My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 156 The Big Wedding
Su Ze came up with the idea of ​​having Qi Jiguang petition to re-establish the Dongsheng Guard.

Chinese people tend to prefer compromise and moderation. For example, if you say, "This room is too dark, we need to open a window here," everyone will definitely object. But if you advocate tearing down the roof, they will compromise and agree to open a window.

Didn't you object to the search and seizure of lambs?
Then I'll just propose stationing troops in Dongtao and re-establishing Dongshengwei!

And at this very moment, if I were to submit another petition to the emperor to accept the bribe, would you then agree?

As Su Ze had predicted, the required prestige points for the simulation of this memorial were greatly reduced.

——[Simulation Start]——

On that day, the memorial "Request to Accept the Lamb Search" was sent to the cabinet, which supported your opinion, and the memorial was sent to the palace.

While the court officials were busy opposing the suggestions of Wang Chonggu and Qi Jiguang, your memorial did not attract much opposition.

But when the emperor saw your memorial, he still hesitated and kept it in the archives without issuing a decision.

——[Simulation End]——

[Should I spend 400 prestige points to force the memorial to pass?]

[438 Prestige Points Remaining.]

really!

As a result, everyone is busy opposing the re-establishment of Dongshengwei, so there is much less opposition to the re-establishment of Dongshengwei, and far fewer prestige points are needed!
"implement."
-
The Imperial Palace. February 18th.

After reading the record of the Nine Ministers' joint discussion, the Longqing Emperor felt a headache starting again.

After the Spring Festival this year, perhaps he caught a cold during the Lantern Festival, and Emperor Longqing felt sluggish.

Even after consuming several golden pills, the emperor still felt listless and lacked energy every day.

The nine ministers discussed the matter but could not reach a conclusion, so in the end, the emperor had to make the final decision.

Just then, Feng Bao brought over Su Ze's memorial.

"Please receive the search and explanation"?
Emperor Longqing suddenly laughed. Had Su Ze's memorial become a trap once again?
Could it be that he and Wang Chonggu were in cahoots?

But upon further reflection, the emperor realized it was unlikely.

That's how people are.

A few days ago, I saw that Qi Jiguang had submitted a separate memorial requesting a search of the area, which the emperor was not very happy about.

However, today, with Wang Qi's further proposal to establish the Dongsheng Guard, Su Ze's memorial on searching for traps became much more palatable.

Upon reviewing Su Ze's memorial, it became clear that he did not simply repeat Qi Jiguang's opinion on the search.

Su Ze's memorial was still directed at the joint discussion of the Nine Ministers. Su Ze wrote:
"I humbly believe that military strategy depends on seizing the opportune moment, and the morale of the soldiers must not be dampened. Now, the Xuanda Army has repeatedly submitted memorials requesting to engage in battle, and the three armies are rousing their courage and their fighting spirit is just beginning. This is a perfect opportunity for them to rise up. I humbly beg Your Majesty to temporarily suspend the discussions in the court and heed the request of the soldiers."

"War is like a game of chess. Although the outcome is uncertain, if we win, the Hetao region can be cleared and the threat to Bansheng City will be relieved. At that time, we can re-establish Dongsheng Guard to secure the nine borders. This is truly a good strategy."

"If they fail to achieve their goal, the soldiers will have personally experienced and deeply understood the difficult situation in the northern frontier and the elusive nature of the enemy in the Tao region. They should then abandon any discussion of searching the Tao region and give up any thought of advancing rashly."

"In this way, we can neither dampen our spirits when they are at their peak, nor provoke conflict on the borders in a pointless manner, which is truly the best of both worlds."

These two sentences struck a chord with the emperor. For a border general like Qi Jiguang to submit a memorial to the emperor, which made the emperor take it so seriously, it was because he did not want to hurt the feelings of his generals.

From this perspective alone, Longqing's military direction was correct.

"Go and bring over all the memorials concerning Dongshengwei from the time of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu."

Li Fang hurriedly went to the Hanlin Academy. These materials had naturally been prepared long ago. Li Fang returned to the Imperial Study with a mountain of files, and Emperor Longqing began to read them one by one.

After watching for a full hour, the Longqing Emperor felt his eyes were getting blurry.

Just then, for some unknown reason, the mountain of documents suddenly collapsed, and Li Fang quickly stepped forward to organize them.

As the Longqing Emperor watched the eunuchs tidying up, he suddenly noticed a document wrapped in yellow silk.

"Is this Emperor Chengzu's last edict?"

Li Fang quickly said:

"The original of Emperor Chengzu's will is in the ancestral temple; this is a copy."

"Bring it here for me to see."

When the Longqing Emperor looked through the edict, he found that Zhu Di's edict was not very long.

"Our dynasty's power surpasses all previous dynasties. It governs the northern barbarians, then the western barbarians and southern islands, and then the various Western barbarians. It has no need for the marriage alliances of the Han dynasty, the alliances of the Tang dynasty, or the annual tributes of the Song dynasty. It also has no brotherly enemies."

After closing the imperial edict, the Longqing Emperor pondered its contents.

He said softly:
"Emperor Chengzu was a man of great ambition, but unfortunately I do not have his talent and am unable to personally lead the expedition to the north."

"Emperor Chengzu led five expeditions beyond the Great Wall to prevent border troubles from being left to his descendants."

"Let Qi Jiguang give it a try. If he succeeds in finding the trap, then allow him to re-establish the Dongsheng garrison."

"only."
-
The Emperor approved your memorial and ordered Qi Jiguang to lead troops to seize the lambs and search the area.

Qi Jiguang achieved significant victories in the river region, leading to the northward migration of numerous nomadic tribes from the Hetao area.

[A short-term solution to the Hetao issue has alleviated the pressure on the northwestern border defenses in the short term.]

[Ming Dynasty +1]

[Prestige Value +200]

Su Ze looked at the settlement report and said that the pressure on the northwest border had been resolved "in the short term".

He breathed a sigh of relief. The search for the fortress was a special military operation, just like the search for the fortress in the early Ming Dynasty. Qi Jiguang's victory did not reverse the situation in the Northwest in the long term.

The fact that the national fortune is increased by 1 already shows that Qi Jiguang was very powerful.

This proves that the search for the loot was indeed very successful.

In fact, the Hetao issue can be considered a hidden reason for the demise of the Ming Dynasty.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the problems in the Hetao region became more serious, which also placed a heavy burden on the military garrisons in Shaanxi and Ningxia.

In particular, Yulin Garrison in Shaanxi Province was the front line of defense in the Hetao region. The enormous burden caused this garrison to consume a large portion of Shaanxi's military expenditure, while also adding a significant financial strain to the province.

Then, someone who was involved in the closure of the post station completely ignited the powder keg in Shaanxi.

In fact, the best solution to the Hetao problem was the Tang Dynasty's Three Surrender Cities Plan, which involved setting up three cities along the gap in the Yellow River to control the Hetao region and keep nomadic tribes north of the Yellow River.

This would greatly reduce the defense burden on Shaanxi and Ningxia, and lowering military spending in these regions would also alleviate the burden on the people.

However, this plan still has a problem: if three surrender cities are established, the food supply problem in these areas must be solved.

However, Su Ze had a backup plan.

potato.

Before Su Ze's transmigration, the two regions where potatoes were a staple food were the southwest and the northwest. It can be said that the potato crop changed the population distribution in the northwest.

During the Ming Dynasty, the Northwest region was desolate and sparsely populated, but by the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Northwest had become quite populated.

The Hui Rebellion in Shaanxi and Gansu at the end of the Qing Dynasty was caused not only by religious factors, but also by the population explosion in the Northwest region, which led to a surge in local conflicts.

All these changes were due to the fact that potatoes, a staple food that can be cultivated on barren land, provided a stable supply of staple food to the northwestern region, which was gradually becoming desertified due to over-exploitation during the Han and Tang dynasties.

As long as there is a stable supply of staple food, the population can settle down.

This is also why Su Ze sent potatoes to Qi Jiguang.

After Qi Jiguang's great victory in the search of the Tao, we can try to rebuild the Dongsheng Guard in the Dongtao area and then plant potatoes in these guard posts.

Of course, it is impossible for Dongshengwei to be completely self-sufficient in military rations, but as long as it can be partially self-sufficient, it can take root.

If we can repel one or two of Anda's attacks, then the plan to rebuild the three surrendered cities and completely control the Hetao region can be implemented.

Su Ze couldn't help but sigh that the changes in nature were enough to alter the border situation of an empire, while the emergence of a new technology or a new crop could reverse that change.

The age-old struggle between human resilience and natural change will undergo even more dramatic changes in the next two centuries, marked by the explosion of human technology.

Of course, the defense of the northwest border cannot be changed in one or two battles.

But this time, Qi Jiguang's operation to retrieve the lambs and search for the traps was able to give the court a satisfactory result.
-
February 20th, the day before Su Zecheng's wedding.

It must be said that the Ministry of Works was quite efficient.

They not only rebuilt the hall in seven days, but also renovated the entire house and even took care of the wedding arrangements.

The vermilion-lacquered pillars and gilded coffered ceilings have been completely renovated. All the weeds in Xiaoyingzhou have been cleared away. Through the hanging flower gate of the peony-patterned blue brick passageway, you can also see a newly transplanted plum tree.

How will such a huge mansion be managed in the future? Just maintaining this garden alone will cost a lot of money. Su Ze felt a headache just thinking about it. He could only leave this matter to his future wife.

Fu Shun was directing the craftsmen to hang the plaque "Wanfu Liuyun" (meaning "Ten Thousand Blessings Flowing Like Clouds") in the main hall. This plaque was handwritten by Grand Secretary Li Chunfang.

A wedding couplet hangs in the main hall. The first line reads "A golden screen and a jade mirror reflect two perfect gems," and the second line reads "A boat with cassia oars and orchid boats cross the magpie bridge." The horizontal inscription reads "A match made in heaven." This couplet was handwritten by Gao Gong.

There was also a couplet for the bridal chamber in the main house: "Red sleeves add fragrance to the calligraphy of Jin Dynasty, green lamp accompanies reading and mending Zhou's clothes." This couplet was actually sent by Zhang Juzheng, which surprised Su Ze. It was surprising that Grand Secretary Zhang could write such a couplet.

In addition, during the Jialong period, the scholarly atmosphere gradually became extravagant, and there was a custom of burning incense on the bridal sedan chair. People would compete with each other in terms of the bridal sedan chairs, and couplets would be posted on the sedan chairs.

The couplet for the sedan chair was written by Zhao Zhenji: "The fragrance of incense floats from the precious cauldron, its golden threads are delicate; spring arrives in the boudoir, its blue jade warm."

A wedding that brought together the calligraphy of four Grand Secretaries made Su Ze the first person in the history of the Ming Dynasty to achieve this.

In addition, his good disciple, Xiao Pangjun, sent him a set of openwork ivory carving screens, which were clearly items used by the royal family.

Su Ze's classmates, friends, and acquaintances all sent gifts, but Su Ze was very tactful. He basically only accepted gifts as tokens of friendship, and even if he accepted expensive gifts, he would have Xu Wei remember them so that he could give them back in kind later.

Even Xu Wei, who had helped Hu Zongxian with military affairs, was tormented to the point of exhaustion, muttering that he should hurry up and marry the mistress so that he could stop worrying about these domestic affairs.

On February 21st, surrounded by a group of friends, Su Ze put on a brand-new official robe and went to Zhao Zhenji's house to pick up his bride.

In Jiangnan, when scholars without official titles get married, the groom wears a scarlet official robe-style auspicious attire, which represents good wishes for the future of the newlyweds.

However, the capital is under the emperor's nose, so it would be inappropriate to do this. But Su Ze was already an official, so he could just change into a new official robe.

The accompanying companions were all dressed in official robes, making this lineup quite eye-catching.

The wedding customs of the Ming Dynasty were not much different from those of modern times. The Zhao family was a scholarly family, so naturally they did not have the vulgar custom of wedding pranks.

Su Ze led everyone into the Zhao residence. After paying their respects to the elders of the Zhao family, the next step was to wait for the bride to get into the wedding sedan chair.

In the temporary ancestral hall in the Zhao family's rear residence, a young woman dressed in auspicious attire knelt before the ancestral tablets.

A group of women from the Zhao family looked enviously into the ancestral hall.

In this era, daughters could only enter the ancestral hall when they got married.

This is also the last time Zhao Lingxian will pay respects to her ancestors. After today, she will pay respects at the Su family's ancestral hall.

Zhao Zhenji personally led the sacrificial ceremony and concluded by saying:
"Even a good match requires the couple to work together to achieve a happy ending. You are of virtuous character and a good match for Su Zilin. In the future, you should be diligent in household affairs and share his burdens."

Zhao Lingxian bowed and said:
"Third Sister understands."

"Say one more word to our ancestors, then get into the sedan chair."

Zhao Lingxian bowed again to the ancestral tablets, feeling somewhat lost.

A woman follows her husband after marriage, and how her life goes from there depends on the blessings of her ancestors.

This marriage was the envy of her sisters, but Zhao Lingxian remained indifferent. However, as the wedding day approached, she became somewhat apprehensive.

However, Zhao Lingxian was not the type to wallow in self-pity. After paying respects to her ancestors, she stood up and, accompanied by her many sisters, entered the wedding sedan chair.

Even though Su Ze valued exercise and health after his transmigration, the subsequent process was still quite grueling.

With no elders at home to help, even with the assistance of Xu Wei and a group of friends, Su Ze was still exhausted.

The bride of the Ming Dynasty had changed from wearing a fan to a veil. Seeing that his wife was well-proportioned and graceful, Su Ze was relieved.

Throughout the entire wedding ceremony, Zhao Lingxian's every move was meticulous and precise, which earned praise from the guests present.

Just before the final ceremony of the wedding, Chen Hong, the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, brought a jade disc with mandarin duck and lotus patterns bestowed by the Emperor, and Su Ze was busy expressing his gratitude.

After finally completing the wedding ceremony before the auspicious time, Su Ze dragged his tired body into the bridal chamber.

Under the flickering light of the lit candles, Su Ze spent the whole day wondering what his new bride would look like.

Just as he was about to lift the veil, he heard a pleasant female voice say:

"Husband, there is also the nuptial ceremony."

"Hejin" refers to drinking wine from the same cup. "Jin" is a type of gourd, commonly known as bitter gourd, which is bitter and inedible.

The "Hejin" ceremony involves breaking a wine cup in half, filling each half with wine, and having the bride and groom each drink from one half, symbolizing that the couple is now united as one.

However, bitter gourd was no longer needed. White jade cups, connected by a red thread, had already been prepared in the bridal chamber. Su Ze poured wine and handed one of the white jade cups to Zhao Lingxian, saying:
"Madam, please."

Zhao Lingxian accepted the white jade cup, her cheeks flushed red beneath the veil, but she still drank the nuptial wine according to etiquette.

After the ceremony, Su Ze lifted the veil, revealing a beautiful and elegant face. Thinking of her dignified demeanor throughout the day, he immediately pounced on her.

Ellipsis.

The day after the wedding, Zhao Lingxian, despite her aching body, woke up Su Ze and, enduring his teasing, urged him to return to his parents' home to pay respects.

In the following days, Su Ze also experienced what it meant to enjoy the joys of a wedding night.

It wasn't until the last day of February that Huang Ji reluctantly went to Su Ze's residence to request an audience.

(End of this chapter)