There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 395 Generous Gift List

The matchmaker did not sit down immediately, but instead turned to take a gift box from a young steward.

She turned to Master Gu again, her smile fading slightly, replaced by a solemn expression.

"Your family is blessed with outstanding talents and virtues. Your virtuous and intelligent daughter is renowned far and wide. Now, the young master of the Xiao family in the capital has become a top scholar in the imperial examination. He is well-versed in the classics and of upright character. He admires this virtuous lady and longs for her day and night."

"By the order of Young Master Xiao, I, an old woman, have been specially dispatched to carry this letter of honor, inquiring about your daughter's name and date of birth, so as to establish good relations between our families, report to our ancestors, and express our sincere intentions."

Mr. Gu's gaze fell on the mahogany gift box.

"I have heard of the upright character and talented young men of the Xiao family. Since you, Madam, have come with ancient etiquette, your sincerity is evident. My daughter is stubborn, but I am deeply grateful for your kindness."

After saying this, he stood up, walked to the matchmaker, and accepted the gift box with both hands.

"Yes, yes, Lord Gu has agreed!" Princess Changning excitedly grabbed Li Shuchen's clothes.

Li Shuchen grabbed her, afraid she would fall.

"Be careful"

At this moment, Xiao Xiuyuan's hand, which was placed in front of him with distinct knuckles, loosened almost imperceptibly.

What Li Lingxiao saw beside him

After accepting the gift certificate, Master Gu's gaze slowly fell on Xiao Xiuyuan, and he suddenly spoke.

What books have you been reading lately?

Xiao Xiuyuan stepped forward and bowed slightly in response, his voice clear and melodious.

"Uncle, I recently reread the Book of Han, and I have gained some insights, especially from the chapter on food and commodities. I deeply feel that the principle of 'the way to govern the people is based on the land' is the same in both ancient and modern times."

After listening, Mr. Gu nodded in approval.

The matchmaker's face broke into a genuine, relaxed smile, and she bowed deeply once more.

"My lord and madam are kind and understanding, which I deeply admire. We have chosen an auspicious day to perform the 'Naji' ceremony, in order to receive the blessings of the gods and ancestors and to ensure a happy marriage. In that case, I shall take my leave now."

Master Gu: "Take care, Granny."

Xiao Xiuyuan said, "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Gu. I will take my leave now."

Master Gu said, "My dear nephew, please stay and have lunch with me. Xiao'er, please stay as well."

"Yes, Uncle." *2

The three of them got up and left, the engagement gifts carried by servants, heading towards Gu Ziying's courtyard.

Li Shuchen carried Princess Changning down the mountain and headed straight for Gu Ziying's courtyard.

"You're back. My father..." Gu Ziying asked, her hand unconsciously twisting her handkerchief.

"Don't worry, Lord Gu agreed, and even invited Young Master Xiao to have lunch with us," Li Shuchen reassured her, patting her hand.

At this moment, Madam Gu entered the room with a gift box and handed it to Gu Ziying, saying, "Good child, have you been waiting anxiously? Quickly open it and take a look."

"Mother, please don't tease your daughter, I wouldn't," Gu Ziying said, but she opened the gift box without slowing down.

Inside was a red paper gift book and a pair of palm-sized gold ruyi scepters.

Gu Ziying slowly unfolded the book of gifts, read it carefully, then went to the desk, dipped her brush in gold ink, and filled in her information.

Every smile and frown was full of love.

Princess Changning, holding Li Shuchen's hand, was genuinely happy to see her close friend so happy, yet also felt a touch of worry.

"Do you think Ziying will still be able to play with us often after she gets married?"

"Of course we can. We can visit her whenever we want, and not only that, we can take her to travel to faraway places. Didn't we go to the South together last time? We'll definitely go to many more places in the future. When did you become so rule-abiding?"

"Sigh, I'm just worried that it will be difficult for the girl to go out after she gets married."

"If marriage restricts Ziying's personal freedom, then it's better not to get married."

I agree.

"However, Young Master Xiao doesn't seem like that kind of person. If he really dares to restrict us, we'll just fight our way in."

"Alright, I've been practicing the boxing techniques you taught me recently and they've been quite effective. I can shatter a porcelain bottle with one punch. Impressive, right?"

Princess Changning gestured arrogantly

Li Shuchen shook his head.

"Although he has improved a lot compared to before, he is still too weak. He should be able to shatter a rock with one punch to be considered qualified."

I will continue to work hard.

After writing the message, Gu Ziying gently and carefully placed the gift book back into the gift box, her movements full of tenderness.

"Keep the engagement gift safe, I'll go have my meal first."

Gu Ziying nodded and asked An Lan to check the gifts. Soon after, An Lan arrived with a gift list.

One hundred taels of pure gold;

Five hundred taels of silver;

Two hundred thousand Zixing Tongbao coins;

A pair of gold bracelets with dragon and phoenix motifs intertwined in silk patterns;

A pair of gold bracelets with the design of continuous blessings and longevity;

The story of the gold pendant with inlaid peony and jewel patterns;

A special hair bun inlaid with pearls, jade, gemstones, and emeralds;

A pair of gold hairpins in the style of butterflies and flowers;

A pair of mutton-fat white jade rings;

A flawless, bright red robe with long sleeves, embroidered with gold and brocade patterns and cloud-patterned silk.

A long, pleated silk skirt embroidered with gold thread, gold accents covering the ground, a single sliver of gold at the waist;

Twenty bolts of silk in various colors: scarlet, dark blue, royal blue, and imperial green;

Thirty bolts of various colored silks and gauzes: some with subtle patterns, others plain;

A pair of geese;

Two live sheep were led away;

Four jars of aged Shaoxing wine;

Four tin cans of top-grade bud tea;

One hundred jin of dragon and phoenix molded reunion wedding cakes;

Ten boxes each of four kinds of candied fruits: dates, chestnuts, lotus seeds, and longan;

Eight jars containing eight delicacies of seafood, including dried fish, clam shells, scallops, and dried shrimp.

After listening, Li Shuchen asked Princess Changning in a low voice, "I don't know much about engagement gifts, but judging from the amount, isn't Young Master Xiao's gift quite generous?"

Princess Changning nodded and replied, "This is already the highest standard among commoners. He hasn't regained his status as the Seventh Prince yet, so he can't propose to Ziying with the standards befitting a prince. Otherwise, the gifts would be even more numerous, and they would be prepared by the Imperial Household Department."

"Then why doesn't he revert to his status as the Seventh Prince before proposing marriage?"

"I'm not sure either, but I heard from my uncle, the Emperor, that Young Master Xiao needs to perform some merit before he can regain his status. The day he regains his status will probably be the day he marries Ziying."

"As long as he doesn't wrong Ziying, that's fine."

Gu Ziying carefully put away the gift list and asked An Lan to serve the meal.

The three of them sat at the table and dined together.

Princess Changning spoke up, "I forgot to tell you, my uncle the Emperor has agreed to send envoys to negotiate, and the list of names is almost finalized. They will depart soon."

"Am I up there?" Li Shuchen asked.

"Of course! I specifically spoke with my uncle, the Emperor, and Yu Ying will accompany us to protect us. I also told my uncle to let Zi Ying and Bing Li go along as well."

"Won't sending so many people affect the negotiations?" Gu Ziying asked Princess Changning.

"No, the main people in charge of the negotiations are the Tenth Prince, Yu Ying, and some ministers from the Ministry of Rites. We are just business representatives, so the number doesn't matter."

"The Tenth Prince is going too?" Li Shuchen put down his bowl and frowned. "He's a difficult person to please. He's picky about everything he eats, wears, and uses. The mountains are rugged; can he handle crossing them?"

"He has personal servants to take care of him; we don't need to worry about him."

Li Shuchen muttered and complained.

"I'm not worried about taking care of him, but I'm afraid he'll slow us down. After all, the later we enter Boyu, the later we negotiate; the later we negotiate, the later we start trade; and the later we start trade, the later I can make money."

"Is making money that urgent? Didn't you say the inn made a lot of money last year, and it's all been spent?" Princess Changning asked curiously.