A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1259: Wedding and Entering the Bridal Chamber

April is the most beautiful month of the year.

Spring has arrived in Chang'an, and April is peaceful and tranquil. The sky is as blue as the sea, the clouds are as white as snow, and half of the city is covered with green trees and the other half with flowers.

Chang'an after the beginning of summer is the most comfortable time of the year. There is neither the sudden warmth and cold of early spring, nor the scorching sun of midsummer, nor the drizzle of autumn, nor the wind and snow of winter.

At such a good time of year, the emperor returned to Beijing from the Tangquan Palace in Mount Li.

Wu Huaiyu and his family also returned to Chang'an.

Luoyang magistrate Wu Chengsi also returned to the capital.

The good day for the Wu family to marry their eldest daughter-in-law has come.
Wu Chengsi, Duke of Taiyuan, married the nineteenth daughter of the Emperor, Princess Lanling, Li Shu.
Princess makeup,

Yang Jieyu watched her daughter change into her wedding dress. She was happy but also reluctant. Her eyes became red and she couldn't help turning her head away to wipe away her tears.

The two concubines Yang and Princess Yang of Chaola smiled and comforted her, "Princess Lanling is getting married, it's a great day, you should be happy."

"Happy. I am very happy." Concubine Yang said to several concubines who were also from the Hongnong Yang family.

"The princess is so beautiful today,"

"Your Majesty has arrived."

The emperor came and had many things to say to his married daughter.

"Lizhen, I watched Chengsi grow up, and you have known him since childhood. He is a very nice guy. I did not make a wrong choice in choosing this son-in-law. After you marry him, he will definitely love and care for you.

However, although you are a princess, after you get married, you must be filial to your aunt and respect your husband..."

The princess' eyes turned red after hearing these words.

The emperor gave the princess a generous dowry.

The first house granted in Yankangfang was the house of Li Tai, the Prince of Wei. This house was the residence of Prime Minister Yang Su during the Sui Dynasty. After entering the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan gave it to his daughter Princess Wanchun and her husband Doulu Huairang. Later, Li Shimin gave this house to his favorite son, Li Tai, the Prince of Wei.

Li Tai also renovated the house, making it very luxurious and covering a very large area, occupying half of Yankangfang.

Now that Li Tai was demoted for being involved in a treason case, the mansion was taken back, and Li Shimin gave it to his daughter Princess Lanling as a dowry. The emperor still thought it was not enough.

The Furong Garden, which was originally given to Li Tai, was also given to the princess. It was an imperial garden covering an area of ​​3,000 mu and a circumference of 17 li. In addition, Li Tai's mansion, which originally occupied a block of Huixunfang in Luoyang, was also given to the princess.

He was also given a hundred acres of land, a hundred slaves, fifty carriages, and two thousand pieces of silk and cloth.

In addition, the princess was rewarded with 600 households.

He also gave the princess many treasures collected in the palace: pearl curtains, clear water silk, rustling curtains, fire silk cotton, Ruyi jade, as well as several bushels of gold, wheat, silver and rice, cold-repellent incense, evil-repelling incense, auspicious unicorn incense, golden phoenix incense, camphor incense and other treasures.

Li Shimin waved his hand and the eunuch brought a plate.

The emperor took off the covering cloth, revealing an exquisite nine-phoenix hairpin inside. The hairpin had nine phoenixes carved on it, each with a different color, making it a rare treasure in the world.

"Like it?"

The princess liked this Nine-Phoenix Hairpin very much.

"This is what the Queen gave me before she left. She said it was a wedding gift for you. Unfortunately, she didn't live to see your wedding day and couldn't wear it for you personally."

For the princess' wedding today,

Li Shimin even let the princess borrow the empress's carriage and sent imperial guards to line up on both sides of the carriage to strengthen the dowry and ceremonial procession.

In order to allow the princess' wedding carriage to enter, the gate was demolished and torches were set up along the road. The scene was as spectacular as it could be.

The residents of Yankangfang also benefited from a one-year tax exemption.

Li Shimin also specially hosted a banquet for all the ministers in Liangyi Hall and ordered the princess to marry a minister.

All the civil and military officials in the court came together to see the princess off on her wedding day.

The standards of the Wu family's wedding reception were not low at all.

Not only was the betrothal gift extremely luxurious, but an extra dowry was even prepared for the princess.

Although the emperor had previously banned extravagant weddings, this trend of ostentation has gradually resurfaced in recent years, and even the royal family is not immune to it.

After all, it was because the emperor's treasury was rich, and common people who could afford it would pay attention to the pomp and circumstance when getting married, hiring a band of musicians and setting up many tables of banquets. Naturally, the emperor's daughter's wedding would not be left behind.

Human nature.

This wedding can be said to have stunned the entire Chang'an.

Showing royal luxury,

It also revealed the generosity of the Wu Taiwei family, the first new noble in the Zhenguan period.

The emperor gave the princess a mansion in Chang'an Yankangfang, a mansion in Luoyang, and a 3,000-acre Furong Garden. But on her wedding day, the princess went to the Taiwei Mansion in Xuanyangfang first.

Complete the wedding ceremony here.
After the marriage, the princess and her husband can move into the luxuriously decorated house in Yankangfang, or they can live in Xuanyangfang.

However, Chengsi is now the magistrate of Luoyang County. He is taking a honeymoon leave to get married. He will only take a half-month leave. Then he will bring the princess to Luoyang to take up the post.

This is also the reason why Li Shimin gave the princess a large house covering an area of ​​one block in Luoyang. In the next few years, Princess Lanling Li Shu Li Lizhen will spend more time living in Luoyang.

After sunset,
Chengsi led the Wu family's grand wedding procession to pick up the bride.

Li Shimin, along with his ministers and officials, escorted the princess to her wedding.

The streets on both sides of the wedding procession were lined with torches.

The children of the Wu family, as well as the children of relatives and friends, served as best men today. They wore flowers in their hair and rode tall and fine horses with their saddles loaded with copper coins.

Their task is not only to pick up the bride, but also to distribute money along the way.

After leaving the gate of the Taiwei Mansion in Xuanyangfang, he began to throw money to the people watching on both sides of the road.

All the way to the palace gate,

Then red envelopes were given to the people who were escorting the princess to her wedding in front of the palace gate, and everyone got a share.

He picked up the person and walked back, continuing to throw money along the way.

A handful of copper coins,

Occasionally, there would be one or two silver coins mixed in.

Such lavish spending attracted countless Chang'an residents, who blocked both sides of the wedding road.

This forced the Yongzhou government and the Wannian county government to send all their personnel to the streets to maintain order, for fear of a stampede or someone startling the princess's carriage, which would have been troublesome.

Even the left and right Wuhou Guards sent out a large number of soldiers to maintain order, and the Beiya Imperial Guards were also dispatched.

A few miles of road to welcome the bride,
No one knew how much money was actually scattered, but the group of young men never stopped. After they scattered a load of money, the horse-drawn carriage following behind would immediately deliver two more bags of money and continue scattering.

No matter men, women, old or young, everyone happily grabbed and picked up money to share in the good fortune.
It’s also a real benefit.

If you are lucky enough to pick up a silver coin, you can buy half a stone of rice. If you pick up a gold coin, you can exchange it for a piece of silk.

Kaiyuan Tongbao copper coins are still quite valuable. Under the crackdown by the imperial court in recent years, the private money, old money and inferior coins that were rampant in the early years have rarely been circulated, and the value of Kaiyuan Tongbao has become increasingly strong. Even a dou of rice in Chang'an is only worth a few cents.

For one penny, you can have a very hearty breakfast.

Wu Huaiyu sat at home,
Today was also a day of formal attire, and the women in the family who had received imperial decrees even wore the dresses with flowery ornaments and precious hairpins.

"Are we going to follow the traditional etiquette?" Fan Xuanfu was a little nervous.

This was her first time to be a princess's mother-in-law, and this was also her first time to be a mother-in-law.

When a bride enters the house, she should offer tea to her uncle and aunt.

"We are your aunt and uncle, and we are your elders. Why are you so nervous? Just follow the etiquette."

In the Tang Dynasty, a daughter-in-law called her parents-in-law "uncle and aunt", and after marrying into the family, she was called the new bride.

According to etiquette, after the six ceremonies, they can be considered husband and wife. The bride price is raised, the groom asks for the date to marry the bride.

The wedding ceremony is held, which means the bride is married.

The six rites are pre-wedding rites, and there are many traditional ceremonies in the wedding ceremony, such as urging the bride to get ready, blocking the carriage, setting up the green pavilion, fanning the bride, sitting on the saddle, spreading the tent, and even the end of the ceremony.

There are also post-wedding ceremonies, such as meeting uncle and aunt, marrying into a new family, and worshipping at the ancestral temple.

When the groom goes to pick up the bride and urges her to get ready, the bride's family will ask the groom or the male side to write a poem urging her to get ready. This is just like drinking and staying up late before picking up the bride in later generations.

To block a car means to block the road and ask for a reward.

Generally, you have to pay money to pass. There are also some rogues who like to take advantage of the opportunity to make money and make people unhappy.

The Tang people always got married at night.

After the wedding, they set up a green tent in a lucky spot in the southeast corner of the yard and spent the night there.

"Don't you often see the princess in the palace? You also say that the princess is well-educated and well-mannered. Why are you worried now?" Huaiyu said with a smile.

Xuan Fu said that after all,
"It's okay. From now on, the couple can live in Yankangfang, one in the East City and the other in the West City. They are ten miles apart, so they won't see each other every day, and you won't feel uncomfortable.

Besides, after they get married, they will go to Luoyang soon, and will only return to Beijing during the Chinese New Year."

Xuan Fu's worry was not without reason. Although some princesses were very filial to their parents-in-law after marriage, most princesses were still high and mighty after marriage.

Even if her father-in-law is the prime minister, the princess still requires her parents-in-law to pay her a visit.

Even though the emperor often asked the eldest princess and other princesses about this issue, the situation did not change much.

There are very few princesses who can truly be filial to their parents-in-law and properly identify themselves as daughters-in-law.

Some princesses were even domineering and even promiscuous.

For example, in history, Princess Gaoyang married Fang Xuanling's second son Yiai, who ended up having an affair with the eminent monk Bian Ji, and even asked her husband to stand guard while they were having an affair.
For example, Li Shimin's sister, Princess Yongjia, committed adultery with her sister's son, her own nephew.

Although there are not many such dissolute princesses, there are indeed many other domineering princesses.

Therefore, the Shandong aristocratic families were very reluctant to marry into the royal family and were unwilling to marry princesses, because in the eyes of these aristocratic families who paid particular attention to etiquette, the royal princesses were too disrespectful.

Most of those who marry into the royal family are nobles and relatives of the dynasty, especially the prime minister's family. This is also helpless. If the emperor insists on marriage, can you refuse?

Fang Xuanling's two sons and one daughter were married into the royal family, Wu Huaiyu also had one son and one daughter who were married into the royal family, and other prime ministers such as Wei Zheng, Xiao Yu, Zhangsun Wuji, Wang Gui, and Yang Shidao were all married into the royal family.

Li Shimin turned all the prime ministers into his own relatives, who were not only partners at work but also relatives in life.

He even turned some of the generals into his brothers-in-law and sons-in-law.
However, Li Shimin did not expect that even with such a marriage, these brothers-in-law and sons-in-law would still rebel.

Outside, there was joy and rejoicing,

Wu Huaiyu held his wife's hand and said, "In the blink of an eye, our son has grown up and is now marrying a princess. Soon we will have a grandson."

"Here she comes, the bride is coming in."

Outside, the sound of festive drums and trumpets was heard, and the bride was welcomed back.

Wu Huaiyu laughed loudly, "Quick, set off fireworks and salutes to welcome the princess in."

"Inform the guests that the feast is about to begin."

When a son gets married, the happiest people are naturally the parents, especially when it is the first time the son gets married.

Wu Huaiyu had actually always been paying attention to his eldest daughter-in-law, Princess Lanling Li Shuli Lizhen. He knew that this nineteenth daughter of the emperor, born to Concubine Yang, had some of the style of the famous Hongnong Yang family and was a lady of noble character.

Completely different from Princess Gaoyang, Princess Danyang and Princess Yongjia.

quickly,

The princess was welcomed into the palace.

Wu Huaiyu and Fan Xuanfu did not go to the door to greet them, but sat at the upper seats in the hall.

The princess was led in by Wu Chengsi.

Princess Lanling also went forward very politely to pay her respects to her parents-in-law.

Wu Huaiyu accepted the gift calmly, and asked someone to bring a basin of water, so that the princess could help her parents-in-law wash their hands and wipe their faces. She also asked someone to bring tea, so that the princess could serve tea to the couple.

Princess Lanling did everything carefully and politely.

Finally, the ceremony was over and they left.

Upon seeing this, the guests were full of praise for the new bride of the Wu family, saying that the Nineteenth Princess was as filial, friendly, elegant and well-mannered as Princess Xiangcheng, Princess Nanping and Princess Changle.

The wedding continues.

The princess and Chengsi drank the wedding wine and got married.

A gourd is split into two bowls and connected with a red string. The bride and groom each hold a bowl and drink from it, which means that the two are connected as one and also implies sharing the joys and sorrows.

Next comes the hair-tying.

Witnessed by many guests and relatives, at the wedding, Wu Chengsi and Li Shu each cut off a lock of their hair, then intertwined them together and tied them with colorful thread to show their eternal love and lifelong companionship.

"Send him to Qinglu!"

After the ceremony, the newlyweds went to the green tent set up in the southeast corner of the yard, which was their bridal chamber.

The bride and groom entered the Qinglu, but the guests had not yet left. Everyone came to congratulate Wu Huaiyu and toasted him. On such a festive day, Wu Huaiyu also drank a lot.

In the end, he got drunk, which was a rare occurrence for him, and was carried back to the house by his sons, including Chengye.

(End of this chapter)