Chapter 509 Shen Lanxi personally attends the wedding ceremony!
When Shen Lanxi received the news, there were already 500 women and 100 men.
"Tomorrow, the event will be held on the very platform where the tyrannical king was slain!"
On the high platform where the descendants of the tyrannical king were beheaded, the false descendants of the tyrannical king were killed, and the Great Zhou army was sent off, and tomorrow many women will be saved from fire and water, it is truly a good place!
Upon receiving the order, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of War immediately arranged for the site to be prepared in advance, including inspections, clearing the area, and security measures.
On this day, Shen Lanxi appeared in a python robe, exuding a powerful aura.
Ban Sicao loved joining in the fun and had been waiting for Shen Lanxi to set off together since early morning.
Five hundred women and one hundred men stood on either side.
Che Mingyuan took out a scroll, but instead of opening it, he explained a few words.
"The reason for arranging marriages for soldiers from Dongchuan and the Northwest first is not for any other reason than that most of these soldiers have no relatives at home and have been in the army since they joined. The generals in the army are very familiar with their character."
"One hundred men. Although you have stated your places of origin, our office has limited manpower, and we have only verified a portion of them so far. Many more have not yet been verified."
"The imperial court organizes this marriage event with the intention of fostering good couples, not unhappy ones. The court will certainly conduct a thorough investigation into the candidates' character to reassure the women!"
Most of the 500 women were forced into a corner or could no longer stay in the area. Hearing Che Mingyuan say this, I was quite moved.
As Che Mingyuan unfurled the scroll, he continued, "Let's arrange it like this for now: one soldier and one man whose place of origin has been verified. Is that alright with you all?"
Some of the women and men nodded, while others said they were willing.
Shen Lanxi: "Let's begin!"
Che Mingyuan: "The first one is Sun Er, the shield bearer from Dongchuan. He has only one father, who is a cook and earns two taels of silver a month. He has never remarried. Sun Er has made many military achievements and currently has three hundred taels of silver in savings. He owns a house with a courtyard and also earns two taels of silver a month. He is twenty-six years old, eight feet tall, and of average appearance. He has a scar on his face from fighting and is missing a finger. Other than that, he has no other problems."
"Sun Er's requirements are that she not be too young, twenty-five or twenty-six is fine, or a few years older than him is also acceptable, preferably without children, of average appearance, thrifty and able to live a down-to-earth life!"
At first, the women hesitated when they heard that Sun Er had a physical disability. But after hearing the following, many of them were moved.
"My lord, I am willing."
"I'm willing too."
"I'm willing too."
Seeing the dozen or so people rushing forward as if about to charge, Shen Lanxi chuckled easily, "They've all come up with good conditions, so they're all rushing in."
Ban Sicao covered her mouth and laughed, while Che Mingyuan wasn't much better off, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets from trying to hold back his laughter.
When the dozen or so women heard Shen Lanxi say that, they blushed and retreated in embarrassment.
Shen Lanxi raised her voice: "This is only temporary. If you don't like the person after you get there, just say so. The people there will continue to arrange for you to meet other people. They won't force you to get married."
When the women heard what Shen Lanxi said, their eyes lit up.
They had already resigned themselves to their fate, only wanting to find a place where they could eat their fill and stay warm. As for what kind of men they wanted, they just hoped that no one would be missing an arm or a leg.
So what if this person has a scar on his face and is missing a finger? It's not like he's missing a leg. As long as he can work and earn money to support his family, that's fine.
Besides, this person is really well-off; he has a house to live in and has saved so much money.
Che Mingyuan cleared his throat and said, "This is just the first person. There are many more to come, so don't worry!"
Even with his words, no one was willing to quit.
The chattering was unbearable for Shen Lanxi.
"Draw lots. Whoever draws the one with the character on it will be chosen!"
Che Mingyuan smiled as if he had been granted a pardon, wiped his sweat, and said, "That's a good idea."
Finally, a person with a child was selected.
After the woman drew the winning number, she hurriedly explained, "This is not my child, it is my sister. After my parents died, my uncle and aunt kicked us out of our home. If I hadn't threatened to kill myself, my uncle and aunt would have sold me to an old hunter in the deep mountains."
Che Mingyuan: "Okay, you're the one. Go wait over there, next one."
A man who had investigated the family's background took the stage.
“I have five brothers in my family. I am the third oldest and I am 25 years old this year. My father doesn’t love me and my mother doesn’t care about me. They treat me like an old ox and won’t let me get married. Last year, I overheard them plotting against me, wanting me to never get married and start a family so that I could earn money to support them. After I broke up with them, I moved out of my family home.”
“When I left home, I didn’t take anything with me except the clothes I was wearing. Now that I’ve saved some money, my parents and brothers know that I’ve earned some money, and they always ask me for it for various reasons. If I don’t give it to them, they make a fuss and I can’t work. I’m fed up with it, so I want to get as far away from them as possible.”
“I have ten taels of silver saved up. I can get a fifteen tael subsidy if I join the army. I heard that they will also provide me with a house and a place to settle down over there. I don’t ask for anything else, I just want someone to live a stable life with me.”
The man nodded to Che Mingyuan; that was all he could think of.
Che Mingyuan continued, "If a couple goes to the Northwest or Dongchuan, they will be given a small courtyard and ten acres of land to cultivate!"
"They'll provide farm tools and seeds there, so you can start living right away!"
No sooner had he said that than someone stood up.
“I’m a widow, do you want me? I have no children. My husband was conscripted as soon as I entered the house, and he died six months later,” said a thin, bony woman in her early twenties.
The man looked at the woman's rough hands and nodded without hesitation: "Yes."
Che Mingyuan smiled sincerely and said, "Congratulations!"
The man said to Che Mingyuan, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm just afraid that my family will cause trouble before I leave."
Che Mingyuan understood.
"The government will come to them in a little while to write a letter severing ties, after which you will have nothing to do with them. If they come to you, take the letter to the military commander and say that the Regent said they were harassing your entire family to be exiled as slaves!"
The man immediately turned around and knelt down before Shen Lanxi, kowtowing three times.
"Thank you, Regent! You are like a second parent to me!"
The woman also knelt down and kowtowed to Shen Lanxi.
"Thank you, Regent. Without you, I might have been sold off someday."
Shen Lanxi smiled and said, "Go pack your things and wait at the post station. The imperial court will cover all your food and supplies for the journey, and they will send a carriage to take you there!"
The man and woman glanced at each other, then left shyly.
Che Mingyuan continued, "The outpost is headed by Zhang Daniu, who is 28 years old, 6 feet tall, of average appearance, and has repeatedly distinguished himself in battle. He is quick-witted, has 600 taels of silver in assets, some rewards, and a small courtyard. He has a younger sister who is two years younger than him. She is currently a female doctor in the military and is married. Her monthly salary is 6 taels of silver. Her job is more dangerous than other branches of the military, but she is physically unharmed!"
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