Jinting Han people

Chapter 101 Wedding Banquet 4 (k)

In the first month of the first year of Yuankang, Xinmao, the mansion of Marquis of Xiangyang.

"The plan is halfway accomplished."

Amidst the bustling crowd, Li Zhao whispered to Liu Xian.

"The Ministry of Chancellery has issued an imperial decree, summoning Your Highness and the Prince of Huainan back to the capital soon."

Liu Xian smiled and sighed softly, "Yang Jun has lost his patience. His courage is limited."

Half a year had passed since Sima Wei went to Luoyang for the funeral. After that much-anticipated ceremony, contrary to everyone's expectations, the anti-Yang atmosphere that Sima Wei had created for so long did not erupt immediately. Instead, he returned to Xiangyang with his guards in accordance with court regulations.

Just when everyone breathed a sigh of relief and thought that the conflict had been resolved, the King of Chu unexpectedly touched the sensitive nerves of the Grand Tutor again.

Sima Wei vigorously recruited and trained his troops in Jingzhou, raising a force of 100,000 in just six months. Henan merchants who passed through Xiangyang would return to Luoyang with eloquent praise for the might of Jingzhou's troops, describing them as armored and shining like the sun, banners covering the sky, and rivaling the expedition of Emperor Wu of Wei to Red Cliff.

Moreover, this time it was not Sima Wei's behavior alone. After returning to his fiefdom, King Sima Yun of Huainan also recruited Huainan swordsmen on a large scale, trained the army and appointed generals, trained soldiers and taught military exercises, and seemed to be working together with Sima Wei.

These two men occupied all the old territories of Eastern Wu. If they rose up in arms together, the country would instantly return to the situation before Sima Yan's attack on Wu.

Taifu Yang Jun was deeply worried about this and finally made the decision to summon Sima Wei to Luoyang.

And this is exactly what Sima Wei wants.

"Haha, yes!" Li Zhao laughed. "Your Highness, no matter how well you manage your local territory, you are still fighting against all the states with one territory. There are always risks."

"But Yang Jun recruited him to Luoyang. He is truly a dragon returning to the sea. The entire capital is under the control of His Highness. What can Yang Jun do to fight him?"

Although Liu Xian also felt that the coup was almost certain to succeed, Li Zhao was a little too optimistic, so he admonished him, "That's a bit too far-fetched, Brother Li. Let's get back to the point. Have you heard what position Yang Jun plans to offer His Highness when he summons him to the capital?"

"I heard that it seems that His Highness is planning to lead the generals."

"Hmm...do you have any other part-time jobs?"

The reason why Liu Xian asked this was because the current position of General Wei was just a nominal position and did not involve any specific real power.

"No, there probably isn't one." Li Zhao saw it clearly and sneered, "Yang Jun thinks he can keep an eye on His Highness by giving him a nominal position. He's just dreaming."

Liu Xian continued, "This will only make his popularity even lower."

"It is said that Yang Jun recently had an argument with Yang Ji and Yang Yao..."

"Today is Hongyuan's happy occasion, so let's not discuss this. It won't be too late to discuss it after everyone is here."

As they were talking, their conversation was interrupted by Meng Guan. Standing in the mansion, he looked around at the people coming and going and sighed, "Alas, such a good marriage is being used for conspiracy. It really spoils the mood."

The two of them fell silent immediately, because Meng Guan was right. When a friend gets married, instead of offering blessings, they discuss the intrigues of officialdom on the side, which really defiles the purity of love.

What's more, today is the day when Princess Yingchuan Sima Xiuhua gets married.

The marriage between Princess Yingchuan and Wang Cui was actually finalized by the late emperor at the beginning of the tenth year of Taikang. However, because Xiuhua was still young, it was postponed for a while. Then, when the late emperor Sima Yan passed away, the marriage was delayed for another year. It was not officially held until the change of the reign.

As the youngest and most beloved daughter of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Yan, Princess Yingchuan's wedding was unprecedentedly grand, and almost all officials above the sixth rank in Luoyang received invitations.

To accommodate the wedding, the Xiangyang Marquisate practically booked the entire street in front of its gate as a welcoming venue. They then laid red cloth throughout the streets and alleys, hung lanterns from the eaves, and maids, holding white and pink plum blossoms, stood in the center to welcome the guests, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Naturally, the guests did not dare to be negligent. Except for those who were really sick and could not attend the banquet, almost all the names on the list were present. Whether they were the Eight Founding Dukes, princes and royal family members, or famous ministers and outstanding scholars, they all came to the Marquis of Xiangyang's Mansion to show their support.

The gifts they brought were enough to open one's eyes. Among the gifts from the aristocratic families were: Jia Mi presented a copy of Cai Yong's famous calligraphy work, "Ode to the Green Robe," Wang Kai a white sable, and Wang Ji a Jiaowei zither. Not to mention the jade Buddha statue from the White Horse Temple, red coral from the Chen family of Donghai, and a gold belt from the Xun family of Yingchuan...

The gifts from the royal family were no less impressive: Sima Jian, the King of Qin, sent fifty horses of five colors; Sima Yun, the King of Huainan, sent a thousand rolls of gold-threaded brocade; and Sima Wei sent two hundred kilograms of Wuyi Mountain tea in advance...

Even Liu Xian himself was no exception. After he knew that the princess liked swordsmanship, he discussed it with Zu Ti, gritted his teeth, and reluctantly spent a hundred gold coins to buy a famous sword that Chen Fan had used from the black market as a gift.

Even with a conservative estimate, the money involved in this wedding alone is probably equivalent to the annual tax revenue of a large county.

Li Zhao stood in front of the alley gate that welcomed guests, looking around and sighing, "Hongyuan is so lucky! The country has so many imperial concubines, but none of them is as extravagant as him!"

Liu Xian said, "This is perfectly normal. This is the first happy event in Luoyang since the late emperor's passing. Everyone is happy, and this is also a way to express their remembrance of the late emperor."

Especially at this sensitive moment when Sima Wei is about to go to Beijing, the more likely it is to cause conflict, the more everyone should act as if nothing has happened.

Although everyone knew this was a false calm, it was a necessary peace for both sides in the political struggle. It was like a decisive blow: the swordsman must conceal their intentions through calmness, accumulating strength, and then suddenly strike at the most opportune moment, seizing the initiative and securing victory.

At this seemingly noisy and festive wedding, which could even be said to be the largest of its kind in over a decade, there was actually brewing political turmoil that could not be eradicated in the empire.

Meng Guan suddenly said, "I still like the princess very much."

"Ah?" Both of the people who were listening were surprised.

"It's not that kind of love." Meng Guan knew they had misunderstood, so he explained, "What are you thinking? I'm not talking about love between a man and a woman. I'm already thirty-four, I've been married and established for so many years, and my eldest son is seventeen. How could I have such thoughts about the princess?"

"I mean, when I see the princess, I often think of my daughter who died young."

"When I was twenty-one, I had a daughter named Xiuhua. She was quirky and almost as cute as a princess. I really loved her. Whenever I saw a brat getting close to her, I couldn't help but lose my temper. But as soon as she cried to me, my heart melted..."

"Brother Meng has a daughter? Why haven't I heard of it?"

"When she was five years old, she got smallpox. My family was poor at the time and I had no money to take her to the doctor, so she died young." When Meng Guan said this, his tone was calm, but others could hear the deep sadness under his calm tone and they all felt the same way.

But as he showed, there was nothing to complain about. This kind of thing happened too often. Even the emperor's children could not all survive. Everyone could only regard this kind of suffering as a ripple of time, just like stepping on a stone while walking.

"Alas, if my daughter were still alive, she would probably be considering getting married."

Meng Guan's words made Liu Xian feel very emotional. So far, the biggest regret in his life was that he didn't have a qualified father, and what Meng Guan showed at this moment was exactly the ideal father image in his mind.

He thought that if Liu Xun could be like Meng Guan, his own childhood would probably be much happier.

Liu Xian subconsciously patted Meng Guan on the back and changed the subject, saying, "No matter what, Hongyuan is really lucky."

"I still remember three years ago, when he and I were His Highness's study companions, he fell in love with the princess at first sight and said he would marry no one else but her. Now his wish has come true!"

"Is there such a thing?"

"Of course. The princess was only twelve years old at the time. When he glanced at her, her eyes widened, she couldn't speak, and she was shaking like a sieve. The princess was so scared that she hid..."

As they were talking, they heard cheers coming from the crowd in the street. They looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wang Cui riding a tall horse and leading three carriages slowly moving through the street.

Wang Cui's face was full of joy, and he exuded a kind of joy of getting what he wanted from the inside out. Even though his appearance was rather ordinary, the addition of joy made people feel close to him.

Liu Xian was very familiar with this part, as he was going to pick up his bride. However, Liu Xian had gone to the Duke of Juancheng's mansion, while Wang Cui was going directly to the Luoyang Palace.

Meng Guan looked at Wang Cui and laughed, "That's great! My eldest son is about the same age as Hongyuan. If he can also marry a princess like this, I will feel at ease."

"Brother Meng has a good idea, but what a pity! Princess Yingchuan is the last daughter of the late emperor!"

Facing Li Zhao's ridicule, Meng Guan remained unmoved. He smiled and said, "Think about it, it's not against the rules. What's there to say?"

Liu Xian was a little curious and asked, "Brother Meng's son is already this old?"

"Yes, I got married early and had children early." After spending some time together, Meng Guan admired Liu Xian very much and said frankly, "I now have three sons. The eldest is Meng Ping, the second is Meng Tao, and the third is Meng He."

"My eldest brother is currently studying at the Imperial College. He's taken the Imperial College Archery Test twice, but he's a complete failure and hasn't passed yet!"

Meng Guan said that his three sons were useless, but Liu Xian could see that he was very satisfied with his three sons at home, and the doting and pride on his face were almost overflowing.

Taking advantage of this excitement, the 34-year-old Palace Attendant immediately began to talk about his life.

He was born into the Meng family in Henan. His great-grandfather was Meng Yu, the Grand Marshal during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, and the younger brother of Meng Ben, the then Eunuch.

When these two people were in power, the Meng family was once very prominent, but after the Rebellion of the Ten Attendants, the family quickly declined because of its connection with the eunuchs.

Meng Guan's grandfather, Meng Shen, had once served as a lieutenant in Cao Cao's army, but he was demoted for his ineffective performance during the Battle of Dingjun Mountain. By Meng Guan's generation, the family of the Three Dukes had become the most impoverished of families, and they were looked down upon by the aristocracy.

"So, I was determined from a young age to clear my family's name. When I was ten, I cut my fingers practicing archery. It hurt so much, and I was afraid people would laugh at me, so I made the excuse that I was going home to study military science. I ended up crying all night. It's really funny when I think about it now."

"What a pity! He didn't become a Palace Attendant until he was in his twenties, and he still hasn't achieved anything."

As he spoke, Meng Guan looked at his calloused fingers and sighed deeply. He said to Liu Xian, "Huai Chong, the most important things in life are career and family. You're so young, yet you've inherited the title of County Duke. I really envy you!"

"After I join His Highness, if I can accomplish some meritorious deeds, so that my children don't have to struggle like I did and no longer have to face the cold shoulder of others, I will be satisfied."

These were the most unvarnished words Liu Xian had ever heard since entering officialdom. Meng Guan wasn't as righteous as Zhou Xi, nor as arrogant as Jia Mi; he simply wanted to make his life better and to have more self-respect. Yet, precisely because his reason was so simple, it was impossible to refute.

But Liu Xian wondered, why would such a simple pursuit make people participate in a major event like a coup?
The answer is easy to get, because all other paths have been occupied by nobles, and Meng Guan has no other path to take.

Liu Xian therefore realized that the crux of the country's chaos was the loss of loyalty and filial piety, but the irrationality of the employment system was the more direct cause.

While he was lost in thought, Meng Guan suddenly asked him, "Huai Chong, I heard you've been married for a long time!"

"Oh, I've only been married three years."

"Three years is not a short time, why don't you have a child yet?"

This sudden question made Liu Xian feel quite embarrassed. After all his time in the government, this was the first time an outsider had asked him this question. His family had urged him to have a baby, but for some reason, Ah Luo's belly hadn't shown any signs of swelling yet. Liu Xian didn't understand, so he said, "I haven't noticed. Maybe the time isn't right yet."

"Haha, carrying on the family line is no small matter, especially for people like us who live on the edge of a knife. We must be extremely careful." Meng Guan clearly regarded Liu Xian as a friend and was imparting some life experience to him. "Otherwise, when you die one day, who in the future will remember you?"

“Although there are many unfilial descendants in the world, there are no people more trustworthy than descendants…”

"Stop talking!" Li Zhao suddenly interrupted, "Look! Hongyuan is back!"

As he spoke, a burst of drum music gradually emerged from the noisy crowd. The festive music made everyone cheer, and a magnificent motorcade came into view.
When Wang Cui left, he brought three black carriages and dozens of followers. When he came back, the team became very large. In addition to the five wedding cars brought by the princess, there were hundreds of palace maids holding lanterns and walking forward. In the evening sky, they looked like two long dragons, one on the left and one on the right.

The musicians in the front were also the imperial court's musicians, and there were also imperial banners in the back, all of which reflected the emperor's regard for Princess Yingchuan. The people attending the meeting cheered loudly, offering their blessings to the moving convoy and the soon-to-be-wed couple.

But after the convoy carrying the princess stopped at the palace gate, people were surprised to discover that it wasn't just the princess who had arrived. Behind the wedding convoy was another convoy, escorted by tiger guards, each carrying a flag bearing the words "Yang" and "Grand Tutor" prominently displayed.

It turned out that Taifu Yang Jun also arrived following the wedding procession.

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(End of this chapter)