Chapter 312 Marriage, Plan
Chapter 312 Marriage, Plan
Nowadays, the wedding ceremonies of wealthy families in the Ming Dynasty are particularly complicated.
But since the war in the southwest was not over and Luchuan was ready to go, everything was kept simple.
Even so, it was still extremely complicated for Lu Yunyi.
Pre-marriage preparations include selecting a bride and offering a betrothal gift.
The marriage partner is chosen after consultation between the two parents or a matchmaker.
This step is particularly important in powerful families, as it means being well-matched, making many compromises on interests, and exchanging interests in the future.
As for how men and women view each other, it doesn't matter.
In some wealthy families with strict family discipline, men and women may never have met each other before getting married.
Nacai is a gift of courtesy and money given by a man to the woman to show his sincerity.
Usually includes gold and silver jewelry, jade objects, silk and other valuables,
Since the two families are well matched, the woman will also respond with an equal dowry and gift money.
Lu Yunyi had already completed this process, so he didn't have to worry about it.
A scroll of "Buddhist images of the Dali Kingdom" was enough to express his gratitude, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver that were subsequently presented.
In return, the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion was also extremely generous.
Houses and land were donated in many good places within the Yunnan Provincial Administration, including Kunming Prefecture, Dali Prefecture, Lijiang Prefecture, Guangnan Prefecture, and Guangxi Prefecture.
There are also three prefectures in Zhejiang, each with a house, and six prefectures in Zhili, each with a house.
Especially in Yingtian and Fengyang, not only houses were given, but also land and shops outside the city.
It is worth mentioning that near Xinchengwei of Beijing Xingdusi,
He also gave him a piece of land and a house to make it convenient for Lu Yunyi to live in after he took office.
In addition to the land and houses, there are also some gold, silver, jewelry and silver coins.
The value of these objects may not be as great as the "Dali Kingdom Buddhist Imagery Scroll".
But it is enough to show the heritage of Xiping Marquis Mansion.
The real benefit that Lu Yunyi gained was not the money.
Money is readily available to those in power.
With power comes money.
What Lu Yunyi really gained was not only shelter, but also future power.
This incident opened Lu Yunyi's eyes to the control of Xiping Marquis' Mansion and Yunnan.
The killing of prisoners did not cause much commotion.
Instead, he became widely praised for his last words: "I am willing to bear the infamy of my whole life and eliminate the troubles in the southwest forever."
Many young generals in the city have been clamoring to go to the front line to fight against Luchuan, and do something that will bring harm to the present but benefit future generations!
The people did not react much to the killing of prisoners.
This made Lu Yunyi ponder for a long time, and finally he figured out the key late at night.
Killing prisoners is not justifiable from a moral point of view, but for the urban residents in Yunnan,
It can be said that the enemy was completely wiped out and future troubles were eliminated forever.
This move may harm personal interests, but it will benefit the country and the people.
Fortunately, such praise is only spread among the people.
This caused a great uproar in the official circles and the military commission.
Lu Yunyi received news that some officials had begun to impeach him.
This made him breathe a sigh of relief. After such painstaking planning, he was finally seeing some results.
At this time, Lu Yunyi was already in a huge mansion on Taihua Street in Kunming City.
Taihua Street is where the rich and powerful of Kunming gather. Almost all the important people live here.
This house was given by Feng for their marriage.
If you come to Kunming again in the future, you can live here.
Lu Yunyi was sitting in the study, with a red paper in front of him.
It contains many procedures and etiquette for getting married.
But he didn't take it to heart, and instead looked at a piece of white paper next to him.
It lists the actions he has taken during this period and the possible results he may get.
After reading it through and carefully checking for omissions and filling in the gaps, he burned the white paper and turned to look at the red paper.
After the pre-wedding preparations, the next step is to welcome the bride. Fortunately, this only involves three steps.
Setting up the bed, preparing for the wedding, and welcoming the bride.
Setting up the bed means placing the wedding bed in the new house, decorating it with red sheets, and lighting a pair of red candles, which symbolizes joy and auspiciousness.
The preparation for the bride is that the man sends his officials and servants to the woman's house to make preparations.
This includes cleaning, putting on flower hairpins, and placing offerings to welcome the bride.
Lu Yunyi doesn't need to worry about these two things, Liu Heying will take full charge of them.
Lu Yunyi only needs to be responsible for welcoming the bride at the end.
The bride is accompanied by a matchmaker or relatives, a pair of young women wearing red headscarves, holding red silk in their hands, and walking towards the wedding procession accompanied by the music of a band.
During this process, there will be lively sounds of gongs, drums and firecrackers to add to the festive atmosphere.
What Lu Yunyi can do is to act as the team leader and bring it back.
The matter was not too complicated and Lu Yunyi did not have to worry too much.
Lu Yunyi moved his eyes and soon saw the wedding behind him. He couldn't help but look worried and stretched out his hand to pinch his eyebrows.
The wedding process is much more complicated.
Serving tea: After entering the groom's home, the bride serves tea to the elders in the groom's family as a sign of respect.
Taking the bride: Led by the groom's parents, they walk around the bed in a specific order to worship the gods of heaven and earth and pray for a long-lasting happiness in the marriage.
Respecting relatives: The bride and groom toast to the relatives on both sides in turn to express their gratitude and blessings.
Respecting both parents: The bride and groom toast to both sets of parents to show filial piety and respect.
Wedding Drinking: The bride and groom raise their wine glasses towards each other and drink at the same time to show their eternal love.
Family reunion: The newlyweds, led by their elders, respectfully ask for guidance and ancestral teachings from both families, symbolizing family harmony and unity.
After finally finishing the reading, Lu Yunyi could already feel a little tired.
Fortunately, in the end, only the banquet and the bridal chamber were left, and that was when everything was finished.
Lu Yunyi flipped through the papers and found a previous record, which made him feel dizzy.
It turns out that if we follow the normal process,
The wedding process takes several days, and just eating and drinking would take three days, but fortunately it didn't have to be like that.
A heavy stone was lifted from his heart, and Lu Yunyi heaved a long sigh, preparing to stand up and stretch his body.
Now it is late at night, wait till tomorrow morning,
He was about to set off with the wedding procession to the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion.
The house here is very big, the largest one on Taihua Street.
It is bigger than the five-courtyard house in the capital.
Although it was decorated magnificently, it still lacked some popularity and wealth compared to the houses in the capital.
Standing at the door of the study and looking around, it seems a bit eerie.
However, my mother-in-law is very considerate.
Many servants and maids have been arranged to live in the mansion to increase its popularity.
In the afternoon, they invited a great monk from the city to perform a ritual to drive away the evil spirits.
At this time, Lu Yunyi was walking in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. There were big red lanterns and wedding characters everywhere.
The courtyard was brightly lit and almost everyone was busy, as if he was the only one who was idle.
Soon, Lu Yunyi discovered that wherever he went,
The servants and domestics would stop to greet him, becoming so awed that they delayed their work.
Even the speed slowed down.
This made Lu Yunyi realize that it would be better not to walk around, so he returned to the study.
He sat there quietly with a calm expression, deep in thought.
As for tomorrow's wedding, he had neither expectations nor worries. Instead, he was more willing to let things take their natural course.
Because there is always a heavy stone in my heart.
So that he can't devote too much energy to other things.
The limited energy they had was also put into fighting to find a way out.
Lu Yunyi sat quietly on the carved mahogany chair, leaning back, tapping his hands on both sides.
Looking at the study room with its luxurious atmosphere, the moonlight penetrated in through the gaps in the window frames and sprinkled on the newly renovated floor, making it look particularly cold and cool.
[If things go well, everything I do in Yunnan will become the foundation of my future career.
In the Ming Dynasty officialdom, having a good personality means a prosperous career.
Even in a disaster, one can still survive and wait for an opportunity to rise again.]
[Is it enough to create a character who is both loyal and righteous, ruthless to the outside world, and kind to the inside?]
[Perhaps, some unique military merits are needed.]
[The war during the Northern Yuan Dynasty didn’t count then, and it doesn’t count now either.]
However, to be able to be as independent as General Lan Yu and my father-in-law,
This involves too many things, and if we are not careful, it will be considered as forming a clique, so what should we do? ]
[Perhaps, we can set a lower target and suppress the rebellion?]
[No, no, no, the Dukes all fought hard in foreign wars, expanded territory, and suppressed rebellions. They were not able to show off their military prowess.]
[Could it be that the opportunity is in Daning? What can I do in Xinchengwei?
Reclaim good farmland, survey the land, suppress the big families, and support the common people.
No, no, this is not a credit, this is what should be done.]
[During the Luchuan War, is there still a chance?]
[Although the killing of prisoners caused an unusual reaction among the people, it did not hinder the progress of the government.
It is still unknown whether he will be able to participate in the subsequent Luchuan battle. He may even be suspended to reassure the people.
Otherwise, if the generals on the front line follow suit, wouldn't there be chaos?]
[What should we do then?]
It was a rare moment of leisure, and Lu Yunyi's thoughts were scattered, and his mind was full of ideas.
Thoughts came up one after another, were quickly rejected, and new thoughts emerged instead.
Lu Yunyi spent the whole night in deep thought. When the cock crowed,
Lu Yunyi's scattered eyes slowly gathered and looked at the sunlight that replaced the moonlight.
Different from the coldness of the night, the sunlight was full of gentleness, exuding a soft breath, and Lu Yunyi's resolute and well-defined face was relaxed.
Make a decision in your mind and do the things at hand first.
After the marriage, he settled the women from Yushi Village and Wushan Village.
We can even expand the scope and accommodate some women from Jingdong.
Let others think that this is an attempt to gain fame.
But in fact, it is a strategy of repairing the plank road in the open and marching through Chencang in secret, which is to protect the power of the future.
Just as Lu Yunyi couldn't help but let his thoughts wander, hurried footsteps sounded at the door.
After a busy night, Liu Heiying, with dark circles under his eyes and messy hair, hurried in.
His head turned quickly and he soon found the desk and saw Lu Yunyi sitting behind it.
The expression on his face suddenly became exaggerated, and he sighed hard, a sound of wailing,
Ahhh——
He quickly rushed to the desk and stared at Lu Yunyi's casual clothes:
"Brother Yun'er, why haven't you changed your clothes yet?"
After saying this, without waiting for Lu Yunyi's reaction, Liu Heiying shouted outside:
"Come here, help the groom change his clothes."
Soon, an old man rushed in with many servants.
The old man was the housekeeper found by Madam Feng. His name was Wang Bo. He was over fifty years old and was an old servant in the mansion of Marquis Xiping.
Most of the servants and housekeepers of wealthy families like this were trained from childhood and were extremely loyal.
Mrs. Feng also told Lu Yunyi that if he found someone close to him in the future, he could just replace him.
Seeing Lu Yunyi's calm expression, Wang Bo couldn't help but feel dizzy. He called the servants in while muttering:
"I've been busy all night, but the groom hasn't cleaned up yet. Isn't it a waste of time?"
"Hurry, hurry, it's almost time to welcome the bride, don't miss the time."
Seeing their anxious expressions, Lu Yunyi sighed silently.
I stood up and just stood there, letting them do whatever they wanted.
Finally, half an hour later,
His face, which had become dark and cracked due to long-term battles, became fair again.
The same went for the exposed skin, and the black casual clothes on her body were changed into a bright red wedding gown.
The wedding gown was embroidered with intricate gold thread patterns, like auspicious clouds, and looked lifelike.
The hem of his clothes swayed with his slight movements, exuding elegance and dignity.
Lu Yunyi stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself. He had to admit that the servants in the Hou Mansion were extremely skilled.
His originally ferocious face, after being covered up,
The original sharpness was replaced by a faint smile, and even the eyes seemed not as sharp as before.
A few carefully combed strands of hair fell gently on the forehead.
It added a touch of gentleness and elegance to him.
Standing there, he looked like a handsome scholar who was well-read in poetry and books.
This caused Liu Heiying, who was standing by and watching, to exclaim in surprise.
"Brother Yun'er, you should study hard and get a good academic record."
Lu Yunyi stood there and glanced at him.
His originally gentle temperament was destroyed in an instant, and then he regained the majesty of a general.
At this time, the woman who was putting on makeup for her uttered a sweet hum, and her charming features were filled with smiles. She said repeatedly:
"General Lu, today is your big day, why are you so fierce?
Don’t scare the guests, and more importantly, don’t scare the bride.”
Lu Yunyi showed helplessness, and the seriousness on his face gradually faded, turning into a smile.
The woman clapped her hands in surprise:
"Yes, yes, that's it."
But in Lu Yunyi's opinion, it still seemed a little unnatural.
Uncle Wang looked at the time and spoke softly:
"Master, it's almost time. Why don't we set off now? It's better to be early than late."
Hearing this address, Lu Yunyi felt it was quite strange and nodded slightly:
"Let's go that way."
In less than a quarter of an hour, with the sound of festive gongs and drums, the gate of the Lu Mansion slowly opened, and a mighty and gorgeously decorated wedding procession was ready to set off.
It is like a flowing red silk, shining brightly in the sun.
At the front of the team were several tall and handsome horses.
They are dressed in colorful silks, wearing red flowers on their heads, and riding on their horses are energetic knights dressed in red.
They held colorful flags and led the entire team forward.
The horse's steps were steady and powerful, and the sound of clattering feet made a clattering sound on the bluestone road.
Following closely behind were several beautifully decorated sedan chairs, their bodies wrapped in red silk and embellished with flowers and jewels, sparkling brightly.
The sedan bearers wore the same red uniform and marched in unison.
The sedan chair was carried with great care, fearing the slightest bump.
On both sides of the team were bands dressed in red and holding musical instruments. They played music and made cheerful noises.
When we walked out of Taihua Street, we could finally see the people.
They stood on both sides of the road, staring at the wedding procession with wide eyes, with envy and longing on their faces.
The children excitedly ran after the procession, scrambling for the wedding candies that were being distributed.
Lu Yunyi was in the team, wearing red clothes and riding a white horse.
Feeling the gazes of the people around him, he could keenly perceive the same thing in their eyes.
It was shocking, incredible, and a little bit surprising.
It should be impossible to associate the well-mannered and handsome young man in front of you with the legendary murderer.
As the team continued to move forward, the gate of Xiping Marquis Mansion gradually came into view.
The gate of the Marquis' Mansion had already been decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, and the festive atmosphere was comparable to that of the Lu Mansion.
The wedding procession stopped in front of the marquis's mansion. The knights dismounted and the bearers lowered the bridal sedan steadily.
Countless relatives of Xiping Marquis gathered in front of the gate and in the courtyard.
He looked at Lu Yunyi with a slight scrutiny, regardless of whether he was dissatisfied or not.
At this moment, everyone had smiles on their faces and expressed congratulations.
After the wedding, everything went smoothly.
Of course, there was a lot of eating and drinking at the banquet.
Sima Xu, the commander of the central army and a relative of Lu Yunyi, had already drunk a lot of alcohol when the banquet started, and his steps were unsteady.
He kept yelling and didn't bring Deng Zhen back with him.
Lu Yunyi's head became dizzy after a series of toasts and social events.
Fortunately, the mother-in-law still felt sorry for her son-in-law. Seeing that he was walking unsteadily, she quickly ordered someone to help him into the backyard.
The dim candlelight flickered gently, and the normal noise in the front yard still lingered in my ears.
At this time, a steady and clear voice sounded behind him.
"Wait a minute."
The servant looked back and immediately stopped, showing respect:
"Master Hou."
Xiping Hou Mu Ying had a ruddy complexion and a faint smile on his face.
He was wearing a rather cumbersome brocade robe, with his hands behind his back, and walked towards me step by step.
Lu Yunyi forced himself to dispel some of his drunkenness and bowed respectfully:
"My son-in-law pays homage to my father-in-law."
Mu Ying looked him up and down, with an unstoppable smile on his face, and waved gently at the servant.
They retreated tactfully.
"Are you drunk? Let's go for a walk?"
Mu Ying lowered his voice and walked forward with his hands behind his back, not waiting for his answer.
Seeing this, Lu Yunyi smiled bitterly and hurriedly followed.
The two men were about the same height, and both looked rather burly and majestic at the moment.
"Today is the day you and Ting'er are getting married. As a father, I shouldn't say such discouraging words, but I still want to remind you a few things."
"Yun Yi is all ears."
Mu Ying nodded and looked sideways with satisfaction on his face:
"My father has fought on the battlefield for thirty years in his life, and only then has he achieved his current status and achievements. The hardships he experienced cannot be told to outsiders.
Over the years, I have met so many young talents and was amazed by them.
Most of them were unable to keep their original intentions, and would do anything to gain power, money, and beauty, and their relationships with the court could not be smooth from beginning to end.
But you are different. As a father, I can see that you have a persistent mind.
Although you don’t know what it is, it makes you feel extremely urgent.”
Lu Yunyi's face was calm, his mouth opened and closed, and he wanted to say something, but Mu Ying raised his hand to stop him:
"Don't tell me that the relationship between father and children has always been the closest and the most distant.
They can rely on each other and sacrifice their lives for each other, but they cannot confide the secrets and grievances in their hearts to each other.
You don't have to tell me. With your intelligence, you must have found a way.
Telling this to your father is just seeking his approval."
As he spoke, Mu Ying laughed and shook his head:
"It's a bit of a letdown to say these words on such a festive day.
As a father, I just want to tell you that a harmonious family brings prosperity.
In life, what we pursue is not just power and money, it is also okay to live an ordinary life.
As a father, I only hope that you and Ting'er can live in harmony and love each other more."
"Thank you for your guidance, father. Yun Yi will keep it in mind."
"Go, this is all I will tell you today.
It's a rare free time, so it's a good idea to take Ting'er out for a walk and enjoy the scenery."
"Yes."
Lu Yunyi bowed, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
Listening to the footsteps gradually fading away,
Lu Yunyi slowly straightened up, and the drunkenness in his eyes had disappeared without a trace.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi suppressed his mood which had become bolder due to drinking and walked towards the backyard.
Soon, he came to the main room covered with red silk.
He nodded slightly to the guards standing not far away, waved his hand, and called Feng Yunfang over.
"grown ups."
Feng Yunfang had a smile on his face, and was obviously infected by the festive atmosphere.
Lu Yunyi smiled and patted his shoulder:
"When you return, find a good woman to marry as soon as possible. Then I will give you a big gift."
Feng Yunfang chuckled and said without any hesitation, "Thank you, sir!"
Lu Yunyi walked closer, lowered his voice, and ordered:
"Tomorrow morning, I will check what is going on in the city today, especially the reputation of my marriage.
Proper classification must be done, and records must be kept for common people, merchants, peddlers, clerks, and officials.
Don't take the initiative to ask, just let it happen naturally."
The smile on Feng Yunfang's face faded, and turned into a solemn look. He said in a low voice:
"Yes!"
"Well, arrange for some brothers to walk around the camp and see the military deployments in recent days.
Order the quartermaster to see if there are any weapons or armor that need to be replaced in the army, and feel free to ask for them.
It is important to see whether there are sufficient military equipment in Kunming City and the attitude of the commander.
Tell Liu Hei Ying and Wu Fu Liu about these matters and let them handle it."
"Did you remember it?"
Feng Yunfang rolled his eyes and nodded vigorously: "Sir, I'll remember that."
"Okay, let's go."
"and many more!"
Lu Yunyi seemed to remember something, and took out a stack of beautifully decorated red envelopes from his pocket and handed them over.
He also laughed:
"I almost forgot. This gift money is for the brothers on guard. They have worked hard today."
Feng Yunfang took it with a smile: "Sir, you are really the best superior I have ever seen."
Lu Yunyi smiled and waved his hand:
"Go ahead, go ahead. I have already asked someone to reserve food for them. You can go and eat after your shift is over."
"Yes!"
Seeing him leave, Lu Yunyi smiled, walked to the main door and gently pushed it open.
The subtle sound of the door hinge turning was infinitely amplified at this moment, isolating it from the noisy world outside.
The dazzling red that hit him made him open his eyes slightly.
Red silk hung from the roof like clouds, and red candles shone high, with the flames flickering.
The air is filled with the faint scent of incense and flowers.
On the walls of the room hang several paintings and calligraphy with auspicious meanings, all from famous artists from the southwest.
A large carved bed was placed in a corner of the main hall, covered with a soft quilt embroidered with auspicious patterns.
Mu Chuting sat quietly in the middle of the large carved bed, wearing a gorgeous wedding dress embroidered with intricate patterns.
The bright red color is like the most brilliant glow in the morning light, making her look charming and beautiful.
It was not until this moment that Lu Yunyi discovered that she was not only tall but also curvy.
Especially the rounded arc near the bed, which stretches the delicate gold and silver threads to the maximum extent, sparkling with little golden light.
If you get closer, you can see her intricately braided hair.
It is dotted with a few gorgeous red flowers, which contrast beautifully with the wedding dress and are full of classical charm.
A few strands of hair gently fell on her forehead, adding a touch of gentleness.
Mu Chuting's hands were gently folded on her knees, holding a handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus flowers between her fingers.
The slender fingers kept rubbing, and a layer of sweat had already appeared on the palms.
Hidden under the red veil, her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are drooping,
The long eyelashes fluttered gently like a fan, expressing the inner waves.
Her eyes were lowered, and her long eyelashes were like two small fans, gently fanning the waves and expectations in her heart.
Soon, Mu Chuting felt the bed beside her collapse a little, and there was also a billowing hot air beside her.
This made her breathe faster and become more nervous, which was very different from her usual cool appearance.
"Miss."
A deep voice sounded, and a big hand came over and grasped her slender palm covered with sweat.
Mu Chuting shuddered, lowered her head, and murmured softly in a low voice:
"Husband."
"It's getting late, go to bed early."
Mu Chuting felt her cheeks burning and her heart pounding.
In Lu Yunyi's sight, her fair skin became full of red glow.
Her whole body turned rosy, exuding an indescribable charm and shyness.
"My dear, you haven't taken off your veil yet."
Mu Chuting's voice was as thin as a mosquito and was clearly heard by Lu Yunyi.
Hearing this, Lu Yunyi curled up his lips into a smile.
He slowly stretched out his hand, and his fingertips gently touched the red veil covering Mu Chuting's head.
The red veil was slightly soft, and Lu Yunyi's movements were full of solemnity.
As he lifted his fingers lightly, the red veil slowly slid off, revealing Mu Chuting's beautiful and shy face.
Her eyes sparkled and there was a smile on her lips, but it was not because of sadness.
Their eyes met, and a hint of charm suddenly appeared in the air.
Under the candlelight, Mu Chuting's face was even more attractive. She raised her head, and a few strands of hair on her forehead drooped gently.
She gently hooked her hand, slowly put it around Lu Yunyi's neck, and hugged him tenderly.
The red lips opened and closed slightly, with a hint of warm breath,
"Husband, you can rest now."
(End of this chapter)