Chapter 15 Congratulations Marquis Wu'an, congratulations Lord Lou...
Meeting in the Imperial Study? What could possibly be going on that requires these two people, whose official positions have absolutely no overlap, to go together?
Li Pan glanced at Lou Shu, a bad feeling rising in his heart.
Lou Shu seemed somewhat surprised, but he quickly regained his composure, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your subject and Marquis Wu'an will go now. Eunuch Zheng, please."
The two followed behind Eunuch Zheng and entered the Imperial Study.
There were no other officials in the Imperial Study. Emperor Jinghui sat at the head of the table and noticed Eunuch Zheng leading people in. He closed the memorial he was reading and said, "Minister Li, Minister Lou, you've arrived."
"Your subjects Li Pan and Lou Shu pay their respects to Your Majesty." The two men bowed respectfully to Emperor Jinghui.
The door to the imperial study closed, and Eunuch Zheng stood beside Emperor Jinghui with his head bowed.
Although Emperor Jinghui was wearing a dragon robe, his expression was kind. He smiled and said, "I heard that after the court session, the two of you lingered near the Ganyang Palace for a long time. I wonder what you were doing? May I have the honor of hearing it?"
Lou Shu quickly replied, "Your Majesty is joking. How could your subject and the Marquis of Wu'an dare to deceive Your Majesty? It's just that this matter is not official business, but rather some private matters, which I imagine Your Majesty is not interested in."
"Lou Qing, you are mistaken. I am actually quite interested in this," Emperor Jinghui said. "Last night I heard a fascinating story. It is said that at the birthday banquet held at the Duke of Guangping's residence yesterday, the Marquis of Wu'an heroically rescued the Lou family's young lady who had accidentally fallen into the water. Is that true?"
Lou Shu said, “Your Majesty, this is indeed true. It was the 80th birthday of the old lady of the Duke of Guangping’s mansion, which is naturally a joyous occasion. Unfortunately, my wife and I caught a cold and were unable to attend, so we sent our son and daughter to the banquet in our place. However, my son was careless and my daughter was reckless, and they accidentally fell into the pond. Fortunately, the Marquis of Wu’an happened to be passing by and rescued them in time, so they were not in any danger. Yesterday, I was in a hurry and did not have time to thank him in person. Today, when I saw the Marquis of Wu’an, I made a special effort to thank him in person.”
Li Pan could only reply, "Lord Lou, you're too kind. It was nothing, no need to worry about it."
"Li Qing is indeed a chivalrous and righteous man. If everyone could step forward and help those in distress like Li Qing, the atmosphere of our Great Yue would surely be renewed," Emperor Jinghui exclaimed.
Li Pan's sense of foreboding grew stronger, and he forced himself to say, "Your Majesty flatters me. It just so happened that I was the one who happened to be passing by, so I saved him. If it had been any other official who was passing by, I'm sure they would have immediately offered their help as well."
"I believe others are willing to help, but I fear they are powerless to do so. They can't even swim themselves, let alone save others. Besides, the people only know that Minister Li is brave in fighting the enemy and protecting the country, but they don't know that Minister Li also has a kind heart and is happy to help others. His deeds yesterday should be widely publicized," said Emperor Jinghui.
"Oh, Your Majesty!" Li Pan quickly stopped him. "I don't care about such empty fame, there's no need to publicize it! Besides, I didn't save an ordinary person, but Lord Lou's daughter. If we publicize it further, wouldn't everyone know that Miss Lou fell into the water? That might not be good for Miss Lou's reputation..."
Emperor Jinghui looked at Lou Shu and smiled, "Lou Qing, look at Li Qing. He may seem like a rough man, but he is actually extremely thoughtful. He even considered your daughter's reputation! I have long heard that your daughter is talented and beautiful, and has a kind and gentle heart. She is the perfect match for Li Qing. Yesterday, you formed such a bond. Why don't I bestow a marriage upon your two families and make this a happy occasion!"
"Your Majesty! I think this is inappropriate!" Before Lou Shu could speak, Li Pan had already knelt down and shouted, "No matter who fell into the water, whether it was a man or a woman, young or old, I would have saved them. Just because I saved Miss Lou, does that mean I should ruin her life? If I had saved Lord Lou, would Your Majesty also bestow a marriage upon me and Lord Lou?"
Lou Shu: "..."
The veins on his forehead throbbed, and he forcefully suppressed the urge to speak.
His Majesty's sudden offer of marriage, though unexpected, was not necessarily a bad thing. As His Majesty said, if it was indeed His Majesty who bestowed the marriage, the incident of falling into the water could turn from a joke into a beautiful story, and would no longer damage Lou Xueying's reputation. Their previous concerns that a marriage between the two families might create too much power and arouse His Majesty's suspicion no longer needed to be considered.
The only problem is that the one forcing the marriage has changed from the Lou family to the emperor. But since it is the emperor who has issued the decree to grant the marriage, even if Li Pan doesn't like Lou Xueying, he still has to treat her well for the emperor's sake.
As for Li Pan's heart... sigh, this is something that can only be left to his daughter; they can't help her forever.
"Li Qing, what are you saying?" Emperor Jinghui said with a half-smile. "If you had saved a man, would you be bothered by your reputation? My bestowal of marriage upon you and Miss Lou today is good for both of you. What is there to be unhappy about? I wanted to bestow marriage upon you before, but you said you didn't want it to be so soon, so I went along with it. But times have changed. If you don't marry Miss Lou, wouldn't that be irresponsible? You are the Marquis of Wu'an, whom I just appointed. The people have high hopes for you. If you turn around and do something like this, wouldn't that break the hearts of the people and slap me in the face?"
Lou Shu: "..."
In his twenty years as an official, he had never heard Emperor Jinghui speak so plainly. It seemed that His Majesty had mastered the art of communicating with Marquis Wu'an. If he spoke tactfully, Marquis Wu'an would pretend not to understand, and he would have to be forceful.
Looking at Li Pan again, his expression was not good.
Li Pan said, "I have no ill will towards Miss Lou or Lord Lou. I simply don't understand why I'm forced to marry a woman just because I saved her. Isn't this just encouraging the growth of such a perverse trend by protecting the reputations of both parties? If I were already married, would I be unable to save women again? If Miss Lou were already married, would other men be unable to save her? What kind of logic is this? Miss Lou and I are completely innocent and have no romantic feelings for each other. Just because I touched her while saving someone, I'm subjected to gossip and forced into marriage. What about all those scoundrels and prostitutes in the world who do all sorts of shameful things in private? Just because they have no apparent connection, they don't have to get married. Isn't this just preying on honest people?"
"Li Pan!" Emperor Jinghui's smile vanished, replaced by a stern shout, "I may indulge you, but that doesn't mean you can say whatever you want!"
Li Pan immediately kowtowed to Emperor Jinghui: "Your subject has misspoke, and I know my crime."
Lou Shu, who was standing to the side, sighed softly and knelt down with his official robes. "Your Majesty, please calm down. Although what Marquis Wu'an said just now was a bit impassioned, it was not entirely without reason. He dared to speak freely in front of Your Majesty precisely because Your Majesty is magnanimous, open to all opinions, and readily accepts advice. If there were ministers who did not even dare to speak their true feelings in front of Your Majesty, then Your Majesty should be worried."
Emperor Jinghui's expression softened somewhat.
Lou Shu continued, “Your Majesty’s kindness is deeply appreciated, but since Marquis Wu’an has no intention of marrying, I do not wish to force him. It is a good thing, so why add another unhappy couple to the world? As for my daughter’s reputation… the capital is never short of drama, and in a few days, everyone will forget about this matter. It is a pity that my daughter said yesterday that she was too panicked after falling into the water and did not have time to thank Marquis Wu’an in person, which was truly impolite and I feel ashamed. Now it seems that, in order to avoid suspicion, it is best not to let her see Marquis Wu’an again. Consider this my way of thanking him on her behalf today.”
"Miss Lou is well-educated, gentle, and virtuous. In my opinion, she is exactly the kind of virtuous wife who needs to keep Li Qing in check." Emperor Jinghui chuckled. "Li Qing, I will not hold your words against you today, but you must understand that if you continue to speak so recklessly, one day you will bring disaster upon yourself, and even I may not be able to protect you."
Li Pan: "...Your Majesty is magnanimous and has repeatedly pardoned my crimes. I am truly terrified. Your Majesty's advice will be remembered by me, and I will never dare to disappoint Your Majesty's high expectations again."
Emperor Jinghui nodded in satisfaction and said to Eunuch Zheng, "I hereby issue the following decree: Marquis Wu'an, Li Pan, is resolute, benevolent, loyal, and brave, and has repeatedly rendered unparalleled service. There is a beautiful and virtuous eldest daughter of the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, surnamed Lou, who is a perfect match for him. Therefore, I hereby bestow the eldest daughter of the Lou family upon Marquis Wu'an, thus creating a beautiful union and ensuring the stability of the state. An auspicious day shall be chosen for the grand wedding ceremony."
Lou Shu kowtowed and said, "Your subject Lou Shu thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."
Now that things have come to this, if we still don't know what's good for us, we might really anger His Majesty. Li Pan had no choice but to say, "Your subject Li Pan thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."
After drafting the decree, Emperor Jinghui waved his hand, dismissing the two of them.
With a smile, Eunuch Zheng saw them to the door, bowing as he said, "Congratulations, Marquis Wu'an, congratulations, Lord Lou! Ah, what a perfect match, a match made in heaven! On the wedding day, I hope you will reward this old servant with a piece of wedding candy, so that I may share in the joy."
Lou Shu smiled and said, "Eunuch Zheng is too kind. How could I dare to neglect you?"
Li Pan couldn't laugh.
Eunuch Zheng said, "Please wait, gentlemen." After saying that, he stepped back behind the threshold and slowly closed the door of the Imperial Study.
Lou Shu glanced at Li Pan, and as he walked forward, he said to Li Pan in a low voice, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will not be traveling with you, Your Excellency."
Li Pan twitched the corner of his mouth, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Don't be so formal, you're practically my father-in-law now. Why are we being so polite between father-in-law and son-in-law?"
Lou Shu: "..."
Lou Shu: "Does Your Excellency have some misunderstanding about our Lou family? His Majesty's bestowal of this marriage today was truly sudden, and I was unaware of it at the time."
Li Pan also felt that the Lou family shouldn't have such ability, but if it was really the emperor who wanted to bestow the marriage, then he was even more depressed.
It wasn't that he was against getting married; it's just that he hadn't married by the age of twenty, when he should have been most likely to do so. Over time, he felt that not marrying didn't really matter, so he wasn't in a hurry at all. Now that he had reached this position, if he really wanted to get married, he would have to be extremely careful. How could he be inquiring about the Lou family's background yesterday and then want to marry their daughter today?
But now I have no choice but to marry him.
Li Pan sighed softly.
Lou Shu: "May I ask what my daughter has done to displease the Marquis?"
Li Pan: "I have no dislike for Miss Lou, but I would like to ask Lord Lou if Miss Lou is willing to marry me?"
Lou Shu: "Lord Marquis is a hero who protects the country. Even without what happened yesterday, my daughter still admires you greatly. How could she not want to?"
“I don’t like forced marriages.” Li Pan stopped and looked at Lou Shu seriously. “If Miss Lou is willing to marry me, I have nothing to say. But Lord Lou should know that our Li family comes from the fields of the Northwest, and our lifestyle is very different from that of the aristocratic families in the capital. If Miss Lou is forced to marry me because of rumors or because of her elders’ demands, I don’t think she will be happy after she marries me.”
Lou Shu was taken aback.
“Since you have important matters to attend to, I won’t take up any more of your time,” Li Pan said. “We can discuss the details of the marriage with each other when we have time. Farewell.”
He waved to Lou Shu and then strode away.
A spring breeze caressed his face, stirring a few strands of silver hair at Lou Shu's temples.
He held the scepter, stood there, and watched Li Pan's figure disappear at the end of the long palace road. Suddenly, he smiled.
Inside the Imperial Study.
While grinding ink for Emperor Jinghui, Eunuch Zheng boldly asked, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly bestow a marriage upon Marquis Wu'an and Miss Lou? The two gentlemen were discussing matters together this morning, presumably about the marriage. Perhaps they will reach an agreement in a few days. Why trouble Your Majesty?"
Emperor Jinghui flipped through the memorials and said, "Think about Li Pan's stubborn and inflexible temper, and look at Lou Shu's expression. If it weren't for me, this marriage might not have happened. If Li Pan hadn't married, I wouldn't have been able to figure out his thoughts. What if his mother passed away, and a military general was left all alone with no one to care for him? It's good that he's married now. Although she's not a royal, she's a noblewoman from the capital. Now that he has a family, he'll have some constraints, and I think he can finally settle down. It's good that Lou Shu fell into the water; it's not like I forced her into marriage."
Eunuch Zheng said, "The Marquis of Wu'an has just arrived in the capital and has already gained a wife-in-law family like the Lou family. Isn't that like adding wings to a tiger? After all, he is only twenty-eight years old. I don't know if the Marquis of Wu'an can handle such honor."
Emperor Jinghui said, "If Li Pan were to marry on his own, he would surely find a wife's family that would be obedient to him and would never allow him to suffer mistreatment. The Lou family is quite good; they are sensible, perceptive, and all of them are civil officials. Whether their descendants pursue a military or civil career is not up to Li Pan alone. Of course, if they can produce a talented individual who is proficient in both literature and martial arts and is willing to serve the Great Yue loyally, I will certainly not treat them unfairly."
Eunuch Zheng said, "His Majesty's thinking is indeed more comprehensive."
With Li Pan's matter settled, Emperor Jinghui reviewed several more memorials. Suddenly, he remembered something, paused in his writing, and asked Eunuch Zheng, "Is there still no news from the Five-Tone Qin Workshop?"
Eunuch Zheng replied, "No, our people went to inquire, and the shop owner even asked how long the zither was to be stored. It's a valuable item, and he's worried that if it gets lost, we'll have to settle accounts with him."
Emperor Jinghui sighed softly.
Eunuch Zheng: "Your Majesty, if there is still no news about that 'Su Jun,' perhaps this old servant should send someone to investigate her identity? In order to avoid constantly disturbing Your Majesty's peace of mind."
"I'll think about it some more," Emperor Jinghui said, pressing his temples. "I'll think about it some more."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com