After returning home from the palace, Axiu could tell at a glance that Zhang Yanling was not in a good mood. After what happened yesterday, Axiu was a little cautious and watched Zhang Yanling silently and did not dare to ask any more questions. However, Zhang Yanling took the initiative to tell her about it. Axiu
Xiu was stunned for a moment and then understood.
"Mr. Tan, does Miss Tan know about this? What did she say?"
"Hey, I'm worried about how to say it. If she knew about this, wouldn't she think that I was a heartless person? Who could have imagined that such a thing would happen." Zhang Yanling sighed.
Axiu said softly: "Since this marriage was arranged by the Queen, we can't refuse it, so we can only accept the reality. Miss Tan is a sensible person, maybe she can understand this matter."
Zhang Yanling smiled bitterly and said: "I know she is a sensible person, but because of this, I am afraid I will lose her. Axiu, you have also met Miss Tan, and you have an idea of what kind of person she is. I originally thought
, how happy it would be to marry her and live with you two. But who would have thought that things would turn out like this. I don’t even know what kind of person Xu Wanyi is, but I want to marry her. Then
She is also the princess of Duke Dingguo's mansion. She is a pampered person, so I'm afraid the family will not be at peace. I'm worried about Ruqing, but I'm also worried about you."
Axiu smiled and said: "My husband, you don't have to worry about me anymore. Axiu will not annoy her or cause embarrassment to your husband. But Miss Tan... it's a pity. If she can marry my husband and my husband is sincere, Axiu will also
I'm happy, everyone is happy. It's just that Miss Tan may not be willing to be a concubine like Axiu."
Zhang Yanling sighed: "It is reasonable for her to refuse. After she found out about this, she must have thought that I had failed her. Alas! I don't know how to tell her. Let me think about it carefully before telling her.
Explain it. But how do I face her and how do I open my mouth?"
Zhang Yanling was filled with sorrow and went to his room to rest. Axiu sighed, stood for a long time, went to the corridor to get a shovel, and went to shovel the snow in the back garden.
On the eighth day of November, entrusted by Queen Zhang, the British Duke Zhang Mao officially performed the Najina ceremony for Zhang Yanling and Dingguo Princess Xu Wanyi. The previous Najina ceremony had been completed. And Najina
The two ceremonies are usually performed together.
The so-called Naji is to report back to the woman's family the good or bad fortune of the horoscope, of course, it is usually good and bad. The Naji is to send a betrothal gift to the woman, which is the formal part of the betrothal gift. After the Naji is accepted, it will foreshadow the future.
The woman is already an unmarried woman, and the two parties are actually an unmarried couple. Unless it is an accident, they can become official husband and wife after the application period is completed.
Since this trip is extremely formal, Zhang Yanling will also go with him. A few days ago, the queen has made a detailed list of gifts to purchase, and Zhang Heling and his wife Feng Shi have also been ordered to host it with all their strength. Therefore, Zhang Yanling does not need to worry about everything personally.
Although Zhang Yanling was very upset during this period, the marriage was inevitably going to become a reality, so she simply stayed out of sight, out of mind, and didn't worry about anything. Apart from hiding in the study room, reading and pondering her mechanical atlas, she
He rode around the streets of the capital on horseback, looking around for good blacksmith shops and people who knew how to smelt.
But he couldn't escape the eighth day of November.
Zhang Yanling was woken up early in the morning. Axiu got a brand new brocade robe and helped Zhang Yanling wash up and dress up. After preparing for a while, Zhang Heling also arrived. When the two brothers were sitting in the front hall drinking tea, Britain
Gong Zhangmao arrived in a luxurious carriage, and the two of them hurried to greet him.
Zhang Mao is nearly seventy years old, with white beard and hair, but he is still full of energy and has a resonant voice. He is a veteran of the Ming Dynasty and has an air of majesty about him.
"Your Excellency, please come in and have a cup of hot tea." Zhang Heling said with a smile.
Zhang Mao was sitting in the big car, without even getting out of the car, and said in a deep voice: "No need. It is only right to go and do things quickly. Are the gifts ready? If they are ready, let's set off."
After saying that, Zhang Mao lowered the car curtain. He actually didn't have a good impression of the Zhang brothers. But this marriage was indeed a big deal. He acted as matchmaker to save the emperor and queen's face.
In fact, Zhang Mao knew Xu Guangzuo's intentions very well. He married his daughter to Zhang Yanling just to make the power of his country's government more stable and his position more secure. From the current perspective, the status of the Zhang family is unparalleled.
Shocking. It is a fact that the emperor's exclusive favor for the queen is true. Therefore, it is the wisest way to win over the Zhang family for marriage. If the British government had a princess of the right age, I would probably do the same.
As for the reputation of the Zhang family and Zhang Yanling's character, that is actually not that important. In the face of the overall interests of the family, the marriage of the children must serve it. This is a basic principle.
At half past midnight, a large number of carriages and horses arrived in front of Duke Dingguo's mansion. Xu Guangzuo and his wife, as well as Xu Yande and his wife were already waiting in front of the door. The two parties exchanged greetings for a while, then let them sit down in the hall.
After Zhang Mao handed over Najib's post, he began to offer betrothal gifts.
The betrothal gift is naturally extremely generous. Of course, the highlight is the bride price. The Zhang family’s bride price is nine hundred and ninety-nine taels of gold and nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine taels of silver. It indicates a long-term meaning. Just these bride prices alone
, the total value exceeded more than 20,000 taels of silver.
Of course, for the Duke of Dingguo, they simply looked down upon this small amount of bride price. When Xu Yande married, the bride price of the Duke of Dingguo was as high as one hundred thousand taels, which was a huge sum. But with the financial resources of the Zhang family,
I mean, this is already very sincere.
Of course, Zhang Yanling couldn't come up with the money. Although he collected the rent this season and sold a lot of grain, he only had more than 10,000 taels of silver in his account. It wasn't enough to spend. But this time, the Empress was in charge.
, the queen sent fifty thousand taels of silver specifically to arrange the betrothal gift and wedding for her younger brother. That was all of Queen Zhang’s savings.
Another important part of the betrothal gift is the jewelry box. You need a pair of jewelry boxes, one for each size. There is a small jewelry box inside the jewelry box that is about a foot square. The big one should be filled with hairpin rings, gold flowers, accessories and other jewelry, and the smaller one should be filled with hairpin rings, gold flowers, accessories and other jewelry.
Inside are more precious things such as gemstones and jade pendants and bracelets. It takes more than ten thousand taels of silver to fill two jewelry boxes with jewelry.
Apart from these, the remaining betrothal gifts are ordinary. A hundred catties of wedding cakes, chicken, duck, fish, wine, dried fruits, candies, tea, etc., etc., all cost little money. It is just a little troublesome and needs to be purchased carefully because there are many rules.
For example, in the betrothal gift box containing the betrothal invitation, in addition to the gold invitation, it must also contain lotus seeds, lilies, green sage, hinoki cypress, betel coconut, sesame, red beans, mung beans, red dates, dried walnuts, dried longan, peanuts, etc.
There are things such as red bean rope, red bean, bride price, gold ornaments, dragon and phoenix candles and happy couplets. The things are not valuable, but they are troublesome to buy, and the quantity and quality must be guaranteed. For example, peanuts must be in shells, which indicates that there will be many
Having more children means more blessings.
All these were prepared in full, and not a single trace of etiquette was missing.
After the betrothal gift was delivered, the gift of acceptance was actually completed. Under the auspices of Zhang Mao, Zhang Yanling saluted Xu Guangzuo and his wife. From this moment on, he could call himself his son-in-law.
Everyone was sitting in the hall drinking tea, and Zhang Mao naturally said some kind words, such as "Congratulations to Duke Dingguo for getting a good son-in-law" or "Jianchang Hou is a young talent who will be the pillar of the imperial court in the future" and so on. Xu Guangzuo thanked him with a haha, and then gave instructions.
A banquet is prepared in the hall and ready for the feast.
At this moment, a maid quietly came in from the back door of the hall, came to Xu Guangzuo and handed a plain slip to Xu Guangzuo. Xu Guangzuo took a look, laughed and said to the lady sitting beside him: "I want to see Yanling in the evening."