Chapter 283 Marrying a Husband
After His Majesty's wedding, the harem was left empty, and all the court officials began to have their own ideas.
In the past, no minister would have ever considered sending his son to the palace.
Sending one's sons to please a woman is a disgrace to the family.
But now a woman sits on the dragon throne, and this "humiliation" has been transformed into a "special honor" that others crave.
If one's son can win the emperor's favor, even if he is only granted a low-ranking title of "Vice Minister," it means that a member of the family has become a member of the imperial family, and his future career may be smooth sailing.
For a time, families with eligible sons racked their brains to get their sons into the talent show.
Some people force their children to abandon military strategy and tactics, and instead study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting day and night.
Some people inquired about His Majesty's preferences in advance, and even dressed according to the emperor's preferences.
Some people had their young sons learn to dress up, applying powder and adorning their hair with flowers every day, and practicing their manners in front of a bronze mirror, all in the hope of catching the emperor's eye during the imperial concubine selection.
There were even rumors that some officials bribed court painters with large sums of money just to make their sons' portraits look more handsome.
Even Su Jingzhi was tempted.
He is now unemployed at home and has nothing to do.
His son had been banned from taking the imperial examinations for five years due to cheating, so his career prospects were hopeless.
Since his literary path is blocked, why not send him to the palace to try his luck and bring glory to the Su family?
Su Qingqi was naturally willing.
To be able to stay by the side of a woman like His Majesty is the highest honor, something he could never ask for.
To their surprise, when the father and son went to Su Qingci to discuss the matter, they were met with a cold shoulder.
Now, Su Qingci is the one in charge of the entire Su family.
She flatly refused, "No way!"
"Why not?" Su Qingqi asked anxiously, his heart filled with resentment.
Su Qingci looked at Su Qingqi and said bluntly, "You are not worthy of His Majesty."
Su Qingqi blushed, but dared not refute.
Su Jingzhi quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Qingci, how can you say that? Look at your brother, he's handsome, with striking features, and while his literary talent isn't top-notch, it's not bad either. He just did something foolish before, but he's corrected it. How can he be inferior to those scions of noble families?"
Su Qingci sneered, "With his brains, if Father wants him to die young, just send him to the palace."
Seeing the two of them stunned, she added casually, "The harem may seem like a luxurious place, but it's actually a place that devours people without spitting out their bones. With his intelligence, he simply can't outsmart others."
Su Jingzhi was still unwilling to give up: "Qingci, I'm doing this all for you! If Qingqi can be favored by His Majesty and made a noble attendant, having him say a few good words for you in His Majesty's ear would greatly benefit your career, wouldn't it?"
Su Qingci's tone was cold and hard, "My relationship with His Majesty is none of his business."
“Your brother also wants to contribute to the Su family.” Su Jingzhi sighed, his face showing dejection. “If he doesn’t go to the palace, what other way out does he have? He can’t stay at home forever, can he?”
Su Qingci's eyes flickered slightly, as if she suddenly remembered something.
“If you really want to do something for the Su family, I have a better place to go.”
...
Thus, in the second month after the new laws were promulgated, the capital city witnessed a wedding ceremony that shocked the court and the public: a woman marrying her husband.
Su Taiwei's second son married Liu Liniang, the Grand Master of the Imperial Academy.
Although there have been precedents of men marrying into women's families, these were mostly due to poverty and the need to make a living. The ceremonies were simple, and there were not even basic betrothal gifts.
But this time it's completely different.
Following the new laws, Liu Liniang married Su Taiwei's second son in a grand and dignified manner, adhering to the proper rites for a legitimate husband, including "three letters and six rites, formal marriage with a matchmaker, an eight-bearer sedan chair, a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, and a ten-mile-long red bridal procession."
On her wedding day, Liu Liniang wore a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, riding a tall horse.
Behind them followed a wedding procession of dozens of people, with gongs and drums resounding and suonas playing loudly.
The ten-mile-long procession of red bridal procession stretched from the Liu residence all the way to the Su residence, a spectacle no less grand than any high-ranking family's wedding.
Su Qingqi, dressed in his wedding attire, sat upright in the main hall of the Su residence, waiting for Liu Liniang to personally "welcome him at the door."
People in the capital crowded the streets, standing on tiptoe to watch this novel wedding ceremony, their voices rising incessantly.
"Look how impressive Lord Liu is! It's even more grand than a man's wedding!" A woman carrying a vegetable basket excitedly tugged at the sleeve of the person next to her.
The old man beside her stroked his beard and sighed, "Grand Commandant Su is a first-rank official, yet he actually allowed his son to marry off to a newly widowed woman. If this had happened in the past, he would probably have been drowned in spittle!"
Someone nearby immediately retorted, "You can't say that! Lord Liu is now the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, a high-ranking official of the fourth rank. His knowledge and status are undeniable, making him more than a match for Young Master Su. Besides, His Majesty previously bestowed the Cui family's grand mansion upon her. Furthermore, her parents and brothers have all passed away. If Young Master Su marries into her family, he won't have to serve his parents-in-law and can live a leisurely and carefree life. Such a blessing is something many people would kill for!"
A man selling sesame cakes chimed in, "You're making me want to get married! Women earn money to support the family, don't have to serve their in-laws, and can live in a big house. Isn't that better than working from dawn till dusk every day?"
A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd: "With your rough appearance, you think Lord Liu would take a liking to you? Dream on!"
At this moment, the dowry chests carried by the wedding procession drew gasps of surprise from the crowd.
An insider revealed: "I heard that Lord Su prepared a hundred loads of dowry for his younger brother, including gold, silver, valuables, land deeds, and everything else. This is quite a generous gift!"
In a corner of the crowd, a woman holding a baby girl whispered to her husband, "If our daughter becomes successful in the future, how wonderful it would be if she could marry a husband in such a grand and glorious way."
The husband paused for a moment, looked into his daughter's bright eyes, and suddenly laughed, "Then we must let our daughter study hard first, so that she can become a female official in the future!"
On the wedding day, even the emperor personally sent someone to deliver congratulatory gifts.
A pair of jade ruyi scepters engraved with the phrase "harmonious music" bestowed a great honor upon the newlyweds.
In the dungeon, Cui Dalang was curled up on the ground, covered in wounds and barely breathing.
The deafening sounds of gongs, drums, and firecrackers outside made his eardrums ache.
He struggled to lift his head and asked weakly, "What...what's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"
The servant guarding the house, having just received a reward, explained in a cheerful mood, "Lord Liu is getting married! It's a grand wedding with eight sedan chair bearers and a ten-mile-long procession of red bridal procession—it's quite a spectacle!"
"Marry another husband?!" Cui Dalang's cloudy eyes suddenly widened. "What do you mean? My husband is not dead yet, and she dares to marry someone else?"
The servant scoffed, "Did you hear that clearly? It's 'marrying a husband,' not 'marrying a woman.' You're marrying the legitimate son of Grand Commandant Su. How could you, a beast like a dog, compare to him?"
Cui Dalang, who had been tamed by days of torture, was now enraged by these words and roared, "Liu Liniang! You shameless slut! My Cui family has treated you well, and yet you...you've done such a thing! When I get out of here, I'll skin you alive and tear your tendons out..."
"What's all the noise about?" a stern voice rang out; it was the dungeon foreman.
She walked over with a frown, glanced at the seemingly insane Cui Dalang, and sternly ordered, "Quickly shut him up! Today is Lord Liu's joyous day, don't let this beast spoil the celebration!"
The servant quickly grabbed a rag and stuffed it into Cui Dalang's mouth, then impatiently whipped him a few times.
Only then did Cui Dalang dare not cause any more trouble.
The dungeon returned to silence, with only distant sounds of joy faintly audible.
Cui Dalang lay on the ground, gazing at the sliver of light filtering in through the skylight, and suddenly remembered the woman who had come to his house in her wedding dress many years ago.
Back then, he could never have imagined that one day he would be reduced to such a miserable state because of her.
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