Cao Lang, the new top scholar who just entered the Hanlin Academy, got engaged yesterday.
The marriage of the new No. 1 scholar is a new thing that the people are paying attention to, not to mention that the in-law family that the new No. 1 scholar is marrying is the Xia family - the person he is about to marry is the youngest legitimate daughter of Xia Shoufu's family.
!
After the news of the engagement spread, countless people came to the already busy Zhuangyuan Mansion recently to congratulate her.
There are still a few taboos that need to be avoided in official circles, but when former classmates get together, there is no need to worry too much about anything, and the speech is more straightforward.
"Brother Cao Xian is in for a double blessing this time!"
"Yes, Brother Cao is really lucky... As soon as I entered the Hanlin Academy, I had an additional chief minister as my father-in-law... When I am admitted to the imperial examination, I will have to rely on Brother Cao to support me."
"I heard that this fourth girl from the Xia family has a lively temperament and good looks... She is a beauty that many noble children in the capital cannot marry."
"Either way, to say that Brother Cao is so lucky would make us envious..."
Listening to these words in his ears, Cao Lang smiled modestly and gently on his face, but he was smiling bitterly in his heart.
In the afternoon, after sending all the guests away, Cao Lang went to the study.
He picked up a pen to write a letter, but halfway through writing, he sighed, crumpled the letter paper, and threw it into the wastebasket.
He didn't know what the temperament and appearance of the four girls in the Xia family were like, and he didn't dare to take a closer look at her through the screen when he came to the house that day. But no matter how good she was, she was not the one he really wanted to marry.
He already has a sweetheart.
Although they were not engaged, they were already in love with each other. When he went to Beijing to take the exam, he promised his wife that when he was in high school, he would definitely go to her home to propose marriage and marry her in a glamorous way.
The news of his high school has spread back to his hometown, and Fang Niang must be waiting for him with joy...
However, how could he, a person with no powerful background, dare to refuse the current chief minister's proposal to get married?
Once you refuse, you become an enemy.
He studied hard for more than ten years, and now he has a bright future ahead of him... He dare not and cannot tell the fact that he already has a sweetheart.
He just wanted to write a letter to Fang Niang, telling her his difficulties, and asking her to wait for him a little longer, and wait for him to truly establish himself in the officialdom before taking her to the capital.
But this is too selfish...
What happens in the future is unpredictable, and he can't keep her waiting like this. In the end, all he can give her is the status of a concubine.
Cao Lang suppressed the pain in his heart and wrote another letter.
It's because he can't live with her, so now he can only let her find another good family to marry.
After writing the letter, Cao Lang sealed a few more ingots of silver, found a trustworthy person, and asked him to send it back to his hometown.
His wedding to Xia Xi is scheduled for two months.
The Xia family has already begun to prepare for this.
From the dowry to the sewing of the wedding dress and other trivial matters, everything needs to be prepared in advance.
"No more embroidering!"
Xia Xi accidentally pricked her finger, frowned and threw away the embroidery bandage and needle thread in her hand.
She was asked to embroider handkerchiefs and pillow covers. What was the use of her embroidering these?
When she thought about the man with an old look and a shabby look lying on this pillow, she felt extremely sick - was he worthy of lying on the pillow she had embroidered by herself?
Seeing that she lost her temper again, the little maid didn't dare to say anything, silently stepped forward to pick up the embroidered stretcher and put it back in her hand.
This move still angered Xia Xi.
She stood up suddenly and slapped the little maid in the face.
"Crack!"
"I already said I would stop embroidering, are you deliberately going against me? Why don't you just take it and throw it away for me?"
The little maid held back her tears, answered "yes", quickly took the things, bowed her head and left the room quickly.
Xia Xi sat back, closed her eyes, and tried her best to control the anger and unwillingness in her heart.
But she still couldn't control it. The more she thought about it, the more she felt aggrieved. She raised her hand and grabbed the little beast incense burner nearby and smashed it out.
Immediately afterwards, the sounds of broken porcelain bottles and other objects were heard one after another.
Hearing these noises, the maids guarding outside looked at each other, and no one dared to go in.
Until a guest came to the courtyard.
"Girl, Miss Zhou is here to see you..." A maid bravely came in to pass the news.
Zhou Nu?
Xia Xi frowned.
Zhou Nu is the daughter of the minister of the Ministry of War. She has been playing handkerchief with her since she was a child. When they were young, they had some friction occasionally, but as they got older, the other party's temperament became more docile and he always listened to her.
words.
After smashing everything in the house, Xia Xi's anger was almost gone, so she got up and walked out to meet the guests.
"Axi, I came here especially to congratulate you."
Zhou Nu is only fifteen years old this year. Like his elder brother, he is slightly fatter and has rounder cheeks. When he smiles, he reveals a pair of small tiger teeth, making him look innocent and harmless.
Looking at the gift in the hand of the maid behind her, Xia Xipi twitched the corner of her mouth with a smile and said: "You are interested."
If she hadn't known that the other party was a real person, she would have even wondered if he was deliberately teasing her.
"There are a pair of butterfly hairpins here, I picked them for you, A Xi, let's go try them?" Zhou Nu smiled and pulled Xia Xi into the inner room.
Xia Xi stood still and said quickly: "Let's try again later!"
She had smashed the inner room into a mess, and she didn't want the other party to laugh at her, face her with a shocked expression, and wait for her to explain.
Faintly seeing a piece of broken porcelain beside the curtain, Zhou Nu's eyes flashed. When he turned to look at Xia Xi, he still had a puzzled look on his face: "Axi, what's wrong with you?"
"It's nothing, it's just that I happened to want to go out for a walk, so I'll try again later." Xia Xi said casually.
Zhou Nu took her arm in surprise: "Then I'll accompany you. We haven't gone out together for a long time."
Xia Xi sneered in her heart.
This is true.
Ever since her second brother's accident, she had been reluctant to go out for a long time because she didn't want to face those strange discussions and looks.
Fortunately, there are always new things to attract everyone's attention, and no one will keep focusing on the same old thing.
The two of them left Xia Mansion together and went to Xiyi Street to visit two rouge shops.
When Xia Xi was choosing a rouge, Zhou Nu's maid came in from the door and whispered a few words in Zhou Nu's ear.
Xia Xi glanced at her friend and asked calmly: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just that Xiaoyun reminded me that there is a study not far ahead - before going out today, my brother asked me to buy an inkstone for him."
Xia Xi said "Oh" and continued to look at Yanzhi.
After paying the money and leaving the shop, Zhou Nu took her to the study.
"Just now I saw that there are many scholars gathered in front of your door. What are they looking at?" asked a guest in the study.
The waiter smiled and replied with a proud tone: "Just now, the new champion came to the shop to buy pens and ink!"
In front of the bookshelf on the side, Xia Xi, who was wearing a power fence, frowned subconsciously.
