Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 818 Zheng'er, you two should hurry up and learn! [Thank you! Bow again! 9k words owed]

The sun sets,

The light outside gradually dimmed.

The room gradually darkened.

This slightly diminished the luster of the gold and silver jewelry next to the dressing case, making it less dazzling.

It was before dusk had fallen, and the sky was still bright enough.

"Click."

A clanging sound came from the copper lock.

The door was opened, and the light from outside shone onto the carpet inside.

immediately,

With a red silk flower in her hair and a red ribbon tied around her waist, Zi Teng, carrying a lantern and candle, led the Chai family maid in.

After entering the house,
The female attendants scattered and lit the red wedding candles placed throughout the bridal chamber.

These wedding candles were clearly made of the finest materials; once lit, they not only emitted a dazzling flame but also released a subtle, delightful fragrance.

Zi Teng lit the candles and carefully inspected every part of the bridal chamber before slowly retreating with the maid.

The door, adorned with a large red "double happiness" character, was closed again.

"Click."

The door was locked with a brass lock.

At first, some sunlight shone through the plain-colored gauze curtains on the doors and windows.

Soon, darkness fell, and only the bright yellow candlelight shone through the plain white gauze.

Looking out from inside the house, the candlelight was so bright that only the red lanterns outside the courtyard could be seen through the window screen; nothing else could be seen clearly.

The various pieces of jewelry beside the dressing case continued to gleam with their precious light under the candlelight.

East of the imperial city, by the river, lies the Chai family's home.

The noise from the main street outside Donghuamen could be faintly heard over the many mansions and wooden buildings.

Amid the noise,

Large rows of lanterns lit up the Chai family's gate, illuminating the various red ribbons and flowers on all sides.

The light in front of the Chai family's house was too bright.

People would often pass by the Chai family's house, either on horseback, in a carriage, or on foot.

As they passed by, the common people and wealthy households couldn't help but glance at the Chai family's gate a few more times, sighing a few times in their hearts and mouths.

Some marveled at the wealth of the Chai family, some marveled at how lucky the man who married a daughter of the Chai family was, and others exclaimed that "there is a golden house in books."

Meanwhile, a section of the palace wall opposite the Chai family's residence was also faintly illuminated.

As passersby walked along the river, they could see the shadow of the palace walls reflected on the surface of the moat.

Sometimes, the river reflects the armored guards patrolling the palace walls with their guns.

Chai family front yard,

Amidst the various candlelight flickering in the courtyard, servants could still be seen walking back and forth, chatting and busying themselves with something.

After passing the second gate, this busy situation decreased significantly.

Autumn Sound Garden
There are many more lanterns inside and outside the courtyard than usual.

Inside the main house,

Before and behind the screen, chests and cages of varying sizes were placed in various places, some open and some closed, presenting a chaotic scene that was not seen before.

"These are our daughter's personal clothes. Fold them neatly and take them with you."

"Yes, Sister Yunmu!"

After a while.

"Sister Yunmu, should we seal these boxes now?"

"No need, Madam and the two ladies will be coming to see it later. We'll seal it after they've looked at it."

The maidservant agreed and left.

As Yunmu spoke, he glanced at the situation inside the room and then slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately, Yunmu noticed his daughter sitting behind the table, lost in thought.

Looking at Yunmu approaching, Chai Zhengzheng, who was resting her chin on her hands, tilted her head and said softly, "Yunmu, why don't you think I'm excited?"

"I feel less nervous than I did when I had the dream."

Yunmu pursed his lips and chuckled softly, "Miss, perhaps you've thought about it too many times before, and it's become a habit?"

"What do you mean, too many times? I haven't done that!" Chai Zhengzheng frowned and looked away.

"Yes, yes, you're not! You're not agitated or nervous at all, entirely because you have a broad mind."

After Yunmu finished speaking, Chai Zhengzheng pursed her lips and nodded slightly, saying, "Maybe. After all, I've witnessed quite a few major events by following him."

As she spoke, Chai Zhengzheng covered her cheeks with both hands.

At this moment, a maid came in carrying a food box, curtsied, and said, "Miss, the lady has sent over dinner."

"I'm not hungry yet, just leave it there."

"Yes, young lady. Madam also instructed that she needs to speak with you tonight, so please don't go to bed early."

"Oh, I see."

Later,
Chai Zhengzheng, who was reading a booklet, couldn't help but yawn: "Didn't Mother say she had something to do? Why isn't she here yet?"

The voice has not fallen,

A maid's greeting could be heard from outside.

Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly walked outside.

Before he even reached the outer room, Chai Zhengzheng saw Madam Chai leading a group of people over: "Mother!"

After calling out the name of the person, Chai Zhengzheng looked at the person standing beside Madam Chai, holding a scroll, and exclaimed in surprise, "Eh—what brings you here?"

"Meet the girl."

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng nodded blankly.

"Go in and talk."

Mrs. Chai smiled.

When everyone entered the bedroom, Madam Chai's personal maid did not follow, but instead called the maids inside to come out of the room.

Chai Zhengzheng glanced at him with a puzzled look, but didn't say anything more.

Upon entering the bedroom,

Chai Zhengzheng glanced at someone and said to Madam Chai, "Mother, did you say you needed to speak with your daughter?"

Madam Chai glanced back at Wei Fangzhi, who was following behind, and then smiled at Chai Zhengzheng, saying, "That's right."

Zhang Jia Wu Niang, Gu Tingyi, and other girls who were close to Chai Zhengzheng had already gotten married.

Chai Zhengzheng, who often visited them, naturally learned a lot about things to know before getting married through conversations with her friends.

Looking at Madam Chai's expression and Wei Fangzhi's expression, Chai Zhengzheng's cheeks suddenly became burning hot.

Looking at her daughter's expression, Madam Chai smiled slightly, then reached out and led Chai Zhengzheng aside, saying gently, "Marital relations are a serious matter and should not be taken lightly."

"Mm." Feeling like she was almost done, Chai Zhengzheng nodded and replied in a low voice, "Daughter knows."

After saying that, Chai Zhengzheng glanced at Wei Fangzhi again.

Madam Chai sighed softly and said, "Since you took Zheng'er into our family, I have carefully observed Miss Wei over the years. She is a virtuous, intelligent, and kind-hearted girl."

"Moreover," Madam Chai said softly, and Chai Zhengzheng looked at Wei Fangzhi in surprise.

It's no wonder Chai Zhengzheng was surprised; she really didn't expect that the girl in front of her would dare to drink the domineering sterilization potion in one gulp.

"You, you've already been freed from your lowly status, why are you still doing this?" Chai Zhengzheng frowned as she looked at Wei Fangzhi and asked anxiously:
"You're quite wealthy now, wouldn't it be better to marry into a good family later?"

Wei Fang looked up at Chai Zhengzheng's anxious face, then lowered her head and said, "Miss has done me a great favor, freeing me from my lowly status and from this sea of ​​suffering."

"Although I am quite wealthy, in the eyes of others in the capital I am nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter."

"After much thought, I think it's better for me to stay by your side, Miss."

Looking at Wei Fangzhi's expression, Chai Zhengzheng glanced at her mother, Chai, with incomprehension in her eyes: "Mother, since you're going to let her stay by my side, why did you do it in the first place?"

Madam Chai smiled and said, "If she hadn't drunk that soup, how could she have come to you? You must know that you have to give up something to gain something."

As she spoke, Madam Chai looked at Wei Fangzhi and said, "Miss Wei, look up at me."

Wei Fangzhi acted accordingly.

“I won’t hide it from you now, Zhengzheng. The soup I gave you before was just a trick to test you.”

"!!!"

Wei Fang stared at Madam Chai in disbelief and incomprehension.

Then, Wei Fangzhi glanced at Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Madam, how could this be a trick? This servant..."

“There are many things you don’t know,” Madam Chai explained, then looked at Wei Fangzhi and said, “Were you just thinking about why I didn’t use the real decoction to prevent future troubles?” Wei Fangzhi looked at Madam Chai in surprise again: “Yes, Madam.”

Chai Zhengzheng also looked at her mother with curiosity.

"Whether the medicine I gave you was real or fake is up to me! But once you enter the Prince's mansion, whether that Xu family boy touches you, and when he does, is no longer up to me."

After a moment of stunned silence, Wei Fang looked at Madam Chai and said, "I understand! Thank you for your kindness, Madam."

Madam Chai nodded and said to her daughter, "We've gone off-topic! Marriage is a very important matter."

"Mother, I know!" Chai Zhengzheng said, glancing at Wei Fangzhi shyly.

"What do you know?!" Madam Chai glared at Chai Zhengzheng reproachfully.

"Alas!" Madam Chai sighed and continued, "That boy from the Xu family is good! But I also know that he has practiced martial arts for many years and is almost invincible on the battlefield! His physique is incredibly strong."

Chai Zhengzheng stamped her foot in embarrassment, and while trying to escape, she said, "Mother, what do you mean by 'strong and muscular'! What are you saying!"

As a result, Chai Zhengzheng had only taken two steps when Madam Chai pulled him back.

"Sit down and listen to me!" Madam Chai said, her voice slightly raised. "We miscalculated before, only thinking about how good that boy was, without considering anything else! Now, I wonder if that Xu family boy has any sense of proportion, or even knows how to care for others."

As she spoke, Madam Chai sighed again: "Now that I think about it, we really should have sent someone to test that Xu family boy."

"Mother, you—"

Ignoring Chai Zhengzheng, who was burying his head in her chest, Madam Chai continued, "Talking about this tonight won't help. We can only have Miss Wei teach you more skills so that you won't get hurt by that boy."

"I asked Miss Wei before I came, and she said that Zheng'er, you have practiced physical fitness exercises since you were a child, so you will be able to learn more easily."

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng looked up at Wei Fangzhi.

Seeing Wei Fang nod repeatedly, Chai Zhengzheng blushed and lowered her head again.

"Alright, while there's still plenty of time, Zheng'er, you two should hurry up and start learning."

Wei Fangzhi: "Yes, Madam."

Madam Chai: "Zheng'er?"

"It's mother."

"."

A half-moon hangs in the sky.
In Chai Zhengzheng's bedroom,

“Girl, do it like this! Mother Ruan said that only this way will it not hurt too much.”

"Say it seriously, so as not to hurt yourself."

"."

"Mother Ruan said that you can frown slightly at that time."

"."

"You haven't seen many snakes? Okay."

After a while.

"Look at my waist."

"how?."

"."

Chai Zhengzheng's voice came through: "What, it's still okay?"

“Mother Ruan said it’s fine,” Wei Fangzhi said softly, “if it’s a young lady.”

"."

"Just like I said!"

"."

"I don't know what it feels like. I was just training according to Madam Ruan's instructions."

"And so it ended."

The Xu family

Xu Zaijing's son.

The thick, long wedding candles burned slowly.

The noise outside the bridal chamber gradually subsided from the evening hustle and bustle to quiet.

When the thick wedding candles were nearly half burned, the outside of the bridal chamber was quiet enough to hear the chirping of unknown insects.

Sometimes, you can hear the snoring of the maidservant outside.

During this time, maids would occasionally peek through the window screens to observe the wedding candles inside the room.

Gradually, the candle burned shorter and shorter.

A commotion began to rise around the bridal chamber.

As the morning light filtered through the window screen, conversations could be heard outside.

"Sister Zifang, the first batch of betrothal gifts for our family has already been delivered by the sons of two noble families."

"Please have something to eat to tide you over, this is just the beginning."

"Thank you for thinking of you, Miss Yun."

"You're welcome."

The sky gradually brightened.

The door to the bridal chamber was opened again.

Zi Teng led the group in, and seeing the pair of dragon and phoenix wedding candles on the table that had burned out, Zi Teng smiled slightly and, together with the others, carried out all the other burnt-out candles.

The door to the bridal chamber was closed again.

Through the thin gauze on the door, you can see the sun changing, gradually rising higher.

During this period, the Xu family sent another gift to urge the bride to get married.

When the dazzling sunlight shines into the bridal chamber through the doors and windows, joyful music can be heard from outside.

"Sister Wisteria, listen! This joyful sound is much higher than before! Isn't it?"

"Yes! It should be that the Prince is about to set off to our house to fetch the bride."

"I've heard that the Prince has several magnificent steeds; I wonder which one he rides?"

After a while.

"when--"

A gong sounded.

The maid outside spoke again: "Huh? Why are you back so soon?"

Wisteria said in a somewhat loud voice, "What nonsense are you talking about? This gong sound isn't something just anyone can use."

"Sister Wisteria, if you say so, could it be that a distinguished guest has arrived?"

"Our young lady was betrothed by the Empress. I've heard from Madam that the Prince and the Crown Prince have a very close relationship, and I think it's highly likely."

Less than a quarter of an hour later, a woman's voice came from outside: "Sister Zifang, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. You and your sisters should be careful."

"Thank you for reminding me, Miss Yunxiang."

Opposite the Chai family's gate,

On the walls of the imperial city,

Several Imperial Guard officers, clad in armor, stood by the parapet, their gazes sweeping over the moat towards the bustling scene at the Chai family's gate.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from the gate of the Chai family's house.

One of the officers, a man with excellent eyesight, pointed at the Chai family's gate and said, "Hahaha, who is that best man who tried to move the banquet table but couldn't and made a fool of himself? He'll do anything to avoid drinking!"

Another person standing nearby laughed, "Looks like the second son of the Gu family. His build is very similar to that of Lord Gu! Oh! We tried again, but we still can't move him!"

In front of the Chai family's gate,
Chai Bo looked at Gu Tingye with a smile and said, "Second Brother, why don't you try lifting this table with the wine on it again?"

Standing next to Gu Tingye in new clothes, Zheng Xiao, who had recently returned to the capital, shook his head with a look of disdain: "Second Brother, what's wrong with you? You can't even do this simple task properly!"

"I! This! This table where the wine is placed isn't made of wood at all!"

"If it's not made of wood, is it made of iron or something?" Zheng Xiao smiled at the crowd blocking the entrance to the Chai family's house and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I won't move this table; I'll just test its weight."

"Brother Zheng, please." Chai Bo smiled and extended his hand.

Zheng Xiao nodded, exchanged a glance with Xu Zaijing, and walked to the table where the wine bowls were set out.

"Hey--"

"Boom!"

"Ouch! My back!" Zheng Xiao cried out in pain.

"Hahaha!" Another burst of laughter erupted at the doorway.

Gu Tingye swung his arm and returned to Xu Zaijing's side, shaking his head and saying, "Fifth Brother, this table is too heavy; it might be made of gold."

(End of this chapter)