Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 164 Zhurong (Part 2)

"To find a wife for the country,"

Lu Shang's hand suddenly paused on the strings, causing the ice silk to emit a faint, mournful sound.

He lowered his eyes to gaze at the flickering candlelight on the zither, his fingertips slowly tracing the grain of the paulownia wood. After a long while, he finally looked up at the two people who were now lying on the ground.

Take a wife!
The Xia Dynasty's "Yu Xing" states that "the union of two surnames, serving the ancestral temple, and continuing the lineage are matters of great importance to the virtuous." Here, "virtuous" does not refer to the benevolent and righteous gentleman as defined by later Confucian scholars, but rather to imperial nobles who possess the divine blood of their ancestors and are born with honor.

Lü Shang was already prepared for their suggestions.

In fact, ever since Lü Shang personally went out of Xudu, slew the ferocious beast Aohun, and hung its head at the southern gate to demonstrate his great martial prowess to the people, there had been calls among the noble families of Xudu to find Lü Shang a wife to continue the dynasty.

The reason Wu Wenhe and Lü Chong spoke up at this time was also influenced by these dissenting voices. As Lü Shang's two most trusted advisors, their joint entry into the palace to advise the king was far more effective than any other noble's words, leaving Lü Shang no room for delay.

He looked at Wu Wenhe and Lü Chong and said softly, "Father, elder brother, since you have suggested that I find a wife for the country, you must already have someone in mind. May I ask which country this noble lady is from?"

Wu Wenhe said loudly, "Your Majesty understands me. This old minister does indeed have a preferred candidate. I have heard that Jiao Bo has a daughter, Meng Jiang, who is fifteen years old and has reached marriageable age. She is a good match for Your Majesty."

Lu Shang hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Meng Jiang?"

Wu Wenhe said in a deep voice: "Zhu Rong clan, Jiao state, Meng Jiang!"

Meng Jiang means the eldest daughter of the Jiang family.

"Zhurong,"

Upon hearing Wu Wenhe's chosen marriage partner, Lü Shang couldn't help but lightly stroke the Zhurong Banner hidden in his sleeve.

Both Zhurong and Gonggong belonged to the Jiang clan. The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* states: "The wife of Emperor Yan, Tingyao, daughter of Chishui, gave birth to Yanju, who gave birth to Jiebing, who gave birth to Xiqi, who gave birth to Zhurong. Zhurong descended to the Jiang River and gave birth to Gonggong, who was Zhurong's son."

Looking at Wu Wenhe, Lü Shang said quietly, "Prime Minister, Zhu Rong and my Gonggong clan are both descendants of the Jiang imperial family. Is it not somewhat inappropriate for people of the same surname to be married?"

Wu Wenhe replied, “Your Majesty, although Zhu Rong and Gong Gong are both of the Jiang clan and share the same ancestral source of the Jiang River, they have long since established their own clan names and settled in separate territories. In the past, when Emperor Hong ruled the world, he issued the ‘Da Hong’, which stated that marriage rites did not avoid those of the same surname, but only those of the same clan.”

"Have you not seen how Xiahou Zhu married a woman from the Youhu clan, both of whom were of the Si surname? Why should we follow this system? With Emperor Xiahou Zhu as an example, why should Your Majesty worry about anything else?"

"Yes, Xia Houzhu,"

Lu Shang thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

Just as the Jiang surname has Gonggong and Zhurong clans, the Si surname, besides the Xiahou clan, also has eleven other major clans: Youhu, Younan, Zhenxun, Tongcheng, Bao, Fei, Qi, Zeng, Xin, Ming, and Zhenguan.

Emperor Zhu, also known as Emperor Zhu Xia, is the Son of Heaven and the ruler of the Nine Provinces. He is not only the leader of the Xia Dynasty but also the common leader of the twelve clans of the Si surname. Emperor Zhu Xia controls the Mandate of Heaven by relying on the power of the twelve clans of the Si surname.

The eldest son of the concubine, Chong, spoke up, saying, "Jiao State, like my Xu State, is one of the Nine Earls of Henan, and both are states of the Jiang clan. If we can form a marriage alliance with them, when the emperor dies and the states contend, my Xu State and Jiao State can form a defensive alliance, allowing us to expand our territory or defend our land." In the Great Wilderness of the Mountains and Seas, states stand in great numbers, and noble families intermarry with each other. For a descendant of the emperor like Lü Shang, choosing a wife with a noble surname and marrying off a daughter to a powerful state is not out of lust, but to ensure the stability of the state.

Seeing the softening in Lü Shang's eyes, Lü Chong immediately bowed and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, although Jiao and Xu are both descendants of the Jiang imperial family, my Gonggong clan has been suppressed by several generations of Xia emperors, and its strength is not what it used to be. The Zhurong clan is different from my Gonggong clan."

"After the Xia dynasty gained control of the world, Zhu Rong was appointed as one of the Four Sacred Mountains and ranked as the leader of the southern vassal states. Jiao State, as a state of Zhu Rong, has the advantage of copper mountains. My Xu State has formed a marriage alliance with it. With the two states joining hands, who among the states of Henan would dare to offend us?"

"The Four Mountains,"

Lü Shang plucked the strings of his zither, weighed his options, and then chuckled, saying, "In that case, I will trouble you, Prime Minister, to take the Xuan Gui as a gift and go to the State of Jiao to inquire about the marriage on my behalf."

Gonggong was one of the Four Mountains during the reign of the Tao Tang clan, which was also the most prosperous period for the State of Xu. Lü Shang, having studied the national history, naturally knew the power of the Four Mountains, as they were the leaders of the feudal lords, second only to the emperor in status.

It is said that ever since the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven, no matter which family ruled the land, the Ji and Jiang families would always have a place among the Four Sacred Mountains. This has become a consensus among all the nations and lords of the world.

When the Xia dynasty ruled the world, although the Gonggong clan was suppressed, the Jiang clan and other feudal lords further grew stronger.

The four sacred mountains of the Xiahou clan were: the Northern Mountain, which belonged to the Kuiwei clan, a direct descendant of Emperor Yan; the Southern Mountain, which belonged to the Zhurong clan, a collateral descendant of Emperor Yan; the Eastern Mountain, which belonged to the Xihe clan, a collateral descendant of Emperor Huang; and the Western Mountain, which belonged to the Jimeng clan, a collateral descendant of Emperor Huang. All four mountains belonged to either the Jiang or Ji clans, which shows the strength of the descendants of Emperors Yan and Huang.

Wu Wenhe accepted the order and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty's judgment is wise. This old minister will immediately prepare the jade, silk, carriages, and horses, and will arrive in Jiao Kingdom in a few days."

As the two left the hall, the moon was already setting in the west. The bronze animal-head lamps under the palace wall emitted tiny candle flames, casting long shadows of two people before the stone steps.

After leaving the palace, Lü Chong let out a long breath and said with a smile, "Prime Minister Wu, His Majesty has finally agreed to the marriage alliance. The inner court of my Xu Kingdom will finally welcome a Queen!"

Wu Wenhe chuckled and said, "Yes, we are finally going to welcome a Lady of the Nation."

"Everything is fine since Your Majesty ascended the throne. The only worry is that Your Majesty has no heir, and the foundation of the country is not secure. I have also subtly suggested that Your Majesty select a member of the royal family from among your noble clans to continue the lineage."

"However, although His Majesty has heeded my advice and taken in several noblewomen, he still has no offspring. How can I not be anxious? I only hope that this noblewoman from Jiao Kingdom can give birth to an heir for my Xu Kingdom and continue His Majesty's bloodline."

Seeing Lü Shang's difficulty in conceiving, and considering that Lü Shang had already embarked on the path of the sage before the age of twenty, Wu Wenhe had some guesses in his mind. Perhaps it was precisely because Lü Shang was too talented and his bloodline was too high that it was so difficult for him to have offspring.

Wu Wenhe and Lü Chong had previously advised Lü Shang about the various benefits of a marriage alliance with the State of Jiao.

What Lü Shang didn't know was that Wu Wenhe's reason for pushing for a marriage alliance between Xu and Jiao was not to take advantage of Zhu Rong, one of the Four Mountains, nor to scheme for the copper mines of Jiao, but because he had his eye on Meng Jiang, a noblewoman from Jiao.

To be precise, it was because they were optimistic about Meng Nu's bloodline from Zhu Rong. The union of Gonggong and Zhu Rong, though water and fire are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining, could also complement each other, perhaps giving birth to the foundation of the Xu state.

Upon hearing this, Lü Chong sighed, "Minister Wu has put in a great deal of effort for the sake of the country and its people!"

(End of this chapter)