The revitalization of the Tang Dynasty began with the Ganlu Incident.

Guangzhaifang, as one of the neighborhoods closest to the imperial city, has always been a place where every inch of land is extremely valuable and is highly favored by high-ranking officials and nobles.

To be able to own a residence here, wealth alone is not enough; one must also possess sufficient power.

As night fell, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air in a three-courtyard house in Guangzhaifang. In the back hall, a group of actors from the Jiaofangsi (a type of entertainment institution) sang and danced incessantly, exuding an air of wealth and grandeur.

If it weren't for the fact that the host sitting at the head of the table was over forty years old but still had a fair complexion and no beard, anyone would only think that this was the residence of a high-ranking official.

Of course, that's not wrong.

Because the owner of this mansion was none other than Liu Hongyi, the Shence Lieutenant who had recently gained considerable power in the capital.

At this moment, Liu Hongyi, dressed in a brocade robe, was leaning against the couch, listening to music and sipping tea, looking quite content.

Beside him was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, a handsome face, and a dignified and polite appearance.

The music was playing nearby, and he served her until the music ended. Then he stepped forward, took out a notebook, and said...

"Father, this is my homework for today. Please take a look."

Liu Hongyi opened his eyes and looked at his upright and gentlemanly 'son' in front of him, which made him feel a little better.

During the Tang Dynasty, eunuchs were allowed to adopt children, although there were some restrictions in the early stages, such as only being allowed to adopt one child, and only being allowed to adopt children with the same surname and under the age of ten.

But by now, these restrictions have become virtually meaningless.

Some long-established eunuch families, such as the Gao family left by the powerful eunuch Gao Lishi during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, and the Yang family to which Yang Qinyi belonged, adopted three to five sons at a time, and sometimes as many as seven or eight, which was a very large number.

In comparison, Liu Hongyi only has two adopted sons, which is fewer in number.

The reason for this was not that Liu Hongyi was more virtuous than other powerful eunuchs, but rather that he was forced by the circumstances of the time.

Keep in mind that raising children costs money!

The adopted sons of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty were different from those adopted sons in the Ming and Qing Dynasties who were merely for show. They were genuinely raised like biological sons, with the eunuchs investing their heart, energy, and money in their upbringing.

This alone is enough to make many low- and middle-ranking eunuchs hesitant to take in too many concubines.

Although Liu Hongyi is now a high-ranking official, he did not actually come from a family of eunuchs. In fact, before entering the palace, his family was just an ordinary commoner family.

The reason he was castrated to enter the palace was because his family was poor, and he had no other choice.

After entering the palace in his early years, Liu Hongyi suffered a lot of hardship and torment. It wasn't until he was over thirty years old that he barely managed to enter the ranks of middle-level eunuchs and dared to choose a marriage partner. He then chose a young son from a collateral branch of his family who had lost both his parents, thus fulfilling his wish to have a wife and children.

In fact, logically speaking, it would be very difficult for a eunuch like him, who had no one to rely on, to break through the ranks of eunuch families and attain a high position.

But perhaps it was luck that we encountered the current emperor.

Since ascending the throne, this emperor has been disgusted with factions in the outer court and wary of powerful eunuchs in the inner court. Therefore, he has given important positions to poor and humble people like Li Xun and Zheng Zhu in the court, and prefers to promote inner court officials like Liu Hongyi and Xue Jiling who are not from eunuch families.

All told, Liu Hongyi rose from a high-ranking official in charge of the Imperial Treasury to a high-ranking official in charge of the Privy Council, one of the Four Nobles, and now to the Lieutenant of the Shence Army, in just four or five years.

His two adopted sons are named Liu Xiuqi, the boy in front of him, who just turned sixteen after the New Year. He was adopted when he got married.

The other one was younger, named Liu Xuyan, who was only eight years old after the New Year. He was the one who was adopted after he became the Privy Councilor.

"Well done. Even if you were to take the imperial examination, I would be satisfied with this essay."

Although Liu Hongyi had never studied before entering the palace, he was quite knowledgeable and had a good memory. He worked very hard during his years in the palace, and although his literary talent was not as good as that of the ministers in the outer court, it was still above average.

For this reason, he paid close attention to his two sons' studies and specially invited a famous scholar to teach them in his home.

His eldest son, Liu Xiuqi, did not disappoint him. At a young age, he was already a skilled writer, which pleased Liu Hongyi greatly.

In the past, Liu Xiuqi would have been overjoyed to receive such praise, but for some reason, today he had a look of worry between his brows.

"What's wrong? Is your schoolwork too heavy? If so, I'll talk to your teacher and ask you to take a few days off, how about that?"

Liu Hongyi's smile faded slightly, and his tone became more concerned.

However, Liu Xiuqi only managed a forced smile and said, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired. Father, if there's nothing else, please excuse me as I'll take my leave now."

Having said that, he stood up, bowed, and withdrew.

Liu Hongyi frowned, still feeling that something was amiss. After a moment's thought, he quickly turned to the attendant beside him and said, "Go and summon the madam."

Soon after, a woman in her early thirties emerged from the back hall, her face lightly made up, exuding elegance and grace.

"Greetings, my lord..."

This is Liu Hongyi's wife, surnamed Xu, the daughter of an eighth-rank civil official.

Eunuchs wielded considerable power during the Tang Dynasty, so they were very particular about matters such as marriage and adoption.

Generally speaking, eunuchs wouldn't even look at daughters from ordinary families. Their wives had to be adopted daughters from other eunuch families or from official families to be considered qualified.

It wasn't uncommon for men from powerful eunuch families to marry daughters of high-ranking officials, or even daughters of ministers.

Liu Hongyi and his wife had a fairly good relationship. He beckoned for this Lady Xu to sit down next to him, and then he recounted Liu Xiuqi's strange behavior just now.

"I usually serve His Majesty in the palace, and you manage all the affairs of the inner quarters. Do you know what's wrong with Xiuqi?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xu remained silent for a moment, then said, "If I speak, please don't be angry, my lord..."

Then she recounted everything she knew.

It turns out that Liu Xiuqi had gone out for a spring outing a few days ago and met a noblewoman from an official family. As the saying goes, young men are attracted to each other, and the two developed feelings for each other after they met. They have been corresponding with each other in recent days.

However, due to his family situation, Liu Xiuqi dared not reveal his identity. After repeated inquiries, he was unable to answer and broke off all contact. As a result, he had been in a bad mood for some time.

"So that's how it is..."

After listening, Liu Hongyi frowned slightly, but did not get angry.

"What's so difficult about this? Xiuqi will be sixteen after the New Year, and it's time to arrange a marriage. From what you've said, this girl comes from an official family. If Xiuqi really likes her, then arranging a marriage is perfectly fine. Why bother yourself like this?"

He didn't ask which company the other party belonged to.

After all, given his current status, if his adopted son wants to get married, he can arrange a marriage for him with anyone who isn't a high-ranking official.

However, after saying this, Madam Xu on the other side became even more hesitant to speak.

However, perhaps due to years of raising her son and her deep love for him, Madam Xu hesitated for a long time before finally rising to bow and say something.

"My lord, have you forgotten? There are rules in the palace that anyone who enters the palace as a eunuch must be no older than sixteen. Xiuqi is your son, and unless there is special favor, he will have to enter the palace within six months."

"This child is filial and does not want to cause trouble for her husband, nor does she want to delay the girl's marriage. Therefore, she took the initiative to break off contact."

Despite the relatively open atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty, the court and the general public did not discriminate against the status of eunuchs as much as in other dynasties.

But eunuchs are eunuchs after all, and when it comes to marriage, it still involves matters of the heart.

Given a choice, most daughters of officials would certainly not want to marry a eunuch and live a life of widowhood...