Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

"I have heard that the harmony of heaven and earth is nothing more than the balance of yin and yang; the beauty of humankind is nothing more than a good marriage. Today, my eldest daughter, Princess Xiangcheng, is virtuous and talented, and deeply loved by me and the people; the eldest son of the Duke of Song is handsome and talented, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and will also be a pillar of our dynasty. The two are a match made in heaven, which is a great joy for me and a blessing for the country."

"I hereby issue this decree to congratulate Princess Xiangcheng on the marriage of the eldest son of the Duke of Song. May the two of you be of one heart and mind, and spend the rest of your lives together. After your marriage, you shall treat each other with respect, be filial to your elders, and live in harmony with your neighbors, setting an example for all the people under heaven..."

He Ding, the personal eunuch of Emperor Zhenguan, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, loudly read out the imperial edict in a joyful tone.

Meanwhile, Li Chengqian and his brothers Li Tai were all muttering amongst themselves.

"Tsk tsk tsk, his eldest daughter is getting married, and he doesn't even dare to come back once. And he calls himself General Tian Ce~" Li Tai said with a sarcastic sneer.

Li Ke, who had rushed back a few days ago and finally returned with Prince Liang, Li Yin, sighed.

"Father was indeed wrong in this matter, but we can't do anything about it now. Fortunately, Xiao Rui and my sister are in love with each other."

Today, the Duke of Song's mansion can be said to have gathered the most powerful group of people in the entire Tang Dynasty.

Meanwhile, Duke Xiao Yu of Song had a broad smile on his old face, like an old chrysanthemum.

Although Xiao Yu's wife, who was the future wife of the Princess of Xiangcheng, had passed away, the former Empress Xiao, who had been rescued by the Tang Dynasty from the Eastern Turks, still lived in the Xiao family.

Hearing the emperor's decree, his eyes were filled with a satisfied smile.

"Well done, Rui'er is so lucky to marry such a considerate and virtuous princess from Xiangcheng..."

This old woman had been married to several emperors and was already used to the so-called royal nobles.

however.

The Li family of the Tang Dynasty royal family, especially the princes and princesses of the Prince of Qin's lineage, were all beyond her comprehension.

"This old woman is deeply grateful for Your Highness's favor. The Song State Duke's Mansion's current glory is already a great blessing from the world..."

Empress Xiao, who had once stood up, was about to bow to Li Chengqian.

He quickly reached out and stopped her.

"Madam Xiao, you flatter me. My elder sister and Xiao Rui are in love with each other and it can be considered a free love. The so-called arranged marriage is just a formality. I will be at ease if the two of them can support each other and grow old together."

Empress Xiao nodded repeatedly.

Li Chengqian, however, glanced indifferently at the figure who was supporting Empress Xiao.

"My cousin seems to be quite aloof; I've never heard of you coming out."

Yang Zhengdao and Empress Xiao's expressions changed instantly, and even Duke Xiao Yu of Song, who was standing to the side, felt a jolt in his heart.

However, the next moment, Li Chengqian's words made everyone experience what it meant to go from hell to heaven.

"Now is the time for our Great Tang to establish an unparalleled foundation. New policies are for the people, new learning seeks truth, we send out heavenly troops abroad, and educate the state at home... Cousin, you should take advantage of your good health to go out and move around."

"Look at this land, lakes and seas."

Yang Zhengdao's lips trembled slightly, and he hurriedly bowed to Li Chengqian.

"Your Highness, I thank you for your concern. I have been reading the newspapers and have always wanted to visit Taiyuan Prefecture, but unfortunately, I am too weak. Once I have some time to recuperate, I will definitely go and see for myself the lives of the people under the new policies in Bingzhou."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

The claim that he was physically weak was just an excuse to prevent the Li Tang royal family from harming him.

After all, he was the grandson of the former emperor, Emperor Yang of Sui, and a remnant of the previous dynasty who had served as a puppet ruler for the Eastern Turks.

In any dynasty, one must be extremely careful to survive.

However, the Tang Dynasty was not something that a small figure like Yang Zhengdao could overthrow. Since his elder sister had married into the Song State Duke's family, Li Chengqian was happy to do her a favor.

The Emperor bestowed some imperial favors upon the Duke of Song's mansion.

On the princess's wedding day, carriages carrying dowries traveled through Chang'an City, with palace guards on each carriage throwing things to the sides, carrying basins of copper coins and wedding candies.

The crackling sound of firecrackers never stopped in Chang'an.

And so that today's wedding can be a joyous occasion for the people.

Princess Xiangcheng's younger brother, Crown Prince Li Chengqian, and Prince Wei, Li Tai, summoned famous chefs from Chang'an, surrounding counties, and Taiyuan Prefecture.

Farmers around Chang'an who grow vegetables or raise poultry have all made a considerable amount of money.

The wedding banquet lasted for three whole days.

It's a pity that there are no beggars in Chang'an now, otherwise, officials and ministers would surely have been able to extract some literary talent from these people to showcase the glorious Tang Dynasty.

but.

Such a grand celebration drew jubilation from the people of Chang'an and the surrounding areas, but it also attracted foreign envoys and merchants who came to offer their congratulations.

I truly experienced the wealth of the Tang Dynasty.

"His Highness Zanmu Samaga of Tibet presents Princess Xiangcheng and her consort, the Commandant-in-Chief, with a pair of Hetian jade sacred birds, wishing them a long and harmonious marriage."

"King Udaya Deva of Niva presents exquisite ivory carvings and ten boxes of rare spices to symbolize the enduring friendship between our two nations."

"The Queen of the Eastern Women's Kingdom presents a box of pearl and gemstone necklaces and jewelry, wishing the princess and her husband good health and longevity."

"King Supi presents a pair of gilded bracelets and a pair of turquoise crowns, wishing the princess and her consort a harmonious and happy life together..."

Subsequently, envoys from small states surrounding the Tang Dynasty, such as Lin-yi, Jiao-zhi, and Xiang-xiong, also sent congratulatory gifts.

However, the gifts presented to Li Chengqian made the princes beside him secretly shake their heads.

"Tsk, such a small country with so few people, they really don't have a single presentable gift. Is this even worthy of being remembered? It's truly laughable!" Li Tai sneered.

Especially when they saw that countries like Lin-yi and Jiao-zhi were actually using the glass beads and other items that the Tang Dynasty had paid for their grain to decorate some gold ornaments and then sending them back.

The disdain on his face was impossible to hide.

"Hehe, Fourth Brother, what do you mean? What do they know? They have no productivity and no technology. Besides offering gold and jewels and birds and beasts as tribute, what else can they offer?" King Liang, Li Yin, shook his head with a smile.

"It wouldn't be right to ask the ruler of a country to perform such a grand ceremony, would it?"

The voice just fell.

"Queen Kim Deok-man of Silla presents one hundred fine horses and a pair of nine-colored black birds to Silla. She also requests that a temple be built in Silla for Princess Xiangcheng and her husband, wishing them long and prosperous lives."

Li Yin: "......."

Li Chengqian turned around and looked at him with a strange expression, and even Li Tai and the others looked at him with odd eyes.

Li Ke frowned: "Was this your idea?"

Li Yin immediately shook his head: "Damn it! How could this be my idea? Jin Deman came to the Tang Dynasty first, and I don't need to ask an outsider for this kind of thing."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, glancing indifferently at Queen Kim Deok-man of Silla, who had personally attended the event.

The other party seemed to have sensed something, or perhaps their purpose from the beginning was to target him, the crown prince. Just as Li Chengqian looked at her, their eyes met.

Looking at Kim Deok-man, who was bowing respectfully to him from afar, her beautiful eyes brimming with affection, Li Chengqian's lips twitched slightly.

Thinking about the other party's original history, and some unofficial historical rumors about his own father.

There's always a bad feeling about it.

The wedding ceremony continued as usual. After Princess Xiangcheng and Xiao Rui completed their vows, they headed towards the bridal chamber in the backyard.

Princesses Chang Le, Gao Yang, and Cheng Yang, who had been waiting there for a long time, were all holding sticks.

Barrier vehicle.

This is considered a procedure in this era when a royal princess gets married.

The purpose was to whip the prince consort a few times with sticks to deflate his arrogance.

but......

"Changle, what are you all doing?" Li Chengqian's helpless voice came.

The girls were so frightened that they instinctively hid their weapons behind their backs or cleverly tossed them into the nearby flower bushes.

Chang Le's face flushed red, and she nervously held a nunchaku behind her.

He wanted to signal the people behind him to take the things away, but he was being watched by Li Chengqian and didn't dare to move.

"I have already given the order to cancel the procession. There are so many guests today, and I need my brother-in-law Xiao to handle state affairs. If you do this, it's a small matter if my sister-in-law Xiangcheng punishes you for injuring him. Are you going to leave those state affairs to you as well?"

The girls immediately lowered their heads and remained silent, trembling with fear.

Li Chengqian tilted his head at Xiao Rui, who was hiding behind him. The latter then hurriedly bowed and led Princess Xiangcheng toward the bridal chamber.

Li Chengqian noticed Gao Yang trying to sneak away quietly.

Reach out.

They lifted the other person up as easily as if they were a chick.

Looking at the other person's nervous appearance with a half-smile, he said, "You haven't come to practice martial arts with me for a while now. What? Now that we're back in Chang'an, you don't take your elder brother, me, seriously anymore?"

"If you want to go to Baikal County, you should at least have the strength to fight a brown bear, right? With your current skills, you wouldn't even have a chance to use firearms in front of a brown bear!"

"Starting tomorrow, you will continue to learn martial arts from me!"

Gao Yang: "!!!"

The grand scene of Princess Xiangcheng's wedding.

This not only became a topic of great interest among the people of Chang'an, but also filled the hearts of foreign envoys stationed in the Tang Dynasty with envy and longing.

What an honor it would be for their country to marry a princess!

however.

Such thoughts could only remain as thoughts, buried deep in their hearts.

The fact that His Highness the Crown Prince hates nothing more than anyone trying to marry a Tang princess to a foreign ruler is no secret to almost everyone in Taiyuan and Chang'an.

The Tang Dynasty not only refused to accept marriage alliances, but also seemed to have little interest in princesses sent by foreign countries.

"He Gong Palace" was originally named "He Gong Palace". It was arranged by Li Tai to be a place to house the princesses and beauties sent from foreign countries.

Empress Zhangsun then felt that the words "congratulatory tribute" sounded rather harsh.

So they had someone change it to "He Gong".

The Hegong Palace is not large, but it is now home to two foreign princesses.

One was the Tibetan princess Samaga, and the other was the Sassanid Persian princess Salmana, whom the retired emperor had recently brought back.

"Your Highness, I have already inquired. His Highness the Crown Prince is currently at the training ground, testing the martial arts skills of the princes and princesses of the Tang Dynasty. At this time, His Highness the Crown Prince usually does not refuse to see certain people."

Ayu Shun recounted the information she had obtained by spending money to inquire about it.

Salmana's sapphire-like eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately picked up the pastries she had prepared from her hometown and headed out of the hall.

"Zam, she just went like that?" Samaga's maid looked somewhat incredulous.

Samaga glanced indifferently in the direction the other person had left, and gently shook his head.

"Let her be. Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince likes her..."

She sighed inwardly. Now, they didn't even have a guaranteed title to be included in the palace. Although they lived in the "He Gong Palace," they were more like tributes from foreign lands.

He was not regarded as anyone by the Crown Prince and the higher-ups of the Tang Dynasty.

"All of you, come at me together! Your martial arts skills have declined far too much!"

On the training ground, Yuchi Baolin looked at the princes who had been beaten and humiliated by His Highness the Crown Prince, and his heart was filled with sighs.

Fortunately, my father has been exiled to Baikal County; otherwise, I'm afraid I'd be getting whipped every day...