[Through the Book] The ancestor only wants to live a long life

"Fifth brother, come and see which two ladies are the scourge beasts? Why are the others avoiding them?"

On a high pavilion in the Anguo Mansion, several young men sat around the window, gazing at the back garden from afar.

One of the teenagers was holding a telescope in his hand. He saw something and yelled, "Really? It's so strange. Fifth brother, come and see."

"Let me see, let me see, Xiao Qi, let me see."

"I want to see too."

The other boys scrambled to grab the telescope from the young boy.

Xu Changping, who was called "Fifth Brother" by the young boy, sat aside reading a book with a calm expression, without moving at all.

"Fifth brother, come and take a look. Today our family is looking for a marriage partner for you, why don't you care at all?"

After the young boy Xu Xiaoqi had his telescope snatched away by several of his brothers, he squeezed out of the crowd, walked to Xu Changping, and pulled him towards the window by his arm.

"There are more than a dozen sisters here. Come and see if there is anyone you like. Grandmother told you to look for them in the attic. If you like anyone, she will help you propose marriage.

"Such a good opportunity, why don't you pick one for yourself?"

说着，顿了顿，贼眉鼠眼的压低了声音说：“要是你不着急挑个好的，回头祖母做主给你娶个三姐姐那样的母夜叉回来，天天揍你怎么办？”

Xu Xiaoqi thought he spoke very quietly, but Xu Xiaojiu who was standing by the window still heard it.

Xu Xiaojiu twisted his body and turned back to look at Xu Xiaoqi with a gloating look, "Seventh Brother, you said my sister is a female demon, I heard it! I will tell her later!"

"Xu Xiaojiu, you're a snitch!" Xu Xiaoqi no longer cared about Xu Changping and rushed to the window to start fighting with Xu Xiaojiu.

Xu Changping looked at his younger brothers playing with a gentle expression, smiled, then lowered his head again and continued reading silently.

At this moment, the sixteen-year-old Xu Xiaoliu handed the telescope in his hand to someone else, turned around and sat down next to Xu Changping, looking at him hesitantly without saying a word.

After a while, Xu Changping finally raised his head and looked at Xu Xiaoliu with gentle eyes, "Do you have something to tell me?"

Xu Xiaoliu bit his lip and finally asked, "Fifth Brother, don't you want to get married?"

Xu Changping asked in surprise: "Why do you ask that?"

Xu Xiaoliu said, "Grandmother arranged the banquet in the back garden and asked you to come here to see her. But you haven't even taken a look at her yet. Don't you want to choose a daughter-in-law that satisfies you?"

A bitter look appeared on Xu Changping's lips. "The ladies that Grandmother invites are naturally good. Grandmother decides. As long as the lady doesn't dislike me, it's fine. I don't care who she is."

Hearing this, Xu Xiaoliu's eyes instantly turned red, and he blamed himself: "Fifth brother, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have hurt your leg..."

If his leg had not been injured and left him disabled, his fifth brother would have been a confident, outspoken and high-spirited person, a person who would have stood out among the crowd like a crane among chickens.

His fifth elder brother passed the imperial examination and became a scholar at the age of twelve, and a juren at the age of fifteen. At the age of sixteen, he should have become famous and become the youngest jinshi in the Zhou Dynasty.

However, his fifth brother injured his leg while trying to save him, becoming disabled for life and completely ruining his future.

Four years have passed, and the high-spirited fifth brother in his memory has become what he is now, gentle and calm, not fighting or competing. However, behind this appearance is nothing but a heart of inferiority and discouragement.

"Fifth brother, I'm sorry! It's all my fault! I knew you were going to take part in the Spring Examination, but I still used the excuse of helping you relax and begged you to go to the horse farm outside the city to ride horses.

“It’s all my fault for being so naughty. Everyone told me that the horse had a fierce temper, but I still insisted on riding it.

"I'm sorry, Fifth Brother, if you hadn't saved me, your legs wouldn't have been broken by that crazy horse...

"I'm sorry, Fifth Brother! If it weren't for your leg disease, you could have married any girl you want. But now you have to worry about being rejected by those girls..."

Xu Xiaoliu couldn't stop crying.

Several young boys who had been standing by the window and peeping at the garden with great interest came over.

Everyone looked at Xu Changping with red eyes.

They all knew about this matter, and they had heard their elders sigh more than once, saying that if the fifth brother had not injured his leg, the Anguo Mansion would have returned to the public eye in the most splendid way long ago.

The Anguo Mansion kept a low profile because it was forced by the situation. Being low-key did not mean that the Anguo Mansion was willing to remain silent.

At the beginning, when the Great Zhou Dynasty was first established, Emperor Kaiyuan began to consolidate power. In order not to arouse Emperor Kaiyuan's fear, Duke Anguo voluntarily surrendered his military power.

I wanted to wait until the political situation stabilized before looking for a way out.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Kaiyuan died from a recurrence of his old injuries just six years after he ascended the throne.

Immediately afterwards, Emperor Taihe ascended the throne.

Emperor Taihe was suspicious by nature and only entrusted important tasks to talented people. He gave face to old ministers, but not much.

Therefore, before there were any outstanding younger talents, the Anguo Mansion fell into silence.

More than 20 years later, the Anguo Mansion finally produced a young genius, Xu Changping.

He was the first young man whom Emperor Taihe had high hopes for after Yun Hong, the prince of Shun'an Marquis's Mansion.

As a result, on the eve of the Spring Examination, Xu Changping injured his leg, ruining his future.

Seeing this, Xu Changping put down the book helplessly and said softly to comfort them: "It's been so many years since the incident, I have long forgotten it. Why do you still remember it?"

He reached out and touched Xu Xiaoliu's head, smiling gently and said, "I have never blamed you. Don't blame yourself anymore. Look, I am doing well now, right? I am the youngest teacher in Jingnan Academy, and many people envy me."

Xu Xiaoliu wiped away his tears and whispered, "But you don't even dare to choose the woman you like...it's all because of those legs."

Xu Changping sighed and said with a wry smile: "Well, let's just take a look."

"Yeah, Fifth Brother, come and see, that girl is so pretty."

"Fifth brother, there is also that girl who smiled adorably. She smiled at everyone since she entered the garden."

Several young boys pulled Xu Changping to the window, and the telescope that had been fought over was handed to Xu Changping.

"Oh, yes, and those two isolated ladies, I don't know where they come from?"

Xu Xiaoqi volunteered, "Here is the list my grandmother brought. I'll help confirm the identity."

As he spoke, he pulled out a booklet from his bosom and began to check the significance of the ladies in the garden with those recorded on the list.

Amid the chattering of his younger brothers, Xu Changping looked at a corner of the garden through the telescope.

There, a dozen young ladies were scattered around, some appreciating the flowers, some chatting, but what was uncommon was that from time to time, these people would steal a glance at the two young ladies who were sitting at the nanmu square table in the middle, drinking tea and chatting.

From the looks of those young ladies, he saw disdain, fear, and disgust.

Of the two ladies sitting in the middle, the one in luxurious clothes looked arrogant. If she caught anyone looking at her secretly, she would glare back at them fiercely.

After seeing it twice in a row, Xu Changping couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of his mouth.

Such arrogance, such wantonness, such uniqueness, and eye-catching... made him dazed for a moment.

He used to be like this!

At this moment, he suddenly heard Xu Xiaoliu's shocked voice: "Ah, I know who those two young ladies who were ostracized by everyone are!"

"Who?"

"Whose lady is she?"

"Say it!"

Xu Changping pricked up his ears unconsciously.

……

small theater

Princess Anyang: I heard that my official partner has appeared?

Dongyue: How can that be possible? Don't talk nonsense!