Li Yuanying, with no shame, continued to discuss his views with Emperor Li. He argued that his sister, Wei Jiu, was still too young for their wedding night. He believed that the wedding night was meant for procreation, and he was not ready for Wei Jiu to bear children. While they could avoid pregnancy with medication, he felt that those drugs would harm her health, so he’d rather wait until she was older.
After all, he had plenty of other children to play with, so he was in no hurry!
Emperor Li was speechless, wondering why he had to listen to this troublesome brother’s ramblings. He said, “If that’s the case, why are you rushing to get married?” He had received countless letters from Li Yuanying about his impending marriage, only to be told that he wouldn’t consummate it. What was the point of getting married then?
Li Yuanying had a clear stance: “No kissing or hugging before marriage! After marriage, all bets are off!”
Emperor Li sighed. He felt grateful that he had arranged a marriage for this foolish brother. Otherwise, based on his cluelessness, Li Yuanying would never find a wife on his own. He had been in Tengzhou for quite some time, and he hadn’t even managed to get a kiss or a hug!
As a ruler and elder brother, Emperor Li couldn’t bring himself to criticize Li Yuanying’s lack of common sense. He waved his hand, dismissing Li Yuanying to go rest. At his age, he couldn’t even bring himself to take the first step. It was infuriating.
If everyone waited until they were eighteen or nineteen to have children, how could the population thrive? He and Fang Xuanling couldn’t wait for boys and girls to reach thirteen, get married, and then immediately produce offspring. Every household should have three or five children, and they should keep having them until they reached twenty, when the men could join the army and fight. This young man couldn’t even set a good example, and now he was saying he wouldn’t consummate his marriage for the sake of avoiding children.
Li Yuanying was oblivious to Emperor Li’s desire to increase the population. He noticed his brother’s increasingly dark mood and decided to leave. He had to get a good night’s sleep, as tomorrow was the day he would bring his wife home to Tengzhou.
The imperial procession arrived in Tengzhou and settled in a palace overlooking the lake. Li Yuanying, bold and fearless, approached the Emperor and asked him not to leave the palace. He insisted that Emperor Li only needed to come for the ceremony, as the crowds would be too rowdy if he went out.
Emperor Li was so angry that he kicked Li Yuanying out of the palace. Once Li Yuanying was gone, Emperor Li and Changsun Wuji sighed in unison, “How did we end up with such a troublesome child?”
Changsun Wuji silently criticized Emperor Li: It was all his fault for spoiling him! Others would be diligently working and preparing for the Emperor’s arrival, but Li Yuanying was bold enough to not only avoid doing his duty, but to demand that Emperor Li stay put so he wouldn’t disrupt his grand wedding!
Despite his internal disapproval, Changsun Wuji wouldn’t voice his thoughts. He chuckled and said, “Prince Tang is just incredibly excited about the wedding.”
Emperor Li felt a pang of nostalgia: “I was just as happy when I married Guanyinbi.”
Changsun Wuji didn’t respond and silently stood beside the Emperor, allowing him to reminisce about the past.
However, Emperor Li’s reverie didn’t last long. A new idea emerged: Traveling in an imperial carriage was too conspicuous. He decided to travel incognito around Tengzhou, getting a firsthand look at what Li Yuanying had done with the city.
Changsun Wuji attempted to dissuade him, but his efforts were futile. Sighing, he changed into a simple outfit and joined the Emperor.
Li Junxian, known for his unparalleled bravery and scholarly demeanor, led the imperial guard on this trip.
As Emperor Li was going out, Li Junxian accompanied him and secretly deployed guards to follow them. Even incognito, their presence was not easily concealed.
Fortunately, with Li Yuanying’s wedding imminent, noblemen and wealthy families were constantly traveling back and forth, eager to attend the wedding feast. Among these crowds, a group of people obviously from a distinguished background didn’t stand out.
Tengzhou did not disappoint.
Compared to Chang’an, its city walls were shorter, roads narrower, and fewer high-rises, but it exuded a vibrant energy. The faces of the people were bright and cheerful. Even Changsun Wuji, with his critical eye, couldn’t find much fault with the city.
Emperor Li was about to visit the editorial department of the *Qi Min Yao Shu* (Essential Techniques for the People’s Welfare) when he heard someone shout, “The dowry procession is here!” He stepped aside with Changsun Wuji and others to watch the long procession head towards the Teng Wang Fu (Prince Tang’s Residence).
Changsun Wuji teased him, “Xuancheng, you aren’t as poor as you pretend. That dowry procession seems pretty lavish.” Xuancheng was Wei Zheng’s courtesy name. Being incognito allowed for more informal conversation, unlike the rigid etiquette of the court.
Emperor Li replied, “He’s just too stingy to spend his money. He isn’t truly poor.”
Emperor Li and Changsun Wuji were mistaken about Wei Zheng. He treated all his daughters and granddaughters equally. While he had a special affection for Wei Jiu, he prepared her dowry according to the standard protocol.
The reason the dowry procession was so long was actually because of the numerous contributors. Most people only added a thing or two to the dowry, but Gao Yang and the others went all out, adding entire chests and carriages full of gifts. Even Jin Shengman, from across the sea, had sent a whole ship full of gifts.
This was something Emperor Li couldn’t have imagined. The others couldn’t either. They marveled at the sheer extravagance of the dowry, and someone couldn’t help but exclaim, “Even if the emperor was marrying off a daughter, I doubt there would be so much dowry!”
Unfortunately, this remark reached the ears of Emperor Li and his entourage.
Changsun Wuji glanced at Emperor Li.
Emperor Li had a neutral expression. Originally, he was supposed to oversee the wedding preparations as the Minister of Rites, but Li Yuanying had vehemently refused, insisting on taking care of everything himself. Since Li Yuanying was determined to save the court money, Emperor Li had acquiesced and let him have his way.
The result of Li Yuanying’s self-management was a dowry that had exceeded all limits even before the wedding.
With Li Yuanying’s wedding approaching, no one would dare to spoil the festivities with negative comments, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the case later on. Thinking of Wei Zheng potentially becoming the target of public criticism, Emperor Li felt quite pleased. He didn’t bother to send anyone to remind Wei Zheng.
In fact, Wei Zheng had noticed the excessive dowry. Tengzhou wasn’t that large, and the front of the procession had reached the Teng Wang Fu while the rear was still outside the city gates! This wasn’t simply “more” but excessive. As a seasoned master of criticism, Wei Zheng knew that this time, his reputation might be tarnished. He would likely face a barrage of accusations at court!
Why did he have to marry his granddaughter to Li Yuanying?
Watching the procession disappear into the Teng Wang Fu, Wei Zheng took out his frustrations on his sons and grandsons, scolding them for wasting their education. He wondered why they hadn’t done anything to intervene. Had they forgotten that Emperor Li had issued a decree a few years ago, forbidding excessive dowries and gifts? Everyone should follow the prescribed protocol according to their rank.
Wei Fu and Wei Ying could only take the scolding meekly. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to interfere, but they simply didn’t have the authority in Tengzhou. These people were playing by their own rules!
By now, the procession had reached the Teng Wang Fu. Some people began setting up the dowry, others prepared the bed. According to tradition, the bride’s family would come to decorate the new house, replacing the bedding and showing off the bride’s generous dowry.
Li Yuanying was thrilled at the prospect of marrying Wei Jiu tomorrow, and his mind was in the clouds as he hosted the Wei family for a feast. He couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive!
As night fell, Li Yuanying couldn’t sleep.
He woke up the next day with dark circles under his eyes.
Li Yuanying looked in the mirror and realized this was unacceptable. He demanded someone to cover up his dark circles, as it would detract from his handsome appearance! Only when Liu Baolin personally persuaded him to take a nap did he reluctantly lie down and sleep until noon, finally getting rid of the dark circles.
After lunch, Li Yuanying was full of energy again. He gathered his friends, Luo Binwang and Di Renjie, who would accompany him to fetch his bride, and complained, “Why hasn’t the auspicious time arrived yet?”
Li Yuanying asked so many times that Di Renjie couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He said, “It’s a wedding, so it takes place at dusk. The sun is still high in the sky. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Li Yuanying teased Di Renjie: “You aren’t the one getting married, so you wouldn’t understand.”
Di Renjie decided to ignore him.
Li Yuanying’s constant pestering of his friends continued until Emperor Li arrived, at which point he switched his target to his brother. He whined, “Why do we have to wait until evening to get married? I think daytime is perfect. I woke up early this morning and have to wait until evening to get Wei Jiu. I’m so impatient!”
Emperor Li retorted, “Given your impatience, how could anyone trust you with their daughter?”
Li Yuanying snorted: “I don’t believe I’m the only one who’s impatient. You must have been anxious when you first married.” He continued to bother Emperor Li until he heard someone calling for him to go fetch his bride. He jumped up and ran out, leading a fat goose to the Wei family.
Most ordinary families couldn’t afford a goose and used a duck instead during the six rites, but Li Yuanying could obtain as many geese as he wanted. He had carefully chosen the fattest one. The fatter, the luckier!
Li Yuanying rode his horse, leading the wedding procession towards the Wei family, drawing crowds of onlookers along the way. He greeted the people excitedly, announcing proudly, “I’m going to fetch my bride!”
The people cheered, “We know!” “Go quickly!” “We’re waiting!”
Everyone knew he was going to fetch his bride! Li Yuanying loved crowds and rode towards the Wei family with a joyful heart, propelled by the cheers of the people.
He arrived at the Wei family and saw the Wei family, with solemn faces, and presented the fat goose in a proper ceremonial fashion.
However, a minor mishap occurred.
Usually, after the offering of the goose, it would be released. However, this goose had been overfed and despite flapping its wings with all its might, it couldn’t fly! The fat goose lay there, defeated, hoping everyone would pretend they hadn’t seen it!
This little mishap only provoked laughter from the onlookers and didn’t disrupt the subsequent rituals. Li Yuanying, convinced of his literary prowess, wasn’t afraid of the dowry-urging ceremony. He immediately recited a poem praising Wei Jiu’s virtues.
The poem wasn’t bad, but it was a bit too explicit and enthusiastic. Li Yuanying himself didn’t realize this, and he even ordered his entourage of a hundred people to join him in chanting the poem to urge the bride’s family to release her.
Sometimes, a brazen attitude can be advantageous. The women present blushed and were eager to stop Li Yuanying from taking his bride. They were genuinely afraid that he might start shouting lines like “My love, you’re an angel descending from heaven” or “I miss you so much, I can’t sleep” – Wei Jiu would be mortified!
Li Yuanying didn’t feel a hint of shame. He believed that his sincere poem had moved Wei Jiu and her sisters, so he immediately rushed inside and scooped Wei Jiu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, into his arms.
This was against all decorum!
A groom should not simply grab his bride and run away!
Li Yuanying’s reckless behavior caused the official in charge of the wedding ceremony to panic. He hurried to catch up with him and tried to convince Li Yuanying to follow the proper protocol.
Li Yuanying, caught up in his excitement, had forgotten everything he had learned about the wedding procedures. For once, he was surprisingly obedient and followed the official’s instructions, preventing him from making a fool of himself in front of the onlookers.
Despite Li Yuanying’s apparent unreliability, Wei Jiu was escorted to the wedding carriage. The carriage was large and spacious, adorned with red fabric and flowers personally selected by Li Yuanying, all in full bloom, their sweet scent spreading far and wide.
Li Yuanying, as directed by the official, drove the carriage around in three circles before mounting his horse, with his bride beside him, and returning to the Teng Wang Fu.
There was no need to set up barriers to block the carriage. Li Yuanying had already instructed his people to scatter red envelopes and candy along the way. The envelopes came in different sizes, for good luck, and the candy was freshly made, sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The crowd, already excited, cheered as a shower of red rained down upon them, eager to soak in the good fortune of the Prince Tang’s wedding.
Fortunately, the city officials, anticipating the large crowds that would gather for the wedding procession, had assigned nearly all their officers to maintain order on that street. Otherwise, the scramble for red envelopes and candy would have caused chaos!
Li Yuanying, overjoyed, continued to throw money and candy all the way back to the Teng Wang Fu. He dismounted and helped Wei Jiu step out of the carriage.
Wei Jiu had been to the Teng Wang Fu countless times, but seeing the words “Teng Wang Fu” this time felt different. She took Li Yuanying’s hand, and they walked hand-in-hand through the main gate.
Not far from the main gate stood a wedding pavilion, decorated with a *bai zi zhang* (a hundred son banner), a symbol of prosperity and many offspring, and *bai kai bai he* (a hundred blooming lilies), signifying abundance and good fortune.
Emperor Li and the others were already gathered under the pavilion, awaiting the arrival of the wedding procession.
Seeing the couple, dressed in their wedding finery, approaching them, they felt a mixture of joy and melancholy. The boy who never seemed to grow up was finally becoming a man, and soon he would be a father!
Guided by the official, Li Yuanying and Wei Jiu performed the bowing ceremony.
First, they bowed to heaven and earth, then to each other.
After bowing to each other as husband and wife, they sat on opposite sides of a table. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, they tied a *tong xin jie* (a love knot) to the knob of a bronze mirror and cut off a lock of each other’s hair, tying them together, signifying that they were officially husband and wife from this moment forward.
**Author’s Note:**
The young prince: I’m a married man now!!!
Update!
A whopping 3800 words!
The young prince is married! But I’m so sleepy today! I went out for an hour in the cold wind this afternoon and I’m still not awake! I might not be able to write a second update! First, let’s celebrate the young prince’s singlehood with some nutrient liquid. I’ll see if I can manage the second update in the morning ovo
Note: I have consulted *From Looking at Tang Dynasty Wedding Customs* and *A Study of Tang Dynasty Marriage Ceremonies*, but, I’m not gonna lie, the second one was too long so I didn’t read it carefully. I just wrote it up happily! (Shut up!)
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