Dugu Nan's breathing became a little short. His father actually got the opportunity to become an official. He was the eldest son. Of course, this opportunity belonged to him. He actually had the opportunity to become an official. This was something Dugu Nan never dreamed of.
"Father, find a reason! I won't go to Chang'an."
Duguhe understood his son's mood. This official was too important to his son. The eldest son was thirty-five years old, and his whole life had been mediocre. He had at least served as a general.
Dugu He has three sons. The youngest son is studying at Taixue in Beijing, the second son is doing business in Taiyuan, and the eldest son follows him. The one Dugu feels he owes the most is the eldest son.
Since Guo Song wooed him and gave him a spot in the spotlight, how could he not agree?
He immediately said to Dugu Nan: "Send a pigeon message to the capital and tell the family owner that we can't go to the capital because of the heavy snow blocking the road. Then tell the people in Luzhou that we will not participate in the festival this year."
"My child understands, will you send the letter today?"
Duguhe thought for a moment and said, "Wait a little longer, it's a little early now."
After a pause, Duguhe asked again: "You and I only know this matter, and we must not pass it on to a third person. Do you understand?"
"My child understands, but once there is a clue, I'm afraid Uncle Dashu will be able to guess a thing or two."
Dugu He shook his head, "Dugu Dashi guessed that it was the same thing, but we can't let it out. If Guo Song knew that we were lax, it would have an impact on your career."
"My child understands, thank you father for reminding me!"
...........
Dugu Dashi has been busy at the Grand Ceremony during this period. In order to prepare enough accommodation, he even took out the sealed garden house of the Dugu family, and also had three vacant houses in the city cleaned. This was still not enough.
At the gate of Dugu Mansion, the housekeeper said with a bitter look on his face: "Master, I have searched for every house I can find, but I really can't find it."
Dugu Dashi's expression was ugly. In fact, the Dugu family has no shortage of houses. The main house of the Dugu family alone covers an area of 30 acres, which is enough to house people from all over the country. But the eldest son Dugu Mingren only said, "During Ding You,
"It's not appropriate to make noise," so he blocked Dugu Dashi's mouth.
In addition, Dugu Changqiu and Dugu Yuanqiu also had houses, which were both spacious, but they both said it was not convenient for their clansmen to live in them, so they declined Dugu Dashi's request.
"Where's Xuanwu Manor outside the city?"
Dugu Dashi thought of a manor his family owned outside the city. When Zhu Si was in Chang'an, this manor had been occupied by Yuan Xiu. After Guo Song captured Chang'an, he returned the manor to Dugu Qiu.
The manor covers an area of 3,000 acres and is one of the rare manors in Chang'an. Most of the manors were distributed by Zhu Si to his subordinates and the people of Guanzhong. Guo Song took back part of it, but did not return it to the original owner. Instead, it was used as a military merit
Rewards were given to the soldiers.
The housekeeper looked embarrassed and said after a while: "The fourth master lives in the manor! Let the owner of the house talk to him and see if he agrees to let him out?"
Dugu Dashi just said it. He knew that the fourth brother Yuanqiu would definitely not agree. The manor was given to Dugu Yuanqiu by his eldest brother as compensation for the disbandment of the Flying Fox Guard and became his personal property.
"Forget it, let's go find an inn! Book a few big inns and everyone will stay in the inns, which will save you the trouble."
"Old slave, I understand. Let's make arrangements now."
The butler bowed and left in a hurry.
Dugu Dashi turned back and asked his son Dugu Hui: "Have the departure dates of each room been confirmed?"
Dugu Hui looked troubled and shook his head: "My child is still confirming and has not received any news yet."
"Why is there no news yet? It's the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, what else can't be decided?" Dugu Dashi said in dissatisfaction.
"Father, last time Weizhoufang and Qizhoufang made it clear that they would not come to the festival. I asked them again, but they never responded. My child felt that... they might... really not come.
.”
Dugu Dashi shook his head and said: "It doesn't matter whether they come or not, the key is Bingzhou Fang and Luzhou Fang, they must come!"
These concubines are not the protagonists, they are just green leaves. The concubines in Chang'an are the protagonists and what Dugu Dashi values. If Dugu Dashi wants to establish prestige in the concubines and seize family power, he usually has little chance, unless he is in
He served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court and used the power and prestige of the imperial court to suppress the family, but he obviously did not have this condition.
Then there is only one way to improve the prestige, which is to hold a big family sacrifice. There are more links in the big sacrifice than in the small sacrifices. The ceremony will be more grand. The prestige of the family head will be fully reflected in the big sacrifice. Generally, after the big sacrifice is held, the prestige of the family head will be increased.
There are several steps, and the prerequisite for holding a big festival is the participation of multiple households. If there are only the first-born households in the capital, there is no way to hold a big festival.
Therefore, Dugu Dashi didn't care whether Weizhoufang and Qizhoufang came. As long as Bingzhoufang and Luzhoufang came, he would have enough reason to hold a big sacrifice.
At this moment, the man in charge of collecting pigeon mail rushed over, holding a bamboo tube in his hand, "Master, there is news from Bingzhou Fang!"
Dugu Dashi was overjoyed. He quickly took the thin bamboo tube and poured out a small piece of fine silk. His eyes were not very good, so he handed the fine silk to his son, "Let's see what they said, have you set off yet?"
Dugu Hui unfolded the thin silk and read it in front of his eyes. He was a little stunned.
"What happened?"
Dugu Dashi noticed that his son had a strange look on his face and hurriedly asked, "What exactly is written on it?"
Duguhui said to him: "Father, Bingzhoufang...may not be able to come!"
"What!"
This sentence was like a basin of cold water being poured on his head, causing Dugu Dashi to cry out.
"What the hell is going on!" Dugu Dashi roared uncontrollably.
"Father, it is said that heavy snow has blocked the road, making the Ratque Valley impassable."
Dugu Dashi's eyesight went black for a while, and his body was a little unable to stand. Dugu Hui quickly supported his father, "Dad, are you okay?"
Dugu Dashi waved his hand, "I'm fine!"
He sat down directly on the steps in front of the mansion. He never expected whether Bingzhou Fang would come or not. Duguhe's stab in the back made him heartbroken.
"Dad, maybe Luzhou Fang will come!"
Dugu Dashi shook his head, "There has never been a winter road closure from Taiyuan to Chang'an. It's not like I haven't walked there before. When the Shuquegu Mountain Road is blocked, everyone will walk on the frozen Fenshui. Duguhe is obviously just an excuse.
If Bingzhou Fang doesn’t come, Luzhou Fang won’t come either, if you don’t believe it, just wait and see.”
"If they don't come, can't we hold a big ceremony?"
Dugu Dashi smiled bitterly, "The clan rules clearly state that to hold a big ceremony, more than two clan members must participate. To amend this clan rule, the five clan leaders must sit together to discuss and all agree. If they can come,
Do we still need to modify the clan rules?”
Dugu Hui said a little anxiously: "But this year it is the turn of the uncle's family to host the small ceremony, and it will be our turn the year after next."
Of course Dugu Dashi knew that Akihito was the host this year, so he thought of the big festival, but he didn't expect that he would be stabbed in the back by Duguhe in the end.
Entering mid-term, every household begins to
"Father, I'm afraid it was my fourth uncle who told them something! That's why they changed their minds." Dugu Hui whispered.
"That's for sure. He must have been promised some benefit before Duguhe changed his mind. The friendship I had with him for so many years was in vain. It was not as good as the three melons and two dates given to him by the fourth child. Such a merciless person makes it so cold.
Human teeth are cold!" After saying this, Dugu Dashi let out a long sigh.
"Father, why don't we do it for his benefit and let them change their minds again?"
"Forget it, there will be fights in the house, and if word spreads it will make people laugh. If they don't want to come, let them do whatever they want!"
Dugu Hui did not say anything. He knew his father very well. Whenever there was a chance, his father would not let it go. The main reason was that Bingzhou's rejection letter was sent too late. The back and forth bargaining would take at least several days, and the time had already passed.
That's too late,
"So be it!"
Dugu Dashi stood up holding his son's arm. He had already figured it out, it was not the first day of junior high school, it was still the fifteenth!
"On New Year's Eve, there will be a normal small ceremony, and on the Hungry Ghost Festival, there will be a big ceremony. I don't believe there is no chance!" Dugu Dashi said with a cold look.
On the morning of the next day, Dugu Dashi announced that this year's family festival would be changed to a small one, and that the big festival would be postponed to next year's Ghost Festival. The main reason was that there was a heavy snowstorm in Hedong, and the heavy snow blocked the roads.