Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 166 Xue Wanche: Your Highness’s thighs are so thick and strong!

"Hehe, hehe...hiss~"

Xue Wanche was wearing a round-necked red robe, the most fashionable style of the 1940s, and a red-tailed owl crown.

His whole body was as red as a monkey, he laughed like a monkey, and he sat like a monkey, bouncing his buttocks on his heels.

"Hiss Liu~"

Tai Chi Palace, Li Zheng Palace.

Xue Wanche sat in Li Ming's study, wiping his saliva with his sleeve, feeling both excited and nervous.

Thanks to His Highness Li Ming's matchmaking, Old Xue will soon meet the potential bride's brother, who is also the potential brother-in-law!

Although the Tang Dynasty was an open society, matchmaking was still necessary.

It is ungraceful for single men and women, especially those from wealthy families, to meet in advance.

There is no man in the world who understands elegance more than Xue Wanche. How could he be so impatient as to disregard etiquette!
"It's all thanks to Your Highness for making this marriage possible. Our Xue family has an heir, all thanks to Your Highness!"

Xue Wanche did his best to speak nicely.

Why does it sound like I cheated on you... Li Ming sat opposite Xue Wanche and said with some timidity:
"General Xue, that's not true. You are my most trusted and beloved general. Your business is my business, haha~"

Although his mother Yang and his confidant Hou Junji both suggested that he find a good marriage for Xue Wanche.

Not only does it help Lao Xue solve his lifelong problem, but it also stops him from molesting decent women and ruining his life.

It was also to help Li Ming build a relationship with this subordinate and get closer to him.

Lao Xue is a loyal and honest man, a sharp blade in hand. If you open up to him, he will work for you wholeheartedly.

This stubbornness was confirmed during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, when he fought for Li Jiancheng until the last moment.

Plus, he is now considered a big shot with influence in both the military and political circles.

It is reasonable and logical for Li Ming to reconnect with this military commander with a distinctive personality and get closer to him.

But God has mercy on him, and let Xiao Li matchmake for blind dates. That was really like accidentally entering the WWE arena - the strongman locked up the man.

If I had that ability, I would... Oh, forget it, let’s not talk about it.

So, he kicked the ball back to Yang.

In terms of age, gender and experience, Yang is more suitable to be the matchmaker.

Facts have proved that A Niang still loves her son.

Some time ago, Yang said that she had found a girl from a good family for Comrade Lao Xue.

Yang did not reveal who it was specifically, and Li Ming did not ask much, but just mentioned it in the letter sent back to Liaodong.

Marriage between men and women cannot be rushed.

Unexpectedly, Xue Wanche was transferred to another position and hurried back to Chang'an.

As soon as he got home, before the kang was even warm, he came to Li Ming to ask for a wife!

"You're so impatient, no wonder you've been single all the time..." Li Ming's mouth twitched as he looked at Xue Wanche's stupid look as he wiped his saliva.

Li Ming, Li Ming, please don't do this in the future, otherwise our Tang Dynasty will be without an heir... He made up his mind secretly.

When Xue Wanche came to him asking for marriage, Li Ming was completely stunned.

He is also a setter and doesn't even know the girl's (should be called sister) last name.

But looking at Xue Wanche's innocent big eyes, Li Ming couldn't bear to ruin his mood.

This man is very stubborn and he also serves as the Right Guard General and Minister of Works at the same time. He is good at both civil and military affairs, which will be very helpful to Li Ming's subsequent operations.

For such subordinates, Li Ming would naturally try his best to meet their reasonable needs.

So, he also blinked his innocent big eyes and stuck to Yang's thighs.

Yang couldn't bear to spoil her son's fun, so she tried her best to smooth things over.

I finally convinced the girl and agreed to meet in Lizheng Hall today.

"I wonder which marriage your Highness is trying to find for me?"

Xue Wanche began to have many thoughts.

"Well... of course they are a good family. General Xue, please wait and see. Will I cheat you?"

Li Ming kept the secret somewhat awkwardly.

He also didn't know which girl his mother found for Lao Xue.

Because that's how Yang evaded him.

She said that the other party's family background is quite special. You will know when you meet. Just wait and see, dear baby. I will never cheat you.

Whose girl are you looking for? She's so mysterious...

"It must be a wealthy family!" Xue Wanche suddenly had an idea.

Yes, you are so smart. The prince and his concubines personally acted as matchmakers for you, and the meeting was scheduled in the emperor's bedroom, but you actually found out that the other party is from a wealthy family... Li Ming was too lazy to complain about Lao Xue's train of thought.

It's such a big fuss, but if the person introduced was just an ordinary family, it would be awesome.

"Young, beautiful, virtuous, intelligent, well-educated..." Xue Wanche racked his brains to describe his potential daughter-in-law, whom he had never met.

Brother, I’m not a wishing machine. Can you please not have such high expectations? The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment... Li Ming felt very tired, but he couldn’t complain out loud.

He was surprised to find that he was restrained by Xue Wanche in all aspects.

I am a man of few words and I know that people today really don't deceive me.

"But why is it my eldest brother-in-law who came to meet me?"

Xue Wanche finally found the highlight:

"Why not the father-in-law?"

You haven't even started yet and you've already called your uncle and father-in-law... Li Ming decided not to complain anymore.

But he didn't know the reason behind Xue Wanche's problem.

Yes, why is it my brother who is here?
Is it...

"Could it be that my father-in-law is dead... has passed away?"

Xue Wanche's words almost made Li Ming spit out his tea.

"Maybe he's out on business, or he's an official out there..."

"Speaking of which, brother-in-law is too slow! It's been more than half an hour since the agreed time, why hasn't he come yet?"

"Maybe there's something urgent..."

Not seeing anyone for a long time and not knowing what the bride's condition was, Xue Wanche, who was already anxious, became more and more anxious.

Li Ming could only stand by awkwardly, trying to delay the time, wondering in his heart:
What is that person doing? Whose master is he? How dare he let the prince and the general wait? My mother is too unreliable...

Xue Wanche was winning quickly and losing quickly, and his expectations for his future daughter-in-law were getting lower and lower.

In his mind, the bride he had never met had become an elderly leftover woman whose parents had died of old age.

The cruel eldest brother wanted to kick her out of the house, so he wanted to push this unwanted old woman to him, Xue Wanche, in the name of a blind date.

Ugh……

Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the Lord, so just accept them.

What a pity that I, Xue Wanche, a man of heroic appearance, handsome and suave character, am I going to end my life like this...

Time passed minute by minute, the sun reached its zenith, and it was time for lunch.

Old Xue and Xiao Li, each with their own hidden agenda, spoke less and less, and finally fell into awkward silence.

"Um..." Li Ming made small talk.

Xue Wanche slapped his knee:
"It seems that my brother-in-law is busy with official business today and cannot get away.

"It is really unacceptable to have His Highness Li Ming waste an entire morning accompanying me. How about we just..."

Just then, the door of Li Ming's study opened.

A majestic figure walked in, with his back to the sun, and his appearance could not be seen clearly at first.

"Something delayed me."

The figure explained simply.

Xue Wanche thought he was seeing things, so he squinted his eyes and looked carefully.

Suddenly realizing that he was not mistaken, he jumped up from the mat, knelt on one knee and clasped his fists:
"General, I will pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

He was covered in cold sweat.

I was really careless. It is possible that I might meet His Majesty at any time in Lizheng Hall!
I was staring at your Majesty's face just now. I was really blind.

If His Majesty gets serious and accuses him of disrespecting His Majesty, he will probably be kicked back to Yingzhou...

Well, this is not bad?
Just when a thousand horses were running through Xue Wanche's mind.

Li Ming was only slightly startled, and still sat in his original position carelessly, with his hands behind his back, looking up at Li Shimin in a disrespectful posture that was enough to be impeached many times by the Palace Censor.

"Grandpa, why are you here?" he asked curiously.

"If I don't come, Xue Wanche will dig a hole through the floor."

Li Shimin sat beside Li Ming as if nothing had happened, facing Xue Wanche:
"Sit down, how can we chat if you don't sit down?"

"Huh?" Xue Wanche was a little confused:

"Your Majesty, do you want to ask about... Yingzhou?"

Li Shimin looked at the silly general and couldn't help but stroke his beard and laughed:
"I want to ask you something."

"what?"

"How old are you, where do you live, what position do you hold, how much is your salary, how much is your annual income, do you have any property in Chang'an, do you have any connections in the court, are you addicted to alcohol and gambling, and after marriage, will the financial power belong to the man or the woman...?"

"???"

Xue Wanche's thick brows were furrowed deeper than his cerebral cortex, and his mind began to work at high speed for the first time outside the battlefield.

Who am I? Where am I? Who is sitting opposite me? Why is he saying this to me?

When there is a huge conflict between visual and auditory information, his brain short-circuits.

Not Your Majesty...

Why are you asking this suddenly?

Aren’t all my wages paid by you?
Why does it seem like you are here for a blind date...

Xue Wanche had a reverse sense of unreality, as if he had obtained state secrets from the vegetable-selling lady's mouth, and looked towards His Majesty's side in confusion.

Little brother Li Ming also had his eyes wide open in shock, but as soon as he noticed Xue Wanche's gaze, he immediately returned to his "everything is under control" look.

"I'm asking you a question." Li Shimin pretended to be angry.

"Hmm? Yes, yes, yes!"

Xue Wanche woke up from his confusion and told everyone his whole story, starting from when he played with fire and peed on the kang as a child.

Phew... Li Shimin held back his laughter and kept in mind all the ugly things that Xue Wanche had confessed. He would bring them up at every family gathering in the future.

After happily taking notes in his little notebook for about a quarter of an hour, Li Shimin cleared his throat and said:

"I have a half-sister, who is titled Princess Danyang. She is virtuous, kind, respectful, filial and fraternal..."

Even someone as slow-witted as Xue Wanche could understand this opening move.

His Majesty wants to marry his sister to me!
Although she is a concubine's sister.

But they are also the flesh and blood of His Majesty the Emperor!

Xue Wanche was in a trance, and a stronger sense of unreality surged in his heart than before.

He could not even sit still in front of the emperor, as if he would faint at any moment.

Lao Xue is very simple.

When he was in Liaodong, he was infected by the local sentiment and became more or less infected with the lawless mood.

It’s best not to rebel against Chang’an, but it’s okay if you do, he doesn’t care.

At worst, I can just go all in and consider it as revenge for the arrow shot at Xuanwu Gate.

But once we returned to Chang'an, it was time to find a wife.

He also felt that Chang'an was quite good.

"General Xue is so weak that he falls down at the slightest breeze? With that physique, it will be difficult for him to become a royal consort." Li Shimin teased with a sly smile.

"Ah no!" Old Xue immediately straightened his back. His silly look made his future brother-in-law laugh so hard that he stroked his beard.

"My dear Xue, don't be alarmed. I was just joking." Li Shimin put away his smile and said seriously:
"If you have no objection, then this marriage is settled."

His Majesty personally arranged the marriage, and the bride is a princess. What objection could there be?
Xue Wanche immediately knelt down to thank him:
"I will not refuse even if I die!" Li Shimin almost couldn't hold it back:
"Get up, my sister is not that scary."

Xue Wanche stood up with a flushed face and looked at His Highness Li Ming beside His Majesty, with only gratitude in his heart.

Your Highness is right. The person who came to talk to Old Xue was indeed the brother of his future daughter-in-law.

Well, the princess’ brother, His Majesty the Emperor.

The red string that His Highness is holding is really thick and strong.

Not only did it give Old Xue, the thousand-year-old bachelor, a new lease of life, but it also brought new life to the iron tree.

And it reached the top in one step. The marriage was with the most noble young single woman in the world - Her Royal Highness the Princess!
Anyone who encounters this situation would be grateful.

"Congratulations, General Xue." Matchmaker Li Ming just nodded slightly to Xue Wanche and maintained a calm smile throughout.

Xue Wanche felt a strong sense of guilt in his heart.

I'm so stupid, really...

Just now, I even asked which wealthy family it was...

This household is so big!

How could I not trust His Highness Li Ming!
To be able to persuade His Majesty to marry his sister to a rough guy like me, I wonder how much effort Your Highness must have put in behind the scenes...

Qibi Heli said, a gentleman will die for his friend.

How can I ever repay such a close friend?

Only death!
The look in his eyes when he looked at Li Ming changed, filled with determination and gratitude.

As for this simple-minded beloved general, Li Ming simply responded with a smile, "It's just a small favor, nothing to worry about."

Because it really only took a little effort on his part.

He looks like the leading actor, but he's actually just a supporting role.

I just clung to my mother's thigh and acted coquettishly for a while while eating.

Even if there was no Old Xue incident, he would still act like a spoiled child.

"Mom is so awesome..." Li Ming, who successfully married off his aunt, was deeply moved.

No wonder Yang was so secretive about the bride's information.

It turns out that the princess was the target from the beginning.

In a sense, Xue Wanche's concerns were not wrong.

My daughter-in-law's parents have indeed passed away.

But I guess Lao Xue doesn't care about this little detail at all now...

This is also thanks to the great support of Emperor Grandfather Comrade Li Yuan.

After becoming the emperor emeritus, he was still in good health and gave Li Shimin a bunch of younger brothers and sisters.

This caused Li Er to have to be both a brother and a father, and he also had to worry about their marriage...

"That's not right, Grandpa."

Looking at the elated Prince Consort Xue, Li Ming asked Li Shimin in a low voice:

"According to the custom of our Tang Dynasty, a prince consort cannot be an official with real power."

This is to fully learn from the negative experience of a certain Han Dynasty and prevent the power of the foreign relatives group from growing stronger.

Li Shimin disagreed:

"It doesn't matter. Xue Wanche married the daughter of the retired emperor, so he will be the retired emperor's consort, not mine. He is not a direct descendant of the emperor, so he is not included in this list."

"really?"

"I said yes."

That’s right, Ning Cai is the walking Tang Libenli... Li Ming didn’t want to argue with him.

“Besides, Xue Wanche is a good swordsman who is very capable on the battlefield.

"How could I let him get away?"

Li Shimin curled up the corner of his mouth into a smile and glanced at Li Ming.

Li Ming suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open:

"Oh! I was wondering why you were so generous and willing to marry your sister to that rough guy.

"So you want to poach my people! To win over my favorite general!"

Xue Wanche suddenly became the emperor's relative, so he must be a traitor, right? !

You are such a dishonest emperor, playing tricks on your youngest son!
Boom!
Li Shimin gave him a slap on the face:
"I used Xue Wanche to fight in the war, what do you think I used him for?!

"I'm not competing with you for the throne, why would I want to steal your power?

"Why, do you want to sever the relationship between me and your men? Do you want to rebel against me as well?"

This barrage of criticism made Li Ming speechless.

Li Shimin said in a muffled voice:

"This marriage was arranged by your mother from beginning to end. If you don't trust your father, how can you not trust your mother?

"I only married the princess to your subordinate because of your contribution in saving Ah Sizi, so that I can help you maintain your image in the court."

that's the truth.

If it is not based on the premise of starting a civil war in advance.

The closer the relationship between his subordinates and the emperor, the greater the benefit to Li Ming.

For example, Xue Wanche's position in the court was the Minister of Works. As a civil engineer in charge of plastering, he could only be submissive in the court.

But after getting the golden medal of "Princess Granted Marriage", his voice suddenly became louder.

As a die-hard fan of Li Ming, the louder the voice of Minister Xue is, the louder the voice of Li Ming is.

Li Shimin was right. This arranged marriage did help Li Ming gain a lot of momentum in the court and was beneficial to his bid for the throne.

Well, it’s still the same premise—if Li Ming doesn’t start a civil war and rebel against me in advance.

tsk...

Li Ming couldn't help but smacking his lips.

If he did not rebel against Li Shimin, this arranged marriage would be absolutely beneficial and harmless.

But if he decided to turn the table in advance, then this arranged marriage would become a source of suspicion between him and Xue Wanche.

This is equivalent to drawing a circle of fire for Li Ming, which can not only keep him safe, but also make it difficult for him to leave the Tang Dynasty system and the circle of the Li Tang royal family.

Li Shimin and Yang, this pair of silver coins and parents-in-law are really good at calculating...

"Then thank you?" Li Ming didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

"You're welcome, you deserve it."

There was a hint of sarcasm in Li Shimin's smile.

"Your mother and I were just adding fuel to the fire. You are the one who really decided Xue Wanche's marriage.

"Only if you have made tremendous contributions can he, as your subordinate, receive this generous reward.

"Just accept his gratitude and loyalty calmly."

Xue Wanche's brain circuits finally started to work again after being shut down. He knelt on the ground with his hands and knees prostrated, shouting "Long live the Lord" in a hoarse voice:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me the marriage, and thank you, Your Highness, for making it happen!"

Li Shimin waved his hand lightly:
"Go back and wait for a good day."

…………

"Thank you, Your Highness. You are truly my second parent!"

On the way out of the palace, Xue Wanche kept pulling Li Ming's sleeve and muttering non-stop.

When the palace maids saw that the plump little prince had adopted such a rough "adopted son", they all covered their faces and laughed.

"No, no, no, there's no need, someone is watching..." Li Ming was extremely embarrassed.

"How can that be possible! I kowtow to you."

Xue Wanche was really stubborn. He thought that His Highness Li Ming was just being polite and wanted to kneel down and lick his ass on the spot.

Li Ming decisively changed the topic:

"I heard that the Hu general Qibi Heli has a good relationship with you?"

Xue Wanche was the only one who didn't feel anything was wrong with such an abrupt change of topic, and he continued smoothly:

"Well, that guy is a guy."

"You can tell he's very manly." Li Ming nodded.

Qibi Heli was brave in battle and never lost a battle. He was also a skilled Han Chinese. His Han Chinese qualities were off the charts.

"Six years ago, he and I were ordered to destroy Tuyuhun."

Xue Wanche brought up the past:
“Your Majesty ranks his merits above mine.

"I was very upset and said something bad about him, so he pulled out a knife and attacked me."

I'm not surprised at all that you two would have such a conflict... Li Ming muttered to himself.

"What happened next? No fight, no acquaintance?"

"That's about right." Xue Wanche scratched his head a little embarrassedly:
"Because of this incident, His Majesty was so angry that he almost dismissed me from my post, but it was Qibi He who dissuaded him."

"Did he develop feelings for you?" Li Ming asked half-jokingly.

Recalling the past, Xue Wanche's eyes deepened and he shook his head slowly:
"No. This is what he said to your Majesty:

"'If your majesty punishes the Han generals because of me, a Hu person, the Han people will be dissatisfied and the Hu people will be arrogant, which will eventually lead to conflicts between the two sides.'"

Li Ming stood in awe.

I had a preconceived notion and thought that Qibi Heli, who was always hanging out with Xue Wanche and was a fierce Turkic general, must be the plus version of Xue Wanche.

Unexpectedly, the other party's vision and courage were no less than those of the Han ministers.

"How can the Qibi people get married?" Li Ming developed path dependence.

Xue Wanche nodded:

"Yes, His Majesty has granted her marriage to the Princess of Lintao County, a daughter of the royal family."

Can they get divorced then... Li Ming, who was addicted to stamp collecting, swallowed the idea and started thinking quickly.

Qibi Heli is a talented person, we need to find a way to subdue him.

His old leader Hou Junji and old friend Xue Wanche are now my die-hard fans.

There are plenty of opportunities.

All I need to do is show off in front of him... no, show off my personal charm.

…………

At the same time, in Wude Hall.

"Since General Xue Wanche has been ordered to go out, I can only invite him another day. Everything is based on state affairs."

Li Tai, with his big belly, took heavy and laborious steps to escort a "scholar" general in white clothes out of the hall.

"Your Highness, please stay." The rough "Confucian" general Qibi Heli lowered his voice and said as politely as possible:
"When Wan Che returns, I will ask him to come and apologize in person."

Qibi Heli skillfully applied the Chinese tradition of "definitely next time" and politely declined Wei Wang Li Tai's solicitation on behalf of Xue Wanche.

The Confucian general was like this. Old Xue, a rough man, only needed to throw away the handwritten letter from His Royal Highness the King of Wei, but Qibi Heli had a lot more to consider.

Unlike Lao Xue, Qibi Heli often participated in poetry gatherings, so he had some friendship with the pretentious King Wei.

He covered up Lao Xue's reckless behavior and told a white lie to King Wei.

The King of Wei also deeply understood this.

The two of them were so polite to each other that they arrived at the entrance of Wude Hall.

I just happened to see two bastards, one big and one small, passing by.

A big bastard, tall and strong, wearing a crimson robe and crown that was thicker than a monkey's butt, with big copper bell-like eyes sparkling with clear stupidity.

The other little bastard was white and fat, like a ball, with a pair of cunning eyes flashing with embarrassment.

Xue Wanche also saw the two people standing in front of the Wude Hall, and without thinking, he immediately greeted them in a hoarse voice:

"Oh, what power is Qibi!

"What a coincidence! I was just talking about you with His Highness Li Ming. Who is this?"

(End of this chapter)