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Noble weddings in the Qin Dynasty had their own set of rules.

After the whole process of accepting the marriage proposal, asking for the bride's name, accepting the marriage proposal, accepting the bride price, asking for the date, and welcoming the bride, several months have passed and it is the spring season when the flowers are in full bloom.

On the wedding day, the sun gradually set, and the sky was dyed with a gorgeous sunset, adding a festive touch to this special day.

Li You was wearing a gorgeous robe, black robe, silk skirt and black belt, and he looked very imposing. He stood beside the black painted carriage. Qian Cang, who was well versed in etiquette, accompanied him as the "banner". Two auxiliary carriages followed closely behind him, as well as a beautifully decorated women's carriage. The convoy of the group was magnificent, showing the noble style.

The convoy slowly drove towards the Meng Mansion in the South City. It was almost dusk. The torches in front lit up the road ahead. The drums and horns in the back played, and the cheerful music floated in the air. The people who had just finished shopping at the market stopped in their tracks when they heard the lively sounds. They saw the gorgeous convoy coming, and knew that a noble was going to get married, so they stopped and bowed respectfully to congratulate.

Li You smiled and was in a good mood. He signaled his followers to distribute copper coins to the people on the roadside to thank them for their support. This action instantly triggered a cheer. The children laughed and jumped excitedly, and happily ran after the wedding car, all the way to the outside of Meng's house.

For a moment, laughter and joy echoed in the streets and alleys, adding a festive atmosphere to the wedding.

Qian Cang got off the car first, straightened his clothes, and solemnly went into the mansion to inform.

After a while, Meng Tian, ​​wearing a formal dress, came to the gate. Xiaoyue had no father or mother. She used to rely on Zhao Gao, her sworn brother who was the prime minister, but now they were no longer friends. Fortunately, Yu Shu, thinking of Xiaoyue's years of service, specially asked Meng Tian to send her out to preserve this friendship. And Meng Tian agreed for Yi Xiaochuan's sake.

After the symbolic process, Meng Tian stepped aside to reveal the bride Xiaoyue who was waiting outside the door.

Xiaoyue was wearing a plain dress that matched Li You's black dress, with a light black edge and wide sleeves. The maid behind her carefully helped to hold up the hem of her skirt. Today, Xiaoyue had her hair tied up like a woman, with gold and jade ornaments all over her head, shining brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun. However, Xiaoyue kept her head down a few steps away, and Li You could only see her forehead. He thought she was shy, and felt happy, so he didn't think much about it. He happily welcomed Xiaoyue back to the mansion.

But when Li You excitedly opened the curtain of the sedan, he was stunned for a moment. The sedan was empty, where was the bride?!

There was only a piece of brocade lying quietly on the cushion.

Li You's face turned pale instantly, and he picked up the silk tremblingly. The guests around him also noticed something was wrong, and the originally lively atmosphere suddenly became quiet...

...............

When Yi Huawei returned home, night had already fallen and the house was brightly lit.

As soon as I stepped into the lobby, Qiu Ju, who was wearing a gorgeous dress, came to greet me. She knelt on the ground tremblingly, her voice trembling:
"Thank you, Prime Minister, for saving my life!"

Today was supposed to be Xiaoyue's wedding day.

However, Xiaoyue confessed to Yushu a few days ago that she didn't like Li You and didn't want to get married. After hearing this, Yushu thought about it and decided to let Qiuju replace Xiaoyue.

Qiu Ju was just a maid, she had no power in the palace, how could she dare to disobey the order of the imperial concubine Yu Shu. But she knew that if the matter was exposed, her life would be in danger.

Thinking of the meaningful words Yi Huawei had said to her, Qiu Ju suddenly realized the deep meaning. So, she made a prompt decision and quietly informed Yi Huawei.

During the wedding procession, Li You's motorcade was so grand and lively that no one noticed that a team under Yi Huawei was quietly moving. While everyone's attention was focused on the festive atmosphere of the wedding, they took Xiaoyue away without anyone noticing.

Qiu Ju was filled with fear and anxiety at this moment. She knelt in the lobby, her body trembling slightly, and the terrible consequences she might face kept appearing in her mind.

Li Si was the powerful prime minister and could do nothing to Yu Shu, but it would be easy for him to kill a servant like her to vent his anger.

Yi Huawei looked at the frightened Qiu Ju in front of him, a gentle smile appeared on his face, he gently bent down, stretched out his hand to help Qiu Ju up, and said softly:
"Get up, Qiuju. You really have no choice in this matter, so there is no need to panic. You can stay in my house for a while and feel at ease. After a few days, when the situation is a little stable, I will make arrangements and send you back."

"Thank you, sir! Sir, I am willing to serve you like a slave."

Qiu Ju had tears in her eyes and was filled with gratitude. She kowtowed quickly to express her gratitude. The sound of her forehead hitting the ground was particularly clear in the quiet lobby.

After Yi Huawei helped Qiu Ju up, he looked at her carefully. Qiu Ju was wearing the gorgeous dress that was originally prepared for Xiao Yue, but now it looked a little messy and out of place. Her hair was also a little messy, and a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, which made her look even more embarrassed. However, her eyes revealed a kind of determination and desire to survive.

Yi Huawei nodded slightly: "Get up! Don't be so panic, you can rest assured in my house. But you must remember not to mention anything about the recent events to outsiders, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble."

Qiu Ju nodded and agreed quickly:

"Don't worry, sir. I understand. I will keep my mouth shut and will never cause any trouble for you, sir."

After saying that, he kowtowed several times and stood aside, secretly looking at Yi Huawei. She had never thought that the prime minister, whom she had never met, would treat her so well. Qiu Ju secretly swore in her heart that she must repay the prime minister's kindness.

After Yi Huawei pondered for a moment, he looked up and said to Qiu Ju: "Qiu Ju, you should go and rest first. Change into suitable clothes, eat something, and calm down."

"Thank you, sir!"

Qiu Ju bowed again to express her gratitude, then followed the servant out of the hall.

"I didn't expect that Lord Zhao would be so kind and gentle to women."

At this moment, with a creaking sound, the heavy door was slowly pushed open, and Lu Zhina's graceful figure appeared at the door. There was a meaningful smile on her face, and that smile seemed to be a bit teasing.

As she spoke, Lu Zhi walked into the house with light steps. She was wearing a light blue long skirt today. The hem of the skirt was embroidered with delicate patterns that were faintly visible as she walked. Her hair was neatly tied up with a jade hairpin flower inserted in it.

"I heard that an interesting incident happened in Prime Minister Li's residence today, but I didn't expect it was related to Lord Zhao."

Lu Zhi's voice was soft and gentle, yet it carried a hint of elusive charm. She slightly turned sideways, her eyes still fixed on Yi Huawei, as if waiting for his response.

"It's just a matter of convenience."

Yi Huawei smiled faintly, raised his head slightly, met Lu Zhi's eyes, and said with interest:
"You came here today specifically to 'warn' me?"

"I dare not!" Lü Zhi smiled softly, and her laughter rang in the house like a silver bell. She lowered her head slightly, and a sly look flashed in her eyes: "But, Lord Zhao, aren't you afraid that Prime Minister Li will turn against you?"

"Why are you turning against me?"

Yi Huawei smiled indifferently, turned around and walked to the chair, sat down slowly, and brushed his sleeves lightly: "If Li Si wants to quarrel, he will quarrel with Meng Tian and the Concubine Dowager. What does it have to do with me?"

Lu Zhi frowned slightly, walked to the chair opposite Yi Huawei and sat down, leaning forward slightly, and said:

"Sir Zhao, although it seems that Meng Tian and the Concubine Dowager were behind this, the fact that you took Qiu Ju in today is not that simple. Li You is in the Black Dragon Guard now, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to find out what happened today. Prime Minister Li is a meticulous person, so he will definitely be suspicious of this matter. After all, it looks like you two have colluded."

Yi Huawei smiled lightly, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said, "Lü Zhi, you think too much. Not to mention that Li You's hands are not that long, even if he knew, what would happen? Would he turn against me for a maid? Prime Minister Li is not that stupid!"

Lü Zhi looked at Yi Huawei with a hint of worry in her eyes. "Lord Zhao, you are my benefactor, and I naturally hope that you are well. The situation in the court is complicated now, and the forces of all parties are intertwined. Your every move may lead to unexpected consequences. Although you took in Qiu Ju out of goodwill, others may think that you have your own position in this struggle. Prime Minister Li's power in the court should not be underestimated. If he intends to deal with you, I am afraid it will bring you a lot of trouble."

Yi Huawei stood up, walked to the window, looked at the scenery outside, his eyes became deep, "I know. It's just Li Si..., no need to worry."

As long as Hu Hai obeys his orders, what can Li Si do?

What's more, after several years of careful planning and painstaking management by him, half of the forces in the court are already closely surrounding him, forming an invisible but powerful power network.

If Hu Hai had not wanted to keep Li Si to suppress Confucianism, he would have let him retire and return home long ago.

Confucianism is in decline in the current court situation. Yi Huawei plans to recruit a group of Confucian scholars to serve as officials in the court. However, if there is no opponent like Li Si to check and balance them, they will probably rise quickly and break the existing balance.

In his vision, the rigor of Legalism and the benevolent government of Confucianism could complement each other and together build a more stable and prosperous empire.

Although the dominance of Legalism can maintain the ruling order in the short term, it will make the people suffer and eventually cause social unrest.

As a later generation, he was very clear about the consequences of Confucianism's dominance. The lessons of history told him that it was necessary to maintain a balance of power among all parties in order to ensure the stability of the court and the long-term peace and stability of the empire.

Seeing Yi Huawei, who was confident, Lü Zhi stood up and bowed slightly: "Since Lord Zhao has a plan in mind, I am relieved."

After saying that, Lu Zhi bowed to Yi Huawei and turned to leave the room.

"and many more!"

Yi Huawei called out to Lu Zhi.

The steps that Lü Zhi was about to take to the threshold seemed to be frozen, and stopped in an instant. Her movements were extremely fast, as if her body had an instinctive reaction to the sudden sound. The hem of her skirt flew up lightly as she turned around, and then slowly fell down, swaying in the air, showing a different kind of elegance.

There was a hint of doubt and inquiry in his eyes, and he quickly looked at Yi Huawei and said softly: "What do you want, sir?"

Yi Huawei smiled slightly, looked at Lu Zhi, and said slowly: "What do you think about Confucianism?"

Lu Zhi was slightly stunned, and couldn't help thinking quickly in her heart. She knew that Yi Huawei's question about Confucianism must have a deep meaning, and her answer needed to be cautious and thoughtful. She pursed her lips lightly, sorted out her thoughts, then raised her head, looked at Yi Huawei and said:
"Sir, Confucianism emphasizes benevolence, propriety, righteousness, loyalty and trustworthiness. These concepts have a positive impact on social harmony and order to a certain extent. However, in the current situation, we also need to look at Confucianism objectively."

"If the Confucian idea of ​​benevolence is properly applied, it can make the people feel the care of the court, thus enhancing their sense of identity and belonging to the country. But if it is overemphasized, it may conflict with the Legalist idea of ​​harsh laws in some aspects. After all, the empire needs strict laws to maintain the ruling order and ensure the stability of the country."

Lu Zhi paused for a moment and continued:
"And Confucianism's propriety and righteousness are an important part of its ideological system. Propriety and righteousness regulate people's behavior, clarify the social hierarchy, and to some extent maintain social stability. It allows people to have corresponding behavioral norms in various occasions and avoid chaos and disorder.

However, its overly cumbersome and rigid aspects may also bring some problems. In real life, excessive emphasis on the form of etiquette may restrict people's thoughts and behaviors, making people become rigid in the process of following etiquette, lacking flexibility and innovation.

Moreover, a strict hierarchy of rites and righteousness may lead to a deepening of the gap between social classes, which is not conducive to communication and cooperation between different classes. In the court, if rites and righteousness are used by some people to seek personal gain or engage in power struggles, it may cause internal disputes and conflicts, affecting the decision-making efficiency and unity of the court. "

The books collected by Lu Zhi in the past two years were not read in vain, and her understanding of Confucian etiquette and morality was deep and comprehensive.

But she was born with a keen sense of politics and knew very well that in a complex political environment, any idea and system had two sides.

"However, there are many Confucian scholars, and they are not monolithic. Some Confucian scholars are too pedantic and cling to outdated ideas, making it difficult for them to adapt to the changes of the times and the actual needs of the court. Some may be innovative and able to combine Confucianism with reality and provide useful suggestions for the development of the country. When dealing with Confucianism, we need to carefully identify and select those talents who can really be used by us."

There was a hint of shrewdness in Lu Zhi's eyes. In this complicated court situation, any decision required weighing the pros and cons.

"Moreover, Confucianism has unique advantages in spreading ideas and education. If we can guide Confucianism to play a positive role in this regard and cultivate more talented and moral people, it will be beneficial to the long-term development of the country. But at the same time, we also need to be wary of Confucianism becoming too powerful to avoid impacting the existing balance of power."

Lu Zhi knew in her heart that Yi Huawei's interest in Confucianism must have taken into account the layout of court power and the governance of the country, and her answer needed to comprehensively and in-depth analyze all aspects of Confucianism.

Yi Huawei listened to Lu Zhi's words and nodded frequently, with appreciation in his eyes. He was quite satisfied with Lu Zhi's analysis, and at the same time, he was thinking about how to incorporate Confucianism into his court layout so that it could play a positive role without threatening his power and plans.

Thinking of this, Yi Huawei couldn't help but say: "Very good! It seems that you have really put a lot of effort into your studies in the past two years!"

"Your Excellency, you are flattered!"

Lu Zhi bowed slightly, her movements were graceful and appropriate, and she felt relieved, and at the same time, she felt a sense of pride, and said softly:

"Your Excellency is wise. I have only dared to put forward these opinions based on what I have seen and heard in my daily life, and some superficial thinking. I hope you can give more consideration to my words. Perhaps there are still many shortcomings in what I said."

Yi Huawei smiled slightly: "Do you want to see Liu Ji?"

(End of this chapter)