Red Mansion: After being expelled from the family, I was granted the title of Marquis of Mobei

Chapter 16 Invited by the British Government

After hearing this, Sheng Minglan nodded, and felt that Jia Jue had gone through a lot over the years.

When she thought about the fact that the two of them would be able to stay together forever in the future, Sheng Minglan made up her mind to take good care of her husband.

The next day, after the imperial decree granting the marriage was announced, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory began to calculate an auspicious date, and finally set the wedding date for Jia Jue and Sheng Minglan to February 18th of the following year.

After all, the Ministry of Rites is in charge of organizing the wedding banquet, and it is the wedding of the Marquis of Champion. In addition, the three books and six engagements and other etiquette need to be organized one by one, and wedding clothes and other things needed for the wedding day need to be prepared. It will take at least one or two months to prepare.

Of course, these matters are the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites, so Jia Jue doesn't have to worry about them anymore. Jia Jue only needs to prepare the betrothal gifts, and then everything will be handled by the Ministry of Rites.

At this time, Jia Jue was a guest at the Duke of England's mansion.

The Duke of England looked at Jia Jue and smiled slightly before saying.

"Marquis Guanjun, how is it going? Is everything settled in the mansion?"

Jia Jue said with a chuckle.

"Thank you for your concern, Duke. My family is small and easy to settle."

The Duke of England nodded slightly and said.

"Just settle in. After your rest is over, you'll be on duty at the Praefectural Guards. What do you think?"

Jia Jue said thoughtfully after hearing this.

"To be honest, I was just about to ask you for advice, sir."

"The Northern and Southern Yamen are such important departments, with complex relationships and many nobles, royal relatives and relatives."

"Your Majesty has entrusted me with such an important task. To be honest, I am trembling with fear."

"I hope you can give me some advice."

This is also what Jia Jue really thinks. The Duke of Yingguo comes from a long-established noble family and knows much more about the nobles and royal families of Shendu than Jia Jue, a young boy.

This is the accumulation of several generations of the Ying family's foundation, and it is not something Jia Jue can catch up with overnight.

After hearing what Jia Jue said, the Duke of England smiled.

Jia Jue was able to realize this, which shows that he was not blinded by high positions and generous salaries, and still kept a clear head.

It is rare for a young hero in a high position to be able to do this.

After a brief thought, the Duke of England looked at Jia Jue and said.

"The affairs of the Praefectus Urbi are both simple and complex."

"Well, my good-for-nothing third son is also serving as a lieutenant in the Praetorian Guards. I'll call him over at noon so you can have a chat."

"Well, it's been a while since we've been together archery. Are you interested in going to the shooting range and trying your hand at it?"

"I have a precious bow in my house, and I'd like you to take a look at it."

Jia Jue said after a light laugh.

"Since the lord is in such a refined mood, I shall certainly accompany him."

"Okay, let's walk."

The Duke of England then took Jia Jue to the martial arts hall.

As one of the eight founding dukes, the Duke of Ying's Mansion has remained in favor and power far exceeding that of the Rongguo Mansion in this dynasty.

Correspondingly, the Duke of England's mansion is naturally wealthy and prosperous.

After passing through the long corridor and rockery garden, they walked for about a quarter of an hour before Jia Jue and Duke Yingguo arrived at the martial arts hall.

The martial arts training ground of the Duke of England's mansion covers an area of ​​about two acres. It is clean and tidy, with bluestone paved roads.

The weapons racks on the training ground are fierce, and all kinds of weapons are available.

After the two arrived at the shooting range, a servant handed the Duke of England a bow and arrow.

The Duke of England pulled a two-stone bow into a full moon, and then shot an arrow. The arrow flew out like a dragon and hit the bull's eye of the target fifty or sixty steps away.

"Excellent archery skills! Master, you are still strong despite your old age." Jia Jue exclaimed in admiration.

The Duke of England turned around when he heard the voice and smiled when he saw Jia Jue.

"Well, everyone in the army knows you're a crack shot."

"You are the most elite archer of the Xiongnu. You can defeat ten of them at once and kill them without leaving a single one." "How can my two moves possibly catch your eye?"

"How about it, do you want to try your skills?"

Jia Jue said with a chuckle.

"It's been a while since I last practiced archery. If I miss, I hope you won't laugh at me, sir."

The Duke of England waved his hand and said.

"Okay, don't be so modest. This two-stone bow is a little light for you. Come, bring me the precious bow."

The servant beside him agreed and went away quickly.

While waiting, Jia Jue chatted with the Duke of England.

At this time, not far away outside the wall of the martial arts arena, two little maids were setting up a ladder.

Next to the ladder stood a girl about eighteen or nineteen years old. She was graceful and elegant, with a heroic look between her brows.

The girl was none other than the Duke of Ying'an's only daughter, Zhang Guifen, the newly appointed Princess of Yong'an.

At this time, Zhang Guifen looked at the two maids and urged them.

"Hurry up, you two. Why are you taking so long to put up a ladder?"

The little maid said helplessly.

"Girl, how about we discuss this again? You really want to pull the wall over me. This is not easy to say."

"If the Madam knew about this, we would both be scolded."

Zhang Guifen waved her hand and said.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you."

"You two should just hold the ladder for me."

The two little maids had no choice but to nod.

They also knew that their own young lady had been the apple of the eye of the Duke of England's mansion since she was young. From the old Duke and his wife to the Duke of England's sons, everyone in the mansion loved Zhang Guifen very much.

The reason why the two little maids were standing on this ladder today was because of Zhang Guifen's curiosity.

Zhang Guifen is a typical daughter of a general, who prefers swords and guns to red dresses.

Because of her family's influence, Zhang Guifen has never been interested in stories about talented men and beautiful women.

The famous generals who rode on iron horses and drank water on the battlefields of the Mobei Desert were the ones Zhang Guifen admired.

After learning that Jia Jue, the Marquis of Guanjun and the great hero of the Battle of Mobei, was visiting her house today, Zhang Guifen wanted to see Jia Jue very much.

But there are differences between men and women, and it is impossible for Jia Jue to go to the backyard of the Ying Mansion.

So Zhang Guifen asked two maids to bring a ladder to the wall outside the martial arts arena, hoping to use the ladder to see Jia Jue's true face on the top of the wall to see if he was the heroic general she imagined.

After setting up the ladder, Zhang Guifen immediately climbed up the ladder, climbed over the wall and quietly looked towards the shooting range.

At this time, the servants also brought the precious bow to the shooting range.

When Jia Jue saw the bow, he couldn't help but feel excited.

The soldiers were more delighted to see the fine horses and the magical weapons than to see the beautiful women.

This precious bow is about three feet long and is dark gold in color, but it also emits a glossy luster, not like metal.

The most amazing thing is the bowstring, which is like a tendon, as white as jade and extremely tough.

The Duke of England looked at Jia Jue and said with a smile.

"This bow was given to the first ancestor of the Zhang family by Emperor Taizu."

Jia Jue nodded slightly and said.

"The four kings and eight dukes who founded the country each had their own strengths. For example, the two dukes, Jia and Ning, were renowned for their spearmanship, surpassing all other troops."

"The first Duke of Ying was a skilled archer in the army, having helped Emperor Taizu conquer Liaodong with just three arrows. Giving this precious bow to the Duke of Ying is a great way to put it to good use."

(End of this chapter)