Han Khan

Chapter 164, Dowry

At this time, Zhang Sheng's tent was filled with many chief priests, three captains of the guards, and four regiment leaders. Everyone was extremely happy to hear that the left wing led by Koza was returning triumphantly.

This means that Jinhan's three expeditions were all victorious. In a short period of time, Jinhan had conquered a vast territory from Jinshan to the Zhiju River (Selenge River) basin, from the Yenisei River, Sayan Mountains to the desert.

"Everyone, please be quiet!" Zhang Sheng suddenly said.

Suddenly, all the kneeling military generals and chief priests turned their eyes to Zhang Sheng who was sitting high on the main throne.

Zhang Sheng looked at Zhang Zhongxian and said:
"High Priest, you asked Princess Sarah for my hand in marriage. What was the result? Is Princess Sarah willing to agree to my proposal?"

He felt a little uneasy in his heart, as if a deer was running around, both looking forward to and afraid to hear the answer, because this was the person he had truly admired in his life. Although she held a high position, as a human being, he still longed for spiritual satisfaction.

Zhang Zhongxian smiled slightly, showing a gratified expression, and said:

"Your Highness, you are the Son of Heaven appointed by the Lord of Heaven. Everything in the Jinhan tribe belongs to you. You are so wise and intelligent. Who wouldn't be happy for your favor? Princess Sarah of course happily accepted your proposal.

The princess accepted the wild geese and lambs from Your Highness. I agreed with the princess that I would send the betrothal gifts to her tomorrow and set the wedding date for Your Highness and the princess on the eighth day of next month. The princess happily agreed.

But the princess was worried that she had no property and nothing as a dowry.

Then the princess and her brother Ilhan promised to give the Karakhanid Khanate as a dowry. When Your Highness leads us to defeat Satuk, all the tribes and people of the Karakhanid Khanate will submit to Your Highness and submit to Jinhan!"

After hearing this, Zhang Sheng felt excited and a look of joy appeared on his face.

Everyone in the tent cheered:
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness!!"

Zhang Sheng looked at Zhang Zhongxian gratefully and said:

“Thanks to my uncle’s hard work, this matter was successfully completed.

Let’s not talk about the dowry for now. It will only be clear after we truly defeat Satuk.

But since the princess has promised this, I can't be stingy.

Therefore, regarding the betrothal gift, we will follow the customs of the Tang people and combine them with the customs of the grassland.

Make a copy of the Holy Book, Hadith and Holy Law, and then prepare 1800 sets of bows, swords and armor for one regiment, which is enough for 900 households of subjects and slaves of one regiment.

In terms of livestock, 1800 horses are prepared, 50 sheep and 20 cows per household, that is, 45000 sheep and 18000 cows.

Then one hundred sets of gold and silver utensils, one hundred rolls of silk and five hundred rolls of cotton cloth.

Chief Financial Officer Zhang Anzuo, you and your attendants will prepare these betrothal gifts together."

Zhang Anzuo immediately said happily:
"As you command, Your Highness. I will lead my financial officers and servants to prepare all the betrothal gifts for Your Highness today!"

There is no problem with the betrothal gift, but after the betrothal gift, there is still a series of cumbersome procedures.

Zhang Sheng was a Han Chinese, so his wedding should follow the Han customs and rituals, not the custom like that of the Condor Heroes, where the man had to serve the woman's family for two or three years before getting married at her home.

Since Sarah was in the Jinhan tribe, there was no need to travel any distance, which solved the trouble of welcoming the bride.

At that time, Zhang Sheng, the groom, would ride on horseback to Sala's felt tent in the Jinhan camp to pick her up in person. Then the bride would take a carriage to Zhang Sheng's tent, saving the trouble of mobilizing a large number of troops and a lot of baggage to pick her up.

In addition, the wedding scene must be arranged in the big tent and the temple, and sufficient food and wine must be prepared. As the leader of the Jinhan tribe, at the time of the wedding, he must reward his subjects and have fun with the people, and there must be music and dance to liven up the wedding.

And since Zhang Sheng and Sarah have no parents, how can they worship in the church? They can only kneel down in the temple to worship the Lord of Heaven, hoping to get married under His witness and be blessed. These are all a lot of troubles. Seeing Zhang Sheng frowning a little because of these things, the careful Zhang Anzuo laughed and said:
"Your Highness, because the princess is in my Jinhan tribe, the procedure has been simplified a lot, so please don't be impatient!
Your Highness's felt tent, various clothes, and ceremonial vessels are easy to prepare, and the guests are us, so we are ready. When Your Highness gives an order, all of us in Jinhan will come to congratulate you, and the scene will be more grand."

After Zhang Sheng calmed down, he said:
"You, the High Priest, the Chief of the Guards, the Grand Sikou and the Junior Sikou are all my relatives. I'm sorry for the hard work you have put in these matters. I'm very grateful!" Zhang Sheng said solemnly.

"My Highness, it is our honor." Zhang Zhongxian, Zhang Anzuo, Zhang Xibao, as well as the Grand Minister of Justice Zhang Jinda and the Junior Minister of Justice Li Shaozong, all said.

“Another thing, I believe you all know it now, that is, the left wing three regiments led by Captain Koza are on their way back in triumph.

They will arrive tomorrow. Zhang Xibao, the captain of the imperial guards, you will personally lead the imperial guards and slaves to slaughter cattle and sheep, prepare food and drinks, and prepare to reward the soldiers on the left wing tomorrow, just like you rewarded the soldiers on the right wing when they returned victoriously! "

Zhang Xibao heard this and immediately said:
"The minister obeys the order!"

"The rest of you, do patrol and training as needed. It's winter now, and all the tribesmen have gathered in the Great Lakes Basin. The population is dense and there are many tribesmen. You must do a good job of restraining the tribesmen and managing the slaves. Disband!" Zhang Sheng stood up and said to everyone.

"As you command, Your Highness!"

…………

At noon the next day, Zhang Zhongxian and the chief financial officer Zhang Anzuo, with two regiments of elite warriors, marched with heavy steps, driving more than a hundred horse-drawn carriages carrying wooden boxes, and came to Sala's felt tent again.

Under the shocked gaze of Sarah and her brother, Zhang Zhongxian personally handed over a small, exquisite wooden box, which contained three "warm" Holy Bibles of the Holy Church: "The Holy Book", "The Holy Law" and "The Hadith", which had been bound that morning.

Then the guards opened the large boxes in front of them, which contained silk, cotton, gold and silver objects, as well as 900 sets of bows, swords and armor that the guards had replaced.

These armors are the iron armors equipped by the warriors of the Guards in the past.

After the five blacksmith shops in the Temple Camp produced 1000 sets of elite standard armor within two months, Zhang Sheng immediately ordered the warriors of the Guards to change their uniforms.

The previous ones were kept and prepared to be rewarded to those brave soldiers without armor, but now they are used as a betrothal gift to marry Sarah, which may be the most precious betrothal gift.

"Princess, this is the betrothal gift that His Highness ordered us to prepare quickly yesterday. In addition, there are 900 households of subjects and 900 households of slaves.

In addition, there are 45000 sheep, 1800 horses, and 18000 cows, which are all the betrothal gifts prepared by His Highness for you, the princess.

These people and livestock will become the private property of your Ordovician palace after you marry His Highness.

Because the princess was already in the Jinhan tribe, we did not personally bring these subjects and slaves, or drive these livestock to the princess's tent.

Now, Your Highness, please follow me and go to distribute the subjects, slaves, and livestock."

Then, the brother and sister, led by Zhang Zhongxian and Zhang Anzuo, came to an empty area near the western bank of Lake Uvs, on the banks of the already frozen Bulgan River, which was already filled with 900 households of subjects and 900 households of slaves.

Zhang Zhongxian pointed at them and said to Sarah:

"These are the people His Highness gave you!"

Suddenly all the slaves and subjects came forward and spoke in different languages:
"Greetings, honorable master!" Sarah nodded numbly.

That is to say, in addition to the remaining 1800 Karakhanids under his command, he now has more subject households.

If she distributed the bows, swords, armor and horses in the betrothal gifts, she would be able to gather an armored cavalry of 900 men in an instant.

This... my future husband is giving me an army!

(End of this chapter)