Jinting Han people

Chapter 102 Wedding Banquet Part
Yang Jun's arrival caught everyone off guard.

Over the past six months, especially after Sima Wei's demonstration against Yang Jun during the funeral, the Grand Tutor's spirits had been low. He had somewhat toned down his ways, no longer living in the Taiji Hall, but instead renovating Cao Shuang's former residence south of the armory and moving in. On a daily basis, he would at least make a formality, consulting the palace before writing down an imperial decree and issuing it.

But this change was only superficial. A careful consideration of Yang Jun's policies revealed that his temperament became even more stubborn after he moved out of the Taiji Hall.

During the conflict between Sima Wei and Yang Jun, many court officials had already sensed that things were not going well. They did not think that Yang Jun could win, but they were also unwilling to let Sima Wei take power. Therefore, they advised Yang Jun that he should immediately recall the expelled King of Runan Sima Liang, and that the two of them should assist in the administration at the same time to show Yang Jun's selflessness and eliminate the hatred of the royal family and vassal kings towards the Taifu.

However, in the face of the earnest advice of the old ministers, Yang Jun still chose to ignore it and alienated the staff who advised him one by one. People like Yang Jun's aunt-in-law Kuai Qin and his old friend Sun Chu were all exiled to serve in local areas.

Recently, the Grand Tutor has simply adopted a state of keeping strangers away. He either stays indoors and does not go out. Except for the officials from the three provinces who come and go in the palace, other people can only see the Grand Tutor's seal after the imperial edict. Or he travels around Luoyang city with great fanfare, leading hundreds of sword-wielding guards. He looks murderous, but it cannot hide the weakness in the Grand Tutor's eyes.

Everyone assumed he wouldn't attend the wedding of Yingchuan Princess Sima Xiuhua. After all, the mix of people and people present wasn't necessarily safe. Furthermore, many people at the event, especially members of the imperial clan, had already stated their opposition to the Grand Tutor's regentship. Meeting on such a festive occasion would inevitably be awkward.

But the Grand Tutor came after all, and followed behind Wang Cui's wedding procession, making it impossible to ignore him.

Yang Jun did not get out of the car immediately, but waited for a while in the car. After all, the protagonists this time were a married couple. No matter how powerful they were, it would not be appropriate to steal the show at this time.

Wang Cui had obviously received the notice. He was surrounded by his clansmen and dismounted from the horse. Then he took a long piece of red silk, holding one end in his hand while the other end was held by the women of the Xiangyang Marquis' Mansion and handed directly to the carriage. When they came out of the carriage again, everyone saw Princess Yingchuan in her wedding dress.

Xiuhua was dressed in her best today. She wore a crimson lace dress with wide sleeves, her hair was tied into an exquisite bun with clouds in it, and golden hairpins were inserted in her hair. Her pretty face was adorned with pink flowers as tender as clouds. At first glance, she looked radiant and gorgeous.

Even so, the childishness on Xiuhua's face couldn't be erased. Princess Yingchuan was only fifteen years old, petite, and this attire made Xiuhua feel uncomfortable. The overly garish makeup made her face tense, and the weight of the golden hairpin on her head made her neck sway slightly, making a tinkling sound.

Xiuhua, holding the red silk in her hand, carefully looked at the man she was about to marry. Seeing Wang Cui's face full of simple joy, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Looking around, she saw that the guests' eyes were all on her, so she raised her head slightly to show her noble status.

But at the same time, Xiuhua felt a little confused, because on this most important day of her life, the two relatives she relied on most, one was not around, and the other was no longer alive.

But as a princess, hiding her emotions is a basic skill for her. Others could only see Xiuhua's timidity, so they all urged her to get the wedding started quickly.

Liu Xian was among them. Today's atmosphere brought back fond memories. It was just like his own wedding a few years ago, where the newlyweds ate from the same jar and drank from the same cup. However, this time, he was just a spectator, and the lively and grand scale of the wedding banquet was far beyond the reach of the Anle Mansion.

After the ceremony between the couple, the princess went into the inner room, leaving Wang Cui at the door of the mansion to receive guests.

By this time, it was already dark, but this was the climax of the wedding banquet. It was the host's turn to entertain the guests and accept their blessings.

Because he was a second-rank official and nominally the son of a county lord, Liu Xian had a good seat. Although it was not in the most popular seats in the front row, it was still in the main courtyard of the Xiangyang Marquis's Mansion. The only two people who were close to him and had a good relationship with him were Zhou Xi and Wang Dun.

Meng Guan and Li Zhao, who came with him, were arranged to live in a separate courtyard diagonally opposite because their births were not noble enough.

The wedding banquet officially began, and a steady stream of delicious food was served to the guests' tables like water. The aroma of wine and meat almost filled half of Luoyang City.

Liu Xian ate the venison bite by bite, while his eyes kept observing the movements of the people around him.

At this time, Wang Cui was toasting the guests one by one. In the Western Jin Dynasty, wine was far less intoxicating than in later generations, and more emphasis was placed on a smooth and sweet taste. But even so, there were still too many guests today, and even though Wang Cui was only toasting with a small cup, he inevitably looked drunk.

But he was genuinely happy. Normally reserved, he was incredibly talkative today. His responses to the guests' well wishes were surprisingly different, occasionally including a few witty remarks. It's easy to say that joy brings a sense of elation, perhaps even a transformation.

However, to Liu Xian's surprise, Wang Cui only toasted the royal family and princes, and then strode towards him with a wine pot and a wine cup.

"Come, Huai Chong, have a drink with me!"

After saying that, Wang Cui didn't wait for Liu Xian to refuse. He filled Liu Xian's cup and then drank up the contents of his own cup.

Liu Xian quickly raised his glass and drank the wine, saying with a smile:

"Hongyuan, congratulations on getting what you wished for!"

"Ha, that's also thanks to you, Huai Chong!" Wang Cui laughed and said with heartfelt emotion, "If I hadn't asked for your help, I don't know how much longer this would have taken!"

"I just said a few words, but in the end, whether you can marry the princess depends on you."

"No matter what, I will never forget your kindness! If you have any difficulties in the future, just tell me and I will definitely help you with all my strength!"

Liu Xian was quite moved by Wang Cui's statement. He had only said it casually at the time, but Wang Cui took it so seriously. So he also made a solemn promise:
"Hongyuan is my good friend. Isn't it normal for us to stand together?"

They drank three more cups together and then burst into laughter.

After Wang Cui and Liu Xian finished drinking, they were about to find other guests to continue toasting, but after they had taken a few steps, they were suddenly stopped by a servant.

"Master Wang, the Grand Tutor wants to speak to you."

Liu Xian suddenly saw a thin, gray-haired old man walking towards him. He was wearing a golden seal and a purple ribbon on his waist, and he was wearing fine clothes. This was the first time he had seen Taifu Yang Jun so close.

The old man stood still in the banquet room. His face didn't have the vigor and ambition of someone in charge of government affairs. Instead, he looked tired and old. Liu Xian was about to stand up and salute, but he waved his hand and said calmly, "On such a happy occasion, there's no need to be particular about etiquette."

Then he turned to Wang Cui and said, "I just have a few words to say to Hongyuan. It's not a big deal."

Although he said so, everyone at the banquet fell silent at the same time, and looked at the Master's expression with cautious eyes, trying to read something from it. The result was the same, they only saw a gloomy atmosphere.

Originally, the Grand Tutor was considered a man of vigor and vitality, which was why he was valued by the late emperor. But after six months of assisting the government, his energy and fighting spirit seemed to have disappeared from his eyes, leaving only a longing for gentleness. This was still the case when he forced himself to speak to Wang Cui.

He began, "Come to think of it, I was originally against your marriage to Princess Yingchuan." "Huh?" As the current Imperial Tutor, Yang Jun was undoubtedly the focus of everyone's attention. He had come to the princess's wedding banquet, and everyone was pondering the deeper meaning of his actions. Unexpectedly, in front of everyone, Yang Jun suddenly announced his opposition to the wedding. This was truly unexpected for the guests. After all, such words were a real spoiler and not in line with the basic decency of a politician.

After Wang Cui heard this, his face turned pale and blue, but he couldn't get angry, so he could only wait for the next words from the Grand Tutor.

Yang Jun's expression remained calm as he continued, "Among the candidates for Princess Shang, you were neither the most worthy nor the most talented. So when the late emperor and I discussed this matter, I felt that you were not the best choice."

"But the late emperor said that none of this mattered; a happy marriage was the most important thing, and so the marriage was finalized."

"I didn't understand it at the time, but now that I think about it, I have a slight idea of what the late emperor was thinking."

He paused briefly, coughed, and then spoke in a serious tone, "Perhaps too much power, fame, and fortune can actually make people dazzled and overwhelmed, not knowing how to cherish the treasures they already have."

“If you want peace and success, you must learn to be content, to be happy, and to know when to retreat.”

"The princess is the late emperor's treasure. As an assistant minister, I often owe her many things. This is really wrong. Since you are a royal family companion, I hope you can make up for my mistakes..."

The Grand Tutor patted the new consort's shoulder, then turned to Wang Cui's father, Wang Chang, the current Marquis of Xiangyang, and said, "I still have some state affairs to attend to, so I can't stay in your house for long. I hope you can forgive me."

After saying this, he left the banquet as if relieved, leaving the guests in shock.

On the surface, the words spoken by the Grand Tutor and the Prince Consort were instructions from the elders to the younger generation, instructing the Prince Consort to treat the princess well. But no one would take them seriously. Such words might be said in private, but speaking in public would definitely carry a deeper meaning, and could even be considered a political statement.

So at the banquet, everyone started whispering and discussing this matter.

Even Zhou Xi, who usually kept to himself and kept to himself, couldn't help himself. He put down his chopsticks and asked Liu Xian, "Huai Chong, what do you think the Grand Tutor meant by what he just said?"

Liu Xian didn't reply immediately, but was rather confused. After a moment's deliberation, he replied, "From what I heard from the Grand Tutor, he probably can't hold on any longer."

"Can't hold it?"

"What he just said to Hongyuan, about knowing how to be content, knowing how to be a good person, and knowing when to retreat, all come down to the same thing: rather than being obsessed with power, it's better to retreat and keep to yourself."

"It's obvious that these aren't meant for Hongyuan to hear. They're actually a way for the Grand Tutor to compare himself to her!"

"During this period, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu has been putting pressure on him. Furthermore, his staff and relatives are not supportive. The pressure on the Grand Tutor to make his own decisions is too great."

"So what he meant was that he wanted to step down while the going got tough and delegate some power?"

Zhou Xi also thought it made sense, but at the same time he also found it a little unbelievable, because the Taifu's attitude some time ago was so tough, as if he was determined to fight Sima Wei to the death and not give an inch, and he offended a large number of people for this, but now he gave up so easily?
"Huai Chong, do you think this could be a delaying tactic by the Grand Tutor?"

Liu Xian said, "I don't think so. Didn't he just admit that he owed the princess a lot? Once a statement like that is made, it's not something that can be easily taken back."

Although Liu Xian didn't point it out, Zhou Xi understood. The only real conflict between the Grand Tutor and the princess was that when Emperor Wu, Sima Yan, passed away, Yang Jun sealed the palace, preventing the rest of the royal family from visiting. The princess publicly accused Yang Jun of this while the other princes were attending the funeral, but Yang Jun remained silent. Now, by publicly admitting this, he was clearly acknowledging it. This gesture would inevitably lead to a simultaneous political concession, or else it would be self-destructive of his political credibility.

"If that's the case, then that's perfectly fine!" Zhou Xi said with a broad smile. "Since Grand Tutor has understood this and shown the ability to be tolerant and delegate power, then the court wouldn't be as tense as it is today."

But is that really the case? Before Liu Xian could reply, the usually taciturn Wang Dun spoke first:

"Bo Ren is overthinking things. Given the current situation, can the Grand Tutor retreat just because he wants to?"

Wang Dun's words were filled with a murderous tone that made Zhou Xi shudder. He then said dissatisfiedly, "What does Chu Zhong mean? Does he really want to see bloodshed in the capital?"

Wang Dun glanced at Liu Xian and chuckled, "That's how people are. It's not like they'll change just because I say something."

"Taifu was so ruthless before. If it were a sword fight, he would have drawn his sword and put the tip of the sword to someone's neck."

"Now that you find yourself with someone else's sword at your neck, and your life is in danger, are you so cowardly as to want to sheathe it and pretend nothing happened? That's impossible."

"Now that the sword has been unsheathed, it can't be retracted!"

Although Wang Dun's words were cold, they were the truth. Liu Xian, Meng Guan, Li Zhao and others came here today with a mission. They wanted to take advantage of this wedding to secretly connect with all the anti-Yang forces in Luoyang and finalize the specific details of the coup after Sima Wei entered the court.

No one can tell whether Yang Jun chose to make concessions at this time because he really couldn't hold on any longer or because he heard some rumors.

Although Liu Xian believed that this 80% probability was not a delaying tactic, no one was willing to bet on the remaining 20% possibility.

No matter from which perspective, the coup plan has already been implemented and cannot be canceled.

That night, just as the banquet was over and the guests were leaving and returning home, a group of people borrowed the mansion of the Marquis of Xiangyang and held a secret meeting.

This was a secret meeting that would determine the political situation for the next ten years, and almost all the people involved would later serve as important officials at the central and local levels.

But for Liu Xian, participating in this secret meeting was not very pleasant, because as soon as he entered the door, he was met with Jia Mi's charming and ironic beautiful smile.

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(End of this chapter)