Chapter 288: Xiao She 2

Chapter 288: Xiao She 2

By the time Sun Dian and Liu Chu's wedding was completed, everyone in the Xiao family had learned that Xiao She had been staring intently at Lu Qiu.

Madam He said happily, "Finally, Fifth Younger Brother has come to his senses. Qiu'er is an outstanding girl. Ningfang, why don't you help Fifth Younger Brother with the arrangements?"

Lin Ningfang replied, "Mother, you forget that I’m not as close to the Lu family as you are."

The Yan family was an old friend of the Lin family, and she thought Yan Mingxiu was a suitable match for Xiao Ye in every way, so she had helped arrange the match.

However, the Lu family was a military clan from Jizhou and had no old ties with the Lin family. Lin Ningfang was not close to any of the Lu family's women.

Xiao Yan said, "Why go through all this trouble? Fifth Younger Brother is a prince. In the capital, could Lu Gong find a better son-in-law? Mother, just send a matchmaker to propose, and the Lu family will definitely agree without hesitation."

Lin Ningfang looked towards her father-in-law sitting diagonally opposite her.

Xiao Shouyi also looked over, and since he himself thought it inappropriate, and seeing that his daughter-in-law also disagreed, Xiao Shouyi gained more confidence and said, "No, in smaller towns, blind marriages might be arranged through a matchmaker, but in the capital, large families don’t rush into marriage. First, both parties should find a mutual acquaintance to sound out the other family's intentions. Only if the other family is interested should we discuss arranging a meeting or sending a matchmaker formally."

The bigger the family, the more they valued proper etiquette. If the man's family rashly sent a matchmaker and the woman's family was unwilling, wouldn't the man's family lose face? If the man's family was powerful and the woman's family agreed out of fear, wouldn't that be the man's family bullying the woman's family with their power?

When Fourth Master was getting married, their family was still a duke and marquis family, and they won over the Yans with sincerity. Now that the Xiao family had become royalty, using their status to pressure the Lu family—how would Lu Gong feel about that?

Whether it was Lu Gong's support for his nephew's ascension to the throne or the private friendship between the gener0 generals, Xiao Shouyi could not bring himself to do such a thing.

Madam He said, "If we can't send a matchmaker, who should we ask? Someone who knows both our families? Madam Feng?"

Xiao Shouyi replied, "Not suitable. I'm afraid Madam Feng has too many concerns. We need someone who’s close to the Lu family but not afraid to stand up to us."

Feng Ji had helped his niece-in-law lift a sedan chair; wouldn't Madam Feng respect the royal family?

Madam He said, "That’s tough—who isn’t intimidated by our family these days?"

Xiao Shouyi lowered his head in thought, while Madam He looked up in contemplation. Lin Ningfang finally looked towards Xiao Yan, who immediately met her gaze, his expression clearly showing that his mind wasn’t on the matter at all, as if expecting his parents to worry about his younger brother.

Lin Ningfang said, "General Lu commands the Eastern Camp, and Fourth Master is his deputy. They work together closely, and Fourth Master knows how to win over both the Lu matriarch and Lady Lu. It would be most suitable for Fourth Master to make the approach."

Xiao Yan smacked his knee, "Exactly! Let Fourth Master handle it! When I had to run several trips to the Yan family to get him a wife, now it's time for Fourth Master to do something for Fifth Younger Brother!"

Lin Ningfang said, "We should check with Fifth Younger Brother first to see what he really wants. Don't have Fourth Master go to all that trouble only for Fifth Younger Brother to have no intention of marrying."

Xiao Yan said, "At twenty-four and still not wanting to marry? He must be really stupid."

Madam He said, "Shut up! You have no ideas, and all you do is scold your younger brother!"

Xiao Shouyi said, "I'll go ask Fifth Younger Brother. I wouldn't dare trouble our family's number one genius."

The word "number one" was emphasized heavily, as if afraid his eldest son wouldn't understand the sarcasm and actually think of himself as a genius.

Xiao Yan: "..."

——

Since they didn’t live together anymore, Xiao Shouyi had specifically made a trip to the Prince of Wu Commandery's mansion in Luobei.

The prince's mansion had only one master, Xiao She, but fortunately, the people around him were old servants who had been attending to him in the Xiao family, so he knew their backgrounds and could trust them. No one dared to play tricks on Fifth Younger Brother.

Xiao Shouyi had come back early from his duties at the Southern Camp and happened to catch Xiao She just as he was about to have his meal, so father and son sat together.

Xiao Shouyi looked at his son, feeling conflicted, "Why did you move out before you were even married?"

Xiao She: "Mom is always on my case, which gets on my nerves. Third Brother goes to find Third Sister-in-law as soon as he finishes his meal. What's the difference between staying there and staying here? I'm alone either way."

Xiao Shouyi: "Isn't there still me?"

Xiao She: "..."

Dad's always worried I can't handle my duties in the Imperial Guard, and his constant questioning is getting old.

But Xiao She isn't stupid, so he didn't say that in front of his old man.

Xiao Shouyi: "Forget it, let's talk about something else. You're of age now. I heard from your sister that you're sweet on Miss Lu. If it's true, I'll have your Fourth Brother help set things up for you."

Xiao She: "I just enjoy watching her; I'm not thinking about marrying her."

Xiao Shouyi: "...Miss Lu is seventeen. If she doesn't marry this year, she will definitely marry next year. Once she marries someone else, you won't be able to see her even if you want to."

Xiao She paused in his meal, a thought flashing through his mind about that little peony from years ago.

He couldn't bear to pick it, but what if someone else ruthlessly plucked it away?

Xiao She didn't want to pluck the flower, nor did he want someone else to pluck it. He just wanted the flower to keep blooming there.

But Xiao She also knew that people were different from flowers. Girls had to marry when they reached a certain age. Even if they didn't want to, their parents would urge them. Just like how his parents were urging him to marry, even though he wasn't in a hurry.

Who would Lu Qiu marry? Would he be like Second Brother, who barely ever smiles, making Second Sister-in-law feel scared when she first married him? Or like Third Brother, who constantly annoys Third Sister-in-law, and has a mother-in-law who used to be sarcastic but eventually changed, plus a sister-in-law who adds to the drama? Or like Fourth Brother, who is cheerful and seems nice but also makes Fourth Sister-in-law angry, needing to kneel down and apologize before things are settled?

Although his brothers all had their flaws, they were mostly good. He was just afraid that Lu Qiu might marry a bad man who treated her poorly and gossiped about her with other men.

If she has to marry anyway, why not marry me? Mom and Sister’s tempers have improved; they’re not like before when they’d constantly pick fights with Third Sister-in-law. Besides, he lives in the Prince of Wu Commandery's mansion, so even if Mom wanted to hassle Lu Qiu, she couldn’t get to her.

As for himself...

Xiao She suddenly furrowed his brow and looked at his father with concern. "It seems she doesn't like me."

Xiao Shouyi asked seriously, "What do you mean? Did you offend her?"

Xiao She: "I looked at her for those two days, and she glared at me when she went in and glared again when she came out."

Xiao Shouyi was silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "This is tricky. It's certainly impolite for a man to stare at a young girl like that. Some girls really don't like it, so they glare. Some girls just instinctively glare because they're shy at first, but they might actually like you in their heart. Next time, if you behave and don't look at her, she might still glare at you."

Xiao She: "..."

It's too complicated. I don't get it.

Seeing his son's clear yet confused eyes, Xiao Shouyi patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry. If you want to marry her, let Fourth Brother handle the rest."

After leaving his son, Xiao Shouyi visited Prince Ning's mansion and formally entrusted his youngest son's marriage to his fourth nephew.

Xiao Ye: "You didn't need to come all the way here, Uncle. Even if you hadn't said anything, I'd still help Xiao She."

Xiao Shouyi: "Good. You're much more reliable than your Third Brother. He either doesn't give a damn or just spouts nonsense."

Xiao Ye: "That's right. Don't let him get involved. The Duke of Lu isn't someone easy to mess with."

---

Xiao She's marriage was a significant matter, and the bride's family background was also important. Xiao Ye first went to the palace to discuss it with his second brother and sister-in-law.

Tong Sui turned to Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhen looked back. "Jumping straight to her character! What's Miss Lu like?"

Tong Sui replied, "She's a young lady who was raised in seclusion. I've only met her briefly a few times, so how could I really know her character? As for getting along, I quite like her. She’s never acted superior due to her Jizhou background, nor does she now fawn over us because of our status difference. She's still as straightforward as ever. As the cherished daughter of the Lu family, she’s been spoiled since childhood, which makes her a bit headstrong, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing."

Xiao Zhen said, "If you like her, she must be pretty great."

Xiao Ye said, "It’s gotta be Second Sister-in-law. Second Brother has never praised us like this. But Second Sister-in-law’s judgment about people is spot-on, just like when she chose Mingxiu."

Tong Sui was amused by him.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhen said to Xiao Ye, "Since Miss Lu is good and Lu Gong is worth forming a marriage alliance with, I'll leave this matter to you."

Xiao Ye said, "You got it! But Second Brother, will you reward me with some money?"

Xiao Zhen said, "Ask Second Uncle for it."

Tong Sui said, "Second Uncle will definitely give you something, and I’ve got something for you as well."

Xiao Ye said, "I knew it. Second Sister-in-law always favors Fifth Younger Brother. In the past, you always liked to bring him along for everything, leaving me, his own uncle, out in the cold."

Xiao Zhen said, "Scram!"

Xiao Ye promptly left.

Tong Sui gave Xiao Zhen a reproachful look. "Fourth Younger Brother is almost thirty. Can't you speak more kindly to him? Telling him to 'scram' all the time might really hurt him."

Xiao Zhen said, "He asked for it. If I don't scold him, he'll be uncomfortable."

Tong Sui didn’t argue with him. Upon careful reflection, when Xiao Zhen told Xiao Ye to "scram," there was always a sense of brotherly affection behind it.

——

It had only been a couple of days since Xiao Ye had taken on this task, and this day, after returning from his duties, he was informed by the steward that the Prince of Wu had come to visit and the princess was currently entertaining him.

What could my wife possibly have to talk about with Fifth Younger Brother?

Xiao Ye hurried inside. As soon as he entered the second courtyard, he saw his wife sitting in the main seat of the hall across from Fifth Younger Brother, her face beaming with smiles.

Xiao Ye said, "What are you talking about that's making you so happy?"

Yan Mingxiu said, "I asked Fifth Younger Brother what he would do if the guards under his command in the palace were disobedient or made mistakes. He said he once beat a cunning one, and after that, everyone became obedient. Haha..."

Xiao Ye said, "Your laughter comes at someone else’s expense. A few days ago, Fifth Younger Brother slapped me on the shoulder, and it still hurts."

Xiao She said, "You slapped me first."

Yan Mingxiu said, "Why did you slap Fifth Younger Brother?"

Xiao Ye said, "He was lost in thought. I asked him who he was thinking about, and when he didn’t respond, I slapped him. Never mind that now. What does Fifth Younger Brother want from me?"

Xiao She glanced at his Fourth Sister-in-law.

Yan Mingxiu said, "What kind of big secret is it that I, as your Fourth Sister-in-law, can't even hear?"

Xiao She said, "...Fourth Brother promised to do something for me. I came to ask if he's finished it yet."

At first, Xiao Ye was confused, but then it dawned on him. "You're talking about getting married, aren't you? You're in too much of a hurry. When I got married, Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, Second Brother, and Third Brother all pitched in to help. It took us a whole month of effort just to arrange a meeting with your Fourth Sister-in-law. You've only been at this for two or three days; can't you wait a little longer?"

Xiao She: "I didn't know if you had started handling it, and it was too uncomfortable to just wait, so I came to ask."

Xiao Ye: "I haven't started yet. I need to wait for a suitable opportunity to bring it up."

Xiao She: "What kind of opportunity?"

Xiao Ye: "In another half month, the peonies in our garden will bloom. By then, we can invite the young ladies of the Lu family to come and admire the flowers. Your Fourth Sister-in-law can take the opportunity to sound out the conditions the Lu family has for choosing a son-in-law."

In Luoyang, wealthy families love growing peonies. Thanks to Second Brother’s support, the Ning Residence (Ning Wang Fu) has several renowned peony varieties, making it worth inviting people to admire them.

Xiao She grumbled under his breath, "That's going to take forever."

Xiao Ye hummed, "Think my method is slow? Then you could learn from..."

Before he finished speaking, remembering his wife was sitting next to him, Xiao Ye swallowed the rest of his words. In his wife's eyes, Third Sister-in-law was still the woman rescued by Third Brother.

Yan Mingxiu: "Learn what?"

Xiao Ye: "Learn from Longshun, first gain your wife's favor before proposing, and you'll succeed on the first try."

Qiao Changshun met his cousin when he was punishing a local bully in Liaozhou, and they took a liking to each other.

Yan Mingxiu: "That's not easy. Miss Lu doesn't like to go out much, right?"

Xiao Ye thought for a moment and said, "Not necessarily. A few years ago, during the wars, the capital wasn't very stable. Now, the northern regions are peaceful. Miss Lu stayed in too much those years and might go out for spring outings while the weather is nice."

Yan Mingxiu sized up Xiao She. His face was handsome, but his figure was too burly and serious. He rarely smiled, and his serious expression might scare timid girls. Unlike Xiao Ye, who knew how to sweet-talk young girls, Xiao She wouldn't be able to win Lu Qiu over by directly meeting her—it might push her further away.

"It's better to start with the elders. Chance encounters are great, but deliberately setting up meetings could seem pushy and disrespectful."

"Yes, did you hear that, Fifth Brother? Sit tight and don't do anything on your own."

Xiao She nodded. He would never do anything reckless.

The next day, Xiao She went to the chief commander of the Imperial Guard to ask for leave, saying he wanted to enjoy the spring.

Chief Commander Zhang Wengong: "...Enjoy the spring?"

Xiao She: "Just wandering around. It'll be too hot in summer."

Zhang Wengong: "Are you going alone or meeting someone?"

Xiao She: "By myself."

He could ride a horse and planned to check out all the popular spots around Luoyang every day. Unless Lu Qiu stayed indoors, he was bound to run into her.

Zhang Wengong found Xiao She's decision rather odd. The reason of enjoying the spring was less convincing than Xiao She saying he felt like working on his own farmland.

He hesitated to approve, and Xiao She glared, "What, don't you want to grant my leave?"

Other officials have taken leave multiple times, and this is my first request. Why wouldn’t you approve it?

Zhang Wengong: "It can be granted, of course. But you... never mind. Have a nice time enjoying the spring weather."

He wanted to remind Xiao She to be careful outside, but aside from the northern regions, in the entire world, who could put Xiao She in danger?

Still, Zhang Wengong went to inform the Emperor, just in case.

Xiao Zhen directly called Xiao Ye over.

Xiao Ye: "It’s over, he really wants to run into her."

Even if they did run into each other, with Fifth Younger Brother's physique, mouth, and mind, how could it possibly work?

Xiao Ye: "Second Brother, should I keep an eye on him?"

Xiao Zhen: "What, you want to enjoy the spring too? Have you learned all of Lu Gong’s tricks?"

Xiao Ye: "Got it, I’ll scram."

Since Second Brother has Fifth Younger Brother covered, he would continue with his plan, taking the route of Lu Gong and his wife!

Xiao Zhen then told Tong Sui about this.

Tong Sui: "As long as Fifth Younger Brother doesn’t offend Qiuer, I think meeting and getting to know each other more might make it easier for Qiuer to like him than just a brief encounter."

Xiao Zhen: "You have quite a bit of faith in him."

Tong Sui: "That’s because Fifth Younger Brother is naturally likable to girls, more considerate than Third Younger Brother and more serious than Fourth Younger Brother."

Xiao Zhen: "Compared to me?"

Tong Sui: "..."