The annual increase in the unmarried tax for ordinary people might be +1, +2, +4...
However, the ruler of Ye believed that the superiors should set an example for the subordinates, so he required all officials to set a good example. If anyone reached the marriageable age but did not marry, they would all be severely punished.
The unmarried tax varied according to the official's rank. For a general like them, a key figure in the court, the unmarried tax would increase by +1, +10, +100, and so on.
Yuwen Sheng remained unmoved, lowered his eyes, and took off his blood-stained gloves.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade his master, Wang Zebang could only muster all his loyalty and finish speaking in one breath with his eyes closed.
"The king has decreed that the general must get married this year. He said that if you don't even abide by the laws you yourself have implemented, won't all the people in the country follow suit? He also said that if there is no woman in the entire Ye Kingdom who satisfies you, then he will bestow Princess Sheng'an upon you."
The following sentence was a clear threat.
Yuwen Sheng would naturally not marry Princess Sheng'an, who had countless lovers, and the king knew that Yuwen Sheng was unwilling, but he just liked to use this matter to annoy Yuwen Sheng.
Sure enough, Yuwen Sheng's indifferent expression was like a pebble thrown into water, creating ripples. Beneath the deep, dark surface, it seemed that some ferocious beast was stirring restlessly.
A soft laugh broke the frozen atmosphere.
"Is he setting his sights on my bedside?"
Wang Zebang knew that forcing the general to go on a blind date by using the king's words would definitely anger him, and his palms were already sweaty.
"There are many virtuous women in this wedding procession. Although their families are of low social standing and they are not a good match for the general, their temperament and appearance are passable. If the general does not find one he likes, he can take one as a concubine to keep by his side and silence the gossip of His Majesty and the court."
In the court, who among those in power would only marry one wife? If a satisfactory principal wife could not be found for the time being, the family would arrange for a concubine to deal with the court's policy of forcing marriage.
He took out the information he had collected over the past few days about the women who were being sent to marry men, and gave it to the general to review and refer to.
"Taking a concubine?"
Yuwen Sheng smiled, his eyes trailing a deep, dark hue like an inkfish: "But the men of the Yuwen family only marry their first wife in their lifetime."
There was no one else around, no possibility of divorce, no possibility of separation; the only thing that could separate them was widowhood.
Of course, this is something that happened to Yuwen Sheng's parents' generation.
Whether or not they get married is irrelevant to Yuwen Sheng. Even if he marries a woman, she will only be a decoration.
When Wang Zebang first heard about this, he was taken aback.
But this might be the only chance to help the general find a partner.
He knew the general was cold-hearted and heartless, and he didn't want the general to be alone for the rest of his life. He wanted at least one woman to be by his side, to care for him, to take care of his daily life, and to bear his children. Only then could they, the loyal people who were devoted to the general, feel at ease.
"General, the wedding procession is too large and chaotic to enter with your real identity. I have already forged some of your identity information so that you can join them undisturbed and choose the woman you like."
"Zebang, you've certainly prepared everything perfectly," Yuwen Sheng said with a smile.
With both brochures and disguised identity information, this level of dedication is truly "touching."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zebang immediately knelt down in fear.
"Please punish me, General."
“It just so happens that I have important business to attend to and need to take advantage of this wedding procession. You just happened to stumble upon this. If you ever act on your own again…” Yuwen Sheng’s tone became increasingly gentle, but Wang Zebang felt a chill run through his body and lowered his head to the ground.
"Then go and soak in the blood fish pool for a day."
Even after Yuwen Sheng led his troops far away, Wang Zebang remained kneeling with his head bowed.
Wei Yao squatted down and patted Wang Zebang on the shoulder: "Warrior, you actually managed to persuade our general to get married, but those country girls are no match for our general."
Wang Zebang straightened his stiff back and patted his hand: "The general said he came to garrison and train troops and repair the border, but in reality he was exiled because the king was wary of him. Nobody knows when we will be able to return to Taiyuan. Are we supposed to let the general stay single forever? More importantly... the general has not married, and the unmarried tax we pay has increased exponentially every year. Do you know how much it has become this year?"
"Alright, alright, don't get so worked up. I wonder what kind of woman the general will end up marrying."
After hearing what he said, Wang Zebang also imagined what his future wife would look like.
First and foremost, she must have fair skin, a beautiful face, and a tall figure.
This way, the baby born will be fair-skinned and chubby.
Then one must be gentle and virtuous, considerate and charming, and a good wife and mother.
Only in this way can we take good care of the general and manage the trivial matters of the inner quarters for him.
The best candidates he painstakingly selected for the general were basically all of this type, and he was confident that the general would not make a mistake.
——
On the day of the wedding, Wang Zebang chose a soft cotton robe for Yuwen Sheng, covered his eyes with a veil, and walked slowly along the country road with a cane.
The Yuwen Sheng of today is no longer the ruthless and bloodthirsty general he once was; instead, he is the image of a refined scholar.
Wang Zebang disguised him as a scholar, allowing him to appear on this batch of household registration lists without any sense of incongruity.
In a secluded corner unnoticed by anyone, many hidden soldiers were closely monitoring everything on the street, ready to act at any moment if anything seemed amiss.
At the matchmaking square in Fuxian County, the grooms arrived early to wait. Many of them could hardly contain their excitement, while others remained calm, but all of them were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the bride.
Later that evening, the wedding procession finally arrived. Dozens of women of all shapes and sizes, tall and short, plump and thin, stood side by side, each radiating a unique charm.
Their eyes, filled with curiosity, worry, and anticipation, darted shyly to the thirty-odd unmarried men opposite them.
The oldest person there appeared to be around thirty years old.
He is a retired soldier with a missing arm. Because of his lifelong disability, he receives a government subsidy and is exempt from paying the unmarried tax. Although he has participated in the wedding procession every year, he has not found a partner willing to marry him.
The younger ones were naturally just some fresh-faced sixteen-year-old boys.
Zheng Quchi would not choose a partner who is that young, even though she knows that it is perfectly normal to get married at that age in this era.
But for her, someone in their early twenties is more suitable.
Actually, the amputee veteran was also a good fit; he was the right age and had a decent appearance. But when she found out that his family was quite large and that rumors often circulated in the village that their family affairs were a mess, she gave up on the idea.
After both the man and woman had arrived, the village official and others began by introducing the man's background.
You need to report your name, age, family background, and even whether you have paid the unmarried tax.
Although it is said that the man chooses the woman first, the woman can decide whether or not to marry him.
Yes, it's a good day to get engaged and married.
If you don't want to get married, fine, but if no other man comes along, then you'll just have to obediently pay the unmarried tax afterwards.
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