My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 452 Marriage
Duan Hui was seething with hatred, but Li Chengliang had invited him under the pretext of discussing military affairs, and the discussions were indeed about national and military policies, except that his son was in charge of these policies!
What should we do? We can't just walk away like that, can we?
Duan Hui finally managed to compose himself, and it took him a long time to manage to utter a few words:
“Young Master Li…is exceptionally intelligent, has encountered a wise teacher, and is also appreciated by His Majesty. His future is limitless. This humble official…congratulations, Deputy Protector.” He spoke the word “congratulations” with extraordinary difficulty.

Li Chengliang smiled with satisfaction:

"My son has made a name for himself, but it has made things difficult for us on the front lines. Commander Duan, you must carefully follow the memorial and prepare for the construction of the city."

Li Chengliang got down to business, and since this was an order from the imperial court, Duan Hui could only bow and say, "I understand, and I will do my best. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

"Go." Li Chengliang waved his hand, watching Duan Hui's retreating figure as if he were fleeing from the council hall. He could no longer suppress his smile, and it blossomed into a wide grin. He picked up his son's letter and read it again.

But soon Li Chengliang also began to think about it.

The Imperial Guard and the wedding were the main topics in Li Rusong's letter.

The Duke of Qian's family and the Earl of Chengyi's family were marriage partners that Li Chengliang would never have dared to even dream of.

There was no other way; the Ming dynasty's noble families had been established for over two hundred years, and they had long since built a system through marriage alliances.

It can be said that for noble families, marriage is the most important event.

If there is no suitable marriage partner, the daughters of these noble families may be arranged by their families to become nuns, or they may never marry and will not marry into families of unequal status.

This is because if a noble family has a marriage that is not between equals, it will be ridiculed by other noble families, which will even lower the reputation of the entire family and make it more difficult for other women in the family to find a good marriage.

Given Li Chengliang's social standing, he was not qualified to marry into a noble family, let alone a top-tier noble like the Duke of Qian.

Li Chengliang naturally understood why.

The nobles of the Ming Dynasty dreamed of regaining the power of military advisory decision-making. When the Imperial Guard was established, these nobles filled the Imperial Guard with their own people, hoping to become the emperor's military advisory body.

Unfortunately, Emperor Longqing did not take a liking to these people, and the Imperial Guards were originally just a security agency.

However, after his son submitted his memorial this time, the officers who signed it were transferred to the Imperial Guard. The emperor's intention was clear: he wanted to use them as military advisors.

This naturally became a coveted prize in the eyes of those nobles, who were willing to break down social barriers to arrange a marriage with them.

Should we marry into these noble families?

Li Chengliang was also somewhat undecided.

Although Li Chengliang couldn't predict the future situation, he knew that this was an era of great strife, with many undercurrents surging within.

Before Li Jia rose to prominence, he was merely the deputy commander of Liaoyang. If it weren't for Liaodong, a place where it was easy to make meritorious contributions, he would never have reached this level.

Li Chengliang is good at fighting on the battlefield, but it's really difficult for him to think about these issues.

After thinking for a long time, Li Chengliang finally took out the letter respectfully.

If you can't figure it out yourself, isn't there someone else who can?
After he finished writing a letter, he opened the window and placed two bags of polished rice on the table.

A moment later, Li Chengliang heard the sound of flapping wings, and a snow-white, fluffy creature rushed into the study.

Every time Li Chengliang saw a fat pigeon, he would doubt its species.

In the frigid Northeast, the snowy owl is probably the only bird species that can still be active in winter.

But I've never heard of anyone being able to tame a snowy owl to deliver messages.

Perhaps sensing Li Chengliang's question, Fat Pigeon tilted its head and looked at Li Chengliang.

Li Chengliang quickly cupped his hands and said:
"Lord Pigeon, please quickly send a message to Lord Su to arrange a good marriage for my son!"

It turns out that Li Chengliang's letter was a request for Su Ze to help arrange his son Li Rusong's marriage.

The marriage alliance between the Duke of Qian's family and the Earl of Chengyi's family was something Li Chengliang could not easily refuse.

Li Chengliang was also unfamiliar with the situation in the capital and could not weigh the pros and cons of marrying into a noble family, so he simply wrote a letter asking Su Ze to help arrange his son's marriage.

Su Ze was the dean of studies at the martial arts academy and was also Li Rusong's teacher. It was perfectly normal for a teacher to arrange a marriage for his disciple.

After the fat pigeon finished eating, it stretched out its foot. Li Chengliang quickly stuffed the letter inside, offered a prayer, and then the fat pigeon flew out of the study.
-
Arrange a marriage for Li Rusong?

Su Ze didn't expect to reach this stage so quickly.

Back then, Zhao Zhenji arranged my marriage. Now it's my turn to arrange my students' marriages?
Su Ze was also aware of Li Rusong's arranged marriage with nobles.

The intentions of these nobles are too obvious, and have already aroused the suspicion of the civil officials in the outer court.

Su Ze neither disliked nor liked the nobles of the Ming Dynasty.

Among the nobility, there were naturally those with a long-term vision and who worked diligently.

However, there are also many who act recklessly and arbitrarily, just like the former Duke of Qian.

Most of them are mediocre and incompetent spoiled brats who can't do anything right.

Take the current Military Academy and its preparatory courses as an example.

As the dean of studies, Su Ze strictly enforced the discipline of the Military Academy and its preparatory courses. Many sons of noble families dropped out of school because they could not bear the strict military regulations of the Military Academy.

Unlike the first batch of military academy graduates, most of the sons of noble families in the first batch were offspring of collateral branches of their families who had no right to inherit the family business and were sent by their families to make up the numbers.

Although these collateral relatives grew up in noble families, they knew they had no right to inherit the family business, so they studied hard at the military academy and persevered.

Now that military service has become a good option, the nobles are sending their heirs over.

As a result, the dropout rate for the latest batch of students in the Military Academy and its preparatory courses was very high. Many students did not even last a week before fleeing back home.

These nobles not only failed to reflect on their own education, but also had Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi deliver a message to them, criticizing the Military Academy's rules as too strict and hoping that Su Ze could relax the Military Academy's discipline.

Su Ze naturally retorted, immediately ordering the expulsion of these noble children from school and requiring local authorities to supplement their enrollment.

Even if I gave you a chance, it wouldn't be of any use!

Now they want to use the marriage alliance tactic again.

Li Chengliang has come to him for help, and Li Rusong is indeed a disciple he has chosen. Su Ze still needs to take care of his marriage.

After thinking it over, Su Ze still believed that the marriage alliance between Li Rusong and the family of meritorious officials would do more harm than good.

There was no way around it; Li Rusong was simply too popular.

A memorial of national and military importance was submitted, and the emperor specially ordered his transfer to the Imperial Guard, which aroused the vigilance of the entire civil service group.

The Ministry of War was watching Li Rusong closely. If he were to form a marriage alliance with a noble family at this time, he would inevitably face further suppression from the civil service system.

If Li Rusong cannot withstand the pressure, then his representation of the new military officer class will be cut short.

This was certainly not what Su Ze wanted to see.

However, Li Rusong is of marriageable age, and constantly refusing marriages would be detrimental to his personal development.

Offending these meritorious officials would also be troublesome.

Therefore, it is necessary to finalize Li Rusong's marriage.

Su Ze was also a bit of a headache. This was his first time doing matchmaking, and he didn't know anything about the different families.

But I don't understand, don't I have a wife?
Su Ze approached his wife, Zhao Lingxian. After Su Ze finished explaining Li Rusong's situation, Zhao Lingxian, holding her pregnant belly, asked:

"Does my husband mean he doesn't want Li Rusong to marry into a powerful family? Does that mean he wants to find him a virtuous woman from an official family?"

Su Ze nodded. If Li Rusong didn't marry a meritorious official, then he could only marry a civil official.

After thinking it over, Zhao Lingxian decided that although she was pregnant, she would still attend gatherings of wealthy women in the capital.

In any era, a wife's social status is tied to her husband's.

Zhao Lingxian's status in the capital's social circles rose step by step along with Su Ze's status, and now she is second only to those Grand Secretaries among the women, entering the top circle.

Due to the prevailing social atmosphere, the social interactions among noblewomen in the Ming Dynasty were not as extensive as those in the Tang and Song Dynasties, but the connections between various small circles remained very close.

Zhao Lingxian thought for a moment and said:

"My husband, do you still remember Minister Huo?"

Su Ze nodded and said:

"Of course I remember, Minister Huo was the former Minister of War."

Zhao Lingxian said:
"Minister Huo was from Shanxi and had already retired to his hometown, but he had a son named Huo Zhongyu who was an official in the capital through family connections and held the rank of Shangbaolang."

"This Huo Sibao also has a daughter who is of marriageable age."

Su Ze asked:

"You mean, you want Li Rusong to marry Minister Huo's eldest granddaughter?"

Zhao Lingxian nodded and said:
"The Huo family is a famous family in Shanxi, with a long tradition of scholarship. Minister Huo was very strict in managing the family, and Huo Sibao also had a high reputation in the capital."

"I have also met this eldest granddaughter of the Huo family. She has a gentle and generous personality and is also of a suitable age."

"It's just that Huo Sibao's official rank is a bit low, quite different from that of Young Master Li's father."

Su Ze clapped his hands and said:

"That's alright! Minister Huo is a retired Minister of War. When Protector Li came to the capital, he relied on Minister Huo's connections. The Li family wouldn't put on airs in front of the Huo family."

"But will the Huo family agree to that?"

Zhao Lingxian smiled and said:

"My lord, you may not know, but this Minister Huo was able to write at the age of seven and was proficient in the classics, history, philosophy, and literature by the age of fifteen. He was hailed as a child prodigy."

"But there is also a saying that this Minister Huo has used up the talents of three generations of the Huo family. Now, apart from Huo Sibao, who got his official position through imperial favor, no one else in the family has entered officialdom, not even those who have passed the imperial examination."

Su Ze understood now.

The imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty led to frequent rises and falls in family fortunes.

If a family produces scholars who pass the imperial examinations for generations, the family will soon prosper.

However, if a family fails to pass the imperial examinations for several generations, it will quickly decline.

Of course, this decline was not the family going bankrupt, but rather a return to the status of local gentry, losing influence in the imperial court.

This situation is quite common.

Huo Ji was a child prodigy who passed the imperial examinations smoothly, but the second and third generations of his family did not pass the examinations well. The family relied on Huo Zhongyu, who was granted the title of Shangbaolang by imperial favor, to support them.

It was good that Huo Ji was alive, after all, Huo Ji had been in officialdom for a long time and had served as a high-ranking official such as Minister of War.

But once Huo Ji passes away, the family will completely lose its pillar, and the future will be uncertain.

Therefore, Li Rusong was a very good marriage prospect for the Huo family.

"Shouldn't this matter be decided by Minister Huo?"

Suze asked.

Zhao Lingxian said:
"So if we want things to go smoothly, we should ask my husband to write to Minister Huo and ask him what he thinks."

"As long as Minister Huo nods in approval, this matter should be settled."

Su Ze said quickly:

"I will write a letter right away."

Zhao Lingxian quickly said:
“Husband, it’s not even the first month of the lunar calendar yet. How can you act as a matchmaker for someone else? If you’re in a hurry, you can write to Minister Huo first to express your intentions. It’s not too late to make arrangements after the first month.”

Su Ze then remembered that there was a saying among the people that "matchmakers die if they arrange a marriage in the first month of the lunar calendar." As for the specific reason, it was probably because there were more sacrificial activities in the first month of the lunar calendar in agricultural society, and matchmakers would offend the gods.

Su Ze said quickly:

"With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for!"

Zhao Lingxian and Su Ze have been married for a long time, but Zhao Lingxian still blushed when she heard her husband praise her.

She added:

"Husband, you should also ask the Li family what they think. If the Li family agrees, then there's an 80% chance this will happen."

Su Ze nodded and said:

"Of course, I'm sure Protector Li won't refuse."

Su Ze guessed correctly. He sent a message to Li Chengliang through the fat pigeon, and Li Chengliang was overjoyed when he heard about this plan.

He had met Minister Huo during his trip to the capital. At that time, he was always trembling with fear when he saw Huo Ji. He never expected that after all these years, he would have the opportunity to marry the granddaughter of the Minister of War!

Although he was only a "former Minister of War", Huo Ji had a close relationship with the current Minister of War, Cao Bangfu, and enjoyed high prestige within the Ministry of War.

If their son could really marry the Huo family's granddaughter, then their son could be considered half of the Ministry of War's "own people".
That would reduce the hostility directed at the Li family considerably.

Li Chengliang quickly replied, saying that he would leave it entirely to Su Gong to decide.
-
Li Rusong's marriage also reminded Su Ze that there were quite a few unmarried students among the martial arts students.

Especially for some students from poor families who were studying at the military academy, they had no acquaintances in the capital and had no way to make friends while studying at the academy.

The group of military officers is still very fragile. If they want to grow, the best way is to first integrate with the old interest groups.

Marriage between newly rich military officers and established elites may sound pragmatic, but it's a mutually agreeable arrangement.

However, it's not appropriate for Su Ze to handle this matter. It's fine if he acts as a matchmaker for Li Rusong, but if he acts as a matchmaker for all the new officers, it will inevitably arouse suspicion.

There's one person who's perfectly suited to do things that Su Ze can't do.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Pangjun was also very interested. On the tenth day of the first lunar month, he suggested to Emperor Longqing that a banquet be held for officers of the Imperial Guard and the new Beijing Garrison during the New Year period, inviting powerful figures from the capital to attend.

Emperor Longqing was overjoyed to hear Xiao Pangjun's suggestion. His son had such insight and was able to win over the hearts of the army, which would secure his position as emperor in the future.

Therefore, the Longqing Emperor issued an edict to organize a banquet in the palace on the Lantern Festival, to be presided over by Crown Prince Zhu Yijun.

(End of this chapter)