A few people were seated in the main hall of the front courtyard.
At the head of the table sat Old Madam Cui, with her eldest son, Cui Yu, and her second son, Cui Li, on her left and right, alongside the two young masters who had just returned.
Zheng Qingling sat next to Cui Zhan, smiling and chatting with the old lady. Tall and handsome, he quickly won Old Madam Cui’s favor, soon making her laugh.
He possessed both excellent character and appearance, and his family was highly reputable. Though he had practiced martial arts for many years, his skin remained fair. When he smiled, he was radiant, giving the impression of a young general.
Old Madam Cui nodded inwardly.
Such a valiant young man would be a perfect match for her Jiuniang.
After chatting for a while, Madam Wei, entered with several young ladies. Zheng Qingling rose, bowed, and respectfully greeted, “Auntie.”
His aunt had married into the Wei family, connecting the two households.
Madam Wei smiled and introduced him to the young ladies.
“This is your seventh cousin, and these two are sixth and eighth miss.”
When guests arrived at the mansion, the young ladies had all freshened up beforehand. Cui Xuan, knowing from the start that this was the husband Grandmother had chosen for ninth sister, did not overdo her appearance and dressed simply and neatly.
Cui Wan, always cautious and prudent, dressed appropriately for her status, appearing gentle yet elegant.
Cui Xiuxiu had just recovered from her illness. She wore only a few light pink silk flowers in her hair with a small pearl at the center. Her look was simple, yet it accentuated her fair complexion and rosy cheeks, making her appear even more charming.
Zheng Qingling maintained a composed gaze as he greeted them.
It was said that the Cui family of Qinghe produced beauties, and this proved true. Each girl had her own distinct charm, the sixth girl was gentle and lovely, the seventh elegant and graceful, and the eighth soft and refined.
Madam Wei was highly satisfied with him.
The Zheng family of Xingyang had been loyal and upright for generations, raising sons who were exceptionally talented. Among them, the most outstanding in this generation was Zheng Qingling.
Ultimately, the choice rested with the old lady’s preference.
Such an outstanding young man wasn’t even meant for his seventh sister, but for the ninth daughter, who was still too young to marry.
Furthermore, he and Cui Xuan were cousins.
If someone could use that family connection to convince him to request Cui Xuan hand from the old lady, she would likely raise no objection.
While Madam Wei quietly calculated this in her mind, she smiled and chatted kindly with him.
Zheng Qingling spoke with several elders, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
He had not forgotten the real purpose of his visit.
Before he left, his mother had told him that Old Madam Cui intended for him to meet the daughter of the eldest branch, and the family had strongly agreed, urging him to do his best to marry the ninth miss.
Fearing he might hesitate, his mother also assured him that the Crown Princess was extremely beautiful, and since the Ninth Miss was her younger sister, she would naturally not be lacking in looks.
Zheng Qingling wanted to tell his mother she was overthinking. As far as he was concerned, what was better than swords and spears than beauties?
Now that he had reached marriageable age, whether the Ninth Miss was beautiful or not, if his family wanted him to marry her, he would do his utmost to bring her home.
He just didn’t know when the First Madam and the Ninth Miss would arrive.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard the voices of maids and servants outside announcing, “Madam, Ninth Miss.”
Zheng Qingling instinctively looked up.
The first to enter was a beautiful woman, appearing to be in her thirties. Time had not diminished her beauty, rather, it had added a rare dignity and elegance.
Zheng Qingling immediately recognized her.
It was First Madam Wang.
He lowered his eyes respectfully and greeted, “Madam.”
Madam Wang’s gaze lingered on him briefly before she quickly smiled. “We’re all family, no need to be so formal. Just call me ‘Auntie.’”
Zheng Qingling followed her instructions.
Madam Wang stepped aside and, smiling, introduced the girl beside her, “You haven’t taken a courtesy name yet, so I’ll call you Qingling. This is Cui Yaoning.”
Then she turned to the girl and said, “Yoayao, this is Zheng Qingling of the Zheng family of Xingyang.”
Zheng Qingling looked over and was instantly stunned.
Beside Madam Wang stood a girl of about fourteen or fifteen, wearing a pink brocade jacket patterned with gold peonies and a long skirt with apricot designs. Her skin was fair and flawless, and she moved with graceful poise. A peony cloisonné hair ornament, the size of a small bowl, adorned her side. It was flamboyant, yet it could not surpass the radiance of her face.
Zheng Qingling suddenly recalled a passage from the novel ‘Free and Easy Wandering’ : On Mount Gushe dwells a divine being. Her skin is like ice and snow, her grace like that of a maiden. She does not eat grains, but drinks the wind and dew, rides the clouds, and commands flying dragons, roaming beyond the four seas.
Only now, seeing Ninth Miss, those words seemed to come to life.
The gods and immortals of Gushe could be no more magnificent than this.
Zheng Qingling exhaled deeply, realizing his rudeness, and respectfully called out, “Ninth Miss,” before lowering his head and avoiding further eye contact.
Madam Wang was very pleased.
Cui Yaoning was so beautiful that even women could not help being captivated, let alone a young man seeing her for the first time.
That Zheng Qingling had recovered himself so quickly showed admirable composure.
Surely, he was not the type to be easily led astray by beauty.
Zheng Qingling’s ability to regain his composure so quickly was impressive, she doubted he was the type to be easily blinded by beauty.
Cui Yaoning lifted her eyes to observe him.
The young man before her wore a dark brocade robe trimmed in gold with auspicious cloud patterns. His long hair was tied up under a crown, and his sword-like eyebrows slanted upward. Years of martial arts had given him a perfectly upright posture, making him seem even taller than his brother. He exuded youthful energy and vigor.
He was completely different from Pei Yu.
Pei Yu’s face was gentle and delicate like jade, whereas Zheng Qingling was heroic and spirited, like a sword drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed.
From his appearance alone, Cui Yaoning was quite satisfied.
She withdrew her gaze and softly called out, “Young Master Zheng.”
Zheng Qingling lowered his head in agreement, though the tips of his ears had turned red.
A true beauty was flawless from head to toe, even her voice was beautiful. It was clear and sweet, like a mountain stream murmuring through the forest, or like fresh honey just lifted from the jar, silky and sweet.
The trace of dissatisfaction Zheng Qingling had felt earlier from the weariness of travel vanished at that moment, replaced entirely by relief and gratitude.
Fortunately, the old lady had taken a liking to him.
Fortunately, he had not complained about the long journey or delegated the task to his brothers.
Old Madam Cui narrowed her eyes as she watched for a moment, smiling knowingly. “Alright, alright, come and sit. What kind of behavior is this, standing there chatting?”
Cui Yaoning and her mother went inside and found a place to sit.
Zheng Qingling sat down absentmindedly, wondering what impression Ninth Miss had of him.
However, the old lady must have discussed this with her beforehand. Since she agreed, it meant she did not object.
Thinking of this, Zheng Qingling felt a surge of happiness. He wanted to glance at Cui Yaoning but feared losing his composure if their eyes met. So he simply picked up the hot tea beside him and took a sip to conceal his expression.
Old Madam Cui noticed the redness of the young man’s earlobes with her sharp eyes and chuckled to herself, ‘After all, he’s still just a young man.’
After chatting for a while, Old Madam Cui smiled and said to Zheng Qingling, “Qingling, you must be tired from your journey. Go and rest first. After dinner, your cousins will take you out for a stroll.”
“It’s not often you come, so stay in Luoyang for a while before returning.”