, smiled, and nodded: "Don't worry, you two!"

After saying that, the three of them continued to look at the scenery outside the building.

After a dozen or so breaths,

Laughter came from the brightly lit palace gate behind the three people.

Inside the building,

Gao Taotao smiled and fell into the Empress's arms.

Li Jialiangdi clutched her stomach with one hand and supported Yao Jialiangdi with the other.

Below them, the wives and daughters of officials all wore smiles.

The Duchess of England laughed and said, "So this is how Jing'er's fishing skills have improved?"

The usually stern Madam Zheng patted her sister-in-law Zhang Jiawu Niang's hand and couldn't help but look at Pingmei and Xie Shi with a smile.

Madam Chai looked at her daughter, who was covering her mouth with her head down and her shoulders were shaking, and said with a helpless smile, "Oh my, Jing-ge'er is such a clever child."

Xie and Ping Mei exchanged a look, both amused and exasperated.
Amusing anecdotes about his younger brother and brother-in-law
The two women felt their cheeks burning, and could only smile and cover their eyes with their hands.

On the street some distance from Xuande Tower,

Xu Zaijing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the jade disc in the night sky with deep emotion.

After taking a deep breath, Xu Zaijing rubbed his nose vigorously: "What's wrong?"

(End of this chapter)