Chapter 166 Marriage

In mid-March, after the grand and expensive funeral of Prince Yide was concluded, it was finally time for the much-anticipated reward ceremony.

The emperor was very generous and issued three imperial edicts in succession, promoting his younger brother Li Dan, the Prince of Xiang, to the title of Prince of Anguo, and making him the Grand Commandant and the third rank official of the Secretariat; promoting his younger sister Princess Taiping to the title of Princess Taiping of Zhenguo, and granting her 5,000 households; and promoting his nephew Li Huazhang to the title of Prince of Huguo Yong, and granting him the title of Guangluqing, in recognition of the three's contributions to the establishment of the throne. In addition, the ministers who participated in the Shenlong coup, such as Xie Jichuan, Jiangling, and Ren Yao, were also promoted.

After these three imperial edicts came out, the whole of Chang'an was stunned. It was undoubtedly a great honor to have the words "An Guo", "Zhen Guo" and "Hu Guo" added to the title, but apart from a nice reputation, Prince Xiang, Princess Taiping and Li Huazhang did not get anything practical, but instead were demoted in reality.

Leaving aside Prince Xiang and Princess Taiping, the most obvious one is Li Huazhang. Li Huazhang was originally the Shaoyin of Jingzhao Prefecture, and the emperor promoted him to Guangluqing, which seemed to be a promotion from the fourth rank to the third rank, but the Jingzhao Prefecture Yin was in charge of the administrative affairs of the capital, while the Guanglusiqing was in charge of banquets, palace doors, tents and utensils, and meals for officials at court meetings, etc. In other words, he was the chief chef of the palace.

From the chief official in the capital to the chef, even a three-year-old child could see the difference. In contrast, the family members of Empress Wei and the confidants of Princess Anle entered the key positions of the court.

It was easy for people to smell something. Although the Tang Dynasty was complicated, the Li family was no longer a solid block.

Li Xian finally returned to the throne. He had suffered enough from the precarious situation and being at the mercy of others in recent years. The first thing he did after taking office was to make up for the hardships he had suffered over the years. The second thing he did was to centralize power.

Even his mother would harm him, not to mention his brother, sister, and nephew? The most important thing that Piao Ling had taught him in the past ten years was that power must be held in one's own hands.

In Li Xian's eyes, Prince Xiang, Princess Taiping, and Li Huazhang were all outsiders, and his wife and children who had shared his joys and sorrows were his own people. His eldest son was beaten to death, his second son was demoted to a commoner, and his third son had been estranged from him since childhood. There was no affection between father and son, and the only person Li Xian could rely on was Empress Wei.

Unfortunately, Empress Wei was unlucky. She did not enjoy any benefits as the Crown Princess and spent most of her time in fear. She endured fifteen years of hardship and spent all her youth. When she finally got her reward, she wanted to show off her power as an empress or even a queen like her mother-in-law, but she suddenly found that all her uncles, brothers and even nephews were killed by Emperor Wu. Only a few nephews in the corners were lucky enough to escape the purge because of their lack of talent and virtue.

The Wei family had no one to use, and her only son was beaten to death by Emperor Wu. What a deep hatred! But she didn't dare to do anything to Emperor Wu, so she could only grit her teeth and promote her son-in-law and relatives.

Fortunately, she also had a daughter who married into the Liang Wang Mansion. Liang Wang was different from the Wei family. He had many children and grandchildren in recent years. After Emperor Wu abdicated and returned to Shangyang Palace, Liang Wang, who was also a member of the Wu family, was in danger. He could only rely on Empress Wei. If used well, she would be a sharp sword.

Therefore, a strange scene appeared in the court. Prince Yong, Princess Taiping, Prince Xiang and others risked their lives to plot a coup, overthrow Emperor Wu's rule and promote Li Xian to the throne. After Li Xian got the throne without any reward, he did not reward his meritorious officials, but promoted the old power left by Emperor Wu - Prince Liang.

The overthrown people were unscathed, promoted and given titles, while the coups were marginalized. The wind direction in Chang'an changed again in just a few days. Those who had tried their best to please Ming Huashang realized that they had made a wrong bet, and abandoned the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion in disgust and swarmed towards the Queen Wei and Princess Anle's Mansion.

Ming Huashang found that she was only popular for a short time, and soon returned to the state of being ignored. She breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, she was used to living like this.

Ming Huashang didn't bother to listen to social legends in the outside world, such as how many people soared to the top, how many people became rich overnight, and how many people made the wrong bet. It had nothing to do with her. She could finally prepare for her wedding seriously and happily.

In the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Ming Huashang picked up the needle and thread after a long absence and embroidered flowers on the sachet. Ming Yuji saw it and was very curious: "Why did you think of embroidering flowers?"

Ming Huashang cut the thread and held the semi-finished product in front of her eyes, examining it carefully: "I'm afraid I can't stay at home for the Dragon Boat Festival this year. I suddenly remembered that I didn't seem to have added anything to my home in these years, and I felt really ashamed. So I wanted to take advantage of my free time now to embroider a few sachets for my home, put herbs in them, and hang them on the door and bed curtains to repel mosquitoes and evil spirits."

Ming Yuji walked over to look at her handicraft, and to be honest, it was not very good. Ming Yuji said, "Forget about it, it's too tiring for the eyes. You can just go to a store and buy a few ready-made ones, and it will be the same. You don't have to go through all this effort."

"That won't work." Ming Huashang said immediately, "How can the ones I make be the same as the ones I buy from the store? My father's cough is getting worse and worse, and the fabrics outside are always not satisfactory. I'd better do it myself."

Seeing this, Ming Yuji couldn't bear to reject her kindness. Ming Yuji stood beside Luohan's bed and looked at her for a while, then asked in confusion: "What are you embroidering? Why can't I see the shape?"

Ming Huashang glanced at Ming Yuji with resentment, even though she knew that Ming Yuji was telling the truth. Ming Yuji always said what he wanted to say, without caring whether the listeners had face or not. Ming Huashang said quietly, "This is the portrait I drew for my father."

Ming Yuji raised his eyebrows, hesitated, and said, "Very unique, very thoughtful."

Apart from the fact that it is difficult to tell that it is a small statue, there is no other problem.

Ming Huashang pouted her lips and examined her work. Was it hard to recognize that this was the Duke of Zhenguo? She had embroidered it so vividly!

Ming Huashang was unwilling to let her work be buried, so she took out a stack of sketches from under the table and showed them to Ming Yuji like a treasure: "Sister, look, this is a small portrait I drew for my father. Doesn't it have his charm? I have been practicing painting for a year. The old detective of Jingzhao Prefecture said my portrait was good. He took the painting and found the murderer right away."

Jinbao, who was standing by, was speechless when he heard this: "My lady, how can you say this about your own paintings? It's insulting."

"Why not?" Ming Huashang said seriously, "This shows that I am a good painter. Useful paintings are the best."

Ming Yuji took the stack of manuscripts and flipped through them one by one. Ming Huashang's embroidery was not good, but her paintings were lifelike. In addition to the small portrait of the Duke of Zhenguo, there were also Ming Yuji, Madam Ming, the maids, and even the birds on the eaves. The last painting was a bunch of bamboo growing by the wall, with the shadows of the bamboo cast on the wall, and the shadows moved with the wind.

Although Ming Yuji did not recognize the building behind, she knew that it must have been given to Li Huazhang by Ming Huashang.

The most common things in life, in Ming Huashang's eyes, are like this.

Ming Yuji was a little embarrassed when someone painted her for the first time, so she stiffly changed the subject: "I can see that you have put a lot of effort into your painting skills. If you are able to learn well, why didn't you work hard before?"

"It's different." Ming Huashang leaned on the couch, gently shaking her legs, and said, "I used to learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting in order to be a wife. The more others forced me, the more I didn't want to learn. But later I learned painting in order to catch the murderer and find the truth. This is what I really want to do. Naturally, I don't need others to tell me, I will practice hard."

Ming Yuji said: "But in another month, you will also become a wife."

"That's my choice to spend my life with another person." Ming Huashang said with a smile on her face and bright eyes, "Prince Yong is his responsibility, but Princess Yong is not mine. My mission is to read books, learn painting, study people, and live happily."

She really liked Li Huazhang, and her eyes sparkled when she mentioned him. Ming Yuji asked, "The situation in the court is unpredictable now, aren't you worried?"

"What is there to worry about?" Ming Huashang said without thinking, "The person I'm going to marry is my second brother who grew up with me, not the Protector of the Nation, Prince Yong. It's not like the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion hasn't gone through its down days before. We will be the same in the future as we were before."

"It's true that a grown-up daughter is no longer under the control of her father. She hasn't even gotten married yet, but she's already thinking about sharing the good and bad times with her aunt."

Suddenly, there was a voice outside. Ming Huashang and Ming Yuji were startled and stood up from the couch: "Father?"

Not only the Duke of Zhenguo, but Li Huazhang also walked in from outside. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice someone coming in. They didn't know how long they had been listening.

Li Huazhang looked a little embarrassed and explained helplessly, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your sisters' idle chatter, but the Duke didn't let me remind you, so I was abrupt."

Ming Huashang snorted, put away her embroidery and drawings unhappily, and said, "I knew that it was my father who suggested such an immoral thing. Do you know that girls' conversations are secrets?"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Zhenguo cried out in injustice: "What have I done? Why am I responsible for all the bad things? Shangshang, you haven't even gotten married yet, and you've already turned your back on others?"

Ming Huashang refused to be outdone and said, "Second brother is not an outsider."

Li Huazhang didn't expect that his words would cause the father and daughter to quarrel. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "It's all my fault. I was weak-willed. I didn't stop when I should have, and I didn't remind when I should have. Now I seem to be shirking my responsibility. I hope the Duke and Shangshang will forgive my inconsiderateness."

Li Huazhang's attitude of admitting his mistakes was so good that Ming Yuji couldn't find anything to find fault with him even if he wanted to. Ming Yuji also raised his voice slightly and said, "Alright, you two are so grown-ups and still quarreling. It's a joke to others. Just stop talking."

As soon as Ming Yuji opened his mouth, Ming Huashang and Duke Zhenguo no longer dared to act pretentiously and each of them decided to withdraw while they were ahead.

After Li Huazhang arrived, the maid brought chairs and everyone sat down. Duke Zhenguo sat on the couch, looked at the needlework basket on the table, and asked, "Why did Shangshang put away the flowers she embroidered?"

"I don't want to show it to you." Ming Huashang took the needlework basket and ran behind the partition to hide it. Li Huazhang saw it and laughed, saying, "As long as it's embroidered by you, no matter what it is, it's the best. Don't hide it so deep, be careful not to find it later."

After Ming Huashang buried the "surprise" she had carefully prepared, she walked back to the hall and sat down next to Li Huazhang naturally: "Since it's a gift, how could I let you see it in advance? You two are really annoying, who told you to eavesdrop!"

Li Huazhang kept apologizing, and his temper was incredibly good. Ming Yuji noticed that Ming Huachang chose the seat closest to Li Huazhang when she came back, and she subconsciously leaned towards him when she spoke. She didn't know if they did it on purpose, but to others, they were really flirting.

Love needs no words, every detail reveals the heart.

The Duke of Zhenguo coughed softly. Ming Huashang turned around in bewilderment and asked earnestly, "Father, is your throat uncomfortable again?"

Li Huazhang raised his eyebrows slightly, realizing that his former father and future father-in-law was subtly unhappy, and said with a smile: "According to the rules, engaged couples are not allowed to meet before marriage. It is very rude of me to visit you today. I hope the Duke will forgive me."

Ming Yuji sat on the other side of the Luohan bed, drank a sip of tea, and watched the show leisurely. Men are really vain and easy to understand creatures. One is over forty and still jealous like a child, while the other knows it is not good but is determined not to change.

Sure enough, after Li Huazhang made his point clear, the Duke of Zhenguo could no longer lose his temper. He sighed, and suddenly said seriously: "There are no outsiders here, and I will not say those empty words to you. I lived for the court in the first half of my life, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed, and there is not much left for the second half of my life. I have no other requests, and I don't care about those rules and etiquette. It doesn't matter what others say about the Ming family or how they view the Ming family. The most important thing is that you are well and don't follow my old path."

Li Huazhang understood the implication of the Duke of Zhenguo's words, and he straightened his expression and said, "Don't worry, Duke. Now that the Tang Dynasty has been restored and the country is safe, I have fulfilled my wish. Family affairs are the most important thing for the rest of my life. I will never let down the people around me for the sake of others."

The Duke of Zhenguo felt relieved after hearing this. Li Huazhang had made great contributions in the fight against Zhou and the restoration of Tang, but it was difficult to win over the hearts of the people, and the Li family eventually fell apart. The Duke of Zhenguo was afraid that Li Huazhang would be too obsessed with the affairs of the court and repeat his mistakes.

Fortunately, the man he raised was more insightful and responsible than him. Duke Zhenguo sighed, "Just think it through. It's not your fault. When you reach my age, you will understand that everything in the world is a circle. After working hard all your life, you will find yourself back to square one. It's better to be open-minded and spend more time with your family."

Li Huazhang should be. After he was sidelined by the emperor from Jingzhao Prefecture to Guanglu Temple, others were filled with indignation and sighed when they saw him, but Li Huazhang himself was actually fine.

Just as he and Han Jie said, promoting Li Xian to be the emperor was the best solution after careful consideration. Now that he had made the choice, he naturally anticipated the current situation.

The coup d'état was without unnecessary bloodshed, the Tang Dynasty was successfully restored, his friends, relatives, and lover were all alive and well, which was already the life he had dreamed of. Moreover, Shangshang was going to marry him in another month, how could he dare not be satisfied?

Ming Huashang heard this and held Li Huazhang's hand without hesitation in front of his family, saying solemnly: "Don't worry, second brother, you still have me."

Li Huazhang quickly glanced at the Duke of Zhenguo, and wanted to hold Ming Huashang's hand but didn't dare to. He could only restrain himself and hold her fingers back, saying, "I know."

It was because he knew that Shang Shang would stay by his side and would not leave him because of external factors that he did not care at all about the suspicion and betrayal of his blood relatives.

He has already obtained the most precious pearl in the world, so why should he care about the fireflies on the roadside?

Their brows were relaxed, their tone was calm, and when they looked at each other, it seemed as if they only had each other in their eyes. It was obvious that they didn't care about the injustice suffered by Prince Yong's Mansion at all, and they were sincerely looking forward to the upcoming wedding. This sincerity even moved Duke Zhenguo and Ming Yuji.

Ming Yuji was silent for a moment, and suddenly said: "You two will definitely get what you wish for and stay together forever."

Li Huazhang has heard too many such blessings recently, but he still looked at Ming Yuji seriously and thanked her sincerely: "Thank you, sister."

Ming Yuji raised her hand and said, "Don't call me sister, I don't deserve it. Since Second Mother doesn't treat you as an outsider, I'll be frank. Second Mother is getting married next month, and her dowry must include furniture. I don't think I'll get married, so it's a waste to leave the mahogany furniture to me. I'd better move it back to Second Mother as a dowry. These are the dowry I collected for you."

When Ming Yuji first returned home, because she couldn't find matching furniture, Ming Huashang took out a lot of her dowry. Ming Yuji thought that she could use anything, but she couldn't tear up the dowry that the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion had originally prepared for Ming Huashang.

When a girl gets married, her parents will prepare a complete set of furniture for her, ranging from a basin for taking a bath on the third day of her birth to a bed for her death. This implies that all the utensils a girl will use throughout her life are from her parents’ home, to support her dignity in her husband’s family.

This is of course a symbol, no woman's dignity can be given by a set of furniture, but this is a wedding custom after all. Especially since Ming Huashang is going to marry a royal family, she cannot lose her ambition.

Ming Huashang's marriage is obviously more important than Ming Yuji's own life. She can put up with it for a while and make up for it when she meets the right one in the future.

"No," Ming Huashang said immediately, "When mother prepared these wooden objects, she had us in mind. This is ours in common, half for each of us, and no one is allowed to take more."

"You get married first. It's rare to marry someone you truly love, so naturally he'll stick with you first."

"Does it mean you are not sincere just because you live at home?" Ming Huashang insisted, "Whether you get married or not, the dowry that mother prepared for you should be yours. If you force it on me, I will be angry."

Li Huazhang certainly didn't care about dowry. Seeing this, he also advised: "Yes, Prince Yong's Mansion has all the necessary utensils. If Shangshang is not used to using them, we can change them later. How can we bother the lady?"

Of course, the Duke of Zhenguo could not sit idly by and watch his eldest daughter move out the furniture in his house, and he also told Ming Yuji to continue using the furniture and buy new ones for her wedding dowry. Ming Yuji listened to their words and felt a little touched, but also helpless.

The Duke of Zhenguo said it easily, as if the finest mahogany was a toy that he could buy immediately by spending money. Whether it was good wood or good craftsmanship, it took time to polish it. Now that there was only one month left before Ming Huashang got married, it was not easy to buy a set of furniture that suited her.

Ming Huashang and Li Huazhang knew the market and agreed that it was not necessary to be particular. Ming Yuji was very pleased that Li Huazhang was considerate of her parents, but she could not really let her sister marry into the Yongwang Mansion with incomplete furniture.

Ming Yuji sighed, thinking that he would have to go to a few more places to get everything for her. Ming Huashang must have the same cards that other ladies have.