Chapter 428: There Is a Poem That Says

Regarding the matter between the Son of Heaven and the younger Lady Fu of the Wei State, it was hardly a secret within the palace walls, or even throughout the court and the realm. The Eastern Capital was very strict in its control of public opinion, and to speak recklessly of the Son of Heaven was even more forbidden, so there had never been any rampant rumors.

But within the palace, how could one truly seal everyone's lips? They dared not discuss the Son of Heaven, but the identity of the young Lady Fu did not inspire such fear.

Some remarks eventually reached Liu Chengyou's ears. In the final analysis, it was that impulsive "jest" Liu Chengyou had made in the early years of Qianyou that had resulted in the betrothal of the two young ladies of the Fu family.

Liu Chengyou married the elder Lady Fu as Crown Princess, and after his ascension she was elevated to Empress. When state affairs gradually settled and Liu Chengyou's throne was secure, his brother-in-law Fu Zhaoxin entered the palace and brought the younger Lady Fu along with him—the meaning was clear enough.

But at first, Liu Chengyou's attention was not on this matter, and he also had some consideration for Empress Fu's feelings, so he had never made any move, simply keeping her in the Eastern Capital. On ordinary days there was some contact, and at festivals and holidays, gifts and imperial presents were bestowed.

As for the young Lady Fu's appearance, there was no need to speak of it—she was Fu Yanqing's seed, naturally beautiful, born of a noble and eminent family, and her personal cultivation and bearing were also most outstanding. Unlike her elder sister's heroic valor, she possessed a different kind of gentle grace.

Though it could not be called deep affection, even a pure appreciation of beauty was enough for Liu Chengyou to acknowledge her. Moreover, Empress Dowager Li was also very fond of the younger Lady Fu, summoning her to the palace from time to time for conversation, asking after her well-being—there was already the look of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law about them.

Three or four years had passed, and the maiden of sweet sixteen had become a young woman about to turn nineteen. Having delayed so long, Liu Chengyou finally decided it was time to give an answer, and to handle it together with the joyous occasion of the marriage alliance with Wuyue.

The preparations for the wedding consumed roughly ten million cash from the inner treasury—this was the most extravagant expenditure since Liu Chengyou's ascension, apart from matters of state and military affairs, exceptionally lavish and quite wasteful.

However, the two shiploads of dowry sent by Qian Hongchu, King of Wuyue, were worth more than that, and even after sharing with Liu Chenghsun, it recovered a good deal. The wealth of Wuyue could thus be glimpsed.

After a series of tedious ceremonies, when night fell, the wedding celebration reached its liveliest stage. Inside and outside Wansui Hall, more than three hundred tables of feasts were laid, and all civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital could bring their wives into the palace to attend the banquet and celebrate with the sovereign.

Within Wansui Hall, ritual music played in unison, song and dance shared the stage.

The Empress Dowager preferred quiet and could not bear such clamor, so she returned to her palace after the ceremony ended. The consorts were the same—given the temperaments of the Noble Consort and the Worthy Consort, they had not wished to come for Liu Chengyou's taking of a concubine, but they had to show face to the imperial younger brother Liu Chenghsun, so they too waited until the rites were complete before leaving.

Empress Fu, the elder Lady Fu, still felt somewhat awkward in her heart and was not pleased, but there was no help for it—constrained by her status and being the younger Lady Fu's elder sister, she stayed throughout.

Amidst this magnificent palace wedding banquet, only one person felt utterly out of place—the Southern Tang envoy from the north, Vice Minister of Rites Zhong Mo.

He had come north to the Eastern Capital by Li Jing's order to probe the ruler and ministers of the Northern Han. Upon first arriving in Kaifeng, he had requested an audience, but had been kept hanging, kept waiting—Liu Chengyou would not receive him. As for the Tang envoy's purpose, Liu Chengyou and his ministers had their guesses, and indeed, they did not much care about his aims.

But on the occasion of the Liu brothers' celebration, out of courtesy, they had also invited the Tang envoy Zhong Mo, who had been waiting bitterly at the guesthouse for over half a month, to enter the palace and attend the banquet. Originally, when he came north, he had prepared only one gift; upon learning at the last moment that the Son of Heaven was to take a consort, he had hastily spent a large sum to purchase a pair of concentric jade bi discs.

At this moment in the hall, Zhong Mo was most uncomfortable—the northerners were too "crude," far inferior to the refined elegance of his Great Tang imperial banquets. Lifting his eyes, he found no one approachable, so Zhong Mo could only pour his own wine and drink alone, all the while not forgetting to sweep his gaze about, observing the ruler and ministers of the Northern Han in the hall.

On the imperial seat was the Han emperor Liu Chengyou himself, his yellow crown high-set, wedding robes upon his person, his bearing composed, his eyes like lightning, noble beyond words. Crouching at his side, conversing with him carefully, must be the Prince of Huaiyang, Liu Chenghsun—his eyes equally clear and bright, his aura of nobility striking.

Among the Northern Han ministers below, the two old ministers in python robes stood out, their military bearing strong—these were the Prince of Linqing, Gao Xingzhou, and the Prince of Wei, Fu Yanqing. The Prince of Wei, Fu Yanqing, had returned to court both for the Son of Heaven taking his second daughter into the palace as a consort, and to report to Liu Chengyou on the defensive preparations along the Yellow River line, along with some military recommendations.

The two powerful fathers-in-law of the emperor were exchanging cups and engaging in lively conversation, seeming to get along quite well.

Of the other famous chancellors of the Great Han court, apart from Feng Dao, Zhong Mo could not identify them all—he had only heard their names without knowing their faces. Looking carefully, this Northern Han did seem to have no small number of renowned talents...

Of course, what irritated Zhong Mo most was that the Wuyue envoy was moving among the Northern Han officials in the hall, quite welcomed, appearing very active and sociable.

As a hereditary enemy, being a minister of Tang, Zhong Mo could hardly suppress his disgust. Moreover, there was also a rage at being treated differently—the Great Tang dominated Jianghuai with a hundred thousand armored soldiers, and an envoy of such a great state was being so slighted.

But that unwillingness could only be suppressed in his chest. Thinking of his mission, Zhong Mo considered for a moment, then rose, holding a cup of wine, and walked toward the circle of Northern Han chancellors, first offering a toast to Feng Dao...

In the great hall, Liu Chengyou conversed warmly with his imperial younger brother Liu Chenghsun, speaking in a caring tone: "After marriage, you will truly be an adult. Now that you have a family, you must have a sense of responsibility! The Wuyue Princess—your mother and I are both satisfied with her. She is still young in years and has married far away to the Eastern Capital; you should treat her well!"

"Yes!" Liu Chenghsun nodded in acknowledgment.

Liu Chenghsun was just over three years younger than Liu Chengyou, now only eighteen, but after several years of cultivation—studying books and practicing martial arts—he was no longer the reckless youth of before. His bearing was distinguished, which pleased Liu Chengyou greatly.

"The Great Han's imperial clan, especially among the direct line, lacks flourishing talent, and I am deeply concerned. You are my only imperial younger brother, and I hold great hopes for you. You have had your own establishment for several years now; after marriage, it is time for you to come out and contribute your strength to the Great Han's realm!" Staring at Liu Chenghsun, Liu Chengyou said.

At these words, Liu Chenghsun's eyes immediately lit up, and he asked: "Is His Majesty going to assign me a post?"

Seeing his eager look, Liu Chengyou chuckled lightly: "Did you not vow to become a worthy prince? Living long within the high walls of your princely residence, you cannot become a worthy prince!"

Liu Chenghsun grinned sheepishly and unconsciously scratched his head: "I just said it casually; I never imagined it would reach His Majesty's ears."

Liu Chengyou raised his cup and lightly clinked it against Liu Chenghsun's: "You said it casually, but I did not listen casually. Do not let me down!"

At this, Liu Chenghsun drained his cup and answered solemnly: "Yes!"

Seeing that he had been crouching for some time, Liu Chengyou patted his shoulder: "Your legs must be numb—go down and rest a while..."

Later in the evening, Liu Chengyou went to Chunlan Hall. In the bridal chamber, another round of ceremonies was performed, and after the nuptial cup, the serving maids withdrew, leaving only Liu Chengyou and the young Lady Fu.

Wrapped in red garments was the young Lady Fu's youthful and graceful figure, her head slightly lowered, not daring to meet Liu Chengyou's unabashed gaze.

After a moment, she could not help but raise her head for a quick glance, only to find Liu Chengyou looking at her with a smile in his eyes. Startled like a rabbit, she turned her face away, looking very shy.

"What is it—is there something different about me today that makes you so ashamed to face me?" Liu Chengyou asked with a faint smile, slightly tipsy.

Raising her eyes to steal another look at Liu Chengyou, the young Lady Fu spoke in a voice like a mosquito's hum: "On ordinary days, His Majesty and I are not dressed like this..."

Her delicate and charming appearance stirred Liu Chengyou's heart. Reaching out to gently stroke the young Lady Fu's smooth, tender cheek, Liu Chengyou said in a warm voice: "From this day forth, you shall be my Worthy Consort Hui!"

The younger Lady Fu's face grew warm, but she still answered softly: "Mm!"

As for what happened next in Chunlan Hall, there is a poem that says:

The jade maiden, shy, unfastens her palace robes, cheeks flushed like peach blossoms, skin congealed like frost. Rouge for a steed, skirts for a saddle, the joyful bed sways gently, entrancing the drunkard. Soft moans rise in bursts like orioles singing, a babbling brook washes away the fallen red. Within the red gauze curtains, spring's radiance is brief—the lady has no strength left to bear her lord's grace.