Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

First, Zhang Shikang wanted to invite his elder brother to attend the wedding and be his witness.

Secondly, Zhang Shikang wanted to take this opportunity to hold a wedding for Chen Yuanyuan and eight other girls. In other words, Zhang Shikang wanted to marry nine girls at once.

This is obviously not in conformity with the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty. Even if Yan Shifan came, he would have to call him awesome.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty granting a marriage was already a great honor for his subject. Under normal circumstances, the requirements for being a witness would be a bit excessive, after all, he was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, he married nine women at one time and the emperor even served as the witness, which undoubtedly made the emperor take the blame.

After all, the emperor actually went to support something that violated the etiquette, which shows that he is not upright.

Or maybe it’s because Zhang Shikang was so capable. He only went to the Qianqing Palace three times and gave a reason that Chongzhen couldn’t refuse.

The one who granted the marriage was the emperor, the ones who attended the wedding were friends, and the ones who witnessed the marriage were elders.

These are three different identities. Both Zhang Shikang and Emperor Chongzhen automatically ignored the first identity.

Zhang Shikang invited Brother Chongzhen because of the second reason. Brother Chongzhen was only eight or nine years older than him. They had been through hardships together, so it was not an exaggeration to say that they were comrades-in-arms.

How can I not invite my comrades-in-arms when I get married?

But Emperor Chongzhen was able to come because of a third reason: his feelings towards Zhang Shikang had always been a bit complicated.

According to Zhang Shikang's idea, as a person of later generations, as long as it is not illegal, he can have his wedding the way he likes.

His father-in-law and Ma Lingqi had long been persuaded by him to marry nine women at a time. After all, Ma Lingqi was his wife, while Liu Rushi, Chen Yuanyuan and other women were concubines, and their status was clear.

Men of status and position can marry and have concubines. This is really a good etiquette and Zhang Shikang likes it very much.

But the etiquette does not allow him to marry nine women at one time. This is not a good etiquette. No, this is a feudal dregs.

Zhang Shikang had a flexible moral bottom line, which was consistent with his views on ancestral systems.

Who isn't a double standard when it comes to certain things?

The night before the wedding, Zhang Shikang hosted a banquet for his brothers as usual.

The banquet was held in another smaller living room in the Duke's Mansion. The reason was very simple: Duke Yingguo Zhang Zhiji was also entertaining his good friends that day.

The eight brothers of the Second Sons Group gathered together, and even Liu Jiawei, the third son of the Chengyi Earl's family, came.

The Crown Prince Zhu Cilang's personality changed so much in two years, and Liu Jiawei played a great role in this.

Before this, Zhu Cilang was almost brainwashed by the civil servants in the court. Although Zhang Shikang took some drastic measures, the one who really had the effect of moistening things silently was the clever Liu Jiawei.

As the only companion to the Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, Liu Jiawei secretly influenced and transformed Zhu Cilang according to Zhang Shikang's ideas.

This is how we now have a new prince who is full of longing for firearms, the ocean, and the future, and who scoffs at some of the obsolete theories of Confucianism.

As soon as everyone arrived, Sun Dasheng began to tease them in a half-complaining manner, saying that his elder brother had deceived them. He had promised that as long as the Jiannu were not destroyed, how could there be a family? Yet, he had taken nine in two years.

Zhang Shikang was very thick-skinned, so he naturally just laughed it off. However, Sun Dasheng felt a little jealous and found it very strange.

In the past, when the brothers were joking, for example, when they were making fun of Zheng Chong for risking his life on the battlefield, they would all join in the fun and everyone would make a few remarks.

But this time, no one joined in.

Sun Dasheng stared at them, indicating that if they didn't bully their eldest brother now, they would never have the chance in the future.

However, his eyes were twitching, but no one agreed with him.

Finally, Xu Wenyuan couldn't pretend anymore and was the first to speak:

"Dasheng, my second brother is actually hiding something from you."

Xu Wenyuan looked somewhat embarrassed, but Sun Dasheng didn't take it seriously and continued drinking and eating. After finishing, he said:

"Brother Xu, what's the matter? We are so close. If you have something to say, just tell me."

"Actually...my father arranged a marriage for me last year. I will probably get married in another three or two months."

Upon hearing this, Sun Dasheng was stunned for a moment and seemed unable to react.

"Second brother Xu, we agreed to get married after defeating the Tartars, but now you have betrayed us!" Sun Dasheng blurted out.

Before Xu Wenyuan could reply, Chen Tao also spoke:

"Hehe, Brother Xu is tight-lipped, but I am also getting married next month. My father has set the wedding date for April 16th. My wife is an ordinary girl from a common family in our capital."

“Oh, since all my brothers have stopped pretending, I’ll tell you what I am saying, my mother has also arranged a marriage for me.

But my father said that the woman has the same temperament as my mother, so he asked me to think it over carefully. "Wang Jingduo also said.

This matter actually made him quite troubled. Whenever his mother yelled, the whole family would tremble. He didn't know how many fishing rods of his father Wang Guoxing had been broken by his mother.

After Wang Jingduo's speech, Song Liangzu and Zheng Chong also said that they were already engaged, and the latest one would get married in the fall of this year.

Sun Dasheng was completely blinded by the news.

So, all of them found wives secretly, and he was the only one who kept the promise they all made?

His family has been a single-son family for three generations!

His father was the only child, and he was also the only child. His father was the Duke of Huaiguo, and had the hereditary title of Marquis of Huaining.

He himself also had a hereditary earldom. Such an honor, if it were a noble family with many children, would naturally inherit both titles.

But Sun Weifan had only this one son, which meant that if Sun Dasheng was not stupid, he would have to inherit his father's title of Marquis of Huaining according to etiquette.

And his own title is definitely useless.

Even in this situation, Sun Dasheng, who is already 21 years old this year, has no intention of getting married.

Apart from occasionally drinking and chatting with his brothers, he would stay in the barracks every day, practicing martial arts and reading military books like his father.

Of course, this is also related to his father's words and deeds. Ever since Sun Weifan knew that his son wanted to destroy the Jianlu and recover the lost territory before getting married, Sun Weifan was very happy and thought that his son was really ambitious.

Sun Weifan really didn't think about arranging a marriage for his son.

Hence, the current situation. Sun Dasheng was stunned for a moment, and when he found that the youngest Liu Jiawei didn't say anything, he immediately said as if he had grasped the last straw:

"Jiawei, you're not going to get married, are you? We are really in the same boat!"

It is of course a happy thing that the brothers are getting married. Although Sun Dasheng is a little depressed, he is not really too sad. After all, he still has Liu Jiawei to accompany him as a bachelor.

Liu Jiawei is the youngest, only seventeen years old this year.

However, Sun Dasheng was overthinking. Liu Jiawei said a little embarrassedly:

"Brother Sun, my father arranged a marriage for me three years ago."

So, Sun Dasheng grasped at the last straw.

broken.

……