The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 112 Green Clothes and Red Makeup
Fu Erniang was taken to Tokyo.

But the wedding was still a few days away, and before that she could not enter Li Yi's house and could only stay in the Fu family's mansion in Tokyo.

Just as Li Yi was preparing for the final wedding ceremony.

After more than half a month of discussion, the Later Zhou court finally reached a conclusion on the matter of attacking Shu.

The war must not be put on hold...keep fighting!

This decision was finally made by the emperor after he overcame all objections.

Li Yi felt that this was expected. Unless Chai Rong did not want to unify the world, first taking over the four states of Qin, Feng and others, and then starting the war against Southern Tang would definitely be the optimal solution under limited conditions.

It is easy to understand that if the Later Zhou wanted to expand its territory, it would simply attack the Northern Han and Liao in the north, or attack the Southern Tang, Jingchu and other places in the south.

As for the Later Shu in the west, as long as we trap it in Shu, we can attack it anytime and anywhere. There is no need to spend energy to attack it in the early stage.

And to the east is the vast ocean... What the hell?
The only thing left was the question of whether to attack the south or the north, and Wang Pu had already given the answer in "The Strategy for Pacificating the Border".

In fact, in his previous life, Li Yi had also thought when he was bored, would it be better if Chai Rong attacked the north first?

But after combining historical records with his own personal experience, he found that his idea was quite stupid.

The Liao Dynasty was indeed experiencing domestic political instability due to the reign of the "Sleeping King". In order to stabilize the situation, Emperor Muzong of Liao suspended the policy of southern expedition to the Central Plains that had been consistently implemented by Emperor Taizong of Liao and Emperor Shizong of Liao.

But this does not mean that it will be easy to defeat the Liao Kingdom right now... If you simply want to take over the Northern Han, it actually doesn't make much sense. The fundamental problem is to resolve the threat from the Liao Kingdom.

However, once you are caught in a war with the Liao Kingdom, Li Jing in the south and Meng Chang in the west will not wait patiently for you and the Liao Kingdom to decide the outcome.

One wanted to go east, the other was thinking about the Northern Expedition, and they were always waiting for an opportunity.

In a war between countries, we cannot just think of taking a gamble and betting that Southern Tang and Later Shu will not stab us in the back. This idea is not very realistic.

In contrast, if a war is declared in the south first, the Liao Kingdom may send a small number of troops to disturb the border, but it will not be able to march south in large numbers for the time being.

Looking at the threats that the Later Zhou Dynasty faced, the biggest one was naturally the Liao Dynasty, followed by the Southern Tang Dynasty, and then the Later Shu Dynasty.

As for Jingchu, Wuyue and other places, there is no need to worry.

Historically, Chai Rong first blocked the Later Shu in Shu, and then beat the Southern Tang half to death. Only after eliminating the threat from the rear did he dare to march north to conquer the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun.

The ancients did not know that the earth revolved around the sun, but that does not mean that the ancient leaders were stupid.

They naturally have their own logic and considerations when judging the situation and formulating strategies.

Therefore, there is no big problem with the strategy of attacking Hou Shu, beating Southern Tang, and then taking Youyun.

However, although Li Yi could guess Chai Rong's thoughts, he had no way to express his opinion on this matter at the moment. He could only secretly pray that the second attack on Shu would be delayed for a few more days.

Wait until you get married before officially starting the fight.

……

The eighth day of May is the wedding day.

Li Yi almost didn't sleep the night before. It wasn't because he was too excited to sleep, but because he was busy from morning till late at night and had no time to rest. He could only lie down and take a nap, but he probably didn't even sleep for half an hour.

In order to avoid offending anyone due to negligence, he personally checked and arranged the list of invitations. Since the marriage was granted by the emperor's decree, he did not have to be too cautious, and he sent invitations to all the generals in the imperial guards who could be invited.

As for those civil servants, Li Yi didn't have many acquaintances, so he could only count those he had met, such as Zan Jurun who had temporarily returned to Beijing from the front line, and Song Rengong, the legal officer of Kaifeng Prefecture.

In fact, he also thought about asking Prime Minister Wang Pu for help, as the Prime Minister had provided help when he was reorganizing the imperial guards.

But in the end, Li Yi thought about it and gave up.

Firstly, Wang Pu was not familiar with him, so he only offered help for Xiang Xun's sake.

Secondly, there are four prime ministers in the court. If only one is invited to the wedding, what will the other three think?

And if he were to invite them all... Li Yi felt that he didn't have that much face, so he simply decided not to go and cause trouble.

Of course, he didn't have to send invitations, but he had to give face to the prime ministers. He specially sent people to the house to give wedding gifts to the prime ministers, which is equivalent to sending wedding candies to announce good news in later generations.

This not only shows respect, but also avoids embarrassment for both parties...Interpersonal communication can sometimes be quite troublesome. If you don't inform the other party, he will feel that you look down on him, but if you invite him with great fanfare, he will think you have other intentions.

The scale is difficult to grasp.

Early in the morning, Li Yi led the ceremonial carriages and entourage, and headed to the Fu family residence in Tokyo with the sound of gongs and drums.

Many people gathered to watch along the way, and the scene was very lively and spectacular. Li Yi asked people to distribute copper coins and desserts along the way, which was also a good omen to add a bit of festivity.

However, according to legend, when Princess Taiping of the Tang Dynasty got married, she even demolished the wall of the county government office to allow a large carriage to pass through. In comparison, Li Yi's show was nothing.

When they arrived at the Fu family residence, Fu Zhaoxin, as the elder brother-in-law, blocked the door on behalf of Li Yi's family and insisted that Li Yi write a poem to urge her to get ready.

This is just a formality, and it doesn't matter even if we can't do it.

"Brother Yi, I'm good at charging into battle, but please don't make it difficult for me to write poetry."

Li Yi had no father, brothers or sisters to help him, so several brothers came with him to help. Seeing Li Yi's eyes sweeping towards him, Ma Renyu quickly waved his hand to indicate that he would not do it.

I didn’t fucking expect anything from you… Li Yi felt helpless, and after looking around, he found that there was indeed no one who could help him with writing poetry.

Fu Zhaoxin smiled brightly and said, "It's alright if you can't do it. Brother Yi, please come in quickly."

His words were meant to help Li Yi out, and he prepared to step aside.

Li Yi hurriedly said, "Brother, wait a moment. Let me think about it... maybe I can come up with a sentence or two."

I finally got married, and after so much trouble, I should try to make it as perfect as possible. Even if I have to copy a song, I will copy it out.

In a moment of urgency, Li Yi had a flash of inspiration in his mind -

Got it!

……

"The golden chariot is afraid of the east wind when it tries to ascend, and the drunken wine flies away when the clouds part to reveal the sun."

"Alone, the fairy figure is shy and half-revealed, the ice porcelain is white and slightly red."

Fu Erniang sat in front of the dressing table, holding the copied poem in her hand, and reciting it aloud subconsciously.

As she read, a scene seemed to emerge in front of her eyes: a bride who was about to get married was nervous and afraid to go out when it was time to get on the car.

The bride was given some cold wine to give herself courage. As the wine glass emptied, she became bolder, and her flawless white face became red, as if she had saved the trouble of applying rouge.

...Isn’t this a description of my current state of mind?
Fu Erniang even wondered whether she should really be like what was written in the poem.

Drink some wine to boost your courage...

"Sister, is my brother-in-law's poem good?"

The sound in her ears woke Fu Erniang up. She turned around and saw Fu Liumei, dressed as a maid, standing beside her and peeking over.

"Very well done." Fu Erniang lowered her head slightly, looked at the poem again, and couldn't help asking, "Was this poem written by your sister...?"

For a moment, she was too embarrassed to say the word "brother-in-law". However, Fu Liumei didn't think too much about it and nodded quickly, "It was my brother-in-law who did it. I was standing behind my eldest brother at the time... Hehe, my brother-in-law is so stupid, he didn't even see me there."

After hearing this, Fu Erniang said nothing more and focused all her attention on the dressing poem.

Until a maid reminded her that it was time to continue putting on makeup.

Fu Erniang finally came to her senses, put the paper with the poem close to her body, and then began to dress up seriously with the help of her maids.

Marriage is a major event in a woman's life, and perhaps also the most beautiful one in her life.

Fu Erniang wanted to dress herself up beautifully... and show her best side to her husband.

at the same time.

Li Yi sat in the main hall of the mansion and chatted with Fu Zhaoxin.

He responded incoherently, but his mind was actually far away.

There is a term in later generations called "fear of marriage", which means that people will feel anxious and afraid before getting married, especially those who grew up in unhappy families, who will develop a deep fear of marriage.

Li Yi didn't think it was that exaggerated. He had been preparing for this marriage for half a year and had even traveled back and forth several times for it. He didn't have any negative emotions.

But when that day finally came, he did have some strange feelings.

The word "marriage" seems to carry inherent responsibilities. When you think about it, whether in name or in fact, you will be considered to have started a family.

Li Yi just felt a little dazed...

"Why hasn't my second sister come out yet?"

Fu Zhaoxin also noticed that Li Yi was absent-minded, but he didn't mind because when he got married, he was not much better than Li Yi.

As someone who has been through it, I understand.

Fu Zhaoxin was actually a little worried for Li Yi... Although his second sister was not young, she had been raised at home for many years and had a lively personality. Would she not make a mistake at the critical moment?
Fortunately, he soon dispelled his concerns——

"The bride is leaving!"

With a playful cry, the maid carrying an embroidered bamboo basket came out first.

Eh? Isn't this maid... Fu Liumei?
Li Yi was stunned, his brain was a little frozen. He thought he was dazzled and blinked hard, but who else could that pretty little face be but Fu Liu?
However, he didn't wait to think about it.

The graceful figure following behind Fu Liu immediately attracted all his attention.

"After much anticipation, she finally appeared, her green clothes and red makeup still covering her face."

This sentence naturally popped up in Li Yi's mind.

The Fu Er Niang in front of him was very different from the two times he met her the previous time.

She wore a wide-sleeved green dress, a plain gauze midriff, a knee-guard and a wide belt, and embroidered shoes of the same color as the dress. In her hand she held a round fan, half covering her face, revealing her eyebrows and eyes, which were shy and charming. On her head were flower hairpins covering her temples, adorned with gold, silver, and jewels.

On a normal day, Fu Er Niang gives people a gentle and beautiful impression, like the older sister next door.

And now with this make-up, she seems to have a more gorgeous and luxurious look... It is true that light makeup and heavy makeup are always suitable.

A woman who is naturally beautiful will not be affected by her beauty whether she is wearing no makeup or heavy makeup.

……

In this era, there is no custom of the bride toasting or making a fuss in the bridal chamber.

However, the wedding ceremony still needs to be done properly.

A high platform for holding the wedding ceremony was built in the main courtyard of the Li family a few days ago.

After welcoming Fu Erniang back from the Fu family mansion, Li Yi went on stage and shot three arrows. One was shot at the sky, the second was shot at the earth, and the third was shot at the bridal chamber, symbolizing a heaven-sent marriage and a happy couple.

Then the couple walked hand in hand through the Qinglu to show that they would grow old together.

The so-called Qinglu is a simple wedding room made of green cloth, which is furnished with a lacquered wooden bed and various items that symbolize good omens.

Finally, the bride and groom went to the main hall and performed three bows... bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to their parents, and bowing to each other as husband and wife.

Li Yi's parents were no longer around, so he simply bowed in the direction of the imperial city. After all, he had said before that the king is the father and the minister is the son, and the marriage to the Fu family was granted by the emperor, so there really wasn't much of a problem with bowing like this.

After completing the wedding ceremony, Fu Er Niang was sent to the master bedroom.

But this doesn’t mean they can enter the bridal chamber... because Li Yi still has things to do next.

"Today is my big day, brothers, eat and drink well, and don't leave until you are drunk!"

Li Yi held a cup and toasted each table, with a servant following closely behind him holding a wine jar.

This time, there were twenty or thirty tables at his wedding banquet. Although it was not as large as some banquets in later generations with hundreds of tables, most of the people who came were generals of the imperial guards, and the lowest one was a lieutenant colonel at the level of a captain.

In terms of the guests' status and position, even the richest people in later generations did not have such great face.

The most distinguished among them was naturally Zhang Yongde, the commander-in-chief of the palace... As for Li Chongjin, the chief of the imperial guards, Li Yi also sent him a wedding gift and informed him, just like he did to the prime ministers.

Although Li Chongjin did not attend the banquet in person, he sent someone to return a gift, which was considered to give Li Yi some face.

In addition, several prime ministers and Privy Councilor Wei Renpu also sent gifts.

Due to limited space at home, the banquet was divided into the front yard and the middle yard, with seats arranged according to status. At the same time, several tables were set up in the inner yard to entertain the families of the generals.

Most of the generals who were close to Li Yi brought their families with them.

Li Yi walked around the front and middle courtyards to toast, and finally returned to the table where Zhang Yongde was sitting, and personally drank with his elder brother and good boss.

The banquet lasted from noon to dusk.

Only after all the guests had left did Li Yi finally get a chance to breathe. He couldn't remember how much he had drunk today, he just drank one glass after another.

In the end, I subconsciously poured the wine into my mouth.

This was because he had Ma Renyu and other brothers to help him entertain and drink, otherwise Li Yi felt that he might have drunk himself to death on his wedding day.

Even though the alcohol content of the alcohol in this era was not high, people still couldn't stand drinking too much, and the aftereffects were very strong. It took several rounds of vomiting before people felt better.

"grass!"

Li Yi staggered into the inner courtyard and almost bumped into the corridor pillar when he stepped over the threshold, which made him break out in a cold sweat.

However, after this scare, he felt much more energetic. He took a look and saw that the courtyard was decorated with lights and looked extremely festive.

Li Yi suddenly realized that he was getting married today... Damn, he drank too much and his mind was not clear.

He stood there and thought for a while: The wedding has been completed, the banquet has been held, so he and Fu Erniang are really husband and wife, right?
No... there is still one last step into the bridal chamber to spend the night together!

"Go get some hot water, I need to wash up."

Li Yi called out to a maid who was passing by and gave her an order. He was drunk and had vomited several times, so his smell was very bad.

(End of this chapter)