lcionline Chapter 536 Grade 1 Imperial Order
Chapter 536 Grade 1 Imperial Order
Surrounded by the wedding procession and protected by layers of soldiers, the bridal sedan chair finally arrived at Nanyuan Garden. People who had been waiting for a long time played music and lit firecrackers.
Next came the tedious rituals of getting out of the sedan chair, bowing to the ancestors, and chanting the ceremonial chants. Because he had traveled from another time, he had no parents in this world, let alone any uncles, aunts, or brothers. Liu Ye made the same choice as Liang Xiaoming back then: he placed a pair of memorial tablets in the main hall, and when he bowed to his parents, he bowed directly to the memorial tablets.
From picking up the bride to the wedding ceremony, Liu Ye couldn't see her at all. After the ceremony, she was sent to the bridal chamber to wait, while Liu Ye had to keep his spirits up and entertain the guests.
Liang Xiaoming's wedding included almost half of the officialdom in Qiongzhou Prefecture, while Liu Ye's wedding was even more extravagant, with guests and gifts no longer limited to Guangdong, but coming from Beijing to Nanjing, and from Shandong to Guangdong.
The greeters at the entrance occasionally sang in unison:
"Lord Liu from Chengmai County has come to offer his congratulations!"
"Lord Wei of Danzhou County has come to offer his congratulations!"
"Lord Li of Yazhou County has come to offer his congratulations!"
……
"Prefect Qin of Qiongzhou Prefecture has come to offer his congratulations!"
"Prefect Yu of Guangzhou Prefecture has come to offer his congratulations!"
"The Governor-General's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi has sent an envoy to offer congratulations!"
……
The early arrivals were astonished. It was one thing for the local official of Qiongzhou Prefecture to come in person, but even a powerful figure like the Prefect of Guangzhou had come. Although the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Xiong Wencan, only sent a representative, it was still a great honor. Before they could even discuss it, one after another, VIP guests took the stage.
"The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, concurrently serving as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Governor of Guangdong and other places, and Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs and in charge of provisions, Governor Mu, has come to offer his congratulations!"
Qin Bingyan, Yu Baocheng, and other officials were in an uproar. The Guangdong governor had actually come to attend the wedding banquet of a military general. Putting aside the decorum of a civil official, didn't he at least try to be discreet? The governor was in charge of military affairs throughout the province, yet he was having such close ties with the most powerful military general in the province. Did he want to turn Guangdong into a situation where Mu Tianyan had absolute power? Wasn't he afraid of being impeached by the censors and becoming a target of the emperor's suspicion?
Thinking is one thing, doing is another. Qin Bingyan, Yu Baocheng and others quickly went to greet him. A local official is more powerful than a county official. Although the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi was a higher-ranking official, the Governor of Guangdong was their direct superior and they could not be negligent.
Mu Tianyan stepped through the gate with a smile and took his seat surrounded by officials. He had a dual role at this wedding: he was both a member of the bride's family and an ally of Liu Ye. So, no sooner had the wedding procession left than he arrived in Lingao as a guest.
Immediately afterwards, the greeter announced another name: "The envoy sent by the Nanjing Garrison Commander, the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, and the Duke of Wei to offer congratulations!"
The moment the name was uttered, the entire room fell silent.
Even though he was an official in the remote Qiongzhou Prefecture, everyone knew that the Duke of Wei was a descendant of Xu Da, a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty. The title of Duke was hereditary and his family had guarded Nanjing for generations, making him a top figure in the Ming Dynasty's aristocratic class. For such an important figure to send someone all the way from Nanjing to deliver gifts and attend a banquet—had Liu Ye's influence reached such an extent?
Before the guests could even react, the grand finale appeared.
A sedan chair stopped in front of the gate. Fang Zhenghua got out of the sedan chair with a smile, stopped the welcoming guests from singing congratulations, and slowly walked into the gate. He said loudly, "I have come by order to convey His Majesty's oral decree. Marquis of Pingnan, listen to the decree!"
Under the astonished gazes of all the guests, Liu Ye strode over, lifted his robe, and knelt down: "Your subject Liu Ye awaits your decree."
Although the imperial edict was specifically addressed to Liu Ye, all nine officials present, who understood the custom, rose and knelt down regardless of whether they were the recipients of the edict. The large courtyard was instantly filled with kneeling people, ranging from a seventh-rank magistrate in a blue robe to a third-rank official in a scarlet robe.
"Your Majesty's decree: Liu Ye, the Earl of Pingnan, has repeatedly rendered meritorious service and is a pillar of the court. Today is his wedding day. I bestow upon him one hundred bolts of tribute silk from Huzhou and a pair of jade ruyi scepters. I also grant Lady Liu Lin the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady. I hope that you will dedicate yourself to serving the court and make further contributions, becoming a model for all military men in the land!"
Liu Ye was overjoyed. Before even consummating their marriage, he had already earned his woman an imperial title, which was both a matter of face and substance. It seemed that Emperor Chongzhen wasn't as cruel as history portrayed him to be.
The guests were filled with envy. The current emperor rarely bestows titles or honors, yet the Earl of Pingnan has received them all, which is truly enviable.
After delivering the imperial edict, Fang Zhenghua smiled and said to Liu Ye, "Earl of Pingnan, we meet again."
Liu Ye personally led him to his seat, placing him at the same table as Mu Tianyan and others. He smiled and said, "I've missed you dearly since we parted ways in Nanjing last time. I'm just sorry to have troubled you with all the traveling back and forth, Father-in-law."
Just when everyone thought all the guests had arrived, a welcoming voice came from the doorway: "Zhu Yanzhi from Jinhua has arrived to offer his congratulations!"
Most of the guests today were officials, and of high rank at that. The sudden arrival of someone without official rank or status was quite abrupt. Others didn't know who this Zhu Yanzhi from Jinhua was, but Liu Ye knew he was an old acquaintance. He quickly went to greet him at the door, and sure enough, the person who entered was Zhu Dadian, the former Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and Governor of Fengyang.
Zhu Dadian was dismissed from his post in Nanjing by imperial decree and returned to his hometown of Jinhua, Zhejiang, disheartened. It seems that after a period of self-adjustment, Zhu Dadian's mentality was much better than when he had just lost his position, and his complexion was rosy. He said with a smile, "I, Zhu, have come uninvited, but fortunately I am not late and have made it to the banquet."
Liu Ye took his hand and replied warmly, "Brother, it's an honor to have you here. Please take a seat." He then led him to the table with Mu Tianyan and Fang Zhenghua, and introduced them to each other.
Mu Tianyan and Fang Zhenghua were both shrewd people. They knew that although Zhu Dadian, a high-ranking official, had been dismissed, it was only because he was implicated by the bandits. With his ability, qualifications, and resume, his reinstatement was only a matter of time. They should not underestimate him because of his current status. They greeted him very warmly, and the atmosphere at the table was very good.
With all the guests present, the banquet began. Liu Ye, as the groom, went from table to table toasting. The guests were all wealthy and influential, all of whom were his contacts, so he couldn't neglect any of them. After going around the table, he was already slightly tipsy.
When toasting Fang Zhenghua, Fang Zhenghua smiled and whispered, "The Earl of Pingnan has such a generous spirit and such extensive connections! I just counted them casually, and among the guests who attended and gave gifts, there is a hereditary duke, a governor-general, a current governor, a former governor, two prefects, and seven county magistrates. Your father-in-law is also the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou. With such connections, I ask you, who in the Ming Dynasty can do that?"
Liu Ye laughed and said, "You haven't even counted yourself yet, you're a court eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial, no less than the governor. And there's that one in the capital..." He pointed north.
The two men knew perfectly well that they were referring to Wen Tiren, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Cabinet in the capital, and exchanged a knowing smile. By this reckoning, Liu Ye had unknowingly built a network of relationships stretching from the central government to local authorities, from north to south, with influence extending to the northern and southern provinces and the southern coast—a feat unparalleled in the entire Ming Dynasty.