As the New Year approaches, two more markets have been added to Qingfu County, and the lively atmosphere seems to be better than that of Xuzhou City.
After settling more than 100,000 people from western Sichuan, houses and shops have been built outside the city wall, expanding the size of the county.
On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, a team of more than a hundred people and horses came slowly from the south. The carriages carried boxes one after another, attracting attention.
They walked all the way through Xincheng Street outside the city and entered the South City Gate. The two stewards who led the team looked around and talked to each other.
"The Song Dynasty is still prosperous. Look at the number of patrols, but why are there no guards at the city gate?"
"There are far more people in the houses outside the city than in the city, so what's the point of guarding the city gate?"
"It's time to build a new city wall."
"This just shows that this place is prospering so fast, and the husband-in-law of the princess is really very talented..."
After walking on the busy long street for a short time, a group of patrolmen strode forward, cupped their hands, and asked: "Have you paid the customs duties when you brought the goods? Can you show me the voucher?"
The two stewards looked at each other and realized that such polite subordinates were rare...
"We are not merchants, but my master ordered us to come here to deliver the wedding. May I ask if the county government should go straight ahead?"
The head of the express team was surprised. He looked at the carriages and secretly cursed the checkpoints along the way for not sending anyone to report them, and hurriedly led them to the county government office.
…
"Two hundred taels of gold, five thousand taels of silver, six handles of Ruyi jade, a set of enamel plates with dragons and phoenixes in auspicious shapes, a painted pair of mandarin ducks and a lacquered dowry box..."
Half an hour later, Li Xia received the visitor, and then gave Gao Mingyue a long gift list. The two discussed it for a while, both of whom were a little confused.
"My dowry?"
"Well, Gao Qiong... Big brother sent someone to deliver it."
Gao Mingyue glanced at the gift card again, a little frightened, and raised her head and asked: "Tongyacheng is not rich, how can the eldest brother spend so much money to buy it?"
"He is so considerate in his work. I am afraid he has anticipated the second brother's situation. I have calculated that he must have tried his best to purchase these gifts."
This was the custom in the Song Dynasty. When giving away daughters to get married, they compared the dowries. For example, Su Che, Su Shi's younger brother, sold a piece of good land when he married his daughter, and got 9,400 yuan to pay for his daughter's dowry. He said that he "married a daughter with a broken family".
This kind of comparison among scholar-bureaucrats has also spread to the people, so that in the Song Dynasty, there were often scenes of "a red dowry" when marrying off a girl. The amount of dowry directly affected the bride's status in her husband's family.
He was a child of the Gao Qiong family and knew the customs of the Song Dynasty. He also expected that Gao Changshou still needed Li Xia's help in Weining and could not afford a dowry, so he spent the money.
Not only did he break up his family and get married, but he also took great risks. Once the Mongols found out what the Lord of Tongshi City had done, he would be charged with "tongsong" and even destroy his family.
But Gao Qiong still did it, not only because the Gao family's "Three Kings, One Emperor and Five Marquises" could not lose face, but also because he valued Li Xia.
"Then you accept it." Gao Mingyue said, putting the gift list into Li Xia's hand, and their hands touched again, which was smooth.
"I heard that dowry is the woman's private property." Li Xia made a rare joke and said: "Stealing your wife's property is a violation of the "Song Xingtong"."
"Then... I'll give it to you. I can't put all these things away."
"Inconsistent with etiquette and law."
"Doesn't it match?"
"I don't understand either, maybe."
Both of them were getting married for the first time. They looked at each other for a while and each smiled. Li Xia leaned down and pecked Gao Mingyue on the mouth again.
"Anyway, it's up to you to deal with it after you get married. You can't move it now."
"Go and ask Mrs. Li?"
"That's fine."
Gao Mingyue said gently and gently: "Then go quickly, don't delay your official business because of this."
"Okay, by the way... Big brother also gave you a few maids, you need to go and see them."
"Okay, then I'm going to the back hall."
They said they should leave but refused to leave. The two held hands and whispered a few words before Li Xia went to the front office.
Their wedding is on the 26th, and there are only a few days left. The door of Houya has been pasted with the word "囍" in red...
"A gift from the Gao family?"
Li Yong looked at the gift list and said: "The dowry is too thick. If you replace it with ordinary objects, not to mention the ten-mile red dress, it can be spread for dozens of miles. In comparison, the betrothal gift of our Li family is a bit light."
Li Xia frowned slightly, feeling a little resistant to the words "our Li family", but couldn't say anything.
He said calmly: "It doesn't matter. How to place these objects?"
Li Yong said: "The bride's private property is not easy to arrange. If you want to use it in the future, you must ask your wife first. Also, you must distinguish between public property and private property. Don't dare to use your wife's dowry for official affairs. Don't touch both ends."
good……"
The ramblings are all based on the experience of being an official and a husband.
Li Xia didn't like to see Li Yong like this, sometimes showing the attitude of a father and son teaching his son, and worrying a lot.
"Thank you Mr. Li for the tip."
"Since the Gao family is so considerate, they must have sent someone to help with the affairs as the natal family?"
"Yes, both stewards came with their wives."
Li Yong handed the gift list back, stroked his knees and said, "I asked Madam Liu to discuss it with her relatives. Dali is far away from the country. If you can come before the wedding, the Gao family has taken the trouble. A prominent family, even if the country is destroyed, still has a foundation.
The Li family is still so high up."
Li Yong was not a snobbish person, but it was inevitable for people to be sophisticated, and this was the custom of the Song Dynasty.
Gao Changshou always thought of arranging his sister's wedding when he had the strength, not for nothing, but because Gao Mingyue would have confidence in her husband's family.
Unfortunately, it was Gao Qiong who paid for the dowry in the end, which must have been quite frustrating for Gao Changshou.
Li Xia suddenly wanted to meet Gao Changshou, have a chat, and tell him that the dignity of a man does not lie in the amount of money he has. How much humiliation did Gao Qiong suffer under the Mongolian rule despite his family wealth?
Thinking carefully about the world, it always makes people sigh...
At night, Liu Susu caressed a new scarlet dress and whispered softly: "This child will go away in October, and I thought about growing taller when he comes back. Sure enough, fortunately, I left some size at that time."
.”
Li Yong held an official document and looked at it, and responded casually: "I will be eighteen soon. I won't grow much longer. If I grow any longer, I will be too tall."
"Yes, it's so big in a blink of an eye. It's taller than an official."
"Uncrowned, he is still a child."
"Now that I have a family and a career, when the rewards come down, my official position will probably be higher than what I was before."
"Being without an official means being light-hearted." Li Yong shook his head and asked, "Have you met the Gao family today?"
"Well, it's said that they were a few stewards. They were all high-ranking officials in the Dali Kingdom. They were loyal to the Gao family and spoke very politely. I originally planned to buy a big house, but I told them that I would welcome the bride from our house.
, and they have no objection.”
Li Yong put down the official document and muttered: "There are more than 2,000 people in the Qingfu Army. Isn't the wine enough?"
"Da Lang came to Xu and Lu went to buy some. We just arrived today." Liu Susu said: "The money for the wine is still on credit. Mr. Han said that he would pay it back after the reward next year. In addition, Taoist priest Hao said that he made some fireworks, which will be lively then.
lively."
"If you use that guy's gunpowder for fireworks, I'm afraid Taoist Hao will be misunderstood for his good intentions." Li Yong asked, "Have you replied to all the wedding invitations sent out?"
Liu Susu stood up, took out a small box, and said with a smile: "The reply letter arrived today, I thought I would let you review it after you finish reading the official document."
"Let's worry about our son's marriage first. There are only a few days left." Li Yong sighed with a smile, picked up the replies in the box and read them one by one.
Liu Susu has written down and prepared to take notes in order to arrange the banquet.
"As expected, Marshal Pu couldn't come. He sent someone to send a congratulatory gift. I think it will arrive in the next two days. I will send someone to wait at the intersection tomorrow... By the way, the gift from Ambassador Zhu is very important. He reminded me to prepare a generous gift during the New Year.
Go and pay a visit.”
"Shouldn't Erlang go in person?"
"This boy is very arrogant now and refuses to deal with these false etiquette... So, what can an official do without a staff? Before I came, he was just the father and son of the Han family."
Under the candlelight, Li Yong shook his head, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, but he was actually happy to help Li Xia do this.
Liu Susu saw this thought in his eyes, smiled gently, lowered his head and wrote down the order of positions at the banquet.
"None of Erlang's friends in the army have replied?"
"Yes, I haven't received it today, including the Wu Xin Army Nie Zhongyou he mentioned most often. There is no reply either."
"People in the army can't force it. Looking at the situation, I'm afraid they won't be able to come. If the time comes, a few generals will be arranged at these tables. Remember that civil servants and military officers, southerners and northerners must sit separately."
Li Yong's family put a lot of effort into organizing Li Xia's wedding.
The purchase of wedding items, the dishes for the banquet, the list of guests... everything was arranged one by one. Finally, it was the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, the day when Li Xia married Gao Mingyue... to provide you with the fastest update of the final Song Dynasty