Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 793 Young Master, please excuse me! [Thank you! Bows again! 10k words owed]

Inside the tent, Madam Wu, seeing the meaningful look in Wang Ruofu's eyes, nodded and smiled:
"Haha! Madam is right. My sixth son also made a fool of himself that day, falling into the flower bushes."

As soon as Madam Wu finished speaking, someone came into the tent while unbuttoning their shirt.

"Mother, when did your son embarrass himself?"

As Liang Han entered the tent, he smiled and bowed respectfully to the ladies and young women inside.

The ladies and wives mostly sat and nodded in return, while the girls of the same generation stood up to return the greetings.

After Madam Wu said something with a smile, Liang Han smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "Mother, the thing you mentioned has been going on for several years."

Although Liang Han did not achieve much in his studies and did not have the temperament of Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye and others, he was still raised in a position of honor and privilege as a legitimate son of a marquis!
Liang Han, who is tall, strong and handsome, is not only good at polo, but also quite accomplished in antiques and cultural artifacts. He has a unique style in every gesture.

Looking at Liang Han, several women in the tent nodded repeatedly, clearly thinking highly of this younger generation.

At this time,

"Sixth Brother, where is Sister Ge?"

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family asked with a smile.

Upon hearing someone mention Wan Chunge, the noble ladies in the tent exchanged meaningful glances.

Noble ladies often had experienced matrons by their side who could tell whether a woman was a virgin just by looking at her.

His eyes were full of deep meaning, indicating that he had heard something from his own nanny.

"Sister-in-law, when the two ladies from the Gu family go on stage later, Cousin Wan said she'll wait on the sidelines to see if she gets a chance to go on stage," Liang Han said with a smile.

"Oh!" Liang's eldest daughter-in-law nodded with a smile: "The two ladies are honored guests, they only come a few times a year, so we must entertain them well."

Glancing sideways at her stepmother, Madam Wu asked with a smile, "Sixth Brother, has your Fifth Brother Xu said whether he'll be participating or not?"

Liang Han nodded with a smile: "Rong Erlang was pleading with him from the side, and Jing-ge insisted on going no matter what!"

Everyone chuckled upon hearing this.

After talking for a while,

"when--"

A gong sounded outside the tent.

"A New Beginning"

A moment later, Rulan, with her armbands tied and carrying a cue for playing Chuiwan (a type of Chinese polo), walked in excitedly.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, Rulan smiled and said to Wang Ruofu, "Mother, let's go out and take a look. Sixth Sister is also performing today!"

Wang Ruofu was taken aback: "Sixth Girl?"

Seeing the gazes of everyone in the tent, Wang Ruofu immediately smiled and said, "Alright! Let's go and cheer them on too."

Madam Wu stood up with a smile and asked, "Madam, is Minglan the child who grew up under the care of Old Madam Sheng?"

“Yes!” Wang Ruofu nodded with a smile.

"I'll go take a look too," said Madam Wu, leading her people outside.

Arriving at the tent entrance,

Madam Wu squinted and looked over, saying, "Oh, the two sisters-in-law from the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, Minglan, and that girl next to her looks unfamiliar, whose family is she from?"

An older woman standing nearby glanced at it and said uncertainly, "It looks like that Chu Hong, the young lady who recently joined the imperial family!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wu's eyes were filled with understanding.

The Zhao family, one of the prominent families of the Northern Liao, fled to the Great Zhou after being annihilated by various Mongol tribes for plotting peace negotiations with the Jin Dynasty.

The surviving children of the clan were recorded in the clan genealogy, a case of "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones".

Wu Danniangzi was familiar with their opponents: the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, who came from the Li family, a viscount family, and the Jiangyin Marquis's mansion; Yu Yanhong, the daughter of the Lu family's son-in-law; and Wan Chunge.

"They're really something, organizing this gathering without even asking me!" Madam Wu said with a hint of envy.

The ladies and mistresses standing nearby shook their heads and laughed when they heard this.

Madam Wu looked at Wang Ruofu and said with a smile, "Madam Wang, I wonder how much of Old Madam Sheng's skill in polo has your sixth daughter learned?"

Wang Ruofu was taken aback.

When the old lady went out of town to visit the estate, it was like a tiger in the mountains, and the monkeys were king. Wang Ruofu was always happy, but he never accompanied her.

Naturally, they didn't know how good Minglan's ball skills were.

But Wang Ruofu wasn't stupid either. He turned to look at Rulan and asked, "Ru'er? How good is your sixth sister's ball skills?"

When asked, Rulan's eyes lit up: "Pretty impressive! Grandmother said that Sixth Sister's ball skills are about the same as her pitching skills!"

"Wow! That's amazing!" said Madam Wu, looking at the court with even more interest.

"kick off--"

"dong dong dong"

As the polo ball was thrown, the large leather drums on the sidelines were also struck.

"drive!"

"what!"

The shouts of women and girls mingled with the sound of hooves.

Pingmei's appearance immediately attracted many officials' wives and noble ladies to come out of their tents to watch.

Looking at Pingmei galloping on horseback, most of the officials' wives and noble ladies were filled with envy.

After all, Pingmei was the legitimate daughter of a marquis, married the heir of the Marquis of Ningyuan, and her younger brother had made great contributions. She herself also had both a son and a daughter.

Many high-ranking ladies on the sidelines had already decided that if their daughters got married in the future, they would definitely invite Pingmei to come and celebrate.

The third floor of Wu Lou

By the window,
"nice shot!"

Rong Feiyan held up a cylindrical container to watch the match on the polo field.

Standing to the side, Chai Zhengzheng put down the cylinder and exclaimed with a smile, "I knew Minglan could play polo, but I didn't expect her to be so good at it!"

"If I were to play, I would probably have to be extremely focused."

Rong Feiyan looked at Chai Zhengzheng in surprise: "Sister, if you put in your best effort, you can fight to a draw with a master like Minglan?"

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Hmm—if I cheer myself up, I can lose not too badly."

Rong Feiyan was taken aback upon hearing this, then shook her head with a smile: "I feel like if I just went on horseback, I would be completely disoriented by Sister Sheng Liu."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Yunmu, standing by the window, said, "Miss Feiyan, I noticed that Miss Sheng Liu's mount entered the arena along with the Sheng family's carriages and horses. The rider and horse moved in perfect harmony, so she must be used to riding it herself."

"It seems that all the horses in the Sheng family were gifts from Brother Xu Wu, right?" Chai Zhengzheng asked with a smile.

“Yes, young lady, Qingcao did mention it,” Fuyi replied.

Rong Feiyan smiled and pursed her lips, then raised the cylinder to look at the situation on the court: "Look, Sister Yanran's ball skills are really...worrying."

Saying,

Rong Feiyan slightly turned the cylinder and looked at the person standing at the entrance of the Xu family's tent.

suddenly,

Xu Zaijing's gaze swept over this side, his eyes seemingly piercing through the cylinder and seeing into Rong Feiyan's eyes.

Looking into the gaze within the cylinder, Rong Feiyan persisted for a moment before putting the cylinder down.

At the edge of the stadium,
At the entrance of the Xu family's tent,

With his excellent eyesight, Xu Zaijing looked at the third floor of Wu Lou. After Rong Feiyan put down her cylinder and tugged at Chai Zhengzheng beside her, the two noble ladies held up their cylinders and looked in Xu Zaijing's direction.

Seeing this, and feeling the stares coming straight at him from the two cylinders, Xu Zaijing helplessly raised his hand and covered one side of his face.

To onlookers, it appeared that Xu Zaijing was shielding himself from the sunlight.

This action drew Xu Zaijing's attention to the side, where he saw Qi Heng staring intently at Minglan on the court.

By the window on the third floor of Wu Lou

Seeing Xu Zaijing covering his face, the two noble ladies put down their cylindrical containers and exchanged a smile. Chai Zhengzheng said, "Sister Feiyan, isn't the one standing next to Fifth Brother Xu Rong Second Brother?"

Rong Feiyan nodded: "Yes! Ever since my brother found out that my marriage was settled, he has been nagging at home, saying several times that he wants to go see Brother Xu Wu."

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and asked, "Has he been to Quyuan Street?"

Rong Feiyan shook her head: "Brother is just talking. If he really goes to the Xu family to cause trouble, he'll probably get a severe lesson from the Imperial Concubine."

As she spoke, Rong Feiyan raised the cylinder and looked at the person next to Xu Zaijing: "That young master from the Shen family rarely appears by Fifth Brother Xu's side."

Chai Zhengzheng glanced at it, smiled slightly, and said, "That young master Shen isn't just here to be near Brother Xu Wu."

"Huh?" Rong Feiyan was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, she tentatively asked, "Sister Zhengzheng, could it be Young Master Qi?"

Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "My mother told me that both families are interested in this."

"Oh!" Rong Feiyan nodded, raised the cylinder again, and glanced at the entrance of the Xu family's tent and the ball field.

Looking at Qi Heng standing beside Xu Zaijing, whose gaze was following Minglan in the arena, Rong Feiyan pursed her lips.

After glancing at it for a moment, Rong Feiyan pointed to the field and said, "Sister, look! It seems that Young Master Qi is going to go back on the field with Brother Xu Wu!"

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng quickly raised the cylinder.

The sun rises to its highest point and then begins to set.
It was afternoon.

The wives and noblewomen of officials who had spent most of the day at the polo field had met many unmarried men and women in the capital.

While it was still bright,

Those who participated in the polo match began to return to the city and go home.

Near the entrance to the polo field, people from each family were walking out in an orderly fashion.

Unaware of the situation, Changfeng followed behind Xu Zaijing and the others, watching Rong Xian greet his relatives with clasped hands.

suddenly,

Changfeng noticed that a girl in the crowd of Rongxian's relatives glanced at him.

When Changfeng looked over, the girl, caught off guard, turned her head away.

However, the woman beside the young lady looked at Changfeng with a satisfied expression.

After all, when playing polo, Changfeng, who had the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level), received several passes from Xu Zaijing and skillfully scored the goals.

Changfeng, feeling quite dignified and polite, nodded to the lady before glancing at Qi Heng, who looked rather sullen and unhappy.

"Young Master, what's wrong with you?" Changfeng asked.

Qi Heng forced a smile and shook his head, saying, "It's nothing! I'm just a little tired because I haven't played ball in a long time!"

"Oh!" Changfeng smiled and gestured with his chin towards the front: "Young Master, judging from the Princess's expression, your marriage is settled!"

"Mm." Qi Heng nodded.

Looking at Qi Heng, Chang Feng sighed with some envy: "Your Highness the Princess has truly gone to great lengths!"

Feeling the gazes around him, Qi Heng frowned and remained silent, only glancing back at Wang Ruofu and the other members of the Sheng family.

Outside the polo field

Xu Zaijing rode his horse alongside his own carriage, heading towards the capital.

Looking at the green grass peeking out from behind the carriage curtain, Xu Zaijing cast a questioning glance his way.

The grass, understanding the gesture, beckoned to Xu Zaijing.

After Xu Zaijing mounted his horse and leaned out of the carriage window, Qingcao whispered, "Young Master, Sister Yunmu said that the two ladies are going to Yuqing Temple today. If you have nothing else to do, you might..."

Before Qingcao could finish speaking, Xu Zaijing hesitated and said to her, "Isn't this inappropriate?"

"Perhaps you could excuse yourself for a moment," Qingcao said, just as she overheard her young master's words.

Qingcao pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh.

Xu Zaijing was a little embarrassed: "Next time, say it all in one go!"

"Yes, son."

After saying that, Qingcao immediately lowered the carriage curtain, and a moment later, the laughter of the maid could be heard from inside the carriage.

After walking for a while,

When they arrived at the intersection near the Hulong River, the carriages and horses of each family began to separate, turning left and right.

After waving goodbye to Changfeng, who was turning south, Xu Zaijing caught up with the Gu family's convoy ahead.

Just entering Xinzheng Gate,
The surrounding noise and commotion were a level higher than that outside the city.

After the Gu family's carriage entered the city, it stopped by the roadside.

Xu Zaijing went up and asked, only to find out that Xing Ge'er wanted his uncle and younger brother to ride back to the mansion together.

Before Xing Ge'er could get out of the carriage, You Qing, a close attendant of Xu Zaijing's brother-in-law, rode his horse from the city towards them.

Fortunately, Xu Zaijing's mount was so eye-catching that Youqing noticed the crowd on the roadside.

Upon approaching Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye, and the others, Youqing smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Marquis has returned to the capital!"

"Father is back?" Gu Tingye asked with delight.

Youqing smiled and nodded: "Yes, Second Young Master! Marquis Xu has also returned to the capital!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing exchanged a pleased glance with Pingmei in the carriage.

"Great! Grandfather and maternal grandfather have returned to the capital!" Xingge'er exclaimed excitedly from inside the carriage.

inside the city,

Near Yiqiu Gate,

The Qi family carriage also stopped by the roadside.

Princess Pingning, her face grim, lifted the carriage curtain and asked sternly, "Hasn't the young master caught up yet?"

Li Chong, who was standing respectfully beside the carriage with his head bowed, glanced westward and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, it seems that the young master said he wouldn't be taking this road this afternoon."

"What?" Princess Pingning narrowed her eyes. "Where did he go?"

The servant Li Chong swallowed nervously and whispered, "Young Master said that Scholar Zhuang is no longer with the Sheng family, so he thought he would take this opportunity to visit the Zhuang family."

"Shall we go and take a look at the Zhuang family?" Princess Pingning pursed her lips. "Is Scholar Zhuang now residing near Jiying Lane?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Princess Pingning gritted her teeth, glanced at Li Chong outside the carriage, and then released the curtain from her hand.

After a moment of silence around the carriage, Princess Pingning said, "Let's go back to the manor."

Li Chong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He didn't even bother to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He immediately walked back to the back of the car and followed the others towards Xingguofang.

outside the city,

Yuqing Temple
The mountain and its surroundings were lush and green.
Looking from below the mountain, one can vaguely see the eaves of the Taoist temple on the mountain.

If you look closely, you can still faintly see the incense smoke rising from the Taoist temple and then dissipating into the lush green mountains and forests.

The rumble of cars,

A rather large convoy of vehicles drove in from the north, bathed in the slanting sunlight.

The vendors at the foot of the mountain suddenly raised their voices.

Devout men and women descended the mountain path and, seeing a procession of fine carriages approaching from the crossroads, stood by the roadside and discussed, "Wow, whose distinguished guests are coming to offer incense?"

"Uu——"

As the well-dressed coachman reined in his horse, the servant quickly placed a bench beside the carriage.

Soon, two noble ladies wearing veils helped the maid down from the carriage.

Before the two even set off on the mountain path, the valiant guards and strong women were already ahead, ready to clear the way.

After waiting by the roadside for a while, the two noble ladies walked up the mountain with their elders and friends.

The people on the roadside watched the group leave, and one of them glanced at the wooden sign on the carriage: "The Chai family!? No wonder!"

(End of this chapter)