Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Marriage (Final Chapter...
"Your Majesty, I believe that what Master Xie is asking is inappropriate."
After a dead silence that lasted for a whole cup of tea, someone finally spoke in this hall where you could hear a pin drop.
In order to distinguish Xie Qingyan from Xie Tingyu, people in the court would specifically call Xie Tingyu "Little Lord Xie" when the two were present at the same time.
Xie Tingyu couldn't help but look up at the person who was speaking. It was Xue Zhangshi who had advocated using marriage as a way to settle the matter during the last meeting in Fengge.
Xue, the head official, stepped forward, holding a staff. His words were clear and convincing. "Your Majesty, we thank you for your victory. We dare not criticize you. But how can merits and demerits be offset? Back then, she abducted the emperor and provoked war. Although she ultimately won, how can her later achievements erase this undisciplined act? If this precedent is set, and other generals follow suit, violating the law with force, where will the court's laws be?"
Xie Tingyu's fingertips gently stroked the edge of the ivory tablet. She sighed. As expected of a civil servant, she had a tongue that spoke volumes, and he directly accused her of undermining the court's laws.
But, it seems that he is not wrong?
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was in an uproar.
Another person stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! Thank you for your merits, they are glorious in history, but the ancestral law is as firm as a mountain. How can we abolish it just because of merit? When an emperor marries, he must resign his title. This is a rule that has been passed down for centuries. If this precedent is set today, and future generations use merit as a threat, where will the rites and laws remain? Where will the national dignity be? We, your Majesty, weep bitterly and beg you to reconsider!"
Yes, that ancestral iron rule was brought up. Although this system had been passed down for centuries, it was not created by the Ji family, but was actually an old rule of the previous Sima family. After the Ji family overthrew the throne, many of the systems remained unchanged.
Xie Qingyan heard this and his eyes swept across the two of them like sharp blades. Although he felt a surge of anger, because it was his daughter who had asked for this, he closed his eyes and said nothing.
There are people who oppose it, and naturally there are also people who support it.
Xie Tingyu felt a rustling in his ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yuan Wangshu step out and hear her speak passionately, "Your Majesty, Lord Xie enriched the country through land reclamation and conquered and expanded the territory. Such unparalleled achievements are not worth more than a piece of ancestral law? The ancestral law was designed to prevent the monopoly of power by relatives of the emperor. However, Lord Xie's loyalty to Your Majesty is witnessed by heaven and earth! If this achievement is used to seek a marriage decree, and it is still not granted, wouldn't it be disheartening to all the meritorious officials in the world?"
Wang Lanzhi stepped forward to second the motion.
With these two generals with outstanding military achievements taking the lead in expressing their opinions, and considering Xie Tingyu's current prominent position in the Sirong Mansion, several military officers came forward one after another and seconded the motion in unison.
Xue was about to remonstrate again, but Ji Xun raised her hand to stop him. She slowly stood up, walked down the imperial steps, and walked to Xie Tingyu, lightly supporting his arm to help him stand up.
This move has already sent a very clear signal to all civil and military officials in the court.
"I--"
Ji Xun reached out and gently squeezed Xie Tingyu's palm, "Believe in the teacher's loyalty."
She turned to look at Master Xue, "Mr. Xue has been in the court for many years. Why do you still naively believe that the conflict between the two countries was caused by the actions of a single teacher?"
Xue, the head of the department, was sweating profusely and his face turned pale. "Your Majesty..."
"You all keep harping on the ancestral decree," Ji Xun interrupted, his gaze sweeping across the court. "Do you remember when the rebels were at the edge of the Qilin Palace, it was my teacher who rushed to my aid at dawn to quell the chaos, and it was the Emperor who protected me behind my back! Without them, the country would have collapsed long ago! In my heart, they are not only my subjects, but also my dearest relatives!"
She turned and ascended the throne again, her voice as clear as stone, "Teacher's contribution to rebuilding the country is beyond the reach of ordinary rank and salary. I have made up my mind to grant Teacher Xie Tingyu the privilege of not resigning from his official position and accepting the Emperor's favor. This is not for personal reasons, but to make known to the world that I will not let down the loyal and brave. Even the law must make way for those who have made contributions to the nation!"
Xie Tingyu kowtowed deeply and said, "I thank you for your grace, my Lord. I am deeply grateful."
Xie Tingyu didn't hear a single word of what he said about the ennoblement of fiefdoms and the granting of imperial seals and certificates. His mind was filled with only those two resonant words:
marriage.
She is going to marry Lianlian!
It's not a secret meeting under the moon, nor is it a hidden beauty in a golden house, but to welcome her into the Xie family ancestral hall in a dignified manner with red wheels and gorgeous hubs.
As the court meeting ended, the story of Xie Tingyu's marriage proposal spread like wildfire throughout Jiankang. Teahouses, taverns, and the streets were all buzzing with discussion of this extraordinary match.
Afterwards, Xie Tingyu was dragged to a tavern by Yuan Wangshu, Wang Lanzhi and Cui Yuanying, and was surrounded like a criminal being interrogated.
Xie Tingyu was surprised: "What are you doing? Don't come over here!"
Wang Lanzhi spoke first, his face full of suspicion: "When did you and Di Qing start?"
Cui Yuanying immediately raised his hand and answered: "I know!"
Wang Lanzhi glanced at her and listened to her serious words: "It's that... Let me think... After the Cuju Chuanyang competition. When I moved to the Xie family villa, I saw Xie Er sneaking back with a boy. That was Di Qing, right?"
Xie Tingyu corrected him, "I didn't do it secretly. I brought her back openly at night." Yuan Wangshu sneered at Cui Yuanying and slowly retorted, "What a joke! They were clearly having an affair at the flower viewing banquet at Qingliang Villa."
The three of them turned their heads and stared at Xie Tingyu.
Xie Tingyu raised the wine cup and simply held it level, "Well...you both have a point. Come on, drink, and the second sister won't talk about the eldest sister."
Since the wedding ceremony had taken place, Ji Lian could no longer stay at Xie Yuanchang Haoyuan. As the Emperor's Mansion had not been cleaned for a long time, Xie Helan acted decisively. After Xie Tingyu left for the government office, he immediately sent someone to bring Ji Lian back to the palace's Posuo Pavilion for temporary residence, explaining that this was the ancient custom of "newly married couples not sharing the same room."
In order to prevent Xie Tingyu from visiting the palace at night, Xie Helan personally invited people to Penglai Palace and gave him earnest advice, such as not to see each other for three days before the wedding, otherwise it would affect the marriage.
Xie Tingyu nodded like a chick pecking at rice, honestly and honestly not climbing the wall or climbing the window once. A certain beauty also believed these rumors very much, so she could only endure the loneliness and close the window tightly, but in fact, the sadness and bitterness in her heart were only known to him.
This marriage of the emperor is a royal wedding, and the auspicious date has been carefully calculated by the Taichang Court and is set on the third day of the second lunar month when the grass is green and the warblers are flying.
Compared with the loneliness of the last forced marriage, this time the Posha Pavilion is decorated with lights and colors everywhere, and the palace ladies are busy preparing wedding clothes and ceremonies all day long.
Ji Lian and Xie Helan sat side by side in the main hall, watching the palace servants present various wedding dresses one after another.
Xie Helan smiled and gently stroked the embroidery. "What pattern do you like? Here are phoenixes singing in harmony, mandarin ducks embracing..." Seeing Ji Lian's fingertips lingering on the wedding dress with lotus patterns, he asked with a smile, "Do you like this one?"
Ji Lian's eyes sparkled: "I once gave her a jade comb, which was also engraved with twin lotus flowers."
Xie Helan was slightly startled: "When was it given to you?"
Ji Lian replied: "It was when she went out to fight the bandits."
The two of them enthusiastically selected round fans, hairpins, and dressing boxes. While discussing, Ji Lian's eyes were filled with the joy of getting married.
Time flies, and it is already the third day of February.
In the dim morning light, the inside and outside of Posa Pavilion were bustling with activity.
Jiangzhu was just looking down at the hairpins in her dressing box when she suddenly called out in a hurry, "Why is that golden phoenix hairpin with pearls missing?"
A palace attendant came in holding another dressing box and said, "Brother Jiangzhu, you took the wrong one. The hairpin is here."
Jiangzhu inserted the hairpin diagonally into Ji Lian's hairpin, decorated it with pearls, and used rouge to dye his lips a touch of gorgeousness.
Ji Lian looked at himself in the bronze mirror. His eyes were like peach blossoms, his ripples were like water, and his eyebrows were smiling. He couldn't help but gently stroke the lotus pattern on the hem of his clothes and whispered, "Would she like this look?"
"Master Xie is deeply in love with Your Highness, so naturally he likes her."
As Jiangzhu spoke, she took out the blue silk robe prepared on the clothes rack and helped him put on the clothes layer by layer. Finally, she gently placed the mud-gold mandarin duck petal fan on the tray in his palm: "Your Highness, the auspicious time has arrived."
A group of people surrounded Ji Lian and came to the front of Taiji Hall.
Xie Helan carefully pinned two golden hairpins on his head and said, "If she bullies you in the future, tell me."
Ji Lian lowered her eyes and chuckled, "Yes."
He saluted Ji Xun and Xie Helan solemnly.
As he turned around, he spotted a handsome young woman standing at the foot of the red steps, beside a red gauze chariot, amidst the vast crowd. She was also dressed in a crimson wedding gown, with a seven-beaded red gold crown on her head, and she looked handsome and dashing.
Ah, that was his wife, the one he would spend his life with. She was standing there, looking at him from afar.
Ji Lian's breath was held in her throat. She covered her face with a round fan in her hand and walked down step by step until she reached Xie Tingyu.
The two couldn't help but look at each other.
Ji Lian heard her say, "The peach tree is young and tender, its flowers are bright and beautiful. The son is getting married, and he is suitable for his family."
Then I heard her sincerely praise, "Lianlian, you look so beautiful like this."
With his heart in turmoil, she helped him walk into the sedan chair.
A graceful red veil fell, and a hazy rosy glow spread before her eyes. Ji Lian raised her eyes, watching Xie Tingyu climb onto her horse and hear her loudly say, "Welcome the Emperor—let's go!"
The people on both sides of the official road cheered.
In a trance, I heard the little girl riding on her mother's shoulders say in a crisp voice: "Mother, this time Emperor Qing didn't cry, he was secretly laughing behind his fan!"
As they passed through the procession, many people came to the front of the procession to ask for wedding candies and copper coins. Xie Tingyu smiled broadly and threw his handful of wedding candies forward.
The wedding procession finally arrived at the Emperor's Mansion.
According to the ancestral system, when an imperial minister married, the wife and the imperial minister had to hold the wedding ceremony and move in at the imperial mansion. But it didn't really matter, after all, the imperial mansion was right next to Xie Garden.
Xie Tingyu helped Ji Lian get off the carriage, and Ji Lian stepped on the felt mats on the ground, which meant continuing the family line. When they arrived at the gate, he lifted up the clothes at his waist and stepped over the saddle on the threshold, which meant a peaceful married life.
According to the wedding ceremony, the couple walked to the main hall. Under the MC's chanting, they bowed first to heaven and earth, then to Xie Qingyan and Xie Zhujun who were seated in the hall, and finally to each other.
After the ceremony, the two of them each held half of the gourd and drank the wedding wine together, and the guests around them cheered loudly.
Cui Yuanying clicked her tongue twice, "I never thought I would be the only one among the four who is not married yet."
The newlyweds were surrounded by people and were distributing wedding candies in the hall, with the whole place filled with laughter and blessings.
The emcee sang loudly: "Respectfully send the newlyweds into the bridal chamber——"
Xie Tingyu was about to leave with Ji Lian when a red veil suddenly floated down from the sky. A gentle breeze blew by, swirling the veil up and then unfolding it, landing squarely on Ji Lian's head.
He held a round fan in one hand and clasped his fingers with Xie Tingyu's in the other, his heart and eyes fixed on the person beside him. The red veil blurred his vision, but it could not block his ardent gaze on his wife.
Under the crimson veil, a pair of bright eyes were still closely following Xie Tingyu's figure.
Xie Tingyu looked at Ji Lian's face beneath the veil. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her face was like ripples, her face was like peach petals, her eyes were full of charm.
With a slight movement of her mind, she involuntarily lifted the red veil and went inside, gently pushing aside the round fan between them, holding his face as she did in the past, and kissed him without saying anything.
The light veil fluttered slightly, clearly unable to conceal the affection within, and one could easily tell at a glance that the two of them were kissing.
Ji Xun, who had secretly escaped from the palace, saw this scene and covered his eyes with his hands, shouting, "Teacher is kissing my uncle in broad daylight again."
The guests around were so moved that they couldn't take their eyes off the scene even though they felt it was immoral.
Ji Lian's heart trembled uncontrollably, waves of heat rising from her neck. She closed her eyes and accepted the kiss, thinking: "I will probably spend the rest of my life revisiting every moment of this day."
——
Historical records.
Xie Tingyu, a descendant of the Xie clan of Chenjun, was frail as a child. He journeyed to the Shangqing Monastery for spiritual practice, returning to Jiankang at the age of eighteen. Despite his illnesses, he possessed exceptional martial arts skills, extraordinary strategic strategies, and unparalleled bravery, first distinguishing himself by suppressing a rebellion in Jiankang. Later, he diligently implemented the strategy of local rule, leading numerous expeditions to suppress bandits, recover lost territory, and resist foreign invaders, earning the trust of Emperor Ji Xun.
In the third year of the Yongkang reign, Ji Lian, a minister of the Imperial Court, married Xie Tingyu. The two remained deeply in love, lived together until old age, and had two daughters and a son. Xie Tingyu never took a concubine, her unwavering love for the Imperial Court a rare feat.
Xie Tingyu achieved remarkable military success and was granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an, a fief of 1,000 households, and the rank of Grand General. After his mother, Xie Qingyan, passed away, he succeeded her as Grand Tutor and then as Privy Counselor of the Fengge Court. He devoted himself to supporting the country and wholeheartedly assisted the emperor in governing the country, earning him the title of a virtuous minister.
(End of text)
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The author has something to say: The peach tree is young and tender, its flowers are bright and beautiful. The daughter is getting married, and she is a good match for her family. --- "Taoyao"
Enchanting and charming eyes --- Wu Chengen, Journey to the West
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While I was writing this, my collection skyrocketed. I thought I was famous (probably hallucinating from being poisoned). Turns out I was on Jinjiang's Progress Star list again. Wow, my profit is only 0.7 yuan. (?)
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