Chapter 41 - Husband and Wife
When a good couple is tying the knot, it is not uncommon for the visiting guests to say something encouraging to express their good wishes for the couple.
For example:
"A hundred years of happiness, one heart and one mind."
"Lift the case together, respect each other like a guest";
Or at least will say, "early birth, three years hold two," and so on.
Unfortunately, the blessing is just a blessing. Get along. Each couple will have a different form.
In Fox Xiao Xian's first life, the couple who adopted her, Hu Lao Bo, really do not seek the same life but seek the same death. The two older men supported each other and worked hard all their lives, and in the end, hand in hand, they closed their eyes peacefully on their kang. The two went to Yellow Springs and slept forever underground, and it was a good beginning and a good end, the blessing of the past life to repair.
Ouyang Zhong's cousin, although he did not end up with his beloved girl for a hundred years, mutual love does not live up to this love. The two young people who love each other jump into the river together for martyrdom and later turn into a mandarin duck. Fly Together is also a fairy couple.
Ouyang Ming and Mrs. Xie are also present; although there is nothing to say, there is not much arguing and quarreling. The two families have been living peacefully for almost twenty years; there is no love and affection, no grief and sorrow, and they rarely interfere with each other. The two people do not have feelings but have very tacit understanding. They know each other purely as a community of interest, partner life, glory, and a loss of joint advance and retreat.
These different forms of marriage relationships are not wrong. They are better than day and night fear of being punched and kicked, better than day and night quarrels and fights, better than having to be different under one roof, but the two see boredom and even take each other as air.
The left guard, General Ouyang Zhong, and Jiaoyang(Proud Sun) county princess Xiao Feifei have had worship marriage for less than a year, even in the bridal chamber, and have yet to enter. This young couple does not have the love and affection of newlyweds, nor do they respect each other as if they were guests and raise their eyebrows. In the eyes of outsiders, they not only have money and power but also talent and appearance, which can be called a perfect pair of people. The two are newly married, but also a tiny goodbye; initially, all the objective conditions that can promote their feelings are available, but unfortunately, their relationship has been stiffened into a pair of spouses.
There is a very enlightened tradition in the Zhong Ming Dynasty that a noblewoman can start her own family after she comes of age or marries. After joining the family as a son-in-law, the man with whom they marry is required to take the name of the woman's family, and the descendants are also required to take the name of the woman's family. Zhong Ming Kingdom's surname is Xiao. Nanling Princess Xiao's name, Wushuang, has an "unrivaled" meaning, as seen in its domineering status and character. All civil and military ministers who know that she can not afford to mess with the Lord. Some noblewomen could also apply for divorce and re-recruit their new husbands; for example, the eldest Princess of Nanling had this qualification, and of course, her daughter, the Princess of Jiao Yang, could also.
This was not rare in the Zhongming royal family, and no one dared to talk or point fingers behind their backs. Only for many big clans is joining the family no harm. Changing the surname is to leave the original clan, which is a bit unhappy. According to common sense, on the day Ouyang Zhong joined the County Lord's residence, the ruler of Zhongming Kingdom himself should have knighted him, and his name should have been given to him in addition to his surname. However, Ouyang Zhong was in a hurry to go to the left guard general to go to the border to fight; the time is short, neither the feudal title nor change the name; his identity can only be considered strictly speaking half of the royal nobles. This is for his personal and Ouyang family, who do not know whether to count excellent or bad.
After the morning court, Ouyang Zhong escorted his father back to the Ouyang family house. After settling down with his father, he rode alone, slowly and leisurely, slipping and sliding, reluctantly and reluctantly, to his new home, the Joyful Sun County Lord's Mansion. Ouyang Zhong stopped at the entrance of the County Lord's Mansion and sat on his horse, wrinkling his brows as he looked at the plaque at the gate of the County Lord's Mansion. A boy who had seen Ouyang Zhong took a look at the extra horse harnessed by the side of a team and hurriedly ran up to hold the reins for him, welcoming the extra horse harnessed by the side team back to the mansion. Ouyang's heart was unhappy, and he refused to come down even after half a day of dawdling. The boy reminded him many times that he had to take a deep breath to calm down, and he did not know how many psychological constructions he had before jumping down from the horse.
He paced slowly, entering this unfamiliar home. The last time he entered the house was because the wedding was so crowded and busy that he didn't even look at this county lord's house. And today, he, the man of the house, visited his courtyard as if he were a guest who had traveled from afar.
This was a courtyard that was quite luxurious and had a royal demeanor. The courtyard architecture was built according to the mountains and forests, with pavilions lined up one after another. With the steps slowly up, it can reach the top of an artificial hill, on top of which there is a small pavilion, so chic. Both sides of the mountain have a rugged path paved with bricks, and both sides of the road are planted with lush forests, bamboo, and low flowers. Now, winter is still not flowers overflowing. If you wait until the spring blossom season, there are bound to be a hundred flowers in full bloom, and the insects and birds cry. There are two paths, one leading to the various halls and courtyards and the other on the winding path, which is connected to a pool of blue. The pool water is still frozen; inside, the small fish are not much now; they are just slowly swimming slumber over winter. The scale of the county master's residence establishment is naturally not compared to the palace and is not even as good as the Princess's Princess's residence. Still, the walls and courtyards are deep, and flying beams and heavy pavilions abound. There are solemn halls, buildings, and natural scenery of natural harmonies. What a noble elegance, what a natural elegance.
Ouyang Zhong was born into a family of officials and eunuchs, from childhood is also carefree, food and clothing no obstacle to food and clothing, but like the Sheriff's mansion, such an extravagant environment or seldom seen, even if I have seen it in the inner courtyard of the palace and the Princess House to see it. Over the years, Father Ouyang Ming's official more and more extensive, and the family's wealth has also changed Ouyang's central home courtyard only some renovation changes, but still can not be with this set of thousands of favorites in the body of the Sheriff comparable to see the PrincessPrincess of her daughter is spoiled to the sky.
Ouyang Zhong scrutinized this huge courtyard for a while and suddenly laughed coldly. He then ordered the attendants to take him to see the county princess.
Although Ouyang Zhong and Xiao Fei Fei were nominal husbands and wives, they needed to be more familiar with each other and had met more than a few times. The County Lord's title, Jiao Yang, was comparable to her mother's Wushuang name, with the same overbearing aura. Xiao Fei Fei's real name is extraordinarily romantic and poetic, just for her honorable status of being clothed and fed.
Ouyang Zhong had seen County Princess Jiao Yang once or twice before at the Princess's residence, and at that time, it was a big scene where all the people gathered. On the wedding day, County Princess Joyful Yang wore heavy makeup on her face and a pearl curtain to block most of her appearance. Just after they married, Ouyang Zhong was sent to the battlefield quickly. As a result, it was the first time that these two young couples met one-on-one face-to-face today.
Ouyang Zhong had no feelings for the Sheriff Lord before, agreeing to his father's arrangement to join the royal family and marry Xiao Feifei purely for the family's interests. To a person with no feelings, talking about liking or hating is impossible. But ever since the Eldest Princess and the County Lord had combined their efforts to trip and play tricks on him as well as the Ouyang and Wei families, he had utterly lost any good feelings towards this hairy wife of his.
Ouyang Zhong was led by his attendants, who saw the county princess in the water pavilion by the lake from afar. In Ouyang Zhong's impression, County Lord Jiao Yang had always been high and mighty, detached from him. And since this person's face was always far away and in the way, and he hadn't seen her for so long, Ouyang Zhong didn't remember much about her appearance. He only vaguely remembered that Xiao Feifei seemed to have a baby fat, but the beauty of a youthful girl with a bit of plumpness was lovely. The royal bloodline profoundly blesses the county princess's beautiful facial features. She has good nutrition, compared to the ordinary family girls who are born much better looking.
There is a beauty list in the vertical city and even in the country. The top of the list is naturally the palace courtyard, several consorts, and noble women. The most beautiful is the eldest Princess of Nanling. If you want to add the weight of this age, the younger generation of women, the Jiao Yang County princess Xiao Fei Fei, is ranked second; I'm afraid no one dares to rank first.
Jiao Yang County Lord married just over 15 years old, more than half a year past the posture and appearance more outstanding than some. Ouyang Zhong approached and looked at her with fixed eyes. She always felt that this Xiao Feifei in front of her was very strange as if she had changed into a new person, and the previous impression of her appearance was much worse. Of course, it is not beautiful, but too attractive, but this beauty always made Ouyang Zhong vaguely uncomfortable. Ouyang Zhong is a steel-straight man. On the woman of those minutiae, things have never been on the heart. He thought: It is said that a woman's eighty-eight changes, perhaps in Xiao Feifei here, want to eighty changes that are not impossible. He didn't know much about the discomfort in his heart.
At this moment, Xiao Feifei was leaning on the railing, teasing a canary in her hand. She was wrapped in a gorgeous top-grade fur cloak, the clothes on her body were pure white cloud brocade material from top to bottom, and the edges were also corded with white fox fur that had no mixed colors.
Xiao Feifei had long heard people report that her husband, whom she had only met once at the wedding, had finally returned to the house. Xiao Fei Fei does not like Ouyang Zhong. She thinks that the Ouyang family is a little money bumpkin, and marrying Ouyang Zhong is their significant loss; she is aggrieved to die; if it is not the emperor's uncle and mother who play power, he becomes a chess piece or does not marry him. Therefore, Ouyang Zhong does not go to the frontier to fight against the enemy, but in the end, when she returns to the County Lord House, she does not care.
She thought that if Ouyang Zhong died on the battlefield, she could legitimately recruit a new extra horse harnessed by the side of a team, picking the one she liked instead of listening to her mother's wishes. However, when she hears that Ouyang Zhong even took his slave girl to the border and also that the groom and concubine are not in love, she begins to be upset. This is not jealousy, but she feels that the face of her hall, Jiao Yang County Lord, face can not pass the matter; she can not be forgiven.
The County Lord had waited for a long time, and Ouyang Zhong hadn't even come to her to ask for peace and apologize; she was surprised. Xiao Feifei couldn't resist sitting in the main hall and waiting, so she first ran out to see what exactly Ouyang Zhong was doing. I didn't expect him to stroll around the courtyard! Her heart, which was already unhappy, was doused with oil again. She gamely held the bird's food and watched Ouyang Zhong approach her, intentionally putting on a posture of "my mother is in a bad mood, no one should come near," waiting for this new emperor's son-in-law to coax himself. Out of etiquette, Ouyang Zhong slightly bowed to the county princess; after all, the county princess is the king, and he is the subject; there is nothing wrong with this bow.
Ouyang Zhong opened his mouth without emotion: "Ouyang Zhong pays his respects to County Lord Jiao Yang since I left the capital to guard the border due to military affairs. This is my first time saluting the county lord to ask for peace. In recent days, my father's body has been slightly ill. As the eldest son, I still need to abide by filial piety to serve in front of my father, so today, I specially came to the residence to give the County Lord leave. I still need to go back to the Ouyang residence to live at home, to take care of my father until he recovers." After saying that, Ouyang Zhong gave another salute and turned around to leave.
Ouyang Zhong's heart is also like a mirror: You will not fight with me? That's good! If you want to keep people away, I'm looking forward to it.
Xiao Fei Fei poured oil into her heart by Ouyang Zhong, which ultimately ignited. She can no longer care what a dignified lady's exemplary persona, at this time, opens her mouth on the curse: "You, Ouyang Zhong, really do not know what's good and bad, do my Xiao family people, sparrow rose to the phoenix have a noble identity, you still take up the frame? Do not look at their family origin; you and your Ouyang family everything, which is not my Xiao family's favor. How many people have begged for this marriage, and you don't even know how to repay favors?"
"Knowing favors?" Ouyang Zhong laughed coldly and turned to look disdainfully at the Sheriff Lord, "Sheriff Lord, don't be mistaken. Although rulers and ministers, we are bound to bow and scrape for imperial favor. But we also rely on their skills to earn this mouth of imperial grain, but also with their flesh and blood to maintain your Xiao family generations can be in such a glorious palace courtyard, enjoy the glory and wealth of the brocade clothes and jade food."
The Princess knew that she couldn't say anything to Ouyang Zhong, who was well versed in poetry and books, but she was most angry with others for talking back to her, and as someone whom heaven had spoiled since she was a child, how could she stand this kind of neglect and aggravation? She got up and was about to hit Ouyang Zhong. She threw the shallow dish containing bird food towards Ouyang Zhong's head, but she didn't expect to be easily caught by Ouyang Zhong. Ouyang Zhong mockingly looked at this weak county princess, and while gently slapping his palms with the plate, he slowly paced closer to her.
"Originally, I wanted to offer you a great god that I can't afford to mess with, high up in the sky, keeping and doing my duty. You are the county lord, and I will salute you, greet you, and abide by the etiquette of a ruler and a minister. However, you are a wife. I know that your status is honored. And I will not take the three principles and five rules and the way of being a wife in the family training of an ordinary scholar family to constrain and discipline you; you are the true master of the county lord's residence, and I will first ask you for permission to do anything under the eaves of the house. But it would help if you remembered that I am only carrying out my duties as a courtier and do not regard you as a good companion with whom I can spend my life. There better be a limit to your capriciousness."
There was less than a person's distance between Ouyang Zhong and Xiao Feifei, and Ouyang Zhong's powerful aura pressed Xiao Feifei out of breath. She played up her temper and cried, "You and I were originally husband and wife, but you're so cool! You've been gone for half a year, and you came back without a good word, and you're still out there, womanizing and attracting butterflies; you're such an unruly person; you don't know how to behave, and you still blame this palace for scolding you a few times?"
Ouyang Zhong gasped and laughed for a long time, then suddenly grabbed the Sheriff's wrist fiercely and said, "Cool? On the day you and I got married, I was sent to the border to fight by the Xiao family's royal family as a shield. How many months have passed since I have never received a single letter or greeting from you? When did you take me as your husband? And the womanizing, you're accusing out of nothing! Your mother vilified a loyal man, falsely accused General Wei of rebellion, and besieged his entire family. Is that what you call good behavior? Not to mention that I've never done anything to dishonor the royal union. Even if I have countless women outside, you have no right to ask."
"You dare! Ouyang Zhong, aren't you afraid that this palace will report to Mother or directly go to the palace to tell my uncle about the royal marriage?" County Mistress Joyful Yang was so angry that her teeth were fighting, and her charming little face, which was so magnificent and charming, twisted into an unsightly shape because of her anger.
"I would advise you to dismiss this idea best; after all, screwing me over and causing the Ouyang family and even the Wei family to be devastated is small; your royal family having to send out another person to the border to fight with the Dingling clan is big. I've done some calculations, and now, only your brother Xiao Tai, your mother's sibling, can take on this heavy burden.
Also, Xiao Feifei, you'd better understand the situation. You and I are only husband and wife in name only. We are neither in love nor faithful. I know all about your dirty affairs. We can use and maintain each other if we don't break this face. Otherwise, I'm probably not the one who will suffer."
Ouyang Zhong put down Xiao Feifei's wrist and directly left the Sheriff's Mansion without another word. Xiao Feifei was also stunned by him, not realizing that this Ouyang Zhong, who usually looked rash, was a character with a meticulous mind and ruthless means.