Wealth and glory seek stability

"Well, it's New Year's Day, let's make everyone happy."

Jian Xi walked to the flower hall, where there were several large tables of food. The general's mansion had a large kitchen, but they seldom prepared such large banquets. There was also no proper mistress in the mansion to hold banquets from time to time, so when there was this opportunity, everyone tried their best to show off.

Jian Xi likes lively occasions, and found it lonely to have dinner with Shen Nanxing, so she asked her trusted servants to come to Huashui Pavilion to liven up the atmosphere.

The lanterns and ribbons in the flower hall were arranged very attentively, and there were many fireworks and firecrackers piled up in the corners, as well as sky lanterns for praying.

All the lanterns were lit, making the yard warm.

Almost everyone has arrived.

Jian Xi and Shen Nanxing sat in the main seats.

"Master Mo Chuan and Lingbao are guests. How can they sit with the servants? Please come and sit at the main table." Jian Xi raised her hand, and Zi Cui brought Lingbao to sit below Jian Xi.

Mo Chuan didn't want to come at first, but couldn't stand the pushing from his deskmate A Qing, so he had no choice but to sit next to Shen Nanxing.

"How can this be so embarrassing?"

Jian Xi poured a glass of wine herself, "Master Mo Chuan has come from afar, and I was busy at home and didn't entertain him properly. Please forgive us for our impoliteness." She placed the glass in front of Mo Chuan.

Mo Chuan laughed, "No, people who practice Taoism don't care about these things. Master taught us to be self-reliant. It's great that the girl can take us in."

Shen Nanxing had already trained himself to be a good drinker, so he picked up the glass and said, "Come on, let's drink it." He drank it all in one gulp.

Mo Chuan swallowed his saliva, and couldn't refuse, so he had to do it.

Jian Xi poured a glass of milk into Ling Bao's wine glass and said, "You are still young and cannot drink alcohol. Only by drinking some milk can you grow taller."

Lingbao glanced at Jian Xi's wine glass.

Jian Xi picked up the wine glass and said, "Let's drink too."

"cheers!"

Lingbao's eyes narrowed into slits in an instant.

Seeing that Lingbao was well taken care of, Mo Chuan finally felt relieved.

The main table was opened for dinner and the servants were finally let go.

For a time, there was constant laughter and laughter.

During the dinner, Mo Chuan was forced to drink a lot of wine by Shen Nanxing, and he began to feel weak in the knees.

Lingbao was young and was so sleepy after dinner that he couldn't open his eyes.

Jian Xi asked Mother Gui to send Lingbao back to rest.

About half an hour later, when everyone had finished eating, they came to pay their respects and kowtow to the chairman.

The chairman's seat and the servants' seat were separated by a bead curtain.

After bowing, people can go to the seat of Butler Liu next to them to get a handful of change.

This is a method Jian Xi came up with. How much you catch depends entirely on your luck. Just consider it as a way to please others.

Everyone received the reward money happily.

After receiving the order, the nosy servant went to set off firecrackers and fireworks.

There is a pool of running water inside the Huashui Pavilion, which is perfect for setting off fireworks without having to worry about sparks falling and causing a fire.

The maids wrote their personal wishes on flowery paper and waited until the fireworks were over before releasing sky lanterns to pray for blessings.

The crackling sound of fireworks woke up the drunk Mo Chuan.

Mo Chuan jumped up instantly, holding his hands in a defensive position, "What's wrong? What's wrong? Who is so presumptuous here? I will take care of you."

"Hahahahahaha." Several little maids couldn't help but laugh out loud when they saw this.

"Brother Mo, now that you're awake, let's continue drinking. I'll fill your glass."

Shen Nanxing seemed to be staring at Mo Chuan tonight, determined to see who was better.

"General Shen, I am already exhausted, please forgive me."

"Girl, please beg for mercy for me."

Jian Xi raised a perfect smile, "Brother is so hospitable, how can I dissuade you, Taoist priest, you must enjoy yourself."

Come on.

There was no escape this time.

The men at the table all drank strong liquor.

After a few drinks, Mo Chuan felt a surge of aftereffects rising from the bottom up. Finally, he couldn't help it and found an open space to vomit.

Jian Xi helped Shen Nanxing pick up a piece of honey-glazed lotus root slices and put it on the plate.

"Xi'er, why do you have to make things difficult for yourself?"

"Don't worry about it, brother. Just do as I say."

"Ok."

The sky was filled with colorful fireworks blooming above the General's Mansion.

People who lived nearby came out in groups of three or four to join in the fun.

Gao Yunhuai stood in the yard, looking at the fireworks in the distance, lost in thought for a long time.

"Yun Huai, what are you doing standing in the yard?" Zhu'er supported Mrs. Gao and walked into the yard.

Gao Yunhuai came back to his senses, "Mother."

In the distance, sky lanterns rose up, dotted like stars in the sky.

Mrs. Gao naturally saw it too. "I don't know whose family is that over there, setting off fireworks and releasing sky lanterns. It's so lively."

Zhu Er took a look and replied, "Madam, it's General Shen's mansion. A few days ago, Madam Liu went out to buy things and ran into a servant from that family who was buying New Year goods. The servant couldn't stop praising the master's kindness."

"That's great. The people in the capital are all very elegant and seldom celebrate New Year festivals. At most they just worship the gods and ancestors. I haven't seen such a lively scene for a long time. It's a pity that we have a small family. If you can get married and have children soon, and there is a child making noise in the yard, my illness may be cured."

Gao Yunhuai put his hands behind his back and said calmly: "Mother will get what she wants."

Mrs. Gao's withered eyes suddenly sparkled with light, like a dormant lioness suddenly discovering her prey, "Son, are you serious?"

"Of course I wouldn't dare to lie to my mother."

"Okay, okay, as long as the girl is willing, mother will help you hold a grand wedding."

Mrs. Gao's long-suppressed mind suddenly became open, her breathing became smoother, and her back straightened.

Gao Yuanhuai helped the excited Madam Gao into the house, "Don't worry about these, mother. Right now, we haven't even started yet, and we don't know if it will work out yet."

Mrs. Gao looked worried. "But you don't have any official position now. What if people look down on you because you are a commoner? It would have been better if you had settled down a few years earlier."

Gao Yunhuai was too embarrassed to say that Jian Xi looked down on him a few years ago.

Today I sent someone to deliver a jade ruyi. The servant I sent said that the government over there had already received it and didn't say anything.

He didn't know whether Jian Xi had guessed his identity or not. He just wanted to send a New Year gift. It was common for officials to exchange gifts at the end of the year, so it would not be easy to be discovered if he blended in.

Some are happy and some are sad.

There are only a few young talents worth mentioning in the capital.

The atmosphere in Duke Lan’s Mansion was not so good.

The current Duke of Lan, Lan Cheng, sat in the main seat, looking at his family.

"Since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince won't give us this face, there's no need for us to guard a tree. I've heard that His Majesty will hold a lantern festival in the Zhaixing Tower in the palace during the Lantern Festival after the New Year. At that time, he will invite princes and noble ladies to choose a wife for the Crown Prince."

Lady Lan Guogong looked at the uneasy Lan Mei'er and asked, "What does the Duke mean?"

"I will send a letter of greeting to Concubine Zhao in a few days. If Concubine Zhao is interested, she can marry Mei'er to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."

The Lan family has been a military family for generations. His Majesty will not allow such a family with a large number of troops to marry a minister in the court. The best destination for the daughter of the Lan family is to marry a prince.