"What's the matter?" Mrs. Jiao looked at her husband with a pleasant face as she walked, and picked up the letter.

Jiao Ran was silent, just waved his hand to let the servants of the Lin Mansion go down, but he couldn't help but close his eyes and sighed: "Alas-"

Mrs. Jiao unfolded the letter and read it softly:

"Brother-in-law:

New Year's Blessing!

When I heard about the New Year's banquet, my brother-in-law was very worried, and since the first day of the new year, it has been difficult to sleep and eat. Therefore, I was unable to pay New Year's greetings in person, and I hope my brother-in-law will forgive me.

The little girl Yuebai, the Mongolian brother's family cares, now she is over sixteen, the age is right, the marriage is appropriate, the original agreement with the brother-in-law, I hope that the brother-in-law will be carried out as soon as possible after the opening of the dynasty.

Brother-in-law and his wife, waiting for good news.

Brother-in-law Lin Fengtai, to. ”

After reading the letter, Mrs. Jiao also threw it on the ground and said angrily, "It's shameless!"

At this time, there was no one else in the inner hall, and Lord Jiao shook his head and said: "I thought that at the annual banquet, His Majesty promised the marriage of the county lord and the prince, and he Lin Fengtai would be able to break that wishful thinking, and his sister and Yuebai's life would be better, but I didn't expect this crazy person to not give up." ”

"What kind of person is Yuebai, how sinister the affairs of the harem are, but let her stand up to such a power-hungry father - hey, husband, you are very strange, why did you agree to help him in this matter, isn't this equivalent to sending your niece to the fire pit?"

Jiao Ran was a little embarrassed by Mrs.'s question, and said: "At the beginning, Lin Fengtai came to me, saying that Yuebai was the life of the mother, and he was happy for his niece as a father, so I agreed to him for a while, and now, I have to ...... now."

"How can this be smooth! Husband, that is the only child of your sister-in-law, how can an uncle be willing to send her to that palace? Besides, with Yuebai's appearance and character, how can you ask her to be a concubine?"

"Something...... There are some things that have just begun, and there is no way to get out of them. Jiao Ran muttered, as if thoughtful, but Mrs. Jiao frowned: "How does that husband plan to help that Lin Fengtai succeed?"

"After the opening of the dynasty," Jiao Ran pondered for a moment, "the envoys of the Fujian Kingdom will come in March, and it should be to discuss the marriage." This time it is the third prince of Fujian who wants to marry the concubine, he is not the prince, my majesty should arrange a county lord or clan daughter to marry, but His Majesty's clan does not seem to have a girl of appropriate age, so it is very likely that the marriage is the daughter of the court member, that occasion ...... There should be a chance. ”

"Marriage and marriage, my great Li Dynasty has no other way to make diplomatic relations except for marriage!" Mrs. Jiao took the case, she raised her forehead, and there was arrogance in her eyes, "I think that tens of thousands of elite soldiers in my Xiguan army are all strong men, and they are never afraid of the barbarians in Fujian, why do you have to ask these delicate and weak girls to keep the peace of the frontier?"

Jiao Ran looked at his wife, his eyes were full of tenderness, he got up and walked to her, patted her shoulder comfortingly, and said with a smile: "My dynasty has always been friendly with Fujian, and this marriage is not forced by any situation, the climate of Fujian is warm, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the three princes of Fujian are notoriously handsome. ”

"What is there to look forward to when you are away from home. Mrs. Jiao turned around and sat down, looking at the door that it was almost dusk, and couldn't help asking: "Those three boys went out to pick flowers, why haven't they come back yet, aren't they slipping away to play again." ”

"Good and decent, what kind of flowers are you picking?" Jiao Ran was puzzled when he heard it, and was about to ask again, when the sound of the three brothers laughing came in.

"New Year's blessing, sons to their father and mother!" the eldest took the lead in saluting, and hurriedly presented a large bouquet of various flowers, purple and red, very beautiful.

The second child hurriedly followed: "The three of us have been looking for a long time in Xishan, and we met an old man, I heard that we are looking for flowers for our mother, and we are very moved.

Although Mrs. Jiao is heroic and sassy like a man, she especially likes flowers and plants, and when she saw this full of flowers, there seemed to be bursts of fragrance, and she couldn't help but smile, and couldn't help nodding and said: "Very good, this place is good, you will pick more when you have time in the future." ”

Geng Zhi's third brother was taken care of by his two brothers on the road just now, and he was afraid that he would say too much, so he had to nod his head again and again, but Lord Leng Bu Ding Jiao patted him next to him and asked: "Today is the God of Wealth Day, you go to the flower market to buy flowers, do you have a reward for the flower sellers? ”

The third child didn't turn around for a while, and replied honestly: "Give it, give it enough, and the dealer will be happy." ”

As soon as these words came out, Mrs. Jiao and the eldest and second child were stunned at the same time, and after a while, bursts of screams came from the inner hall, which was mixed with the aggrieved shouts of the third child: I was forced by the two of them, not that I wanted to lie to my mother! Don't just beat me!

And Jiao Ran had already walked out of the inner hall slowly, and at this time the housekeeper dared to approach respectfully, and asked: "My lord, the tea party is almost there, at this hour, several mansions have sent cars to wait outside the gatehouse, and there are still a few distinguished guests who want to talk to the adults again, are you going over now?"

"Okay, let's go now. After sending them away, I'm going to go out again. ”

"Where are you going, but do you need to prepare carriages and horses?"

"Prepare the car and go to the Lin Mansion. ”

The sky was getting dark, it was almost dinner time, Jiao Ran's gray carriage arrived at the side door of the Lin Mansion unhurriedly, the coachman saw the door wide open from a distance, and felt strange in his heart, and couldn't help but say to Jiao Ran in the car: "My lord, the door of the Lin Mansion is open, didn't I know that you were coming, but why didn't anyone come out to greet you." ”

"It's all courtesy, don't care. Jiao Ran closed his eyes and recuperated, as if he was complacent, until he felt that the carriage had stopped, he touched his beard, then he got out of the car, and strode into the door with a flick of his sleeves. Jiao Ran had joined the army in his early years, and he had always practiced martial arts with his sons, so he was tall and his actions were very neat, and the coachman looked at his back when he entered the door, and couldn't help but sigh: "My lord is really extraordinary!"

Master Jiao, who had an extraordinary bearing, didn't take a few steps into the door, but he almost bumped into Lord Lin with a bodhisattva-like smile on his face, and he couldn't help frowning: "Lin Shangshu, what are you doing here?"

"My brother-in-law has been waiting for my brother-in-law here for a long time. Lin Fengtai is the same age as Jiao Ran, but he is fat in the waist and abdomen, although he bows down at the moment, his waist is not bent a little.

"Hmph, the good letter you sent, the good things you did!" Jiao Ran saw that he was smiling a little flatteringly, showing a look of disgust, so he walked in front of him in three or two steps, as if he was familiar with the way, and walked quickly towards Lin Fengtai's small library, and Lin Fengtai kept shouting behind him, "Slow down, wait for my brother-in-law", and followed the ground.

The two entered the small study pavilion one after the other, did not stay in the front hall and study, but turned to the back wing, Jiao Ran pushed open the door, but it was not an ordinary bedroom, it was a simple and clean study.

"Brother Lin, New Year's blessing. Jiao Ran rearranged his clothes and made a peer salute to Lin Fengtai with his fists, but that etiquette was not the style of daily court officials, but it was a common salute in the army.

Lin Fengtai put away his usual smile, and also clasped his hands into fists and replied: "Brother Jiao, the New Year's blessing." ”

After the two saluted, they finally looked at each other and smiled, and then sat down hand in hand.