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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 86: The Three Letters
The Emperor lived comfortably under the service of Qimin Khan, especially with the respect shown by various vassal states. Coincidentally, Goguryeo sent an emissary to pay a visit to Qimin Khan.
After summoning the envoy, the Emperor ordered him to hurry back and convey a message to the Goguryeo King: "Come to court quickly, or I will lead the Turkic forces and punish you today."
The courtiers did not take this matter seriously, but Li Jian Cheng's heart raced; time was running short.
Goguryeo was originally a minority regime active in the Changbai Mountain region. After the central plains powers moved south, Goguryeo took the opportunity to advance southward, occupying the three original counties in northern Korea and encroaching on much of the Liaodong Peninsula.
Moreover, they had turned Shiwey and Mohe into their vassals in the north while continuously pressuring Baekje and Silla in the south, resembling a small hegemonic power.
After a grand banquet, the Emperor enjoyed several more days of leisure before finally returning to the capital at the urging of his courtiers. However, instead of taking the spacious official road back, he insisted on touring the borderlands.
Thus, hundreds of thousands of troops followed him as they traversed mountains and built bridges and roads. The Emperor naturally took in the scenery, but it was a hardship for the soldiers and courtiers.
Once beyond Turkic territory, the Emperor suddenly issued an edict ordering over a million laborers to build a Great Wall stretching from Yulin in the west to Purple River in the east.
Another million people! It was uncertain how many would perish from exhaustion, freezing, or illness. Especially after having successfully intimidated the Turks, the court officials disregarded the Emperor's previous threats and began to voice their objections.
Yet, the Emperor had become immersed in his own heroic grandeur that intimidated all under heaven.
When one plays the hero for too long, they begin to feel invincible, only seeing their own strength and believing solely in their own wisdom while increasingly looking down on others—especially those courtiers whom he regarded merely as tools.
These tools suddenly speaking up when they should be working infuriated Yang Guang. Thus, he decided to use that tactic of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys again.
Li Jian Cheng and his ilk were clearly insufficient; he needed to target a few prominent figures.
Consequently, several old ministers left by his predecessor became prime candidates: Gao Shan, He Ruobi, and Yuwen Bi.
Coincidentally, these three had not held back their complaints along the way. After a banquet with Turkic leaders, Gao Shan had remarked that "the court has lost all sense of discipline lately."
He Ruobi had previously criticized the Emperor for constructing a massive tent for thousands by saying, "Isn't such extravagance excessive compared to what we have now?"
We once disapproved of Emperor Tianyuan's luxury; looking at today's sovereign, isn't it even more excessive?
Just days ago, Yuwen Bi had also expressed grievances about the Emperor conscripting a million commoners to build the Great Wall: "The campaign for the Great Wall is hardly urgent."
Recently, many people have been expressing such opinions, and some have gone even further. The Emperor, at that time filled with pride and satisfaction, did not pay much attention to these foolish remarks.
But now the Emperor decided to take action, issuing an edict: “Gao Shan, Yuwen Bi, and He Ruobi have slandered the court; they shall be sentenced to death. Their descendants will either be exiled to the frontier or sent to the inner palace to serve as servants.”
The three prominent ministers, who had held power for decades, met their end just like sheep slaughtered daily. When their heads were presented, the accompanying officials were terrified and wisely kept their mouths shut.
Once again, the Emperor emerged victorious, as always.
…
In the fourth year of the Great Undertaking, Li Jian Cheng went hunting outside Capital City with a group of friends. After carefully tying up six large geese, he thanked everyone.
The formalities of marriage proposals could not be neglected. Upon returning to the city, Li Jian Cheng handed two geese to the most famous Matchmaker in Capital City. Following him was a servant from the Li Family carrying sheep, herbs, deer, glue, lacquer, silk bells, and mandarin ducks—items symbolizing good fortune—heading straight for Duke Liang's Residence.
The Xiao Residence was naturally prepared to welcome them. The Matchmaker respectfully bowed and said, “Li Gong has come bearing gifts for your esteemed family; may I request your acceptance of this proposal?”
Duke Liang and Xiao Cong received the geese and then inquired about the groom's situation. The Matchmaker spoke eloquently, detailing the circumstances of the Li Family and Li Jian Cheng.
With such skillful persuasion from the Matchmaker, even Yuwen Huaji could be praised extravagantly; let alone someone as renowned as Li Jian Cheng. After hearing everything, many elders of the Xiao Family were quite pleased; their family was gaining an outstanding son-in-law.
Once they accepted the proposal with a gift exchange, the next day the Matchmaker returned with another goose and successfully retrieved a written proposal containing Xiao Family’s name and birth details.
Upon returning to Duke Tang's Residence, Li Yan and Dou Family placed the proposal before their ancestral tablets. After a night had passed, they took it back and told the Matchmaker: “Very auspicious!”
The Matchmaker then went back to Duke Liang's Residence and presented a written proposal with Li Jian Cheng’s name and birth details to Xiao Cong, saying: “Xiao Gong has granted this; Li Gong has added his fortune-telling which predicts good luck.”
Xiao Cong handed the proposal to an Uncle who took it to the Rear Hall to sit down for tea. Afterward, he came out saying: “A match made in heaven; extremely auspicious!”
Xiao Cong smiled and replied: “If my son is not taught well enough, I fear he may not be worthy. Since it is auspicious, I shall accept without hesitation.”
Then a day later, Li Xiaogong and Li Shimin arrived at Duke Liang's Residence as envoys carrying a nanmu box measuring one foot two inches long by one inch two tenths wide, two tenths thick at the base and three tenths thick at the lid with an inner width of eight tenths.
The box was bound with colorful threads and prominently labeled as a marriage document. Behind them followed family servants pulling dozens of large carts loaded with colorful satin ribbons, large bundles of brocade, heaps of copper coins, livestock such as pigs and sheep, grains and oils, wild game, fruits for dessert, cheese, oil and salt, sauces along with scallions and ginger.
Of course, nothing was more precious than the golden plate held tightly in Li Shimin’s arms—a treasured heirloom given by the Predecessor Emperor to Li Langjun on his deathbed—causing passersby to stare in awe as they walked by.
Inside the Xiao Residence's Main Hall, a wooden couch was already set up, adorned with a writing desk, an incense burner, a bowl of water, and a knife.
Li Xiaogong and Li Jian Cheng entered and bowed to Xiao Cong, who was seated on the sofa. They presented him with a nanmu gift box. Xiao Cong took the box, lightly touched it with his hand dipped in clean water, then used the short knife to cut the seal and retrieve the letter inside.
"The legitimate eldest son has reached adulthood and is yet unmarried. I have heard of the esteemed eldest daughter, who possesses all four virtues. I wish to seek a high alliance through this matchmaker and respectfully request your consent. If you do not send her away, I await your favorable reply.
Li Yan."
After reading it aloud for everyone to hear, he invited them to come closer for a better look. He then handed it to his wife for safekeeping before taking out the pre-written response to the marriage proposal.
"My eldest daughter has just reached her coming-of-age ceremony and has yet to engage in formalities. The esteemed legitimate eldest son remains without a partner; thus, I wish to preserve this marriage alliance. I respectfully request your consent through this matchmaker.
Xiao Cong."
He placed this letter into the nanmu gift box and handed it over to the messenger. Li Xiaogong also presented the gift list he had been holding to Xiao Cong, detailing the gifts sent by the Li Family.
Both families began their feasts almost simultaneously, solidifying the marriage arrangement. Even if the Xiao Family were to rebel now, Xiao Chanyan would not be implicated. Of course, if the Li Clan were to rebel, she would not escape even if she had not yet entered their household.
………
(End of Chapter)
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