The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 139 A Letter from Shangdu
This was the first time Zhao Muyun had ever heard his usually dignified and polite wife raise her voice so loudly.

I wonder what major event has happened in the manor that would make her so angry.

A chill ran through me, and I strode forward.

As soon as I entered the backyard flower hall, I saw a picture of a mother and daughter confronting each other.

Lady Jiang, the wife of the Marquis, was heaving with anger.

His fearless daughter, however, had tears in her eyes, a rare occurrence for her.

Her already round, chubby face became even more puffy!
I've been deeply wronged!
"Can anyone tell me what happened?"

The mother and daughter, who had just been at loggerheads, both turned to look at the door when they heard the familiar voice.

Jiang looked flustered and wanted to switch to her usual professional expression.

The transformation was somewhat abrupt.

Zhao Ran had argued with her mother for a while and even received some sarcastic remarks, so she did feel a bit wronged.

Seeing her biological father amplified her grievances even further.

With a sob in her voice, she said, "Father, you're back! Please persuade Mother that I don't like Shangdu and I don't want to marry this Cousin Shaoyang!"

"My lord."

Jiang was furious; her daughter really couldn't keep a word to herself.

After she made such a fuss, how could she possibly say a few good words for her nephew from her maternal family?

Shangdu?

Cousin Shaoyang?

get married!

These three keywords struck Zhao Muyun squarely where it hurt.

His daughter is only fifteen years old (by Chinese reckoning), what kind of man would she marry!

Jiang's maternal family enjoyed a period of great prominence for about ten years when her grandfather served as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

My father-in-law took the imperial examination for twenty years before finally becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examinations), and now he works as a teacher at Shangdu Academy.

Both of my brothers-in-law are in their thirties; one stopped at the level of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), while the other is still in the process of taking the Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations).

So far, it seems that none of the nephews or nieces of either family have been particularly outstanding.

Each generation is definitely worse than the last!

Say.

Shouldn't you discuss your daughter's marriage with him, her father, before revealing anything to her?

Why did the lady bring this up directly with her daughter? What was she planning?

Zhao Muyun is indeed a bit carefree and easygoing, but that doesn't mean he's without guile.

After a little thought, there's nothing I don't understand.

He waved to Zhao Ran, telling her to leave, and gave her a reassuring look before he left.

The little girl's narrow, willow-leaf eyes curved into a smile, returning to their bright and lovely appearance.

Yes, yes, her father will make all the decisions for her, and no one can marry her off to a distant place!
Zhao Ran will be of marriageable age after the New Year.

She still has some expectations about getting married.

She doesn't like living too far from her parents.

She wasn't particularly interested in those frail, scholarly types.

The perfect husband in her heart should be someone who is brave, resourceful, and handsome!

The husband's family should be small, ideally without any concubines or mistresses before marriage.

Among the families in the border town, Huaiqing Prefecture and her family's Marquis's mansion, none of the eligible young men met her standards!
Moreover, all the unmarried men she knew were just like her half-brother—young, with a whole room full of maids.

When she and her mother attended the banquet, all the ladies kept saying that...

Born into families like theirs, their sons might have to go to war before they even reached adulthood. Regardless of whether they were born of legitimate or illegitimate children, leaving a bloodline as early as possible was the most important thing.

He shows absolutely no consideration for his future daughter-in-law's feelings. Even a playboy like Zhao Rui, who hasn't yet caused a death, has become a hot commodity!
Thinking of this, Zhao Ran shook her head violently.

She clenched her fists tightly.

Cheer yourself up.

You must find a husband who meets your expectations in every way.

The most distinguished couple in the border town watched their daughter skip and hop away.

They remained silent, speechless.

The air pressure inside the room was getting lower and lower.

Seeing that Marquis Ningyang showed no sign of speaking for a long time, Madam Jiang organized her thoughts and forced herself to say:
"My lord, I received the New Year's gifts from Shangdu today. My sister-in-law also wrote me a letter when she delivered the gifts. She mentioned her son, Shaoyang, in the letter."

Actually, I wasn't married when Shaoyang was born. When he was little, I thought he looked a lot like my older brother, and I think he'll look just as good now that he's grown up!
He is eighteen years old this year (by Chinese reckoning). He passed the imperial examination two years ago and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). I heard that Yang-ge'er has a very good temperament and solid knowledge, and his chances of passing the provincial examination within three to five years are extremely high.

My sister-in-law wants to strengthen our family ties through marriage.

After listening to his wife's explanation with a cold face, Zhao Muyun said rather rudely:
"The most experienced bandit-suppressing army, the Yama Army, and the best-equipped Jing Army have been suppressing bandits for several months, but the result is that the number of displaced people is increasing despite the fighting."

If Shangdu hadn't been protected by the Five Armies Camp, the Three Thousand Camp, and the Divine Machine Camp, it would most likely have been captured by the refugees long ago.

The imperial army was concentrated in the nine border towns and the commercial capital, while the troops of the thirteen provincial administrations were useless.

If the Yama Army and the Clean Army wanted to completely wipe out these refugees, it would take at least two or three years, and at most five or six years! Under such circumstances, how could the imperial court hold the imperial examination?

Even if my eldest brother's son, Yang, were to become one of the top three scholars in the imperial examinations, I still wouldn't let my sister Ran marry into the capital.

With neither internal strife nor external threats resolved, staying in the Marquis's residence is the safest option!

What Zhao Muyun didn't say was...

Even their own marquis's mansion wasn't well-off, and the lady's family was a declining force, so she might have to rely on Ran's dowry to support the family after she married into the family.

the most important is.

Shangdu is so far away!
If his daughter is mistreated at her in-laws' house, he can't do anything about it!
He's only in his early thirties, his mind isn't senile yet!

Jiang Shi truly hadn't expected that the refugees from various places would be so difficult to quell.

As a result, Yang Ge'er's imperial examination will likely be delayed.

But thinking about her own daughter's situation, she was also very troubled:
"My lord, Ran'er will be of marriageable age at the beginning of the year! If we delay for another three to five years, what good young man would want to marry an old maid? The ladies of Shangdu are all engaged before they even reach marriageable age! Compared to the border town where we fight the Tatars every year, wouldn't it be safer for her to marry into Shangdu?!"

Zhao Muyun didn't take it seriously:
"Don't compare my daughter, Zhao Muyun's, with the women of your Shangdu. My daughter won't have to worry about getting married even after she turns twenty!"

These words made Lady Jiang so angry that she almost fell over backwards.

What happened to the woman from Shangdu?
These refined and noble ladies, which one of them wasn't already being courted by matchmakers before they even reached marriageable age?

If it weren't for my own daughter acting like a wild boy all the time...

The young masters of the border town and Huaiqing Prefecture are invincible!

Whenever she attended a banquet, as soon as she mentioned her daughter, all the ladies would be eager to attend.

The place is so small, and everyone knows each other well, so it's not good to hide a child's personality.

and so.

The letter from her sister-in-law caught her eye.

What a great result.

They are a father and daughter.

One person shook his head vigorously when she mentioned her nephew from her maternal family, stating frankly that he disliked weak, scholarly men.

The father immediately launched into a sweeping generalization.

They disparaged and belittled all the ladies in the shopping mall.

snort!
If you looked down on her so much, why did you marry her, a woman from Shangdu, in the first place?

Lady Hou was furious.

They completely forgot that she was married off by imperial decree!

(End of this chapter)