Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 685: Happy Event in Front of the Prime Minister
Qinghu River,

The lake is vast and boundless. Facing the breeze, the lake surface is covered with ripples, like a huge mirror, shining with brilliant colors under the sunlight. The slightly turbulent waves move towards the shore from afar, gently brushing the lakeshore, blowing the breeze, and making a rustling sound.

In the distance, you can see a few egrets dancing on the lake, and a group of fish swimming in the water, emitting charming light. Walking along the shore, the whole lake is picturesque and refreshing.
Zhang Jinyu rode on the horse, lazily enjoying the gentle breeze. If it weren't for the sun overhead, it might be a pleasant experience. He saw Xiangyang Hou beside him, who looked tired and obviously didn't sleep well. He had bulging bags under his eyes and some dark circles. Could it be that he indulged himself too much? He had never heard that Xiangyang Hou liked women.

But it's hard to say. After all, as the Marquis of Dawu, no matter how virtuous his wife is, he has at least four or five wives and concubines. When people reach middle age, everything is over. They can wet their shoes if they urinate against the wind. They are not like young people who can urinate several feet against the wind with all their strength in their waists. Thinking of this, his waist suddenly felt a little sore and he forgot to find Zixiang to get the medicine.

Looking back at Xiangyang Hou, who looked exhausted, he suppressed his thoughts and said, Brother Bai,

It seems that it is difficult.
He smiled and spoke to comfort her;

"Okay, Brother Bai, why worry about these things? As the saying goes, if the sky falls, there will always be someone taller to hold it up. Since the Duke of Zhenguo knows about it, I think he also knows what to do. Didn't he also tell you what to do? You should remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances. Besides, the princes of various places are all under the banner of paying tribute to the emperor, and they are fulfilling their filial piety. Even if the world knows about it, no one can say that it is inappropriate. If someone else stops it and those civil servants find out, they will hold the sages' books and report you."

Zhang Jinyu pursed his lips, imagining that those censors were starting to make trouble again. It was really troublesome. He felt a little thirsty, so he took out the water bag and put it in his arms. He opened the bag mouth, tilted his head back and took a sip. He drank it all in one gulp before putting it down.

"It's great. When the weather is hot, people get thirsty quickly. We need to prepare enough water. Brother Bai, those princes usually stay in their fiefdoms and enjoy their lives. The Dawu Law states that princes from all over the country cannot return to the capital without being summoned, but there is no rule that the prince cannot come. If the prince comes, you can't chase him back, right?"

Bai Guangju was a little hesitant and thought about it carefully. It was indeed as Luo Yunhou said. The Dawu Law did not specifically stipulate that the princes of the vassal kings were not allowed to leave their fiefdoms. However, he always felt that something was wrong. Aren't those princes representatives of the vassal kings?

It is still unclear whether they came to the capital to fulfill their filial duties to the emperor or for other purposes.

"Your Majesty is right. If the grandchildren want to go to the capital to fulfill their filial duties, no one can stop them, and no one dares to stop them. However, bringing some specialties to the palace is a way of fulfilling their filial duties. I, your brother, cannot tell whether they are sincere or not. Especially now that the court is tense and there is civil unrest in the south of the capital, and the rebellion has not been suppressed, if the princes cause trouble or put forward some conditions, then..."

"Then, the court may have to agree. Brother Bai, you have to remember that if the princes don't cause trouble, they are still princes. There have been few troubles in the past, so just wait and see for now."

Zhang Jinyu interrupted the Marquis of Xiangyang directly and continued, "The more affairs the court has, the more trouble the princes will cause. This is not just a new phenomenon. The princes of all dynasties would have made a wasted trip if they didn't cause trouble.

Just like this Qing Lake, it looks calm on the surface, but who can see clearly what is going on beneath the water? There are undercurrents surging.

The beauty of Qinghu Lake made Zhang Jinyu look at it a few more times.

what!
What's going on over there? Why are there so many people? What are they doing?

suddenly,

Zhang Jinyu looked up and saw the sound of gongs and drums coming from the east bank of Qinghu Lake, not far to the north. From a distance, he saw groups of people wearing bright red clothes, walking and stopping there. And along the shore of Qinghu Lake, they were all dressed in red. From a distance, they were very eye-catching.

Looking at the corner of the street, there was another round of gong and drum noises, and even a lion dance. The people followed behind, forming a circle around them.
This scene, at first glance, is the scene of a young master from a wealthy family. Who is getting married? Those who can live here are not simple people. However, with just that one glance, it is hard to tell. Even if Zhang Jinyu saw the groom, he would not recognize him. But the Marquis of Xiangyang next to him is a local tyrant, so he would know after asking.

"Hey, hey, Brother Bai, don't be so sad. Wait until those people come, then we can think of a way. As the saying goes, if an enemy comes, we will fight him. If a flood comes, we will block it with earth. Can a person be suffocated to death by urine? Look over there. Is it a young master's wedding? It's such a big event. I think there should be quite a few guests coming here."

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Xiangyang looked over in confusion. The scene was indeed a bit bigger. The storefronts on several streets were full of carriages. Some of those carriages were not unfamiliar to him. They were officials in the same dynasty. Although they did not recognize each other when they met, they were familiar to him.

I haven't heard of any wedding, but the direction seems to be the residence of the Prime Minister, Lord Li.

wrong,

The eldest son of the Li family has already married.

Some surprise and confusion, replied;

"My Lord, I am not sure about this. That direction is the residence of Prime Minister Li of the Cabinet. However, the eldest son of the Li family has already married, and there is only one heir in the family. How could there be such a scene?"

Marquis of Xiangyang was a little confused and worried that he had seen it wrong. He stood up and confirmed again and again, and it was indeed the Prime Minister's house. What was going on?

Zhang Jinyu found it a little funny to see the Marquis of Xiangyang being so conflicted. Who said that you can only marry one person? Two or three would not be a problem. He said with a smile;
"Brother Bai, look at you, what are you hesitating about? If you want to know, why don't you go over and take a look? If not, we can just give you a gift and have a meal. It's noon and there's no place to eat. As the saying goes, it's better to arrive in time than to arrive early. It's none of our business whether he gets married or not. He can marry as many wives as he wants. It's not right to marry a concubine for such a big occasion."

Zhang Jinyu didn't have those ideas. No one had stipulated that when marrying a wife, a sedan chair with eight bearers was needed, and when marrying a concubine, if the host family was happy, a sedan chair with six bearers was also acceptable.

Without waiting for Xiangyang Hou's reply, he kicked his horse's belly and led his men to join in the fun.

The Marquis of Xiangyang, who was behind him, saw that the Marquis was so anxious, smiled bitterly, and followed him.
"My Lord, that's not the case. In the mansions of dukes and marquises, marrying wives and concubines is all about agenda, especially in the rich and powerful families. Women who are not the principal wife are not allowed to wear red. Since she is dressed in red, she must be marrying a wife, or she may be a concubine."

Marquis of Xiangyang rode behind on horseback, chattering away, explaining matters of marriage to Zhang Jinyu. He also rejected the owner of the house, saying it was definitely not the son of Prime Minister Li. Although Prime Minister is not well-known now, his past glory is still vivid in people's minds, as if it happened yesterday. How could he make such a mistake?

unfortunately,

As the two of them got closer and closer to the Prime Minister's residence, they also got closer and closer. At the corner, they saw a large number of carriages and many officials, especially many court officials, all dressed in bright clothes, with happy faces and bulging bellies, heading towards the residence in front. At a quick glance, the residence was indeed quite nice.
It covers a large area and has an antique style. The wedding decorations create a festive atmosphere, but I didn't see the bride and groom.

"Brother Bai, come and take a look. Whose mansion is this? It looks like a lot of officials from Beijing are here. Look over there, it seems to be Liu Tong, the head of the Ministry of War. I have some impression of him."

Although Zhang Jinyu didn't know the man, he had seen him before. He was the person next to the Minister of War, Lord Zhao. As for the other officials, he seemed to have seen them before as well.
The expression on Marquis Xiangyang's face looked extremely strange at this moment. He looked outside the door carefully. Wasn't this the residence of Prime Minister Li? Looking at the big red lanterns hanging outside the gate, he was really getting married. Who was getting married?
"My Lord, My Lord, the house in front is the residence of the Prime Minister. But according to my brother, the eldest son of the Li family, Li Chaosheng, is the left chancellor of the Zhengtong Department. He has already married a wife, so how can there be any talk of getting married?"

Marquis Xiangyang was puzzled. He recalled that the Prime Minister was the only one in the family, so it couldn't be one of his nephews.

Zhang Jinyu touched her belly. Who cares who is getting married? Just look around to see if there are any acquaintances there and invite them to have a meal together. Besides, the chief minister of the cabinet, Li Chonghou, seems to be quite responsible. He has never said anything about the cabinet affairs, and he is even more invisible in the court meetings. Just look at that Lu or something, and they team up with old man Gu to perform.
"Okay, why bother with so much? Do you have an invitation? If not, look for it. Do you know any officials? Let's go in and take a look."

Seeing Marquis Luo Yun's impatient expression, Marquis Xiangyang gave a wry smile. He was really open-minded. He looked up at the sun above his head. It was time for lunch and the banquet was about to begin. He could only look around. There were quite a few civil officials who came, and even more people from the Wuying Palace and the Hanlin Academy.

I think the three former members of the Li Party should have come as well. I don't know why they mobilized so many people.
"My Lord, it's not a good idea to go in rashly. We didn't bring any gifts here, and we didn't bring enough silver for gifts. My Lord, we still need to save our face." The Marquis of Xiangyang was about to move his legs to go in, but he stopped in the middle of the air. Thinking of this, he felt around and found that he only had some snacks bought from his horse, not even a decent gift. If he went in empty-handed and was seen, he would be in trouble within three days.
The rumors in the capital will surely spread all over the city. At that time, where will my face be? I cannot afford to lose face.

Zhang Jinyu felt a little uncomfortable when he heard that. He looked at the people around him, all of whom were carrying large and small bags. He didn't know what they were carrying. He was indeed a little careless. Reciprocity is the rule. No one would come to someone's house empty-handed and eat and drink for free. Even if it was a bad guy who came to the door, he needed to have a name.

His face was a little embarrassed, but he looked at the gate of the mansion and heard the beating of gongs and drums inside. It was getting lively. The banquet was about to begin. The excitement inside was so intense that when he came back, the flowers were cold.
"Well, Brother Bai is right. We can't go in empty-handed. That would be like eating for free. We still have to save face. But it's getting late now. If we go back to buy some, we won't have enough time."

"Then what can the Lord do?"

Marquis of Xiangyang blushed slightly, because many officials who just passed by took a look at this side. Even if they didn't go in, they had to. It was really embarrassing for two marquises to stand outside the door of the Prime Minister. If they turned around and left without going in, there would be many people watching the joke inside.

Zhang Jinyu also found that many people looked familiar, and several officials from the Hanlin Academy came over to say hello.
"I am Qi Liang from the Imperial Academy, (Lu An), I am here to see the Marquis."

These two people looked familiar. Zhang Jinyu was still thinking back. It seemed that they came with Yan Cong when Cui Dehai's residence was searched.
"So it's you two. Who's getting married at Prime Minister Li's residence today?"

Zhang Jinyu nodded and asked, really curious, but the two looked at each other, Lu An bowed and said;

"My Lord, don't you know that today is the wedding of the eldest son of the cabinet's Prime Minister Li? He said that today is a big day, and he married the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Jiangnan as his concubine, and the daughter of the Jiangnan Transport Commissioner as his co-wife, so the Prime Minister is preparing a grand banquet for the guests, and that's why I came here."

"Oh? He married two daughters at once. The daughters of the Jiangnan Transport Commissioner. Isn't that Lord Xu Delin?"

Zhang Jinyu's eyes widened. He got all his wives and concubines in one go. The eldest son of Prime Minister Li was a wonderful person. As for the fact that the girl was the legitimate daughter of Xu Delin, the Jiangnan Transport Envoy, this was very interesting.

I don't know whether Lord Xu wants to rely on the Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister needs Xu Delin. The inside story is very fascinating.
When in Jiangnan, Zhang Jinyu finally understood the faces of those people. The whole Jiangnan was considered "beasts in human clothing." A year as a clean prefecture official, 100,000 silver coins, this is how Jiangnan is described.
"Yes, Lord, it is indeed Lord Xu."

The two nodded and became more respectful. They didn't expect the Marquis to understand so well.
"Got it, you two go in first,"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The two knew that this was not the time for small talk, so they bowed and took the gifts one after another and entered the Prime Minister's house.
Zhang Jinyu looked around in annoyance. There was not even a shop.
"Brother Bai, this is strange. Prime Minister Li is hosting a banquet, but why didn't he send an invitation to me? Look around, it seems that no nobles have come."

Marquis of Xiangyang had been behind him for a long time, observing the surroundings. He found that most of the visitors were civil officials. The ministers in the court should have asked their housekeepers to pay their respects on their behalf. Only those with lower official positions came here and went inside.

"It is indeed a little strange. If the Marquis had not come here today, I would really not know what is going on here. The Prime Minister has been staying at home in recent years, so I am a little confused today."

The Marquis of Xiangyang shook his head. He really didn't know why the Prime Minister, since he was going to host a big banquet, why didn't he invite the nobles? None of the four kings and eight dukes came. There were so many nobles in the capital in the Marquis's mansion, but not a single one was seen.
"Then forget it. Just go in and you'll know at a glance that you're very hungry. It's better to go back than to wait any longer."

Zhang Jinyu turned around and replied impatiently. He happened to see the cakes he bought, two large bags of cloud cakes. What kind of gift is not a gift? As the saying goes, the gift is small but the sentiment is great. He also happened to have some money on him.

"Ningbian, take down the two packages of cloud cakes over there. Consider them as gifts. As for the gift money, Brother Bai, don't worry about it. I still have two thousand taels of silver notes on me, which is enough. Let's go."

After saying that, he asked Ning Bian to take down the pastries on the horse, which were obviously not light in weight. Then he took out two thousand taels of silver notes from his arms and walked towards the gate of the mansion. Marquis Xiangyang was stunned. Is this enough?
I wanted to call out to Marquis Luo Yun, but I was walking too fast and was almost at the threshold of the mansion's gate. I had no choice but to follow him.

Arriving at the gate of the mansion,

There was a steward leading the way. In the large mansion with several entrances and exits, there was a spacious front yard. What came into view was a wide bluestone road. On both sides of the road were towering ancient trees and green grass, which was quite artistic.

The two of them continued walking along the bluestone road.

At the end of the road, there is a tall lobby with flying eaves, carved beams and painted buildings, which is particularly magnificent. In the center of the lobby is a row of bluestone pillars, which are thick and powerful and appear very stable.

The hall was covered with red silk and the guests had already taken their seats. The hall was packed with gifts.

The four treasures of the study and the account books were left on top, and behind them were a lot of gifts. There were also many servants watching over them, and at the table, there was a steward who was bowing to them.
Zhang Jinyu was not afraid of others' praise, he walked over directly, put two packages of cakes on the table, put two thousand taels of silver notes on the cakes, and said;

"Gifts from Luoyun Marquis's Mansion and Xiangyang Marquis's Mansion, and two packages of cloud cakes."

When the steward who was receiving guests at the door heard that it was a gift from the two marquises, he paused for a moment and looked a little strange. The steward in charge of taking notes didn't even dare to take a pen to write it down.

Zhang Jinyu looked a little strange and asked,

"Why, the Prime Minister's threshold is not that high, right? I'm here, asking for a glass of wedding wine, so I won't be denied entry, right?"

The steward at the door trembled with trembling lips. The master instructed that only the civil servants should be allowed in. The master did not invite the nobles. How come the two marquises came? He was in a dilemma.
The chief steward of the Li Mansion came over at this time, and the steward of the front yard quickly bowed.
"Big steward, little man,"

Before he could finish his words, Butler Li waved his hand to stop him.
"Alright, you are a guest when you come to my house. I am so happy that you two marquises are here. How can I refuse you? It is a sin. I apologize for it."

Butler Li bowed and apologized, leaving Zhang Jinyu and Marquis Xiangyang no choice but to give him a proper apology.
"That's quite reasonable. I heard that there is an old butler in the Prime Minister's house, and everything has been safe and sound. I think this person is Butler Li."

Marquis Xiangyang looked at the visitor carefully. Although he did not know him, he had heard of the residence of Prime Minister Li.

"I don't deserve your praise, my Lord. Please take your seats, the banquet is about to begin."

"Okay, let's go."

Zhang Jinyu narrowed his eyes. The butler's expression just now was obviously unexpected. Now it seems that there is an explanation. Interesting.
"please"

(End of this chapter)