Chapter 1025
Yu Lan's Marriage Proposal
Chapter 1025: Yu Lan and the other families propose marriage
"Come, sit down and eat. After today's meal, we will take care of the funeral affairs of the remaining brothers. Lu Chen, you will go there in person. If there is any news from the commander, please inform me at any time to get the compensation money for the brothers."
"Yes, General, we thank you."
A leader of the personal guards thanked Jia Lian with red eyes, but was held back by Jia Lian. Several of them had red and swollen eyes, as if they had not slept all night.
At the small stall on the corner, I ordered soup noodles and steamed buns, which filled up the entire table.
"Don't talk about that. If it weren't for you old brothers protecting me, I, Jia Lian, might not be able to come back. Eat first, and talk about it after you are full."
Jia Lian no longer had the scent of rouge. He picked up the chopsticks and ate a few soup noodles in the bowl. The others were in the same situation. In addition, there was the third brother of the Yunban class, who was carrying a bulging package on his back. It was obvious that he had brought a lot of food.
"General, we have collected about three thousand taels of silver from the bodies under Daliang City. How should we deal with this silver?"
now,
Jia Lian had already put down his soup bowl. He was carrying the three thousand taels of silver given by the old lady, as well as the blood-stained silver brought from the south. These were not a small amount.
"This three thousand taels of silver, you fifty of them, divide it equally, sixty taels each, and then from me, to make it even for the brothers who died, add forty taels, and the rest, twenty taels each of you, I have some left, if you see brothers in the camp in need, give two taels of silver, I am incompetent, I feel sorry for them."
Jia Lian was helpless. He led the elite troops of the Beijing Camp, 15,000 men, but now there were less than 8,000 left, all of whom were under the command of Marquis Luo Yun. He could not take care of the dead, so he could only wait for the court to issue pension silver.
"General, please don't blame yourself. On the battlefield, life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by God. We have received your kindness, so how can we do such mean things? But now the general and the commander-in-chief have uncertain futures, so you should go back and think of some ways. I have heard a lot of news in the capital."
Lu Chen was now half full and a little worried. The general had a kind heart, but in the Beijing camp, one could not rise to the top simply by being kind. Now that he was a defeated general, he needed to think about it himself.
Jia Lian's heart moved. How should he say this?
"What rumors?"
"General, the people of the capital city say that the banditry of the two religions is a change in the way of heaven. A few days ago, before the sun set in the capital city, a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred. Black clouds swallowed the sun. The people of the capital city saw it. Some people said that it was Luo Yunhou who massacred the city, some said that it was the Taoists in the palace, and some said that the kings came to the capital to change the world, and there is also..."
Lu Chen came over and lowered his voice to tell the rumors he had heard in the past few days. Jia Lian's eyes fixed and he immediately spoke.
"Shut up, this must not be spread outside. No matter who said it, it has nothing to do with us. Third brother, you take the people and deliver the silver to each family first. Lu Chen, you and I will go find my eldest brother and go to see the commander."
"Yes, General,"
They all knew that the matter was of great importance, so they quickly took a few bites, took the buns in the bowl in their hands, swallowed them in a few bites, put down the copper coins, rode away in a hurry, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.
When we left, it was already dawn.
The people of the capital also began their daily routine. The shopkeeper Yu of the Red Mansion had already packed up, wearing a bright red dress and a redwood hairpin in his hair. He led two maids and a few servants, got on the carriage, and headed straight for the Meng Mansion.
Today's marriage proposal was really unexpected. I didn't expect that Rongguo Mansion would like the daughter of the Meng family.
"Boss, has the master explained the matter of Rongguo Mansion's marriage to the Meng family?"
After all, an accident occurred during the Rongguo Mansion's plan, which was something they had not expected.
"The master replied that it was okay, but we also need to find out whether it was the Rongguo Mansion that found the Meng family, or the Meng family that found the Rongguo Mansion. After all, the head of the Meng family is a disciple of Lord Lu. In addition, the Censorate has taken action now. The master wants to find out what news the Censorate has received. After all, someone in the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice has taken action."
Yu Lan touched the visiting card in her hand and thought back. Lord Meng was very arrogant. How could he get close to Rongguo Mansion? You have to know that the old lady of Rongguo Mansion is not someone who can be fooled easily.
"Yes, Master, I will send someone to keep an eye on the Meng Family and the Rongguo Mansion. Fortunately, it is easy to get information from the Rongguo Mansion, but it is not easy to get information from the Meng Family."
The old woman beside him frowned. These official families were very strict in managing their households, which was actually an obstacle.
"Don't worry. We are going to the Meng family to get information today. If so, why worry so much? I heard that the girl from the Meng family is a talented woman. If she enters the Rongguo Mansion, there will be something interesting to watch."
Yu Lan's lips curled up. The second wife who was in charge of Rongguo Mansion was famous for her tact. Even the eldest wife who rarely showed up was now in charge of Ningguo Mansion. So when the new daughter-in-law came to visit, she could only follow her temper.
"What the head shopkeeper said is, which of the ladies in Rongguo Mansion is simple?"
The old woman couldn't help but shook her head. The daughters of the Li family and the Wang family were both very clever.
While the two were talking, the carriage gradually stopped, and the old woman outside the carriage shouted,
"Boss, we have arrived at the Meng residence,"
When the two people in the car heard this, they immediately regained their composure, lifted the car curtain, and walked slowly down, looking at the gatehouse of the Meng family. Although it was not big, it was antique and had a unique charm.
"Come on, go in and take a look,"
So he took out the visiting card and went to the corner gate.
At the door, the steward of the Meng Mansion had been waiting. When he saw the shopkeeper Yu coming, he yawned and
"Oh, Shopkeeper Yu, you are here. The host is preparing a wedding banquet in the main hall and is waiting for you. Please come in,"
Yu Lan was a little surprised. The Meng family had used the blind date rule first. It seemed that the Meng family had already made a decision. So she simply took back the visiting card, lifted her skirt, and walked in.
"That's great. Today is a great day for getting married. I want to congratulate Mr. Meng."
After the compliment, the servants around all returned the compliments, and the Meng family's steward was even more delighted.
"Thank you for your congratulations, Shopkeeper Yu. Please come in."
Following him all the way, he entered the central courtyard.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw the Meng family couple, who had been waiting in the house. When he saw Manager Yu wearing red clothes, he knew that the event had been a big deal. He breathed a sigh of relief and greeted them with a smile. Meng Lixu asked them to take a seat and said;
"They say today is a day of good fortune. It is true. Shopkeeper Yu is dressed in festive attire. Isn't this a day of good fortune?"
"Oh, it's still a happy occasion at Mr. Meng's house. I came here to take advantage of the good fortune. Madam, please take a seat first. I will tell you in detail."
Yu Lan quickly returned the courtesy, and then smiled and praised. In the capital, no one didn't know her. Many things were obvious. Even if it was a marriage, it was voluntary for both parties to join forces. Even the worst case was that the son-in-law was chosen from the list.
Madam Meng smiled and said good words repeatedly, and then her face became gentle, she took Shopkeeper Yu's hand, sat down together, and said;
"Manager Yu, please stop talking nonsense. What did the Rongguo Mansion say? What do they think of the Meng family?"
As the few people sat down, the maids who were waiting on them quickly brought tea and snacks and filled the table with them, showing their care.
Yu Lan was not polite, she leaned her chair forward and sat next to Madam Meng, and replied;
"From what you said, regarding the marriage proposal, both parties agree, so naturally the man is the one who makes the offer. Before I came here, the second wife who is in charge of the Rongguo Mansion had already made it clear that she wanted to propose marriage to Jia Baoyu of the Rongguo Mansion with the Meng family, and asked me to come and explore the situation first. If it is possible, then it can be settled."
Although Manager Yu's words sounded nice, Meng Li was not moved and asked;
"Manager Yu, may I ask what kind of character Jia Baoyu has? I heard that he failed the provincial examination at Hanyuan Palace, but his nephew Jia Lan passed. How do you interpret this?"
This was something that Lord Meng had never figured out. He and Brother Feng had gone to supervise the exam, and they had also looked at the papers. Marquis Luo Yun and the other adults did not give them any special care. It was rare that the literary talents of the uncle and nephew differed so much.
Yu Lan narrowed her eyes and smiled;
"Look at what you said, Lord Meng. Studying depends on talent after all. It's not easy to pass the imperial examination. If you fail this time, there's always next time. Jia Lan from Rongguo Mansion is the eldest grandson of the second branch. Now that he has been assigned to Ningguo Mansion, there will be room for him in the future. Besides, Jia Baoyu has already gone to the Imperial Academy to study. Anyone who can enter the Imperial Academy must be a juren."
The truth is, not everyone can enter the Imperial College. Without a solid foundation, it would be useless to go there. Meng Li nodded.
"You are right. The imperial examination is like crossing a single-plank bridge. Those who can pass it are all talented and knowledgeable. Then, has Shopkeeper Yu heard that there is anything wrong with this person?"
Yu Lan was also stunned. How could she ask the matchmaker such questions so directly? Even if she did, she wouldn't dare to say it.
"Mr. Meng really loves his daughter so much. How could he ask these questions to the matchmaker? Even if he did, he wouldn't dare to answer in person. Of course, there are no outsiders here. Since Mr. Meng asked, I will tell you.
As far as I know, Jia Baoyu, the second son of Rongguo Mansion, really has no bad habits. I have never heard that he bullies men and women or goes to brothels to make friends with bad people. Mr. Meng can ask about this. As for the others, they are all in the mansion and there are no bad rumors. If there are any, I, a matchmaker, cannot know about them in such a deep mansion. "
These were words from the heart. If they hadn't been said, Meng Li would still have been a little skeptical. Now that Shopkeeper Yu was able to speak, these words seemed much more pleasing to the ear.
"Okay, okay, Shopkeeper Yu is honest. I have also inquired about it, and there is nothing wrong. It's just that the female head of the Wang family in Rongguo Mansion is too strong." Managing a household is like managing a house. The eldest lady in the mansion has power, so naturally the lives of the others are not satisfactory. This is also what Madam is worried about.
"Oh, I thought it was something else, Master Meng, Madam, think about it, the title is still given to the eldest wife in Rongguo Mansion, and the second wife will be separated after all. Now that the eldest wife has gone to Ningguo Mansion,
The second branch of the family will belong to Jia Baoyu in the future. Even if the family is divided, the position of the eldest lady will belong to Yueyun. As for the current management of the family, it is saved a lot of trouble with the second wife in charge. But don't forget who the one in the palace is. "
Yu Lan clapped her hands and tilted her head to sort out the relationship, especially the last sentence, which was the finishing touch. Since he was the mother's brother, he must be the emperor's uncle,
Meng Li nodded, saying that was the point. The royal family was close, so the matter was settled.
"Okay, in that case, there is no other question about this matter. I wonder if Shopkeeper Yu will tell you when the Rongguo Mansion will come to exchange the marriage certificate and pay the betrothal gift."
"Of course, it is better to choose a day than to wait for it. It just so happens that the second wife of Rongguo Mansion has sent Jia Baoyu's birth date and horoscope. We are just waiting for Lord Meng's nod. Then we can write the marriage certificate. I will send two copies back. The betrothal will be arranged soon."
Yu Lan smiled and took out a piece of gilded red paper from her sleeve and handed it over. Seeing this, Master Meng was overjoyed and shouted to the housekeeper beside him;
"Okay, well said. It's better to do it today than to wait for a day. Since today is a good day, it's a great day. Come, write and prepare."
A shout,
The housekeeper quickly took people to the study, got the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, Meng Li stretched out his hand to grind the ink, then picked up the brush and wrote down the little girl's birth date and the marriage book, in his own Liu style, printed it on the paper, wrote two copies in a row, and used the seal.
"Manager Yu, how about you also be a witness?"
"That's great, I envy this kind of marriage."
Yu Lan smiled, walked over and blew on it, then took out her own seal of the Red Mansion and stamped it. Nowadays, all marriage certificates issued by the Red Mansion as a matchmaker are guaranteed by the matchmaker's seal, which has become a rule in the capital. Therefore, the reputation of the Red Mansion has been growing.
After stamping the seal, she carefully put away the marriage certificate and breathed a sigh of relief. Mrs. Meng seemed to have resolved a heavy matter in her heart. She was still worried and asked one more question.
"Manager Yu, there are rumors that Rongguo Mansion is building a separate palace for visiting relatives. Will the Empress in the palace be able to return to the mansion to visit her relatives? Will it be determined when?"
Yu Lan's eyes flickered. She had never asked these questions before, but her mouth was not idle either.
"Madam Meng, from what you said, building a separate courtyard is definitely true. You have hired so many servants, but they are not kept for nothing. As for the things in the palace, I don't know anything. But there is a saying that since you have entered the palace, you will eventually see it. The separate courtyard for visiting relatives cannot be built in a day or two. Get married first, and we can talk about the future later."
These words were almost explicit. If he had entered the palace earlier, he would have seen it when the empress came back to visit her parents. Meng Li nodded. That was true. Then, he took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and put them on the table.
"Manager Yu, thank you for your help these days. These are our Meng family's little gifts. I'll have to trouble you to take care of the things in the future."
"Yes, my daughter Yueyun has done her duty. I will have to trouble you a lot in the future."
Madam Meng followed suit, and the worry in her eyes was not uncommon. Yu Lan was also a little surprised. She actually gave so much, which was not common. She stood up and bowed gracefully, saying;
"Master Meng, Madam Meng, since I am here, I will naturally not ignore it. I will take care of this matter to the end. Since today is a good day, as the saying goes, it is better to do it today than to wait for a good day. I will go to Rongguo Mansion today. How do you think?"
"Thank you very much, Manager Yu. As for the wedding banquet, it is considered as a breach of courtesy by the Meng family. We will make it up to the manager later."
"Ah, Lord Meng, you are too polite. Marriage is more important. Now that it has been settled, I will do my best. As the saying goes, the longer the night, the more dreams there are. I heard that many young ladies in the capital also like this Second Master Bao."
After saying that, Yu Lan took the marriage certificate, held it in her hand, and stood up to go out. She was still thinking in her heart that she would go back and report to her master that the marriage between the Meng family and the Rongguo Mansion might be a match made by Lord Lu. It seemed that there had been a change between the nobles and the civil servants.
When Meng Li and his wife heard this, they were overjoyed and stood up to see her off. They went outside the mansion and watched Yu Lan get on the carriage before returning.
inside the car,
The old woman still didn't understand, so she asked;
"Boss, why is the Meng family so anxious?"
"Humph, of course, we are anxious. The imperial army has already returned, and the princes are also going to the capital. If the Meng family clings to the Jia family, at least their position will be secure. If possible, they should be able to move up a position. As for the Rongguo Mansion, if the Wang family hadn't suffered a defeat, they wouldn't be so anxious."
Yu Lan sneered and thought about what her master said. These noble families have sharper noses than dogs.
"Then, Chief Shopkeeper, are you going to Rongguo Mansion today?"
The old woman felt a little anxious, after all, Rongguo Mansion had not sent back even one ounce of silver.
"Since I promised them, I will not break my promise. Turn the carriage around and go to Rongguo Mansion."
"Yes, big shopkeeper."
When approaching the turn,
Jia Lian, with his personal soldiers, rushed into the Wang family's house. As soon as he entered the door, he hurried to the east room without waiting for the gatekeeper to announce it, and shouted loudly,
"Brother, big brother."
This shout startled many people in the courtyard. At this moment, Wang Ren was holding his beautiful concubine in his arms, with his eyelids drooping. He had not yet gotten up. When he heard the noise in the courtyard, which sounded like Jia Lian's shouting, he immediately woke up from his sleepiness while holding the softness in his arms. Looking at the mess on the ground, he felt a little embarrassed. The beautiful concubine in his arms even snorted proudly.
"My dear, who is shouting there? There is no manners at all."
The white skin exposed outside was a bit eye-catching, Wang Ren quickly got up, packed his clothes and put them on.
"Our people are here, so don't sleep any more, hurry up and clean up."
Before Wang Ren could finish his words, pull up his trousers and put on his jacket, he heard the doorman's noise outside and Jia Lian barged in.
"Master Lian, don't intrude, don't intrude,"
The old housekeeper and his servant blocked the door. What should he do? Just when he was in a dilemma, Wang Ren hurriedly came out from the inner room and waved his hand.
"Butler Wang, nothing's wrong. Go back and ask someone to serve some refreshments."
"Yes, my lord,"
The housekeeper nodded and led the servant away. Jia Lian did not stop him and hurried inside.
"Brother, have you been to the Imperial Army camp?"
The question was about his uncle's side. Wang Ren looked a little unnatural. After returning to the mansion, he had only eaten and slept with the maid. He had never been there before, so he shook his head.
"Brother Lian, I didn't go there, not even a step out of the mansion. You came in such a hurry, did you hear any news?"
Seeing Jia Lian's anxious look, it was obvious that he had heard something. At such a critical moment, he should be careful.
"Brother, haven't you heard that there are a lot of rumors out there?"
Jia Lian looked around and when he saw no one was around, he leaned over and whispered the news he had heard in the past few days, especially the strange weather on that day. Wang Ren's face changed drastically when he heard it. When did this happen? Did my uncle know?
"Brother Lian, please wait for a moment. After I change my clothes, you and I will go to the Imperial Army camp to meet my uncle!"
(End of this chapter)