LFHYB -Chapter 8 Arranging a Marriage for Her Son, the Mother Suffers Humiliation

After her anger flared, Lady Dou originally intended to leave the two children behind and go to Xingyang by herself.

Li Sanniang persuaded her. “Mother, Third Brother’s health has improved a lot this year, and he’s become much livelier under Second Brother’s influence. Second Brother no longer needs to stay by his bedside all the time and is more lively than in previous years. If you’re not here, and Grandmother—who always indulges and spoils her grandsons—is around, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control them.”

Thinking of how, the moment she left, Li Shimin would take Li Xuanba climbing onto roofs and tearing off tiles, Lady Dou shuddered.

So in the end, she took both sons with her to Xingyang.

The distance from Daxing City to Xingyang in Zhengzhou was about 450 kilometers. In later times, driving on the highway would take only five hours.

In this era, however, it would take at least three days.

By this time, soil fertility in both Guanzhong and Guandong had already declined. Daxing City couldn’t be self-sufficient in grain and needed supplies from the east. Therefore, the Wei River and the Yellow River were constantly dredged to keep them navigable.

However, the Sanmenxia stretch of the Yellow River—known in later times—was extremely treacherous. Transporting grain by water there was very dangerous, and countless boats had been lost in that section.

Even though this water route had been in use since the Qin dynasty, it was merely a last resort.

With Lady Dou traveling with children, she naturally wouldn’t choose to risk crossing the dangerous Sanmenxia waters.

When they reached the vicinity of Sanmenxia, Lady Dou disembarked with the two children, took a carriage to detour around the most dangerous stretch of the Yellow River, and then boarded another boat to continue on to Xingyang.

If Lady Dou had been traveling alone, once she reached the Sanmenxia area, she would have switched to a carriage and gone directly to Xingyang.

However, the two children were still young, and traveling by carriage was far too bumpy. If they could take a boat, they would take a boat. The extra time spent on the journey didn’t matter anyway—they weren’t in a hurry.

After disembarking, Lady Dou also took Li Shimin and Li Xuanba to visit Sanmen Gorge and Mount Dizhu.

Only nine meters of Mount Dizhu rose above the river’s surface. In reality, like an iceberg, it had a massive body hidden beneath the water.

Mount Dizhu stood squarely in the middle of the river channel and was the greatest “killer” along the Yellow River.

On the hidden reefs at the base of Mount Dizhu, successive dynasties had carved out three channels, known as the “Divine,” “Ghost,” and “Human” Gates. Only by following these three routes could transport ships pass through safely.

But in such torrential waters, one could not see what lay beneath the surface, and ships were difficult to maneuver. How hard was it not to stray from the channel?

Thus, the “Divine,” “Ghost,” and “Human” Gates also carried the meaning that even gods, ghosts, and humans alike would find them hard to cross.

Li Xuanba was actually quite the chatterbox, with a strong desire to share things. Otherwise, after paying off his parents’ debts, he wouldn’t have chosen his retirement job to be running a marketing account.

Because of his sub-healthy physical condition, talking too much made him tired, so Li Xuanba poured all his desire to share things onto Li Shimin alone.

Li Shimin gazed up at Mount Dizhu, listening with great interest, occasionally asking a few questions about anecdotes related to the mountain.

The hidden reefs of Mount Dizhu had always been an excellent place to cross the river, and thus a battleground fiercely contested by military strategists.

Li Xuanba could recount several river-crossing battles at Mount Dizhu as easily as counting on his fingers. Li Shimin listened with an excited expression, so stirred that he wished he could fight one himself.

“But, A-Xuan, if water transport is so dangerous, why not use land transport instead?” Li Shimin asked in confusion.

Li Xuanba then explained to his second brother the difference in costs between water transport and land transport.

**[However, after the fall of the Sui, the Yellow River’s navigability became even worse. When transporting grain from the east to Guanzhong, the stretch from Luoyang to Shaanzhou could only be traveled by land. From Shaanzhou to Chang’an, they would switch back to water transport. Oh—Chang’an is Daxing.]**

Li Shimin froze, then suddenly reached out and tightly covered Li Xuanba’s mouth.

Li Xuanba let out muffled “mmph mmph” sounds, his face turning bright red.

Lady Dou, who had been curiously wondering what the third son was saying to the second—enough to make the latter so excited—quickly stepped in and rescued Li Xuanba from Li Shimin’s clutches.

She scolded him, “Erlang, what are you doing bullying your younger brother?!”

Li Shimin said, “I’m not bullying him, Mother. You don’t know what he said… forget it. It’s better you don’t know.”

The little Li Shimin clasped his hands tightly behind his back, lifted his head to stare at the river’s central pillar, and let out a long sigh.

Such pain—he could only bear it alone.

Seeing Li Shimin’s reaction, Lady Dou asked in confusion, “Sanlang, what did you say to your second brother?”

Li Xuanba answered “honestly,” “I just talked about how difficult water transport is.”

Lady Dou was even more puzzled. Just water transport? What was there for the second son to get so excited about?

But no matter how she questioned them, Li Shimin’s and Li Xuanba’s “testimonies” were perfectly consistent.

It was water transport—nothing but water transport!

Lady Dou could only give up.

These twins had always shared secrets only with each other since childhood. As their mother, even if she felt a twinge of jealousy, what could she do?

Once they got back into the carriage, Li Shimin and Li Xuanba immediately “made up.” Li Shimin leaned over to his brother again, continuing to listen to his stories, occasionally whispering questions into his brother’s ear—questions he didn’t want their mother to hear.

“The late emperor actually brought more than a hundred thousand people from Daxing to Luoyang to beg for food?”

**[Yes. Later emperors did the same. Eventually they all lived in Luoyang and refused to return to Chang—Daxing.]**

“Then why build the capital in Daxing in the first place?”

**[That’s very complicated. It starts with the Northern Wei established by the Yuan clan.]**

“Take your time telling it. I’ll take my time listening.”

Li Shimin popped a piece of candied fruit into his brother’s mouth, then one into his own.

One for my brother, one for me;
one for my brother, one for me.

When Li Xuanba said he didn’t want any more, Li Shimin stuffed the rest of the candied fruit into his own mouth, then took out some dried meat, broke it into pieces—one for my brother, one for me; one for my brother, one for me…

When Li Xuanba again said he didn’t want to eat, Li Shimin switched snacks.

Only when Li Xuanba said he truly couldn’t eat anymore did Li Shimin hand him the water cup. Li Shimin continued eating on his own, still listening to the “story.”

The historical tales Xuan told were far more interesting than reading history books himself.

Lady Dou was truly curious and asked again what the two children were whispering about.

There was nothing to hide from their mother when it came to historical matters, so Li Xuanba said, “I was telling my brother about the Eight Pillar Statesmen and the establishment of the capital at Daxing.”

“The Eight Pillar Statesmen…” Lady Dou beckoned to Li Shimin, telling him not to keep leaning against Li Xuanba, who was already sweating from the heat.

Li Shimin moved over to Lady Dou’s side and snuggled up to her without minding the warmth.

“Do Erlang and Sanlang know which eight generals the Eight Pillar Statesmen refer to?” Lady Dou asked.

Li Shimin nodded.

Li Xuanba also reviewed the matter of the Eight Pillar Statesmen in his mind.

The Eight Pillar Statesmen of Northern Wei were Yuwen Tai, Yuan Xin, Li Hu, Li Bi, Zhao Gui, Yu Jin, Dugu Xin, and Houmochen Chong.

Li Hu was Li Shimin’s great-grandfather; his descendants inherited the title of Duke of Tang in the Sui dynasty. Li Bi’s great-grandson was Li Mi, who would later contend with the Li-Tang for the realm; his descendants inherited the title of Duke of Xing in the Sui dynasty. Yu Jin was enfeoffed as Duke of Yan in Northern Zhou, a title that continued into the Sui dynasty.

Zhao Gui, originally Duke of Chu in Northern Zhou; Dugu Xin, originally Duke of Wei; and Houmochen Chong, originally Duke of Liang, were all drawn into the Northern Zhou imperial struggles and executed. However, although their descendants did not inherit ducal titles in the Sui dynasty, they all held high offices and were appointed great generals.

Yuwen Tai was the founder of Northern Zhou; his direct descendants had already been exterminated by Yang Jian. Yuan Xin was a member of the Northern Wei imperial clan who only later entered the ranks of the Eight Pillar Statesmen, representing the power of the Northern Wei emperor; by the time of dynastic transition, his line had also declined.

However, every generation of emperors, to demonstrate benevolence toward the previous dynasty, would allow collateral members of the former royal family to hold office. Those who made outstanding contributions during dynastic change were especially trusted. Thus, although the Yuwen and Yuan royal clans were exterminated, the Yuwen and Yuan families still held significant status in the Sui dynasty.

Lady Dou also explained to the two children what she knew about the Eight Pillar Statesmen:
“The Eight Pillar Statesmen rose during the Yuan clan’s Northern Wei, passed through Eastern and Western Wei, Northern Zhou and Qi, and have continued down to today’s Sui dynasty. They intermarried with one another, bound by shared blood and breath—just like the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans that also rose under the Yuan clan’s Northern Wei.”

“Those descended from the Eight Pillar States—the former Northern Wei military aristocracy—control the frontier garrisons. Their power grew out of the tribal system; this is Sui’s martial side. The Five Surnames and Seven Clans once had private fortified troops, but most have now been incorporated into the fubing system and can no longer deploy soldiers on their own. They uphold Sui’s civil side.” Lady Dou patted Li Shimin’s hand and spoke unhurriedly. “Like the descendants of the Eight Pillars, the Five Surnames and Seven Clans also mostly intermarry among themselves and do not marry outsiders.”

“The Great Sui’s imperial position is secure and the realm is settled. Those of us who hold military power may well make His Majesty wary. Moving gradually from martial to civil paths may be a road we must take.” Lady Dou smiled. “The matriarchs of the Tang Duke’s household will no longer form marriage ties with military families, but instead with the refined and prestigious Five Surnames and Seven Clans. Perhaps His Majesty will recognize our loyalty.”

Lady Dou truly felt pleased. Though her husband had not followed her advice to the letter, he still maintained a measure of vigilance toward the emperor and had a clear understanding of the Tang Duke’s household’s future path.

Now that the realm was pacified, this world belonged to the Yang clan. It was no longer the shared realm of Northern Zhou military meritocrats, chosen as if by tribal acclamation.

Even during Emperor Wen of Sui’s reign, the power of military families had been steadily curtailed.

Whether it was mixing Han and Hu troops within the fubing or having imperial princes replace the old Northern Zhou military elites as commanders, all were signs of Emperor Wen’s efforts to weaken the martial aristocracy.

Moreover, once the realm was stable, there would be few wars left to fight. For military families, turning from martial to civil pursuits was the only way to ensure lasting wealth and honor.

Civil and military officials had always been able to transform into one another; the boundary was never absolute. As long as the Tang Duke’s household forged marriage ties with the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, it could naturally take the civil path by borrowing their pristine reputation.

Li Jiancheng’s close friends in Daxing City were mostly sons of Guanzhong gentry families, and he already enjoyed considerable renown among the aristocratic youths.

Li Shimin kicked his little feet. “So this marriage is really important to our family, huh?”

“Yes,” Lady Dou said, listening to Li Shimin’s adorably childish tone. She couldn’t help pulling him into her arms and rubbing his head.

Li Xuanba quietly shifted to the side.

Lady Dou—no longer young—wore a mischievous smile that made her look like a maiden of sixteen. She grabbed the would-be escapee Li Xuanba and pulled him into her arms as well, rubbing both boys together.

Li Xuanba said weakly, “Mother, it’s hot. We’re all squished.”

Lady Dou laughed. “Mother isn’t hot.”

Li Shimin said, “I’m not hot either!”

Li Xuanba said, “But I am.”

Li Shimin said, “A-Xuan, you can’t be unfilial. Mother and your elder brother aren’t hot, so you’re not hot either. Be good.”

Li Xuanba: “……”

He really wanted to yank off that little cowlick on Second Brother’s forehead. So annoying!

…

Having learned the necessity of marrying into the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, a blaze of fighting spirit ignited in Li Shimin’s eyes.

Li Xuanba felt his second brother was sick.

It’s not even you getting married—what are you fired up for?

But once Li Shimin was fired up, Li Xuanba, as his twin, could only be passively ignited along with him.

“Say it, Brother—what do you want to do?” Li Xuanba was shaken until his head spun. “Say it and let’s sleep. I’m tired.”

Li Shimin grinned wickedly. “You think if we go to the Zheng clan, they’ll definitely test our learning to judge Elder Brother’s scholarship?”

Li Xuanba immediately guessed his plan. “You want me to help you cheat?”

Li Shimin said solemnly, “What do you mean, help me cheat? It’s us cheating together—no, wait, we’re winning with our own abilities. How can that be called cheating?”

Li Xuanba didn’t really want to help Li Jiancheng save face, but “slapping the faces” of aristocratic clans was something any transmigrator would enjoy.

What’s cheating? If it’s a plug-in, isn’t that still our own ability? We’re winning with our own strength!

“Still, if we actively provoke the Zheng clan’s youths, it’ll probably lower their impression of us.” Li Xuanba flared up just a tiny bit, then immediately cooled back into a non-combustible state. He yawned. “Sleep. Stop causing trouble. You finally get to see Father—do you want to get beaten?”

Li Shimin muttered, “Father wouldn’t beat me… Fine, we won’t provoke them. Then what if they provoke us?”

Li Xuanba narrowed his eyes. “Then they’re asking for death.”

“Hehe.” Li Shimin burrowed under the blanket. “Good night, A-Xuan.”

“Mm, good night…” Li Xuanba yawned a few more times and finally fell asleep.

The inn they’d found at the last minute was rather crude; the bed couldn’t fit one adult and two children.

Lady Dou had the servants sleep on pallets in the corridor outside, while she slept in the next room.

She tossed and turned, unable to settle. Draping on her robe, she went to check on the children to see how they were sleeping.

And then she heard the two little rascals’ “face-slapping” plan.

Lady Dou smiled helplessly and returned to her room, reassured.

They still had the energy to plot mischief—looks like they’d sleep just fine.

Another half day passed, and Lady Dou and the two children finally arrived at Xingyang.

Li Yuan had left his official duties early and was waiting outside the city.

When the carriage stopped and Li Yuan dismounted, a little chubby bundle charged straight at him.

“Father!”

Li Shimin jumped on the spot. Li Yuan bent down and caught him, and Li Shimin ended up hanging securely around Li Yuan’s neck.

“Oh my, Father’s Erlang has gotten heavier,” Li Yuan laughed, rubbing his cheek against his son’s.

Li Shimin grinned and rubbed back. “I didn’t get heavier—I grew bigger. A-Xuan grew too.”

Only then did Li Yuan notice the short, stubby-limbed little child who was trying to help his mother down from the carriage.

Li Xuanba cupped his hands respectfully. “Greetings, Father. I hope Father is well.”

“Well—very well,” Li Yuan said, a bit awkward.

Why is this child so formal? He didn’t even know how to respond.

Li Shimin not only dangled from Li Yuan’s neck with both arms, his short little legs were wrapped around him too—like a tree sloth.

“A-Xuan, come on! Let Father hold you too!” Sloth-Shimin enthusiastically invited Li Xuanba to become a sloth as well.

Li Xuanba took a step back and hid behind Lady Dou, pretending to be shy. “I’ll pass.”

Li Yuan looked at the timid third son, then weighed the second son in his arms, and thought: the second one really is better.

Lady Dou pulled Li Xuanba out from behind her and said, “It’s been so long since you last saw Father. Quickly learn from Erlang and get close to Father. If you miss this chance, who knows when you’ll see Father again?”

Li Yuan joked, “Madam, are you blaming me?”

Lady Dou smiled. “How would I dare?”

Li Xuanba said in an old-fashioned, world-weary tone, “Fine.”

He took one step at a time toward Li Yuan, then half-heartedly leaned against him.

Li Yuan: “……”

Li Shimin leaned close to his father’s ear and whispered, “A-Xuan is especially concerned about his dignity. Whenever he gets like this, Mother will scoop him up and rub his head hard. Father should try it too! His reaction is really fun to watch.”

After saying that, he loosened his grip around Li Yuan’s arms and legs, signaling for his father to put him down so he could hurry over and “bully” his younger brother.

A mischievous grin appeared on Li Yuan’s face.

He set Li Shimin down, then suddenly scooped Li Xuanba up and tossed him high into the air.

Li Xuanba’s eyes went wide like bells. He was blankly thrown up and caught—caught and thrown up again.

Li Yuan was a divine archer capable of firing seventy arrows in rapid succession. His arm strength was astonishing; tossing a child was effortless.

Lady Dou’s expression changed drastically. “My lord! Don’t scare Sanlang!”

Li Yuan laughed. “Don’t worry—I’ll definitely catch him!”

Watching his younger brother’s predicament, Li Shimin doubled over with laughter, rocking back and forth.

Seeing that both his father and second brother were eager to watch him make a fool of himself, Li Xuanba stubbornly shut his eyes, hugged his knees, and curled into a ball, refusing to beg for mercy no matter what.

Seeing his third son curled up like a ball, face full of stubborn defiance, Li Yuan couldn’t help bursting out laughing.

Just as Erlang said—Sanlang really was fun!

Lady Dou paced anxiously in place, not daring to snatch her son away for fear of dropping him. She could only shout uselessly for her husband to stop, then helplessly punched Li Shimin on the head for laughing at his brother.

Li Shimin clutched his head. “Ouch!”

Li Xuanba opened his eyes, saw his brother getting smacked, and laughed.

Lady Dou couldn’t help it either and covered her mouth as she laughed.

The family of four stood blocking the road, laughing in a heap. Even passersby who had been about to scold them for blocking the way ended up smiling, shaking their heads, and sighing, letting this long-reunited family enjoy a little more warmth.

“Come on—Father will take you to eat something good!”

“Okay, Father!”

“Yes, Father.”

“Call me Father.”

“No.”

“Father, tickle A-Xuan! A-Xuan is most afraid of being tickled!”

“Li Shimin!!! Ah—hahahaha! I was wrong, I was wrong! Father, Father, I was wrong!”

Lady Dou wiped away tears of laughter. All the pent-up frustration she had accumulated from being worn down by household affairs in the Duke of Tang’s residence was swept away, and her mood felt as light as if it were flying.

…

Thanks to Li Shimin’s meddling, although Li Xuanba didn’t want to be too close to Li Yuan, he had no choice but to be.

Otherwise, that shameless father of his would tickle him.

Li Xuanba was so angry that he straddled Li Shimin and pelted his second brother with soft, childish punches.

Li Shimin was beaten by “incomparably strong” Li Xuanba until he yelped nonstop.

When Li Xuanba finally collapsed to the side, exhausted and panting, Li Shimin bounced around on the bed, pulling faces and making exaggerated expressions, mocking his brother for not hurting him at all.

Li Xuanba rolled his eyes in fury.

If I were really the legendary Li Xuanba with boundless strength, I’d hang you up in a tree!

The energetic Li Shimin rested for just one day before dragging Li Xuanba along to prepare for the Zheng family’s examination.

Even if they didn’t take the initiative—what if the Zhengs provoked them first?

Li Xuanba could only listlessly accompany his brother in flipping through books, previewing possible scenarios of provocation in advance.

On the other side, after hearing Li Yuan’s words, Lady Dou grew worried.

“No suitable-age girls?” Lady Dou said. “The closest in age would still make Eldest Son wait ten years. Eldest Son is already sixteen!”

Li Yuan said calmly, “Girls of the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans are usually betrothed very early, around ten years old. Where would there be one of suitable age for Eldest Son? The matron of the Duke of Tang’s household must not only be a legitimate daughter of the main line of the Zhengs of Xingyang, but also the daughter of a high-ranking official.”

Whether a girl was legitimate or born of a concubine didn’t matter much when marrying out—Li Yuan’s two daughters by concubines had both married very well.

But to aristocratic clans, daughters of the legitimate main line were the most prestigious. And privately, Li Yuan wanted a marriage alliance with a woman whose father held a high office; otherwise, relying on the name “Zheng of Xingyang” alone wouldn’t be enough to support the Duke of Tang’s household.

After much consideration, the daughter of Zheng Jibo, the Prefect of Guazhou, was the most suitable.

But Zheng Jibo’s daughter was only six years old now—about the same age as Li Shimin and Li Xuanba.

Lady Dou hesitated. “Since she’s the same age as Erlang and Sanlang…”

Li Yuan rebuked her. “I know you’re fonder of Erlang and Sanlang, who grew up at your side, but the order of age and status cannot be confused! If Erlang and Sanlang married legitimate daughters of the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans, how noble would the matron have to be to keep them in line? Your cousin doesn’t have any suitable-age daughters to marry to Eldest Son!”

Lady Dou lowered her head. “I misspoke. My lord, please don’t be angry. I was just thinking—perhaps Erlang and Sanlang could be betrothed to daughters of collateral branches of the Zheng family, and Eldest Son might seek a daughter from another of the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans?”

Li Yuan shook his head. “If only it were that easy. Though the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans don’t wield as much power as we do now, they’re extremely proud thanks to their ancestral prestige. If things fall through with the Zhengs, the other families—being closely allied with them—absolutely won’t negotiate a marriage with Eldest Son. That would be offending the Zheng family.”

Lady Dou was deeply troubled. “Then does Eldest Son really have to wait ten years for the Zheng family’s young lady? Couldn’t she marry earlier?”

Li Yuan shook his head again. “No. Zheng Jibo dotes on his daughter—she won’t marry until she’s sixteen.”

Lady Dou said angrily, “Then haven’t the Zhengs already decided everything? Why call me here to discuss it at all!”

Li Yuan took Lady Dou’s hand and patted it gently. “This isn’t settled yet. Do you think the Zheng family’s daughters are that easy to marry? If I weren’t coincidentally serving as Prefect of Zhengzhou and concurrently as Governor of Xingyang, providing the Zhengs of Xingyang with many conveniences, it wouldn’t have been our turn.”

Lady Dou ground her teeth. “So what you’re saying is—they called me here because they still want to scrutinize my Eldest Son?”

Li Yuan sighed. “Madam, daughters of the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans are indeed precious. Endure it for now.”

This time, the Zheng family’s invitation for Lady Dou to visit was indeed meant to observe her character and conduct—to see whether she was worthy of forming a marital alliance with the Zhengs.

For the Zheng family, any daughter who did not marry into the Five Clans and Seven Great Families had to have her marriage chosen with extreme care, lest it disgrace the family’s standing.

But to Lady Dou, this was nothing short of an insult.

Lady Dou’s mother was the Eldest Princess of Xiangyang of Northern Zhou; her father came from one of the Eight Pillar Clans. She herself had married Li Yuan, Duke of Tang, who was also descended from the Eight Pillars, and Li Yuan’s mother was the elder sister of the former empress.

The Duke of Tang’s household could thump their chests and declare themselves imperial relatives and a meritorious aristocratic family. As for influence at court, the Zheng family—now reduced to little more than a name—couldn’t even compare, no matter how hard they tried.

Lady Dou did not believe that her own status and position were inferior to that of the Zhengs, who relied only on the glory of long-dead ancestors.

But seeing that Li Yuan was determined to form this marriage alliance, and that if the Duke of Tang’s household no longer wished to choose a bride from among the meritorious nobles then only a daughter of the Five Clans and Seven Great Families would be considered worthy, Lady Dou could only swallow her anger.

“Fine,” she said. “Then I’ll go meet this Lady Zheng myself. I want to see just how formidable she really is.”

Li Yuan comforted her, “Naturally, she can’t compare to my lady’s wisdom.”

Lady Dou’s eyes flickered as she pressed her lips together and smiled. “Then I’ll bring Erlang and Sanlang along as well.”

Li Yuan hesitated. “They’ll surely test Erlang and Sanlang too. If—”

“There is no ‘if,’” Lady Dou cut in. “My lord may trust Erlang and Sanlang completely. But I have one condition.”

Li Yuan said, “Please speak.” In order to secure this marriage, he was indeed somewhat ashamed to have his wife go and suffer humiliation at the Zhengs’.

Lady Dou snorted coldly. “If the Zheng family wants to form a marriage alliance with Erlang or Sanlang, it must be refused!”

Li Yuan was startled for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Agreed! Our family will have only one Zheng daughter-in-law. Even if they begged me, I wouldn’t give Erlang or Sanlang to them.”

Only then did Lady Dou calm down.

Hmph. Just wait until you see Erlang and Sanlang—then you’ll regret it!