Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 754 Preparations
Zhang Da finished grinding the ink and stood aside, looking aggrieved, as if he hadn't eaten for several days.

Wang Bingchen glanced at him, feeling annoyed, and waved his hand to send the man away.

Zhang Da immediately took off running away.

The room quieted down, and Wang Bingchen was about to focus his attention on the documents when he heard laughter coming from not far away. Without even looking, he knew it was from his younger brother.

Wang Bingchen didn't want to pay attention, but it was clear that his younger brother wasn't going to let it go easily.

"After the engagement, shouldn't the betrothal ceremony be held immediately? I don't think Yan-ge'er seems like he can wait."

Wang Bingchen looked at his younger brother: "When did you see him?"

“When he left the palace after court,” Wang Bingcheng said, “Yange’er was surrounded by people asking him about his marriage.”

It's impossible to hide what the officials have bestowed as gifts; those items will all be useful during the wedding. Everyone understood after a moment's thought.

Yan Ge'er didn't want to respond, so he naturally made an excuse to leave. Being surrounded by people meant he was showing off. Yan Ge'er was like this when he was a child. Even if these behaviors gradually disappeared as he grew up, how could his uncle not know?
Aside from his elder brother and sister-in-law, he was probably the only one who could see through his nephew's thoughts. Wang Bingcheng originally thought that one day his nephew would find out if he liked someone, but unfortunately, he was not given any chance this time.

Wang Bingchen replied, "It has been a year since Prime Minister Xie passed away, so he is now of marriageable age."

When the Prince of Huai was engaged, he discussed with the Xie family and, out of respect for the late Prime Minister Xie, deliberately postponed the wedding for two years. Wang Yan obviously did not need to do so; he only needed to observe mourning for one year according to etiquette.

But the problem is... Xie Yuyan married Yang Yi first, so should she observe three years of mourning for her deceased husband?
However, Xie Yuyan's marriage to Yang Yi was persecuted, without parental consent or matchmaker's consent, and they were using someone else's identity. It should not be genuine. But if it were to be revealed one day, it would be seen as Wang Yan's wife "marrying against the law," which, even if there were a reason, would not be respectable.

The best course of action is to make that kid wait another two years.

Wang Bingchen dared not say whether the boy was willing or not. Thinking of this, he frowned. How could he have given birth to such a good-for-nothing son?
After they get married, they will most likely listen to Xie Yuyan and won't be able to make their own decisions.

“Let them be,” Wang Bingchen said. “These matters are too troublesome. I am busy with official duties and do not need to worry about them.”

Wang Bingcheng glanced at his elder brother and said, "Don't worry about being busy with official duties. Just tell me honestly, nobody will listen to you anyway."

The elder brother maintained the dignity of the family through this.

“I don’t have any official duties,” Wang Bingcheng stood up. “After I leave the office, I’m just a free man. I’ll tell the steward right now, and if there’s anything you need me to do, please let me know.”

As he spoke, he turned and walked out. When he reached the door, he remembered something and turned to look at his elder brother: "Judging by the days, people from the clan should be coming tomorrow. You need to find two respected elders among them and have them go with you to deliver the invitation."

The "grass proposal letter" refers to a marriage proposal letter that needs to be delivered to the woman by an elder from the Baoshan and Wang clans.

Wang Bingchen looked at his younger brother.

Wang Bingcheng pretended not to see the threat in his elder brother's eyes and continued, "The New Year is just around the corner. If things are done well, you will be able to live more comfortably at home. With a daughter-in-law like Xie Erniangzi, things will go much more smoothly both at home and outside. Your sister-in-law will also be very happy."

This statement sounds harmless, but upon closer examination, one can see many threats within it.

Wang Bingchen snorted coldly. What does that mean? If he doesn't cooperate well, he won't be able to celebrate the New Year? From now on, he'll only be able to sleep in the study and eat cold food at home?
Even if the Wang family doesn't want a daughter-in-law like Xie Erniangzi, there are others who are eyeing her. If something really goes wrong, the whole family will never have peace.

Wang Bingchen put down his brush and looked at the lamplight before him. He had long questioned this marriage, but it was to no avail. Now that the Emperor knew about it, who could possibly interfere?
What's so scary about Xie Erniang's reputation being questioned? Just find a highly respected person who has served as prime minister and has a high reputation to speak on her behalf, and those who value family reputation will naturally shut up.

The Wang family is a prominent clan, and he is a graduate of the imperial examinations. Could the current prime minister possibly fail to recruit such a person? Could he possibly silence him? Whom does he look down upon?

Thinking of this, Wang Bingchen called out to Zhang Da, then handed him his name card and the letter he had written earlier: "Go to Shen Can's government in the capital now."

Shen, the councilor, is sixty-three years old this year. He once served as a Hanlin Academician and Chancellor, and now he also holds a temporary councilor position. He has also taught Xie Yisong and has political disagreements with Xie Yizhi, making him the most suitable candidate. He hadn't mentioned it until today when he saw his wife, intending for her to ask him about it. Little did he know...

She respected his opinion and let him make the decision.

Since that's the case, he'll help out, since he only has this one son anyway.

……

Inside the main house, Mrs. Lin looked at Li's mother.

Madam Li was reporting, "Master has sent Zhang Da to deliver the invitation."

Madam Lin smiled knowingly: "I knew he could handle it; there was no need for Yan-ge to go and ask for help himself." Although Yan-ge could find a suitable candidate, with his parents around, he didn't need to worry about it.

“Then,” said Li’s mother, “being a person from Baoshan is enough.”

“We need to add one more,” Madam Lin said, still not entirely satisfied with the list in her hand. “I will go there myself tomorrow to find Old Madam Qin.”

The Qin matriarch that Madam Lin mentioned wasn't from a particularly prominent family, but when it came to harmonious marriages, they were always mentioned. What Madam Lin valued most was that the Qin couple and their children had been healthy and free from illness for decades, and several of the Qin family elders had lived to a ripe old age. The matriarch had served as a caretaker of Baoshan several times, and to this day, those couples all lived peaceful and harmonious lives.

Mrs. Lin felt that fame and fortune were nothing compared to these things.

If all goes well, she wants Old Madam Qin to receive Ayan's reply.

"Well?" Madam Lin asked. "Is there anything else you haven't thought of?"

Madam Li shook her head: "It was all done by the madam herself. We servants checked it many times and found nothing wrong."

"That's good," Madam Lin said. "You all need to be on your toes. You're only doing this once in your lives, so use all your skills and strength to the fullest."

Madam Li repeatedly said, "Don't worry, Madam, no one would dare to be negligent in the slightest."

Madam Lin said with some regret, "If only we could have gone through this sooner, my dowry could have been of some help."

Li's mother couldn't help but smile. Just from hearing those words, she could tell how satisfied the lady was with Lady Xie.

After speaking, Madam Lin went to check the storeroom accounts to see if there were any good things she could leave for Ayan. Once the two children were married, the house would be even more lively, and she would be able to see Yan Ge'er more often. At that time, she would remind herself not to disturb the two children unless necessary.

This is truly a bittersweet sorrow.

(End of this chapter)