Song Xiu

Chapter 33 The Eldest Son is the Rule of Etiquette! (Please continue reading!)
In any dynasty, the phrase "meritorious official who served in the prince's residence" carries its own aura.

After Wang Renzhan left the class, he didn't even bother to glance at Lu Duoxun a few more times.

Wang Renzhan faced the throne directly and addressed Zhao Kuangyin, saying:
At that time, the Central Plains were not yet settled, and the world was not at peace.

The fields are barren, the granaries are empty, and the farmers can only sigh helplessly.
The city walls collapsed, the armor was broken, and the embers of the beacon fires had not yet been extinguished;
The court regulations were incomplete, the official system was yet to be established, and the laws and decrees were chaotic and unclear.

Unequal distribution of taxes and corvée labor, and failure to maintain household registration records have led to widespread suffering among the common people.

In times of extreme chaos, order is desired; the Mandate of Heaven has returned to the Song Dynasty, and the people eagerly await Your Majesty's virtuous rule.

With the land devastated and everything in ruins, what should be the priority: the prince's marriage?
Your Majesty, I implore you to consider the well-being of the people first!

Wang Renzhan was valued by Zhao Kuangyin and appointed as a minister in the prince's residence, which naturally shows that he had considerable insight.

Wang Renzhan worried that Zhao Kuangyin would agree to Lu Duoxun's request out of love for his son, so he used the excuse of "the decline of the empire" to hope that Zhao Kuangyin would give up the idea.

After hearing Wang Renzhan's words, some of the court officials showed their agreement, while others were indifferent.

Any intelligent courtier could see that Wang Renzhan was exaggerating.

The marriage of the eldest son of the emperor has been a customary practice since ancient times.

How come it seems to Wang Renzhan made it sound like he was abandoning the world if he were to first arrange the marriage of the eldest prince?

Seeing that Zhao Kuangyin hesitated after hearing Wang Renzhan's words, Lü Yuqing and Shen Yilun, who were also meritorious officials in the Prince's residence, thought of stepping forward to refute Wang Renzhan.

The current court is not one that Zhao Guangyi can control with one hand.

Before Lü Yuqing and Shen Yilun could even leave their positions, Lu Duoxun, who had been overlooked by everyone, took the initiative to act.

Lu Duoxun stepped forward, positioning himself next to Wang Renzhan.

Then Lu Duoxun directly refuted Wang Renzhan, saying:
"What the official said is completely wrong!"

Ludoson held a low-ranking official position, but his voice was quite loud.

Lu Duoxun's rebuttal made Wang Renzhan frown and turn to look at the unassuming man.

Where did I go wrong?

Wang Renzhan's words were full of suspicion, but due to the constraints of court etiquette, he could not openly curse.

Seeing that Wang Renzhan still didn't realize his mistake, Lu Duoxun sighed in disappointment.

Lu Duoxun's sigh caused Wang Renzhan's blood pressure to spike.

Who does he look down on?

"May I ask you, Your Excellency, where does the foundation of virtuous governance lie?"

Ludoson asked a question that any Confucian scholar would know.

Wang Renzhan had expected Lu Duoxun to raise some difficult question, but after hearing Lu Duoxun's question, Wang Renzhan immediately and confidently replied:
"This is simply the proper etiquette!"

Seeing that Wang Renzhan had given the answer he wanted, Lu Duoxun couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Even someone as careless and sloppy as him could be a meritorious official in the emperor's former residence.

With Lu Duoxun's talent, how could he not be a meritorious official in the prince's pre-reign residence?

Today, let him set the record straight for the Crown Prince and make a name for himself!

After a moment's mental preparation, Lu Duoxun addressed Zhao Kuangyin on the throne and the assembled officials in the hall:
"It is said that the marriage of the eldest son of the royal family is a solemn ceremony of the ancestral temple and a pivotal event for the family and the country."

There are three main points, all of which relate to the safety of the nation and the rise and fall of the ritual system, and they must be carefully considered!

First, it strengthens the foundation of governance. Royal marriages are not merely matters of personal affection; they are, in fact, essential to political strategy.

Marrying a noblewoman means that meritorious officials share joys and sorrows with the imperial family; forming alliances with powerful foreign nations means that distant peoples feel the influence of the Celestial Empire.

When a prince is betrothed, either with the protection of his maternal relatives within the palace or with the harmonious coexistence of his vassal states outside, the court's order is maintained and the nation's power is enhanced. This is indeed a grand strategy for governing the country. Secondly, there is the continuation of the imperial lineage. The Book of Rites states, "Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants." The succession of the imperial family is not merely a private matter for one family, but truly the foundation of the nation.

When princes marry into other families, the legitimate line is established early, and the imperial heir is ensured early. Historical records from the Han and Tang dynasties show that princes were often instructed to do so in order to solidify the foundation of the imperial line and eliminate any thoughts of coveting power.

If the imperial lineage continues unbroken, the subjects will feel at ease, and the state will be secure in its destiny; this is the fundamental principle of patriarchal clan system.

Thirdly, the system of rites was established. Ancient sage kings all governed the world with rites, and marriage was the beginning of all rites.

The wedding of a prince must follow the six rites, with the regulations displayed in the court and the etiquette set for the common people. Following the precedents of the Han and Tang dynasties, the attire and procedures were orderly and standardized, demonstrating the majesty of the imperial family and disseminating moral teachings.

This is the fundamental principle of etiquette and moral education, which aims to establish proper order between superiors and inferiors and respect between elders and juniors throughout the court and the countryside.

Therefore, the marriage of the eldest son of the royal family is not a private matter of the monarch, but a key aspect of political strategy, a fundamental principle of patriarchal clan law, and a major principle of etiquette.

Those who weave nets must grasp the main rope, and those who build houses must solidify the foundation; how much more so the state of a dynasty!

Lu Duoxun's words were firm and resounding. As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin on the throne laughed.

It's hard to say whether he learned the skills of manipulating situations in the shadows during the Chenqiao incident, but he certainly mastered them.

Zhao Kuangyin was not the only one with this idea.

All the officials in the palace knew that Lu Duoxun was now essentially a mouthpiece arranged by Wei Renpu for Zhao Dexiu.

Therefore, Lu Duoxun's insightful remarks today were likely approved by Zhao Dexiu beforehand.

The eldest prince has only been in the palace for half a month, and he can't stand it anymore?
Wang Renzhan was almost stunned after hearing Lu Duoxun's words.

Wang Renzhan wanted to refute, but his thoughts were in disarray, and he could only manage to utter this one sentence:

"The principles of propriety and law are the foundation of a nation; how can we so lightly entrust them to the marriage of the eldest prince?"

When Wang Renzhan said this, ministers such as Fan Zhi and Wang Pu almost couldn't help but laugh.

If Lu Duoxun hadn't said those words, Wang Renzhan's words wouldn't have mattered, but now Wang Renzhan is just speaking recklessly.

Wang Renzhan's reckless remarks gave Lu Duoxun another opportunity.

"The outline of political strategy, the fundamental principles of patriarchal clan system, and the essentials of etiquette and morality."

With all three factors combined, and the marriage of the eldest son of the royal family, how could it not be considered the foundation of the founding rites of the Song Dynasty!

Perhaps because they had something to hide, Zhao Guangyi's confidants felt ashamed when they heard Lu Duoxun repeatedly mention the eldest son of the family.

My face also hurts a little.

Seeing that Lu Duoxun had gained a clear advantage, many officials who had secretly been instructed by Wei Renpu stepped forward to support Lu Duoxun, saying:

"We believe that what the Left Remonstrance Official said is reasonable."

After these low-ranking officials stepped forward, a group of meritorious officials from the Prince's residence, including Shen Yilun and Lü Yuqing, who had already seen Zhao Kuangyin smiling, stepped forward as well.

"Your humble servants add to this!"

After Shen Yilun and other meritorious officials from the Prince's residence stepped forward to add their own comments, generals such as Shi Shouxin, Wang Shenqi, Gao Huaide, and Murong Yanzhao, who had daughters of marriageable age in their families, could no longer stand still.

Under the leadership of Murong Yanzhao and Shi Shouxin, a large group of high-ranking imperial guards stepped forward:

"Your humble servants add to this!"

By this time, the situation in the hall had become quite clear.

Fan Zhi finally released Wang Pu's hand, and the two of them, along with many former court officials, clearly expressed their stance:

"Your humble servants add to this!"

The repeated pronouncements from "Your Majesty" had created an irreversible trend, leaving Zhao Guangyi with no choice but to submit to his fate.

(End of this chapter)