The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

"Pitiable are the bones by the Wuding River, still the dream of a maiden in her spring boudoir..."

Li Shimin stared blankly at the rows of tombs in front of him.

Yes, these soldiers who once fought alongside him and whose bodies were left to rot in the wilderness were all once parents' children, fathers, and husbands.

But only now have they been laid to rest.

Li Shimin felt very guilty, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Upon seeing this, Chen Huai'an immediately turned and left.

He almost forgot that Li Shimin was a crybaby, and with Empress Zhangsun not around, they wouldn't be easy to appease, so it was best to keep his distance.

Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, and the others almost simultaneously followed Chen Huai'an's actions, turning around and walking away.

Wei Zheng was still a little confused about the situation when Changsun Wuji came over and pulled him away, saying, "Let's not stay here for now. Give His Majesty some time. Let's get away from here."

Wei Zheng opened his mouth, but seeing that everyone had left, he realized something was wrong, so he didn't say anything and followed them away.

By the river, Chen Huai'an sat under a tree, took out the fishing rod he had brought from home, dug up two earthworms, and became a fisherman again.

Du Ruhui walked over and sat on a rock next to him: "Mr. Chen is truly a man of great talent; every word he utters is a poem that will be passed down through the ages."

"Miss Feng has excellent taste; she recognized your potential early on. Otherwise, countless young ladies in Chang'an would be dreaming of Mr. Chen."

"Is it not possible now?" Fang Xuanling sat down as well, gazing at the river with some emotion. "If Mr. Chen is willing, even as a concubine, I believe any willing girl can be arranged to go to Tongguan from Changchun."

Chen Huai'an rolled his eyes at the two of them: "Look at what you're saying. If you're willing, you can arrange for young girls who want to marry you as concubines to come to Tongguan from Changchun."

"Mr. Chen is right," Changsun Wuji said with a smile. "Beauty is a scarce commodity at the bottom of society. Ordinary farmers probably wouldn't even dare to look a pretty girl in the eye."

"But at the top, beauty is the least important thing!"

"Those girls that others dream of, and who would spend a fortune just to catch a glimpse of, would probably not even dare to look up when they see you."

"Xuanling," Changsun Wuji joked, "If you're willing, I can find you a few girls to be your concubines."

"They are all well-educated, reasonable, and exceptionally beautiful women, one in a hundred."

Chen Huai'an immediately said, "I can also introduce you to two, you'll definitely be satisfied."

Du Ruhui coughed and said, "Xuanling...we've known each other for many years. If you want to take a concubine, you must tell me."

"I can easily ask my wife to pick out a few good ones for you."

Fang Xuanling: "..."

He looked somewhat awkward and waved his hands repeatedly in refusal: "Forget it, forget it. My wife and I have a deep affection for each other. She has been by my side through thick and thin. How could I possibly take a concubine?"

"No, no need."

"Why not?" Chen Huai'an said with a smile. "It's just taking a concubine. Look at everyone here, except for me who's a bit younger, who doesn't have a concubine?"

"I understand that you and your wife have a deep affection for each other, but we're not asking you to abandon your wife."

"We still understand the principle that a wife who has shared hardship should not be abandoned."

"That's right!" Changsun Wuji laughed heartily. "Xuanling, generally speaking, when a woman is almost thirty, a sensible wife will arrange for a concubine herself."

"At your age, it's really not right to have only one wife."

"Take a concubine; it's not like you're being asked to replace your wife!"

Du Ruhui sighed softly, "Well then, Xuanling, what else do we need to say? I'll have my wife find you two good ones, and I'll even cover the bride price."

"how?"

Fang Xuanling's face flushed red instantly. He realized that these people were just teasing him.

What kind of bullshit is this, introducing concubines?

Throughout the entire court, who didn't know that Fang Xuanling was afraid of his wife?

If he were capable of marrying, would he need you to introduce him?

"No need! I will never marry even a concubine. I will only be loyal to my wife in this life!" Fang Xuanling said firmly.

However, his tough stance drew laughter from everyone, creating a very cheerful atmosphere.

"What are you talking about?"

Before they knew it, Li Shimin walked over and stood behind them.

Everyone hurriedly stood up, but Li Shimin raised his hand and gestured for them not to stand on ceremony.

He then plopped down on the other side of Chen Huai'an: "Seeing you two laughing so happily, I wonder what you're talking about. Tell me so I can hear it too."

Suppressing his laughter, Changsun Wuji recounted what had just happened.

Fang Xuanling's face was ashen; he wanted to say something, but couldn't bring himself to speak.

After learning what had happened, Li Shimin's low spirits lifted considerably, and he said with a smile, "Xuanling, speaking of which, you've had a tough two years."

"My rewards to you are not enough, so how about... I reward you with two women?"

how is it?

You want me to die, don't you?

Fang Xuanling dared not refuse, but wanted to refuse but did not know how to bring it up, so he simply remained silent.

"Hahahaha." Li Shimin was not annoyed at all when he saw this. Instead, he laughed loudly. "You see, you see, I told you, Xuanling is afraid of his wife."

"He doesn't even dare to take a concubine."

"Who's afraid of their wife?" Fang Xuanling couldn't help but retort, "I'm a seven-foot-tall man, I've never been afraid on the battlefield, why would I be afraid of a woman?"

"Then why don't you dare accept the concubine I'm offering you?"

"I......"

Chen Huai'an listened with great interest to the two arguing and the people around him teasing Fang Xuanling.

It is often said that ancient times had multiple wives and concubines, but in reality, the strictest monogamous system existed in ancient times.

Marrying a wife requires three letters and six rites, a formal marriage, matching social status, the wife being included in the family genealogy and ancestral hall, sharing the same body as the husband, and being buried together after death.

The law stipulated that a person could only have one legal wife. Tang Dynasty law stated that anyone who had a wife and then took another wife would be sentenced to one year of penal servitude; the woman's family would receive a reduced sentence.

In other words, if a man marries another woman while already having a wife, he will be sentenced to one year in prison, while the woman's family will receive a reduced sentence. Moreover, the second wife will not be considered a wife and the man must divorce her.

As for concubines, they were acquired through dowry, essentially purchased with a bride price. They were considered special property that could be bought, sold, transferred, or given as gifts.

To put it simply, concubines were for entertainment, and could even be used to entertain guests and have them sleep with them.

Fang Xuanling didn't even dare to take a concubine, which shows how afraid he was of his wife.

"Why."

Leaving the court and not sitting on the throne, Li Shimin suddenly felt that his relationship with Du Ruhui and others, which had been gradually drifting apart, had been brought closer again. He hadn't felt so relaxed in a long time.

In the palace, he was the emperor, but here, he wanted to be an ordinary person, fishing with his friends, even if only for a short while.

"By the way," Wei Zheng asked with a hint of doubt, "Mr. Chen, why did you bring a fishing rod with you this time?"

Chen Huai'an stared intently at the water's surface and said seriously, "Because... it looks cooler this way!"

Everyone: "..."

"..."