Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 89: Marriage?

"Sister, didn't I tell you that there's no rush for this matter?" Zhu Shenzhui didn't expect Zhu Xiuer to bring up the old matter again. He was caught off guard and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"How old are you? If this is not urgent, what else can be urgent?" Zhu Xiuer glared at him and said immediately, "You are the only male left in our Zhu family. You are not a child anymore. It is not a good thing to drag it on day by day. Besides, when Dad was alive, his greatest hope was to have a grandson as soon as possible. I originally thought it would be my eldest brother, but who could have thought that he..."

At this point, Zhu Xiuer's eyes could not help but turn red. She lowered her head and wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeves. Then she raised her head and said, "There are three unfilial acts, and the worst is not having descendants. Both my parents are gone, and my eldest brother is gone too. As a sister, the only thing I am worried about now is this. Little brother, you have grown up, so you can't be willful anymore. Listen to me on this matter, I have thought it through..."

Zhu Xiuer told Zhu Shenzhui that after Zhu Shenzhui left last time, Zhu Xiuer started thinking about this matter, but after thinking about it, she decided that she couldn't wait for Zhu Shenzhui to come himself.

She knew her brother very well. If she let Zhu Shenzhui solve the problem by himself, who knows how long it would take. Seeing her brother growing up day by day, he had to consider marriage now that he was an adult.

Besides, my eldest brother's wife, Zhang, has been living with Zhu Shenzhu in the old house. This is not a good thing. Last time, Zhu Xiuer warned Zhu Shenzhu that getting married early is not only for the continuation of the family line, but also for Zhang's sake. A hot-blooded brother-in-law and a young widow with a three-year-old child living under the same roof for a long time, who knows what will happen in the future.

Even though the Zhu family is in decline, they are still members of the royal family and have to maintain their reputation. Once this news spreads, how can the Zhu family face their ancestors?

Zhu Xiuer said, "There is a family named Xu in the east of Pingshun City. Their ancestor was a fourth-rank official in the capital during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. Later, he offended Liu Jin, the "emperor" of that year, and lost his official position. Although his descendants have never been officials again, they are still a family of scholars."

"The eldest lady of the Xu family is 28 years old. She has a younger brother who is 14 years old and has been studying for many years. He just passed the examination for a student. Xu's father is a scholar, and his mother is also a kind person. There is also an old grandmother. The family has dozens of acres of real estate outside the city, and farming and studying are passed down in the family."

"I have secretly seen the eldest lady of the Xu family. Although she is not as stunningly beautiful as a fairy, she is also pretty and elegant. She is a good daughter of a scholar family and can read and write. She is also good at sewing and housework."

"I have thought about it carefully. This girl is the right age for you, and she is not bad looking either. Her character is well-known. This girl is the perfect match for you. In my opinion, she came at the right time. Tomorrow I will find a matchmaker to ask for this marriage. If the Xu family agrees, the marriage will be settled. We can choose a good day to marry her and let her enter our Zhu family as soon as possible and give birth to a beautiful child for our Zhu family..."

Zhu Xiuer became more and more excited as she spoke, and her eyes lit up.

Zhu Shenzhui secretly groaned, he knew nothing and yet someone suddenly found him a wife. And from what his eldest sister meant, she would ask a matchmaker to propose marriage tomorrow. If the other party had no objection, they would just exchange birth dates and then get married and enter the bridal chamber directly.

The sudden situation really caught Zhu Shenzhu off guard. To be honest, he had never thought about it. After all, he was not very old, and he was only in his early twenties. In later generations, he would not even have graduated from college at this age.

But this is not the future. In this era, men and women get married very early. Men from ordinary families can get married when they are sixteen. Many men like Zhu Shenzui even have children who can help with the family business.

If it were a normal day, Zhu Shenzhui might have considered what his sister said, but does he have the time to do so now?

The matter of Zhaowuling has not been resolved yet, and it is still unclear whether he can pass the hurdle of Yangtou Mountain. If this matter is not handled well, Zhu Shenzhui's hard work for so many days will be in vain. In this case, how can he think about these things?

"Sister, let's wait and see. These days I..."

"Why delay! This matter has been settled. Since your parents are not around, I will make the decision for you!" Without waiting for Zhu Shenzhui to explain, Zhu Xiuer said this in a decisive tone. This sentence blocked everything Zhu Shenzhui wanted to say later.

He smiled bitterly. His sister was good in every way except this. Wasn't this forcing him to enter the bridal chamber? How could such a thing happen in the world?
Helpless, he knew Zhu Xiuer's temper. If Zhu Shenzhui couldn't persuade her, she might just pick up the fire tongs and beat him up. Since he couldn't object, he would let Zhu Xiuer do it. Anyway, the matter had just begun. Whether the Xu family would really agree to it or not, even if they agreed, they would still have to prepare for a long time.

He could not stay here for a few days. Once he got news from his brother-in-law Zhou Anmin, Zhu Shenzhui would have to rush back to Yangtou Mountain immediately. By then, once this man left, the matter might be left unresolved.

Zhou Anmin did not come back all night, and only hurried back to the post station around noon the next day.

When he arrived at the post station, he went straight to Zhu Shenzhui and talked to him about business behind closed doors.

"After some persuasion, the general finally agreed for my sake." This was the first thing Zhou Anmin said. After hearing this, Zhu Shenzhu finally felt relieved.

"So, this is done?" "It can't be said to be completely done." Zhou Anmin frowned slightly and said, "Although it is agreed, the general flag has put forward a few conditions."

"What conditions?"

"The general flag said..." Zhou Anmin immediately told Zhu Shenzui the conditions stated by the general flag of the Jinyiwei in Pingshun. After listening, Zhu Shenzui also frowned. These conditions were beyond his expectations, or even a little too much.

Originally, according to Zhu Shenzhui's idea, he planned to let the Jinyiwei of Pingshun City come forward, make up a name and send a few people, and then use the identity of his uncle's centurion from Wangjia Village. In this way, he could unite the forces of Yangtou Mountain to target Zhaowuling, and legally have a legitimate reason.

If possible, we can mobilize the military households of Zhao Village through Jinyiwei to act together, which will be more reliable. This matter is not a trivial matter, nor is it a fight between two gangs of bandits. We must not only get the job done, but also consider the subsequent problems.

Unexpectedly, although the Jinyiwei chief of Pingshun City agreed to cooperate, he refused to send anyone. In Zhou Anmin's words, he wanted to take advantage but was unwilling to put in any effort.

If the gust of wind in Zhaowuling was solved by then, the Jinyiwei would directly take the credit and give Zhu Shenzhui and his team the bottom line. But if this could not be done, then the Jinyiwei would never admit that this matter had anything to do with them.

"Little brother, why don't we just let this go? This way, all the risks are on your side. There's no benefit if it succeeds, and it's even more difficult if it fails. If it really doesn't work, then just do as we said yesterday and find a way to hide in Yangtou Mountain. You can go back to Yangtou Mountain after this matter is over."

Zhou Anmin was not an outsider, so he naturally had to consider Zhu Shenzhui. He couldn't help but make a suggestion.

Zhu Shenzhui did not speak, but sat there thinking quietly. After a while, he asked Zhou Anmin, "Brother-in-law, if this succeeds, how much credit can you get?"

Zhou Anmin was stunned, and after thinking for a while, he said: "If we talk about merit, I can get some. The general flag owner privately promised me the status of a small flag, but you... "

"Enough!" Zhu Shenzhui slammed the table and said firmly: "In this case, although this is risky, it can be done!"

"But little brother, won't you think about it carefully again?"

Zhu Shenzhui smiled faintly and said, "What else is there to consider? It's nothing more than doing it or not. Now the arrow is on the string and has to be shot. I have already sent a letter to Wangjia Village. I will take people to Yangtou Mountain the day after tomorrow at the latest. Besides, Yangtou Mountain can always gather some people. We can't just sit back and watch the gust of wind in Zhaowuling. Although these people are not many, it is not impossible to accomplish something if we handle it well."

"Besides, didn't the general flag agree to back you up? Now they've even promised you, my brother-in-law, a small flag. This result is better than doing nothing anyway."

"But once we start, the risk will be quite high!" Zhou Anmin said anxiously.

"What is there in this world that doesn't involve some risks? Should we not do it if there are risks?" Zhu Shenzhui laughed loudly, a look of determination flashing across his face. "I have made up my mind. I would like to trouble my brother-in-law to report to the General Flag and ask my brother-in-law to worry about the Jinyiwei. Don't let your efforts end up with nothing in return, which would be a loss."

Seeing Zhu Shenzui's firm attitude, Zhou Anmin stopped persuading him. He hesitated and finally nodded in agreement reluctantly.

Then, Zhou Anmin went to Pingshun again, and came back in the evening to tell Zhu Shenzhui that everything had been agreed upon with the general flag, so Zhu Shenzhui could rest assured.

But to Zhu Shenzhui's surprise, Zhou Anmin told him that he would go with him to Zhaowuling this time. Although the general flag refused to send anyone, the credit for this matter would go to the Jinyiwei, and since he was Zhu Shenzhui's brother-in-law, he couldn't let Zhu Shenzhui take the risk alone.

Zhou Anmin was already a captain of the Jinyiwei, and he went with Zhu Shenzhui, which meant that the Jinyiwei was directly involved. Even if someone talked about this matter afterwards, it didn't matter, at least there was no problem with the procedure.

However, Zhu Shenzhui refused Zhou Anmin's initiative. He opposed Zhou Anmin to go with him. Attacking Zhaowuling would require fighting, and Zhou Anmin was his brother-in-law. Once on the battlefield, anything could happen. If something happened, how would he explain to his sister and nephews?

"What? You don't think that your brother-in-law, after serving as the postmaster for so many years, is powerless?" Zhou Anmin laughed, "If we really talk about martial arts, I am no pushover. We are just dealing with a mob, how can there be so much danger? Besides, since you are going, how can I not go? Don't bother with this matter, it's settled!"

(End of this chapter)