Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5290 Family Reunion
On New Year's Eve, Kim Seung-man gave birth to a son, bringing joy to the whole family.

Upon hearing that her sister had given birth, Kim Deok-man, who had been waiting outside the delivery room, burst into tears of joy. The generous Queen Seondeok immediately ordered her female officials to bring out money and silk to give to all the maids, servants, and guards in the palace, making the atmosphere even more lively and festive.

Two hundred years ago, Silla unified the tribes of Jinhan by force and established a hierarchical system called the "Bone Rank System" to consolidate its privileged status.

The Park, Seok, and Kim royal families held a supreme position in Silla. The king was always in charge of the royal family in rotation among the three families. The highest-ranking family was called "Sacred Bone" or "First Bone," signifying their noble lineage and esteemed status.

However, the Jin royal family, which has been passed down to the present day and is considered the first in terms of "sacred bones", has suffered from a decline in its bloodline. The direct line is now reduced to just the two sisters. The former Jin Chunqiu, Jin Beommin, Jin Renwen, and others are no longer considered to be of the direct bloodline...

Although according to Silla's bone rank system, children born from intermarriage with those of classes other than "sacred bone" would automatically be demoted, Silla had already submitted to the Tang Dynasty and was essentially a fallen kingdom, so why would it care about anything else?
As long as the direct bloodline of the Kim royal family continues, we will have done right by our ancestors...

……

During the ancestral worship ceremony, Lady Lu, along with her daughters-in-law Princess Gaoyang, Wu Meiniang, Xiao Shuer, and Qiao'er, could not enter the ancestral temple and could only stand in a line outside. However, as she watched her husband Fang Xuanling with Fang Jun, Fang Yize, and Fang Yiyi, followed by the two brothers Fang Shu and Fang You, she felt both grateful for the prosperity of the family and the presence of successors, and also couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"If only Dalang were home, and with His Highness Changle there too, then it would be a true family reunion... Next year during the ancestral worship ceremony, we must bring Lu'er back no matter what! How can our bloodline be allowed to flow outside? It would be such a disservice to the child!"

Princess Gaoyang knew these words were directed at her. As a princess of the Tang Dynasty and the head wife of the household, she had an inescapable responsibility in this matter.

"Don't worry, Aunt and Uncle, this matter will definitely be taken care of."

Although Princess Chang Le and Fang Jun had no arranged marriage, which strictly speaking could be considered a private affair and not in accordance with propriety, they had already had a child, and no one could refute the established fact. As long as His Majesty nodded, Princess Chang Le could at least nominally be considered Fang Jun's concubine, and Lu'er would then be able to rightfully return to her ancestral home.

As for etiquette and law... why would the Li Tang imperial family care about such things?
As long as His Majesty grants permission, all obstacles will cease to exist. Whether or not it conforms to etiquette and law is irrelevant; great scholars will cite classical texts to explain how it is reasonable and legal...

In fact, all Chang Le needed to do was to soften her stance and plead with His Majesty, and His Majesty would not have stopped her again. But Chang Le stubbornly refused to speak, maintaining her image as a "gentle and virtuous" and "well-educated and courteous person".

But if you are "well-educated and courteous", how could you do such a thing?

Since you've already done it, you should resolve it yourself. Why do you have to step in and figure out what's going on?

Isn't this bullying?

Damn it...

Princess Gaoyang smiled, but couldn't help but complain inwardly.

After the ancestral worship ceremony, a grand banquet was held in the mansion, and everyone in the household enjoyed a delicious meal. After the banquet, as night fell, except for a few servants who stayed at the mansion, the rest were given a holiday to go home. Before leaving, they received red envelopes as a reward from Fang Xuanling and his wife, making them even happier.

Madam Lu then set up the mahjong table and invited her daughters-in-law to play together...

The children, dressed in their new clothes, played and frolicked in the courtyard, while Fang Jun and Fang Xiuzhu sat in the flower hall drinking tea.

The young woman wore a crimson Shu embroidered ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), without any fancy jewelry. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun with a hairpin, and she had delicate eyebrows and bright eyes. Her face was as red as a fresh lychee, and she had a long, graceful neck. She sat there with relaxed eyes and her small hands holding a teacup, slowly sipping her tea.

Fang Jun put down his teacup and asked with a smile, "You were betrothed to Prince Jiang, and you are about to go to sea to take up your fiefdom, far away from Chang'an, where you will hardly see your family again... Do you feel resentment or blame your father and brothers?"

Outside the flower hall, the wind howled, but inside, it was warm as spring. Various flower branches and leaves stretched out, full of spring vitality. The contrast between the inside and outside was striking and magical.

Fang Xiuzhu, with her fair complexion and exquisite features, still held her teacup obediently upon hearing this. She pursed her lips and said reproachfully, "Second brother, are you teasing me too?"

However, because she and Li Yun were childhood sweethearts, many of her close female friends teased her about it after their engagement, saying that she had "won the heart of a handsome man," expressing envy and jealousy...

She also used this method to show that her marriage to Li Yun was a matter of mutual affection and had no external causes.

Seeing Fang Jun's somewhat wistful face, she suppressed her shyness and said softly, "I do indeed like Li Yun. A woman has to get married eventually, and marrying him is better than marrying someone else... Besides, I have been enjoying the fine clothes and food and the prestigious status brought by my family since I was a child, and I must bear my own responsibilities... My father and brothers did not treat me as a commodity for family interests through marriage like other noble families, and I am already very grateful, so my brother does not need to feel guilty."

She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Besides, wouldn't it be great to marry Prince Jiang? He's a prince after all, and when he goes to sea to take up his fief, he'll become the ruler of a country. I can also be a queen and be granted a fief, and be incredibly noble. I wonder how many people will envy and be jealous of me."

Fang Jun sighed softly and said, "Regarding your marriage, Father and I have absolutely no intention of forming a marriage alliance. Even if you were to fall in love with a commoner, we would still prepare a dowry and happily marry you off... But in the end, after marrying Prince Jiang, you will be going to sea to take up your fiefdom. Everything will have to start from scratch and you will have to work hard to support yourself. As your brother, I feel bad about that."

"Second brother, do you still think of me as a weak and inexperienced little girl?"

Fang Xiuzhu gently nudged her brother's shoulder with her own, smiling sweetly: "Looking at it from another angle, going to the fiefdom is like being far from the emperor's reach, free and unrestrained—isn't that another kind of happiness? It's much better than being bound by all sorts of etiquette in Chang'an. Besides, the fiefdom is close to a major river and near the sea, so the navy can arrive to provide support at any time... The navy is completely obedient to my brother, so I think they'll listen to my orders too, right?"

"Of course!"

Fang Jun said proudly, "Compared to the fertile fields, shops, and workshops prepared for you, the navy is the best dowry I have prepared for you! Speaking of dowry, I also remembered something. The Ministry of War's secret agents discovered a gold mine a hundred miles north of Thonburi... When you leave Chang'an, I will assemble a personal guard unit for you, all of them are loyal and brave soldiers who have followed me through thick and thin. They will not only protect your safety but also be responsible for guarding the gold mine."

Guarding the gold mine was just a side job; the most important thing was to protect my younger sister's safety.

Money, gold, silver, power, or status—nothing is more important than my little sister's safety…

Fang Xiuzhu didn't seem to care much about a gold mine. She tilted her head, rested her head on her brother's shoulder, hummed contentedly, and said softly, "It's so good to have parents who love me and brothers who protect me. Do you still remember things from when we were little?"

"What's going on?"

"Back then, you were both dull and violent, as stubborn as a stick. I liked playing with you, but you didn't like me. Not only did you never include me, but you also yelled at me. I hated you so much!"

"Uh... Was I naive back then? But I figured it out later, so I started treating you well, didn't I?"

"Yes, I don't know how he suddenly became so enlightened. My mother has often said that if he hadn't changed his ways, he might have caused a huge disaster in the future."

Fang Jun gently stroked her hair and said softly, "My only regret is that I cannot protect you for the rest of my life and let you grow up carefree under my wings... But don't worry, even if you are far away in the Indochina Peninsula, I will definitely bring my family to visit you from time to time."

Fang Xiuzhu's eyes sparkled, as if they held the cold stars in the sky. She raised her head, full of anticipation: "It's a deal! Second brother can't be too lazy to go."

"Haha, in front of you, I always keep my word and never go back on my word!"

Wow! Fireworks!

As midnight approached, someone lit firecrackers, and a firework soared into the sky and suddenly exploded in the darkness. The orange-red sparks fell like petals from a fairy, and after their dazzling display, they returned to silence.

"How dare they be so arrogant, setting off the first firework in Chang'an before me, Fang Er! Let's go set off fireworks too, and make all the firecrackers in Chang'an tremble in fear under my, Fang Er's, aura!"

"Haha, I love Second Brother's domineering presence the most!"

Fang Xiuzhu stood up with a smile and skipped after Fang Jun to the front yard. Fang Yize and Fang Yiyi were already there with Fang Shu, Fang You, and others. Dozens of guards were busy taking fireworks out of the storeroom and placing them in the yard. As far as the eye could see, there were hundreds of them...

Fang Jun waved his hand and said, "Release!"

Fang Yize and Fang Yiyi drove away their personal guards and servants, and the two of them, holding incense sticks, led Fang Shu and Fang You to light fireworks one by one.

"Whoosh-"

"Tom!"

Fireworks exploded in the night sky, their various colors and patterns illuminating the night sky of Chang'an City on New Year's Eve of the fifth year of Renhe. Many officials, merchants, and common people came out of their homes and stood in their courtyards, looking up at the dazzling fireworks in the night sky.

Inside the Taiji Palace, Li Chengqian stood at the palace gate, looking at the magnificent fireworks rising and falling in the sky above Chongrenfang.

A prosperous and flourishing era.

The Splendor of the Tang Dynasty.

*****
The next day was the first day of the lunar month.

Before dawn, with palace lanterns blazing, the area from Chengtian Gate to Taiji Hall was already filled with officials, generals, and envoys from various countries who had come to attend the New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly. Countless guards stood solemnly on the palace gates, city walls, and around the various halls, each fully armored and with a serious expression. Their hawk-like eyes scanned the bustling scene before them again and again, fearing that someone might defy the world and cause trouble.

If the annual New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly of the Tang Dynasty were disrupted, it would become a laughing stock of the world and severely damage the imperial prestige. Therefore, anyone who made the slightest abnormal move at this time would be severely punished by the palace guards.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the lights were on.

Before the emperor arrived, a group of ministers stood in the hall, exchanging New Year's greetings or chatting quietly, whispering among themselves.

Suddenly someone asked, "May I ask, Grand Commandant, how many fireworks were set off last night?"

The buzzing conversation in the hall instantly fell silent as everyone looked towards Fang Jun.