My father Zhao Kuangyin

The Grand Tutor's Mansion.

A small car with uneven rims slowly drove and stopped in a designated parking space next to the mansion.

Chen Niangzi, a close friend of Grand Tutor Wang, stepped off the carriage in a slightly flustered manner, her blue dress trailing behind her.

Not long after, she followed the servant into her boudoir. First, she smelled a pungent odor of lamb, then she saw a caged goose tied with a red ribbon on the table and was slightly taken aback.

A moment later, Madam Chen, with her exquisite features and snow-white skin, exclaimed in surprise.

"Has the date been set?"

"It's just a betrothal ceremony, and it's still too early."

Wang Zhaoyun rose from her dressing table and walked gracefully towards the door. She took her best friend's hand and said, "When Father entered the Chuigong Palace to discuss marriage with the Emperor, it was already April or May. Now it's almost July. If we don't formally accept the betrothal soon, the wedding will probably have to be postponed until next year."

The process varies in speed, and being a son of an official, one cannot avoid the tedious procedures, which can take at least a month.

The Six Rites have remained largely unchanged throughout history, even with minor variations.

Of course, the new era is an exception.

Furthermore, even ordinary families, if they are perfunctory, will still follow the rules of etiquette. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and small families have their own way of doing things. Etiquette and expenses are actually unrelated.

The first step, betrothal, is the traditional engagement ceremony. According to the Song Dynasty system, "When princes made betrothal gifts, they would bestow 10,000 taels of silver upon the woman's family. Knocking on her door was the ancient practice of betrothal."

Then there were twenty sheep, twenty jugs of wine, and forty bolts of colored silk.

This is just the first step; there are many more intricacies to follow, which can be quite tedious and annoying.

Platinum is silver. It should be noted that the Wu Kingdom only paid 20,000 taels of silver as tribute each year.

This clearly shows that weddings are expensive, which is why Zhao Dezhao has not yet been granted the title of king, and thus the ten thousand taels of silver can be waived.

Honestly, if the father in history delayed his marriage simply to save on expenses, that would be really ridiculous.

"What about Platinum? And me? Let me see it."

Perhaps because he was used to being frugal and had never seen so much money in his life, Chen Mi brought up the very thing he shouldn't have. Realizing he had said something inappropriate, he gave an embarrassed smile.

Wang Zhaoyun didn't seem to care much, and chuckled, "The Emperor said he wanted to keep things simple, and he hasn't been granted a title of King. Besides, when Prefect Zhao took the Lady of Chu as his wife, there weren't so many expenses. It just so happens that my father is stingy, and the Emperor is stingy too. Isn't this a perfect match?"

But she didn't care. Chen Mi's family had always been poor, so she felt a pang of regret and was also surprised.

How could the government be so frugal?

However, she also understood her best friend's reasoning. As one of the candidates for vice-champion, did Zhao Erlang really lack ten thousand taels of silver?

Frugality is a prevailing trend, and officials from top to bottom are setting an example by selecting people from Ganzhou, which is a good thing, and the young couple had no objections.

"Yun'er, you're only three months younger than me, yet you've progressed so quickly..."

"If Sister Chen had the guts to pressure her parents, why wouldn't she find a husband?"

As the conversation drew to a close, Chen Mi seemed to recall the day they had met in the street, pursed her lips, and fell silent.

It's not difficult to marry into an official's family. Officials prefer to marry daughters of military families, but unfortunately, they have few children. There is only one son left, Silang, who is still unmarried.

Of course, this wasn't the most important thing. What Chen Mi felt was a vague, inexplicable bitterness, as if she had arrived first, but someone else had come later and surpassed her.

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Wang Zhaoyun joked, "We're still short of a concubine at home. If you don't mind..."

Concubine?

Chen Mi was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, but did not dare to reply.

The so-called concubines and concubines were part of the dowry; people and wealth are also considered wealth.

But Madam Chen was from a respectable family. If she could accept being a concubine, how could her parents accept it?

"Stop joking. If my father knew I was a concubine, he'd probably break my legs when we get back to the capital..."

Wang Zhaoyun said with a smile, "How could the Empress Dowager be so heartless?"

Chen Mi's cheeks were flushed, a mixture of red and white, yet they exuded a captivating charm.

"Oh dear, if you keep doing this, I'm going home and I'm not going to stay with you anymore."

"Stop arguing, stop arguing, sister, please listen to me..."

Zhao Dezhao was kept behind for tea because of the enemy's gate. At this time, he was discussing current affairs with his brother-in-law in the detached courtyard. Perhaps because the Prince's mansion had cut corners when building the wall, he vaguely heard some embarrassing words.

Well, today's best friends are still not as explicit as the chat logs of later generations.

It could even be said that he was too plain, unable to exude his righteous spirit.

………………

In the marketplace, an ambitious young man was chatting away in a tavern. The customers around him looked displeased by his loud chatter. Even as the tavern gradually quieted down, the young man continued to ramble on, much to the chagrin of his classmates.

"Brother Lin, please keep your voice down."

"Your salary and emoluments are the people's blood and sweat; the common people are easily oppressed, but Heaven is not easily deceived..." Lei Youlin slightly restrained himself and said, word by word, "These are Zhao Erlang's concise words, adopted by the Emperor and proclaimed to all government offices. How can I not say them? Besides, what's the use of making such a fuss?"

"How can it be useless? Do you know how many officials in the capital have been arrested?" His classmate raised both hands, pointing with eight fingers, and said, "Eight hundred people, a full eight hundred! Such a large-scale crackdown on corruption only happens once every few years. What are you criticizing the court for?"

"It's all empty talk; as long as Prime Minister Zhao remains in office, these vermin will remain!"

Upon hearing this, the two scholars were stunned for a moment, then quickly paid the money and fled as if avoiding a plague.

Not only him, but the shopkeeper, upon hearing Zhao's deep sorrow, also couldn't sit still.

"Young master, this tavern is far too small to accommodate someone as distinguished as you..."

"What! Are you trying to shut me up?!" Lei Youlin suddenly attacked, angrily saying, "Every official in the court knows what Zhao Pu has done! This man has been prime minister for ten years! He has formed cliques and engaged in countless injustices! How can I not speak out?!"

The commotion grew louder and louder until finally a group of strong men climbed up, offered a pot of wine, and used both gentle persuasion and force to drive away the outspoken scholar.

Back at his home in the neighborhood, Lei Youlin was drowsy. As he sobered up, he recalled what had just happened and broke out in a cold sweat.

After a long while, he was filled with horror and indignation.

More accurately, it should be described as impotent rage.

This state lasted for two or three days until the window was suddenly opened wide at night, and the night wind rushed in, waking him up.

"Is it... my husband's men, here to take my life?"

The person outside paused, then smiled wryly, "Lei Lang isn't asleep either?"

Why the bitter smile? Because he knocked on the door, not the window. Lei Youlin, seeing danger everywhere, clearly knew he had spoken out of turn.

"Who are you?" Lei Youlin sat up, still shaken.

"Regardless of who I am, I only have one question: have you forgotten the injustice your father suffered?"

Mentioning this matter, Lei Youlin's heart trembled, and his eyes gradually reddened.

Now, who exactly is his father, Lei Dexiang?

In the third year of Guangshun, Guo Zhou passed the imperial examination and was appointed as a military judge in Cizhou. He was later summoned to serve as a Right Remonstrance Official and concurrently as a judge in the Three Departments. He was also granted the honor of being awarded a scarlet fish.

During the Xiande era, he was ordered to standardize the land and house taxes of the people in various counties of Suizhou. He was fair and just in his official duties and had a good reputation.

Since the establishment of the Song Dynasty, he was appointed as the Palace Attendant Censor, then changed to Assistant Director of Agricultural Settlement, and finally judged the Court of Judicial Review.

Now... he has been exiled to Lingwu in the north, his fate unknown.

The cause of this old incident was that Lei Dexiang, like that of Minister Shen, questioned the Emperor in the palace about why he tolerated Zhao Pu's numerous illegal acts.

It should be noted that at that time, when Lei Dexiang was the judge of the Court of Judicial Review, the officials under his jurisdiction were all sycophants of Zhao Pu and his ilk. Many cases were decided without even being investigated, let alone tried.

In other words, they have been sidelined.

Initially, he was sentenced to death by the emperor, but after the emperor's anger subsided, he was demoted to the position of Registrar of Households in Shangzhou.

If it had ended here, it wouldn't have been so bad; it wouldn't have been a dead end. However, Xi Yu, the prefect of Shangzhou, was a protégé of Zhao Xiangong, who fabricated evidence and framed him, ultimately leading to his exile to the north...

Did this gentleman give up at this point?

Do not!

At least Lei Youlin would never admit it.

He had failed the imperial examinations for many years; it must be the invisible hand of the Prime Minister's mansion manipulating things behind the scenes! Deliberately cutting off his career!

Thinking of his father being falsely accused and suffering, thinking of the scorn he suffered because of his humble background, thinking of the injustice of failing the imperial examinations time and time again... his fate was manipulated by his enemies.

One after another, the bitter complaints flowed endlessly, surging like a river, causing this impoverished scholar, who had been unable to conceive for many years, to burst into tears over just one sentence.

Amidst his choked sobs, he broke down in tears and wailed:

"The period of mourning has lasted until now... three years, April 21st... my father's injustice... I... I have never dared to forget it for a single moment!"