Chapter 1116: Forever united, a moment of spring night
Back at the Hou Mansion, there was a lot of excitement again. Zhou Chen and Sheng Hualan served tea to his parents.
Zhou Xu smiled broadly, her face full of charity and kindness, while Zhou Yexiong's face was solemn, and he smiled with difficulty, looking very stiff.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhou Chensheng Hualan completed the process of offering tea and worshiping, tying up her bun, and drinking the Henu wine.
"Good luck and good luck, and we will always be united."
"For generations to come, your hair will grow forever and you will have good luck and good fortune."
"It will always be a good thing if we make a cup together."
"Official and lady, good luck and good fortune."
…………
After all the procedures were over, when Zhou Chen, as the groom, was taken out to drink and entertain, Li Naiguan from the palace suddenly came to the Hou Mansion and brought an imperial edict.
Zhou Chen and others did not care about anything else and immediately saluted and accepted the order.
The content of the imperial edict was not much, it mainly praised Zhou Chen's achievements, and finally named Zhou Chen's wife Sheng as a fourth-grade scholar.
Although officials of fifth rank and above are eligible to request imperial edicts for their mothers and wives, it does not mean that all mothers and wives of officials above fifth rank can receive rewards.
In fact, most of the mothers or wives of officials above the fifth rank do not have official titles, because this requires the official's family to be personally appointed. Under normal circumstances, if officials above the fifth rank have not performed meritorious services, it is difficult to get official titles.
Because if you have not done any meritorious service and take the initiative to apply for a title, even if you get the reward in the end, if you make the officials dissatisfied, isn't it self-destructive?
Therefore, under normal circumstances, very few officials will take the initiative to go to the official to ask for a reward just because they are promoted. If the official values the official, you don't need to tell them, the official will take the initiative to issue a reward.
Just like today's Zhou Chen and Sheng Hualan, as soon as they married Zhou Chen, they were granted the title of fourth-grade imperial concubine. This is a treatment that many count ladies do not have.
After the imperial edict was read out, Zhou Yexiong immediately took the initiative to take care of Li Neiguan instead of Zhou Chen, and quietly gave a lot of wedding money...
The bride followed the rules and stayed in the new house to wait, while Zhou Chen went to the front hall to entertain guests.
As a new member of the imperial court, Zhou Chen's marriage today still caused a great shock in the city of Tokyo. Even those dignitaries who had nothing to do with the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion came to attend the wedding banquet.
The imperial decree just now added even more glory to this wedding.
The front hall was bustling with activity, but the backyard became very quiet. Seeing that no one was there anymore, Sheng Hualan's arm had already been extremely sore after holding it up for a long time but covering her face with a fan. At this time, she could finally put it down.
"Girl, do you want me to press it for you?" Cuichan, the personal maid, asked distressedly.
Sheng Hualan married Zhou Chen and brought along two personal maids and a steward mother. The two personal maids were Cuichan and Caihan. They were both young and beautiful. The steward mother was called Mama Feng.
Cui Chan and Feng's mother were arranged for her by her grandmother, Mrs. Sheng. Cui Chan has been by her side since she was a child and has been there for more than ten years.
The colorful hairpin was arranged by her mother, Lady Wang, who had been with her for several years, and they were both her closest personal maids.
Hua Lan said softly: "It's okay, Cuichan, it'll be better if you put it down. You're tired of standing too, so sit down and take a rest."
"I'm fine, girl, are you hungry? You haven't eaten or drank all day."
Today is a big day. In order to avoid accidents, Hua Lan has not eaten or drank since getting up in the morning. She must be tired and hungry while carrying such a heavy crown.
"I'm okay, I just tolerated it and got over it. We just arrived at the Hou Mansion. It's not like in the Sheng Mansion, where we can't let people laugh."
Although Hua Lan was hungry and thirsty, she could still hold back. Her grandmother and mother had already told her about this situation, and she was mentally prepared.
Cuichan said with a proud look on her face: "Girl, you just got married today, and the official family has appointed you as Madam. The old lady and the eldest lady will be very happy when they know about it."
Hua Lan's beautiful face also showed a smile: "I didn't expect that this was because of the third brother."
Fourth-grade imperial concubine, she is now a high-ranking wife. You must know that even her grandmother and mother do not have imperial imperial edicts. For a married woman, imperial edicts are the greatest honor, and as soon as she married Zhou Chen, she
I have received this honor.
Cuichan corrected her: "Girl, you can't call the Lord that way anymore. The Lord is now your official."
Although Zhou Chen is not the master of the Hou Mansion, he is the master of their courtyard, so their servants can be called the master.
Hua Lan smiled with a slightly naive expression: "That's right, from now on I should call you an official, and you can no longer call me third brother."
Cuichan pursed her lips and smiled softly. Although the eldest girl in their family is usually dignified, smart and polite, she can sometimes act a bit naive, especially when she is angry.
Time kept passing by, and just when Hua Lan's stomach growled with hunger, the door was suddenly pushed open, and the maid Cai Hairao walked in, holding a plate in her hand.
"Caihan, weren't you guarding outside? Why did you come in?" Cuichan asked.
Caihan said: "It was the young man next to me who was ordered to bring snacks and drinks to the girl."
As she spoke, she placed the snacks and drinks on the table in the new room.
Cuichan frowned slightly: "Caihan, the girl and we have arrived at the Hou Mansion. From now on, we will call my uncle my lord. Is this really a gift from the lord?"
"Yes, the young man sent a message from the master, saying that the girl does not have to hold it all the time. She can be free to eat when she is hungry and drink when she is thirsty. No one will dare to gossip."
Cui Chan then smiled and said: "Girl, it seems that the Lord really cares about the girl. Even in the front hall, he is still thinking about the girl in his heart. Since it is sent by the Lord, girl, please eat some."
Hua Lan, who had been hungry for a long time, relaxed at this time. Since the officials said so, she naturally had no worries.
"You can also eat green cicadas and colorful hairpins."
…………
Zhou Chen dealt with the guests easily. He had a large capacity for drinking. This kind of ancient low-alcohol wine was not a challenge to him. He could hardly get drunk after a thousand cups.
After being pestered until dark, Zhou Chen finally got rid of everyone and returned to his new house.
After eating the snacks sent by Zhou Chen, Hua Lan regained her energy a lot. Suddenly she heard the sound of green cicadas and colorful hairpins outside the door. She was immediately refreshed. She straightened her clothes and took away the fan.
He stood up and covered his face.
Zhou Chen walked into the new house and looked at Sheng Hualan sitting beside the bed, feeling very warm in his heart.
It has been several years since he came to this world, but he has not found any woman. Hua Lan is now not only his wife, but also his first woman in this world.
Hualan was not very happy in the plot of Do You Know, but now that she is married to him, she will definitely be happy.
He slowly walked to Hua Lan and sat down next to him. He clearly noticed that Hua Lan's body was stiff, so he comforted her softly.
"Don't be afraid, I am your third brother, you must still remember me."
"Yeah." Hua Lan responded softly.
Zhou Chen stretched out his hand to hold Hualan's delicate right hand, put down the fan she raised, and stared at Hualan's beautiful face.
Under Zhou Chen's gaze, Hua Lan's fair and delicate face slowly turned red, and even the roots of her ears became hot.
Zhou Chen couldn't help but stretched out his hand and gently placed it on Hua Lan's face. Hua Lan's body tensed up again.
"We haven't seen each other for a few years, but you have become even more beautiful. Sister Hualan, from today on, you are my wife, Zhou Chen."
Hua Lan whispered: "Guanren."
Zhou Chen asked: "Do you blame me for taking so long to come back to marry you?"
Hua Lan shook her head: "No, officials are people who do important things. Defending the frontier and territory outside is what a man does. I only have admiration in my heart, so how can I blame weird people."
"My wife is really considerate. I know that the person I chose will not be wrong. She will definitely be my favorite person and my best wife."
Zhou Chen's soft voice made Hua Lan slowly relax, and she was no longer as nervous as before. Listening to Zhou Chen's tender riddles, her heart felt like she had eaten honey.
Her fingers touched the phoenix crown that Hua Lan was wearing.
"This is too heavy, why didn't you take it off earlier?"
"No, it's against the rules. You can only take it off when the officials come."
"Now that I'm here, you can take it off. I'll help you."
Zhou Chen carefully took off the phoenix crown, and then saw the red mark on Hualan's forehead pressed by the phoenix crown, and blew it away quite distressedly.
"It's all red, does it hurt?"
Hua Lan showed a sweet expression: "I was still a little uncomfortable at first, but as soon as the official blew it, the pain stopped."
Zhou Chen hugged her into his arms and said, "Madam, are you hungry? If you are, I'll have someone bring you some."
"I'm not hungry anymore. I ate all the pastries that the official sent me before, and now I'm not hungry at all."
"That's good."
Hua Lan's face was slightly red and she was a little nervous, but she still took the lead and said, "Master, I, I will serve you and rest."
"good."
Zhou Chen smiled slightly, then with Hua Lan's shy voice, he picked her up and gently placed her on the bed.
"Madam, I will be gentle."
"Official."
A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, the flowers are fragrant and the moon is cloudy.
The sound of the singing tube is soft on the balcony, and the night is dark in the swing courtyard.
………………
Early the next morning, Zhou Chen woke up early, then propped up his body with one arm, tilted his head, and looked at his wife Hualan, who was still sleeping.
Although he hasn't experienced a spring night for a long time, he knows how strong his physical fitness is, and Hualan is just a teenage girl, so her body cannot be compared with his, so he was very restrained last night and didn't do too much.
Toss Hualan.
But even though he withdrew his strength, Hua Lan, who had experienced this for the first time, still fell asleep from exhaustion and has not woken up until now.
Seeing that Hua Lan showed no sign of waking up, Zhou Chen kissed her forehead gently and then stood up to get dressed.
As soon as Zhou Chen opened the door, Cuichan, who was guarding not far outside the door, hurried over.
"Master, you are awake, and I will fetch water for you to wash yourself now."
Zhou Chen waved his hand, closed the door softly, and said, "No, your girl is still sleeping, so don't disturb her."
Cuichan was stunned for a moment, and then she saw Zhou Chen walking to the pavilion in the yard. There were tables, stools, and a futon. Zhou Chen walked to the futon and sat cross-legged, with his five hearts facing up.
Four years after coming to this world, Zhou Chen finally developed his internal strength while fighting on the frontier. Because he chose Yangzhou Slow Kung Fu, the first step was difficult, and it was also because this world was a martial arts world like Lotus Tower.
There is no comparison.
Even if he had developed his internal strength, his progress would be very slow. According to his estimation, even if he practiced for three hundred years in this world, he would still not be able to reach the heights of the Lotus Tower world.
So he didn't pursue it too much, he just practiced for an hour or two every morning.
Cuichan looked at Zhou Chen strangely. At this time, Caihan also came over.
"Cuichan, what are you doing, Master?"
"She should be meditating. Let's not worry about it so much. Just wait here for the girl to wake up."
Although Cuichan didn't know what Zhou Chen was doing, she was very smart and knew that she shouldn't interfere with her lord's affairs.
Caihan asked in a low voice: "My lord is just sitting there in single clothes, how about I get him a robe?"
"Don't meddle in other people's business. We can just do our own thing." Cui Chan didn't want to cause trouble. The master didn't give orders, so it was better for them not to make their own decisions.
Caihan did not dare to refute. Although she and Cuichan were both the girl's personal maids, the girl trusted Cuichan more than her. Cuichan was a first-class envoy, but she was only a second-class envoy.
An hour later, it was already bright and Hua Lan hadn't gotten up yet. Cui Chan couldn't wait any longer and hurriedly walked into the new house.
"Girl, girl."
Hua Lan was woken up by the green cicada, and she was still dazed when she woke up.
"Girl, wake up, it's getting late, it's time to get up and serve tea."
Hualan woke up instantly and looked around: "Where are the officials?"
Cuichan pursed her lips and smiled and said: "The Lord has already woken up and is meditating in the pavilion outside the door."
"Then why didn't you wake me up? I should be waiting for the officials to get up today." Hua Lan looked panicked.
Cuichan comforted her: "Don't worry, girl. The master specifically ordered the slave not to wake you up and to let you rest for a while. The slave also saw that it was getting late, so he came in to call you."
Hualan breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly got up. Cuichan and Caihan helped her freshen up.
At this moment, Zhou Chen walked in.
"Official." "Lord."
Zhou Chen sat down next to Hua Lan and asked softly: "Are you feeling better?"
Cuichan and Caihan looked at each other without squinting. Hua Lan's face turned red and she whispered back: "Thank you for your mercy, sir. I'm much better."
"That's good, let's wash up and serve tea to my parents later."
"I'll be fine soon."
"Don't be in a hurry, take your time."
Two-quarters of an hour later, Zhou Chen and Hua Lan put on new clothes, held hands and went to Zhou Yexiong's courtyard to serve tea.
"Father."
"Mother."
What made Hua Lan feel at ease was that there was no accident in the tea ceremony, and she did not face any difficulties. Although her father-in-law had a cold and solemn face, he did not make things difficult for her. He drank her tea and said a few words of blessing.
As for mother-in-law Zhou Xu, it was even better. She happily drank her tea, held her hand, talked affectionately, and said that this was her home and that she would meet her in the house.
If something happens, just go to her and wait.
Hua Lan was very grateful. She was luckier than most women to have met such a good mother-in-law, not to mention she also met an official who loved her and cared for her.
But the most unexpected thing happened to her. Her mother-in-law Zhou Xu waved her hand, and a female servant came in carrying a tray.
Zhou Xu said: "Hua'er, this is the key to our Hou Mansion, and I will give it to you from now on."
Hua Lan was startled and said hurriedly: "Mother, how can this happen? My daughter-in-law has just entered the house and has no virtue and incompetence. How can she take on such a big responsibility? Please take it back, mother."
She was really frightened. Although she knew that her mother-in-law had nothing to do in the Hou Mansion, she knew that the woman in charge of the Hou Mansion was the wife of the official's eldest brother, her sister-in-law.
Now that she has just started, her mother-in-law is going to give her the key to the right card. How can she not be afraid or nervous?
Feeling Hua Lan's nervousness, Zhou Chen gently held her hand, which made Hua Lan relax slightly.
Zhou Xu naturally noticed Hua Lan's nervousness and said warmly: "Hua'er, you don't need to be nervous. This is what Dalang's wife means. She has to take care of Dalang now and has no time to distract from the housekeeping matters in the house; I
I'm getting old and don't have the energy to take care of these things, so I'll have to bear the burden on you in the future. I'll leave the keys and housekeeping rights to you. You grew up next to my aunt, and I believe you can do a good job. If anything happens to you,
If you have any questions, you can come to me, or you can ask Dalang’s wife for advice.”
"Mother, but I..."
"It doesn't matter, even if you don't know it, you can still learn it. No one can do this at the beginning. You are the daughter-in-law of our Hou family. No one in the Hou family dares to disrespect you. You can manage things with confidence and boldness."
Zhou Yexiong, who had been silent until now, suddenly said: "Your mother asked you to accept it, so just accept it. If anyone in the Hou Mansion disobeys, he will be punished and beaten if he deserves it. You don't have to feel embarrassed."
Hearing that even her father-in-law said this, Hua Lan felt nervous and excited, but most of all she was afraid. This was the Hou Mansion, and she had to take care of the house as soon as she entered. It was too scary.
Zhou Chen held her hand tightly and said, "Since father and mother have asked you to accept it, just accept it."
Of course he understood what his parents, brother and sister-in-law meant. He had already been unofficially designated as the next Marquis of Zhongjing, and he was now beginning to delegate power.
What else could Hua Lan do? She could only accept it and made up her mind to ask her grandmother for advice when she returned to Sheng Mansion.
Before marrying Zhou Chen, she had already made preparations to keep a low profile in the Hou Mansion and not cause trouble for the officials.
But the current situation really caught her off guard, so much so that she didn't know how to deal with it. The eldest daughter-in-law was still in the house, but she was asked to take care of the house. She always felt that something was wrong.
