143: Marrying Fan Ruoruo! Lin Wan'er is crowned Princess Yichen

Chapter 142: Marrying Fan Ruoruo! Lin Wan'er is Enfeoffed as Princess Yichen! (33)

Before Fan Xian submitted his memorial, the Crown Prince and Fan Jian eagerly offered their opinions.

However, after Fan Xian finished writing, he only let Chen Pingping review it.

After reading it, Chen Pingping smiled and uttered two words.

“Excellent!”

His ideas in the memorial were similar to those in the original plot.

He believed that for so many years, the Ming Family had dominated Jiangnan, and other merchants had no chance to rise.

The Ming Family was as rich as the Qing Kingdom, turning Jiangnan into an impenetrable fortress, even daring to defy the Supervisory Council.

Fan Xian believed that the Three Great Workshops were a treasure trove, and even if the Ming Family was replaced, other Families guarding the Three Great Workshops would still become the next Ming Family.

Therefore, his idea was to release all the secret technologies of the Imperial Treasury, allowing merchants who wished to use them to pay intellectual property usage fees.

He believed that this would achieve universal prosperity and hide wealth among the people.

This kind of utopian scheme was not feasible in this era.

More importantly, it did not align with the interests of the royal Family.

Eastern Yi and Northern Qi were still present; if all these technologies were released, it would severely damage the Qing Kingdom’s interests.

Therefore, after the Crown Prince and Fan Jian read it, they couldn't help but shake their heads.

Lin Wan'er's plan, however, although also considering decentralized marketing, was far less radical.

Lin Wan'er suggested that the head of the Imperial Treasury should rotate every three years, preventing any single person from holding power for too long.

Then, fourteen products would be distributed to fourteen different marketing Families, preventing the emergence of a behemoth like the Ming Family.

Following Li Chang'an's suggestion, Lin Wan'er specifically emphasized that the technologies of the Three Great Workshops belonged to the royal Family and must be kept strictly confidential.

Both Li Chang'an and Lin Wan'er were members of the imperial Family.

No normal person would ever harm their own interests to create wealth for others.

Moreover, the world of Joy of Life was still primarily agricultural.

Releasing the Imperial Treasury's technologies would not hide wealth among the people, but only among a small handful of merchants.

Emperor Qing finally made the decision, “We will proceed with Wan'er’s method. For the next three years, the Imperial Treasury will be managed by Wan'er.”

After making his decision, he added, “Lin Wan'er has dedicated herself to the Qing Kingdom and has performed meritoriously in rectifying the Imperial Treasury. She is hereby enfeoffed as Princess Yichen.”

“Fan Xian’s anti-corruption efforts have been remarkably effective, uncovering the smuggling case between the Ming Family and Eastern Yi. He is hereby enfeoffed as a First-Class Earl.”

Fan Xian's official position as the Commissioner of the Supervisory Council was already very high, so Emperor Qing further elevated Fan Xian's peerage.

A relieved smile appeared on Fan Jian's face, “Your subject thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Fan Xian!”

Now, Fan Xian's peerage was equivalent to that of Count Sinan, Fan Jian.

Lin Wan'er could manage the Imperial Treasury for three years, which, for Li Chang'an, meant the Imperial Treasury was practically his own during that period.

Just as Emperor Qing secretly sent people to the Three Great Workshops to learn metallurgy and processing techniques, although it was a secret decree, Lin Wan'er would certainly inform Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an was confident that within one or two years, he would make the Imperial Treasury and the Three Great Workshops permanently his own.

Not long after the Imperial Treasury incident concluded, Li Chang'an's wealth ranking finally rose to first place!

[Your wealth ranking has risen to 1st place! The Gate of Reincarnation is 60% open!]

During this period, due to the expansion of the Western Qin, Li Chang'an's power ranking also reached second place!

Because of the Net, which covered the entire world, and the strong and well-equipped Western Qin, Li Chang'an's power had surpassed the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi, second only to Emperor Qing.

In the influence dimension of the Myriad Worlds, Li Chang'an had topped three categories, with only his martial prowess and power remaining in second place!

In the eighth month of the fifth year of Qingli.

One month after Li Chang'an returned to the capital from Jiangnan, a grand wedding was finally held.

At this wedding, Li Chang'an simultaneously married his primary consort, Fan Ruoruo, and his secondary consort, Zhan Pianpian!

This was a momentous occasion in Southern Qing, as Li Chang'an was the pride of Southern Qing!

The capital city was as lively as a festival, with tens of thousands of people filling the streets!

Countless commoners flocked to the streets to celebrate the wedding of His Highness Prince Yong.

Now, the famous poems and literary works Li Chang'an had copied were recited throughout the land, and the Three Sages of Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting were thoroughly renowned across the world!

As a Transmigrator, Li Chang'an truly hadn't expected the wedding ceremonies in this world to be so elaborate.

The Prince Yong's Residence was as lively as the New Year, with his mother, Liu Shuyan, bustling about, and maids running back and forth.

After several hours of preparation, Li Chang'an was finally ready.

He wore a crimson ceremonial robe adorned with jade pendants, his attire featuring only red and gold, making it both festive and somewhat ostentatious.

Xiren and Qingwen gazed at Li Chang'an with admiration; they could only be concubines and did not have the good fortune to be married by Li Chang'an.

“Your Highness is indeed the most handsome man in the world!”

“Your Highness is also the most talented man in the world!”

“Your Highness is also the strongest man in the world!”

...Love is blind, so it was not surprising what came out of their mouths.

Li Chang'an, who was usually stern in front of his subordinates, simply couldn't maintain his seriousness today.

After everything was prepared, Wang Qinian, dressed in his finest, also rushed in.

“Your Highness, according to etiquette, the primary consort should be last, so we will first go to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to pick up the secondary consort.”

Zhan Pianpian lived in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, while Fan Ruoruo lived at her maternal grandfather's house.

Although Liu Ruyu had personally sought out Fan Ruoruo many times, Fan Ruoruo simply refused to return to the Fan Manor.

Now, on her wedding day, Fan Ruoruo thought of her mother and was even more unwilling to return to the manor to face Fan Jian.

Li Chang'an rode a tall horse through the bustling streets.

“His Highness Prince Yong, I wish you and your consorts a hundred years of harmony!”

“His Highness Prince Yong, there’s still a secondary consort position open, for whom is it reserved! Do I still have a chance?”

“Your Highness has aspired to marry Young Miss Fan since childhood and has now finally achieved his wish. Such unwavering devotion is a model for our generation!”

“Your Highness! Your Highness, when will you become the Crown Prince?!”

This last person was likely a Northern Qi spy, shouting quite smoothly. One wonders what the Crown Prince would think upon hearing it.

Li Chang'an was somewhat speechless; it was just a wedding, why did it feel like a parade?

Fortunately, the Garrison Division maintained order along the route, preventing any major chaos.

On the highest balcony of the Embrace the Moon Brothel, Sang Wen gazed eagerly at Li Chang'an riding past in the distance.

His Highness Prince Yong would visit her every few days to hear her sing a few tunes.

She had grown accustomed to singing for His Highness, and his prolonged absence would leave her feeling very empty.

She was a capable subordinate of Li Chang'an, and her position in the Net was growing increasingly important.

Sang Wen knew what she was waiting for, an expectation that had lasted for over a decade.

Zhan Pianpian, who had put on her wedding dress early in the morning, was pacing anxiously in her room.

“Will His Highness go to pick up Young Miss Fan first?”

“Will His Highness forget about me?!”

“Look, do my eyes look spirited? His Highness loves my eyes the most!”

Zhan Pianpian kept asking absurd questions to her maids to hide her panic.

“Pianpian, this King has come to pick you up!”

Hearing Li Chang'an's voice, Zhan Pianpian suddenly stood up, “Your Highness, you've finally come!”

She instinctively tried to rush out but was held back by two maids, who made her sit properly and covered her head with a veil.

Li Chang'an took Zhan Pianpian's hand, helped her into the sedan chair, and then hastened towards Fan Ruoruo's maternal grandfather's residence.

As the wedding procession went to pick up Fan Ruoruo, Fan Xian was lying in the Fan Manor.

On his way back to the capital, he had been ambushed by a large group of assassins.

The assassins were extremely skilled; the Black Knights suffered nearly two hundred casualties, and almost half of the Sixth Bureau Swordsmen he had brought along were killed or wounded.

Fan Xian was injured, but fortunately, with Shadow's protection, his injuries were not too severe.

The assassins were Jianghu figures from Eastern Yi, Northern Qi, and Southern Qing, as well as members of assassin organizations.

Fan Xian could largely confirm that this was a counterattack from Li Yunrui's Junshan Society.

Li Chang'an had dismantled the core organization of the Junshan Society, but Li Yunrui could still contact Jianghu figures and assassins.

The great effort expended to kill Fan Xian showed Li Yunrui's hatred for Ye Qingmei.

The entrance of Fan Ruoruo's maternal grandfather's house was crowded with people.

Fan Ruoruo leaving the Fan Manor, not even marrying from the Fan Manor, caused Fan Jian some embarrassment.

People in this era held strong patriarchal views, let alone an important official like Fan Jian.

Fan Sizhe, seeing the wedding procession approaching from afar, excitedly blocked the doorway.

“I’ve been waiting for my sister to marry His Highness Prince Yong for over a decade!”

“Today, I finally get to see it!”

According to custom, a younger brother-in-law blocking the door could receive a large red packet.

“Congratulations, Brother-in-law, on your joyous day! Your younger brother has been waiting for you for a long time!”

Li Chang'an looked at Fan Sizhe blocking the door, not surprised at all.

This boy had loved running to the Prince Yong's Residence since childhood, but Li Chang'an had been stingy and never given him any favors.

Today was a good day, so Li Chang'an winked at Wang Qinian.

Wang Qinian immediately pulled out a red scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Fan Sizhe.

“Young Master Sizhe, this is His Highness's calligraphy. Please clear the way!”

Upon seeing the calligraphy, Fan Sizhe's eyes lit up. After so many years, he finally got a piece of his brother-in-law's calligraphy.

He obediently moved away from the door and then happily unrolled the scroll.

The painting depicted a middle-aged fat man resembling Fan Sizhe, but with very short hair, holding two bamboo clappers in his left hand and a fan in his right.

The fat man was grinning broadly, and beside him were five characters: “I am your father!”

“Who is this? He looks a lot like me!”

“He looks so lewd, and he's taking advantage of me with his words!”

“What does Brother-in-law mean, asking me to become a storyteller in the future?”

“Never mind what Brother-in-law painted, with his great seal here, and it being a masterpiece from his wedding, it's worth at least one hundred thousand taels of silver!”

“What a pity, Mother didn't give me another younger sister, otherwise, I would definitely have her marry Brother-in-law too!”

Li Chang'an entered Fan Ruoruo's room and saw her sitting upright on the bed, dressed in a crimson robe embroidered with dragons and phoenixes.

Beneath the red veil, the noble phoenix coronet and robes of rank were faintly visible.

Fan Ruoruo held a scroll tightly in her arms.

Li Chang'an recognized it at a glance; it was a gift he had given her when she was six years old.

“My Princess, this King has come to pick you up!”

Fan Ruoruo had been waiting nervously, and upon hearing Li Chang'an's voice, her entire being instantly relaxed.

“Your Highness, Ruo Ruo is finally marrying you!”

Fan Ruoruo's voice trembled slightly, filled with excitement, joy, and anticipation.

Li Chang'an took her hand and helped her into the sedan chair as well.

Today, the Prince Yong's Residence was exceptionally lively, filled with officials who had come to offer their congratulations.

For many years, Li Chang'an had avoided associating with court officials; the wedding was an excellent opportunity to forge connections.

Even Lin Ruofu and Qin Ye came, and although Fan Jian felt awkward, he still showed up.

After all, Fan Ruoruo was his biological daughter.

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince stood in the most prominent positions. The Crown Prince wore a smile, but his gaze was very complex.

Uncle Prince Yong was truly too strong, superior to him in many aspects.

He was far superior in poetry and literature, and his foresight and methods were beyond Li Chengqian's capabilities.

In just over half a year, Li Chang'an had severely damaged Northern Qi, swiftly brought down the second prince, and made Fan Xian suffer a setback in Jiangnan.

Li Chengqian realized that almost nothing His Highness Prince Yong set out to do failed!

If Li Chang'an were not the Emperor's brother, but the Emperor's son, then Li Chengqian would truly have no confidence at all to contend with him.

Fortunately, Li Chang'an was only the imperial brother, not an imperial son. Thinking of this, Li Chengqian was filled with confidence.

Li Chang'an calmly accepted the congratulations from the officials and even announced that everyone was welcome to visit the Dragon Guard Manor in the future.

This was unprecedented good news!

This meant that His Highness Prince Yong also intended to associate with court officials.

After His Highness Prince Yong acquired the Shadow Guard, which awe-inspired the Jianghu across the land, he was also going to accumulate power within the court.

The wedding was joyous for hosts and guests alike, remaining lively throughout the day.

As night fell, Li Chang'an and his two consorts paid respects to heaven and earth, finally completing the grand ceremony!

After the guests had all left, Li Chang'an entered the primary consort's room.

The red candles in the room illuminated the entire space.

Li Chang'an sat beside Fan Ruoruo on the bed and slowly lifted her red veil.

“Ruo Ruo, my Princess.”

Fan Ruoruo's beautiful eyes rippled, and her exquisitely beautiful face was filled with joy.

“Your Highness...”

Li Chang'an gazed at Fan Ruoruo with burning eyes, making her heart pound and causing her to lower her head shyly.

“Your Highness, Pianpian traveled a thousand li to marry; please go to her room tonight.”

Li Chang'an gently helped Fan Ruoruo remove her phoenix coronet and lightly kissed her blushing cheeks.

“This King has already taken care of Pianpian's matter in advance to spend this beautiful night with my Princess, so my Princess need not worry.”

Hearing Li Chang'an's words, Fan Ruoruo blinked in surprise, her husband truly was far-sighted.

At this moment, Xiren and Qingwen gracefully entered the room, “Your Highness, Princess, it's time for the nuptial wine.”

One of the two women carried a tray with wine utensils, and the other carried a wine pot.

Fan Ruoruo frowned slightly and said, “You two are His Highness's concubines; how can I let you do serving duties?”

Xiren smiled charmingly, “His Highness has finally married the Princess. How could we sisters trust anyone else to do this?”

Li Chang'an took the wine cup, handed one to Fan Ruoruo, and picked up one himself.

“Ruo Ruo, a decade of cultivation leads to crossing the same boat, a century of cultivation leads to sharing the same pillow. Let us drink this cup to the fullest.”

At this moment, considering his past and present lives, Li Chang'an also felt a surge of emotion; he had finally started a Family and established himself.

Fan Ruoruo's beautiful eyes beneath her willow-like brows shimmered like water, gazing at Li Chang'an with adoration, her cherry lips moving, deeply moved.

“Husband...”

The two drank their nuptial wine. Xiren and Qingwen exchanged glances and laughed in unison: “We wish His Highness and the Princess a hundred years of harmony and many noble sons soon.”

After the two women left, Li Chang'an looked at Fan Ruoruo, whose cheeks were flushed with shyness and whose hands didn't know where to hide.

“Ruo Ruo.”

Fan Ruoruo's delicate face was as hot as fire, and her clear, beautiful eyes beneath her fine willow-leaf brows trembled slightly.

Her curved eyelashes quietly lowered, and a soft hum involuntarily escaped her delicate nose.

“Husband... Mmm~”

The Mid-Autumn Moon was full, and the night was deep and quiet. In the bridal chamber, red candles burned silently.

Wax tears flowed in lines, silently dripping, and the candlewick crackled, flickering brightly and dimly, with a joyous and lively rhythm.