Chapter 645: Coming of Age
Prince Consort Xun did not get off the carriage immediately after seeing the princess personally coming out to greet him, but waited until the carriage arrived in front of Dongyang before getting off.
He was still handsome and aloof, with an air of fairy, and had not changed much since the first time he met Xun Xiang. If he did not have a beard, he would look only in his early thirties.
He is already forty-one this year, one year older than Ding Zhao.
Prince Consort Xun bowed to Dongyang with a wooden face, then looked at Xun Xiang, his eyes also warmed up, and a smile appeared on his thin lips.
"My daughter has grown taller and prettier, and has become a big girl."
Dongyang said first, "Yes, she will be a 15-year-old next month. I have prepared hairpins and clothes for her. The birthday gift for the ancestor is also ready. Whether it will be successful or not, we have to wait for the prince consort to come back and make a decision."
Prince consort Xun's expression eased a little, "Princess, thank you for your trouble."
Dongyang smiled even more, "I am the granddaughter-in-law and mother, and I should do it."
Xun Xiang also smiled, "The ancestor said that my mother is virtuous and a good daughter-in-law of the Xun family."
Prince consort Xun was a little stunned by this compliment, and obviously did not believe it. He stretched out his left hand and said, "Princess, please."
No matter how arrogant he was, he would not walk in front of the princess and his wife.
Dongyang said again, "Prince consort, please."
The two walked towards the gate together, and Xun Xiang followed behind.
After entering the gate, Dongyang saw that Xun Fu Ma wanted to go to the outer study, and hurriedly said, "Father, your toiletries and clothes are ready in Qijin Hall. It's been so long, are you still angry?"
The flattering attitude made Xun Xiang blush a little, and there were so many people watching.
Xun Xiang also wanted to help her, so she pulled Xun Fu Ma's sleeve and said, "Dad, let's go to the inner courtyard. A lot of things happened in the capital, and your daughter is anxious to tell you. Gao Ming not only harmed the princes and grandchildren, but also my mother...
"Xun Feng is missing. Our people have been looking for her for many days, but we still don't know where she ran away..."
Xun Fu Ma half-heartedly gave in and was pulled by Xun Xiang to the inner courtyard.
Xun Xiang talked about state affairs and family affairs. Many secrets were unknown to outsiders. Xun Fu Ma was pulled all the way to Qijin Hall.
Dongyang smiled and thought that his own daughter was better. It was not enough to be good, she also had to please the prince consort. The previous daughter could not help her at all.
After Xun went to the bathroom to wash up, he came out in an ice-blue straight gown, trimmed his beard, and exuded ambergris.
Dongyang personally served a cup of iced matcha produced by Liuqingyuan, and showed him the birthday gifts prepared for the ancestor, "These gifts, plus one hundred birthday cakes and one hundred birthday peaches, what do you think of the prince consort?"
Xun nodded with satisfaction, "Very good, the princess took the trouble. Take down the screen. I bought a pair of large blue and white porcelain birthday vases from Jingde in Wucheng. "
Soon after, Xun Yi Bo, wearing an official uniform, came back from the yamen.
After more than a year of not seeing each other, his son had grown taller and even won the third place in the imperial examination and became an official.
Xun Yi Bo looked at his son and daughter in front of him. No matter how wrong Dongyang was, he had given him a pair of good children.
The smile in his eyes became even bigger.
The family ate happily.
Xun Yi Bo pulled up his sister and said, "Dad has worked hard all the way. Rest early."
Xun Yi Bo nodded, and the brother and sister left Qijin Hall.
On June 28, the Xun Mansion held a grand and lively birthday banquet for the old Tutor Xun.
Most of the royal relatives and nobles in the capital came.
The emperor also issued an imperial edict to praise the old Tutor and gave him a plaque with the words "Wei Ren Qi Yi" written on it.
Qi Yi means old birthday star.
The old ancestor was so moved that his eyes were filled with tears, and he kept saying with a pursed mouth, "The dragon's grace is vast, the dragon's grace is vast..."
This kind of lively scene is still in the Xun Mansion decades ago. The ancestor had it before he retired.
Xun Shi also wanted to come back to celebrate his father's birthday. The ancestor was afraid that he would not want to return to his work after he came back, so he did not allow it.
Dongyang has been doing very well during this period. Xun Fu Ma would go to Qijin Hall to rest for a night every now and then. The couple seemed to be getting along well, and the family was in harmony.
Considering that his daughter will be coming of age next month, will get married in February next year, and his son will get married in April next year, Xun Fu Ma did not go out again.
Twelve volumes of "Elements of Geometry" have been compiled, and there is still one volume that Ding Lilai and Gamawu can compile The translation is complete. Xun Fu Ma took the compiled volumes to Sihai Printing Factory for printing and would not go to Hu County again.
On July 19, Xun Xiang will be 15 years old and will have a coming-of-age ceremony.
The long-lived and blessed Princess of Qing has been invited to be the main guest, Mi Honglan to be the official, and the new friend Ren Zixuan to be the sponsor.
Old friends Gao Mingzhu and Zhang Ziyan have already married.
Mi Honglan and Ren Zixuan have never done this before and came to the Princess's Mansion two days in advance for "rehearsal".
Xun Xiang got up before dawn that day, and the servants decorated the Purple Courtyard.
Early in the morning, Ding Zhuang brought Ding Zhao's family to the Dongyang Princess's Mansion.
Xun Xiang is special, with four parents, and they will welcome guests and give congratulations as "hosts" today.
Ding Chi and his wife did not come, and the southern part of Hebei had just suffered a flood, and they went there to "save lives". Fearing that they would not be able to do it, Ding Zhuang asked Li Maigao to accompany them.
Ding Zhao, Ding Lichun, Xun Yibo and others all took a day off.
Ding Zhuang wanted to go to the upper room to see Xun Xiang, but Ding Zhao stopped him and said, "Dad, wait a minute, don't see Xiangxiang before the ceremony."
Ding Zhuang opened his mouth to curse, but when he saw Xun Xiang's head sticking out of the small window and smiling at him, he became happy again. He waved to his granddaughter and entered the east wing.
Not many people were invited today, several clans, the Ding family, the Xun family, the Sun family, the Dong family, the Mi family, the Qiu family, the Tao family, and a few handkerchief friends who played well with Xun Xiang.
At the beginning of the Si hour, the guests arrived one after another. Not only the invited guests came, but also Mrs. Ren, Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. Wang and other uninvited guests came.
Except for close relatives, most of the guests were female, and the male guests were only Prince Ji, Prince Jing, Tao Weng, Dong Ping, and Sun Yumu.
The guests went to the east and west wings to drink tea first.
At the beginning of the Si hour, Eunuch An came to convey the imperial decree and watch the ceremony. Empress Ye praised Xun Xiang and gave her a large phoenix hairpin inlaid with gems and pearls.
It has been agreed that the long hairpin should be worn with this one, and the short hairpins should be worn with the two prepared by Dongyang.
At the right time of the Si hour, the hairpin ceremony began.
Xun Fu Ma and his wife and Ding Zhao and his wife stood on the east side of the steps of the main room of Ziyuan, and Mi Honglan stood on the west side of the steps with a tray containing hairpins and clothes.
Xun Xiang had finished bathing and changed clothes and sat in the east room of the main room.
As the ritual music sounded, the four parents saluted and invited the guests to enter the house.
The main guest, Princess Qing, was the first to leave, followed by the main guest and the guests who entered the upper room and sat in their respective seats.
There were many people coming and the seats were limited, so some young men and children stood at the back.
Xun Fu Ma and Ding Zhao first gave a speech, saying something like "My little girl Xiang Xiang is having her coming-of-age ceremony today, thank you all for coming to watch the ceremony."
The music sounded again, and the praiser Ren Zixuan came out first and stood on the west side. Then Xun Xiang, dressed in red, came out, stood in the middle of the hall and saluted the guests, then knelt down at the coming-of-age seat.
Ding Zhuang's red nose swelled, and he wanted to cry.
It seemed like he was still carrying Xiang Xiang around the village yesterday, and in the blink of an eye, Xiang Xiang had grown up so big, and became a big girl...
——
PS: The second update will be at noon.