novelhk Chapter 192: Caring for Uncle Chengyang
Chapter 192: Caring for Uncle Chengyang
Since she married into the Earl's Mansion, everything she had belonged to the Earl's Mansion.
Thinking of this, Zhong Ning couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic. This wife of the Earl of Chengyang was really too miserable.
At the same time, a girl in white who was sitting at the end of the banquet table was looking over with joy.
"Xiu'er, what do you think of this Third Young Master?" A beautiful woman with hair covered in pearls and jade sitting nearby whispered, "He's handsome, well-educated, and extremely filial. If you miss out on such a man, you'll never have another like him again."
But the girl in white named Xiu'er remained silent.
She stared blankly at the proud and tall figure in the field.
Of course, her eyes were not on Zhong Ning.
He is not the Third Master Zhan either.
Instead, it was Earl Chengyang who was standing beside Young Master Zhan San and pulling his younger brother up.
"Mother, although the Third Young Master looks young and handsome, he holds no official position and even makes such ridiculous remarks. How can I marry him?"
The girl in white narrowed her eyes, then turned her gaze to the man she loved, her face slightly red. "Even if I were to marry, I should marry someone with a real title like you."
The beautiful woman looked at the handsome man who was pulling her brother towards the men's guest seats, and then looked at her daughter in front of her with her eyes full of autumn water.
He couldn't help but sigh silently. While everyone's eyes were still on the main hall, he grabbed his daughter's ear with his jade fingers and warned her:
"Then Marquis Chengyang already has a wife. Don't make the mistake. Our family is a noble one. Your father will never agree to you marrying into the Marquis's mansion as a concubine!"
The girl snorted coldly and grumbled in dissatisfaction: "Mother, how can you say that to your daughter? Look at the person sitting in the hall, she is the daughter of a merchant. She can enter the gate of the Chengyang Marquis's Mansion, so why can't your daughter?"
"Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, that woman is the most lowly of the lot."
"If my daughter were here, Marquis Chengyang would never choose a woman like that as his wife!"
"You..." The beautiful woman's face turned pale, and she was secretly annoyed at when Cheng Yangbo had seduced her daughter. "How could you have such thoughts? He's a married man, and you're rushing to throw yourself at him. Where does that leave his wife?"
"Mother, don't you want your daughter to marry into a noble family? This is the Earl's Mansion..."
"But..." The beautiful woman looked panicked. Her husband was a Jinshi who passed the imperial examination ten years ago and is now a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites.
This kind of official position is really pitifully low in this Kyoto city where a stone falling from the sky can easily hit the earl's mansion.
The reason why he was able to hold the fifth-rank official position was that the emperor granted him the decree because he saw that he came from a clean family, had some reputation, and was diligent in his official duties.
Otherwise, even if he continued to work for another twenty years, he could only reach the sixth rank at best.
So over the years, her family has actually been moving around in the lower circles of Kyoto.
The reason he was invited to attend the birthday banquet at the Chengyang Marquis's residence was because the imperial examination was imminent, and Chengyang Marquis wanted to find a teacher to give his younger brother some advice.
I don't know whose advice he followed, but it ended up happening to his own master.
Although the master did not agree, his daughter could not stop thinking about him because of the time she met Earl Chengyang.
He had not originally planned to attend this birthday party, but the master heard that Princess Zhaohua was coming in person to celebrate the birthday. The royal princess was going to the birthday party, and he had also received an invitation. If he did not go, it would seem that he was a lowly official but a high-ranking official.
In order to avoid subsequent troubles, he brought his family here.
Now, the princess has seen him, but they have no chance to establish a relationship with him, and their own daughter is still staring at Earl Chengyang.
It really made her very tired.
When the girl in white saw Marquis Chengyang leaving towards the male guest, her eyes moved slightly and her heart was burning with anger. Her parents would not allow her to marry into Marquis Chengyang's mansion, but she was really unwilling to do so.
The Earl of Chengyang was so handsome and also a count, which really made her yearn for him.
I originally thought that the Chengyang Marquis' Mansion was just as the outside world said, a down-and-out noble family with little wealth, but now it seems that the rumors are not entirely true.
She felt that the Chengyang Marquis' Mansion had a profound heritage, with a new scene at every step. It was indeed the mansion she dreamed of living in.
If she could marry Earl Chengyang, all of this would naturally be hers.
Thinking of this, she quietly left the banquet hall under the pretext of going to the toilet.
If Zhong Ning knew what she was thinking, he would probably sneer, because the account of the Chengyang Marquis's Mansion was indeed mostly empty, and the luxurious clothes and food outside were all dependent on Xu Hanwei's dowry.
In such a family, there are still people who want to jump in.
It's really stupid.
At this time, the birthday banquet was already half over. Everyone in the party was a noble family from various mansions and had no shortage of food. They came here to take advantage of this opportunity to see if they could establish a relationship with Princess Zhaohua.
After all, everyone knows that a few days ago, the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion openly plotted against Princess Zhaohua, and not only was they slapped in the face by His Majesty on the spot, but they were also demoted.
In addition, it is said that His Majesty is currently selecting a consort for Princess Zhaohua.
Any family that had a child who had just reached adulthood, was still of good complexion, and had no particular talent in literature or martial arts would want to take advantage of this opportunity to be the first to win the heart of Princess Zhaohua.
On Zhong Ning's side alone, people who wanted to toast him lined up and came forward, but the two girls, Su Xin and Jing Xin, blocked them completely.
In the end, Zhong Ning said he was drunk, so everyone gave up.
Soon, the birthday banquet ended.
The old lady smiled and invited Zhong Ning to go to Qinfang Pavilion to order two plays.
Today she spent a large sum of money to invite the most famous Hongqing Opera Troupe in Kyoto to perform. This was also an important part of today's birthday banquet. She insisted on inviting Princess Zhaohua to perform.
Zhong Ning had stayed here long enough, giving enough face to the Chengyang Marquis' Mansion. Now that the birthday banquet was over, it was time to say goodbye and leave.
Zhong Ning's face was indifferent. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a little maid hurried over and whispered something in the ear of Zhou, the second wife.
Zhou was immediately surprised and looked in Xu Hanwei's direction with a hint of gloating.
Zhong Ning instinctively felt that something was wrong. After all, based on her years of experience reading novels, banquets have always been places where accidents are prone to occur.
As expected, Zhou said with some embarrassment:
"Mother, just now, Miss Li Chengxiu, the daughter of the Minister of Rites, accidentally slipped into the lotus pond and was rescued by our uncle..."
The old lady of Chengyang Earl's face suddenly turned red.
His slightly cloudy eyes rolled around, and when he saw Zhong Ning, he swallowed back the words he wanted to curse.
"How is the person now?" the old lady asked while suppressing her anger.
"The person was rescued in time. Master Bo carried him to the guest room. The court doctor examined him and he is now fine..."
Old Lady:........
The old lady glanced in Xu Hanwei's direction and thought that although her eldest daughter-in-law was a merchant's daughter and not worthy of their earl's family, her dowry was really generous.
But if he could marry the daughter of the Deputy Minister of Rites, he would be able to marry into a family of noble character, which would be a good thing for the Earl's family.