Chapter 87: Pure Wedding

The Longevity King's grand wedding was celebrated throughout Chang'an. Li Longji ordered a three‑day feast, with the government supplying pastries, wine and the like; the Imperial Music Office and the Office of Propagation, both under the Grand Ministry of Ceremonies, were tasked with providing the music for the celebrations.

The Imperial Music Office is both a music academy and the state's official performance troupe. Whenever an important sacrificial ceremony occurs, the Imperial Music Office's elegant music must appear, following protocol to perform. It also represents the nation, offering state‑level elegant music to foreign vassal guests who come to pay homage to the Tang Emperor.

In short: although this is a second marriage, Ji Ge is truly fond of the Longevity King! A lively, bustling celebration!

All the pomp that could be used was employed.

This feast, though short on funds and lacking a "flower‑lantern tower," still had ample fireworks around the Longevity King's residence, and lanterns and streamers inside and out made for great merriment. Honestly, when Longevity King Li Chang married Yang Yuhuan, there was never such a grand display!

However, this time Li Longji did not attend the Longevity King's wedding as before; the entire ceremony was presided over by the father‑in‑law, Wei Zhaoxun.

The father‑in‑law must come, because his daughter is only nine years old now and doesn't even understand the meaning of a wedding!

This is a bona‑fide political marriage; the bride isn't even in the residence at this moment, and the whole lavish ceremony is staged for outsiders! It merely declares to the world that the Longevity King has remarried and that the story with former princess consort Yang Yuhuan is now concluded.

Wei Zhaoxun knows everything and understands everything. Among the power circles in Chang'an, many see this matter as clear as daylight.

Behind the veneer of favor, the Saint harbors deep disdain for the Longevity King, showing no paternal affection. To claim former princess consort Yang Yuhuan, the Saint impatiently arranged a new princess consort for the Longevity King, intending that he remain a living widower for the coming years!

Because of this, the Saint's sister, Princess Yuzhen, was so angry she fled to the Lingdu Temple on Mount Wangwu in Jiyuan to "cultivate," yet it did not alter the Saint's original intent at all!

Li Longji, to conceal his motives, invited the now‑daoshi Yang Yuhuan to perform rites inside Xingqing Palace and even built a new hall for her. His scheming was as obvious as Sima Zhao's ambition.

The Emperor's meddling has reached such a degree that, even if there are no successors, it is at least unprecedented.

But Wei Zhaoxun knows he can do nothing, even though he harbors anger.

The Wei clan of Jingzhao was the most illustrious consort family in the Tang dynasty—a fact that cannot be altered. Every Wei descendant bears this family background, gaining benefits or suffering entanglements; the rules are set from birth, and none can escape them.

Leaving the distant cases aside, nearby Prince of Loyalty Li Heng married a Wei daughter as his princess consort. The Wei clan could not defy Li Longji's order; this marriage had been set half a year earlier, yet the wedding date was moved forward by several years!

Initially, Li Longji only sent Gao Lishi to Wei Zhaoxun's residence to give a heads‑up, telling him to turn down other suitors, saying the third Wei daughter was already slated to become the Longevity King's princess consort, with a wedding to be held in a few years.

Wei Zhaoxun knew the Longevity King had little future, but since the marriage was still years away, there was no need to anger the Saint over something not yet occurred, so he agreed.

Unexpectedly, the so‑called 'few years' turned out to be only half a year—less than a year!

The Saint's demeanor in Chang'an was downright unsightly—almost impatient, caring not at all about how the world viewed him!

Wei Zhaoxun speculated that perhaps Li Longji originally coveted Yang Yuhuan merely to "play," tasting the novelty before discarding her like an old shoe. This mirrors Taizong's past humiliation of Li Yuanji's wife.

But Taizong grew bored after a brief dalliance with his sister‑in‑law and never truly regarded the woman.

Li Longji, however, was clearly different; he was hopelessly entangled, obsessively infatuated with Yang Yuhuan to a maddening degree, so he overtly advanced his plans, disregarding public criticism!

At this moment, Chang'an bustled with crowds; the Longevity King's residence was lively outside but eerily quiet inside. After the guests departed, Longevity King Li Chang sat alone in the empty main hall, his servants withdrawn, leaving only his father‑in‑law Wei Zhaoxun there.

The *Book of Rites·Hun Yi* states: "The father prepares the ritual and orders the greeting; the man precedes the woman. The son follows the order to greet; the host's banquet is set in the temple, and the greeting is performed at the outer gate. The son‑in‑law carries a goose in, bows and steps into the hall, bows again, offers the goose—this signifies receiving the parents' blessing. He then descends, draws the lady's carriage, the son‑in‑law presents a token, the carriage circles three times, waiting at the gate. When the lady arrives, the son‑in‑law bows her in, they eat together, drink the nuptial wine, thereby uniting bodies and aligning status to show filial respect."

It means that once the bride arrives at the groom's house, everyone below the parents must exit through the side gate and re‑enter through the main gate, symbolically following the bride's footsteps.

After the bride enters, she first bows to the pig‑straw and the hearth, then to the heavenly and earthly deities and the ancestral line, and finally the husband and wife bow to each other.

In the Tang dynasty, the new wife not only bows to her parents‑in‑law and the husband's elders but also bows to the attending guests, a practice called "bai ke" (bowing to guests).

In short, the bride's role in the ceremony is quite extensive, keeping busy from the opening to the bridal chamber.

However, to avoid embarrassment, the Longevity King's wedding omitted the entire process. A nine‑year‑old girl performing such rites would outwardly shame the Longevity King and Wei Zhaoxun, but in reality it disgraces Li Longji.

The former princess consort Yang Yuhuan was seized, and the new princess consort from the Wei family is still a child, pushing Longevity King Li Chang to the brink of mental collapse; thus the wedding guests, feeling uneasy, finish a cup of wine, leave their gifts, and depart silently without a word.

They neither wish to mock or pity the Longevity King nor to discuss the Saint, lest they invite trouble.

"Father‑in‑law, you've worked hard today; please return."

Li Chang, dressed in a scarlet ceremonial robe, bowed and said, his expression calm, his thoughts unknown.

In the Tang dynasty, wedding attire was red for men and blue‑green for women—the so‑called "red‑men, green‑women." The male's scarlet garb also symbolized hopes that the groom would become a high official, a tradition inherited from the imperial examination system and evolved from Sui‑era wedding dress.

It is a typical example of folk wedding customs influencing the aristocracy.

"You're still young, life is long; don't give up on yourself."

Wei Zhaoxun patted Li Chang's shoulder, said that, then turned and left.

He is not the one whose wife was taken by the Emperor; Wei Zhaoxun is speechless, and no one can comfort the Longevity King.

After the father‑in‑law left, Li Chang became a true "lonely widower"; the main hall of the residence was empty, the tables bore no untouched delicacies, and the distant sounds of silk strings and drums mocked him as an incompetent prince.

"Why! Why! Why!"

Li Chang shouted three times, lunged to overturn the table piled with exquisite dishes, but the table was too heavy for him to move.

He sank dejectedly to the floor, helplessly pounding the ground, his strength completely drained.

"I'm truly useless!"

…

The Longevity King's grand wedding was celebrated nationwide.

By Li Longji's edict, all government offices across the realm were given a day off!

Although the western frontier town of Hexi had no concept of "holiday," and even officials, even if asleep, had to rise to obey when the Tibetans arrived, the news of the Longevity King's wedding—actually a remarriage—still reached the Hexi Military Governor's Office via official documents and reports.

In the end, Fang Chongyong also saw this report.

Its contents were very rich.

For example, Ji Ge attended the autumn harvest celebration outside Chang'an, performing the Nine‑Push rites; there was the Longevity King's grand wedding with the princess consort being Wei Zhaoxun's third daughter, a massive feast in Chang'an; even the Hexi Military Governor's troops marching to seize a new Tibetan city were mentioned.

There were also reports of the court dredging the Guangyun Pond outside Chang'an to repair a canal, and of a certain day when capital officials performed a grand archery ceremony at the south of Anfu Hall—news that Fang Chongyong considered utterly vacuous.

It resembled a newspaper from a past life, but it mainly covered governmental affairs—more precisely, matters closely tied to the Emperor—clearly serving as Ji Ge's mouthpiece, reporting only good news.

Thinking of the Longevity King's case, a strange image flashed in Fang Chongyong's mind.

When Longevity King Li Chang was in the bridal chamber, although the bed was occupied by a delicate, implausibly youthful Wei girl, he called out "Huanhuan" rather than "Wei daughter" during intercourse.

And in the bath of Huaqing Palace, Yang Yuhuan shouted not the Longevity King but "Sanlang."

Husband and wife are like birds of the same forest; when great disaster strikes they each fly away. Tsk tsk, the scene is so beautiful it's unbearable to watch.

Fang Chongyong held the report in his hand, a scornful grin on his face.

What they call comedy is simply tragedy happening to others. Human emotions cannot resonate or be truly shared. Those who rush to do good are few; the majority are merely onlookers feasting on the spectacle.

They don't care whether you get into trouble; they just want entertainment, the more spectacular the better!

"What strange thing are you thinking about?"

Anaye saw Fang Chongyong's face break into a mischievous grin, and, with a puzzled expression, interrupted him to ask.

"There's nothing strange."

Fang Chongyong set the report down, stretched lazily, and said.

"You didn't go to help your father, so why did you come to me?"

Fang Chongyong asked curiously; although his residence wasn't far from the medical hall, it wasn't inside the hall, after all.

Fang Dafu and the others were stationed at the White Pavilion Army's garrison and hadn't returned to Liangzhou City. Now the ones attending to Fang Chongyong's daily needs were soldiers of the White Pavilion Army, who were rather rough in their work, so every day Anaye brought him his meals.

She also came to massage this "young official lord's" wrists and arms.

This provincial Staff Officer from Chang'an had become addicted to writing letters to Qiu Badai in the army; he wouldn't stop until he wrote a hundred letters a day.

But it wasn't mealtime yet, so it wasn't Anaye's turn to speak.

"Hexi Jiedushi Cui Xiyi has been dismissed…"

Anaye said softly.

Fang Chongyong's expression remained unchanged; he gave a slight nod and said, "Indeed, I've already learned of it."

Medical Officer Li, after all, was a government official, so knowing that the Hexi Jiedushi had been replaced wasn't surprising, and it was normal for Anaye to know this as well. In fact, Fang Chongyong had learned of it at once; Cui Xiyi's resignation was inevitable, and no one could do anything about it.

After all, Cui Xiyi took the blame for Brother Ji over the "betrayal of the alliance" issue; government officials felt sympathy for him, yet inevitably his reputation among the Hexi populace was poor.

That's just how it is; striving entails sacrifice. Officials taking the blame for the emperor hasn't been a one‑or‑two‑time thing.

"The newly appointed Jiedushi is named Xiao Jiong, and he's so annoying!"

Anaye stamped her foot in anger.

Fang Chongyong was startled, then, as if in disbelief, retorted, "He wouldn't go so far as to lay a hand on a girl, would he…"

"Where are you getting that idea! He's looking for my father to ask about medicine… the kind my father would prescribe!"

Anaye lowered her voice to remind him.

"Oh, I see. I guess Xiao Jiong wouldn't stoop to such lowly tastes."

Fang Chongyong sized up Anaye's flat‑like figure and said.

"I'm talking about serious matters. If Xiao Jiong snatches the prescription, wouldn't all our effort be in vain?"

Anaye, fearing Fang Chongyong didn't grasp the situation, was so anxious she nearly cried.

"Good timing, I'm just afraid he won't come."

Fang Chongyong chuckled.

Hearing that, Anaye was stunned; her limited mind could hardly imagine what a cunning brat like Fang Chongyong might be thinking.

"Let's go together to pay a visit to the newly appointed Hexi Jiedushi."

Fang Chongyong rose and was about to leave.

Anaye, however, grabbed his sleeve and wouldn't let him go.

"When you take me to Chang'an to study medicine in the future, is that true? You won't sell me to some noble household to learn dancing, will you?"

Anaye asked with a plaintive expression.

"Just because you're the illegitimate daughter of Prince Xin'an, I can't do that! You're not ashamed, but the Xin'an Prince's family would be embarrassed!"

Fang Chongyong sighed inwardly, yet with a expressionless face he solemnly nodded and said, "Rest assured, I wouldn't deceive a half‑grown child."

"Aren't you yourself a half‑grown child?"

Hearing his words, Anaye felt completely down.

Fang Chongyong, however, was too lazy to bother with her, his mind still calculating Xiao Jiong's matter.

Cui Xiyi was upright, and there were many things Fang Chongyong didn't know how to discuss with him. But Xiao Jiong was different; it was said his handling of affairs was very "flexible". Dealing with such a petty schemer is best avoided.

It's merely a matter of seeking profit and avoiding harm. Master those four characters, and you control their life‑gate!

The two arrived at the medical hall; upon entering the pharmacy they saw Xiao Jiong rummaging around, apparently searching for something. Medical Officer Li sat in a wheelchair, silently following behind Xiao Jiong.

"These herbs seem quite ordinary. The medicine the Sage desires must work instantly."

Xiao Jiong said leisurely.

"Returning Jiedushi, that kind of medicine generally drains Qi, especially some from the Western Regions; it cannot be presented to the Sage!"

Medical Officer Li spoke frankly.

"This Jiedushi obviously knows those medicines are ineffective, which is why he came to you."

Xiao Jiong said, a bit impatiently.

"What wind blew Jiedushi Xiao here?"

Fang Chongyong stepped forward, clasped his hands in a bow to Xiao Jiong, and said.

Regarding Fang Chongyong's identity, Xiao Jiong knew it well. He hurried forward with courteous greetings, glanced at Anaye beside Fang Chongyong, and seemed to understand something.

"Staff Officer Fang's father is a close minister of the Son of Heaven; there are things he can tell Staff Officer Fang, but it's not convenient for outsiders to know."

Xiao Jiong hinted quite bluntly.

Medical Officer Li immediately led Anaye away, leaving only Xiao Jiong and Fang Chongyong.

"This Jiedushi holds the title of Jiedushi but does not command the Chishui Military Commissioner; Staff Officer Fang, do you know why?"

Seeing the outsiders leave, Xiao Jiong asked calmly.

"Jiedushi Xiao likely considers finding medicine for the Sage his primary task, while Hexi military affairs are secondary. The Chishui Military Commissioner has always held authority over Liangzhou's military matters; whether a Jiedushi coordinates in the middle makes little difference."

Fang Chongyong crossed his arms and saluted, saying.

Xiao Jiong was startled, then bitterly smiled, "The Right Prime Minister said you're Chang'an's prodigy, unlike ordinary people. Now it seems we still underestimated you. Indeed, coming to Hexi to serve as an official is one thing, but more importantly…"

Indeed, he came to Hexi to help Li Longji find a "prescription". Whatever the prescription is, it's naturally a good medicine you can take daily, health‑preserving and XX!

In the Hexi Corridor, those who build towers near water get the moon first; many of Great Tang's advanced technologies were transmitted from the Western Regions and then flourished. Brother Ji's thinking is not only unsurprising but fits the mindset of this era.

The Imperial Medical Bureau has every precious medicinal formula—how could Ji Ge possibly prize that "Nightly Serving Ten Women" tiger-and-wolf drug? Life is short; how could one take a medicine that shortens one's life!

You know, Li Longji is already fifty-three, with two months left until his birthday, at which point he will be fifty-four!

Nowadays, for an ordinary family, living to fifty is considered lucky; Li Longji is already fifty-four—what more can his body endure?

As for the position of the next Jiedushi of West River, the court is still debating it, undecided.

Li Longji favored Wang Zhongsi, intending to promote him nearby due to his familiarity with the situation, while Li Linfu hoped to transfer the Jiedushi of Jian South, Zhang Choujian Qiong, to West River. Thus Xiao Jing would serve as a transitional figure; once he finds the medicine for Ji Ge, he will likely leave West River.

This is not the place to discuss matters; if Commander Xiao does not mind, please speak in the study of the Jiedushi's residence. I have an important matter to report.

Fang Chongyong said with a mysterious expression.

"What matter?"

Xiao Jing, not seeing the rabbit, does not release the hawk; he does not want to be led by the nose by Fang Chongyong.

"This concerns a major affair of the sage's blessings."

Fang Chongyong stared at Xiao Jing, head held high, his aura imposing!

"Well, then that's good."

Xiao Jing, whose belly holds little ink, is several levels inferior in learning to Cui Xiyi, and his background is several levels inferior to Zheng Shuqing's. In the end, he still revealed his shortcomings before the deep‑background, crafty‑as‑a‑ghost young master Fang.

(End of chapter)