The residence that Lin Shuanghe found for He Yan had been missing for several days. Ever since he returned to Shuojing, Lin Shuanghe acted as if he didn't exist. He Yan also didn't want to rashly go to his door to find him. It wasn't good to ask someone to do something and rush him. After a while, He Yan began to suspect that this person was doing it on purpose.
As usual, Xiao Jue left early in the morning and returned late at night. He didn't know what she was busy with. He Yan would appear during the day. Ever since she went to the Xu Residence to see Fu Wang, she didn't go to the Xu Residence again. She had to give Fu Wang the cold shoulder. When Fu Wang saw that He Yan didn't appear for a long time, he would definitely give up on the idea of pushing and pulling her. He was afraid that he would let go of this money tree. In order to prove his worth, he would only put in more effort to find useful information from the Xu Residence.
He Yan wasn't in a hurry.
In the past few days, other than secretly seeing He Yunsheng again, she also spent a few days at the entrance of the "He Residence". She didn't know if it was because of He Rufei, but the number of guards outside the He Residence had more than doubled. He Yan didn't want to expose himself, so he could only hide in the dark and observe. He Rufei didn't do anything other than go to court every day. He and his colleagues mostly socialized at restaurants and didn't bring anyone home. In addition, he also went to the Xu Residence once with the so-called tonic for visiting his cousin. But was it really to visit He Xinying? He Yan didn't think so.
But in the eyes of outsiders, He Rufei's actions clearly showed that he had a close relationship with his younger sister. There were even rumors that because of the accident that happened to Xu Yunsheng's grandmother, He Rufei took care of his younger sister even more carefully. In the end, it actually gave He Rufei a good reputation.
He Yan only felt that it was a bit funny. He also felt that the He Family's methods of acting were really endless.
Autumn had arrived and the heat of summer had completely faded. On this day, He Yan had just returned from outside the residence and was surprised to find that the courtyard was much more lively. She had left early in the morning and did not know what had happened. However, Bai Guo happily ran over and whispered, "Young Mistress is entertaining guests in the courtyard. Young Master, you should wash up a little and go take a look." She leaned closer and said mysteriously, "There are many young ladies here today. Second Young Master is here too."
She was young, so when she said these words, she was not shy or coy, but full of the innocence of a child. However, when He Yan heard these words, they were not very pleasant to hear.
Bai Rongwei had told her before that she would hold a banquet before the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the surface, it was to invite the ladies, but in fact, it was to matchmake Xiao Jue. He Yan didn't expect her to come back so quickly. Usually, Xiao Jue would come back late. Sometimes, she would be asleep by the time Xiao Jue came back. But today, there was a girl around and she came back so early. Ha, what a coincidence.
Bai Guo saw that He Yan was silent and said, "Young Master?"
He Yan came back to his senses and forced a smile, "I won't go. I've been running around the whole day and I'm really tired. I want to go back to my room and rest."
Bai Guo, "But …" She felt that He Yan was in a bad mood and felt that it was strange. This Young Master He was gentle and did not put on airs. He would take the initiative to clean the dishes and chopsticks. Sometimes, when he saw that she was hungry, he would deliberately leave some snacks in the dishes for her. Bai Guo felt that among all the masters she had met, other than the Young Master and his wife, this Young Master He was the best. However, today, his unhappiness was clearly written on his face. After all, they had been master and servant for a while. Bai Guo thought, could it be that he had been wronged outside?
Before she could figure it out, He Yan walked quickly down the corridor with his head lowered.
He Yan thought that what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over. However, this corridor was connected to the pavilion of the main courtyard. Bai Rongwei saw him at a glance and called out, "Young Master He!"
If he pretended that he didn't hear her, it would be too deliberate. He Yan could only brace himself and turn around. He looked at Bai Rongwei and smiled, "Young Mistress Xiao."
Bai Rongwei stood up and walked towards him, "I was just asking Huaijin when you would come back. I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to make it in time for today's Autumn Banquet. You came at the right time. We haven't started yet. "
The host was so kind. It would be impolite to leave at this time. He Yan could only walk over and salute her, "Young Mistress is so considerate."
Xiao family's house was specially renovated according to his wife's preferences when Old General Xiao was still alive. Xiao Jue's grandmother was from Suzhou. Therefore, the Xiao family's courtyard was especially elegant and unique in Shuo capital. Bai Rongwei didn't invite many guests to the banquet. There were only four or five people in total. It wasn't clear whether they were her good friends or not. However, the four young women sitting there were each beautiful in their own way.
Xiao Jue sat beside Xiao Jing. The two brothers were famous for being handsome men in Da Wei. For a moment, the courtyard was like a fairyland.
Da Wei had a strict rule against men and women. Men and women were not allowed to sit together at the age of seven. This rule was abolished not long after Emperor Wenxuan ascended the throne. Emperor Wenxuan yearned for the elegant and unrestrained manner of the famous scholars of the past. He didn't think that it was because of the old rules. Therefore, Da Wei wasn't as strict towards unmarried men and women as the previous dynasty.
Bai Rongwei smiled and explained to the others at the banquet, "This is Young Master He. He is a good friend of Huaijin. At such a young age, he has already been bestowed the title of Mu An Lang by His Majesty." She ordered the servants to add a bowl and chopsticks for He Yan. However, for some reason, the bowl was placed next to Xiao Jing. Bai Rongwei sat next to a round-faced madam and said to He Yan, "Today, we have invited a few friends to our residence to try the newly made chrysanthemum crisps. Everyone, please treat this as a normal family banquet. There is no need to be polite.
Just be at ease. "Although she said that, other than Xiao Jing and his wife, the older madams, and the indifferent Xiao Jue, the rest of the guests couldn't be considered casual.
He Yan sat next to Xiao Jue and looked at Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue sat on the other side of Xiao Jing. He rarely touched his chopsticks. Most of the time, he just sat there. Although he hid it well, if one looked closely, they could see that he was impatient.
The other maidens were different. They sat at the long table directly opposite Xiao Jue. The more timid ones glanced at Xiao Jue out of the corner of their eyes. The lingering affection in their eyes couldn't be ignored. The bolder ones stared directly at Xiao Jue. Their beautiful eyes were filled with adoration. It was enough to make one's bones melt.
He Yan thought to himself. Bai Rongwei knew that Xiao Jue didn't like people like Shen Muxue. The four maidens that she found were completely different from Shen Muxue's cold and aloof temperament. However, their appearance was comparable to Shen Muxue's. Sitting there, she wanted to flip the table and leave. If Shen Muxue was here, he would definitely be angered to death.
However, although she thought this in her heart, she couldn't show it on her face. He Yan lowered his head and ate. At this time, he didn't talk while eating. He just treated it as a normal meal. The only difference was that there were four beautiful maidens sitting across from him.
This meal was extremely awkward.
He Yan wasn't the only one who felt awkward. At the end of the meal, even Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei couldn't handle it. After all, although Xiao Jue's personality wasn't as gentle as Xiao Jing's, her face was still very attractive. Moreover, Xiao Jing was already married. The four maidens all looked at Xiao Jue.
They were all noble maidens who were carefully raised in Shuo Jing. They were very polite. However, the four of them still found some topics to talk about with Xiao Jue. For example, "Does Second Young Master Xiao like autumn?", "What do you do on a daily basis?", "Will you be staying in Shuo Jing after this?", and other meaningless questions.
Xiao Jue answered them. However, if she could answer them in one word, she wouldn't say more than two. Most of the time, it was Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing who came out to fill in the gaps.
He Yan was quite happy in his heart. However, when he thought about it, he felt that he was being silly. How could he be happy about such things? Was he possessed?
Night was coming. After the meal, the madams said goodbye to Xiao Jing and her husband. He Yan and Xiao Jue stood to the side. The four maidens' reluctant gazes almost saw through Xiao Jue. One of the bolder maidens looked at Xiao Jue and asked with a smile, "When Second Young Master Xiao was at the hunting ground, no one could compare to his charm. After this, when are you free, would you be willing to practice archery with me?"
Xiao Jue looked at her expressionlessly for a while. Then, the corner of her mouth twitched. "I have a habit when I practice."
The maiden looked forward to it.
"Life and death."
"Cough, cough, cough." Xiao Jing interrupted in time. She laughed and said, "Huaijin is joking. He likes to joke."
However, as soon as she said this, the maiden's mother's expression changed. She quickly pulled her daughter away.
Bai Rongwei was angry and amused at the same time. After they left, she said to Xiao Jue, "You child, why are you still the same as before? If you don't like her, then don't like her. Why do you have to deliberately scare her? Miss Tian has also practiced martial arts. She is also cheerful and generous. I think she is very good. "
When Xiao Jue didn't say anything, Bai Rongwei continued, "What about Miss Li? The one who sat opposite you just now. She looks weak and delicate. She has good handwriting and can speak eloquently. She is very gentle and quiet. "
Xiao Jue still didn't say anything.
Bai Rongwei looked up and saw He Yan. She asked He Yan, "Young Master He, you have also met the four maidens today. Don't you think it is a good idea?"
He Yan was speechless.
What did this have to do with her? Disaster really fell from the sky. However, in front of these people, He Yan could only ask himself. He slowly opened his mouth, "The four maidens are very good. Their temperaments and appearances are first class. Whoever marries them will be blessed by his past life …"
Bai Rongwei probably felt that she had gained the approval of Xiao Jue's good friend. She said, "Huaijin, look, even Young Master He thinks they are good …"
Xiao Jue suddenly said in a calm voice, "Sister-in-law, if you think they are good, why don't you invite them back and give them to Big Brother? With Big Brother's temperament and appearance, they shouldn't feel wronged. "
These words were so harsh that even the usually gentle Xiao Jing couldn't help but warn, "Xiao Huaijin!"
Xiao Jue was unmoved. She glanced at Xiao Jing and said calmly, "Big Brother, why don't you think about what you did when Mother wanted to choose a wife for you? Don't do to others what you don't want done to you. Big Brother should know better than I do. "After she finished speaking, she didn't care about Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei's reactions and left in a huff.
He Yan stood there and felt inexplicably awkward. He softly explained to Xiao Jue, "Perhaps the Commander in Chief is in a bad mood today. Young Mistress, please don't take it to heart."
"I'm not taking it to heart." Bai Rongwei was stunned for a moment. She seemed to have recovered from her shock and looked at her husband. "However, was Huaijin … angry just now?"
Despite the rumors that the Right Army's Commander-in-Chief Training Troops was unreasonable, harsh, and cold, almost no one had ever seen Xiao Jue lose his temper in the fu. Most of the time, he was just too lazy to care. It seemed like it had been many years since he had written the words "I'm angry" on his face.
"He's done this before. Why is he … so angry this time?" She didn't understand.
…
Someone was knocking on the door.
Again and again, the knocking was very precise and unyielding. Even if the people inside were too lazy to pay attention to it, the people outside were not discouraged. It was as if they were going to knock until the end of time if they did not open the door.
In the entire courtyard, the only person who had the guts to do this was the heroine.
Xiao Jue paused for a moment and said, "Come in."
He Yan's head poked in from behind the door.
She also knew that Xiao Jue was in a bad mood. She had a fawning smile on her face as she closed the door behind her. She walked forward and asked, "Commander in Chief, are you alright?"
Xiao Jue sat on the chair and replied, "I'm fine."
Looking at his expression, he didn't seem to be "fine".
What he said to Bai Rongwei just now was a little too much. However, He Yan was quite happy to hear him say that. However, she quickly scolded herself in her heart. How could she be like this? How could she, as an outsider, cheer for a family conflict? How was she different from those despicable people? During her stay here, Bai Rongwei had taken care of her a lot. It was reasonable for her to help mediate and not add fuel to the fire.
He Yan ran in front of him and leaned half of her body on the table. She looked at him and said, "Commander in Chief, Young Mistress Xiao has good intentions. What you did just now was a little hurtful."
Xiao Jue's gaze shifted to her face. His eyes were cold. "Lady He, what do you think I should do?"
He had called her "Lady He" many times. Sometimes it was teasing, and sometimes it was mean. However, this time, it was cold and even a little angry.
He Yan carefully chose her words. "At least, you should be more tactful."
Xiao Jue sneered. "Why should I?"
He Yan choked.
"If it was Lady He, would you be more tactful?" He suddenly asked.
He Yan was puzzled. "I'm a woman."
"If your father and brother were to find a few handsome young masters like they did today," he said sarcastically, "wouldn't you reject them directly?"
He Yan thought that if it was in the past, she would have to be polite and courteous in order to save everyone's face. However, now that she had someone she liked, she would not be able to force it.
However, she could not say this to Xiao Jue. The person in front of her did not care about her avoidance. He stared at her and asked again, "Lady He, what should you do?"
He Yan could not go against her conscience when she met his gaze. After a while, she slammed the table. "I thought about it. If it were me, I would have made the same choice as you, Commander in Chief. Maybe I would have said even worse things. Commander in Chief, you're right. Well said! If you don't like them, just reject them. There's no need to give them the wrong hints. Sometimes, being polite and courteous can be seen as flirting to the other party. Flirting can make others unable to sleep at night. If you don't have such intentions, then you're lying! "
In the end, there was a hint of complaint in her tone. No one knew who she was referring to.
Xiao Jue saw her indignant expression and her expression softened. She smiled. "At least you have some awareness."
He Yan saw that she was in a better mood. She took out a sachet from her sleeve and gave it to her. "This is for you."
Xiao Jue took it and looked at it. She looked up and asked, "You made this?"
"How is that possible?" He Yan replied without hesitation. "How could I know how to make this? It was Grandma Xiao who made it. She also made one for me. I forgot to give it to you earlier. " She took out her own sachet with cloud patterns. "I heard that there are herbs and amulets in it."
She saw that Xiao Jue was holding the sachet and didn't say anything. She leaned closer. "I didn't expect Grandma Xiao to prepare one for me. Commander in Chief, Grandma Xiao is gentle and kind. She's wholeheartedly thinking about you. Although the method … is not to your liking, you should talk to her about this kind of thing. There's no need to hurt the harmony between the two of you. There's no need to be so calculative between family members … "
She kept talking and moving her head closer and closer. Xiao Jue couldn't help but laugh. He bent his fingers and pushed her head back. "Stop, I'm not angry."
At first, he was angry, but it wasn't because of Bai Rongwei … This person still didn't know anything. He felt a little helpless. Being angry at someone who didn't know anything was destined to not be able to vent his anger.
"Really?" He Yan looked at him.
"Really." He lowered his eyes and thought of something. After a while, he said, "I'll be out of the city for a few days. Is it okay for you to stay here alone?"
He Yan was startled. "Do you need my help?"
Xiao Jue had been leaving early and returning late these days. He Yan could sense that he had something important to do. It must have something to do with Xu Jingfu and Xiao Zhongwu. Although she was busy with the He Family and the Xu Family, if Xiao Jue needed her help, He Yan wouldn't refuse.
"No need. I can do it myself."
He Yan nodded. "When will you be back?"
"I'm not sure." Xiao Jue looked at the burning wick. "I'll try to be back before mid-autumn."
Prime Minister Xu's residence in the capital was brightly lit at this moment.
Prime Minister Xu was a scholar. When he held a banquet at home, he didn't like women to dance. At most, he would find two guqin players to play the guqin. Chu Zhao knelt in front of the small table and looked at the teacup in front of him. The steam rising from the teacup was like a layer of gauze that covered his expression, making his face look unreal.
Xu Jingfu didn't like to drink. He only liked to drink tea. The people who came to the Xu Family to give gifts also knew how to cater to his preferences. Even the tea leaves that were given to the servants could be sold at a good price.
The servants stood on both sides respectfully. Xu Jingfu didn't have a son. Everyone in the Xu Family knew that Xu Jingfu treated this favorite pupil of his as his own son. Xu Jingfu's only daughter, Xu Pingting, had a deep affection for Chu Zilan … Sooner or later, the teacher and the student would become husband and son-in-law.
"You went to Jiyang very smoothly this time." Xu Jingfu said with a smile. When he was young, he was handsome and refined, but when he grew older, he became kind and amiable. Just by looking at his appearance, one would think that he was an old man who was easy to get along with. He took a sip of tea and said, "However, when you were in the Rundu, why did you stay for a few more days?"
Chu Zhao replied gently, "The people in the Rundu were hungry. Zilan couldn't bear to leave alone. I wanted to stay in the Rundu to help and see if I could ask for reinforcements. I didn't expect that Generals Yan would lead troops to help and solve the Rundu's urgent situation."
It was obvious that he wasn't lying. Xu Jingfu was still smiling kindly. He didn't say that he was right, but he didn't say that he was wrong either.
The atmosphere was a little tense.
Just as they were in a deadlock, a girl's voice suddenly sounded, "Father! Why didn't you call me when Brother Zilan came! "The next moment, a girl in a yellow dress flew in like a flower and sat next to Chu Zilan.
This girl was very beautiful. She was as delicate as a porcelain doll. There was an air of arrogance between her eyebrows. She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. Her clothes and jewelry were luxurious and expensive. There was a ruby hairpin in her hair bun. The ruby was delicate and beautiful, making her look like a rose.
This was Xu Jingfu's only daughter, Xu Pingting.
Xu Jingfu only had this pearl in his palm when he was old. He almost spoiled her to the heavens. Even the current princess was not as fastidious as Xu Pingting. When Xu Pingting arrived at the banquet hall, the atmosphere immediately eased. Xu Jingfu shook his head and laughed. "You came here to criticize me. You don't even care about me. Everyone says that girls are biased towards outsiders. Really …"
When Xu Pingting heard that, she didn't feel embarrassed. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and said coquettishly, "I see Father every day, but I haven't seen Brother Zilan in a long time. Father, can you not let Brother Zilan go too far away from the capital next time?" She naturally held Chu Zhao's arm and looked at him. "Brother Zilan, when I heard that you went to Jiyang, I was scared to death. How could Father do that? Fortunately, you're fine. When you weren't around, I prayed for your safe return in front of the Bodhisattva every day. It seems that the Bodhisattva heard my prayers and protected you."
Xu Jingfu said sourly, "I didn't see you praying for me."
"Father!"
"Okay, okay, little ancestor. I won't say anymore, okay?" Xu Jingfu begged and looked at Chu Zhao. "However, Zilan, you came at the right time. I have something to say."
Chu Zilan looked at Xu Jingfu. "Teacher, please speak."
"I heard that today, Xiao Rubi's wife invited a few young ladies from her colleagues' manors to the Xiao Mansion as guests. She said that they were guests, but it was obviously to choose a wife for Xiao Huaijin. You're about the same age as Xiao Huaijin. Since I'm your teacher, I should worry about these things for you. "
Xu Pingting was stunned. Her face immediately turned red. "Father, you're …"
"Now you know how to be shy?" Xu Jingfu smiled and teased. Then, he said, "Zilan, you're my most outstanding student. You grew up with Pingting and are Qing Mei's childhood sweetheart. When you were young, I planned to marry Pingting to you when you grew up. Looking at it now, that time has come. What do you think? "
The servants in the hall all buried their heads to hide their surprise. Although they knew that this day would come, they couldn't help but feel surprised when they actually heard it. After all, with Chu Zhao's status, marrying Prime Minister Xu's daughter was really climbing up the social ladder.
Chu Zhao stood up, lifted the corner of his robe, and knelt down in front of Xu Jingfu. He bowed to Xu Jingfu.
"This student thanks Teacher for your kindness. To be able to marry Pingting is this student's good fortune from three lifetimes. Marriage is completely up to Teacher. "
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