vstars Chapter 431 With the whole family's help, Ouyang Yan gets to meet the banished immortal.
Chapter 431 With the whole family's help, Ouyang Yan gets to meet the banished immortal.
After several exchanges, Jiang Xiaoqi finally learned the eldest prince's purpose.
This man has great ambitions; he wants the entire Chiang family to stand on his side.
Hehe~
How can it be?
The Jiang family boarded His Majesty's ship first, albeit through two ministers, but His Majesty certainly knew everything about it.
After all, they had already revealed the relationship between the Third Prince and the Minister of Revenue to the Emperor through Minister Wu, so they had done a small favor and made a name for themselves.
The eldest prince is dreaming!
If we can't refuse outright, then we have to resort to a roundabout approach.
Sigh (′-w?`)
Jiang Xiaoqi had already devised a strategy in his mind, but before he could speak, someone else rescued him from his predicament.
"Old Madam Ouyang? How come Jiang Zhuangyuan's grandmother and Old Madam Ouyang are so familiar with each other?"
The head maid who came to invite the prince wasn't intimidated by him, after all, she had once been from the palace and was originally one of the Empress Dowager's people.
"Your Highness, the old lady Jiang and my lady had a very pleasant conversation. They just mentioned Lord Jiang, which is why she sent this old servant to invite him. My lady is very eager to meet this extraordinary person who achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination at the age of fourteen."
This is quite straightforward. It was Old Madam Ouyang who invited them, and this was a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet hosted by the Ouyang family. No matter how noble the eldest prince's status is, Old Madam Ouyang is also the Empress Dowager's sister-in-law.
"I see. Then, Mr. Jiang, you may go. We can talk about our matter another time."
"Yes, Your Highness, I was rude!"
Zhao Hongmin waved his hand dismissively, as if he didn't care at all.
But Jiang Xiaoqi knew that this person had clenched his back teeth.
I'd better stick to being a homebody from now on, so I don't run into him again someday.
Hehe, he had just overheard that the Ouyang family hadn't sent invitations to any of the princes, so this guy was clearly uninvited.
He's getting married in about twenty days, why is he making such a fuss?
What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force.
Jiang Xiaoqi left with the head maid, letting out a long sigh of relief.
When he arrived at where Madam Ouyang was, he saw Madam Jiang chatting and laughing with Madam Ouyang.
Good heavens! When did my grandmother become a social outcast? She's sitting way too close to Madam Ouyang.
When everyone present saw Jiang Xiaoqi arrive, their eyes lit up at first, and then their faces lit up with smiles.
Madam Ouyang looked Jiang Xiaoqi up and down and praised, "Indeed, he is a handsome young man, a hero among men." Jiang Xiaoqi quickly bowed modestly.
Madam Ouyang also looked Jiang Xiaoqi up and down very carefully, and Jiang Xiaoqi felt as if she had been X-rayed.
What's going on? How could such a noble lady look at a man so openly?
Although she was young, Madam Ouyang did not look old. As an elder, she should avoid any appearance of impropriety.
Strange, really strange.
Before Jiang Xiaoqi could even dig out a three-bedroom apartment, Old Madam Jiang called her grandson over.
"Mingfei, you don't know anyone in the front yard. Old Madam Ouyang said that the eldest young master Ouyang and the others will show you around in a bit. Why don't you thank Old Madam Ouyang!"
"Thank you so much, Madam Ouyang, for your trouble!"
Although Jiang Xiaoqi didn't want to wander around, she couldn't refuse her host's kindness.
“Oh, what’s the trouble? They’re all young people. I also hope that my grandchildren can absorb some of Scholar Jiang’s literary talent.”
It seems that the young masters of the Ouyang family all have official titles and honors, right? Do they need to emulate his scholarly aura?
The Ouyang family is the largest and most prestigious family in the capital, with a profound heritage, and they are very dedicated to the upbringing of their children.
The Ouyang family had hundreds of members who served in official positions, and many of its members were scholars and great Confucian scholars.
In fact, Jiang Xiaoqi had always suspected that his master was also a member of the Ouyang family, but since his master denied it, he and his senior brother did not pursue the matter further.
Madam Ouyang's words were merely a polite excuse.
No sooner had Madam Ouyang finished speaking than three handsome young men arrived.
Ouyang Zhan is the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife. He has now come of age and was away studying during today's imperial examination, so he did not participate in the spring examination.
I plan to enter the competition again next time, and I am more confident of winning the championship.
Ouyang Xian was the eldest son of the second wife, only one year younger than Ouyang Zhan, and he was also a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations).
Ouyang Jian is the youngest son of the third wife, only sixteen years old this year, and currently just a scholar.
However, he was already a scholar who had passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations, so it was only a matter of time before he passed the provincial examination.
"Grandson greets Grandmother, and Mother/Auntie!"
"Good, good, good children. This is the young master of the Jiang family. You should have heard of him. He is the youngest top scholar since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
"It's Scholar Jiang! We went to see him parade through the streets on horseback! Scholar Jiang is young and promising, a role model for us all!"
"Young Master Ouyang, you flatter me!"
Jiang Xiaoqi quickly added modestly, as he couldn't accept all the praise so readily. He still had no clue what the Ouyang family's true intentions were.
What I fear most is that the Ouyang family will act as a lobbyist for some prince, leading me and the entire Jiang family onto a sinking ship.
It's always wise to be cautious and wary of others; it's best to proceed with care.
Although the Jiang family is not exactly a prominent and sought-after family, the entire clan and the officials closely associated with them number nearly twenty. While this may not seem like a large number, many of them hold key positions.
Ministry of Works, Ministry of Revenue, Hanlin Academy, close advisors to the emperor...
After exchanging pleasantries, Ouyang Zhan suggested with a smile, "Scholar Jiang, how about we go to the garden to admire the chrysanthemums together?"
Jiang Xiaoqi couldn't refuse, so she told her grandmother and followed them out of the hall.
Along the way, the three young masters of the Ouyang family mostly praised his talent, but Jiang Xiaoqi always felt that there was a deeper meaning behind the praise.
The Jiang family's social standing is far inferior to that of the Ouyang family; there's really no need for these young masters from prominent families to fawn over him.
The eldest prince is right ahead; shouldn't you go and accompany the esteemed eldest prince?
"This is a rare green chrysanthemum. We were lucky enough to have a few plants cultivated in the greenhouse this year. Last year's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet only had a small plant, and it didn't bloom well."
Ouyang Xian seemed to really like chrysanthemums. Jiang Xiaoqi looked at the various chrysanthemums vying for attention, but didn't feel anything special.
After all, in later generations, chrysanthemums almost became flowers used exclusively for memorial services. And because the metaphor of a certain human organ was so deeply ingrained, Jiang Xiaoqi couldn't help but associate chrysanthemums with another type of chrysanthemum.
Sigh... He's a common man, and even in this refined setting, he can't maintain his elegance. Cough cough, but he can still put on a show.
"As expected of carefully cultivated, this is the first time I have ever seen green chrysanthemums. They are truly extraordinary."
Pure and elegant, aloof from the world, noble and extraordinary—these are all descriptions of this celestial flower.
"Hahaha, Scholar Jiang is quite the connoisseur of flowers!"
As soon as Ouyang Xian finished speaking, a glimpse of a light blue skirt peeked out from behind Ju.
"Big brother, second brother, third brother, you're all here?"
The three Ouyang brothers showed no sign of discomfort, only a slight surprise.
With an open and honest expression, he told the only guest present that it was a chance encounter, a purely chance encounter.
Jiang Xiaoqi: Guess if I believe you or not?
Jiang Zhuangyuan, whose radar had already started to sound an alarm, took a step back, trying to keep as far away as possible from the Ouyang family women who were about to come out.