Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 202 The Princess's Wedding
If there are no deviations, it will be next year, that is, the second year of Jiayou.

Emperor Renzong will hold an extremely grand investiture ceremony for Princess Fukang, bestowing upon her the title of Princess of Yan, making her the first princess of the Song Dynasty to receive such an investiture ceremony.

Subsequently, despite everyone's objections, the frugal Emperor Renzong spent hundreds of thousands of strings of cash to build a mansion for her outside the palace. Fearing that his daughter would not live well after leaving the palace to live alone, he directly gave her the same treatment as the Crown Prince, with a monthly stipend of one thousand strings of cash.

"But I heard that the Emperor intends to betroth Princess Fukang to Li Wei."

Li Wei was the son of Consort Li, the birth mother of Emperor Renzong of Song. In terms of generation, he was Emperor Renzong's cousin and Princess Fukang's uncle.

"That is true, but Princess Fukang disagrees."

"Why?"

"Princess Fukang was naturally beautiful, with a face that could launch a thousand ships. She sought a husband who was both talented and handsome, and had just gotten her wish. But this Li Wei..."

Wang Tao was too embarrassed to speak ill of others, so he looked at Zeng Gong.

Zeng Gong was silent for a long time before saying, "I met him at an elegant gathering in Kaifeng years ago. He was a very honest man and his paintings were quite good, but his appearance was... well, let's just say it was not his best."

Anyway, forced relationships are never sweet.

Wang Tao nodded and said, "The princess was already unhappy. If any of you young talents could emulate the great deeds of Scholar Song back then, I think you would have a good chance."

Well, this brings us to Song Qi's romantic affair back then.

Song Qi was famously handsome. Once, when he was an official in the capital, he was returning home after a banquet and happened to encounter a procession of imperial carriages on Fantai Street. Song Qi quickly moved aside, and someone in the procession called out to him softly. When Song Qi looked up, he saw a beautiful young palace maid in the carriage smiling at him.

After returning home, Song Qi wrote a poem called "Partridge Sky" to record this experience and express his sorrow at not being able to see the beauty again.

"We met on a narrow road, our carriages adorned with painted wheels and carved saddles; a heart-wrenching cry escaped from behind the embroidered curtain. Though we lack the wings of a phoenix to fly together, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding."

Houses of gold, cages of jade, carriages flowing like water, horses swimming like dragons. Liu Lang already lamented the distance to Penglai Mountain, now separated by countless more mountains.

The new phrase immediately spread throughout Kaifeng and even reached the ears of Emperor Renzong, who had already assumed power. Emperor Renzong personally found the person and the palace maid said, "When we went to the banquet, the ministers on the left and right said that this was Xiao Song. I also happened to see him in the carriage and called out to him."

Emperor Renzong then summoned Song Qi to the palace to discuss the matter. Song Qi was filled with trepidation, but Emperor Renzong jokingly remarked, "Pengshan is not far away." He then bestowed a palace maid upon Song Qi in marriage, and Song Qi was able to win the heart of his beloved.

"After all, fortune favors the bold," Wang Tao said as he finished his drink.

Lu Beigu listened from the side. Overall, the information Wang Tao provided about the melon was quite accurate, and the information was mostly correct.

In reality, marrying a princess would truly be a meteoric rise to power, a meteoric rise to the top! All the titles of Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), the qualifications of a scholar, and the experience of a senior official would seem insignificant in the face of the emperor's favor. For example, the position of prefect, which Wang Tao had worked hard for twenty years to achieve, was merely a matter of a single imperial decree.

But at what cost?

The price, of course, is that the position of prefect is the limit, and unless there are special circumstances, there is no way to rise any higher.

The most typical example is Li Zunxu, the son-in-law of Emperor Zhenzong. After passing the imperial examination, Li Zunxu married Emperor Zhenzong's younger sister, Princess Wanshou, daughter of Emperor Taizong, in the first year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era. He served as the son-in-law of Emperor Zhenzong, the Left Dragon Guard General, and later as the Prefect of Chengzhou.

He reached his peak right from the start, and then never moved up to the level of prefect.

Of course, the Song Dynasty was ultimately ruled by men, and the restrictions on the participation of the Imperial Son-in-Law in government were merely unspoken rules, not ancestral laws.

As the wine flowed freely and a thin mist rose from the lake, the lights of the fishermen's houses lit up one after another, reflecting on the shimmering waves, like a galaxy fallen to earth.

Those at the banquet, upon hearing the words, had varying thoughts. To Lü Huiqing, Wang Tao's joke was like a thunderbolt, shattering the most fervent desire for power hidden deep within him.

However, in the Song Dynasty, although it was very easy for a son-in-law to reach the level of prefect, literally meaning "avoiding twenty years of detours," it was indeed difficult to go further. Therefore, Lü Huiqing was only slightly moved before quickly regaining his composure.

Clearly, Lu Huiqing, in her twenties, was cunning but lacked shrewdness.

Wang Shao's reaction was completely different. While listening to Wang Tao speak, he had been frowning the whole time. Now, a hint of disapproval, even a touch of contempt, flashed across his face.

"A true man should wield a three-foot sword and achieve unparalleled feats! Even if he gains wealth and status by currying favor with the powerful, wouldn't he only invite ridicule from heroes across the land?"

He didn't say these words aloud, but he glanced at Lü Huiqing, who had just composed herself, and felt that this person's temperament and vision were ultimately a bit small.

Zeng Bu was the youngest and the most innocent. He felt that the topic was both exciting and distant, and also carried a sense of taboo and rebellion.

He glanced furtively at his elder brother Zeng Gong, but fearing that his much older brother would notice and scold him, he lowered his head and pretended to study the unfinished pan-fried silver fish cakes on the table, though his ears were perked up.

Zeng Gong had more experience and understood the dangers involved even better.

He shook his head slightly, raised his wine cup, and tried to smooth things over: "Brother Zhengzhong was drunk when he made such a joke. Princess Fukang is a noblewoman, and her marriage is a matter for His Majesty to decide. Besides, to emulate Scholar Song? That would require someone with talent, good looks, and good fortune—a truly chosen one. His Majesty would also need to have the same magnanimity as back then. Let's drink, let's drink!"

Lu Beigu took in everyone's reactions and was filled with mixed emotions.

Wang Tao's words were like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of his memory.

He certainly knew of Princess Fukang's future tragedy and her eventual desolate and lonely end. Emperor Renzong's favor towards Princess Fukang at this time was precisely one of the sources of the later tragedy.

Looking at the group of young people in front of him, full of hope for the future, and thinking about their different destinies, as well as the princess whose fate was already quietly shrouded in shadow while she was still in the deep palace, a sense of destiny of being drawn into history welled up in his heart.

Lu Beigu knew better than anyone else that the essence of a scholar ultimately lay in those exam papers and in the genuine knowledge and skills honed through diligent study.

Climbing the social ladder and attaching oneself to powerful figures may bring temporary fame and fortune, but ultimately one's foundation is weak.

Lu Beigu raised his wine cup, facing Wang Tao and the lake full of sparks, and said, "What we scholars seek is to 'make the ruler like Yao and Shun, and restore the purity of customs.' What good is fame and fortune if we cannot stand upright in the court and use our knowledge to help the world and bring peace to the people? They are nothing but reflections in the water on this lake."

He tilted his head back and drank the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp.

Wang Tao laughed heartily and patted Lu Beigu on the back: "I was drunk! Come, come, let's not talk about that, let's drink! Let's eat fish! Isn't the moonlight and fishing lights on Dongting Lake more refreshing than the wealth and luxury within the deep palace walls?"

He called out loudly to the old fisherman, "Old Zhang, bring two more pots of hot wine!"

The atmosphere became lively again under Wang Tao's guidance, and everyone tacitly avoided bringing up that sensitive topic.

The wine jug was refilled, and several freshly prepared cold dishes were served.

Their conversation gradually shifted to local customs, travel experiences, and the upcoming provincial examination administered by the Ministry of Rites, which would determine their fates.

As night deepened, the fog on Dongting Lake grew thicker. The lights of the fishermen's houses cast a hazy glow in the thin mist, merging with their reflections in the water, as if the entire world was floating on this tranquil expanse of shimmering light.

The evening breeze rustled softly over the reed shed roof, and a few long, melodious fishermen's songs drifted from afar, adding to the carefree and idyllic atmosphere of the distant rivers and lakes.

(End of this chapter)