Chapter 26: The Emperor's Edict Has Arrived

  "What's with the Long Le?" Du He asked, and Du Ruhui was taken aback for a moment. He suddenly came to his senses and shouted: "You little brat, what's your relationship with Princess Changle?"

  "Uh..." Du He scratched his head somewhat embarrassed and said: "It's nothing much, just like Xue Yan anyway!"

  Is it okay? / Is it alright?

  Du Ruhui recalled the scene of Du He and Li Xueyan hugging each other in the courtyard, playing a kissing game with their mouths together, and almost fainted, thinking that he, Du Ruhui, had been so wise all his life, how could he have given birth to such an idiot.

  Du Ruhui's face was unpredictable, with signs of an impending explosion.

  Du He saw it was not good and hurriedly made an excuse to slip away, waiting until Du Ruhui had mentally prepared himself before coming back to clearly explain things to him.

  The day of the coming-of-age ceremony has finally arrived!

  Inside the Du Manor's ancestral temple, it was bustling with excitement. As the Prime Minister, Du Ruhui's face was already quite big, but for his second son's coming-of-age ceremony, a large group of high-ranking officials and nobles came to join in the commotion.

  Even including Fang Xuanling, Li Ji, and Cheng Yaojin, there were many notable figures.

  Du He looked around and met Cheng Yaojin's eyes.

  Cheng Yaojin smiled with a mouthful of big teeth, looking very ferocious, as if he was plotting something.

  Cheng Yaojin took a big step forward and suddenly stretched out his hand to throw a punch. This old guy seemed to enjoy playing this trick, Du He didn't know if it was his own unique way of greeting people, but he knew that if he let him hit, at least it would hurt for a while.

  Du He took a small step back, avoiding the incoming attack with a calm expression.

  Cheng Yaojin burst out laughing and said: "I, old Cheng, like your guts, kid. After a while, you'll be a man too. A real man should have the appearance of a real man, without one or two old ladies, how can that work?! I, old Cheng, have a goddaughter with a big butt..."

  Du He originally didn't know what the guy wanted to say, but as soon as he saw Cheng Yaojin mention that he had a daughter with a big butt, he immediately thought of Cheng Feicui's "shocking beauty" and was so frightened that he shuddered, shouting: "Uncle Cheng, you go ahead, I have something else to do!"

  He said and hurried away.

  Du He was not afraid of anyone, but after the old man's forced marriage at school, he had some trepidation in his heart when facing him. Especially when he heard that he had a daughter, he didn't dare to stay for another moment and hurriedly ran to one side.

  He hadn't gone a few steps before being caught by Du Ruhui: "You little scamp, aren't you prepared? Where are you running off to! Hurry up and get ready, today your uncle Fang will preside over your capping ceremony!"

  Du He took a look, and with a kind face, Uncle Fang's one eye, hurried forward to get close, this Uncle Fang is much more lovely than Cheng Yaojin, at least he won't introduce his own big-buttocked daughter.

  Du Ruhui, as the father, stood on the ancestral hall and gave an opening speech: "Today, my son Du He is having his coming-of-age ceremony, thank you all for attending!" Then he said a lot of polite words, after a long time, he said: "Now let my son come in to pay respects to everyone!"

  As the protagonist, Du He was like a phoenix in a flock of birds, or a pearl shining brightly in the dark night. With measured steps, he walked into the temple under the gaze of the crowd.

  Du He knelt down in the west of the ancestral hall, and Fang Furen, who was in charge of the praise, came up and washed her hands before combing Du He's hair.

  This coming-of-age ceremony is a big deal, and all the procedures are exceptionally troublesome.

  Du He vaguely remembered that after Mrs. Fang combed his hair, Fang Xuanling also came out and loudly recited a congratulatory poem: "The lucky month and day, first wear the crown. Abandon your childish heart, follow your virtues. Longevity is only for you, and good fortune is for you."

  Then she knelt down and combed Du He's hair and added a hairpin.

  In the Tang Dynasty, this added crown was also a look at the official position of the parents. Officials from the first to fifth grade in the Tang Dynasty had to wear a black gauze cap before wearing a Jinlian (进贤) cap, so it was even more complicated. Du He was like a wooden puppet being manipulated by others.

  After a long and painful half-hour, I finally completed the ancestral worship ceremony at the ancestral hall.

  Du Ruhui waved his hand and a grand feast began in the front hall of Cai Guogong's mansion.

  In the congratulatory voices of a group of people including Luo Tong, Li Yexu, Li Yexuan, Li Jingye and Cheng Chubiao, I finally came back to my senses.

  Watching a group of people devouring food with gusto, especially the eight members of the Cheng family, each holding two large chicken drumsticks in their hands, as if they wouldn't be satisfied until they had eaten the Du family out of house and home.

  It's not enough to just eat, Li Jingye and Cheng Chubai also urged others to toast Du He with cup after cup, with a posture that they would not stop until he got drunk.

  Seeing Li Jingye and Cheng Chubi's vengeful faces, Du He nodded to them and whispered: "Brothers, I'm a bit tight on cash lately, when can I repay the money I owe you?"

  The two men's faces fell immediately and they hurriedly begged for mercy.

  Du He hummed a tune with great satisfaction.

  Li Ye Huan pulled Du He down and whispered, "My grandfather said that the south is about to have a war, and Qing Lian is holding a coronation ceremony at this time. Is he trying to show off his skills in the south?"

  Du He nodded in agreement and said with some pride: "And you, if we're together, then we can fight side by side."

  Li Yehui also smiled and said: "Grandfather also hopes that I can take this opportunity to broaden my horizons."

  A group of people gathered together, all of them either drinking, flattering others or being flattered by others, or else boasting and bragging to each other.

  Especially the several treasures of the Cheng family, are even more boastful and lawless, one is more outrageous than the other!

  Cheng Lao Da said he had many wives, Cheng Lao Er said his skills in bed were strong, Cheng Lao San scoffed and said he slept with nine women at night, Cheng Lao Si even more so, saying that when he was nine years old, he got a maid pregnant. The boasting of the fifth, sixth, and seventh brothers was one-upping each other, until it reached the eighth brother, who was even more outrageous, directly saying that in twenty years, he had slept with women of all ages, and was a legendary figure on the romantic scene. By the way, Cheng Lao Ba is seventeen years old this year, and he started flirting with girls from the womb.

  Made everyone burst out laughing.

  "The Emperor has arrived!" A loud, shrill voice of a public goose sounded from outside the main gate of the Cai Guo Gong Mansion. In an instant, the originally noisy steps of the mansion, which were like a vegetable market, suddenly became quiet, and almost everyone looked at each other in surprise, all thinking: The rumors are true, Du He indeed has the Emperor's favor.

  Du He was also puzzled. Why did this Emperor uncle not stay in the palace, but instead came here to join in the commotion for no reason?

  But as it happens, this emperor really has some face, with just one shout, the whole Gonggong Fu began to tidy up and prepare to welcome him.

  Du Ruhui's face was red with excitement as he pulled up Du He and led a group of people to greet them.

  As soon as the main gate was opened, Li Shimin, the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, led a large team of people to block the entire street.

  "Du Ruhui and his family pay their respects to the Emperor!" As Du Ruhui bowed, everyone else in the mansion also followed suit, bowing their heads, not a single person daring to stand upright.

  "No need for more courtesy, no need for more courtesy! Everyone stand up straight!" Li Shimin kindly helped Du Ruhui to his feet and let everyone else do the same. He smiled and said: "Today I heard that my nephew Du is having a capping ceremony, so I came to join in the excitement. It's just that I'm a bit late, please don't blame me, Minister Du!"

  Du Ruhui hastily said: "I don't dare!"

  Li Shimin looked at Du He with a faint smile and suddenly said seriously: "Du He, listen to the edict!"

  Just thinking about Li Shimin's smile being so lewd, Li Shimin suddenly drank and Du He was shocked. This Li Shimin personally came to grant an official position, hurriedly bowed down and said: "Your humble servant is here!"