Don't be a prince

"However, the queen mother is ready to marry me. As soon as I get married, the two of you will soon. Qingque is nothing, but you, Li Ke, I guess you are going to fief."

"As expected, although the land of Wu is far away, it is not a place of smog. Anyway, I am going to throw away all the responsibilities of the king of Wu and close the house. Brother Huang, if you want me not to be bored, you have to find me Do something. No one will come to find me bad luck with your order. "

After finishing speaking, Li Ke drank the tea in the cup like drinking wine.He hates staying in the house and doing nothing, because it will make him smell a rotten smell from the inside out.And if he wanted not to be bored, he could only ask Brother Huang to find him some work to do.

After taking a sip of tea, Li Chengqian knocked on the cup and said: "You must do the river transportation, but you have to do things like clean up the river. In addition, several families in Wuzhong need Take a closer look, since you are going to fief the land, opening another bank in Wu can be regarded as sharing the worries of the imperial court."

Li Ke nodded in satisfaction, as long as there is something to do, there is nothing unacceptable even if he goes to Wudi.

Li Tai sighed: "After a while, our brothers will be separated, and we can only meet again during the big ceremony. Hey, third brother, before you leave, why don't we have a drink? The kind that gets drunk."

Li Chengqian slapped Li Tai without hesitation: "What to drink, it's okay to have a drink, but drinking too much alcohol will damage the nerves. Oh, you don't know what nerves are, as long as you know that drinking addiction will It’s enough for people to be stupid.”

"Stupid?"

Li Tai immediately jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on. If it made him stupid, he would be as happy as killing him.All the things to say have been said, and the evening tea party between the brothers will come to an end.

They went back to sleep, it was night, and it was unrealistic to go back to Chang'an, so Li Chengqian lived in courtyard 001.

After waking up early, he still does morning exercises. After persisting for so many years, Li Chengqian finally felt a little bit of the so-called "bottleneck".

In terms of swordsmanship, it is not that he has never competed with his own team members and Zhang Yun. To say that he is a master is definitely not narcissism. Boxing... no, but whether it is wrestling or life-and-death fighting, Li Chengqian thinks he is not a showman.

In terms of archery, although I haven't tried it now, it is still no problem to pull the wind when hunting.

Riding has also been practiced, at least there is no fear of falling off the horse.

But what's the matter with this feeling of being inaccessible?

Zhang Yun himself is also an expert in martial arts, so why doesn't he know what this feeling is all about.To put it bluntly, there is no goal, and the heights are too cold.

However, just after a duel in the morning, Li Chengqian's feeling disappeared without a trace.Because he was beaten by Zhang Yun.Even though he now feels that he is already very powerful, but in a real confrontation with Zhang Yun, he will still be at a disadvantage in a face-to-face 1, and will lose directly after a while.Of course, it still is! !When Zhang Yun kept his hand.According to what he said, he really couldn't have any real killing intent towards his master.

It is the real martial arts that are tempered in life and death struggles.

However, where would a prince have the chance to fight others to the death, he could only shoot arrows from a distance in the last battlefield, protected by three layers inside and three layers outside.Li Chengqian is already very content to be able to practice spontaneously to the point where he can do a few tricks with Zhang Yun, a pervert.

After breakfast, the cheek that was punched by Zhang Yun stopped hurting. Li Dahai waited at the table, very respectful.

His family is now considered to be in the limelight in the clan. The whole family is working hard for the prince. Not to mention, one son is now serving as the chief steward in Lingnan, and the youngest son has now got rid of his business status. Under the eighth rank, but the future is boundless.

What Li Chengqian hates the most is that his subordinates look like slaves. They are obviously not dressed, and they come here in a hurry, and they insist that they have already eaten.

After finishing a bowl of gruel, Li Chengqian said: "If you have anything to say, just say it. I'm afraid it will be bad manners to eat with Gu. After talking, the guards can still eat there."

Li Dahai smiled and said: "Dining at the same table with you will shorten the old slave's life. But this time, the old slave has something important to report, and it can't be finished in a while. It's better to wait until you finish eating. "

The two drank gruel, picked up a steamed bun and walked out. Li Chengqian said as he walked, "Gu has finished eating, if you have something to say, don't let Gu kick you."

Li Dahai knew that it was already a very serious punishment for the crown prince to kick someone, so he immediately said directly, "Your Highness, the steward of our coal yard reported that the Wang family is also engaged in the matter of transporting money between two places recently, but , different from us, they are five surnames and seven families united to exchange money in their respective clan areas. You have to know that these places in Taiyuan are all Tongzhou Dayi, and there is no shortage of business and wealthy businessmen. Your bank could lose money as a result."

"Hehe, amazing, someone imitated my bank?"

Chewing the steamed stuffed bun, Li Chengqian didn't have much reaction to what the five surnames and seven families did.

According to the plagiarism of the gourd painting, the decree prohibiting private lending has been promulgated. There is no doubt that the first ones to be impacted are the Buddhism and the major families.The monk still dared to be angry and dare not speak out. After all, this is not something to be said in front of the Buddha, but the big family doesn't care about it.

Since the imperial court promulgated this decree to create conditions for the bank, then I will learn from the bank to do so.I can't lend money, I can't save money, and I'm not allowed to exchange money?If you learn how banks do this and charge fees, you can also benefit.

As for prestige, five surnames and seven families do not lack this thing, even though there are only seven families, but they definitely do not encourage the eleven families in the south of the Yangtze River to unite with the royal family.

Chapter 292

Li Chengqian burst out laughing after guessing the thoughts of the Patriarch of the Five Surnames.There is no doubt that their behavior can indeed benefit. Relying on the family background and reputation, it is no problem to support a channel for the circulation of money.But, how long can an organization that only collects money and does not bring benefits to others survive in front of the bank?

Yes, the bank will charge a handling fee for remote deposit and withdrawal, but the most important thing is that you can benefit from depositing your money in the bank. As long as you are an old customer of the bank, you can easily get a loan without going through strict scrutiny. Take the pressure off your hands.Compared with banks, organizations run by the five surnames will only make people laugh.

What's more, since ancient times, brothers have not been able to work together properly, let alone five different surnames and seven different families.When a certain family enjoys short-term prosperity and indulges in it, internal fighting is inevitable.In the past, I always felt that there was no excuse not to start, but now that people are going to die, who can blame them?

"It's fine to leave it alone. If we take action to deal with it, people may say that it is suppressing. Lao Li, do you think the bank is successful now? You must know that these are just the foundation. In the future, when conditions permit, the bank will It still needs to continue to develop downwards. When it develops to a county or even a large village, it will be considered the end.

Compared with us, how can the five surnames do?Break away from their ancestral land and build another courtyard elsewhere?Don't be ridiculous, it's a problem for them to take this step. Even if they take this step, if they don't fight, the sun will rise from the west. "

Li Dahai folded his hands and listened to the prince's analysis. He found that the prince's eyes on some things were really vicious. Almost all his subordinates were wary of this matter. Although he could see it openly, he was also somewhat worried.In the end, he is not as grand as the prince, who can directly ignore the opponent's moves.

"You came today at the right time. Tell Lao Jin and all the restaurants in Chang'an. Gu probably will have a big wedding soon. On the day of the big wedding, if you want to have a big banquet in Chang'an, as long as you sing a salute to the East Palace, No matter if you are a commoner or a beggar, you can sit there, and you don’t need to worry about the cost, as long as everyone in the city is happy that day!"

"Banquet Chang'an..."

Li Dahai wanted to persuade him, but when he thought of the strong financial resources of the Eastern Palace, he immediately shut up again.It seemed that I was still not used to my current status, and it was hard to imagine a feast of this scale before, but now it was the East Palace that wanted to feast in Chang'an, and it really didn't cost much money.

"The old slave knows, and the matter will be settled soon!"

After obeying the order, Li Dahai laughed. Finally, the prince has come to this day. When he thinks that his grandson will also work hard for the prince's child in the future, he feels happy.Inheritance has always been the most important thing. It is simply an accident that a family has no direct descendants in the old age of the old patriarch.

Li Chengqian couldn't figure out why everyone who got the news laughed so heartily when he was getting married.But no matter what, he still can't resist the idea of ​​the queen's old lady, if he can't resist, then bear with it.

After returning to the East Palace, he received a message from the Queen. Yuan Tiangang did some calculations and decided that the third day of the seventh lunar month was an auspicious day, the most suitable for getting married.

Although it is only April now, everything that needs to be prepared has been prepared. Three months seems to be ample time, but in fact it is not enough.

As a result, the Ministry of Internal Affairs became completely busy, and the procuring court ladies and eunuchs came in and out endlessly. Even Li Chengqian was curious that it was just a wedding, how much supplies could be used?

Doubts are doubts, but they don't move forward to make do with it. Commanding the maids and eunuchs to run around is what the empress enjoys the most. She has waited more than ten years for such a day, and naturally put in unimaginable energy.

Li Chengqian, who had been waiting silently, finally received the assignment from the empress, um, to attend the engagement banquet.

Getting engaged before getting married is a must, it's a courtesy, even if you're in a hurry.As a result, the palace naturally received a large number of gifts.The prince is engaged, and the ministers will give gifts no matter what.

It was also at the banquet that Li Chengqian officially met his "father-in-law"—Su Quan for the first time.

As a traditional literati, although Su Quan had fantasized about it countless times, he was still at a loss when he was really in the same room with the emperor and all the ministers, and was still a guest of honor.No matter who made the toast, they all drank it in one gulp, even though they didn't drink strong alcohol, they still passed out within a short time.

Seeing Su Quan being carried down, the first emperor didn't think he was disobedient, but laughed and allowed him to leave first.When he set the range of choices for the princess, he had this in mind.When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was about to die, he had to take Mrs. Gouge away because he was worried about the dictatorship of his relatives. Similarly, Datang should also be vigilant about this problem.There is no doubt that the lofty royal family is the fertile soil under the big trees like Xungui. With the nourishment of the royal family, they can quickly develop and become hegemonic, even to the point where they want to replace them.

The Changsun family is a good example. It is obvious that Changsun Wuji is just a minister of the household department, but in the court, as long as he participates in the government, others dare not fight too much.Li Shimin felt that he was tired of friendship, so he couldn't attack the eldest grandson's family, so he could only save the prince from this disaster.

A person like Su Tan who has no family roots and only has a small official position, although he will be promoted because of this, but it will not be to the point where the power dominates the world.Just a good old man, an official position like governor, is enough to get rid of him.When the prince's child is also born, it will be difficult for the power of the grandfather's family to rise up.

"Su Quan is quite respectful. I accidentally let him be the governor. What do you think?"

Li Chengqian didn't expect the emperor to ask him what he thought, so he could only cup his hands and say, "Father and Emperor Mingjian, those who are officials outside all envy the officials in Beijing, but those who are officials in Chang'an, especially those who have not important functions, will feel that they are alone." It is extremely regrettable that the ability cannot be used to govern the country and the people. My minister feels that it will be in line with Taishan's wishes to compare it with the outside world."

Li Shimin nodded: "Let's let the governor out, Taizhou is a good place, since you want to develop shipping, Taizhou will definitely be an important place, handing it over to him will not only make you feel at ease, but also drive the prosperity of the Su family." One point, it’s the best of both worlds.”

Now that they are in-laws, they should be treated preferentially, and it is impossible to give them too many opportunities in terms of status, so it is also a good choice to compensate them in terms of money.

Although he really wanted to refuse, but thinking of the situation of the Su family, Li Chengqian could only agree.

In fact, the less acquaintances you have with the people you work with, the better, because regardless of rewards and punishments, you can proceed normally, but mixing with relatives and old acquaintances is always prone to problems.You know, the people who can make trouble in the family business the most are relatives.

But after thinking about it in a blink of an eye, after all, I have taken the jewel in the palm of others for myself, and I still have to give the benefits that should be given to my father-in-law.

After drinking a glass of grape wine, Li Chengqian asked curiously: "Father, what is the rule for accepting concubines in the palace? When the crown princess has a big banquet for guests, what about accepting side concubines?"

Li Shimin squinted at Li Chengqian and said, "What kind of banquet is the concubine holding? You see, when a serious family takes a concubine, it's at most just asking a few close people to eat and drink together. There's no such thing as making a fuss. The wedding itself is a matter of course." If you have your mother to help you, you just wait honestly."

Yep, hit a wall.

Although he guessed it, Li Chengqian still wanted to confirm it.

After all, the so-called side concubine of the prince is actually treated similarly to the concubine of a commoner's family.As for the treatment of concubines, it may be better if you meet a good family. If not, it may not be much different from the status of a servant.When accepting the side concubine, even if the East Palace held a banquet alone, it would not be possible, because the East Palace could not afford to lose this person. If the East Palace dared to do this, it would be strange if the censors did not come and make a big banquet.

There is no need to add obstacles to things that are really irresistible, so Li Chengqian had no choice but to give up this idea.

The gift list received today was placed on the emperor's table, which was very thick, but Li Chengqian knew that these things had nothing to do with him, and it was estimated that only the ones on the day of the wedding were considered the property of the East Palace.However, a small part of them just stayed in the warehouse for a period of time, like the palaces of the princes and princes, when they held big weddings and birthdays, the East Palace would return gifts.

The banquet lasted until midnight. Although he drank wine, Li Chengqian was still half drunk. When he returned to the East Palace, he couldn't bear it and fell asleep.

Most of the weddings in the Tang Dynasty inherited the customs of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, but the royal weddings are still different from the common people, which can be regarded as an extremely simplified version.First of all, it is the appointment. When the appointment is made, it is enough for the head of internal affairs to send it over with the dowry gift.As for the date of application, there is no need to ask a respected person to come to the door with a wild goose in his arms, but the date will be selected by the palace.

What surprised Li Chengqian the most was that he didn't need to marry the bride, as long as the Jinwu Guards were dispatched to escort the princess into the palace.

"Jin Wuwei? Chang He led the team? Isn't this too hasty?"

Thinking of Chang He, Li Chengqian felt that the price had dropped.

The eldest grandson is writing invitations to the wives. The prince's marriage is a big event. Not only the emperor wants to feast the ministers, but the queen also entertains the wives of the ministers.

Hearing Li Chengqian's words, the eldest grandson put down his pen and said: "The Jinwu guards are not only responsible for the defense of the palace, but also occasionally responsible for the emperor's travels. What's wrong with them escorting the Su family into the palace? If you think it's inappropriate, you can also let your relatives go out to meet him." , the nature is the same. If you think about it, it’s not a big deal to change the general who leads the team.”

After finishing speaking, the eldest grandson continued to write with a pen. Originally, it would be the same to leave this kind of matter to the servants, but the eldest grandson, who was full of enthusiasm, was unwilling to leave this kind of matter to others.She seldom needs to write with her own pen this year, which brings her interest.

Don't bother my mother's interest anymore, thinking that Chang He will lead the team, Li Chengqian thinks it is necessary to improve the specifications.Didn't it mean that the general leading the team can be changed?Then change it!

So, Li Chengqian visited Li Jing with a generous gift.

Since the East Turkic War, Li Jing seemed to be invisible. Except for the period when the crown prince supervised the country, he basically lived in seclusion. When other honorable families had happy events, they usually gave gifts and did not go out.

Speaking of which, it was the first time entering Li Jing's house, and Li Dejian was an old acquaintance, but this gorgeous woman in red was probably Hong Fu!

"I have seen His Royal Highness."

"Meet my wife~"

The two people who saluted each other were stunned for a moment, but the embarrassment was fleeting and turned into laughter.

In Li Jing's house, there was no need to hide it, so Li Chengqian was very casual, without Li Jing's invitation, he walked into the lobby and sat on the guest seat.

"What is your Highness doing here today? Oh, and I want to congratulate Your Highness on getting married."

Li Jing was also familiar with Li Chengqian's temperament, so he didn't refuse, so he took the main seat.

"Isn't this here for the purpose of getting married? I asked the queen mother. On the day of the wedding, the Jinwu Guard will escort the crown princess into the palace. However, there is a lot to be done about the issue of leading generals. Duke Wei, I don't know you Have you become the leading general of this army?"

"Your Highness, do you want the old man to lead a team to greet the bride?"

Li Jing was a little dumbfounded immediately, if someone else said this, he would definitely see off the guest directly.What a joke, the old man is also a dignified Duke of the State of Wei, how could he pull himself off and do such a thing?However, since it was the crown prince who asked...

The red-haired girl was indeed as innocent as the records in the unofficial history. Li Jing was still thinking, so she applauded: "This is very good, husband, you just agree, it's not bad to be happy."

After thinking for a long time, Li Jing raised his head and said, "Your Highness, have you thought about the consequences of doing this? Although the prince's wedding should be grand, it's still a bit ostentatious to let the old man welcome you."

It's not that Li Jing is boasting. Thinking of him, with his military achievements, even if it's very rare to show up, let alone greet the relatives in person.

"It's okay, we already have a master-student relationship, I don't think those censors can catch any tails."

Seeing Li Chengqian's affirmation, Li Jing immediately smiled and said: "Since that's the case, the old man will agree!"

After finishing Li Jing, Li Chengqian was still very happy. Since he couldn't greet the bride in person, he should make the wedding ceremony bigger.

After visiting Li Jing, they went to the homes of Cheng Yaojin and Yu Chigong. Even Niu Jinda was not spared. There were a total of four generals leading the team. The specification was definitely enough!It is said that when getting married, as long as the generals lead the team to ward off evil spirits, these four stand in front, oh, let alone ward off evil spirits, gods and Buddhas probably have to stand aside.

The prince's wedding was originally a matter within the nobility, even if the news spread to the people, it would not cause much repercussions.It's not the neighbor's fool getting married, so what does it matter to me?

However, this time, it caused a violent reaction, because all the restaurants and tea stalls in Chang'an started shouting in advance.As long as it's the day of the prince's wedding, as long as you say congratulations in the direction of the East Palace, you can let go of eating and drinking, and everyone's account will be paid by the prince!

This is the first time that ordinary people can participate in the royal wedding, so many people are inexplicably excited. It is really a one-person marriage, and the whole city is happy.

The newly appointed Chang'an county magistrate has turned gray during this period of time. Because of the news of the prince's wedding and banquet, many residents from outside Chang'an flocked into Chang'an City to inquire about the exact date.This is just before the wedding. On the day of the wedding, it would be strange if Chang'an was not full of talents.

If it was just such a thing, it would not be enough to attract the emperor's attention, but when some people tremblingly walked to the gate of the imperial city and asked the city gate officials whether the East Palace would accept gifts, it did arouse the emperor's attention.

It's hard to imagine that a banquet can be exchanged for just a congratulations, which is a good thing for nothing, but there are still people who feel that it is inappropriate and want to give gifts to the East Palace.

It was the first time for the common people to be involved in the royal family's happy event. No one thought that there would be people thinking of giving gifts to the royal family.

"Decree that on the day of the Jinwu Guard's wedding, a civilian gift reception office will be set up at the gate of the imperial city. I really want to see how many people are willing to give gifts to the East Palace!"

Above the court, after hearing the emperor's order, Wei Zheng stood up to stop him, but retreated back into the team.It is the faint ruler who levies violently against the people, and it is the rule of the wise ruler who can make the people consciously bear the tax without feeling that it is difficult to live on.And when the people feel that they don't feel bad about giving gifts to the royal family even if they don't receive the gifts in return, this is a situation that would never happen in a prosperous age.Not to mention the emperor, even he was curious about how many gifts the East Palace would receive from the people this time.

The imperial court unanimously passed the emperor's order to accept the gift at the gate of the imperial city, and Li Chengqian added another one after learning the news, be sure to write down the name and address of the gift giver.He really doesn't have the cheek to go whoring people's things for nothing, this is the bottom line, at least he has to have a chance to return the courtesy.Those bastards in the imperial court wanted to see how the people would react, but they didn't expect that the East Palace would not be able to accept these gifts as it should.

So, in the anticipation of countless people, the day of welcoming relatives finally arrived.

The Su family's dowry had been sent to the East Palace the day before, and some of Su Yuan's clothes were also sent to the East Palace.

Guangtian Hall is the residence designated by Li Chengqian to Su Yuan. It's not that she doesn't want her to live in Lizheng Hall, but the rules are like this. Even the princess can't live in the prince's bedroom. Even the emperor has to visit Ganlu occasionally. The palace guards the empty bed alone, let alone the prince.

All the ministers and wives were invited to the palace for a banquet.When seeing Cheng Yaojin's absence, Li Daliang couldn't help asking Li Ji: "Where did that bastard Cheng go? Isn't he the most noisy one at a banquet like this?"

Li Ji likes pork ribs very much, and now one plate has already entered his stomach, and he is dealing with the second plate. Hearing Li Daliang's question, he said: "The crown prince thinks that the Jinwu guards are the only ones to welcome the bride, and the specifications are not enough. I don't know how to move the old Cheng." Old Yuchi, Lao Niu, and even that fellow Li Jing joined the wedding party, and went to greet the bride as a general."

"I invited four! This guy Li Jing actually agreed?"

Hearing this news, Li Daliang couldn't help but pay more attention to the prince in his heart.

Although the crown prince is the heir apparent, it is not an ordinary difficulty to persuade the princes and princes of the four countries to commit themselves to marrying him.

Chapter 293 Wedding