Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 814 All Matters in the Mansion are Decided with a Single Word [Thank you! Bows again! 6k words owed]

The old lady looked over upon hearing this.

Xu Zaijing stood by the screen, wearing a short-brimmed turban, a moon-white brocade coat, and a jade belt.

At first glance, he was a handsome and upright young man with a dignified and imposing presence.

These are just external factors.

Xu Zaijing also possesses the nobility brought by his title, the heroic spirit honed through rigorous training and battlefield experience, and the refined literary talent cultivated through years of high school studies.

The three auras blended together, giving Xu Zaijing a very unique temperament.

The old lady could tell at a glance that her renowned descendant would always be favored by the wives and daughters of officials, no matter the occasion.

After calling out "Great-Grandmother", Xu Zaijing fell silent, seemingly saying nothing more.

The old lady was sizing up Xu Zaijing.

After a short while, the room fell silent.

Only the faint sounds of conversation from the Xu family's guests outside could be heard.

When Xu Zaijing appeared beside the screen, Madam Fang smiled and bowed respectfully.

"cough."

Sensing the quietness inside, Madam Fang glanced at the old lady and then coughed lightly.

The old lady sighed helplessly and looked at Xu Zaijing, saying, "Sit down."

As she watched Xu Zaijing walk to his seat, the old lady was reminded of the first time she met Xu Zaijing at the Yangzhou Tongpan Mansion.

At that time, Xu Zaijing was only thirteen or fourteen years old. He was not short, but his appearance was still somewhat immature. Perhaps it was because the old lady herself was emotional, or perhaps it was because Xu Zaijing's attitude was extremely upright.

That day, the old lady only glanced at him, but she could feel the respect this nephew from her maternal family had for her.

Upon first meeting her, the old lady felt the warmth of her maternal family.

Seeing Xu Zaijing sit down, Qingcao smiled and said, "This servant will go and bring some tea and drinks."

Xu Zaijing nodded and waved his hand.

Madam Fang glanced at the old lady, and seeing that the old lady didn't react, she continued to stand by with a smile.

"We have many guests at home today. Jing'er, what brings you here?"

The old lady asked in a slow voice.

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Grandmother, everything at the thanksgiving banquet has been taken care of, so there's nothing more for your grand-nephew to do."

Looking up at the old lady's expression, Xu Zaijing continued, "Since the imperial examination, I haven't seen you for some time and I've missed you. I'm taking this opportunity to see you today."

Upon hearing this, the old lady shook her head: "If you want to see me, you can just have someone announce your arrival. Why be so sneaky?"

Xu Zaijing, sitting in the chair, took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and glanced at the old lady with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Say what you have to say," the old lady said.

Xu Zaijing nodded, looking down at the corner of the table beside him, and said, "Grandmother, my sixth sister has always been raised by you. That day, my grand-nephew..."

"Well!"

Before Xu Zaijing could finish speaking, the old lady lowered her head and took a sip of tea, then turned to look at Mama Fang and said, "Suqin, this tea is truly excellent."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing did not continue speaking, but instead glanced somewhat guiltily at the old lady and Fang Mama.

After praising the tea, the old lady continued to lower her head and gently blow on the teacup, preparing to take another sip.

Standing behind the old lady, Mama Fang smiled meaningfully and nodded slightly at Xu Zaijing.

Upon seeing this scene, Xu Zaijing's mind raced, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

The old lady took a sip of tea, raised her head, and looked at Xu Zaijing with a slight frown. Her eyes were full of a "wait and see" look as she asked, "Jing'er, what happened to you that day?"

Xu Zaijing reached out and scratched his cheek.

Think for a moment,

Xu Zaijing took a deep breath, no longer lowering his eyes, but looking directly at the old lady and said, "Grandma, I have been classmates with Sixth Sister for many years and I like her very much."

Upon hearing this, the old lady raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xu Zaijing, and looked at him with approval in her eyes.

After reading it, the old lady continued drinking her tea.

Xu Zaijing continued, "When His Majesty asked the question that day, I was unaware of His Majesty's intentions and impulsively blurted out the name of my sixth sister."

"Besides his own affection, my nephew also knows the Sheng family and my sixth sister very well, so she must be better than other women from families whose backgrounds he doesn't know."

"Afterwards, although the Empress helped her nephew make amends and summoned the sixth sister to the palace to inquire, it still felt somewhat like she was using her power to oppress him."

"When I visited the palace to offer New Year's greetings this past January, Yuanruo acted rashly. I feel that my own behavior is somewhat similar, and therefore I am ashamed and dare not visit you."

"despair."

Upon hearing this, the old lady put down her teacup.

"call--"

After taking a deep breath, the old lady pursed her lips and looked at Xu Zaijing.

The room was quiet for a moment.

"That's somewhat true," the old lady said.

Xu Zaijing bowed slightly, then looked at Fang's mother with gratitude in his eyes.

Fang's mother responded with a smile.

"If it weren't for the fact that the Chai and Rong families' daughters had visited Jiying Lane on the day of the incident at Yuqing Temple tomorrow."

"I saw Madam Chai at the Xu family's house again today. This old woman..."

Looking at her grand-nephew, the old lady shook her head helplessly: "This old woman is of lowly status and has no power to do anything about you!"

"Great-aunt, grand-nephew."

Xu Zaijing stood up, cupped his hands, and looked at the old lady.

After looking at Xu Zaijing for a while, the old lady waved her hand at him and said, "Jing'er, sit down."

After glancing at the old lady's expression, Xu Zaijing nodded: "Yes, great-aunt."

After taking their seats, the old lady glanced at Xu Zaijing several times, making him somewhat uneasy.

“You are different from that child from the Qi family,” the old lady said gently.

Looking at the surprised Xu Zaijing, the old lady said with a hint of reminiscence in her eyes, "Back in Yangzhou, Ming'er already knew about all the things you made for her mother."

"Ming'er said that she had developed feelings for you since then. Although Qi Heng made many attempts to win her over at school, she never took it seriously."

As she spoke, the old lady shook her head and said, "Besides, judging from the reactions of the Duke and Duchess of Qi, the Qi family child did not tell his family anything about his behavior in the palace."

Xu Zaijing pursed his lips slightly, a little embarrassed. In fact, Xu Zaijing himself hadn't told Sun about this matter.
Looking at Xu Zaijing's expression, the old lady seemed to have guessed what Xu Zaijing was thinking: "Jing'er, after you get married, you will have to live in your own residence."

"You are the master of the royal palace, and many things in the palace are decided by your word."

“The Qi family is different; Princess Pingning has the final say on everything in the backyard.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing glanced at the old lady with delight and said, "Grandma is right."

"That's right." The old lady hesitated and shook her head after saying only half a sentence.

"Grandmother, please speak freely."

Looking at Xu Zaijing who was looking at her, the old lady breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head, saying, "Jing'er, it's nothing. It's just that I saw the daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Fuchang today."

"How should I put it, I always feel that this person is somewhat..." As she spoke, the old lady shook her head a few more times.

Xu Zaijing nodded and said, "Grandmother, your feeling is correct."

Upon hearing this, the old lady and Madam Fang looked over together. Xu Zaijing said, "Rongxian had a son born out of wedlock before, but I don't know if Sister Yanran and Old Madam Yu have spoken about the maid who gave birth to this son."

Mother Fang exclaimed, "My God, how could the eldest daughter of such a prestigious family be so heartless?"

The old lady said, "I can't believe it. But the Rong family children seemed quite well-mannered that day."

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Grand-aunt, I heard that the Rong family's daughter was also taught by Granny Kong, and Consort Rong in the palace often gave her instructions."

The old lady nodded slowly.

After glancing at Xu Zaijing again, the old lady said, "Jing'er, you know quite a bit about my family's affairs, especially those within the household."

"Alright, I won't say any more, old woman. I'm sure you already have a plan in mind, Jing'er."

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile.

After saying so much, Qingcao, who was serving tea, finally peeked out from behind the screen.

Qingcao, who was carrying no tray, bowed to the three people in the room and said, "Grandma, the Duchess said that the guests are leaving and would like to ask the young master to see them off."

The old lady waved her hand: "Jing'er, you should go now."

Inside the Xu family courtyard,

Princess Pingning walked beside Madam Shen with a smile on her face, glancing at Shen Hezhen who was following Madam Shen from time to time.

Walking beside Princess Pingning, Zheng Ni looked at her sister-in-law, whose face was slightly flushed, and said, "Your Highness, please stop looking at Zhen'er."

"After some time, you can watch it for as long as you want."

Upon hearing this, Shen Hezhen glared at her sister-in-law, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.

Princess Pingning smiled and shook her head: "I can never get enough of looking at such a refined young lady as Zhen'er."

"Your Highness, you flatter me," Shen Hezhen replied, blushing.

Madam Shen smiled and patted her daughter's arm, which was linked with hers, saying, "Alright, we're almost at the second gate."

As they spoke,
Seeing the Duchess of England and Madam Zheng emerge from another courtyard, Madam Shen and the others approached them.

After exchanging greetings with the Duchess of England, Zheng Ni called out to Madam Zheng, "Mother."

"Madam, please go first." Princess Pingning smiled and gestured to the Duchess of Yingguo.

"Let's not refuse each other, let's go together," the Duchess of England said with a smile.

Seeing the group approaching, Madam Sun quickly led her daughter-in-law to smile and reach out to grasp the arm of the Duchess of Yingguo: "Madam, it's still early, why don't you all stay and play a little longer?"

"I've bothered you long enough today."

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Zaijing and his father and brothers accompanied the male guests from these families as they approached.

Seeing that Shen Herui was somewhat drunk and was being supported by Xu Zaijing with one hand, Shen Hezhen and Madam Shen both frowned with similar expressions.

Zheng Ni and Madam Zheng shook their heads helplessly.

When Xu Zaijing and Shen Herui approached, Madam Shen scolded, "Rui'er, why have you drunk too much again?"

As she spoke, Madam Shen glanced shyly at Madam Zheng.

Madam Zheng smiled and said nonchalantly, "It's good that Rui-ge'er's close friend is celebrating a happy occasion; a little more drinking won't hurt."

"Heh—heh heh." Shen Herui, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, didn't even recognize who said it, and nodded happily, "Yes!"

“That’s right!” Shen Herui said, patting Xu Zaijing’s chest. “If it weren’t for Prince Jing, I would have already…”

Shen Herui, whose mouth was covered by Xu Zaijing, tried in vain to pull his hand away.

“Brother He Rui, Madam Zheng is here,” Xu Zaijing whispered in Shen He Rui’s ear.

"Hmm??!" Shen Herui's eyes cleared instantly. After glancing around, he quickly bowed and greeted his mother, "Mother-in-law, your son-in-law..."

Seeing Shen Herui lose his balance while bowing and almost fall, but was caught by Xu Zaijing, Shen Hezhen scolded, "Brother! How much have you been drinking?"

Standing to the side, Madam Sun smiled and said, "It's clear that Rui-ge'er is truly happy."

“Yes!” Princess Pingning echoed with a smile.

Then, with the help of servants, Shen Herui and Zheng Ni boarded the Shen family carriage together.

After exchanging a few words with Mrs. Sun, the British Duchess and other distinguished guests left the Xu family home with their families.

By 4 PM, most of the guests had already left.

Guests who were too drunk to ride horses or carriages were accommodated in the outer courtyard rooms with dedicated staff.

In the end, the Zhu, Gu, Huyan, and Sheng families, among other in-laws in the Duke of Dai's mansion, did not leave.

In the hall where the female guests were located,

Rulan, who had been busy all day talking and eating since she got up early, leaned against Wang Ruofu and sat down.

After yawning and covering her mouth, Rulan asked softly, "Mother, aren't we going home?"

Wang Ruofu shook his head: "It might take a while, your grandmother has things to do."

"Is there anything else? Are you talking about Sixth Sister?" Rulan asked again.

“No, it’s about your grandmother,” Wang Ruofu replied.

The other companies are located in [locations].

Gu Shixing asked his father, "Dad, where did Mom go?"

Gu Tingyu smiled and patted his son's head: "You'll understand when you're older."

"Oh"

The courtyard of the Xu Family Ancestral Hall.

There were several tables set up at the entrance of the courtyard.

Beside the desk,
Madam Sun, along with her daughter-in-law, the old lady, her aunt who had married into the Zhu family, Pingmei, Anmei, and other married daughters of the Xu family, were preparing the items needed for the ancestral worship ceremony.

The old lady carefully sorted out some paper money, funerary objects, paper horses, paper clothes, and other items, and placed them in a large winnowing basket on the side.

After tidying up these things, the old lady, along with Pingmei and others, used the cloths in their hands to wipe the incense table and other sacrificial items.

Subsequently,

Duke Xu Minghua of Dai was in front.

Xu Zaijing and Zaizhang were behind.

The three men, accompanied by servants from the Xu family, carried the sacrificial items toward the ancestral hall.

The old lady Pingmei and other daughters of the Xu family, along with Sun and other daughters-in-law of the Xu family, followed behind, carrying or holding things, or two people carrying them together.

After entering the ancestral hall,
The old lady looked around.
Today, the Xu Family Ancestral Hall is even more solemn and dignified than the old lady remembered, and there are many more items displayed and hung around it.

The first thing you see is several imperial edicts enshrined on the altar.

That was the imperial edict issued when Xu Minghua, Xu Zaiduan, and Xu Zaijing received their awards and titles.

Several more plaques have been added to the walls on both sides of the ancestral hall and under the roof.

Some of the inscriptions read "to commend the brave and encourage courage," while others read "to be courageous, resolute, loyal, and diligent."

The most eye-catching items are the two plaques inscribed with "Triple Crown Success" and "A Loyal Heart Shines Like the Sun".

After Xu Minghua led everyone to put their things away, he stood aside.

The elderly lady, Madam Sun, and others placed their belongings neatly on the tables and desks in the ancestral hall.

After looking around the ancestral hall again, the old lady, together with Pingmei and the others, bowed and slowly withdrew from the ancestral hall.

(End of this chapter)