frightfiction Chapter 1786 Guarding the Gate
Chapter 1786 Guarding the Gate
Sui Ming was still as easy to talk to as ever. No wonder he was so big; he had such a big heart and a generous spirit. "Whether it's my business or not is none of my concern!"
Upon hearing this, Shang Xi realized it was about something that needed to be done on a whim! She glanced at the people present; some were angry, some were laughing, and some were indifferent. Shang Xi could only turn to the composed Wan Lianxing and cautiously ask, "Uncle, I've been busy making cotton-padded clothes for the border soldiers lately. With so much to do, it's inevitable that I might miss something. What is this matter you mentioned?"
"Shang Xi! I'm not trying to criticize you, but you promised to follow your heart and destiny, and not only did you not do it, you completely forgot about it. These are soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front lines, our meritorious officials. Their affairs should be the top priority and treated as the most important matter!"
"Uncle, what exactly happened?"
"You're asking about following your heart!"
Shang Xi looked at Sui Xin, who turned her head away. Then she looked at Sui Ming, whose eyelids were lowered and who remained silent. Shang Xi had no choice but to ask Wan Lianxing again, "Uncle, what is it?"
"A lifelong commitment!"
Shang Xi was struck dumb. It seemed there was such a thing, but later the Wan family's ancestral graves were dug up, and Master Wan fell seriously ill. Everyone hurriedly returned to Fengying City, and the matter was left unresolved. Shang Xi wasn't good at matchmaking, and since no one brought it up again, she was happy to have some peace and quiet. But this whole thing had been going on for two years!
Shang Xi tentatively asked, "Neither Sui Xin nor Sui Ming have gotten married yet?"
Suiying interjected, "Isn't that obvious! They're fighting on the front lines, they don't even see a woman in the camps, how can they expect to find wives! Look at us, apart from the Emperor who's married, aren't the rest of us all bachelors?"
Shang Xi was speechless. It didn't really concern her if they were all single! "There are so many different kinds of girls in the city, why don't you go find some! It's understandable that Sui Ming and Sui Xin can't find wives, but what about the rest of you?"
Suiying said, "Right now, it's not us who are anxious, it's Suixin and Suiming, they're the ones who are more anxious!"
The man who disliked speaking up explained, "I'm not in a hurry, let's see what happens!"
Wan Lianxing looked at the people surrounding him and said, "What do you mean by 'not in a hurry'? Those who are supposed to get married should get married. What kind of image is it if everyone is a bachelor?"
The accompanying person said, "I'm not looking!"
Suiying said, "I'm not in a hurry!"
The attendant said, "I'm all alone now!"
Upon hearing this, Wan Lianxing exclaimed, "Alone? Who will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days?"
The attendant, with his large white eyes, rolled his eyes and said with considerable pride, "I have a disciple, and I am his master. A master is equivalent to a father, so of course my disciple will take care of me in my old age. My disciple has already agreed to this, so I have no worries about taking care of him!"
He has one disciple, so he's not worried, but what about the others? Are they all still single? Wan Lianxing shook his head in distress, "They're all getting on in years, and they're all still single! It's embarrassing for me!"
Suiying was the best at dealing with it: "Your Majesty, you are much older than us. It seems like you haven't been single for many years!"
"Don't compare yourself to me. If I were like you, I would already have a harem of wives and concubines, and a house full of children and grandchildren. While there is no war now, hurry up and arrange your marriages according to your wishes and fate. You absolutely cannot let them slip away again!"
Shang Xi thought to herself, "Fine, I'll hold on tight. If I don't want to take it off, I won't. Why are you looking at me like that while I'm talking? She's not a goddess who governs women!"
Wan Lianxing saw right through Shang Xi's little scheme, and his words carried an undeniable air of authority. "Shang Xi, this matter is now in your hands!"
Shang Xi humbly replied, "Your Majesty, such a significant matter for the two generals is beyond my capabilities! My niece-in-law's abilities are limited, and I'm afraid she is not up to the task!"
Wan Lianxing had already made up his mind: "Since I invited you here, it's not because I'm being polite. I have high hopes for you, and the two generals trust you, so I'm entrusting this matter to you!"
"Uncle, I'm busy at home making cotton-padded clothes for the soldiers on the border! Making cotton-padded clothes is a top priority!" Shang Xi doesn't take on just any job. In her opinion, the most difficult job is matchmaking. If it can help lovers get married, that's fine, but if she randomly matches couples, she'll be blamed!
"Of course, it's because of you unsung heroes that we're running out of cotton-padded coats for the border war! Shang Xi, I've said it before, you're not cut out to be a tailor, and we don't need you to make cotton-padded coats. The most important thing now is the marriage of the two generals!"
Sui Ming looked at Wan Lianxing and said, "Your Majesty, I am young. I am much younger than Sui Xing and Sui Ying. I am not in a hurry!"
"Sui Xing is like a block of ice; if he wanted to get married, he already has children! Sui Ying doesn't need to worry either; he's with me every day and has seen plenty. If he wanted to find someone, I wouldn't need to arrange it. As for Sui Cong, I see he's destined to be a bachelor! Right now, the most urgent matters are you and Sui Xin. You are generals personally appointed by me and have been newly assigned residences."
"How can a household function without a mistress to manage things if she doesn't live with me?"
The old steward nodded knowingly, "His Majesty is absolutely right. Such a large general's mansion can't exist without a mistress!"
Sweat beaded on Shang Xi's forehead. "Why is everyone looking at me?"
Wan Lianxing said, "If I don't look at you, who should I look at? Do you expect me, the emperor of a country, to check which minister has a good girl in his family?"
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. It is the Princess Consort who has made the fastest progress in arranging this matter. Since the Princess Consort is a woman, it is convenient for her to visit and get to know her. If the woman is indeed good, then Your Majesty can issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage!" The old steward smiled kindly as he spoke. This man did not speak easily, but when he did, his words carried weight second only to Wan Lianxing.
A fragrant aroma of flowers wafted over, and Shang Xi had an idea. "How about we hold a flower appreciation party? We can gather a group of women and choose wives for the two generals!"
Wan Lianxing said, "Be lazy and cunning. When choosing wives for these two, we should not only look at the women, but also their family background!"
In fact, Wan Lianxing thought Shang Xi's suggestion was excellent. If they really couldn't find a good woman, they could hold a flower appreciation party. His empress was chosen through a flower appreciation party, which was an effective method.
At this point, Sui Xin declared, "I am the Emperor's man. I don't care much about social status. What matters most is that the young lady is exceptionally beautiful and talented!"
Wan Lianxing refused, "Just because someone is my person doesn't mean I have to consider their social status!"
As he spoke, Wan Lianxing glanced at Ge Dongqing beside him. Ge Dongqing's eyelids twitched, and he wished he could disappear into the ground. He knew the Emperor's words were double-edged; they were a reminder that when he remarried, he should consider the social standing of his wife!
Seeing this, Sui Xin remained silent, and everyone looked at Shang Xi!
Shang Xi suddenly felt immense pressure, but Wan Lianxing and his confidants were sitting in front of her. Refusing now would be impolite, and if she said no again, the hot-tempered Sui Xin would immediately lose her temper.