62: Chapter 62 Imperial Edict for Marriage

Ten days after Zhaizhen left Jiangning Prefecture, the official imperial edict from the capital arrived.

This time, it was not a secret envoy who arrived, but a proper imperial commissioner, complete with a full honor guard, marching grandly into Jiangning Prefecture.

The streets were lined with commoners, all whispering and discussing the event.

"I heard the Emperor is going to marry the princess to Young Master Li?"

"That's right! Young Master Li has won so many battles over the years; it's only natural for him to marry a princess!"

"Tsk tsk, Young Master Li is really going to rise to great heights now."

"Rise to great heights? He's already a local emperor; marrying the princess is just icing on the cake."

Li Ling naturally couldn't hear the commoners' discussions. He was currently in the government office receiving the edict.

The imperial commissioner was Xu Tong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a pedantic old scholar in his fifties. He unfurled the imperial edict and read aloud:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Li Ling of Jiangning Prefecture possesses both civil and military talent, his loyalty and courage are commendable, and he has repeatedly achieved extraordinary merits, striking fear into enemies across the seas. I am deeply gratified to hear of this and hereby bestow Princess Heshuo Zaiyi upon him in marriage as a reward. Choose an auspicious day for the wedding. Respect this."

Li Ling knelt to receive the edict: "Your subject Li Ling thanks His Majesty for his great favor!"

Xu Tong handed the edict to him, forcing a smile onto his face: "Young Master Li, congratulations, congratulations. His Majesty has high hopes for you."

"Many thanks to His Majesty for his great kindness." Li Ling stood up and smiled, "Lord Xu, you have traveled a long way and must be tired. I have prepared a banquet, please do me the honor of attending."

Xu Tong originally wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, he agreed. Besides delivering the edict, he had another mission this time—to get to the bottom of Li Ling's true strength.

The banquet was held in the main hall of the government office, with rich dishes and fine wine. As Xu Tong ate, he surveyed the furnishings around him.

"Young Master Li, this government office has been renovated quite well," he said with a smile.

"Not at all," Li Ling replied politely, "It is just a slight tidying up, so as not to wrong Her Highness the Princess."

Xu Tong nodded, then changed the subject: "Young Master Li, there is something I do not understand."

"Please speak, my Lord."

"Your troops are strong and your horses are sturdy, so why do you always guard the border instead of seeking to expand?"

This question was extremely direct. Li Ling sneered inwardly, but remained calm on the surface: "My Lord, that is not the right way to put it. I am merely a martial man at the border; being able to hold the frontier and prevent foreign enemies from invading is already the best I can do. As for expanding... how could I possibly have such ability?"

Xu Tong stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to judge whether he was telling the truth.

"You are too modest," he said, raising his wine cup, "Come, let me toast you."

Li Ling also picked up his wine cup, the two clinked glasses, and they drained them in one gulp.

After three rounds of drinks, Xu Tong became more talkative. He began to beat around the bush, inquiring about the size of Li Ling's army, his weapons and equipment, and his training methods.

Li Ling naturally wouldn't tell the truth, but he didn't lie entirely either. He picked out some things he could reveal, such as having five or six hundred thousand troops, equipping them with the latest rifles and artillery, and adopting Western training methods, among other things.

The more Xu Tong heard, the more shocked he became. Five or six hundred thousand elite troops and the latest weapons—this was no longer the power a regional official should possess; it was practically half the empire.

"Are you not afraid of the imperial court's suspicion?" he couldn't help but ask.

Li Ling smiled: "I am loyal to the imperial court, and Heaven can bear witness to that. If the imperial court suspects me, there is nothing I can do about it. However, I believe that His Majesty is an enlightened monarch and will not listen to the slanders of villains."

Xu Tong fell silent.

He heard the threat in Li Ling's words—I am loyal to the imperial court, but if the imperial court does not know what is good for it, then do not blame me for being discourteous.

After the banquet, Xu Tong returned to his residence, wrote a secret letter overnight, and sent it to the capital with a fast horse.

The letter said: This man, Li Ling, cannot be controlled. The marriage alliance can be used to win him over, but one must never let their guard down.

Emperor Zaitian received the letter and was silent for a long time.

How could he not know that Li Ling could not be controlled? But the problem now was that he no longer had a way to control Li Ling. Instead of tearing off the mask, it was better to stabilize him first and wait for an opportunity later.

"Pass the edict," Emperor Zaitian sighed, "Tell the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the wedding, the sooner the better."

Meanwhile, in the study in Jiangning Prefecture, Li Ling was talking to Empress Su Wanqing.

Empress Su Wanqing lowered her head, her eyes slightly red.

"Are you really going to marry the princess?" she asked softly.

Li Ling walked over and took her hand: "Wanqing, you know that this is a political marriage alliance; there is no way to decline it."

"I know." Empress Su Wanqing looked up and forced a smile, "I just... I just feel a little sad."

"Silly girl." Li Ling gently hugged her, "I promised you that I would definitely marry you. The princess is the princess, and you are you; no one can replace your position in my heart."

Empress Su Wanqing leaned into his embrace, smelling his familiar scent, and the unease in her heart gradually dissipated a little.

"I don't ask for status," she said softly, "As long as I can be by your side, that's enough."

"That won't do." Li Ling smiled, "How can my wife, Li Ling's wife, not have status? Don't worry, I will arrange everything."

Empress Su Wanqing nodded and said nothing more.

She knew of Li Ling's ambition and that he needed the political marriage alliance to consolidate his power. She didn't want to be his burden; she only wanted to be his support.

"Oh, by the way," Li Ling released her, "Emily will also be back in a few days. You two should get along well."

Empress Su Wanqing frowned slightly: "That foreign woman?"

"What do you mean, 'foreign woman'?" Li Ling didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Her name is Emily, the only daughter of a Meijian Country conglomerate, and she is very helpful to me."

"I know." Empress Su Wanqing sighed, "I just... forget it, I won't say anything more. As long as you have me in your heart, that's all that matters."

Li Ling felt moved and hugged her again.

After seeing Empress Su Wanqing off, Li Ling returned to the study, and the system suddenly spoke.

[Host, aren't you afraid that they will get jealous and cause a fire in the backyard?]

"What is there to fear?" Li Ling smiled, "I have plenty of ways to coax them. Besides, they are not unreasonable people; they know my situation."

[The host is certainly confident. However, I must remind you that matters of the heart cannot be solved by reason alone.]

"I know." Li Ling nodded, "That is why I will try my best to treat them all equally. Empress Su Wanqing is my 'white moonlight,' the princess is my political ally, Emily is my god of wealth, and the German Princess is my major arms client. They each have their own strengths and needs; as long as I don't favor anyone, there won't be any major problems."

[The host has certainly thought this through thoroughly. However, plans cannot keep up with changes. When things really start to kick off, we'll see what you do then.]

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Li Ling smiled, "There will always be a way when we reach the mountain."

Half a month later, the date of the wedding was set—the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, an auspicious day.

Li Ling began to get busy. He had to prepare the betrothal gifts, decorate the bridal chamber, arrange the wedding proceedings, receive guests from all sides... there were so many things that it gave him a headache.

"This is even more tiring than fighting a war," he complained.

[The host can ask the system for help.] The system rarely offered to help voluntarily.

"What kind of help can you provide?" Li Ling asked.

[The system can provide a wedding planning scheme, including venue decoration, process arrangement, guest reception, etc. Moreover, the system can also provide a batch of intelligent robots to act as attendants.]

"Really?" Li Ling's eyes lit up, "Then hurry up!"

[However, it requires resource points to redeem.]

"...I knew it." Li Ling rolled his eyes, "How much?"

[Five thousand resource points.]

"Five thousand?!" Li Ling jumped up, "Why don't you just go rob someone?!"

[The host can choose not to have it.]

Li Ling gritted his teeth for a long time, but finally compromised: "Fine, five thousand it is. But you must guarantee the results."

[Products from the system are guaranteed to be high quality.]

With the system's help, the wedding preparations went much more smoothly. The intelligent robots were responsible for decorating the venue, preparing the banquet, and arranging the guests, with extremely high efficiency and meticulousness.

Li Ling only needed to be responsible for receiving important guests.

The first to arrive was the minister of the German Empire stationed in Qingxia, who brought a generous gift—a personal letter from the German Princess.

The letter was written in not-very-fluent Chinese: "Mr. Li Ling, I heard that you are about to get married, and I am very happy. Although the bride is not me, I still wish you well. Looking forward to seeing you soon. — Anna"

After reading the letter, Li Ling smiled.

"This German Princess is quite interesting," he said to the system.

[Host, be careful, this might be a sugar-coated bullet.]

"I'll eat sugar-coated bullets too," Li Ling smiled, "As long as it can help me develop my strength, let alone sugar-coated bullets, I'll accept even iron-coated bullets."

The second to arrive was the consul of Meijian Country, who brought a congratulatory letter from the president of Meijian Country.

The congratulatory letter was written in high-sounding terms, nothing more than superficial pleasantries about congratulating Li Ling on his wedding and hoping for friendship between the two countries. But Li Ling knew that Meijian Country was currently secretly supporting Japan, preparing to deal with him.

"Hypocritical." He sneered inwardly.

The third to arrive was the representative of Japan, who brought a letter from the Foreign Minister of Japan.

The letter used a respectful tone to congratulate Li Ling on his wedding and expressed the hope that the two countries could coexist peacefully.

After reading the letter, Li Ling almost laughed out loud.

Coexist peacefully? When you were ambushed my transport fleet, why didn't you talk about peaceful coexistence?

But on the surface, he still politely received the other party and expressed his gratitude.

After seeing off all the guests, Li Ling slumped in his chair.

"I'm exhausted," he rubbed his temples, "This is more tiring than fighting a naval battle."

[Host, this is just the beginning. On the day of the wedding, you will only be more tired.]

"Don't scare me."

[The system never lies.]

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the wedding was held as scheduled.

The entire Jiangning Prefecture was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, firecrackers were set off, and it was exceptionally lively. The streets were crowded with onlookers, all scrambling to catch a glimpse of the demeanor of Li Ling and the princess.

Li Ling, dressed in a bright red groom's wedding attire, rode a tall horse, leading the wedding procession, marching grandly toward the residence where the princess was staying.

The princess, wearing a phoenix coronet and rosy cape, covered with a red bridal veil, walked out, supported by her maid.

Although her face could not be seen, just by looking at her figure and temperament, one knew she was a beauty.

Li Ling stepped forward and, according to traditional etiquette, bowed to the princess.

"I, Li Ling, respectfully welcome Her Highness the Princess."

The princess nodded slightly without speaking.

The wedding procession returned to the government office to begin the wedding ceremony.

Bowing to Heaven and Earth, bowing to the parents, and bowing to each other as husband and wife.

Li Ling's father, Retired Emperor Li Zhenshan, sat in the seat of honor, grinning from ear to ear. Although he was a rough man, he knew that marrying a princess was a tremendous honor.

"Good! Good!" He nodded repeatedly, "My son has made something of himself!"

Entering the bridal chamber.

Li Ling entered the bridal chamber and saw the princess sitting upright on the edge of the bed; under the red bridal veil, her delicate silhouette could be vaguely seen.

He walked over, picked up a weighing scale, and gently lifted the bridal veil.

A delicate and dignified face came into view.

The princess was about eighteen years old, with fair skin, picturesque eyes and brows, and a temperament that was gentle yet carried a hint of heroic spirit.

"Your Highness, our first meeting," Li Ling smiled, "I am Li Ling."

The princess lowered her head slightly, her cheeks blushing: "I am Zaiyi, greetings, husband."

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, with a hint of shyness.

Li Ling sat down beside her: "Your Highness, there is no need to be nervous. Although I am a rough man, I am still very gentle with women."

The princess pursed her lips and smiled: "Husband, you are joking. I have heard that my husband possesses unparalleled civil and military strategy; how could you be a rough man?"

"That's just what outsiders say," Li Ling waved his hand, "I'm just a reckless man who knows how to fight."

The princess shook her head: "Husband, you need not be modest. Although I have lived deep in the palace, I have heard of your deeds. Within five years, starting from scratch, you built a navy capable of defeating the United Fleet of the Great Powers; how could a reckless man achieve this?"

Li Ling was somewhat surprised. This princess was indeed not simple; she spoke clearly and knew how to use compliments to close the distance.

"Your Highness, you flatter me," he smiled, "However, I have a question I would like to ask you."

"Please speak, husband."

"Are you willing to marry me of your own free will, or was it by imperial order?"

The princess was silent for a few seconds, then looked up, staring straight into Li Ling's eyes.

"To tell you the truth, it is both," she said frankly, "As a princess, my marriage has never been my own to decide. But I have also heard of your deeds, husband, and I admire you, so I do not feel wronged."

Li Ling nodded: "You are quite frank, Your Highness. Then I will also be frank: I am marrying you half because of the imperial order and half because I want to use the imperial family's name."

The princess smiled slightly: "Husband, you are quite honest. But since I have married you, I will be wholeheartedly devoted to you. As for the affairs of the imperial family... I do not want to interfere, nor can I."

"Then what if there is a conflict between the imperial family and me?" Li Ling pressed.

The princess's smile stiffened for a moment, then she said slowly: "I hope that day will never come. If that day really does come... I will try my best to mediate."

Li Ling stared at her for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Good." He nodded, "Rest assured, Your Highness, as long as the imperial family does not provoke me, I will never do anything to harm the imperial family."

"Thank you, husband." The princess breathed a sigh of relief.

The two talked for a while longer, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.

Li Ling discovered that this princess was indeed smart; not only was she knowledgeable, but she also understood propriety and knew what should be said and what should not.

"It seems this deal is not a loss," he thought to himself.

[Host, she is a person, not a deal.] The system retorted.

"I know." Li Ling replied in his heart, "It's just a metaphor."

The night was deep, and the two were speechless, facing each other.

Li Ling stood up: "Your Highness, rest early. I still have official business to attend to."

The princess was stunned: "Husband, are you not going to...?"

"I will not disturb you tonight, Your Highness," Li Ling smiled, "We will talk after you have adapted."

A complex look flashed in the princess's eyes, then she nodded: "Thank you for your consideration, husband."

Li Ling walked out of the bridal chamber and let out a long sigh.

[Host, you just left like that?]

"What else?" Li Ling asked back, "It wouldn't be very good to do that the first time I meet the girl, would it?"

[The host is quite a gentleman. However, the system reminds you that the romance line—uh, the imperial princess's favorability towards you has increased by ten points.]

"Oh?" Li Ling was somewhat surprised, "It increased just like that?"

[She thought you were a rough martial man, but she didn't expect you to be so considerate.]

"Of course." Li Ling said proudly, "I am a romantic master."

[...The system has withdrawn the notice of the favorability increase.]

"Don't!"