A concubine enters the mansion? Reborn, three matchmakers and six engagements to marry the Prime Min

The next day was New Year's Eve, and Shen Zhixiu did not attend court. He got up early to go to the ancestral hall to prepare for the ancestral worship, and Su Qingyu also had to take care of the trivial matters of the New Year at home.

Today, the Emperor is hosting a banquet for court officials of the second rank and above and dukes and earls, so Shen Zhixiu will enter the palace in the afternoon.

So the Shen family’s reunion dinner was prepared at noon.

When Su Qingyu was busy in the morning, Shen Zhao suddenly came to see her. He wanted to take the eldest wife Chen back home to celebrate the New Year, but Su Qingyu dismissed her with just a few words.

Shen Zhao knew that she was just being perfunctory, but he could do nothing about it. Without Su Qingyu's approval, he couldn't even enter the main gate of the manor, let alone bring her back home.

But during the New Year, he would feel uneasy if he didn't bring his mother back.

Unwilling to give up, Shen Zhao went to find his father Shen Zhiheng again. Shen Zhiheng was writing couplets for Xiangdong's yard in the study. Xiangdong was waiting by the side, grinding ink and pouring tea.

When Shen Zhao walked in, Shen Zhiheng coughed hard a few times, and a heavy muffled sound came from his chest.

"Father has such a severe cough, has he seen a doctor?" Shen Zhao said worriedly.

Shen Zhiheng waved his hand. "The doctor examined him but didn't say anything. It's probably just the cold weather, so he got a cold. It's nothing serious."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhao said no more and mentioned that he wanted to bring his mother home for the New Year.

Shen Zhiheng drooped his eyelashes, pondered and said nothing.

But the movement of his hands stopped and he put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand.

Xiangdong was pouring tea when the kettle suddenly slipped out of her hand, splashing water everywhere and spilling a lot of hot water on her hand.

A deep sense of heartache suddenly welled up between Shen Zhiheng's brows. He walked up to Xiangdong, held her wrist and looked at it carefully.

"Why is it so hot? Someone, ask the court doctor to come over."

Shen Zhao looked at the scene in front of him, feeling uncomfortable. It was the first time he saw his father like this. He didn't look like a middle-aged man in his forties. He looked more like a young boy who had just begun to fall in love, with his heart and eyes full of the woman in front of him.

But this woman is just a lowly concubine.

He was still standing there waiting for his father to reply, but his father had obviously ignored his presence.

While waiting for the court doctor to arrive, Shen Zhiheng had already sent someone to fetch ice. He was wrapping it in a handkerchief and gently wiping Xiangdong's wound.

Shen Zhao stood here, looking like an unnecessary outsider.

He tried to speak to attract Shen Zhiheng's attention.

"Father, regarding Mother's return home..."

Before he could finish his words, Xiangdong let out a sound as if she was hurt.

While checking Xiangdong's injuries, Shen Zhiheng said impatiently, "Go discuss this with your Third Aunt. She's the one who makes the decisions at home now."

He didn't even look at Shen Zhao.

Shen Zhao was disappointed and angry, but he didn't dare to say anything. He could only bow and leave, and then he turned around and left the study.

Xiangdong looked past Shen Zhiheng and at Shen Zhao's back, with the corners of her lips slightly raised.

The eldest lady wants to go back home, but that is just a dream.

At noon, the reunion dinner was divided into three tables according to gender, age and family. Since they were all close family members, there was no need to use a screen to separate them.

Today is New Year's Eve, and all the rules are waived at the dinner table. The whole family is having fun, saying auspicious words one after another.

Especially the younger ones from the first and second wives, their New Year greetings made the old lady smile from ear to ear.

When they were halfway through the meal, Shen Zhao suddenly spoke up, "Grandma, I want to ask for a favor for my mother. I want to bring her back tonight to celebrate the New Year."

Li Chaoyun, who was sitting at the same table with the old lady, moved her eyebrows slightly. She had warned Shen Zhao not to talk about this during the meal. If he wanted to ask for mercy, he could wait until after the reunion dinner when the grandparents and grandchildren could talk in private.

But Shen Zhao was anxious and impatient, so he finally told it.

Li Chaoyun sat on the chair, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally. Shen Zhao had average ability, but he was arrogant and would not easily listen to other people's opinions.

She felt more and more that she was not marrying a husband, but having a son.

You can't beat or scold him, you have to give him face and respect.

Li Chaoyun felt like each day was a year.

Shen Zhao's words brought everyone's laughter to an abrupt halt.

The old lady put down her chopsticks heavily and said, "On New Year's Day, do you have to bring up such unlucky things?"

"This year, you guys won't let me, an old lady, live in peace."

When the old lady put down her chopsticks, everyone who dared to pick up food also put down their chopsticks.

Shen Zhiheng looked at Shen Zhao unhappily, "It's New Year's Day, can you use your brain before you speak?"

He smiled apologetically and walked to the old lady, "Mother, please calm down. He is just a child and doesn't know any better."

Shen Zhixiu glanced at Shen Zhao and looked at the old lady with a smile.

"Mother, the food on the table today is very much to my liking. Now that you put down your chopsticks, I will miss out on the feast."

After saying that, he sighed, as if he was reluctant to leave the food on the table.

The old lady glared at him, then smiled, "Look at how little you have achieved. Which minister is as greedy as you?"

After saying that, she picked up the chopsticks and motioned to Shen Zhiheng beside her to pick up a four-happiness meatball made of tofu for her.

Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the matter was over.

But because they were afraid that the old lady would get angry again, the younger generations did not dare to speak too rudely in the second half.

Shen Zhao didn't dare to say another word and ate his meal in trepidation.

Li Chaoyun became more and more disappointed. If Shen Zhao insisted on his own opinion and confronted the old lady, she would still look up to him.

If it were her, she would either not say it or not. But since she said it, she would have to get a result even if she got beaten up. But he was not good, he just let it go.

After dinner, Shen Zhixiu went to the palace to attend the evening banquet.

Su Qingyu and Yang played mahjong with the old lady. They got along well and they were all trying to make the old lady happy. So the laughter in Qingyuanju didn't stop throughout the afternoon.

With Shen Yue joining in the fun and joking, the atmosphere became even more lively.

After dinner, Su Qingyu stayed in the main room in the west courtyard and started cutting window paper-cuts with several maids.

While cutting window flowers, I would look outside from time to time.

Pearl joked, "Madam must be waiting for the Third Master, her eyes are fixed on the door."

Su Qingyu reached out and tapped her, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll find you a good family to marry after the New Year."

Pearl blushed, lowered her head and said, "I will never marry, and will serve you my whole life."

Su Qingyu suddenly looked at Zhenzhu's hair bun mysteriously, "Zhenzhu, is this hairpin on your head a gift from Jiang Qi?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Feicui, Chuntao, and Qiuyue beside her all laughed.

Pearl's face instantly turned red. "What did Madam say? I...I don't understand."

Su Qingyu looked at her slyly and joked, "Don't think that I didn't see you and Jiang Qi flirting with each other all day. You said you wouldn't marry? Then if he comes to ask me, don't expect me to agree."

The matter between Zhenzhu and Jiang Qi was discovered by Feicui by accident.

The two of them didn't behave abnormally in front of Su Qingyu.

According to Feicui, they just bumped into each other while walking and both of them blushed.

Occasionally, when Jiang Qi wanted to see Shen Zhixiu, he would need to notify the maid in the inner house. As long as Zhenzhu was there, Jiang Qi would never talk to anyone else, nor would he even look at anyone else.

To talk about anything specific, there isn't really anything.

Today is New Year's Eve. In the evening, Jiang Qi suddenly gave Zhenzhu a red gold hairpin, which was seen by Qiuyue again.

Su Qingyu had not intended to bring this up. She thought that Zhenzhu was not too old, so she would slowly get to know her for a year or two and see how it went. If the two of them really fell in love, she would then make the decision for them. No matter who she married, Zhenzhu had to like him.

But this girl accepted someone else's hairpin today and put it on, so this matter can't be delayed any longer.

Pearl lowered her head, her face as red as the sunset in the autumn sky.

Seeing that she was shy, Su Qingyu spoke.

"Jiang Qi is a good guy. He's only in his early twenties, not too old."

"Look at him, he has thick eyebrows and big eyes. He has a good appearance."

"I heard that among his brothers, he is the most filial."

At this time, Shen Zhixiu stood at the door of the main room with his hands behind his back.

Jiang Qi, who had accompanied Shen Zhixiu back to the palace, stood behind him, a layer of cold sweat already on his back.

Especially when the Third Master narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down, Jiang Qi wanted to leave immediately.

Hearing the third lady in the room still talking, Jiang Qi suddenly raised his voice and spoke.

"Third Master, it's windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold."