Zhan Country experienced a decade-rarity cold winter, where many regions suffered from snow disasters. Fortunately, the court responded promptly by allocating relief funds from the national treasury and coordinating supplies from surrounding areas to the badly affected cities.
Yuan Shoufu, as the imperial commissioner for disaster relief, brought along several cabinet members, including Xiao Hen.
Because he went for relief efforts, he was unaware of his family’s emissary proposing a marriage in Yan Country, especially to the little lord of the Duke Residence.
Nor did he know that his father showed off his children all the way to Yan Country.
On this end, he received quite a few letters sent from the Marquis Residence...
"This one is mine, and this one... is yours, Yuan Shoufu." In the study room of the county government office, Xiao Hen handed the letter in his hand to Yuan Shoufu. "A letter from my father."
Yuan Shoufu already knew about him actually being the Little Marquis of Zhaodu.
Yuan Shoufu, upon hearing it was from Marquis Xuanping, thought an urgent matter had occurred in court. He quickly took the letter, solemnly opened it.
And what he saw was a row of flamboyant calligraphy——My daughter-in-law’s eldest brother’s future father-in-law, my marquis daughter’s full moon. Your knowledge is profound, please give her a nice name.
Attached is the portrait of my marquis daughter.
Yuan Shoufu: "..."
Xiao Hen unintentionally peeked, but his father’s handwriting was as large as a basket, making it hard not to notice.
Sure enough, attached were his little sister’s portraits.
He couldn’t recall how many "name-request letters" his father had sent out?
Uncle Grandpa also received them.
Moreover, wasn’t his little sister’s name already chosen long ago?
Using the pretense of naming to show off his daughter, it was really enough!
In the future, if he had a daughter, he would never be like his dad!
...
Vermilion Bird Avenue.
After spring began, the weather in the Capital City was sunny and pleasant.
Shangguan Qing was practicing standing on horseback in the courtyard.
Ice three feet thick doesn’t form overnight. He was poisoned for twenty years, even with purple grass fruit, it wouldn’t heal completely in one morning or evening.
He needs months of recuperation, taking purple grass fruit daily besides drinking the Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribed by the imperial physician. Additionally, the physician advised him to exercise more, which aids bodily recovery.
Marquis Xuanping would visit here every day, helping him exercise the muscles. Initially, he could only take mild walks, but gradually, he could stand in a bit of horseback stance.
Father and son recuperate together, recovering fairly well.
"You practice standing on horseback by yourself first." In the courtyard, Marquis Xuanping adjusted his son’s posture, then said matter-of-factly, "Today’s weather is nice, I’ll go hold your little sister to get some sun."
Shangguan Qing pouted: "Accompanying me to practice standing is false, holding my sister is true."
The little sister was three months old, named Xiao Yi, said to be named by his mother when pregnant with her first child.
The name sounds well-behaved, but... it’s actually quite obedient, just doesn’t drink nanny’s milk, needing the princess mother to feed her personally.
When he was young, his mother seemingly fed him personally as well, by this view, Ahen was most pitiful.
Getting off track, back to the little sister.
Besides tiring the mother, the little sister had another problem with an excessively loud cry, so mighty it scared gods and ghosts, having no issues during the day but practically keeping the entire street awake at night.
No one could calm her except his father.
Every afternoon, his father visited him, had dinner, and calmed the little sister to sleep before leaving at night.
As his little sister grew bigger, slept later, his father also left later...
Princess Xinyang went out, inside the house, Yujin watched over the soundly sleeping little Xiao Yi.
Little Xiao Yi was born prettier than typical newborns, becoming whiter and chubbier after her first month, increasingly charmingly cute.
"Marquis." Yujin saluted Marquis Xuanping.
Marquis Xuanping nodded, responded, came to the cradle, looking at the sleeping small thing inside, his lips involuntarily curled slightly.
Yujin sneakily glanced at him once, thought to herself, the marquis was different from before.
Marquis Xuanping raised an eyebrow: "Such good looks, obviously takes after this marquis."
Yujin’s face darkened; she retracted her words, the marquis remained the marquis!
Not long after, the door resounded with horse hooves, Princess Xinyang’s carriage returned.
She just visited the Imperial Palace, discussing with Empress Dowager Zhuang and Empress Xiao about Xiao Hen and Gu Jiao’s marriage.
Regarding the grand wedding, the two highly influential women had no objections, even greatly agreed.
In Empress Dowager Zhuang’s mind, that brat Ahen owed her Jiaojiao a magnificent wedding.
Princess Xinyang thought so too, back in the countryside, the pair never had a proper wedding, her son was unconscious, opened his eyes to find himself someone’s husband.
No wedding ceremony, no bridal chamber.
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