RPAGF Chapter 7193 The Tide of the Times
Chapter 7193 The Tide of the Times
Chapter 7193 The Tide of the Times
"Yingying, let's go home." Sun Er called out to his wife, who was still looking around blankly. Zhang Yingying then walked over and hugged Sun Er's arm, completely unconcerned about the people around them.
“Husband, let me tell you, I saw several familiar faces inside, and even the wife of Duke Xuande greeted me, saying I should call her my aunt,” Zhang Yingying said with a grin.
"No, didn't you say before that I should call her cousin?" Sun Er asked his wife with a hint of speechlessness. Zhang Yingying had discussed this issue before. She was also from the Zhang family of Qinghe, but she was the legitimate daughter of the Zhang family, while Sun Er's wife was a concubine's daughter and not even from the same branch. But Zhang Yingying had confidently said at the time that she and Liu Bei's wife were of the same generation.
"Haha, I got it wrong." Zhang Yingying said with a dry laugh. She didn't really know if she had gotten it wrong, but Zhang Shi probably wasn't lying to her, right? Besides, it didn't matter.
"Come on, come on, I'm so excited today!" Zhang Yingying threw herself at Sun Er, not caring at all about other people's opinions. She was always like this. Sun Er indulged her and didn't say anything. He helped Zhang Yingying into the carriage and left with his wife.
"Well, I finally met that housewife I've admired for over a decade ever since I gained some understanding of society," Zheng Ling said to her husband, Wang Ke, with a touch of melancholy. She knew he didn't understand what she was saying at all, but there were some things she had to tell him.
"Oh, is she the eldest daughter of the Zheng family who married the Zhang family of Hanoi?" Wang Ke asked with some curiosity. He had heard Zheng Ling mention her before, but she hadn't gone into details. So when he heard his wife bring up this woman again, he asked with some curiosity.
“I just realized that life is all the same; every family has its own troubles. I thought she married very well back then, but after seeing her this time, how should I put it? Although she didn’t show it or tell me, from our conversations and her initiative in bringing up certain things, I could sense that her life wasn’t so wonderful after all,” Zheng Ling said with a hint of relief. “She was just bound by her own life; I only saw her glamorous side in the past.”
Wang Ke tilted his head, looking at Zheng Ling with a puzzled expression. He had no idea what his wife was talking about. Upon seeing this, Zheng Ling's expression, which had been one of melancholy and relief, changed, and she reached out and hugged Wang Ke.
Wang Ke tensed up the moment he was hugged. His wife rarely acted like this in public, but Wang Ke still instinctively pulled Zheng Ling into his arms.
“Zheng Ling has her own life. Let’s go home.” Zheng Ling looked up at her husband and said with a smile. Wang Ke nodded, helped Zheng Ling into the carriage, and then directed the carriage to leave. Wang Ke’s father, Wang Liang, watched this scene with his arms crossed. “Well, let’s go back. I can understand that he has forgotten his parents now that he has a wife. Anyway, your father can walk by himself.”
"Husband, husband, I've met my mistress! When I got married, I heard that my master had found a very young mistress." Guo Yuan skipped over to Wei Shuang's side, looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and then whispered to Wei Shuang.
The matriarch of the Guo family in Taiyuan was very famous in aristocratic circles. When Wang Fan and Guo Huai got engaged, Wang Fan was only five years old. Guo Huai declared that he would not marry anyone but Wang Fan. Although a large part of this was due to the death of Wang Chen, Guo Huai felt really bad and said that he must take good care of Wang Chen's sister.
After all, the Wang family was quite impoverished at the time. If she had married into another aristocratic family of equal standing, she would have inevitably been bullied. Guo Huai was truly determined at the time, and in the end, she did marry Wang Fan. However, this matter was quite famous in the circles of aristocratic families.
Even married daughters like Guo Yuan knew that their family had a beautiful and petite mistress, but they had never met her. Theoretically speaking, Guo Yuan should never have met Wang Fan, the mistress of the Guo family, in her entire life. However, Wei Shuang became the Marquis of Guannei, so Guo Yuan came to attend the banquet at Weiyang Palace and met her mistress.
Well, Guo Yuan's first reaction upon seeing Wang Fan was, "This little girl has such a serious face, she's so cute, she seems so innocent and naive."
Unfortunately, unlike the historical Wang Fan who suffered greatly and experienced human hardships, this time the Guo family raised Wang Fan in their home from a very young age. Moreover, Guo Huai explicitly stated that he would not marry anyone but Wang Fan. Therefore, from a very young age, Wang Fan was essentially the matriarch of the Guo family.
As a result, the skills she learned were very different from those in the official history. She also lacked the heavy feeling that comes from experiencing hardship. She was a completely noble girl, and better raised than most noble girls. She was excellent at flirting with Guo Huai. If she hadn't been genuinely kind-hearted, she might have been spoiled.
This was Wang Fan's first time attending the banquet at Weiyang Palace, so he seemed quite nervous. It was only when he met Guo Yuan, who was theoretically his older sister, that Wang Fan calmed down a bit. Otherwise, among all the wives of marquises, Wang Fan would most likely be the most nervous.
Wang Fan: Why should I, a fifteen-year-old girl, sit next to these middle-aged women? Why are all the guests at other people's homes old ladies, but my family is my own?
"Fine, you're all right." Wei Shuang lifted Guo Yuan's arms and placed her on the car frame as if he were lifting her high. He was too lazy to say anything to Guo Yuan about not saying that the matriarch of the Guo family was so small. Anyway, the other party couldn't hear it. Besides, his wife didn't have any bad intentions. She was just expressing her feelings and then went home to have fun. This kind of banquet was fine as long as they ate and drank.
"Happy!" Chen Jing hopped over and was caught by Jiang Guang.
"Husband, my master's seat isn't even as close to me as mine, and I feel a little sad," Chen Jing said, her face showing signs of tears. Jiang Guang was speechless upon hearing this.
The "adult" Chen Jing referred to was indeed her elder. The Yimen Chen family was a relatively small aristocratic family. Although Chen Jing was from a branch family, she was very close to the main family. Of course, this was in terms of blood ties. In the past, their relationship was actually just average. Now, Jiang Guang's title was almost catching up with that of the head of the Yimen Chen family.
Now, even if she wanted to stay away, she couldn't avoid it. At the very least, Chen Jing had to call the other party "sir" now, because the relationship and blood ties were real.
"Your aunt?" Jiang Guang asked after thinking for a moment, then reached out and slapped away his wife's hand that was groping his chest.
"Speaking of which, didn't I sew you a fur coat? Why did you come wearing only an overcoat? I could even feel your pectoral muscles!" Chen Jing, who had been cheerful, suddenly became fierce.
“This temperature difference is nothing to worry about. There’s no doubt about my physical condition.” Jiang Guang put his arm around Chen Jing’s waist and carried his wife into the car.
“It’s my aunt.” Chen Jing was lifted up in one arm, but she didn’t struggle and hugged Jiang Guang naturally. “I feel that my aunt’s personality has improved a lot in the past two years.”
Jiang Guang scoffed at this, but said nothing. He rarely talked about his wife's family situation or asked Chen Jing to keep an eye on someone. As far as Jiang Guang was concerned, he could protect his wife from the storms of the Yimen Chen family on his own, so why should he let his wife worry about these things?
Furthermore, interpersonal relationships can be transformed through strength and resources.
For example, Chen Jing's snobbish aunt is actually quite good to Chen Jing now, so why bother exposing her flaws? After all, they only see each other a few times a year. It's better to leave a better impression on your wife so she can cherish the memory later.
As for whether Chen Jing was aware of this, to be honest, Jiang Guang was too lazy to find out. Whether she knew and was protecting her, or didn't know but thought they were relatives or something, it really didn't matter.
"Zichuan, these people are the backbone of our Han Dynasty," Liu Bei said, pointing to the group of civil and military officials who were dispersing and boarding their carriages below the jade steps.
“Yes, from any perspective, they are the backbone of the Han Dynasty.” Chen Xi nodded, not denying this fact, even to him, these people were undoubtedly the backbone.
“It’s quite good to bring the wives of those officers and generals to dinner this time,” Liu Bei said to Chen Xi, turning his head. “I see that many of the wives who attended the banquet have a lot to say to their husbands. This is a good thing.”
“Some people see their future direction in this meal, some see their past selves in this meal, and some are just here to eat without a clear purpose. Anyway, everyone is quite happy,” Chen Xi said with a smile. “Most people will eventually return to their own lives.”
"I see my sister-in-law," Liu Bei said, pointing in Xiahou Juan's direction.
“Xiahou Shi, sometimes things are just like that,” Chen Xi said with a smile. Back then, if we’re really talking about it, Zhang Fei was marrying above his station with Xiahou Shi. Of course, if we’re really talking about it, by the time Zhang Fei married Xiahou Juan, the two sides were equal. But now, Zhang Fei is far superior to Xiahou Shi.
“Yes, that’s how times are. Some people ride the wave of the times and take off, while others are left behind and can’t keep up at all.” Liu Bei turned his gaze away from Xiahou Juan. “Zichuan, there are some things you’re saying that I didn’t quite understand before, but now it really is a matter of human nature.”
Chen Xi followed Liu Bei's gaze and saw Guan Ping and his wife. How to put it, although the marriage was blessed by everyone, including Liu Bei, no one wanted Guan Ping to make Su Yue his legal wife back then. It's just that no one made it very clear at the time.
Guan Ping himself may have realized this, but he gave the final answer with his own strength and achievements—people can make their own choices, and the difficulties on the road to love and marriage sometimes only bring two hearts closer together.
Needless to say, Guan Ping earned his title of Marquis through his own efforts. Although he now lives with Guan Yu, they are actually two separate households. Putting aside everything else, at least in Guan Ping's household, Su Yue is definitely the mistress!
“That’s normal. I’ve said this many times before, but as I said before, the young ladies of the exploiting class are just prettier and more well-mannered than children from the non-exploiting class.” Chen Xi said calmly, without a smile or helplessness on her face, only indifference. This was her way of facing reality with equanimity after fully understanding the facts.
"That's true." Liu Bei nodded. He had seen those village women before, and their hands, which had to work so hard to make a living, were nothing like those of the people below. Beauty requires maintenance, and maintenance requires money and time. Where would an average family get so much money and time to waste on such things?
"But things are pretty good now," Chen Xi said with a smile, then reached out towards the sky, and soon snowflakes began to fall. How could it not snow during the New Year?
"My wife is waving to me. I'll go down now." After catching a snowflake, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Fan Jian, who had come out of Weiyang Palace, nodded to Liu Bei and said.
"Go ahead, don't keep your wife waiting." Liu Bei nodded to Chen Xi. At banquets like those at Weiyang Palace, the Chen family usually attends in both formal and informal settings. It's not that others can't come, but this occasion is only suitable for formal and informal settings. Sometimes, even Cai Yan doesn't come. It's quite troublesome for Cai Yan to be involved in formal and informal settings. Even though both sides have already laid their cards on the table and know what's going on, it's still better to avoid encountering each other as much as possible.
For example, this time, Cai Yan also attended a banquet in Weiyang Palace, but the two sides met and only exchanged a few words. They didn't say anything else, because both sides knew that communication was meaningless. If they mentioned it even slightly, it would easily bring up Chen Xi, and then the Cai family head/mistress would have to compete with the Chen family mistress.
So the two chatted briefly, returned to their seats, calmly attended the banquet, and then left separately, even departing in batches.
"Madam." Chen Xi appeared in front of Fan Jian with a smile. At this time, Chen Yu and Cai Chen followed behind Chen Xi. As for Chen Qian, as the future Crown Princess, she could not leave yet. However, Weiyang Palace was as familiar to Chen Qian as home, so she did not need to pay too much attention to it. After all the arrangements were made, the palace guards would naturally escort Chen Qian back.
Fan Jian smiled when she saw Chen Xi. She was actually in a good mood today, especially after seeing Chen Yu and Cai Chen. Fan Jian was even happier – no matter what Cai Yan's situation was, look, these are my sons.
"Mother, Aunt." Chen Yu and Cai Chen greeted Fan Jian naturally upon seeing her.
"You should call me Mother," Fan Jian said with a smile, hugging Cai Chen tightly. Chen Xi rolled her eyes at this, but in the end, she didn't say anything or ask anything about Cai Yan.
"Let's go, I'll take you all back." Chen Xi smiled at Fan Jian and the others as the carriage had already arrived. "How was the banquet at Weiyang Palace?"
"I've participated many times, this time was just average, except the food was even better," Fan Jian said cheerfully. "Sigh, I never knew there was such delicious food in the world, it's truly unbelievable."
As she spoke, Fan Jian, who was holding Cai Chen in her arms, gave Cai Chen a couple of hard squeezes, and then threatened Cai Chen to call her "mother".
Cai Chen struggled several times but couldn't break free. He still didn't cry out. In the end, Chen Xi freed Cai Chen from Fan Jian's arms. It was too much to bully a child, and if Cai Chen called her "mother," it would be a big problem. This is the eldest son of the Cai family.
"Speaking of which, I heard quite a few jokes at the banquet. I feel like I've been staying in Chang'an for so long that I don't know much about many things anymore. This has really broadened my horizons," Fan Jian said cheerfully, not caring that Cai Chen broke free from her embrace and ran to Chen Xi.
Even though Chen Xi tried his best to improve the efficiency of information transmission in this era through various means, there were still many problems that could not be solved. For example, even a lady like Fan Jian, who could often see the official gazette, could not know many things. Moreover, the Central Plains was too big, and there were many stories in the corners that even Chen Xi could only hear about but could not witness.
In addition, due to differences in local customs and habits, some things that are normal in the local area become strange and unusual outside the local area. However, these customs and habits are formed for their own reasons, but non-locals cannot understand them at all, and it may even take a considerable amount of discussion to barely accept them. However, sometimes, once you go to the local area, you can understand why it is so.
“That’s normal. There are so many things in this world, it’s just that you don’t have time to pay attention to them, plus most of the information doesn’t reach you.” Chen Xi nodded in understanding. “Think about it, in the past, when wealthy families had distant relatives visiting, they would often let them stay for a few months or even a year or two. These people were also information channels for wealthy families.”
Fan Jian looked up and thought about it. It was indeed true. In the past, people rarely left their homes. Even local landlords and powerful figures rarely left their hometowns. If they wanted to know news from other places, they could only rely on friends from afar to come and visit.
Even in those days, if a friend from afar came to visit you, that was definitely a true friend. You didn't care whether they brought gifts or not; just the fact that they came to tell you about the local customs and traditions you hadn't seen in decades, and the stories of your hometown you had never heard in your entire life, was enough to make you feel worthwhile for providing them with food and lodging. So, in ancient times, it was truly not easy for a friend to come to visit you.
This is also why Chen Xi treated the Sima brothers quite well. Regardless of how much trouble those two troublemakers caused later, back then, whether it was by chance or not, they still gave Chen Xi a wedding gift.
Given the situation, Chen Xi should still lend a helping hand whenever possible!
Oh no, I can't get up. Time for work, time for work, so painful!
(End of this chapter)