The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 79 Tenderness
Under Li Heng's influence, Yang Yuhuan has begun to have the ability to handle some crises independently.

But compared to being someone like Wu Zetian or Princess Taiping, she prefers to stay with Li Heng and play around.

Li Ying felt something in his heart, smiled knowingly, and said, "Aren't you afraid that I will bully you?"

"Can you?" Yang Yuhuan raised her head and looked at Li Heng with her watery eyes.

Li Heng also looked at Yang Yuhuan, and their eyes met.

After a while, Li Ying said, "You've lost weight."

"No." Yang Yuhuan took a look at her figure, "It's good to be thinner, so that my husband won't feel tired when holding me."

"Being a little fat is not a big deal." Li Heng smiled. "If you ask me to carry a stone weighing over 100 kilograms, I may not be able to do it, but it shouldn't be difficult for me to carry you who weighs over 100 kilograms."

Hearing this, Yang Yuhuan chuckled again and said, "We have a long way to go. My dear, you are tired from the journey. Please put me down."

Li Heng did not listen to Yang Yuhuan. He carried Yang Yuhuan to the inner room before putting her down.

After Yang Yuhuan landed, she took off Li Heng's armor, waited for Li Heng to finish bathing, and then personally helped Li Heng change into new clothes.

While helping Li Heng tie his clothes, Yang Yuhuan said, "I have already arranged the dinner. I will return all the valuable gifts given by the Anxi officials. I will keep the less valuable specialties and return them items of similar value."

Li Heng won the expedition, and officials who wanted to curry favor with him naturally lined up to come. Some of them sincerely congratulated him, while others wanted to take advantage of the situation and bribe Yang Yuhuan and the people around Li Heng so that Li Heng would report their achievements.

Many generals who won battles could take this opportunity to make a fortune.

Of course, many generals also failed because of this.

So when Li Heng heard that Yang Yuhuan handled the matter so well, he was very pleased, but he said jokingly: "Won't you get nothing in this way?"

Yang Yuhuan heard that this was a joke and said with a smile, "Then I will go and get it back."

Li Ying said, "How can you refuse something that someone offers to give you, and then ask for it yourself?"

"That's what I did." Yang Yuhuan fastened Li Ying's clothes, took Li Ying's hand, stood on tiptoe, kissed Li Ying, and said with a smile: "Isn't this what I asked for?"

"That doesn't count." Li Heng smiled and shook his head, then he hugged Yang Yuhuan, kissed her forehead, and said, "I'm willing to give it to you on my own initiative."

Yang Yuhuan smiled knowingly, leaned into Li Heng's arms, and enjoyed a moment of peace. She said, "I know that you are careful about your reputation, so I made this arrangement on my own initiative. You won't blame me, will you?"

"How could that be?" Li Heng hugged Yang Yuhuan, "You have done very well. I don't know what good deeds I did in my previous life to marry you."

Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "Then let's continue to accumulate virtue and do good deeds in this life, okay? Then we can be together in the next life."

"Okay." Li Ying nodded.

At this time, the servant came and knocked on the door, saying through the door: "Your Highness, the officials and local nobles from Anxi have already filled up the side hall. Should we send them back first?"

When Yang Yuhuan heard this, she whispered to Li Heng, "Don't drink too much later. I'll be waiting for you in the room. Go ahead."

"Yes." Li Heng nodded, kissed Yang Yuhuan's lips, and then went out and said to the servant: "Let's go, I'll go take a look."

If Li Heng wanted to stay in Anxi, it was essential for him to socialize with local officials and wealthy families in Anxi.

Because first of all, this is a way of winning over people.

Secondly, Anxi’s local administrative system was different from that of other parts of the Tang Dynasty.

The local administrative system of Anxi was a vassal state.

The so-called 縻 system was a local ethnic minority autonomy policy that was prevalent in the Tang Dynasty. The depth and intensity of the "縻" varied depending on the actual conditions in different places.

The Anxi縻 system retained the original social organization form of the local area and utilized the old nobles among the ethnic minorities to rule. On this basis, it divided the area into縻prefectures and counties and appointed ethnic minority nobles as prefecture and county officials to participate in governance.

In the military, ethnic minority forces are allowed to have soldiers. The government does not care about them in peacetime, but they obey orders in wartime.

Economically, they had to pay taxes, but there were concessions and exemptions. Therefore, some ethnic minority leaders who also served as Anxi officials were a bit like "small barbarian commanders".

Moreover, these "small barbarian chiefs" lived close to each other and would often fight over who cut off whose water supply or who occupied whose land.

If Li Heng wants to stay here, he must first unite them and ease their conflicts. To achieve this, in addition to the use of force and intimidation, he must also make everyone submit to him first.

And such social gatherings are great opportunities.

Li Heng went to Anxi and talked with local officials and leaders of large families for an entire afternoon. At the dinner, he brought these people to celebrate the great victory of the expedition with the military and civilians.

It was not until late at night that I returned to the house.

After hearing what Yang Yuhuan said, Li Heng did not drink much wine, but when he came into the room, he found that Yang Yuhuan had fallen asleep on the table.

Yang Yuhuan did not change her clothes or take off the ornaments on her head. It seemed that she was waiting for him until she fell asleep.

Li Ying walked to the table and looked at Yang Yuhuan who was sleeping soundly, feeling a little emotional.

Li Heng knew that Yang Yuhuan had been exhausted during this period and was too tired.

But this is what he has to pay for choosing this path.

Li Heng carefully took off the jewelry on Yang Yuhuan's head and carried her back to the bed.

As soon as she put it down, Yang Yuhuan opened her sleepy eyes.

When Yang Yuhuan saw Li Ying, she smiled sweetly, put her arms around Li Ying's neck, and said, "My dear, you belong to me now."

"Yeah." Li Heng nodded.

Yang Yuhuan smiled and asked, "Are you tired, my dear?"

Li Ying did not answer, but smiled and asked: "Are you tired?"

Yang Yuhuan shook her head, looking a little shy.

The night breeze in Qiuci in September is cool and refreshing, the candlelight flickers in the room, and the happy songs are melodious.

……

……

……

The next day.

It's almost noon.

Li Heng and Yang Yuhuan haven't gotten up yet.

Yang Yuhuan leaned on Li Heng's shoulder and asked, "My dear, when did you say we should open a government in Qiuci?"

"Maybe you have to wait until I submit my letter of apology." Li Heng replied while hugging Yang Yuhuan.

"Why are you apologizing now that you've won the battle?" Yang Yuhuan asked curiously.

Li Heng said: "No matter what, sending troops on an expedition without authorization is against the rules. If I plead guilty, I am defending the rules. If I don't plead guilty, I am arrogant because of my achievements."

"Will my husband be punished?" Yang Yuhuan was a little worried.

"Probably not." Li Heng smiled. "Regulations are dead, but people are alive. As long as I do this, I can shut up the court and give an explanation."

"Is that so?" Yang Yuhuan thought for a moment, "Should we write the letter of apology right away? The faster we write it, the more sincere our attitude will be."

(End of this chapter)