Chapter 278: Fantasy Before Marriage
Tianshui Palace and a small pavilion by the pond.

Li Xuan calmed down and played the piano, but his heart was not at peace.

After tomorrow, he will completely integrate into this era.

Not only does he have to shoulder the mission of the country, but he also has to shoulder the responsibility as a husband, and even as a father in the future.

He would have more to think about in the future.

The new Changping Law is at its most critical moment. The powerful families will definitely not accept this, they want to annex land and will come up with new countermeasures.

"Deng Deng..."

Amid the chaotic piano music, Li Xuan entered another state, a very complicated one, with the threads of emotions tangled into a tangle.

He fantasized about a successful reform; he fantasized about the success of the next new law; he fantasized about Li Longji still being wise; he fantasized about the conservatives headed by Li Linfu completely losing their voice; he fantasized about Li Heng not being hostile to him; he fantasized about leading his elite troops to ride on Yanyun and nip the bud...

He ascended to the top, and the world was flourishing.

Cotton fields are blooming all over the country.

The land of Kyushu is rich in resources.

The Yellow River does not roar, and the Yangtze River does not get angry.

The houses are close to each other, mulberry and hemp cover the fields, the rice is fat and the corn is white, and the public and private granaries are full.

The roads extend in all directions, and post stations are dotted like stars.

There are Salesian churches in all counties and prefectures.

Schools and clinics are scattered throughout the village.

The white horse pacifies Nanzhao, and the red horse enters Zhaowu.

Envoys from hundreds of countries were vying with each other; unprecedented species were rushing in...

He was favored by Li Shizhi, with children around him.

The pear blossoms in the courtyard bloom and fade...

"Ms. sir..."

Seeing Li Xuan playing passionately, there seemed to be a million soldiers on his fingertips and the strings were so tight that they were about to break. Chang Li, who was accompanying him, hurriedly pressed the strings and called Li Xuan softly.

The sound of the piano stopped suddenly.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

Li Xuan also came to his senses.

The dawn of hope and the darkness of despair complement each other, and the complex emotions tear the soul into pieces.

Li Xuan knew that this was all wishful thinking on his part.

All of this is like a castle in the air, out of reach.

He wants to stick to his wish before he became prime minister.

He knows history, how could he have such fantasies?

Gonna lose some!

He can no longer be emotional, he must be far-sighted and cut off his arm to survive.
"Ms. sir, what's wrong with you?"

Changli asked worriedly.

It's a happy day, my husband should be happy.

She was very happy that her husband finally found a partner, and she had no right to be jealous of Pei Lingxi.

Because only Pei Lingxi's family background is worthy of her husband.

"It's nothing, Changli, you guys should go to bed early!"

Li Xuan said to Changli.

But Changli didn't leave, and her husband didn't rest, so how could she rest?

"Lingxi is a very good woman and will not embarrass you."

Li Xuan suddenly said to Changli.

"We will definitely listen to what the lady says." Changli said quickly.

"Changli, you and Shuang'er don't have to worry about the future. You serve me, and I will let you become my concubines in the future and give birth to children for me. Others will think that there is a difference between you and Pei Lingxi, but in my eyes, I will treat you equally. No one is born humble."

Li Xuan patted Changli's shoulder and promised her.

Perhaps his love was very superficial, perhaps Na Changli and Shuang'er, he just felt pity for them.

Or maybe he wanted to be a "normal man" in Li Longji's eyes, a normal person with desires.

I wish to find a like-minded person, and we will be together till old age. He is not a good man.

In an era when having three wives and four concubines was common, he regarded his legally married wife as his first woman and therefore never had any contact with other women.

This is the only way to alleviate the guilt in your heart.

In his heart, whether it was Pei Lingxi, Shuang'er or Changli, he didn't think that anyone was nobler than the other.

"My lord, I dare not ask for anything more. As long as you can serve me, I will be satisfied."

Tears of separation welled up in my eyes, and the feeling of being moved spread like ripples in my heart.

Li Xuan wiped away Changli's tears and walked out of the pavilion. He looked at the moon in the sky and Changxingfang not far away. Perhaps she was also having trouble falling asleep.

……

In Pei Mansion in Changxingfang, in Pei Lingxi's boudoir.

"Lingxi, Li Xiang is not an ordinary man. You must be gentle and virtuous, and not willful."

Pei Lingxi's mother Liu and her aunt and uncle were teaching her how to spend her wedding night and how to serve her husband. She blushed as if blood was about to drip from her face when she heard it.

She still clutched her collar with both hands.

Finally, Liu also taught Pei Lingxi about etiquette.

A man as domineering as Li Xuan, invincible on the battlefield and powerful in the court, no woman could ever think of suppressing him.

In the future, Pei Lingxi will accompany Li Xuan to attend court banquets. Given Li Xuan's status, those noble ladies will definitely flock to Pei Lingxi.

We must learn how to deal with it. We must not agree to anything these ladies ask of us, no matter how trivial, while we are being praised and admired, so as not to embarrass Prime Minister Li.

"Mother, Lingxi knows."

Pei Lingxi replied weakly.

"With Prime Minister Li's status, it's normal for him to have three wives and four concubines. You must not be jealous like Fang Xuanling's wife Lu, and you must not be jealous like Guo Huai. Otherwise, you will disgust Prime Minister Li."

Liu did not forget to remind Pei Lingxi.

"My daughter understands!"

Women from gentry families are likely to marry nobles in the future, and they are all mentally prepared for this.

In this era, young girls admired the ancient Pan An and regarded their sweethearts as "Tan Lang".

Pan An was not only handsome, but also faithful to his wife. After his wife died, he never remarried.

Similar people such as Zhuge Liang were all admired by the ancients.

Pei Lingxi also hopes to have good wishes, but she is lucky to be able to marry Li Xuan as her legal wife, and she cannot force anything else.

"Lingxi should have a good rest tonight and don't think too much."

Liu wanted her daughter to rest early and bathe and dress up tomorrow.

But how could Pei Lingxi sleep?

When I think about what is going to happen tomorrow, I feel extremely nervous.

Liu was an experienced person and could understand her daughter's feelings. She went to coax Pei Lingxi like she did when she was a child.

Happiness and tension were intertwined until midnight, when Pei Lingxi fell asleep with tenderness on her lips.

The night darkens and the stars shine brighter.

The Tianshui Palace was decorated festively, and the back garden was filled with colorful flowers.

They bloom at night and shed tears when morning breaks.

The Tianshui Palace was packed with distinguished guests.

The tenth day of every month is a day of rest.

Officials in Beijing sent gifts even if they were not invited.

Civil and military officials, as well as conservatives, all came to the Tianshui Palace in person to congratulate the prime minister on his wedding for the sake of face.

Including Li Linfu, they entered the Tianshui Palace under the welcome of Li Qian and Li Qi.

Li Linfu brought his sons and sons-in-law who were above the fifth rank.

He also brought his cousin Jiang Yueyao with him.

With Li Longji's personal intervention, her cousin will soon be taken as Li Xuan's concubine.

It was impossible for the prime minister to join hands. Li Linfu only hoped that if he lost and died, his family would not be implicated by Li Xuan.

Li Shizhi greeted his old rival Li Linfu with a smile and sat down in the main hall.

On Qilang's wedding day, all grudges should be put aside.

Ordinary ministers of the fourth and fifth ranks could only hold banquets in the side hall.

Accompanied by Li Jiqing and Li Shizhi's son-in-law and nephew.

Before welcoming the bride, Li Xuan went to the main hall, side hall, back garden and other places to meet with relatives and friends.

There was no need to be so formal on the wedding day. Ministers from the same faction as Li Xuan only needed to give their blessings.

"It is better to drink wine and grow old with you. The zither and the harp are in the palace, and everything is peaceful and good. Congratulations, sir!"

There were many poets among Li Xuan's confidants, and they did not like to chat in the main hall, side hall, or by the pond in the back garden.

After Li Xuan came out, Du Fu was closest to Li Xuan. He brought a woman to congratulate Li Xuan.

"Thank you for your blessing, Zimei. I won't go home until I'm drunk today."

Li Xuan held Du Fu's hand and said.

For example, Du Fu, Wu Daozi and others were all invited by Li Xuan himself.

"This is my wife..."

Du Fu introduced the woman next to him to Li Xuan.

She was Yang Xi, the daughter of Shaoqing Si Nong, ten years younger than Du Fu and very pretty.

After Du Fu returned to Chang'an and received his salary, he brought his wife to rent a house in Chang'an.

The price of rice in Chang'an has not increased yet, and Du Fu's salary is enough to support his family.

"Meet my husband!"

Yang Xian bowed to Li Xuan generously. She was obviously a good wife and mother. "Today I am not the prime minister, but just the groom. There is no need to be too polite."

Li Xuan exempted Yang Xi from the formalities.

There is a place where female relatives gather in the Tianshui Palace. Yang is also a lady from a wealthy family and can definitely adapt to the environment here.

Wang Wei, Wang Changling, Wu Daozi and others sent congratulatory messages to Li Xuan one by one.

Li Xuan told them to just have fun.

The situation at court has been tense in recent months, so it's a good opportunity to relax while he's getting married.

"Yueyao, you came to attend my seventh brother's wedding. It's really not easy to see you."

Li Yuying and a group of sad young ladies were running around the palace. When they saw Jiang Yueyao, they were very happy.

She hadn't seen Jiang Yueyao for several months and thought something had happened.

Jiang Yueyao just smiled, feeling anxious and unsure about how to answer.

It was fate that made things like this happen. She didn't know whether she should be happy or sad.

But seeing the bride and groom today, they will definitely feel disappointed!
"Qilang, before you get married, pay your respects to the ancestors."

Before sunset, Li Shizhi brought Li Xuan to the spirit tablets of Li Chengqian and Li Xiang.

According to etiquette, before welcoming the new bride into the house, one must pay homage to the ancestors to comfort their spirits in heaven.

Li Xuan put on a crimson round-necked robe, which was embroidered with patterns and hung with gold and silver. There was also Li Xuan's flying bird holding a flower jade pendant hanging around his waist.

Li Xuan held the incense in his hand, bowed three times to the spirit tablet, and then inserted the incense into the tripod.

Outside the gate there were colorful carriages and a wedding procession of hundreds of people.

The flags and banners fluttered like colorful clouds covering the sun, and the team was huge, stretching for several miles along the streets.

The servants carried various colorful brocades.

The servants were carrying various ribbons.

In the middle is the gorgeous seven-fragrance carriage, pulled by Li Xuan's Arabian horse.

Drums and music formed a battle, and stringed instruments sounded.

This was a reminder to Li Xuan that it was time to mount the horse and welcome the bride.

There are also Jinwu Guards clearing the way. No one is allowed to cause trouble during this festive moment.

Li Xuan walked out of the Tianshui Palace accompanied by relatives and friends including Pei Huang, Pei Zhou, Wang Wei, Pei Ying, Du Fu, Wang Changling, and Li Jiqing.

He was in the middle of the team, riding a Fire Cloud Horse.

"The young master is going to marry, and Chang'an is overjoyed."'

"I wish my young husband a happy marriage and a long lasting happiness..."

"People say that one should start a family and a career, but you, my young master, immediately became a king, then a prime minister, and then started a family. You are truly a god!"

"It is said that the young master married the granddaughter of Kaiyuan Prime Minister Pei Yaoqing. The Pei family is so lucky!"

"Yes! Pei's daughter is lucky to be chosen by the young master and become the princess of the county."

……

Many people in Chang'an were watching the wedding procession on the streets.

Many people sincerely wish Li Xuan the best.

Because Li Xuan was a good prime minister, the powerful people in Chang'an no longer dared to bully others.

Li Linfu’s son was so arrogant in the past, but now he has to restrain himself.

Even though the Five Yangs were so domineering, they still had to give strict orders to their servants.

Almost all ordinary people supported Li Xuan in the construction of the Salesian Hall, the new Changping Law, and the change of agricultural tools.

Even the marriage dispute was supported by many people because they believed what Li Xuan said, that getting married before the age of 18 would definitely harm the body.

Li Xuan's die-hard fanatic supporters even took the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine and cited classics to promote it in Chang'an, believing that the marriage must be carried out. They even wanted to postpone it to the age of 21.

It is said in Huangdi Neijing Suwen Shanggu Tianzhen Lun that a girl's menstruation starts at the age of 14, that is, at the age of 14.

Men start to have nocturnal emissions at the age of 16.

If the yin and yang are in harmony, then it is possible to have a child. However, the body is not fully developed at this time, and it is not yet the right age for marriage.

A woman has to wait until she is 21 years old before her "kidney qi becomes balanced so that her real teeth can grow and reach their full length."

Men have to wait until they are 24 years old before their "kidney qi becomes balanced, tendons and bones become strong, so that their real teeth can grow to their full length."

The so-called "balanced kidney qi" refers to the balanced and normal development of sexual organs and sexual functions, and they are relatively mature; the so-called "real teeth grow to the extreme" refers to the growth of a person's last tooth, the "terminal tooth", which also means that the person's body has fully developed and matured.

Offspring born in this way will not lose their "innateness" or suffer from loss of "yin and yang".

This statement is recognized by a large number of people.

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine was believed by the Tang people to be a classic passed down by gods to the ancestor Yellow Emperor, and it had a great influence in the Tang Dynasty.

People are all made of flesh and blood. Even if the people of the Tang Dynasty had more than enough food and clothing, they did not want their daughters to come into harm's way.

When the people of Chang'an congratulated Li Xuan, many noble ladies in Chang'an were very sad.

Originally they still had a glimmer of hope, but now their lover has gone away, leaving them sleepless for days and nights.

However, there were also some noble ladies who believed that they still had a chance. For example, if they could become a great hero like Li Xuan, they would have no regrets in their life even if they became Li Xuan's concubine.

Therefore, during the Tianbao period, many noble ladies did not marry at marriageable age.

Li Xuan asked Luo Xing, Xue Cuo and others to bring their personal guards and servants, and carry red brocade bags in the carriage.

There are twenty coins in each brocade bag.

If there are boys or girls who respond, a lucky bag will be given. Even babies in swaddling clothes will be celebrated.

The shouts were even louder in the streets.

Amid the sound of gongs and drums, Li Xuan walked out of the gate of Daozhengfang, passed through Dongshi and Pingkangfang, went south through Chongyifang, and arrived at Changxingfang.

Finally enter the gate of Changxingfang.

The Pei family residence was not very big, but it was full of guests at the moment.

"The bride is coming!"

After Li Xuan's carriage arrived at Pei's residence, his entourage all shouted.

He signaled Pei Lingxi to leave the courtyard and get on the seven-fragrance carriage.

Li Xuan had to rush back to Tianshui Palace before dusk.

Marriages in the Tang Dynasty usually took place at dusk.

"Hun" means "hun", which means dusk.

"My husband is an unrivalled poet. Please write a poem to urge the bride to get ready before she comes out."

In front of Pei's house, no matter how high Li Xuan's status was, he could not enter without permission.

At this time, several women came out with paper and pen and asked Li Xuan to write a poem to urge her to get ready according to etiquette.

Generally, there are fixed poems for urging women to get ready, and some good friends may do it for them.

It is obvious that with Li Xuan's talent, she should have written a poem to urge her to get dressed.

I don't know what night it is, I urge myself to go to the balcony and look at the mirror. Who said lotus grows in water? A branch blooms in the bronze mirror.

Li Xuan didn't want to waste time, so he got off his horse and wrote a poem urging her to get ready, comparing Pei Lingxi to a lotus emerging from water.

He knew that Pei Lingxi must have put on her makeup and was waiting.

Several women happily entered Pei's mansion carrying the "Poem to Urge to Get Dressed".

In the boudoir, Pei Lingxi blushed after reading the poem urging her to get ready.

Accompanied by his mother Liu and cousins, he slowly walked out of the mansion.

In fact, weddings in the Tang Dynasty were also lively, and the gossip girls would often make things difficult for the groom, so there was a saying that "the bride has one door, and the groom has thousands of mountains."
But given Li Xuan's status, the other aunts and uncles did not dare to make a fuss. After the "Poem to Urge Makeup" was written, Pei Lingxi was politely sent out of the Pei Mansion.

Under Li Xuan's gaze, Pei Lingxi appeared in front of the door.

She was wearing a long green dress with wide sleeves that was layered like rippling blue waves. The gauze shirt she wore on the outside shone with a gorgeous luster in the sun, and the folds of her skirt flowed like the light of snow and moonlight and cascaded to the ground.

Her black hair was tied into a high bun, and it was studded with gold, silver and colored glaze hairpins, which sparkled brightly. There was also a beautiful plum blossom hairpin on her forehead.

The exquisite hairpins swayed with her light steps, and the collision of pearls and jade made a crisp and pleasant sound. The rouge on her face made her look more shy and charming.

However, Li Xuan could not see her face at this time because she was covering her face with a fan in her slender hands.

A cluster of gorgeous peonies is embroidered on the fan.

Li Xuan thought that Pei Lingxi's makeup at this moment should be far better than the peony flowers on the fan.

With the help of her sisters, Pei Lingxi slowly walked to the seven-fragrance carriage parked in front of the door.

Then he stepped on the couch and entered the Seven Fragrance Carriage.

Li Xuan can't speak or get close now.

Pei Lingxi's sisters followed the rules and got on the accompanying car.

At this time, Pei Fan and Liu had already left.

Li Xuan bowed to them at the bottom of the stairs.

Pei Fan's occupational disease struck, and he wanted to return the gift immediately.

It was Liu who held him back and prevented him from making a fool of himself.

The main reason was that Li Xuan put too much pressure on local officials like him, and they were afraid of Li Xuan like a tiger.

Pei Fan is no exception.

During this period of time, when discussing matters with Li Xuan, although Li Xuan kept emphasizing that there was no need to be restrained, Pei Fan still couldn't change it.

Because Li Xuan had recently appointed a minister of the Ministry of Personnel named Zhao Fengzhang, with the support of Li Xuan, Zhao Fengzhang quickly undermined the power of another minister of the Ministry of Personnel named Li Pengnian.

Zhao Fengzhang is a ruthless character. In the past three months, he has punished two county magistrates, five county secretaries and county lieutenants in Jingzhao.

Pei Fan, who was also the magistrate of Jingzhao County, was naturally worried.

After Li Xuan finished the ceremony, he rode on the Fire Cloud Horse and circled three times in front of Pei Lingxi's carriage.

It means that the bride will be well cared for by the groom in the future.

The gongs, drums and stringed instruments sounded again, and the wedding procession began to return to the Tianshui Palace.

Liu's eyes were moist, and she was grateful that her daughter had found a good home.

Pei Fan was also filled with emotion, and he wanted to entertain the guests in his house.

He had many distinguished guests, even the princess sent someone to congratulate him.

(End of this chapter)