Chapter 345: The Marriage Arrangement is Finalized

Chapter 345: The Marriage Arrangement is Finalized

Cheng Yunshuo slept in until noon.

It was only when Qingfeng came to wake him that he slowly stirred.

"What’s the time?" Cheng Yunshuo asked.

"It’s almost noon."

"Why so late!" Hearing it was almost noon, Cheng Yunshuo rubbed his head, still feeling the effects of the hangover. "I’m too late to clock in."

Qingfeng quickly said, "Young Master, the young mistress has already arranged a day off for you."

Early in the morning, when Cheng Yunshuo couldn’t wake up, Qingfeng went back to the Marquis's Mansion. Upon hearing this, the ever-thoughtful Lu Lingyun immediately arranged a day off for him.

Hearing that Lu Lingyun had taken care of everything, Cheng Yunshuo immediately felt less anxious.

Even his headache seemed to lessen a bit.

Instead, he sat on the bed, staring blankly into space.

The day off was secured, but what was he going to do with it?

At this moment, Du Tai walked into the room with a smile. "Yunshuo, you’re awake."

"Yeah," Cheng Yunshuo glanced at him. "Did I drink heavily last night?"

"Not just a lot, you were making a scene in the street!"

"What?" Cheng Yunshuo’s eyes widened.

"Last night, you were hugging someone, repeatedly saying they were round, and even tried to touch their head!"

Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo’s heart raced, overwhelmed with guilt, remorse, and regret. "What, what, Qingfeng, what’s going on!"

"Young Master, I don’t know. I was delivering a message to the young mistress at the time. Could it be that you were inappropriate with some woman!" Qingfeng was equally shocked.

Their Young Master had a notorious reputation. Although he hadn’t caused any trouble in recent years, Qingfeng had witnessed all his romantic escapades from earlier years.

One moment it was a brothel’s top courtesan, the next a tofu seller’s daughter, then the bold and heroic Du Ruo who was infatuated with him, and even the still-charming concubine.

It was entirely possible that Cheng Yunshuo might bring another new concubine into the mansion!

"Young Master, if you’ve taken a liking to some woman, you should tell the young mistress early and have her arrange a marriage for you! Don’t create another mistress or lover, causing another scandal all over the Imperial City," Qingfeng said with a worried face.

Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo’s face turned crimson, but he didn’t dare say anything, fearing he might have done something wrong while drunk.

If that were the case...

Ah! He was really troubled!

"No, no, I’ll go and tell the young mistress early, have her make the arrangements."

Standing at the door, Du Tai finally stopped his laughter. "Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you. It wasn’t a lady, it was an old monk!"

"What! Our Young Master has taken a liking to an old monk!"

Cheng Yunshuo: "..."

Du Tai: "..."

Cheng Yunshuo snapped back to reality, kicked Qingfeng out, and shouted, "Get out!"

After stumbling out, Qingfeng still pulled Du Tai aside to ask again in detail who they had encountered the previous day and what had happened.

Upon learning that they had only bumped into an old monk while going out and nothing significant had occurred, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, at the Marquis's Mansion.

Tong Nanxia had arrived today.

She also informed Lu Lingyun that Tong Nanyuan's marriage had been arranged.

After August, she would be married and arrive from Jiangnan.

The Tong family stated that all the betrothal gifts did not need to be sent to Jiangnan; instead, they could simply go through the motions by sending them to Uncle Tong. Then everything would be brought to Tong Nanyuan's own home.

In addition, the Tong family in Jiangnan had prepared a very generous dowry, which would accompany Tong Nanyuan to the capital city.

Upon receiving the news that the marriage had been settled, Lu Lingyun couldn't stop smiling.

"Cousin, although Cousin Lu is a talented young man, the Lu Family is a bit small. When Nanyuan comes, she will surely bring many servants. The Lu Family definitely won't be able to accommodate them. What should we do then?" asked Tong Nanxia.

Not long after the palace examination ended, the court's appointments were announced. Lu Kuan was directly appointed as a Zhongshu Shujishi.

Shujishi is a short-term position in the Hanlin Academy, serving as a transitional role for newly appointed Jinshi. After serving as a Shujishi for some time, they would be assigned to new positions. Most would be sent out to serve as county magistrates or prefects, while a portion would stay in the capital to fill other vacancies in the six ministries. A very small number would remain as Shujishi in the Zhongshu, often serving as central reserves, staying in core positions, and later working close to the emperor.

Lu Kuan was a Zhongshu Shujishi, and his teacher, Grand Tutor Zhao, personally arranged this path for him. As a result, Lu Kuan's father had to leave the Hanlin Academy and was assigned to a sixth-rank idle position in the Ministry of Revenue because the Hanlin Academy had a rule that fathers and sons or brothers were not allowed to serve together at the same time.

Lu Kuan's rapid rise left everyone in awe. Even after being reassigned, Lu Kuan's father felt proud.

The Lu Family now regarded Lu Kuan as the true heir. However, the Lu Family was still relatively modest, and Lu Kuan himself was just starting out. How could he have substantial wealth to acquire property?

Tong Nanxia felt sorry for Tong Nanyuan, fearing that she might suffer when she married into the family.

"I've been thinking about this issue as well, and I've already sent people to look at a few houses," said Lu Lingyun.

"Oh?"

"Coincidentally, there are houses for sale today. Why don't we go take a look together?" Lu Lingyun stood up with a stack of house information in hand.

"Alright!"

The Marquis's Mansion prepared a carriage, and Lu Lingyun went out with Tong Nanxia.

The east side of the city had many mansions of the wealthy. The Marquis's Mansion was located in the east of the city, and the carriage didn't travel far before it stopped.

"Young mistress, we've arrived," said Shuang Hong.

"Yes."

Lu Lingyun and Tong Nanxia got off together. At the entrance of the house, someone was already waiting.

"Greetings to the ladies," a property agent greeted them with a beaming smile. "You must be tired from your trip. We've prepared tea inside. Please come in and rest for a while, have some tea."

Lu Lingyun merely nodded at her, while her maid Shuang Hong spoke up, "No need. We have several estates to visit today. Please get straight to the point and show us the estate."

Hearing this, the property agent's eyes gleamed with excitement, and she quickly ushered Lu Lingyun and Tong Nanxia inside.

These two ladies were clearly of noble birth—one exuded a calm and dignified aura, while the other was as beautiful as a fairy. It was evident they were from wealthy and prestigious families. Their visit to view estates was certainly not for ordinary investment purposes.

If they were merely purchasing an estate, they could have sent their servants to handle it. The fact that they came personally and had several more places to visit suggested they were choosing a residence for their family’s younger members, likely for a wedding!

"This estate is excellent! It's a grand three-section courtyard. Look at our entrance screen wall, carved with dragons and phoenixes, symbolizing marital harmony, prosperity, and a bountiful life! It signifies that the residents will enjoy a harmonious marriage, abundant offspring, and a long life!"

"Behind the house, there's also a garden. If the lady has children, they’ll have plenty of space to play in the garden!"

Lu Lingyun couldn't help but smile at the agent's enthusiastic pitch. The woman was indeed shrewd, clearly understanding the purpose of their visit.

Meanwhile, Tong Nanxia, after hearing all this, nodded repeatedly, appearing extremely satisfied.