The group walked straight into the last courtyard where Old Master Xu lived. Old Master Xu and Master Baiyan sat as host and guest in the main hall on the grand chairs, while Chen Yang sat on a chair to the side. Xu Zhiyuan was busy arranging things, instructing the housekeepers to serve tea and snacks.
Master Baiyan picked up his teacup, gently stirred the tea leaves with the lid, and slowly sipped. After a while, he put down the teacup, stroked his beard, and smiled,
"Indeed, it's Da Hong Pao from those trees! Elder Xu, this trip has truly been worthwhile. To be able to taste such exquisite tea, this journey has been truly worthwhile!"
Elder Xu also picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said with a smile,
"Master Bai, if you like it, I'll have someone pack a few ounces for you to take away later. I can't afford more; this is the annual quota!"
Master Baiyan's face immediately lit up with joy, and he laughed heartily,
"That would be wonderful! Elder Xu, you're much more generous than Old Fang. When I went to his place, I just wanted to drink a cup of this Da Hong Pao, and he was so stingy, let alone let me take any away!"
The Old Fang that Master Baiyan mentioned was Chen Yang's grandfather from his previous life, the pillar of the Fang family, Old Master Fang Qianjin. Master Baiyan was a close friend of his, so he spoke much more casually. However, Chen Yang recalled how his stern and authoritative grandfather in his previous life had been described by his teacher as a stingy old man, and he felt something was off.
At this moment, Xu Zhiyuan stepped forward and respectfully said to Master Baiyan:
"Master Bai, you have taken time out of your busy schedule to attend my daughter's birthday banquet and even brought your calligraphy. I am truly humbled! My daughter is unworthy of such high regard from you!"
As Xu Qingya's father, Xu Zhiyuan's expression of gratitude was the most basic courtesy. Master Baiyan smiled calmly and waved his hand, saying,
"Mayor Xu, you flatter me. I'm just a nosy old man who likes to join in the fun. Your daughter is a good woman; the phrase 'charming smile' suits her very well!"
Chen Yang's eyes darted around, and he suddenly blurted out,
"Teacher, I think it's a bit inappropriate for you to use Zhuang Jiang's 'charming smile and beautiful eyes' to describe Sister Qingya!"
Old Master Xu and Xu Zhiyuan's gazes immediately fell on Chen Yang, thinking to themselves that this young man was quite bold; Master Baiyan was willing to personally deliver the calligraphy. This was already giving him a tremendous amount of face, yet he still dared to question his teacher…
Master Baiyan, however, was not offended at all. Instead, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. He smiled and looked at Chen Yang, saying,
"Young Chen Yang, then tell me, what's wrong with this?"
Chen Yang read encouragement in Master Baiyan's eyes, and his confidence grew. He knew his teacher was doing this on purpose, so he quickly organized his thoughts and confidently said,
"Old Xu, Teacher, Mayor Xu, Zhuang Jiang is a famous beauty in history. She was originally a princess of the Qi Kingdom, and later…" "Having married Duke Zhuang of Wei, she was of noble birth and married the ruler of the state; one would think she would be very happy. But what was the reality? Duke Zhuang was tyrannical and treated Zhuang Jiang with extreme coldness. It was a classic tragic political marriage."
Chen Yang paused, took a sip of his drink, and continued:
"However, Zhuang Jiang and Qingya were similar in temperament, both outwardly gentle but inwardly strong and unyielding. That's why Zhuang Jiang refused to flatter Duke Zhuang, leading to her life of solitude. 'Wise but unresponsive, she ultimately had no children, causing the people of the state to grieve and worry.' This short comment encapsulates Zhuang Jiang's entire life." Tears! A woman who has never experienced love, no matter how beautiful or wonderful, is just a bunch of plastic flowers, neither vibrant nor fragrant: those slender fingers, like delicate shoots, can only grasp the loneliness of twilight; those teeth, as neat and white as gourd seeds, how much loneliness have they chewed? And those clear, bright eyes, watching her beauty fade day by day, will a trace of fear flash across their faces?
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiyuan's expression became somewhat complex. He was well-read and naturally understood the implied meaning in Chen Yang's words. He felt slightly displeased, but due to Master Baiyan's presence, he couldn't speak out.
Old Master Xu, however, showed a thoughtful expression after hearing these words.
Chen Yang observed their expressions, smiled, and continued, "So, Teacher, isn't it a bit inappropriate to compare Qingya to the unfortunate Zhuang Jiang?"
Master Baiyan laughed heartily, pointed at Chen Yang, and said, "Little Chen Yang! I never imagined you knew so much about this history! Haha! It seems this old man was rather inconsiderate!"
Xu Zhiyuan, however, chuckled and chimed in, "Master Bai, while your disciple's words make a lot of sense, modern people rarely pay attention to this history. The phrase '巧笑倩兮' (qiǎo xiào qiàn xī) is more..." "It's simply used to describe a woman's beautiful smile, so your description is quite apt!"
After saying this, Xu Zhiyuan glanced at Chen Yang again, then said meaningfully,
"Moreover, the happiness of a marriage depends more on the communication between the couple, and has nothing to do with family background. There's an old saying, 'Poverty-stricken couples face a hundred sorrows!' Marriages between equals have more positive factors. For example, my third sister and brother-in-law, haven't they been loving for over twenty years?"
Xu Zhiyuan's words were intentionally directed at Old Master Xu. Although Xu Zhiyuan had been in charge of all the major and minor affairs of the Xu family for many years, Old Master Xu's word was absolute authority, and Xu Zhiyuan dared not disobey. Therefore, upon sensing Chen Yang's implied intention, he immediately retorted.
This marriage alliance with the Fan family was something Xu Zhiyuan absolutely could not afford to fail at. For many years, under Old Master Xu's control, the Xu family had maintained a rather unassuming lifestyle, remaining quite low-key among the various families. This meant that the Xu family wouldn't make enemies like the Fang and Fan families, but it also directly resulted in the Xu family's strength remaining in the middle tier, neither high nor low.
After Xu Zhiyuan took control of the Xu family, he worked to change this situation. Recently, this opportunity has arisen. Old Master Han's health is failing, the Han and Fang families have differing political ideologies, leading to several frictions, large and small. The Fan family has consistently tried to win over the Han family without success, and several small political families have gathered around the Han family, showing signs of forming their own independent faction.
It's almost foreseeable that once Old Master Han passes away, the Han family's power will suffer a major blow. Although the Fang and Fan families are bitter enemies, they will inevitably have a certain degree of tacit understanding regarding the division of Han family territory. Xu Zhiyuan's vigorous promotion of a marriage alliance between the Fan and Xu families at this juncture is aimed at securing a share of the spoils in the upcoming feast of dividing the spoils.
Therefore, Xu Zhiyuan couldn't afford to make any mistakes in this marriage arrangement, which is why he was so eager to set the wedding date for more than a month later.
Old Master Xu had heard about Xu Zhiyuan's efforts in arranging this matter, but hadn't expressed his opinion, so Xu Zhiyuan proceeded according to his own plan. He hadn't expected that Chen Yang would appear at this crucial moment, and it seemed that Master Baiyan was also involved, playing along with Chen Yang in a well-coordinated act.
Considering the relationship between Master Baiyan and Old Master Fang, Xu Zhiyuan's suspicions deepened. Although his intuition told him that Master Baiyan's detached status meant he wouldn't get involved in such treacherous schemes, Master Baiyan's behavior today made Xu Zhiyuan involuntarily suspicious.
This juncture was simply too critical! Old Master Xu pondered for a long time, then suddenly looked up at Xu Zhiyuan and asked:
"Zhiyuan, I heard you've been discussing Xiaoya's marriage with the Fan family recently?"
Xu Zhiyuan's head buzzed. Just what he feared had happened—his grandfather had actually inquired about this matter!
However, Xu Zhiyuan didn't dare to be negligent on the surface. He stood up respectfully and said:
"Yes, Father! Fan Zihong has always admired Qingya. Chief of Staff Fan has mentioned it to me several times. I thought the two children were of suitable age, both families knew each other well, and Qingya wasn't young anymore, so I verbally agreed."
The Chief of Staff Fan that Xu Zhiyuan mentioned was Fan Zihong's father, Fan Zhenguang, the Chief of Staff of the Beijing Military Region, a prestigious deputy commander of a major military region.
Old Master Xu frowned imperceptibly and said:
"I heard that the second son of the Fan family is a bit of a troublemaker?"
In fact, Fan Zihong was more than just a troublemaker; he had a long history of misdeeds. If he were from an ordinary family, the things he'd done would have been enough to get him shot. However, Xu Zhiyuan definitely had to speak up for Fan Zihong at this moment. He cautiously said,
"Dad! Zihong is still young, it's normal for him to be a bit impulsive. I think his temperament will settle down after he gets married."
Old Master Xu stared at Xu Zhiyuan's face, his wise eyes seemingly able to see through Xu Zhiyuan's heart. After a long while, the old man said calmly,
"Xiaoya's marriage, put it on hold for now."
Xu Zhiyuan's face immediately turned pale, but he dared not disobey his father's words in the slightest, and could only say with difficulty,
"Yes! Dad!"
After saying that, Xu Zhiyuan gave Chen Yang a deep look, a hint of resentment in his eyes. He couldn't believe that his long-planned scheme had been overturned by a mere child's words. A deep sense of unwillingness welled up in Xu Zhiyuan's heart. Old Master Xu ignored Xu Zhiyuan and turned to Master Baiyan with a smile, saying,
"Master Bai, since you've come to my house today, I'll shamelessly ask you for another piece of calligraphy!"
Master Baiyan laughed heartily,
"Old Master Xu, it's nothing!"
Old Master Xu glanced at Xu Zhiyuan before speaking to Master Baiyan,
"Master Bai, I would like to request four characters—'Upright and Honest'! This is for my son! I thank you in advance, Master!"
Xu Zhiyuan couldn't help but tremble slightly. He looked up at his father and found Old Master Xu looking at him meaningfully. Xu Zhiyuan immediately understood that although his father lived a secluded life in the backyard, he was keenly aware of the situation outside, and his father was already fully aware of his plans.
Today, his father was merely using this opportunity to subtly remind him not to always seek shortcuts, but to conduct himself with "uprightness and honesty"! Thinking of this, Xu Zhiyuan's troubled mind seemed to ease somewhat. He stood up, bowed deeply to Master Baiyan, and said,
"Thank you, Master Bai!"
However, despite his words, Xu Zhiyuan still felt a pang of regret at giving up this opportunity. Old Master Han was clearly on his deathbed; if the wedding was delayed for another two months, all the benefits would have been divided up, rendering the marriage alliance meaningless.
Xu Zhiyuan had never expected the Fan family to strongly support the Xu family before Fan Zihong and Xu Qingya were married. He knew the Fan family never acted without a clear benefit.
"Teacher, I'll grind the ink for you!" Chen Yang smiled as he stood up and walked towards the prepared writing materials.
As he passed Xu Zhiyuan, Chen Yang whispered something in his ear that made Xu Zhiyuan shudder. He turned sharply to look at Chen Yang, only to see Chen Yang still calm and collected, rolling up his sleeves and beginning to grind the ink. Xu Zhiyuan carefully considered Chen Yang's words, but a turbulent wave of emotions surged within him...