Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 1 Sister Xiao fell from the sky
"Qingsi, look at you, you're already twenty, you haven't gotten married yet, you're an old man at such an old age, and because of you, you get nagging from your younger generation every day."

"This old face that has lived for seventy years has no place to put it!"

An old man with white beard and hair slapped his face hard with his hands like dead wood.

His old face was ashamed and annoyed, as if he had been greatly wronged. Then he was filled with indignation. He waved the crutch in his hand in the air and cursed: "If I hadn't missed my grandson and sacrificed this old bone, I would have followed that one." The mayor of the town is fighting hard!"

In front of the old man was a tall young man. He had a look of shame on his face. He lowered his head and said guiltily: "I am ashamed to be born late and humiliate the elderly."

A smile flashed in the old man's eyes. The name of the young man in front of him was Chen Qingsi. His parents died early and he was alone and helpless. He was honest and diligent, which won his favor, otherwise this beautiful thing would not have happened to him.

Chen Qingsi looked at the old man with a troubled expression, feeling guilty.

The old man's surname is Peng, with the single word "Jun". He is the most prestigious elder in the surrounding villages and counties, and the locals respect him as an elder.

The great turmoil caused by Yang Guang in the late Sui Dynasty caused the loss of three-quarters of the world's population. In order to restore the power of the people, Emperor Taizong not only encouraged women to remarry, but also set marriage as an indicator for official evaluation. "If a girl is over fifteen years old and has no husband, the prefecture and county will marry her by marriage ceremony."

In other words, if a man reaches the age of 20 and has not yet married, state and county officials will personally intervene. If the man is really poor, the wedding can even be held at the expense of the court.

Chen Qingsi is 21 this year and has exceeded the maximum age for marriage according to the law of the Tang Dynasty.

Mr. Peng Qi said sternly that he was not an official, and it was true that the imperial power of the Tang Dynasty began to extend to villages and counties. However, their Tongguan Village was located in the remote Jiangnan area. The sky was high and the emperor was far away, so the policies could not be implemented in place.

Peng Jun, an elder, is the top leader in the village and directly reports to the magistrate of Yixing County, Changzhou.

Chen Qingsi didn't know the name of the magistrate of Yixing County, but thinking about the elders he respected, it felt uncomfortable to have him scold him face to face.

Mr. Peng Qi looked at the guilty young man in front of him and softened his mood and said: "Actually, this is no wonder. My father-in-law passed away one after another. You were a pure and filial man. Three years after three years, you wasted time. I watched you grow up, and I Can I arrange a marriage for you?"

Chen Qingsi obviously has the simplicity of a country person and is a little shy. She did not agree or refuse, but just whispered: "But I don't know whose girl it is?"

But the girl Fang, the beauty of the village next door, flashed in his mind, thinking that if it were her, it wouldn't be impossible.

Old Peng Qi laughed dumbly and said: "You are lucky, Xiao Miaochen, the second daughter of the Xiao family in Qiliangfang, Nanlanling County."

Chen Qingsi couldn't help but stood dumbfounded on the spot. As a scholar, you may not know how many sons and concubines the emperor has, or even how many prime ministers there are today and who they are, but you must not know the Li family of Longxi and the Li family of Zhaojun. , the Boling Cui family, the Qinghe Cui family, the Fanyang Lu family, the Xingyang Zheng family, and the Taiyuan Wang family are some of the top aristocratic families in the world.

The Lanling Xiao family's prestige is so high that it is second only to the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes even if it is spread all over the world.

Especially in their hometown of Changzhou, the Lanling Xiao family was founded in Lanling County, Donghai County. It started in the Jin Dynasty. When the Yongjia Rebellion moved south, because of the family's large size, they were settled in the present-day Wujin area and settled in Lanling County. It was called Nanlanling in history. In the ninth year of Emperor Wen's reign in the Sui Dynasty, Lanling County was abolished and Changzhou was established.

Chen Qingsi studied at a country school run by the Xiao family in Lanling for free since she was a child. Her biggest wish was to be admitted to the Xiao clan hall in the prefecture, and with the help of the Xiao family, she could rise through the ranks and become a good prime minister as famous as Fang Du.

Chen Qingsi never dreamed that she could marry a daughter of the Xiao family and the legitimate daughter of Qiliangfang.

He had heard that Xiao Miaochen's sister was Concubine Xiao Shu in the palace. She was the most important person in His Majesty's heart and could suppress the competition between the king and the queen...

This?
The status gap is too big!It was not that Chen Qingsi had never imagined that she could win the favor of the Xiao family, become the Xiao family's quick son-in-law, and rise to the top in one step, but at the end of the day, she would only marry a branch of the branch, so how could she dare to think about becoming the main wife.

"It's settled! If your parents pass away, I will be the matchmaker to witness the marriage."

Elder Peng seemed to have finished a task on his mind, and left quickly with a relaxed look, his hands and feet were numb, as if he was afraid that Chen Qingsi would regret it.

But Chen Qingsi was still a little confused and was stunned by this sudden happy event.

In the next ten days or so, thanks to Mr. Peng's high efficiency, the processes of collecting, asking for names, accepting, and collecting taxes went smoothly.

The process went so smoothly that Chen Qingsi had to wonder if there was something fishy in it. She even wondered if Xiao Miaochen was the legendary "Dong Shi" who couldn't get married and was relying on her?

The more Chen Qingsi thought about it, the more she felt like this.

"That's all, just sacrifice the color. It'll be the same if you blow out the lamp anyway!"

Chen Qingsi has great ambitions and has a certain understanding of her origins. If she can climb to the top of the Xiao family, she will have to work hard for 20 years.

The small place has a strong sense of humanity, and the neighbors in the village will help out whenever there is a big event. Moreover, Chen Qingsi is well-known in the village, and they are all willing to take part in the celebration.

On the contrary, Chen Qingsi herself was at a loss, not knowing what to do and having no experience, so she had to ask her neighbor Aunt Zhang.

However, Aunt Zhang mysteriously pulled him into the house, took out a yellowed book from a dilapidated box, and said, "Follow the above and be careful not to break it. Auntie will also pass it on to you." Where is Huwazi?"

Chen Qingsi looked at the book that had been passed down for generations, and instinctively reached out to take it. Before she could open the cover, Aunt Zhang had already pushed him out the door.

Standing at the door with a bit of confusion, Chen Qingsi glanced at the contents of the book and then hid it in her chest with a blushing face.

This is a secret trick that has been passed down for generations. It can only be practiced alone at night when no one is around.

Straightening her back, Chen Qingsi walked home with a straight face.

I returned to my humble house, which was the house left by my ancestors. It was a simple courtyard with three earthen houses. There was a vegetable patch on the left side of the yard and a chicken shed on the right side. I raised nine chickens, and there were a few chickens in the open space in the middle. Zhang Zipi.

I stood at the door for a while and looked at the sky. It was still early.

Studying the secrets of moves in broad daylight is an insult to elegance. After all, he is a saint's apprentice.

In my wild thoughts, I thought of the lady I had never met before, and muttered to myself: She is a lady of the family, so I can't let her suffer by following me.

Thinking of this, Chen Qingxi quickly walked into the house, and when he came out, he was fully armed: wearing a straw hat, a hunting bow on his back, a secret book on his chest, an iron fork in his hand, and a hatchet tied to his waist. Head towards Guanshan.

(End of this chapter)