Chapter 24: Substitute Marriage
Chapter 24: Substitute Marriage
March 7, 2021 mich
This chapter was sponsored by WillieCoyote!
In this campaign, the head of the Wei army was the veteran general Zhao Tong. Second Prince Li Zhongqian escorted the grain and supplies. The third and fourth princes each commanded a team of 2,000 men to support each side.
Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen stayed in the capital.
Li Yaoying was afraid that the Eastern Palace would take advantage of this opportunity to assassinate Li Zhongqian, and sent people to closely monitor the movement of the Eastern Palace.
For several days in a row, there was no suspicious movement from the Eastern Palace.
The Eastern Palace’s inside man only sent a message: Princess Fukang and the Yelu tribe were getting closer, and may be conspiring to rescue the Grand Princess Yiqing.
Yaoying frowned.
She didn’t know what happened, but this life’s Zhu Luyun was crazier than in her last life. Last year, she even secretly colluded with Southern Chu spies, causing the Wei army to lose several cities. Li De punished her to ponder over her mistakes behind closed doors. The former dynasty’s officials, led by Prime Minister Zheng, made a rare plea of leniency for her.
In order to atone for Zhu Luyun’s crime, Li Xuanzhen took the initiative to lead the army to recover Jiang county. He returned with serious injuries, narrowly escaping from death.
Zhu Luyun was both moved and guilty, and took care of Li Xuanzhen without rest. Crown Princess Zheng Biyu thought they had reconciled, and inquired the imperial astronomer, preparing to pick an auspicious date for the wedding.
Even the green hut was set up for the wedding, and then the two had a big fight once again. The marriage ended up being called off.
Yaoying was uninterested in Li Xuanzhen and Zhu Luyun’s splitting up then getting back together, only fearing that Zhu Luyun would attract trouble and bring disaster to others.
Her fears were soon confirmed.
Two days later, Yaoying was sitting in front of the window writing a letter to the faraway Li Zhongqian when there was a sudden rush of urgent footsteps from the corridor.
The birds pecking at the fruit in front of the steps were startled, flapping their wings and swooping into the dense and luxuriant flower bushes, twittering and chirping.
”Your Highness!” Xie Qing crossed the threshold at a brisk pace, stood outside the screen, and said after giving obeisance, “Something has happened.”
Yaoying’s heart thumped, and the violet hair brush in her hand stopped for a moment on the paper, the ink dripping down and gathering in a light brown puddle.
She put down the pen, got up and left the study, asking, “What happened?”
Xie Qing said with lowered eyes, “Today there was a big banquet in the palace. His Majesty received envoys from various countries in the Linde Hall to watch a polo match. Princess Fukang also attended the banquet. The warriors of the Yelu tribe won, and His Majesty commended the warriors. The warriors said they admired the Central Plains empire and wanted to join the Great Wei, requesting His Majesty to bestow a noble woman from the Central Plains to be their tribal chief’s wife.”
He paused for a moment.
”Without waiting for His Majesty to speak, Princess Fukang emerged from the crowd and said she was willing to go to the grasslands to make peace, agreeing in public to Yelu tribal chief’s marriage proposal.”
Yaoying froze for a long time, not daring to believe her ears, “How was this possible?”
How could her marriage be so casual? Was Zhu Luyun crazy?
Xie Qing said with a wooden face and no expression: “Your Highness, this information is absolutely true. Princess Fukang agreed too quickly. Several ministers from the Hall of Political Affairs could not stop her before the envoys of various countries were already congratulating her. In full view of everyone, the Emperor could not say anything. Prime Minister Zheng was so angry that he dropped his wine cup, Commander-in-chief Pei drew his sword, even the people from the Ministry of Rites stepped in to intervene. The Yelu tribe seemed to be prepared, completely ignoring the hints of the Ministry of Rites, pressuring His Majesty to give the imperial decree to bestow marriage. Princess Fukang also knelt down to ask His Majesty to hand down the edict, and even accepted the token from the Yelu tribe in front of everyone.”
Yaoying paced back and forth, unable to return to her senses for some time.
She knew that Zhu Luyun was willful and would do anything for revenge, but she didn’t expect this former dynasty’s princess to be so selfish as to treat national affairs as child’s play!
Among all the princesses, only Zhu Luyun was a princess with a title. She was also the remaining member of the former dynasty’s Zhu clan and her identity was extraordinary. Her recklessly agreeing to the marriage proposal not only put herself in danger, but also directly undermined Li De’s strategy.
Li De racked his brains in order to rope in the Hu people and divide them, to gradually defeat the barbarians who were entrenched in the northwest, to recover the Hetao and the Western Regions, to relieve the northwest of its border invasions, in order for the people of Guanzhong to live a peaceful and stable life. So that Great Wei could take a breath and not be surrounded by enemies, while watching out for other forces and having to curry favor again and again, he used riches and beauties to bribe the barbarians so that their iron hooves did not come south.
He indeed wanted to draw in the Yelu tribe, but the Great Wei did not need to send a true golden branch and jade leaf1 to make peace.
To the Hu people, there must be both forceful deterrence and gentle means.
The reason why Li De led troops to battle right after ascending the throne was to show the Hu people how brave and powerful the Great Wei army was.
First using their military might to make them afraid, then talk cooperation, only then could Great Wei take the initiative.
This time Zhu Luyun stirred things up, Li De lost the decisive, key moment and became passive. In order to placate the barbarians, to dispel the suspicions of other tribes who were on guard against Great Wei, he could only choose to let Zhu Luyun marry!
Yaoying could almost imagine how annoyed Li De was now.
The Li family was an old vassal of the Zhu clan. Half of the ministers in the empire were also loyal to the Zhu clan. When the previous emperor was killed, Li De did see that he would die and deliberately delayed sending troops.
So Li De adopted Zhu Luyun, crowned her as a princess, and accommodated her in every way.
Firstly, to wash the Li family clean of the blackened ‘disloyal’ reputation.
Secondly, to show the world the generosity and tolerance of the Li family, to appease the former dynasty’s courtiers, to show goodwill to the noble families and influential clans.
Thirdly, to declare the legitimacy of the Li family’s succession to the throne.
Fourthly, to make use of Zhu Luyun to monitor the influences of the forces sympathetic to the previous dynasty’s emperor and balance the court.
Li De never did a loss-making business. For all of Zhu Luyun’s numerous assassinations attempts, he found evidence each and every time. And every time, he gently let her off, not touching even a hair on Zhu Luyun in order to continue to use Zhu Luyun, but also to use up of the last bit of pity and loyalty the court ministers had for the former dynasty’s Zhu clan, making them completely loyal and devoted to the new dynasty.
He certainly could not imagine that Zhu Luyun going crazy would actually stir up such a big mess.
Diplomatic relations were no small matter.
Soon after the establishment of the new dynasty, it was necessary to win the hearts and minds of the people, to build prestige, to control the barbarians. Zhu Luyun publicly agreed to marry. If the Yelu tribe took advantage to ask for better benefits, if Great Wei could not properly handle this matter, the previous few battles were fought in vain.
This loss, even if Li De did not eat, must also eat.
……
Meanwhile, Wei Ming, the Eastern Palace’s Chief Historian, had exactly the same reaction as Li Yaoying. It was an expression of shock and disbelief.
”Has Princess Fukang gone crazy?” He was so anxious that his voice changed its pitch, “She actually wanted to marry?”
The person who delivered the news was the Chief Commandant Qin Fei, a subordinate of Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen. He wiped his sweat and said, “Chief Historian, what do you think should be done?”
Wei Ming trembled with anger: “Ignorant woman! Ignorant woman! Our Great Wei soldiers fought courageously outside to get the barbarians to come and join us. His Majesty had done this painstakingly, only needing to wait for the barbarians to submit and finalize our alliance with them. This foolish woman has spoiled His Majesty’s great plan with a few simple words!”
Zhu Luyun was the daughter of the Zhu clan. She took the token in public and didn’t leave the Emperor any way out. She was indeed extremely foolish!
Qin Fei lamented and held Wei Ming: “Chief Historian, this isn’t the time to scold!”
He held out his finger and shook it.
”The Crown Prince will never let Princess Fukang marry.”
Wei Ming also thought of this. His teeth clenched and he grunted, closing his eyes and exhaling. He pressed down his anger, calming down, and asked, “The Crown Prince didn’t lose his etiquette in public, did he?”
Qin Fei stomped his feet and sighed: “You also know how much the Crown Prince values Princess Fukang. When the Yelu tribe proposed marriage, the Crown Prince had just come out from court and went to the back hall to change clothes. I don’t know what delayed him, making him take some time to come back. When he learned that Princess Fukang was to marry to the Yelu tribe, his face immediately changed. Without waiting for His Majesty to speak, he dragged Princess Fukang away. “
Li Xuanzhen pulled Zhu Luyun out and Li De’s face turned dark. The Yelu tribe got an inch and wanted a foot, making the Ministry of Rites officials angry enough to jump three feet up. The whole feast fell apart.
The Eastern Palace’s ministers were at a loss and could only have Qin Fei sent hurry back to the Eastern Palace to ask Wei Ming for advice.
Wei Ming was angry, hateful, and anxious. A faint coppery2 taste was coming from the root of his teeth.
The emperor was a dictator and was unwilling to miss the opportunity to make an alliance with the barbarians. So even though he was annoyed, he would send Zhu Luyun to get married.
The crown prince and Zhu Luyun had been entangled for many years. He certainly would not sit back and watch Zhu Luyun get married off to the grasslands. Even if she married, the crown prince would lead troops to snatch the person back.
No one could stop the crown prince.
When that time came, the crown prince would definitely be at odds with His Majesty!