On the evening of May 11th, the private soldiers sent by Su Qi to deliver the letter returned to Sujiapu, met with the master Su Daozhi, and presented Su Dalang's letter. After Su Daozhi read the letter, he knew that Chen Cao and his party would be arriving tomorrow.
Even though he was ordered to go down and prepare well to greet Chen Shijun, he felt a little worried in his heart, thinking: "I wonder if Qi'er has mentioned Ruolan to Chen Shijun. If so, Chen Shijun agreed to take the concubine.
, how can I, Mrs. Su, regret it, then Ruolan really can’t escape the fate of being a concubine, if she hasn’t mentioned it yet, she’d better marry Mr. Cai.”
——Before the Dragon Boat Festival, Cai Feng, the patriarch of the Cai family, sent someone to propose marriage to the Su family. Su Daozhi's attitude was ambiguous. He was still wavering on whether his daughter would be his wife or concubine. He said that he would wait until his eldest son Su Qi came back to discuss it. The Cai family's matchmaker
Although he did not receive a definite answer from the Su family, everyone in the Su family was very polite to him. It must be that Su Dalang is now in charge of Sujiapu. Didn't Su Dalang become an official? It is reasonable for Su Daozhi to wait for the eldest son to come back for discussion.
, so the Cai family’s matchmaker decided to wait for Su Qi to return to the castle and come again——
Su Daozhi told his old wife Zou about his worries, and Zou said: "Qi'er can't be so impatient. I wish I could give my girl away as a concubine!"
Su Dao questioned: "If we really bring it up, what will happen?"
Zou said: "I don't care, anyway, my daughter will not be a concubine."
Su Daozhi said: "I can't tell Ruolan. Go and ask your daughter what she thinks. I think my daughter has a good impression of Chen Shijun. Last year, Chen Shijun competed with Dou Tao in interpreting palindrome poems. Ruolan didn't wait for Dou Tao.
If Chen Shijun is judged to be victorious upon handing over the papers, doesn't that mean he has his own intention?"
Zou said: "Last year Chen Shijun was unmarried, and now he will be married twice. It's completely different - well, let me test Ruolan's mind -"
At night, Mrs. Zou went to her daughter Su Hui's boudoir to chat with her. First, she talked about Mrs. Chenliu and Cai coming to propose marriage. Su Hui held her skirt in her hands and bowed her head, speechless. Mrs. Zou said: "The Cai family of Chenliu is from a famous family in the Han and Wei dynasties, from a Guanying family, and
The proposer is the legitimate son of the patriarch of the Cai clan, and I think it is a good match, Ruolan, what do you think?"
Su Hui was silent and asked softly for a long time: "How is the unknown disciple?"
Zou smiled and said: "The Cai family is a big family, and the poetry and etiquette are passed down from generation to generation. What difference can there be among direct descendants? Your father said that he had met Cai Tao two years ago. He was only fifteen or six years old at that time, and he was very well-known.
The demeanor of a young man."
Su Hui sighed slightly and said to herself: "This is the only way. Can a girl's family still choose her own husband? A person like Lu Weirui of Wu County who loves her faithfully and bitterly must have someone who is worthy of her sacrifice——"
Thinking that the man Lu Weirui fell in love with and finally got married to was the person she secretly loved, Su Hui felt sad. She had seen that man and couldn't forget it, but that man had never even seen her. That man
There is no trace of her in my heart. Alas, I am so pretentious!
When Mrs. Zou saw her daughter bowing her head and being speechless, she thought she had agreed to Mrs. Cai's marriage proposal. She was very happy and said, "There is a ridiculous thing. Your brother is so greedy for profit that he wants to marry you to someone else as a concubine——"
Su Hui suddenly raised her head and asked: "Who is it?"
Zou looked at her daughter's face and said slowly, "That's the Ambassador Chen who came to our Wubao."
Su Hui's heart beat violently, and even her ears turned red in an instant, but what she said was these four words: "It's too much to bully others!"
Seeing her daughter's fierce reaction, Mrs. Zou was worried that her daughter would blame her brother, so she quickly said: "Brother Ru, you are also joking, and you cannot take it seriously. Although I, the Su family, are from the common people, I have no reason to give my daughter as a concubine.
Okay, you should rest early. Brother Ru and Chen Shijun will arrive tomorrow, and this time we will finalize your marriage to Mr. Cai."
Su Hui really wanted to ask if Chen Caozhi had asked her brother to take her as his concubine, but her lips moved and she couldn't ask. She sent her mother back and went back to her room to stare at the bronze bird lamp. Chen Caozhi asked her again.
How could he ask her to be his concubine if he had never seen her and only seen the beautiful palindrome poems she weaved? And even if Chen Caozhi asked her, would she be soft-hearted and agree?
Su Hui shook her head. She had never thought that she would be a concubine. No matter how good Chen Caozhi was, she would not be willing to grovel in front of Lu and Xie and flatter Cheng Huan. Well, that's it. Her mind was very firm.
But, why do you feel so sad?
The unfinished brocade palindrome poem on the small case glows with bright colors under the light, waiting for the owner to work hard to complete it. Su Hui has an innate love and talent for brocade and palindrome poems, but at this moment, she
Feeling that it was boring, she started to dismantle the thin bamboo frame, and the taut brocade that had not yet been woven suddenly loosened and shriveled, like a fallen leaf——
I want to weave palindrome poems, but hate the ignorance of music appreciation.
…
Before noon on May 12th, Chen Cao and his entourage arrived at Sujiapu in Pingyu. Su Daozhi walked a few miles away to welcome him. After greeting Chen Cao, he quietly asked Su Qi if he had mentioned Su Hui as his concubine to Chen Envoy
Su Qi thought that his father Su Daozhi had already convinced his mother Zou and his sister Su Hui, so he couldn't wait to mention the matter and said quickly: "When we sit down in the fort, I will explain to Chen Shijun that dad does not need to
Impatient, haha."
When Su Daozhi heard what his son said, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's better if you didn't mention it. Neither your mother nor Ruolan would agree. Now Cai Feng from Xincai County asked someone to come to Ruolan for his son Cai Tao."
Lan proposes, this is a good marriage."
Su Qi was stunned for a while, then said: "Since my father has also made a decision, what else can I say?" He looked up and saw Chen Caozhi riding a black horse, pointing out the majestic plains with Liu Laozhi, who was coming to Sujiapu for the first time.
Huang Xiaotong's two white falcons are soaring into the sky——
How did Chen Caozhi know that Su Qi was so eager to give his sister Su Hui to him as a concubine? Although he had long heard about the name of Su Cainv in palindrome poems, he only heard Su Hui say one sentence when he was in Sujiapu twice.
"Chen Shijun wins", and there is no other intersection. How could he ever think of taking Su Hui as his special favorite? Moreover, for Chen Caozhi, the fact that Su Daozhi and his son did not propose to send Su Hui as his concubine is really disappointing.
He was spared the embarrassment of a decision. In terms of reason, he should accept it. The Su clan is also a strong support, the more the better; in terms of love, he should not accept it. Needless to say--
Of course, there is no need to think about these things now. Chen Caozhi was completely unaware of the concubine scandal in Sujiapu. The Su family and his son would soon forget about it.
She had vaguely seen Chen Caozhi's appearance, and vaguely heard Chen Caozhi's recorder from across the courtyard. This was the first man who made her fall in love, and perhaps the last one. At that time, the woman lived in seclusion and could see several people in her life.
What about a strange man? Of course, she could live without this temptation, and she could also marry someone else and have children. But now that she has met such a person who makes her attracted, she is unwilling to be a concubine because of her inner reserve.
The melancholy in my heart shouldn’t be forgotten soon, right?
…
Chen Caozhi rested only one night in Sujiapu. On the morning of the 13th, he was accompanied by Su Qi and went to Cai's Wubao in Xincai County. Sujiapu was more than a hundred miles away from Caijiapu. Chen Caozhi, Su Qi and his party were in Xincai County.
On the western border of Cai County, I met the matchmaker of the Cai family who had gone to Sujiabao to propose marriage last time. The matchmaker of the Cai family recognized Su Qi and greeted him: "Su Dalang, I am about to go to Guibao to propose marriage."
Su Qi said: "My father told me about this, and I am happy to see it come to fruition. However, I have to accompany Chen Sima to pay a visit to the Guiwu Sect Master, so I am sorry to accompany you."
This matchmaker of the Cai family was also a local celebrity. The news that Chen Caozhi had recruited private soldiers from the Huaihe and Wuwu areas had already reached Xincai, and he immediately said, "I will lead the way."
A group of people arrived at Xincai County on the afternoon of the 14th. Xincai County was the capital of the Cai Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period and a thousand-year-old city. As they walked along, they saw the vast plains on both sides of the Hongru River, and the fields were filled with freshly harvested wheat.
This year's wheat harvest in Huaihe and Huaihe River is a bumper harvest, and the households along the way are beaming with joy——
Su Qi said with emotion: "In previous years during the wheat harvest season, the Xianbei people led their troops to attack, plundered wheat and returned. However, the people in Huaihe could not harvest much of the wheat they worked so hard to plant. Fortunately, the court here did not issue an order to pay taxes.
Otherwise, life will be even more difficult.”
Chen Cao said: "If we work together and make great achievements in the Northern Expedition, Huaishang will no longer be a place for war. This place will be a granary. The country and the people will not be far from getting rich."
Cai Feng, the leader of the Cai family, heard about the arrival of Chen Caozhi and Su Qi and welcomed him out of the fort. Cai Feng already knew the news that the Xuzhou 19th Wu refugee clan had joined the Beifu Army. As one of the five major refugee clans in Lianghuai, the Cai clan was naturally unwilling to be
Marginalized, but the Cai family is different from the Tian family and the Dai family. The Cai family was originally a noble family and was excluded from the officialdom by the Jin court. It is understandable that she was disappointed. Regarding Chen Caozhi's recruitment, the Cai family not only wanted to show off the airs of a wealthy family, but also
Feeling discouraged that no one has served as an official in thirty years, Cai Feng felt extremely complicated. Moreover, a few days ago, he asked someone to propose marriage to Su's daughter, but he did not receive an offer on the spot. Although he was not rejected, Cai Feng was already very depressed.
The Su family in Shiping didn't even pay attention to the Cai family. The decline of the family was not due to this. Even if there were tens of thousands of clan members and thousands of private soldiers, it didn't matter. If he had no status in the official career, he would be looked down upon!
When Chen Caozhi saw Cai Feng, he was very respectful and expressed his admiration for Cai Feng's ancestor Cai Yong. He also took out the Keting flute and expressed that he wanted to return it to its original owner. Cai Feng said, "How dare you? How dare you." When asked about the origin of this flute,
Chen Caozhi said that it was a gift from Huan Yi. Cai Feng was so sorry that he asked Chen Caozhi to play a piece of music. Chen Caozhi did not refuse and played a piece of "Spring River Flower Moonlight Night". Cai Feng was full of praise and said that the flute belonged to Chen Caozhi.
It can be said that you win people——
Chen Caozhi stayed in Caijiabao for three days. Because of Chen Caozhi's respectful and courteous manner, Cai Feng felt the honor of the family and was very fond of Chen Caozhi. He allowed Chen Cao to go to the Cai Family Library to browse Cai Family's books.
At that time, Cai Yong's collection of tens of thousands of books was burned down during the war. Later, Cai Wenji used her amazing memory to hand-record 800 volumes and handed them down to the world. They are all classics——
Three days later, Chen Caozhi bid farewell to Cai Feng and returned to Sujiapu temporarily. Cai Feng had decided that his brother Cai Guang would lead 3,000 private soldiers to Guangling at the end of June to take orders. Chen Caozhi also agreed to return to Jiankang to petition for the Cai family and restore the Cai family.
Scholar status allows Cai's children to become officials——
Chen Caozhi, Su Qi and others left Caijiapu and headed northeast along the Hongru River. After traveling for several miles, they saw someone chasing them from the direction of Caijiapu. What happened?
