Do you know that it starts with Meng Tong?

Everyone in the Qinyun Academy stayed in the Sheng family for a while. After listening to the various legends about Lin Qige, they all felt a little in awe of Lin Qige.

This time, after comparing the price offered by Lady Guan for poaching people with their own treatment, everyone discovered that Lin Qige was nothing more than that.

Bai Zhi struck while the iron was hot and asked Xiaodie and Xiaotao to come out and tell them about their tragic experiences of being bullied by Lin Qige.

Both of them were old men from Qinyun Court. They burst into tears when they talked about the emotional part. When everyone heard that even a girl as young as Xiaotao had been bullied by Lin Qige, they were all filled with indignation and became more and more disdainful of Lin Qige's behavior.

After this, all the servants felt that Wei Shu was kind and generous, and it was better to stay in Qinyun Courtyard and work peacefully. From then on, the people in Qinyun Courtyard became more and more stable.

As for Lin Qige, there has been no movement since Lady Guan hit a wall with Granny Li and Granny Zhao. However, Wei Shuyi is well aware of Lin Sushuang's difficulty and is always on guard.

mid-November.

The Yuan family of Earl Zhongqin's Mansion sent news that the Yuan family's hired ship also set off from Bianjing, headed south along the Grand Canal, and would arrive in Yangzhou in the near future.

The Sheng family made preparations intensively, posting widely, inviting relatives and friends, and decorating the house with flowers and red to make it look joyful.

Hualan also officially entered into preparations to get married, and was locked in the house by Wang Ruofu, unable to leave the house or take a step forward all day long.

They said they were embroidering the dowry in the house, but in fact Wang Ruofu had already prepared those things for his daughter, so there was no need for Hua Lan to do it herself.

Most of the time, Hua Lan just stayed in the house and got moldy. Occasionally, he could go to the old lady to listen to her teachings and get some fresh air.

November twenty.

The Yuan family's hiring ship arrived as scheduled.

After hearing the news, Sheng Hong sent his eldest son Sheng Changbai to lead people to greet him at the pier. Wei Chen and Sheng Changfeng also went along to join in the fun.

On the pier, many people stopped to watch.

The Yuan family is worthy of being a family of earls, and the betrothal gift alone is enough to load three large ships. For a time, the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Sheng Hualan, became the envy of all the girls in Yangzhou City.

However, behind all this joy and bustle, there was something dirty that only the Sheng and Yuan families knew about.

On the bow of the boat, a middle-aged man stood leaning on the railing. It was Yuan Wenchun, the eldest son of the Yuan family.

Yuan Wenchun looked at Sheng Changbai and his party standing on the pier like statues.

The man couldn't help but frown slightly, turned around and asked: "The auspicious time is approaching, why don't you give up the betrothal gift?"

The steward hurriedly bowed and replied: "I sent someone to ask, and the second son of the Sheng family said that he can only give up the betrothal gift if his eldest wife speaks."

"Husband." Yuan Wenchun's wife came over and tightened Yuan Wenchun's cloak: "It's still early for the auspicious moment, so there's no harm in waiting a little longer."

"Then, as Madam said, wait for half a stick of incense." Yuan Wenchun's expression softened a bit, but he still said solemnly: "However, if the Sheng family still doesn't move after half a stick of incense has passed, then it is deliberate. Leave my uncle Zhongqin's house to dry, I must give the Sheng family some color."

Yuan Wenchun didn't know that Sheng Changbai on the dock looked calm and composed, but in fact he was just as anxious as him.

"You haven't sent a message from the palace to let go of the betrothal gift?"

Wei Chen saw Sheng Changbai's clenched fists from behind and quietly asked Sheng Changfeng beside him.

"No." Sheng Changfeng spread his hands and said, "Second brother has sent people to ask several times, but mother just said to wait."

"Wait?"

Wei Chen was speechless for a moment.

Of course he knew the cause and effect of today's situation. It was simply the Yuan family's breach of trust. Wang Ruofu was angry with the Yuan family and delayed the withdrawal of the betrothal gift.

It was originally the fault of the Yuan family. They had agreed that the earl and his wife would come to Yangzhou in person to hire him, but in the end, only the eldest man Yuan Wenchun came. It was understandable that Wang Ruofu was angry.

But the marriage between the two families has been known to everyone in Yangzhou for a long time. If something goes wrong on the day of the appointment, it will not only lose the face of the Yuan family, but also the Sheng family.

Wei Chen glanced at the crowd surrounding the pier. At this time, some people in the crowd seemed to have noticed something was wrong with the atmosphere between the Sheng and Yuan families, and started pointing towards the pier.

Can't wait any longer!

Wei Chen felt the subtle change in the mood in the scene, walked quickly to Sheng Changbai, and whispered: "Ze Cheng, please order people to unload the ship quickly, it will not look good on both of you if we drag it on any longer!"

Sheng Changbai stood on the dock for a long time and felt the cold wind. Of course he understood what the situation was like, but he still hesitated: "But mother's side..."

"My uncle will convince my aunt. Maybe the messenger is already on the way." Wei Chen said in a deep voice, "Ze Cheng, you are the eldest son in the family, you should make a decision!"

Sheng Changbai pondered for a moment, and finally made up his mind, boarded the Yuan family's boat and paid tribute to Yuan Wenchun and his wife.

Although he was left out for a while, the time was not lost after all. In addition, Sheng Changbai's courtesy was thorough, and Yuan Wenchun's anger was mostly gone, and he bowed his hands in return to Sheng Changbai.

After both parties finished the ceremony, Sheng Changbai turned around and shouted loudly: "Unload the ship!"

With an order, a group of servants of the Sheng family and hired laborers and porters immediately agreed and began to board the ship to unload the betrothal gifts.

After the betrothal gifts were unloaded, Yuan Wenchun and the other male guests who came with the ship from Bianjing all rode on the tall horses with Sheng Changbai, while Mrs. Yuan and the women got into the carriage that had been prepared.

A large group of people entered Yangzhou City from the pier and arrived at the gate of Sheng Mansion.

Wei Chen rode beside Sheng Changbai on horseback and glanced at the guests brought by the Yuan family. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of a young man in the crowd and his eyes couldn't help but stay on him for a while longer.

This young man is tall and strong, and he holds the reins carelessly, but he commands the horse like an arm. At first glance, he is different from Wei Chen. He is a horse rider all year round.

Combined with his young age and his luxurious brocade clothes, it is not difficult to deduce that he should have been born in a martial arts family in Bianjing.

Perhaps Wei Chen's eyes rested on the young man for too long. If the young man felt something, he raised his eyes and looked over, with an awe-inspiring look on his face.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Wei Chen showed no sign of timidity at all, and took the initiative to show a kind smile and nodded slightly to the young man.

Gu Tingye, who went south with the Yuan family's fleet under the pseudonym Bai Ye, smiled politely at Wei Chen and then withdrew his gaze.

He touched his cheek unconsciously, feeling a little confused in his heart: Who is this person, and what has he been watching me do?

Chapter 93

"Hu~~"

Sheng Hong lifted the curtain and came out of Wei Ruixuan, breathing a long sigh of relief. He had just spent a lot of effort to persuade his wife to agree to leave the engagement ship.

Sheng Hong waved his hand and summoned Dong Rong, his bodyguard: "Go to the dock and tell Brother Bai that the Yuan family can give up the betrothal gift."

"Yes."

Dongrong took the order and left, but after a while he ran back in a panic: "Master, the Yuan family's eldest man and the second young master are almost outside the gate!"

"what?"

Sheng Hong was startled at first, but in an instant he understood that his son Chang Bai must have made an on-the-spot decision in order to protect the dignity of the two families.

"Bai'er has really grown up and can take charge of her own business!" Sheng Hong was sincerely pleased and quickly went into the house to urge Wang Ruofu to dress up quickly so that he could go out with him to welcome guests.

On the street, the team of subordinates came to the front door and stopped in front of Sheng's house.

Yuan Wenchun was in front, with the matchmaker standing next to him. On his left and right were four well-off people (women with children, husbands, parents and parents-in-law), and behind them was a long team of porters.

Although the betrothal gift was not as grand as the wedding day, it was an engagement for the eldest daughter of the Yangzhou Tong magistrate, and the crowd was blown away by the excitement.

The children looked at the loads of gifts and drooled, and the parents around them would take the opportunity to teach them that only by studying hard can they eat good food and marry a good wife.

Under the spotlight of everyone, the matchmaker dressed in a flashy dress walked up to the closed door of Sheng's house and opened the door with great enthusiasm.

"The Yuan family of Earl Zhongqin's Mansion in Tokyo are specially here to offer an offer of employment. The officiating guest is a pair of wild geese and live birds outside the Great Wall. There are numerous assistants who would like to offer the invitation to the Sheng Mansion's Jiao Jin on behalf of their second son Yuan Wenshao. I respectfully ask for your permission!"

Sheng Hong and his wife, who had tidied up and were sitting in the hall, looked at each other and said in unison: "Yes!"

Yuan Wenchun dismounted, Mrs. Yuan got off the sedan, faced the middle door and saluted: "Yuan Wenchun and his wife, on behalf of the elders of the Yuan family, I would like to express my sincere thanks for your permission!"

"it is good!"

The people watching the excitement cheered and congratulated the Sheng and Yuan families.

After the ceremony is completed, it is time for the big banquet.

The person who cooks the dishes is a master chef invited from the provincial capital, and all the people who cut the vegetables are veterans.

The chef is in place, but the venue also has to be taken care of.

On the happy day for the Tongpan family in Yangzhou, there were naturally a lot of people, standing shoulder to shoulder, as lively as watching a temple fair.

The three generations of Sheng Hong, Wang Ruofu and his wife were related, famous in the genealogy, and in official circles, as well as neighbors from several miles around, all came to watch the ceremony. No matter how big the Sheng Mansion was, it could not accommodate so many guests.

So he had to set up running banquets on the street to entertain neighbors, and set up banquets at home to entertain high-ranking officials such as the prefect.

Sheng Hong and Yuan Wenchun entertained male guests in the front hall, while Wang Ruofu and Mrs. Yuan entertained female guests in the backyard. There were also many entertainment activities such as pot throwing, singing, and games.

Wei Chen was considered a celebrity in Yangzhou, so he naturally had to socialize and sing at the wine table. Wei Chen felt upset, so he found a way to get out and went to the front hall where the pot was thrown.

Hutou, derived from the ritual of shooting, is a common game played during banquets in the upper class and is deeply loved by literati.

At this time, many guests who were keen on this art were throwing pots for fun, and the young man Wei Chen noticed earlier was also among them.

Wei Chen walked up to the young man and bowed his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen

, the cursive character is Xingyun, may I ask my brother’s surname? "

The young man returned the greeting: "I'm Bai Ye, I've met Brother Wei."

Bai Ye?

Wei Chen was startled for a moment, then suddenly realized, isn't this Gu Tingye's pseudonym?

Wei Chen's expression suddenly turned strange when he looked at Gu Tingye's hand holding Wu Dao Mu Lu. The game that was supposed to happen, like throwing pots and betting on wild geese, was flapping by his own little butterfly's wings, and I'm afraid it has been blown away.

The Yuan family had broken their promise first, and Sheng Changbai immediately unloaded the betrothal ship, leaving the Yuan family with dignity. Yuan Wenchun had no reason to cause trouble to the Sheng family, and naturally he would not instigate Gu Tingye to gamble with Sheng Changfeng.

"Brother Wei, are you coming to throw the pot too?"

Wei Chen was thinking about something when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from behind him.

Turning around, it turned out to be that little brat who deserved a beating, Sheng Changfeng.

Wei Chen looked at Gu Tingye who looked curious, and then at Sheng Changfeng who was inexplicably excited, and couldn't help but be speechless for a while.

Is this life?

However, Wei Chen just sighed and quickly realized that these two people are people who love pot throwing. Regardless of whether there is gambling or not, they will come to this pot throwing ground to try their skills.

In other words, it is completely reasonable that they would appear here.

At this time, Sheng Changfeng glanced sideways at Gu Tingye in front of Wei Chen. Suddenly his eyes lit up. He cleared his throat and pretended to say: "Ahem, who is that? I just saw that you seemed to be doing well in throwing the pot. Do you dare to compete with me?" one time?"

Gu Tingye looked at Sheng Changfeng and said with a smile: "It's okay to throw the pot, but it's not okay if there is no lottery."

"Okay, then I'll use..."

Halfway through Sheng Changfeng's words, Wei Chen slapped him on the forehead and shouted, "You're so young and you can't learn well. What do you want to bet on?"