If you want to get married, you must first have a matchmaker.
A solemn marriage requires three matchmakers. Xia Xun's main matchmaker is the emperor, so the matchmaker for both men and women cannot be too bad. Besides, with the status of both the princes of the two families, the matchmaker cannot be a casual person.
The Dingguo Duke's Mansion is close to the water, and Cheng Guo Gong Zhu Neng was directly recruited from the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion to be the woman's matchmaker. The man's matchmaker has become a problem. The status and qualifications must match the woman's matchmaker. The higher the status, the lower the seniority.
It didn't work, and it didn't work for those with high seniority and low status, forcing Xia Xun to almost run to Kaifeng to ask the King of Zhou for help, but the vassal king was not allowed to leave the vassal country without authorization. He returned to Beijing just to tell others that he was going to marry him. Yang Xu,
The score is too big.
Later, Xia Xun finally thought of Ru Chang. In terms of title, Ru Chang was only an earl, but he was the prince Shaobao. He had served as minister in three of the most important yamen among the six bureaus. He had the highest seniority and status among civil servants. If it hadn't been for Jing Nan
With meritorious service, Zhu Neng was far behind others. Moreover, Ru Chang's son Ru Jiangang was engaged to Princess Chang'an, the second daughter of the King of Qin, and his status was even more important. Xia Xun took the gift and ran to the Ru Mansion.
Hire a matchmaker.
The Duke of Fu is now so famous that Ru Chang has no reason not to agree. Ru Chang happily agrees, and the three matchmakers gather together to start the normal marriage negotiation process. Of course, this is a part where both men and women must communicate.
, each other still needs to make various internal preparations.
When Xia Xun was busy preparing for the wedding, Chen Ying and Ji Gang were busier than him. Xia Xun was busy getting married, while Chen Ying and Ji Gang were busy arresting people.
Because Xu Huizu, Geng Bingwen and other old ministers of Jianwen were treasonous, Zhu Di became wary and issued a secret order to Chen Ying and Ji Gang to conduct a thorough investigation. Chen Ying and Ji Gang were busy impeaching and arresting people, and their cooperation was flawless. Under Zhu Di
During the purge that lasted for more than a month after taking over Nanjing, the officials of Jianwen Dynasty and Qi Wuchen who were not implicated at all, thanks to Xu Huizu and Geng Bingwen, began to suffer misfortune.
First, Chen Ying impeached Changxing Marquis Geng Bingwen for the crime of transgression. Geng Bingwen knew exactly why he was arrested, and smartly committed suicide first. Then, the confessions obtained from the severe interrogation of Geng Bingwen and Xu Huizu's cronies, and they were captured again
The third mastermind of the "Group of Four": the consort Mei Yin, was charged with evil conspiracy. Because he was the consort, he could not be governed by the emperor's orders. Unexpectedly, when Mei Yin went to court, he "stumbled" and fell because of the crowd of ministers.
Jinshui Bridge drowned alive.
Immediately afterwards, Chen Ying impeached Captain Hu Guan for forcibly taking women from the folk and marrying prostitutes as concubines, but he refused to change his ways. In fact, Hu Guan was a bit unlucky, because he was not a member of Xu Huizu and Geng Bingwen. In fact, he was on Zhu Gaoxu's side and supported Zhu Gaoxu.
However, he was very close to the consort Mei Yin, and many evidences implicated him. Chen Ying did not dare to cover up the serious case of rebellion, so she had to find a lighter charge and report it to the emperor.
Similarly, Hu Guan was also a concubine. As usual, Zhu Di issued an order not to prosecute him and only ordered him to reflect behind closed doors. However, within two days, Ji Gang reported Hu Guan's "grievances", that is, he complained at home and cursed the emperor. In short, it was not good.
I meant respect, so I went to jail.
Later, Chen Ying impeached Licheng Hou Sheng Yong for complaining and wanted to be executed. Sheng Yong was frightened and committed suicide after hearing the news. Ji Gang secretly reported that Li Zengzhi, the younger brother of Cao Guogong Li Jinglong, had bought too much property and had many tenants. His intentions were ulterior, so he was jailed and punished.
His family property was confiscated, and Li Jinglong was also placed under house arrest, pending further investigation.
Li Jinglong was frightened when he heard the news. He knew that if he continued like this, he would be the unlucky one, so he turned from defense to offense and immediately announced a hunger strike to apologize!
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At this time, Yang Xu was following the great matchmaker Ru Chang to deliver the betrothal gift to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. This was a recruitment ceremony. After accepting the recruitment, the marriage was completely settled, and the little beauty became a definite member of the Yang family from now on.
Ming'er's second brother, Xu Yingxu, was greeted at Duke Dingguo's mansion. Now he could only be the head of the Xu family to officiate his sister's wedding, so he hurried back to Beijing, and he also brought his nephew Xu Jingchang with him.
, and the female matchmaker, Cheng Guogong Zhu Neng, who actually knows nothing about wedding ceremonies.
The Xu family opened the door and the three of them welcomed them out. Waiters holding various gifts lined up outside the door for a mile. Ru Chang and Xia Xun stood at the front, dressed in fine clothes. Xu Yingxu hurriedly greeted them.
He went up and asked with a bright smile: "Why are you two here?"
Ru Chang smiled and cupped his hands and said: "As the auxiliary of the country, Yang Xu, because of the great love between husband and wife, takes the lead in following the ceremony. If you have a decent coin, please accept it."
Zhu Neng stood there with a pair of bear eyes, watching the fun, as if nothing happened. Xu Jingchang became anxious and quickly turned him with his elbow. Zhu Neng turned his head, and Xu Jingchang looked towards him pretending that nothing happened.
Zhu Neng followed his gaze and saw that it was a tall poplar tree with a bird's nest on the tree. He looked left and right and couldn't figure it out, so he asked strangely: "Ding Guogong, what do you want me to see?"
"cough!"
Xu Jingchang coughed awkwardly, covered his nose and whispered: "My lord, it's your turn to speak."
"oh?"
Zhu Neng panicked: "What did I say?"
Xu Jingchang reminded in a low voice: "The Duke of Fu has given me such a generous gift, Governor Xu dares not to accept it."
Zhu Neng let out a cry, immediately took a step forward, raised his eyebrows, and said loudly with the heroic voice he had developed on the battlefield: "The Duke of Fu has given me such a great gift, how dare Governor Xu not accept it?"
This voice startled both the guest and the host. Looking at his posture of standing with his sword drawn, this was not asking the host to be treated as a gift. If Xu Yingxu was given a big knife in his hand and Xu Yingxu dared not be polite, he would kill him with the knife.
It looks like it's being chopped down.
Xu Yingxu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he responded to Ru Chang's words and bowed to each other, then walked side by side into the mansion. Behind him, there was an endless stream of guards in fresh uniforms delivering gifts, filing in.
Far away, there is a high pavilion. It is still far away, and the host and guest are not squinting. They are not expected to be seen, but there is still only half a curtain raised on the pavilion, and a pretty girl with picturesque features is covering her eyes.
Watching quietly from behind the curtain cage, when I saw that the Yang family had sent so many gifts, all the envoys in front had entered the second hall, and the waiters carrying the gifts were still like a long queue, with no end in sight, so I couldn't help but stamped my feet and said in anger: "
This idiot, he has only been the Duke of the country for a few days, and his family is very well-off, and he is going through such trouble!"
Ming'er felt sorry for her husband. The betrothal gift was given out, but it could not be carried back with the girl.
Not far behind him, a beautiful woman sat at the table. She was the eldest sister of Xu, the Empress. When she heard what her sister said, Empress Xu was angry and funny, and said: "You girl, you are talking to someone before you get married, Xu Jiabai
I have raised you for many years."
"elder sister!"
Xu Ming'er's face turned red with embarrassment. She turned around and said with an angry smile: "Isn't this the 'women's virtue' that my sister taught me? Isn't my sister not good to her brother-in-law?"
Queen Xu smiled and sighed: "You, I really don't know what kind of drug he gave you!"
Seeing the happy look on the girl's face, a warm feeling slowly came to my heart. Although she had hindered the girl's good fortune at first, it was also because she wanted to protect the girl's interests and happiness, so that the girl could marry a satisfactory husband.
Of course she was also happy about it. Seeing the shy and timid appearance of the girl, Queen Xu suddenly remembered how she looked like before, how similar to the girl's behavior today. When he came to the house to recruit, he hid behind the screen and quietly
Look at him...
Empress Xu woke up from her memories and said with some worry: "Ming'er, after accepting the conscription, you will be Yang Xu's person by name. Stay at home and wait for the wedding. Before the wedding ceremony,
But I can’t see his face again.”
"People know..., my sister has said it eight hundred times!"
Ming'er responded in a long voice, her beautiful eyes staring at the person in the distance who was about to enter the hall, full of joy.
Outside the main hall of the Xu family, the host and guest stood still, bowed to each other, walked into the hall, stood still, bowed again, addressed each other, then exchanged letters, bowed to each other again, turned around and handed the letters to the person next to them.
Once the person has collected it, the ceremony of accepting the levy is over.
Both parties relaxed and sat down to chat and laugh. Most of the things they talked about were related to the wedding, the layout of the new house, the color of the furniture, the guests at the banquet, etc. But these were all Ru Chang and Xu Yingxu were talking about, from time to time.
Zhu Neng would interject, while Xia Xun called Xu Jingchang aside. The two of them were muttering about something unknown and seemed very mysterious. However, judging from the smiles on their faces, the topic they talked about should be very relaxed.
After accepting the application, it usually takes two months at the fastest to welcome the bride. With some other preparations, it will have to be arranged until early September. In fact, this time is quite good. If it is too early, the weather in Jiangnan is hot and humid, and it will be in time to get married in midsummer.
, the bridegroom, bride and guests all had to sweat profusely and suffer a lot. Moreover, it was not easy to preserve the large amount of wine, meat and food purchased during the wedding at that time.
Today is the day to accept gifts. Xia Xun should not stay too long. The two talked and laughed for a while. After drinking a cup of tea, Xia Xun and Ru Chang stood up and left. Xu Yingxu and Xu Jingchang sent him out of the mansion in a grand manner.
, he lifted up the train of his robe and hurried to the back house to see the Queen's sister, and reported to her the process of today's expedition and some wedding topics mentioned.
Because the huge team of attendants was too conspicuous, Xia Xun sent them back after leaving Dingguo Duke's Mansion. He and Ru Chang walked slowly with more than a dozen guards. On a June day, the weather was hot and humid, and the two of them walked slowly.
They chatted for a while, and just as they turned the corner, a person rushed past the roadside, and was immediately stopped by Xia Xun's alert guards.
The man jumped on his feet and said: "I want to see Duke Fu. I have something urgent and I want to see Duke Fu!"
Ru often saw this situation, so he smiled at Xia Xun and said, "My lord, I will go first."
"Thank you, sir!"
Xia Xun bowed his hands to Ru Changgong and watched him ride away. Fang turned to look at the man dressed as a steward on the roadside and said, "Call him over!"
The man hurriedly rushed to Xia Xun, turned over and fell to the ground, kowtowed and begged: "My lord, my master, please meet your lord!"
Xia Xun frowned and said, "Who is your master?"
The man cried and said: "My master is Cao Guogong. Lord Guo, please save my master. My master has been on a hunger strike for ten days and has not eaten any water or rice!"
Xia Xun was startled: "Have you been on hunger strike for ten days?...Is Cao Guogong still alive?"
"Thanks to your Majesty for asking, my master is still alive!"
Xia Xun was speechless. In such a hot day, Li Jinglong didn't eat water or rice for ten days in a row, and he was still alive. It was such a waste of materials for someone with such a bone to not become a ninja!