The riots subsided, but a new emperor appoints new ministers, and after Li Xuanzhen took over state affairs, the people in the court were in a panic.

He was ruthless, he cleaned up the court, promoted meritorious officials, and issued several charges in a row. Overnight, the prisons were overcrowded.

Some families are happy while others are sad. Some families have declined in this dispute between father and son, while others have risen up. Like the ebb and flow of the tide, a new generation of nobles has emerged in Chang'an, like new shoots on the branches, which can thrive as long as they are nourished by rain and dew. Generation after generation, endless.

Li Xuanzhen sat leaning against the couch and correcting memorials.

The weather was hot, and he could feel a faint fishy smell coming from the wounds on his body. The servants brought him medicine every morning and evening, and the whole hall was filled with the bitter smell of medicine.

A memorial was delivered to him.

Zheng Jing knelt down in front of the desk and said, "Your Highness, the King Tanmo of the royal court has come to Chang'an in person to propose marriage, and the delegation requests to enter the city."

Li Xuanzhen paused and unfolded the marriage proposal.

The document was written by Tanmarajiva himself. He was indeed proficient in Chinese. His handwriting was vigorous, elegant and graceful, and he wrote it with ease. It was obvious that he had practiced hard for many years.

Li Xuanzhen could imagine how happy Tanmarajiva was as he wrote the marriage proposal letter word by word.

Yaoying likes him and is willing to marry him.

Li Xuanzhen closed his eyes for a moment.

This marriage proposal was just a formality, but due to some strange circumstances, it needed to be approved by him personally.

He escorted her out of the pavilion again.

The wound on his back split open, and the pain was piercing his heart. Li Xuanzhen opened his eyes, picked up the pen, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

No matter how unwilling he was, he couldn't do anything to stop it. She was no longer the same person she was before. If he touched her, he would have to bear the consequences of the turmoil in the Western Regions. Moreover, Tanmaraka had a powerful royal court behind her, so he didn't have any chance of winning.

Time flies, once missed, it’s missed, there is no chance to go back.

If he refuses to repent, he will be the next Li De.

Li Xuanzhen calmed his mind and was about to put pen to paper when a eunuch walked into the hall with his head lowered.

"Your Highness, Princess Wen Zhao has sent someone over."

Li Xuanzhen was startled and asked hurriedly, "Please come in, what's the matter?"

The eunuch said, "Princess Wen Zhao said that Your Highness is injured, so Your Highness does not need to approve the marriage proposal from the royal court. King Tanmo proposed to her, and she can reply herself."

Li Xuanzhen was stunned for a moment, put down his pen, and curled the corners of his lips without smiling.

That's exactly her style.

She has the final say on her marriage.

…

The news quickly spread throughout Chang'an.

Princess Wen Zhao's husband has arrived.

However, the first person to enter the city was not the prince consort, but the betrothal gift sent by the royal court.

As the musicians played cheerful music, elephants covered in jewels walked gracefully into the city, followed closely by carriages inlaid with gold and gems, loaded with large open boxes filled with valuable gifts, silks, satins, jewels and jades, shining brightly in the sunlight. Men and women dressed in royal costumes stood beside the boxes, smiling, holding golden plates in their hands, and throwing flowers and wedding money to the roadside.

Wherever the convoy passed, there was a strong and fragrant aroma.

The people of the capital had not seen such a grand sight for many years. The whole city was in an uproar. People rushed out of their homes and chased the royal envoys. The city was bustling with noise and the children followed the elephants closely, their faces full of curiosity.

Li Zhongqian stood on the city wall, looking at the bulky elephants strolling slowly on the long street and rolled his eyes to the sky. Why didn't he realize before that monks understood worldly affairs so well?

There were a few crisp laughs beside me, like pearls falling on a jade plate.

Yao Ying looked at the endless convoy with a smile on her face. She saw that Li Zhongqian seemed to be worried and rolled her eyes. "Brother, these are the military expenses of the Western Army. Aren't you planning to form an infantry specializing in battle formations? The place has been chosen, and we are just waiting for you to go back and select the people."

Li Zhongqian raised his chin and snorted coldly, "You can keep these betrothal gifts. After all, they are the intention of the royal court."

After the betrothal gift, the royal delegation entered the city.

There are mountains and seas in front of the city gate, and the wide streets are so crowded that no one can pass through.

The morning dew has not yet dried on the branches, and the sound of melodious bells echoes in the wind. The music goes on and on, and the lingering sound lingers. The cool morning light pours down, and shadows are sparse in the light morning mist, and the sound of horse hooves can be heard in the distance.

Inside and outside the long street, countless eyes gathered into an ocean and looked over there.

There was the sound of horse hooves, and a few golden beams of light cut across at an angle, illuminating a corner of a brocade robe that was gleaming with gold and silver. A tall figure was shrouded in the thick and indissoluble morning light of summer, with a face that was half bright and half dark.

Everyone stared blankly at the man riding out of the mist, unable to recover for a long time.

The sound of wind lingered in the air.

Li Xuanzhen walked down the platform slowly, glanced at the young officials standing silently on both sides, and looked at Tanmarajiva.

The graceful figure came towards him surrounded by officials and bodyguards. He was wearing a brocade robe embroidered with gold and silver threads, a leather belt around his waist, and a dagger and curved sword on his back. He was handsome, with outstanding manners, elegant and graceful behavior, and a noble and cold demeanor when he looked up. He stood there, saying nothing. With just a glance, the group of young men around him who were tall and handsome, dressed up specially to compete with him, were all eclipsed in an instant.

The unconvinced young officials remained frozen for a moment, then retreated silently, with their heads hung in dejection.

Everyone secretly admired that such a handsome man and Princess Wen Zhao were a perfect match.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites came forward to flatter him, and Tanmarajiva nodded in greeting. When he opened his mouth, he spoke in the elegant and authentic Chang'an Mandarin, without any foreign accent.

Everyone was stunned again.

Li Xuanzhen walked forward and his eyes met Tanmaragha's in mid-air.

For a moment, neither of them gave in.

Li Xuanzhen looked at him with scrutiny. Tanmarajiva exuded a calm and unhurried aura. His face was gentle, but in his deep blue eyes there was a silent sharpness surging, like a Buddha, with a dignified inner presence.

The two entered the palace surrounded by officials.

At the banquet, young officials racked their brains to make things difficult for Tanmarajiva, but he answered them fluently. He was well-versed in Chinese classics and knew local customs and practices well.

The officials could not help but feel discouraged. They were far inferior to the prince consort in appearance and demeanor. They were also not able to defeat him in terms of knowledge, and when it came to martial arts, they could not even be compared with him.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites looked at each other in disappointment and said: Let’s prepare for the wedding.

While the royal delegation was negotiating with court officials, Yao Ying was busy handling Western Army affairs.

She made public her life story, and the court kept her title. Because she was going to marry Tanmarajiva, she was given an additional title, and the people still called her a princess. The Qin generals guarding Southern Chu used her name to pacify Southern Chu, and the remnants of the resistance quickly surrendered, and Southern Chu gradually stabilized.

The literary culture in Southern Chu flourished. When people learned that Yao Ying was originally from Southern Chu, books praising her deeds began to spread among the people like bamboo shoots after spring rain.

Yao Ying improved the printing of vernacular novels. Now, once writers had finished writing an article, it could be printed out and sold very quickly. People were eager to read these vernacular novels, and before long, the story of her marrying a woman from the Western Regions and marrying Tanmaragha spread all over the country. The story was so tortuous and sad that Yuanjue, who grew up outside the region, immediately thought the rumors of the people of the Western Regions were not moving enough.

She ignored it, packed her bags and prepared to return to Gaochang.

Yang Qian was determined not to marry, nor would he allow his brother to marry. She advised him, "Hexi and the Central Plains have been cut off for too long. It would not be a bad thing for the Yang family to take the lead in integrating into the court."

Thanks to her efforts, the policies and laws of the various states in the Western Regions are now the same as those in the Central Plains, and the people have begun to trade extensively. The road to returning to the East is not as simple as just taking back the country's territory.

Yang Qian scratched his head and laughed, "Princess, you don't know...Princess, you are of noble status, and you are more dignified than others. I have a stubborn temper, and I am afraid that we won't get along well and I will neglect you."

Before she could finish her words, she remembered that Yaoying was also a princess, so she ran away and went to have a drink with Li Zhongqian.

Yao Ying laughed.

One day, someone suddenly sent a litter of puppies. She asked her servant, and the servant said it was a gift from the palace.

"His Highness went out of town to pick them for you personally! Each one is very lively."

Yao Ying was absent-minded for a while, and then ordered her servants, "Send it to Ying Nu and let him take care of it."

The attendant looked regretful and asked: "Why doesn't the princess keep the baby for herself?"

Yao Ying said calmly: "The puppy I raised before is gone, and I won't raise one myself in the future."

The little dog was sent out and the message was sent back to the palace.

Later, Li Xuanzhen took the puppy back and raised it himself.

After finishing all the big and small things, Yaoying wrote a marriage proposal in her own tone and called Yuanjue to give it to Tanmarajiva.

Yuan Jue grinned from ear to ear and carefully held the marriage certificate back to the inn.

Outside the window there is a pond of lotus flowers, graceful and elegant, and the yard is filled with lotus fragrance.

Only such beautiful scenery can nurture his Mingyue slave.

Tanmarajiva took the letter and stroked her handwriting with his fingers, as if he was stroking her snow-white skin. He looked at the plump lotus under the scorching sun, with the corners of his lips slightly curled up.

When I return to the royal court, I will try to grow a pond of lotus flowers like this one.

On the eighteenth of this month, the sky was clear, the wind was gentle and the clouds were light.

The royal court delegation formally welcomed the wedding.

Flags were fluttering, the sound of music pierced the clouds and split the rocks, and Tanmarajiva, dressed in gorgeous clothes and standing tall, was waiting in front of the city gate. A hint of imperceptible anxiety appeared on his usually calm face.

The long street was crowded with people. People knew Yao Ying was going to marry today, so they changed into their brightest clothes, wore flowers on their heads, held gifts in their hands, and lined the two sides of the long street to welcome her.

The lush locust and elm trees along the street are hung with colorful silk ribbons, like clouds and mist and clusters of flowers.

Before daybreak, Zheng Biyu had people light candles and led the noble ladies to dress up Yao Ying. It took them two full hours before they helped her into the carriage amid exclamations.

Yaoying sat upright in the carriage, her hair combed into a high bun, a crown with twelve tree-shaped flower hairpins, her hair covered with pearls and jade, a dark blue robe with a phoenix pattern, a plain gauze middle garment, and a red skirt with a gold phoenix pattern. She had kingfisher feathers between her eyebrows and a dimple on her lips. She was heavily made up and held a round fan in her hand to cover her face.

As the carriage passed through the long street, the people cheered and chased after it, calling out Yao Ying's title, and their congratulations were like the rising and falling waves of the sea.

"I wish the princess and her husband a long and happy life together!"

"The princess and the consort will give birth to a son soon!"

"Princess, please come back often!"

Yao Ying couldn't help but recall the scene when she was forced to marry and left Chang'an in a carriage. At that time, she thought she would never come back in this life, and the people bid her farewell with tears, and the crying was deafening.

She is back, her family is safe, and the world is at peace.

This time, everyone was smiling. Li Zhongqian walked in front of the convoy, dressed in bright clothes and riding a horse, looking very heroic. He had gotten rid of the shadow of Li De and was much more cheerful than before.

The avenue in front of the city gate was covered with flowers, and several snow-white flags with gold patterns fluttered in the wind.

Yao Ying fixed her gaze on the flags, the day when she first met Tanmaragha appeared before her eyes, and she pursed her lips slightly.

I rushed up out of desperation without giving it much thought.

Her face was full of smiles, her hair was lush and she looked bright and beautiful, like a goddess.

The people's cheers became louder and louder.

The ceremonial officer went up to the platform and read the imperial edict.

Tanmaraka waited patiently. Behind him, the royal guards in blue and white robes clenched their fists in front of their chests and saluted their queen respectfully with solemnity.

After the ceremonial officer read out the last word and announced the end of the ceremony, Li Zhongqian winked at Yao Ying and said, "If you've been wronged, I'll help you vent your anger!"

After saying this, he and the Western Army generals retreated together.

Tanmarajiva drove his horse forward, dismounted, walked to the window and leaned over.

This is the custom of the royal court.

A pair of slender hands opened the car curtain, and Yaoying's smiling face came into his eyes.

Tanmaraka stared at her in her gorgeous attire.

Yaoying was smiling widely, her face was so charming that the blossoming flowers on the street lost their color. Her eyes were moving, and as she looked around, there was a glow radiating from the inside out. Every detail of her face was extremely beautiful.

The goddess is born.

He was silent for a long while, his heart filled with a strange, indescribable joy.

Yao Ying smiled, pulled his sleeve, asked him to come closer, and pecked him on the face.

The court musicians played their instruments more vigorously.

Tanmarajiva came back to his senses, looked at the fallen curtain, and the corners of his lips slowly rose.

The royal guards came forward, surrounded their king and queen, and headed west.

The common people chased after the convoy in one mile after another, reluctantly watching it go away.

Many years later, this grand wedding is still one of the events that the people of Chang'an talk about with relish.

As the convoy left Jingzhao Prefecture, the bride signaled for the carriage to stop.

Tanmaraka immediately stopped his horse.

The car curtain swayed, Yao Ying leaned out of the car window and patted away the dangling golden phoenix beads on her temples, "Luo Jia, wearing this is too tiring. I want to change clothes and ride a horse."

Tanmaraka gazed at her, his eyes gentler than the wind blowing through the flowers.

Xie Qing brought Yaoying's mount. She took off her heavy phoenix crown and ceremonial robe, put on a light brocade robe, saddled the horse, flicked the long whip, and galloped across the endless plain in the bright sunlight.

After running for a distance, she stretched her muscles, took a long breath, looked back and smiled.

Tanmaraka urged his horse to go faster, rode alongside her, and reached out to grasp her whipping hand, holding it tightly.

"Ming Yue Nu, I don't know how to be a good husband. You have to teach me."

Yao Ying raised her eyebrows and shook her head: "I can't do that either."

The tone is playful.

She would not be fooled. When he said helplessly that he didn't know how to be a good lover, she softened her heart immediately. In fact, he had a lot of ideas!

Tanmarajiva couldn't help but smile and leaned over to kiss Yaoying's hair.

The two men rode their horses slowly, holding hands. Their two shadows on the ground were closely nestled together, inseparable.

Just like them, holding hands and accompanying each other throughout their lives.

The author has something to say: Every muscle and every appearance is extremely beautiful. From "Afang Palace Fu".

The description of clothing refers to "Tongdian", "Tang Dynasty Wedding Dresses" and related discussions.

…

I feel that it is good to end the main text here, with a happy ending. Yaoying and Luojia will no longer have hardships, and will live a smooth life, loving each other and benefiting the people. Their legend will continue to be passed down in the Western Regions, and the second brother and his friends will also start their new lives.

This article took me a long time to write, which exceeded my expectations. Thank you all for your company and encouragement along the way. Thank you also for pointing out my shortcomings. I have a lot of thoughts, about Wen, about Yaoying and others, but after thinking about it, I feel that it is redundant and a simple thank you is more appropriate. Thank you all for your company and support!

I will try my best to improve~

I will write a few extra chapters next, the time is not fixed, you can just take a look at it when you remember.