NOVPUBGently laying Fan Jian on the bed and covering her with the quilt, Chen Xi let out a sigh of relief. Holding her for a while was one thing, but the longer he held her, the more numb his legs became and his arms began to ache. Even though Fan Jian was light, how much lighter could a well-nurtured sixteen-year-old girl be?
"My husband looks so gentle~" Chen Lan said with a smile, leaning on the window.
"Forget it, you’re still easier to take care of," Chen Xi replied helplessly.
"A young lady should be like this," Chen Lan said cheerfully, naturally accepting Chen Xi’s comment.
"It’s not too bad, it’s just that she thinks too much. By the way, have you finished embroidering the wedding dress?" Chen Xi said helplessly, then feeling that it was somewhat inappropriate to talk about, he quickly changed the subject.
"No," Chen Lan shook her head.
In ancient times, weddings inherently implied a promotion in status. Chen Xi was originally a commoner, and after he freed Chen Lan from her slave status, Chen Lan guessed that Chen Xi planned to marry her as a concubine. She began making her wedding dress then and finished the embroidery in less than half a year. However, before she could wear it, Chen Xi was appointed as Marquis within the Pass.
The wedding was delayed and many things had to be changed. First of all, Chen Lan’s bridal gown was no longer suitable. The wedding was originally prepared at the level of a "scholar-official," and now it had to be at the level of a "Feudal Lord," which meant that Chen Lan’s gown had to be completely re-embroidered. Moreover, there was much more embroidery required this time, which was a hassle, but Chen Lan was very excited about it.
"Still out here having fun when you haven’t finished embroidering your dress? Hurry back to your room and get on with it," Chen Xi said, tapping Chen Lan’s head lightly. "I have made myself clear, if it’s not finished in time, don’t blame me if I marry Jian’er but not you. With my accomplishments by that time, apart from getting the status of a legal concubine, you might receive a wife’s document. If you miss that opportunity, there won’t be another chance."
"I’ll go back and embroider the wedding dress," said Chen Lan, her eyes shining with excitement. She was completely unaware that Chen Xi intended to procure a wife’s document for her.
"Off you go," Chen Xi said, waving his hand dismissively.
The identity of a Lady of the Han Dynasty was not easy to obtain. If Chen Xi hadn’t actually killed over a million Yellow Turbans, and if the Han Court hadn’t just given him an empty title because they felt he was too young, you wouldn’t even dream of obtaining a document for two wives. A concubine was just that, a concubine. However, due to the decline of the imperial authority, many things were overlooked by higher-ups. The Minister of Ceremonies had already prepared the documents for two wives.
Chen Lan, after all, was the maid who had stood by his side through thick and thin. Giving her merely the status of a legal concubine seemed inadequate, so he procured a wife’s document for her. With this document, Chen Lan could enjoy the treatment of a legal wife when going out and also receive a small stipend at home.
In the Han Dynasty, the status of a wife was equivalent to that of her husband, meaning both enjoyed the same treatment socially. A concubine, at best, was a plaything, a legal concubine who could be casually sent away or even executed should the legal wife become dissatisfied. Moreover, she had the chance to become the legal wife upon the death of the current one.
In short, the title of a Lady of the Han Dynasty was essentially unique and completely different from the titles granted during the Tang Dynasty. It could only be issued to the legal wife, and that too if her husband held an office ranking of 2,000 bushels or higher, so it was a very precious designation indeed.
Now, with Chen Xi’s current status, arranging a wife’s identity for Fan Jian would hardly require any effort. After the three letters and six rites, the wife’s document would arrive naturally, considering Chen Xi’s rank and position. However, getting one for Chen Lan was much more challenging.
Nevertheless, it was a time of chaos and the decline of imperial power. The Han Court, having been ravaged by Dong Zhuo and fallen into the hands of Li Que and Guo Si, was faring even worse, struggling with basic provisions like food and clothing!
The new Minister of Ceremonies was evidently a sensible man. Chen Xi, through Mi Zhu, sent over money and grain, and the matter was settled. Of course, the Minister of Ceremonies also mentioned that if by any chance the Emperor did inquire, Chen Xi should not blame him. Chen Xi didn’t take it seriously at all; by that time, Liu Xie wouldn’t be able to intervene in such matters!
As for the official who would announce it, Liu Bei, Chen Xi believed he would definitely turn a blind eye and pretend nothing was happening.
Having dealt with potential issues at home, Chen Xi headed straight for the Political Office. This time, he had to appear furiously determined to straighten out a few things with Lub Su and his colleagues so that he could hand off a pile of tasks; the machinery he had designed needed to run at high speed now!
"Who was that again, oh yes, Ruan Yuliang, give me your sword!" Chen Xi, after perfecting his angry expression in front of the bronze mirror, stormed into the Political Office. As he dismounted from the carriage and saw Ruan Yuliang standing at the entrance, he suddenly realized he was missing something, snatched Ruan Yuliang’s sword, and barged straight in.
"Bang!" Chen Xi slammed the sword heavily onto the table, glaring at the few people in front of him. Today’s situation was good; everyone was actually there, including Sun Qian!
"Zijing, tell me what’s going on with Fenggao!" Chen Xi transformed into a roaring emperor and bellowed at Lub Su!
"Wen Ru! What’s going on with our lord!" Before Lub Su could say a word, Chen Xi turned his head and continued to roar at Li Youu.
"Boning, where’s your new law?"
"Fengxiao, you’re still drinking! Liu Jingsheng almost drank Jingzhou dry!"
"Wen He, what’s with Yuan Shao? Why has the news become so vague lately? What does it mean that both sides are battling at Jieqiao, yet the situation remains unclear!"
"And you, Ziyang, what are you laughing at! Is your administration template finished?" n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
Chen Xi’s series of roars immediately stunned everyone present. They had been happily drinking tea, enjoying pastries, and incidentally managing political affairs, but now they all felt somewhat embarrassed; they were far behind on these matters.
"Cool down, cool down." True to his reputation as a good-natured man, Lub Su thought Chen Xi was distressed by external situations and had come to vent, so he quickly tried to soothe him and poured him some tea, "Have some tea, have some tea."
"Separate Lord Xuande’s property from the entirety of Mount Tai’s property, issue stipends, and at most give a little extra!" Chen Xi said grimly, his spiritual power spilling from his eyes as he sternly scanned those present.
No one dared to provoke Chen Xi when he was clearly furious, especially since they had also discussed the issue before. The separation of properties was indeed a good choice, so the matter was thus passed, and they would shoulder the responsibility together.
"The second matter, the census. Zijing, how much more do we have left!" Chen Xi turned his head and asked Lub Su, noticing Lub Su’s distressed look. Chen Xi’s face twitched, sensing something was wrong, and tentatively asked, "You haven’t started, have you?"
Lub Su gave a wry smile. He had been busy with summer planting, distributing and registering the spoils of war, dealing with housing for the migrated population, distribution of land, and classifying artisans. With so many things to handle, he simply had no time to work on the census.
"Alright, I’ll help you with that later." Chen Xi sighed, seeing Lub Su’s expression and guessing he probably hadn’t done it. He turned to Mann Chong, "What about you, Boning, your new law? Weren’t you continuously working on it? Is the taxation law ready?"
"I’m proficient in penal law, but I feel that taxing requires the help of a sage skilled in Jiran Studies. Actually, Mi Zizhong would be suitable too, but it’s a pity he’s a merchant, and I fear he may not be impartial." Mann Chong said with a wry smile.
"You handle the sentencing well, and leave the rest to me." Chen Xi tempered his tone a bit as he spoke.
"No news from Jieqiao is the best news. It means that the battle hasn’t been decided yet. However, I’ve surveyed the terrain near Jieqiao, and it’s very disadvantageous for the White Horse Righteous Followers. Gongsun Bogui is overly confident." Jia Xu volunteered all the information without waiting for Chen Xi to ask, as Yuan Shao had been diligently defending Jieqiao recently.
Turning to Liu Ye, he saw Liu Ye smiling bitterly and saying, "I’ll go and do it, I’ll remember to get it done, rest assured."
Looking back at Li Youu, only to see him sigh, "This time, it truly was my fault. I was somewhat careless before." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
