The belated spring rain is still falling in Bianjing.
However, even if it rains, the servants of the Wu Mansion are still busy coming in and out, looking at the fluffy umbrella canopies passing between the white walls and black tiles.
An oil-paper umbrella smeared with Danqing ink passed through many pavilions and pavilions and came to the depths of the high-rise courtyard.
The master collected the umbrella and handed it to the maid next to him, patted the raindrops on his clothes, looked up at the rain powder flying in the patio and the dripping eaves, and then walked into the boudoir.
"Sister, you came to see me!"
The Seventeenth Mother saw Wu and came out with a smile on her face.
"I'm here to congratulate you, my mother, and my two sisters-in-law." Wu said with a smile.
In the hall to one side, Li Taijun, his eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Fan, and his second daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wang, were all sitting aside.
Li Taijun smiled and said, "You are here anyway. We have been sitting and chatting all morning, and we were asking Sister Fifteen when she would arrive, but you arrived first."
Seventeenth Mother said shyly: "Mom, sister, stop talking."
Wu smiled and said, "Are you still holding it?"
Seventeenth Mother smiled.
Wu looked Shiqi Niang up and down, and then sighed: "I didn't expect that Mr. Zhang's first provincial examination was in high school, and he came back second. You are really lucky."
"Daddy is the one who has the best judgment."
Li Taijun took over the words and said: "As I said just now, I have to admire the master's vision. Now that Mr. Zhang Sanlang has won the Jinshi, I can also say it freely. The master went back and forth to check the details of Mr. Zhang Sanlang many times. The engagement was finalized."
"For example, the Zhang family's origins, which teacher he studied under, his daily life in Taixue, his friends with classmates, how hard he studied, and even how many times he went to a brothel are all clear."
At this point, all the female relatives laughed.
"The master often said that Mr. Zhang Sanlang has a bright eye, which is very similar to what he used to look like back then. You must know that the master was a Jinshi when he was seventeen years old. It is in line with the master's words. Mr. Zhang Sanlang was also a Jinshi at the age of seventeen. Do you know the master's vision? It’s so amazing to even see this.”
All the female relatives were extremely impressed when they heard this.
Mrs. Fan said: "I remember that my father often said, "What kind of family background and wealth are not as good as good character and good family tradition?"
Li Taijun was even more happy and said: "Yes, in fact, everyone knows these words, but even if I hide them from you, I don't have to hide them now."
Seventeenth Niang was smiling next to her. At this time, the second sister-in-law Wang came closer to Seventeenth Niang and said.
"Actually, it's more than just these few words. I heard Chi Lang say that my father also said that although we are marrying into the Zhang family now, we are marrying low, but within twenty years, we will have to rely on the achievements of their two brothers. Where are they?"
"I've heard that some of my daughters have elbows turned outward, but my father actually devalued his own son for the sake of his new son-in-law."
The Seventeenth Mother was taken aback when she saw the second sister-in-law, and she was very kind, and immediately said: "I don't dare to be the second sister-in-law."
Wu also came to the two of them and said, "What are you talking about? Seventeen, I heard that you saw Mr. Zhang's family last night when you saw the list?"
"Sister, do you know?"
Wu said: "We met once. Did you ask him since he won the Jinshi, according to the previous agreement, when does he plan to propose marriage?"
Seventeenth Mother said: "When did I ask this question? After reading the list, I left."
When Wu heard this, she smiled thoughtfully and said, "I understand, you want him to come to propose marriage on his own."
The Seventeenth Mother said: "The agreement is an agreement, there is no reason for a daughter's family to ask for marriage. If Zhang Jun chooses another marriage, I won't say anything."
"He dares," Wu said, "Your brother-in-law and I won't spare him yet."
After a pause, Wu smiled again and said, "But just because he gave you this pair of hostas, you know that he is not a heartless person."
The Seventeenth Mother heard this and stroked the hosta on her head, with a smile reaching her eyes.
After hearing this, the second sister-in-law Wang finally understood why the Seventeenth Mother had so many jewelry, but she had been wearing this peony hosta on her head these days.
"But I still have a lot of thoughts. Before I came here, I heard that half of the matchmakers in Bianjing went to the Zhang family to propose marriage yesterday." Wu said.
The seventeenth mother couldn't help but be surprised.
Mrs. Wang comforted her and said, "Don't worry, Shi Qi. Many of the real dignitaries in Bianjing know about your engagement with Mr. Zhang's family. Nowadays, most of the people who are recruiting you are people who don't know the background. Let's see if we can get the top pick or the second pick." It belongs to the beautiful son-in-law."
However, Wu was still very angry and said: "Maybe there are some people who fish in troubled waters."
"Did you know that women like us in Bianjing love to gossip when we are free? I knew you didn't choose Liu for your marriage before, so a group of people laughed at our family for being short-sighted, and our father didn't know people well. Fortunately, Mr. Zhang of the Zhang family got the second place in the provincial examination. There are some good people who come up with stories and are jealous of you."
When Wu said this, she didn't want to go on. She actually listened to a few words, saying that the Wu family was so ambitious and calculating that they wanted to exchange their concubine for a son-in-law who was the number one scholar. Such a deal would really make a lot of money.
Seventeenth Niang thought to herself that when her marriage to Zhang Yue was known to her relatives, many relatives made some gossip, to the effect that the marriage was unworthy or that Wu Chong and his wife were deliberately mean to the concubine and wanted to marry him. Children from poor families can save some dowry.
But now...
Wu then said to Seventeenth Niang: "Did you know that as soon as the list came out yesterday, someone came out from the Gongyuan, saying that when the examiner was going to rank the provincial examination, he saw dozens of colorful butterflies flying outside the window. Hovering over your Zhang Lang's paper."
"There were even a few of them, and they happened to fall on your Akira's name. All the examiners in the examination room saw it and thought it was a spectacle! You mentioned it above the imperial examination..."
Li Taijun and Mrs. Fan on the side couldn't help asking after hearing this: "Is this happening?"
Wu nodded and said, "It's absolutely true. Now it's spread in the capital."
Li Taijun felt that Zhang Yue's son-in-law was more and more unexpected. It would be great if he could pass the Jinshi examination at such a young age, even if he was the last one. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuebu entered the exam and came second in the provincial exam, and had such an unexpected encounter.
As for Mrs. Fan, looking at Seventeenth Niang, she also lamented why her father-in-law had such good taste and why Seventeenth Niang was so lucky.
At this time, Mrs. Fan spoke to Mrs. Wu: "Isn't my uncle on good terms with the husband of the Zhang family? Why don't you give it a try and ask him when he will come to propose marriage?"
Wu glanced at Shiqi Niang. Do you really need to ask this?
Wu said: "When my officials ask, the husband of the Zhang family will most likely know that it is our Wu family's intention. Where can we put our family's face in this way?"
"Sister-in-law, your nephew is not a classmate of Mr. Zhang's, but he is also a close friend. If he asks, he won't be offended."
Fan was also confused: "My nephew is not very good at talking."
Finally, Li Taijun said: "Even if someone becomes the prime minister, our Wu family will not ask for a daughter in marriage. But I am sure that the husband of the Zhang family is a sensible person and can be trusted."
At this moment in the inner court.
Wang Guiquan, a Hanlin scholar, and Fan Zhen, a Hanlin scholar who also knew Gongju, and Wang Chou, the censor Zhongcheng, were waiting outside the palace.
Now that the provincial examination was over, they came to the palace to report their orders to the emperor.
ps: There have been few overtime updates in the past two days, so I will make a big update tomorrow to make up for it.
