Chapter 14：

Ming Tan always felt that there was something wrong with this matter, she originally just wanted to make the Duke Ling's mansion famous, but she didn't expect that it would lead to the downfall of the entire family and the demotion of the noble.

Sorting it out carefully, it is really unbelievable that the matter of the family house has shaken the old family that has been around for hundreds of years.

But Bai Minmin didn't feel that there was anything wrong, she just didn't take it seriously and said: "If you do too much unrighteousness, you will kill yourself. We can find out about Linghou and his wife, so naturally some people know about the dirty secrets of the rest of them. These house scandals have led to injustice in the officialdom...isn't it just that the embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in an ant's nest, so there is nothing strange about it."

That said, it seems to be right, and it sounds quite logical.

Ming Tan thought for a long time but couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he simply didn't think about it.

Bai Minmin: "By the way, when do you plan to go back? Now that the Marquis Mansion is notorious, no one will blame you for retiring the engagement. Good spring, all the mansions are rushing to hold flower viewing parties." .”

Mentioning this, Ming Tan rested his chin on his hands and sighed: "It is agreed to pray for seventy-nine days, so naturally you will stay for forty-nine days, so what's the matter if you run back halfway."

Zhou Jingwan said: "Atan is right. There is only a month left, and I see the scenery here is very beautiful. Atan is here, so I can cultivate my mind quietly. If I am not used to fasting, I can let the servants of the mansion Bring snacks every day."

"That's not necessary." Ming Tan sighed again, her small face was slapped into two **** by her, her voice was a little worried, "Snacks are naturally more used than vegetarian meals, but when I return home, summer will not be far away gone."

Summer clothes are light and thin, and you eat snacks every day, how can you wear a graceful figure with shaved shoulders and plain waist.

In front of the appearance, dim sum is not worth mentioning.

Zhou Jingwan is also a typical noble lady in Beijing. Thinking of this, she nodded in agreement.

After Bai Minmin was upset, she rolled her big eyes, and it was written all over her face - in terms of affectation, no one in Beijing can surpass the Ming family, Atanqi.

However, after carefully counting the days, Bai Minmin suddenly remembered something: "By the way, the Spring Festival should just end in the middle of next month. When you return home, you may be able to catch up with the new champion to go for a parade."

The Spring Festival of the present Branch was supposed to start when Mingting Yuan returned to Beijing, but due to the ominous celestial phenomena observed by Qin Tianjian, it was postponed for half a month.

Ming Tan counted the days, and it was true.

Bai Minmin jumped up happily, and hurriedly said: "I have sent people to the Huichun Building in the past two days, and I have booked a private room with a window facing the street! You have to go through the Huichun Building when you go out from the Zhengde Gate for a horse tour. Day, there must be no way to walk on the road!"

Ming Tan: "How can you be sure that he must be in high school?"

"With Second Master Shu's ingenuity, it's really not difficult to rank first." Zhou Jingwan commented softly.

"Exactly!" Bai Minmin agreed.

"But having said that, it's time for the second son of Shu, Chunwei, to discuss marriage. I don't know what kind of wife he will marry for such a glorious person.

"Hey, tell me, he can't be Princess Shang, right?

"But right now there is no princess of the right age..."

Bai Minmin thought about it to herself, and finally said with regret: "If my mother hadn't taken care of my future husband-in-law for me, my Bai family would not be bad. If I find someone to come to the door to talk about matchmaking, maybe the second son of Shu will lose his head in a moment. It should be done.

"However, a character like Second Young Master Shu is only suitable for viewing from a distance. If he really wants to marry, he won't be able to catch a half-line of poetry without any literary talent. How can he live his life?"

Appearance, literary talent, family background and stature...

It was in line with her wish.

Ming Tan silently nodded while comparing.

After a while, Bai Minmin's conversation turned from Shu Er to another handsome man in Beijing, Ming Tan asked abruptly, "What do you think of me?"

"How about what?"

Both Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan had doubts in their eyes.

Ming Tan coughed softly, sat upright dignifiedly, and showed his usual dignified demeanor, and said, "If Shu Er marries a wife like me, how about it? Isn't it a good match?"

Bai Minmin: "..."

Zhou Jingwan: "..."

Ming Tan also explained seriously: "Although Shu Er has many shortcomings, for example, the family relationship is complicated, his mother comes from a great family, very strict rules, many admirers, and the backyard is probably difficult to clean. But his appearance His conduct is quite impressive among the young masters of Shangjing."

"Liang Zixuan, you think it's good. How come the second son of Shu is so attractive, and your requirements for choosing a son-in-law are getting higher and higher?" Bai Minmin blurted out the doubts in his heart.

Ming Tan said confidently: "Isn't it possible? It's because of the Liang family's lesson, so I must be cautious when discussing marriage matters! Shu Er, let's see if he can enter the first class of Chunwei."

"Then I have to go and offer three sticks of incense to the Buddha, and ask him to bless Mr. Shu Er. This subject, Chunwei, must not be included in the list, so as not to be harmed by you!"

"...?"

"Bai Minmin! Stop!"

Bai Minmin: "I don't want to. I don't feel ashamed to choose my own son-in-law!"

Ming Tan: "Didn't you also say that you want to marry just now, you are not ashamed!"

…

The three friends in Lingmiao Temple laughed and laughed, and at the same time, Shu Jingran, who was studying in the prime minister's mansion, sneezed inexplicably.

He raised his hand and signaled the maid to close the window. I thought: I heard that Lu Ting specially invited Jiang Xu to the school grounds to watch the training of the Imperial Army today, and Zhang Huaiyu also went to join in the fun, could it be that these three people were plotting against him behind his back while he was away.

Since leaving the palace that day, Shu Jingran was worried that Jiang Xu would directly ask for a marriage decree and force the Fourth Miss of Jing'an Hou's mansion to him.

It's not that he has any prejudice against the fourth young lady, it's just that the matter of marrying a wife is so casual, and he has many things to do, so he has no intention of starting a family yet.

But this time the three of them were considered very wronged.

Jiang Xu and Lu Ting didn't talk much at first, and they didn't even bother to talk about other things during the training. Zhang Huaiyu eagerly ran to join in the fun, without a word, and stood under the sun for two hours, his mouth dry and his throat smoking.

At the end of the training session, Lu Ting actually asked him why he was still here and if he wanted to compete.

Zhang Huaiyu frantically shook his folding fan, not knowing how he could befriend such a rough and reckless man who only knows how to fight and kill. In the end, he shut himself up to the point of leaving in a fit of anger, and secretly swore in his heart that he would never go out again before Shu Er finished the exam. No fun.

It was late in the evening when Zhang Huaiyu left the school grounds, and Jiang Xu also had other military affairs to deal with, so Lu Ting sent him out while discussing with him the transfer of the imperial city guards during the spring.

The two were discussing, when suddenly a secret guard led the servants from the palace over.

"Slave greets the lord and the Commander-in-Chief." The servant saluted Jiang Xu and Lu Ting in a high-pitched voice, then bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty calls you to the imperial study room tonight."

Jiang Xu hummed, as a response.

The servant bowed again and retreated, busy returning to the palace to return to his orders.

But the dark guard didn't leave, and went forward to report another matter to Jiang Xu.

Lu Ting had no intention of listening to the affairs of the palace.

He deliberately walked away and ordered his subordinates to do errands.

But Jiang Xu had no intention of avoiding it, and words like "two years ago", "Outing Qing Festival", and "Hanyan Temple" still drifted into Lu Ting's ears from a distance.

—I don’t know which unlucky guy offended His Highness King Dingbei, and even the incident two years ago has to be liquidated.

Lu Ting was thinking like this, but he didn't pay attention. Jiang Xu was silent for a while after listening to the dark guard's report.

At night, the palace is empty and quiet, and in the dark night, the fragrance of flowers floats.

A favored concubine, Niao Na, went to the imperial study to deliver soup.

The servant bowed to stop him, and only said "Your Majesty is discussing important matters with King Dingbei", and the woman who wanted to act coquettishly outside the house stopped her voice angrily.

In the imperial study room, the candles were brightly lit and the aloes were rich.

Jiang Xu stood quietly in front of the case with his hands behind his back, and asked straight to the point: "Your Majesty called me here, why?"

Cheng Kangdi motioned him to sit down.

He didn't move.

Cheng Kangdi didn't force it.

"It's nothing, I just think that the Liang family has handled it properly."

No longer equal ranks, no more holy grace.

Ling Guogong's mansion will decline within two generations.

In fact, Duke Ling himself is extremely mediocre and not a problem. However, Emperor Chengkang always had a more desirable candidate for the important positions in the official department scattered in the hands of the rest of the houses.

Of course, what's more important is that since Daxian's reign, there have been a lot of lords and families, and there are many wine bags and rice bags that occupy the empty pay of the famous leaders, and there are also many people who are too powerful.

In fact, in recent years, he has been in power, and some things can be done long ago, but he doesn't want to make people's tongue out of the unknown, and he can't act too much to cause shock.

This time, the government of the country was in a bad situation. In the eyes of the world, he was a monarch who wanted to protect him, but he was powerless to resist verbal criticism from officials, and all kinds of relegation were helpless.

It can be said that it is exactly what he wants to take care of without criticism.

Cheng Kangdi made himself beautiful, but Jiang Xu stood there quietly, without any reaction. To him, the matter of pushing the boat along with the current is nothing to worry about.

Emperor Chengkang came back to his senses, seeing that Jiang Xu was a little impatient, as if he could say "retire if nothing happens" immediately, he hurriedly took a booklet and got up, talking about business.

"You left the palace banquet in a hurry last time, and you didn't take a good look at the woman below." He patted Jiang Xu's shoulder with the booklet, and said earnestly, "This is a lady from a famous family specially arranged by the empress. Although the small portrait is not as detailed as Caixuan, it is not a problem to see the appearance clearly. After all, they are all boudoir women, so it is not easy to call people into the palace for portraits. If you have time to take a look, it is not in vain My queen and I are painstaking."

"..."

Jiang Xu accepted it.

Cheng Kangdi calmed down a little. It's just that when he mentioned marriage, he thought of another thing.

"By the way, the Shoukang Palace has frequently called people into the palace recently, presumably they are plotting the marriage in the Jinganhou Mansion. Axu, what do you think?"

From what he saw, it was natural to rush ahead of the Shoukang Palace and point out a marriage for the Jing'an Hou Mansion to be serious.

It's just that he hasn't figured out who to choose.

Earlier Jiang Xu said that he would stay in Jing'anhou Mansion for a while, and he agreed, but no one can say how long he can stay. Therefore, those who get married must be fully prepared including the continuation.

Just as Emperor Chengkang had a suitable candidate in his mind, Jiang Xu suddenly put the roster of ladies on the table, and said flatly: "I marry."