Chapter 476: Chapter 445: Discussion_1
Second Master Han and others sat in Grandmother’s room for a while before following Yan Zhigao to the front courtyard.
Once people left, Old Madam Yan said to Madam Li, “Judging by Second Master Han’s demeanour and the conduct of Han’s eldest son, the Han Family seems quite reputable. It’s just that I don’t know what their daughter is like?”
Madam Li’s face showed worry. As it concerned her eldest son’s marriage, she couldn’t personally inspect her future daughter-in-law, which always left her somewhat uneasy for two reasons: first, she feared the girl might not be beautiful or virtuous enough for her son; second, she worried the girl might lack the temperament or ability to be the wife of the Yan Family’s eldest son.
The heritage of the Han Family was indeed commendable. If they were to form a marital alliance, it could even be said that the Yan Family would be marrying up. But just like any mother, she felt her son deserved the best girl in the world.
Madam Li suddenly turned to Yan Siyu and asked, “Little sister, the Yang Family often resides in Beijing. Do you know what people say about the girls from Earl Zhaode’s Residence?”
Yan Siyu replied somewhat awkwardly, “Eldest sister, the Yang Family’s social circle consists mostly of officials below the fourth rank, and they hardly have any dealings with noble families.”
Madam Li was taken aback for a moment, then smiled apologetically, “Look at me, always speaking without thinking. Little sister, I hope you don’t mind.”
Yan Siyu smiled and shook her head, “What are you saying, eldest sister? The fault lies with me for not being able to help.”
Madam Li quickly said, “Please don’t speak like that, otherwise mother might say I’m bullying you.”
Yan Siyu returned to her seat beside Old Madam Yan and said with a smile, “Eldest sister is the kindest, mother would never say that.”
Old Madam Yan said with a smile, “Alright, you two stop with the formalities.”
After pondering for a moment, Yan Siyu said, “Since Earl Zhaode’s title will be retracted in this generation, they have always kept a low profile. Despite living in Beijing for so many years, rarely do I hear any gossip about them. The household is considered to have a decent reputation.”
Down below, Daohua and several other girls were all ears, and upon hearing this, Daohua couldn’t help but speak, “Mother, if the Han Family can come to our house to gather information, we too can send someone to Beijing to investigate.”
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That Feng Hao has nothing to do with Feng Liangji’s family, yet when Sister Zixuan and Feng Liangji were betrothed, he showed up in person. Now, thinking back, he must have been the first scout the Han Family sent to learn about our family.
But at that time, our family was nothing more than a local official family with an unclear future. So after gathering information, the Han Family made no overtures.
However, now, my eldest brother has passed the imperial examinations, and both grandmother and mother have received imperial appointments. Anyone with a discerning eye can see the Yan Family’s future prospects are assured, hence the Han Family has now come in person to celebrate the birthday.
While the Han Family may have figured out our family situation, we still know nothing about them.
Upon hearing this, Madam Li immediately gave her a sideways glance and scolded, “Why is a young girl like you interrupting when adults are speaking?”
Daohua replied, “It concerns my elder brother’s lifelong happiness; of course, I take it seriously. The future sister-in-law will spend her life with my brother; you wouldn’t want him to marry someone he doesn’t like, would you?”
Madam Li smiled apologetically at Yan Siyu and then scolded Daohua, “You’re getting more brazen with your words. Enough, don’t loiter here. Go out and take your cousin Xiujun for a walk.”
Daohua pouted as she stood up, leading Yang Xiujun out while thinking that Xiaoliu was just the person to head to Beijing to check on the Hot Spring Mountain. She planned to write him a letter, asking him to inquire about the Han Family.
As the girls left, Madam Li turned to Yan Siyu with a smile and said, “Yiyi has been spoiled by me; my apologies for her causing you embarrassment.”
Yan Siyu returned the smile, “Yiyi cares about her brother; it just shows their sibling affection is strong.”
Madam Li’s face showed a contented smile, pleased to see her children have a good relationship.
Sun Family interjected with a smile, “Eldest sister-in-law, are you and big brother thinking of settling on the Han girl for Wenxiu?”
Madam Li promptly said in all seriousness, “Second sister-in-law, this matter isn’t yet certain; you mustn’t spread rumors. If it falls through, it could harm the girl’s reputation.”
Sun Family nodded with a smile, “Rest assured, eldest sister-in-law, I understand the gravity of the situation. It’s just… the Han Family comes from the Earl’s lineage, would they be willing to consider our family?”
Yan Siyu responded with a smile, “What second sister-in-law doesn’t know is that our family’s status is not what it once was. The officials in Beijing all know that the Emperor highly regards my elder brother. Otherwise, when Ningmen Prefecture discovered a gold mine, the Court would have sent another official to take over the Magistrate’s position.”
As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Mrs. Li.
“It seems, nowadays, there are countless families wanting to form marital alliances with the Yan Family. Elder sister, make sure you don’t get dazzled by the wealth of choices.”
Mrs. Li humbly shook her head with a smile, “It’s not as exaggerated as you describe.”
Thinking of the many families who indeed wished to form connections with the Yan Family, she remembered that interest had been shown by some officials’ families back when they were in Xingzhou. However, she had always managed to respond vaguely.
Choosing a wife is about choosing virtue; a good wife can bring prosperity to a family for three generations. She should be able to support her husband in public and raise her children well at home, ensuring the continuous legacy of the clan. But if one marries a troublemaker, that would be a misfortune for the family.
The wife of her eldest son was something she and her husband had always taken very seriously.
It was certain that they would send someone to inquire at the Earl Zhaode’s Residence.
Seeing that Yan Wenxiu had already started talking about marriage, and that his future wife might even come from an Earl’s family, Mrs. Sun’s smile became a bit forced, her own son, Wenjie, was not much younger than Wenxiu, yet there was no prospect of marriage in sight for him.
On the other side, after Daohua and others left the old lady’s courtyard, they went straight to the guest residence prepared for Yan Siyu and her daughter.
“Cousin Xiujun, this is the courtyard Mother prepared for you. Take a look and see if there’s anything missing. We don’t know your living habits, so if there is anything you’re not accustomed to, please be sure to tell me. I can have someone make changes. Don’t keep silent about it, otherwise, grandmother might think I’m not being attentive enough,” Daohua said to Yang Xiujun with a smile.
Yang Xiujun looked around the room and quickly replied with a smile, “Cousin, you’ve put a lot of thought into this. The courtyard is arranged with exquisite and cozy elegance, exactly to our liking.”
Daohua laughed, “As long as you like it. After all, this is your aunt’s home. Don’t be formal with us, you’re family now.”
…
Two dinner tables were set, one in the front courtyard and one in the back courtyard.
Knowing that Yan Siyu, Han Erlaoye, and the others must have been tired from the journey, Mrs. Li and Yan Zhigao arranged for them to rest early after dinner.
In the guest residence, Han Erlaoye dismissed the maids provided by the Yan family, leaving only Han Hexu, Feng Hao, and the personal attendant in the room.
“This Yan family is indeed richer than we imagined!”
Han Erlaoye glanced at the potted landscapes and decorations in the room and nodded almost imperceptibly.
The Han Family wasn’t what it used to be, but their daughter wasn’t just anyone who could be easily married off. If a family couldn’t even satisfy the basic needs of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, they should not even entertain the thought of marrying their daughter.
Han Erlaoye then looked toward Han Hexu, “Right, you’ve spoken with Yan Wenxiu for quite some time. What do you think of him?”
After a moment of contemplation, Han Hexu replied, “Yan Wenxiu is very learned and progressive. This afternoon, Feng Hao and I visited his study and found that he had made notes in almost all his books.”
Feng Hao continued, “Not only is he progressive, but he’s also capable. According to the Yan Residence servants, after he passed the imperial examination, he began working closely with one of Yan Dalao’s advisors. The entire affair involving the resettlement of the refugees from Sha County that was reported to the Imperial Court was said to have his full participation.”
Han Erlaoye nodded, “I also conversed with him briefly. He’s a steady and responsible man.” He paused, then added, “Does Yan Wenxiu have a particularly close relationship with the Little Prince from the Prince’s Residence?”
Feng Hao shook his head, “I’m not sure about that. We could learn about the Little Prince’s affairs when we were studying at Wangyue Academy, but ever since we left, news of the Little Prince has been hard to come by.”
“When they were studying at Wangyue Academy, they were often seen together. But in terms of close relationships, I think his younger brothers, Yan Wenkai and Wentao, are closer to the Little Prince.”
Han Erlaoye remarked, “Whether it’s Yan Wenxiu or Yan Wenkai, they are brothers after all. If one benefits, the other surely won’t fall behind.” He said, then chuckled.
“The Feng Shui of the Yan family’s ancestral burial ground must be excellent. Not only are the Yan sons commendable, but also every one of the Yan daughters is outstanding. The Yan family’s future is boundless indeed.”