Tianliangyuan

Chapter 417 1 Determined to be loyal to the county magistrate

The chaos that erupted in the capital was eventually quelled only after a number of officials and foreign merchants were punished.

The marriage that Xie Chan and Zheng Tuo had originally agreed upon had to be postponed because Zheng Tuo was far away on the battlefield.

This was also Xu Zhaozhao's intention.

Because according to the ideas of some pedantic people, they would have asked someone or even a chicken to stand in for Zheng Tuo to perform the wedding ceremony.

Xu Zhaozhao absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen.

Marriage is a lifelong commitment; how can it be taken so lightly?

Moreover, if she really did that, Xie Chan would probably be ridiculed by some people for the rest of her life.

Therefore, the postponement of the wedding was the result of Xu Zhaozhao's insistence.

However, Xie Juan and Li Shun's wedding date could not be postponed.

Moreover, neither the Xie family nor the Li family had any intention of postponing the wedding.

Since the last incident, Li Shun has been well aware that he is worthless in the face of the powerful and wealthy.

He originally thought that having a cousin who was a general would at least give him the right to be on equal footing with his peers in the Duke's mansion.

Looking back now, it was all just wishful thinking.

It was just a Lady of Anle County who could easily crush him; if the young master or even the Duke were to make a move, it would be even more ruthless.

Therefore, Li Shun became more honest and had a clearer understanding of himself.

He was lucky to marry the daughter of the Duke's family.

It was because Miss Xie married down that she did so. So, don't think that just because you're young and accomplished, you can look down on a concubine's daughter from a Duke's mansion.

This time, Li's mother finally understood. Once the new bride entered the household, she handed over all the household management duties and focused on her retirement, no longer interfering in affairs, and was happy to enjoy peace and quiet.

As long as the new bride doesn't talk back to her or mistreat her brother-in-law, Li's mother feels she has no other desires.

The riot in the capital did not attract much attention, especially from ordinary people. It was nothing more than the killing of a few minor officials and the arrest of a few foreign merchants doing illegal business. It was not a big deal.

The capital city is still the capital city, His Majesty is still His Majesty, and their lives continue as before!

Since the last incident, Wang Ruolan has visited the Duke's mansion twice, because she is worried about Xu Zhaozhao.

But both times she looked well and had good food and drink, and was well taken care of by the people around her, so I felt at ease.

Now that it was confirmed that Xu Zhaozhao was carrying twins, Wang Ruolan paid even more attention to many small things.

Originally, the plan was to find four wet nurses first, and then select two more from among them. However, it was now deemed insufficient, so people were arranged to find two more. At that time, Xu Zhaozhao would need to have at least four wet nurses by her side.

Wang Ruolan knew that children could eat a lot when they grew up, especially boys, who grew incredibly fast.

In addition, swaddling clothes, bibs, little shoes, and other items needed for babies all need to be purchased in duplicate.

She even had to have two sets of gold locks made for her grandson.

The Duke's mansion was naturally also busy.

However, the personal clothing worn by the masters in Jinxiu Garden was mostly made by the head maids in their own courtyards, so the sewing room was only responsible for some simple items.

Xu Zhaozhao ordered two cribs to be made, which were actually cradles. They would probably only be used for two years at most, and might not even be used for two years before they had to be replaced.

Xie Chan's wedding was postponed, but the old lady still called her over for a talk, making it clear that she should not leave the Duke's mansion unless necessary. After all, she was going to be a wife, so it was better to behave herself and not let the Zheng family find fault with her at this crucial moment.

Xie Juan is different; her wedding is approaching, and Li Shun has already extended the betrothal gifts.

The items weren't many, but they were acceptable.

After all, Xie Juan knew about Li Shun's family background when she made the appointment.

These days, Li Shun dared not cause any trouble and dutifully carried out his duties, hoping that the Princess of Anle County would truly forgive him this time.

In fact, Li Shun knew that since he had already made the betrothal, the marriage would have to continue. However, whether he, as the son-in-law of the Duke's mansion, could win the Duke's favor depended on the wife of the heir.

Li Shun is no longer stupid. He finally managed to find out through someone that Xu Zhaozhao is now in charge of everything in the Duke's mansion.

As for the businesses that were originally intended for external use, some of them had already been transferred to Xu Zhaozhao's hands. As for the dowry of the late Duchess, it had long been in the hands of Xie Zheng and Xu Zhaozhao.

Therefore, Li Shun finally understood that the real people in charge of the Duke's mansion were Xie Zheng and Xu Zhaozhao.

Although the Duke has been temporarily assigned a post, everyone knows that once Xie Zheng returns in triumph, the Duke will once again resign under the pretext of recuperation.

Ultimately, the Duke was paving the way for his heir.

Princess Anle, wanting to ensure a smoother future for her son, naturally spared no effort in helping him.

Li Shun regretted that he had only just realized the situation, but fortunately, there was still a chance to salvage everything.

He was not a military general, unlike Zheng Tuo who could quickly rise to power through merits earned on the battlefield, but as a scholar, he also had his uses.

Therefore, this time, Li Shun decided to take advantage of the betrothal to express his loyalty to Princess Anle and to the young master!

It's still that hexagonal pavilion.

The difference this time was that Li Shun was invited into the pavilion.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. I have now come to a clear understanding. It was my fault that I did not handle the matter properly last time. It is my good fortune to be marrying the Seventh Miss. In the future, whatever Your Highness commands, I will do my utmost without hesitation, even if it means going through fire and water for you!"

In his final moments, Li Shun actually stood up and bowed to Xu Zhaozhao.

Xu Zhaozhao did not dodge; given her rank, she was naturally entitled to receive such a gift.

"Registrar Li, your marriage to the Seventh Miss is a joyous occasion. From now on, our two families will be related by marriage and should visit each other more often. There is no doubt about that. Although the Seventh Miss is born out of wedlock, she is still a daughter of our Duke's family. We must not neglect her in the future."

"Princess, rest assured, I understand everything."

He always addressed her as "County Princess," a fact that Xu Zhaozhao understood, and Li Shun himself understood even more clearly.

"Very well, the position of Registrar of the Imperial Academy is good, but opportunities to get ahead are not easy to come by. Let's wait until after the New Year, Registrar Li, and let me see just how capable you are before I make any arrangements for you, what do you say?"

Li Shun instantly understood: "Your Highness, rest assured, I may not be good at much else, but I am utterly loyal and will not hesitate to do so!"

"Very good."

What Xu Zhaozhao wanted was his loyalty.

After all, there are too many people like Li Shun; they can be used or not.

"By the way, I heard that your younger brother doesn't plan to continue his studies and is hoping to find a job after the New Year so he can arrange a marriage later. That way, he'll have a means of making a living. What are your plans for this?"

Xu Zhaozhao asked about the arrangements, not whether she knew about them.

Li Shun's heart skipped a beat, then he gave a wry smile: "Your Highness, I have no plans for this matter at the moment. This job is not so easy."