The wedding of a county prince is not a personal matter, but a matter of the court.

Ordinary people only have three matchmakers and six etiquette when getting married. It is enough to invite relatives and friends to the wedding banquet to enjoy it. But the prince is a dignitary of the court, and a top-notch dignitary. There are many more etiquette and rules than ordinary people.

First of all, before getting married, you must ask the emperor for instructions and ask the emperor to canonize the princess. The princess who has been canonized by the emperor is the legal wife of the county king. After the emperor canonizes the princess, she will be registered by the clan temple, and the Ministry of Rites will award the princess a formal concubine gold.

She also gave the princess a guard of honor, including guards, carriages and horses, palace maids, a plaque, a screen, a fan and other utensils.

The Sizan who gets married is not a relative or friend, but an official of the Ministry of Etiquette appointed by the emperor. A powerful person of the level of a county king is usually the Minister of Rites as the Sizan. Every step of the marriage must strictly follow the Zhou rites or Han rites.

If one step is not done enough, it can alarm both the government and the public.

The rest include the houses, fields, gold, silver, money, cloth, etc. given by the emperor, all of which have the proper meaning in the title.

After going through the whole process, a newlywed couple can fall apart from exhaustion.

As a modern person, Gu Qing doesn't like this kind of overly complicated ceremony. He insists that marriage is a matter for two people. If it is further extended, it is a matter for two families, but it is definitely not a matter for the entire court and the country.

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The ritual of a man and woman sleeping together reasonably and legally does not need to alarm the entire country.

But people of this era obviously didn't think so. Since Zhou Gong established the rituals and music, the marriage of a man and a woman has been the most important part of the etiquette system. If any step is omitted, the man and woman cannot be considered reasonable and legal, but just careless.

In order to give Zhang Huaiyu a grand and beautiful wedding, and in order for her to marry into the Gu family in a dignified manner, Gu Qing decided to endure it.

"Gu Qing is getting married? Haha, what a happy event. I would like to congratulate Gu Qing first." Li Heng laughed happily.

Gu Qing lowered his head: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I wonder which lady is so lucky to win Gu Qing's favor and is willing to treat her wholeheartedly?" Li Heng asked curiously.

Gu Qing said calmly: "The descendant of the virtuous Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling is his granddaughter Zhang Huaiyu."

Li Heng's eyes flashed and he said with a smile: "So she is a daughter of the Zhang family. I have heard that the Zhang family has two unnamed daughters. Zhang Huaiyu is the granddaughter of the virtuous Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling?"

"yes."

Li Heng sighed and said: "The country is in trouble and we miss good prime ministers. I also hope that there will be a few more good prime ministers like Zhang Jiuling in the Zhide Dynasty."

Gu Qing's eyes flashed, hehe, there is something behind his words. Does "national calamity" mean that powerful ministers are good at governing?

Well, from Li Heng's point of view, it is indeed a "national crisis" now, but from Gu Qing's point of view... neither of you, father and son, are good at running the country, so I'm being polite enough by not pushing you down from the throne.

Pretending not to hear Li Heng's words, Gu Qing said: "Zhang's wife is gentle, virtuous, and virtuous. She is a good match for me. I would like to ask your majesty to make her the princess of the county."

Li Heng said happily: "It's very kind. I will decree that on the day of Gu Qing's wedding, I will come to congratulate you in person."

"I thank your Majesty for your kindness."

Li Heng added: "I heard that after Chang'an was recovered, Gu Qing still lived in the small house given by the Emperor?"

Gu Qing smiled and said: "I don't care about my external possessions. The place I live in is enough and the clothes are sufficient. However, after my wedding, I still want to change to a larger house. I have already found someone in Chang'an City."

Li Heng said with a smile: "Gu Qing doesn't have to look for it. Li Linfu's house in Pingkangfang is still there. After Li Linfu passed away, Yang Guozhong liquidated the prime minister's party. Li Linfu was found guilty of many crimes. The emperor took back the posthumous gift and confiscated it.

His family property, the house in Pingkangfang, has always been vacant. The Prime Minister's Mansion back then was magnificent, and it is most suitable for your status as a county king, so I will give it to you."

Gu Qing stood up and saluted: "I would like to thank your Majesty for the generous gift."

Although Gu Qing said thank you, he was actually a little embarrassed inside.

Li Linfu's prime minister's house is indeed magnificent, but it is also located in Pingkangfang, which has always been the place where fireworks and willows stay in Chang'an. There are many brothels in the square, and you can smell a strong smell of powder when you walk out of the door.

It’s really...the trouble of men’s happiness.

He seriously suspected that Li Heng had evil intentions and deliberately gave him the house in Pingkangfang in order to make him die on a woman's belly and solve the "national crisis" without any expense.

Oh, the situation is too small, he probably doesn't know Gu Qing's ntr physique, and the brothel girl may not be able to pay the price.

Li Heng sighed again, his expression gradually became sincere, and he said emotionally: "Gu Qing, I treat you as a national scholar. I will not be stingy with your official title, money, house, or land. I also hope that you can be loyal to the country and don't live up to my painstaking efforts.

The rebellion of the Tang Dynasty has just been settled, and many wastes are waiting to be resurrected. The German dynasty still needs your full assistance. You and I, the king and the ministers, will create a peaceful and prosperous era again."

Gu Qing bowed and said: "I am willing to devote my whole life to the country."

Li Heng smiled happily.

Gu Qing added: "Since Your Majesty mentioned the 'peaceful and prosperous age', I have one more thing to ask you."

"Tell me."

“When I was serving as the Jiedu Envoy in Anxi, I proposed to His Majesty the Supreme Emperor a ‘policy to pacify Tubo’. The policy was based on the poor cultivation of Tibet’s land, and used huge profits to induce Tibet’s powerful landowners to abandon cultivated land and plant medicinal materials instead, and then use large-scale cultivation of medicinal materials.

The Tang Dynasty purchased medicinal materials produced in Tibet. This policy has been implemented for more than four years, and now it has achieved results. I am requesting Your Majesty that after the rebellion in the north is suppressed, the imperial court can choose an opportunity to conquer Tibet in the west and completely bring Tibet back to the territory of the Tang Dynasty. From then on, it will be forever

The greatest trouble in the West."

Li Heng said absently: "Oh, the 'pacification of Tubo' policy, the Supreme Emperor has talked about it with me, but now the civil strife in the Tang Dynasty has not been resolved, and the government and the public are in urgent need of recuperation, so there is no rush to pacify Tubo. We will talk about it in a few years."

Gu Qing frowned and said: "Your Majesty, in a few years, Tubo Zanpu and the dignitaries in the DPRK will come to their senses and realize that they have been tricked. If they immediately correct their mistakes and order the restoration of cultivated land and the cultivation of highland barley, what will happen to me in the past few years?"

Your efforts will be in vain. Your Majesty, the western expedition to Tibet should be sooner rather than later. Even if there are difficulties in the court, they should be temporarily overcome. This country has been in great trouble for a century, and now is the best time to eliminate the great trouble forever."

Li Heng sighed: "The treasury is empty and the soldiers are tired. The Tang Dynasty is really unable to support a big war now. However, if Gu Qing is willing to lead the Anxi army to conquer Tibet in the west, I am willing to provide food and grass for the Anxi army."

Gu Qing couldn't help but feel a little cold.

At this time, you are still thinking about internal strife and internal strife. It is hopeless.

"Since His Majesty has agreed, the Anxi Army will do its part. After Shi Siming leads his army to surrender, I am willing to lead the army in the western expedition." Gu Qing said solemnly.

Li Heng said with a smile: "Very good. If you can complete your work in this battle, I have no reward for you, so I will give you the figure in Lingyan Pavilion, worthy of enjoying the Ancestral Temple."

…………

Gu Qing walked out of the gate of Tai Chi Palace with a bad expression on his face.

Every time I chatted with Li Heng, I would always feel angry, whether it was because I hated the iron or not, or if I didn't talk to each other, in short, we ended on bad terms every time.

The emperor's stupidity cannot be concealed at any cost. No matter how realistic the acting is, the secret will be revealed when he speaks a word. This is true from Li Longji to Li Heng.

The biggest reason for the emperor's stupidity is that they regard the country as their own home, and they are reluctant to part with the things in their own home. They can kill a loyal watchdog, set fire to half of the courtyard, and do whatever they want.

, it’s my own thing anyway.

But Jiangshan Sheji does not belong to his family.

He is only staying temporarily, just a tenant.

Dynasties have changed for thousands of years, but the country is still the same. How many dynasties have changed?

Li Shimin said, "Water can also carry a boat, and water can also capsize it." If you cannot clearly understand this, it is difficult to become a wise king. When the emperor loses his respect for the country and the people, how can the fathers of the country tolerate him?

The prosperous Kaiyuan era suddenly collapsed, which is a lesson from the past.

As soon as Gu Qing returned to his mansion, eunuchs came to the door.

The eunuch stood respectfully in the front yard, with a flattering smile on his face, and told Gu Qing flatteringly that the house given by the emperor was being repaired by the generals. The emperor attached great importance to Prince Gu's wedding, so he issued an order to use it.

Thousands of craftsmen and civilians worked overnight to repair the mansion. It is expected that the repairs will be completed in a few days and will not delay Prince Gu's wedding.

In addition, the princess's guard of honor given by the emperor is also ready and has been sent to the Zhang family. The princess's guard of honor is very complete, including two carriages with four horses and shafts, a pair of six screen wings, four pairs of gilt copper balls, jade

A pair of Ruyi, a number of gold melons, whisks, jade basins, foils and cloth, etc., together with a hundred palace maids, twenty eunuchs, and five hundred Yulin guards.

In addition, there are also two hundred taels of gold, twenty thousand guan, 10,000 acres of fertile land in Lantian County outside Chang'an, one farm, one thousand farmers in the city, one thousand pieces of silk cloth as tribute, one hundred pairs of fine porcelain, etc.

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Li Heng's move can be described as a generous move, which shows that he attaches great importance to Gu Qing's wedding.

The eunuch took the trouble to list out all the various ceremonial items given by the emperor, which made Gu Qing quite impatient.

"Okay, stop, it's very rich. Let me thank Your Majesty for your kindness. You can leave as many things as you want in the Zhang family. You don't have to tell me." Gu Qing interrupted him at the right time.

The eunuch stopped and smiled awkwardly.

Gu Qing thought for a while and said: "You can keep the palace maids given by the emperor, but not the twenty eunuchs. Please return them to Your Majesty."

The eunuch was startled, and then looked at him in astonishment.

I haven't heard of anyone dare to return the gift given by the emperor. He is indeed a big shot with military power and behaves differently.

"This, this, this... Your Highness, the gift given by Your Majesty is really not suitable to be returned. I would like to ask Your Highness to think twice." The eunuch looked confused.

Gu Qing said calmly: "I don't like people like eunuchs in my family. Just tell your Majesty what I said. Your Majesty won't blame you."

The eunuch laughed awkwardly.

Gu Qing smiled kindly and said: "I don't mean anything else. Don't worry. It's not that you are not good enough, it's that my pursuit is a bit high..."

"Yes, your Royal Highness is a god-like figure, and mortals like servants are naturally not worthy of guessing His Highness's thoughts." The eunuch said with a smile.

Gu Qing still smiled and said: "I haven't asked you your name yet?"

The eunuch bowed and said respectfully: "I'm afraid, I can't bear the word 'noble'. I'm a humble servant. My name is Yu Chao'en. The guard general of the left prison knows that it saves trouble for the servants."

Gu Qing's smile froze, and the pupils in his eyes shrank slightly.

"Yu Chaoen...heh, what a good name."

Suddenly I felt a little tired. After Bian Lingcheng died, another Li Fuguo came. After Li Fuguo was eliminated, another Yu Chaoen came.

After the Anshi Rebellion, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty were suspicious of military generals and gradually began to trust the eunuchs. This was the beginning of the disaster in the late Tang Dynasty when eunuchs established dynasties and abolished emperors.
To be continued...