The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 86 Rumors abound about the matchmaker’s double arrival

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, before it gets dark, torches have been lit in the courtyard of Kudi's house. Several servants have already gotten up, sprinkling water on the courtyard that had been cleaned several times yesterday, and sweeping it again carefully. Twice, Aye took a clean rag and wiped the low bed placed in the courtyard as well as the table, incense burner and other items on it, barely wiping the red lacquer table surface to reveal the human figure.

Kudi Yanzhong rubbed his hands and turned them around a few times. He always felt that something was missing. He couldn't tell whether he was excited or anxious, and his tone of voice couldn't help but be a little more anxious than usual.

Today is the day for the Pei family to send letters. Once the intermarriage certificate arrives, the marriage will be finalized. Since the Pei family sent a matchmaker to ask for names a few days ago, he originally thought that the Pei family was a wealthy family. His sister also said that the relationship between the Pei family and the tribe was not good, and they were worried about the name divination. I was afraid that it would take some time, and there might be some twists and turns, but I didn't expect that it was all done in just a few days. I sent Najib's gift, and decided to send the letter today, which made me feel so busy.

Ms. Cao glanced at Kudi Yanzhong and said with a smile, "Don't be anxious, Sir. The morning drum hasn't been beaten yet, so there's no need to panic. Besides, how big is this yard? After a while, everything will be tidied up."

Kudi Yanzhong was startled for a moment, knowing that he was indeed a little unsteady, so he simply smiled and said, "Forget it, why not arrange for the cook to make breakfast first."

Ms. Cao responded and went to the kitchen to give orders. Kudi looked at her back and breathed a sigh of relief. Because of Liuli's marriage, Ms. Cao has been a little awkward these days. She seemed to be a changed person when she returned from her last trip to her brother's house. She was actually eager to help organize various affairs, even the gloomy face of Hualou. His face became much more cheerful, which saved him a lot of trouble. But the stingy temper has not changed. The gift I prepared for today is just some homely silk. However, the aunt sent two boxes of Sichuan brocade back, and Anshiro's family also sent two boxes of fine valerian. First of all, the return gift is quite acceptable.

Seeing that the sun was slowly rising, everything in the small courtyard of the Kudi family was spotless, the doors and windows were clean, and the door curtains were all replaced with brand new ones. Everyone in the Kudi family went back to their rooms and changed into new clothes. Their faces were on their faces when they came out. All with a bit of a smile.

Uncle Pu stood guard at the door. He felt very happy when he thought that he had received several hundred more money just by replying to the letter. When he turned around, he saw that Aye had gone to the corner of the street without anyone asking him. Of course, the aunt asked him to bring him here. The silver hairpin worked. Slaves like them were originally treated as slaves by their masters without giving them a single copper. If they wanted to live a more prosperous life, they all depended on rewards. He had been guarding the door of Kudi's house for all these years, and the rewards he received were not as good as those of his aunt. This month gives a lot...

Just as Pu Bo was lost in thought, Aye had already run back, "Come on, come on!"

Pu Bo perked up and hurriedly opened the doors on both sides. He saw a team coming from a distance on the street. At the front was a lady dressed as an official media leading two messengers on horseback. When he got closer, he saw clearly that they were all A handsome young man wearing a blue official robe. Behind the two tall horses carrying the letter was a waist cart carried by two people. The first carry contained a gilt silver plate, which was exactly one foot and two inches long, one inch and two cents wide, and five A nanmu gift letter tied with colorful threads.

After Hanyu comes the formal betrothal gift. First there are four loads of silk and four loads of copper coins. Then there are pigs, sheep, noodles, game, fruits, oil, salt, soy, vinegar, etc. The last load is pepper, ginger, onion, and garlic, all packed in. It was so heavy that a long team left. Neighbors in Chongrenfang who had no contact with Kudi's family on weekdays also went out to see it, pointing and admiring it endlessly.

In the small courtyard, the letter envoy has opened the letter with a silver knife in front of the incense table. The clear voice of reciting echoed in the small courtyard, "I am pleased to hear from Pei Anshi: The ninth nephew year has been established. The eldest daughter of Chengxian Palace is gentle and wise. , has all four virtues, and is willing to be a great supporter. I dare to ask you politely, and if you don't send me, I will obey your orders. "After reciting, I cried three times for the deceased An. , then presented the intermarriage certificate with both hands.

Kudi Yanzhong took the letter with a smile, turned around and placed it on the incense table, and raised the gift letter containing the "Wedding Letter". The messenger took it with both hands, and everyone laughed together and said, "Great joy!" More than 20 people carried the betrothal gift. Then they were put into the two wing rooms that had been vacated. Qingquan quickly took the prepared wedding money and rewarded the people who were carrying the gifts. The whole yard suddenly burst into joy.

Mrs. Cao helped to do the work with a smile, and glanced at the two messengers in official robes from the corner of her eyes. Her brother's words could not help but rang in her ears, "Are you stupid? Your aunt married well, what does it matter to you?" Disadvantages? Even before you get married, your husband will have an official status, and he will naturally have a rich and prosperous future. You don't even think about it. She is already married. How many days can the family have? Just give her a few points. You also know that it is not easy for Coral to get married, just because we know too few people from good families. If you can ask the aunt to do a favor, don’t say find a Pei Sheren. In this way, just say that a child of the Pei family is not a hundred times better than the white bodies we know? Even if she still holds a grudge and you can't get enough of her, you should serve your eldest son well and let him speak as your daughter. How can I disobey my father?"

 Brother is right, she was really wrong about it originally! Just say that Da Lang got this job, who among the neighbors would not be more polite to her than before? When I heard that my son-in-law was the legitimate son of a famous family serving the emperor, I didn't even blink. When she finds a son from an official family for Huanhuo, what will the fifth lady who married into Captain Pei's house count? The two children of the Pei family in front of me looked to be in their early twenties. They were handsome and cheerful. They were indeed outstanding people that you don't usually see. If there were more of Pei's children like this, what would Coral have to worry about? As for Liuli's future wealth, well, she also has to have this life to enjoy it! Brother, didn't I also say that Pei Sheren's reputation as the Lone Star of Heavenly Evil didn't come to him in vain! Thinking of this, Cao's smile couldn't help but become more and more joyful.

At this time, all the etiquette had been completed, and the servants of the Kudi family hurriedly moved the beds, desks and other items into the room. Kudi Yanzhong invited the two envoys to the upper room, and tables were opened in the courtyard and the side room. , the cook specially invited by the Kudi family from outside started cooking in front of the fire wall. Not long after, the alluring aroma of simmering mutton filled the yard.

The meal lasted for more than an hour. On the other side, Kudi Yanzhong sent the two messengers from the Pei family out with staggering steps, followed by Ba Li in return. Over there, with their chubby bellies, the Kudi family packed up the tables and chairs, counted the bowls and chopsticks, and everyone was so busy that they fell on their backs. Everything had just been tidied up when a familiar voice came from the door: "Is Dalang Kudi at home?"

Ah Ye was the smartest one at first and hurriedly went out. As soon as he turned out of the screen wall, he was stunned: the tall and fat green figure at the door was not the official media lady He who made a big fuss in his house more than a year ago. Who was it?

　　…………

Everything should be going well at the Kudi family, right? Sitting in Wu Mansion's car, Liuli was a little distracted and thought that according to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, she should be considered Pei Xingjian's wife at this moment.

This thought almost made her heart skip a beat, and she felt a slight warm feeling on her cheeks. Just like that night, he suddenly reached out and pulled a strand of hair behind her ears, and gently touched her cheeks with his fingertips. Gliding past, his eyes at that moment... Mrs. Yang, who was sitting opposite, suddenly coughed, Liuli woke up immediately, and glanced guiltily, but saw that Yang was just looking out the window blankly, with a very serious expression on her face. .

Probably no matter who left a message, submitted a post, and waited for several days before being asked to meet in the afternoon when it was impossible to talk for a long time, he would not be in a good mood. But no matter what, Liuli still had to admire Mrs. Yang's courage and resilience without looking back even when she hit the wall.

The carriage still stopped at the second gate. There was a housekeeper at the door who led the two of them up to the eaves. However, this time they didn’t walk long before they stopped in front of a stone door. The housekeeper smiled and said, “This is the Taiwei’s. In the study room, madam, please go inside."

Liuli helped Mrs. Yang walk in, only to see that inside was a small courtyard with two entrances. The style was a bit clumsy, with white walls and black tiles. It was not carved. It was rare that the branches of an old pine tree in the courtyard stretched out, almost covering it. In half of the yard, there are two strange stones placed beside the tree trunks, which give it a sense of elegance and natural beauty. The stewardess led Mrs. Yang into the hall. There was already a man dressed as a bookboy standing in the hall. The stewardess hurriedly went up and said a few words. After the little bookboy saluted Mr. Yang, he turned around and went into the upper room to announce. He came out with a smile. He said, "The lieutenant asked the old lady to go in and talk."

The stewardess glanced at Liuli. Liuli stood still like the two maids she brought with her. She watched the old lady walk in calmly before she sat down again. The lady in charge stood aside with a smile. Liuli asked a few questions and found out that the courtyard was originally built because of the hundreds of years old pine tree in the courtyard, so the style was somewhat different from other places. The lady in charge was very eye-catching, and she spoke neither too much nor too little, neither making people feel noisy nor making people feel neglected. She also praised Liuli for her unique vision, and the two Panasonic stones also came from an extraordinary place...

Liuli was sighing in her heart, no wonder the prime minister's concierge was also a seventh-grade official. Originally, this job was not something ordinary people could do, but when he saw a slight noise in the upper room, Mrs. Yang actually walked out alone, and there was a faint sound inside the door. There was a cry of "Old Madam, walk slowly", but in the end there was no trace of anyone.

Seeing that Mrs. Yang's face, which had always been silent in front of outsiders, was full of clouds, Liuli understood in her heart and hurriedly stood up. Without saying a word, she helped the old lady and walked out. All she could hear was the rapid breathing she tried to suppress. The voice was obviously very angry. Liuli calculated the time. It only took her a cup of tea to get in. Given Mrs. Yang's increasingly frustrated personality, she must have been rejected without mercy.

After coming out of the inner study room, Mrs. Yang didn't go up to the eaves, raised her legs and walked out. Liuli couldn't persuade her, so she had to follow. As she was walking, she saw a man in front of him walking quickly in this direction. He came over and saw that Mrs. Yang didn't even dodge. Mrs. Yang snorted heavily, but heard the lady in charge beside her shout, "Oh, why are you the eldest lady..." Then he caught up with a few people and bowed, "Big lady. Madam, walk slowly, there are distinguished guests in front of you.”

The waist carriage stopped immediately, and a small head emerged from behind the stout servant girl lifting the eaves, "Stop!" Then a maidservant caught up and helped a little girl, who looked to be in her early ten years old, wearing a Wearing a crimson embroidered robe and a snow-white fox fur collar underneath, her beautiful face was slightly thin, but her eyes were shining brightly as she looked Liuli up and down. She was Changsun Wuji's granddaughter and Princess Changle's daughter Changsun Xiang.

Old Madam Yang had guessed the identity of this young lady at this time, and the anger on her face could not help but fade away a little.

Chang Sun Xiang obviously didn't pay attention to Mrs. Yang's expression. He walked a few steps and bowed to Mrs. Yang according to the rules, "Happy old lady." When he straightened up, his eyes turned to Liuli's face. After a while, seeing Liuli still standing quietly, she couldn't help but said, "You Hu girl, why don't you salute me?"

Liuli was startled. She naturally guessed the identity of this little girl. She saw that her etiquette was quite considerate, but she never expected that he would say "greeting" to her like this. She didn't mind saluting, but she just had a big smile on her hand. The old lady's arms became slightly stiff, and her breathing became heavier in her ears, obviously reminding her not to lose the old lady's dignity, so she could only smile and said, "This little lady, in terms of identity, you are the master, I You are a guest. In terms of age, you are the youngest and I am the elder. Why should I salute you? "

Chang Sun Xiang showed a hint of pride on his face, "In that case, do you still need me to salute you?"

Liuli said calmly, "I don't dare to do it. The young lady has a noble status. Liuli cannot afford the courtesy from the young lady. Liuli is a little older, and he doesn't dare to let the young lady accept Liuli's gift."

Changsun Xiang was stunned and didn't know how to answer. Mrs. Yang naturally knew that the person in front of her was probably here for Liuli, but at the moment she was not interested in knowing why. She just nodded to her lightly and said with a smile. Liuli walked past her.

Changsun Xiang was stunned for a moment. Although she lost her mother when she was in her infancy, she had a delicate status and was the apple of everyone's eye in the Changsun Mansion. For the sake of Princess Changle and Captain Changsun, everyone in the royal family, including her uncle Gaozong, As for her cousins, they all treated her very favorably. How had she ever been treated so coldly in the past twelve years? He couldn't help but stamp his feet and said, "Wuna Hu girl, don't leave."

The lady in charge kept busy and said with a smile, "Madam, after all, this is a guest at my house..."

Changsun Xiang saw Liuli's unmoving back and said loudly, "What kind of guest is he? He's just a Hu girl who knows magic!"

As soon as these words came out, Mrs. Yang couldn't help but pause, and Liuli stopped in shock. The lady in charge was so frightened that her face changed, and she said hurriedly, "Madam, please stop talking nonsense!" Not to mention Mrs. Yang. Are you angry that the Taiwei Mansion invited a Hu girl who knows magic as a guest? Is it fun to spread this word?

Changsun Xiang, however, was not afraid, and instead said louder and louder, "Why can't you say it? I just heard from my aunt two days ago that this Hu girl met several children of the Pei family at Ci'en Temple two years ago, and she came back one by one. Everyone is obsessed with wanting to accept her and marry her. She is a wife of the Pei family. She just met her once and started talking good things about her to everyone. I think this Hu girl is just more charming than ordinary people. It’s not surprising. If he doesn’t know magic, what else could it be?”

Liuli almost laughed in shock. It was indeed shocking to say this, but among the three people, the eldest son of He Donggong was just trying to save face. Pei Yan probably wanted to pick anyone at random anyway, so he might as well pick someone familiar. As for Pei Xingjian, It wasn't because of that time... But who was she going to explain this to? He could only sigh and turned around and said, "My dear lady, please be careful. This is not the first time Liuli has been in and out of your house. If you really know magic, how can your grandmother and aunts not look at me differently? You, my dear lady, Why are you so unhappy with me? Besides, the little lady looks like a slut. Could it be that she has forgotten her last name?"

Changsun Xiang stood there blankly, his heart clearly full of dissatisfaction, but he could not refute a single word. Seeing Liuli turning around and supporting Mrs. Yang to leave slowly, her little face couldn't help but turn red. After a long time, she stamped her feet and said angrily, "I will enter the palace tomorrow. I don't believe it. I can't do anything to her, Queen." My aunt will also help her!"

  p.s. Many thanks to my dear classmates Le Youyang and Chengcen.

 (End of this chapter)