"Yuan Ruo, congratulations, I wish you a perfect marriage as husband and wife."
After Mo Lan got married, the next wedding Sheng Changbai attended was not Ru Lan's but Qi Heng's.
Qi Heng also passed the Jinshi examination in this subject, and went through the same process as other unmarried new subjects.
Qi Heng's first wife, the Princess of Jiacheng County, was taken away by the rebels on the day King Yan forced her into the palace.
Although King Yan and the Rong family did not control Bianliang for a long time, it was enough time to clean up the King Yong family.
It's a pity that King Yong was so prolific, but King Yan came and eradicated the whole family, leaving no chickens or dogs behind, not even sparing his married daughter.
The lineage of King Yong died immediately.
The death of the head of Jiacheng County is a sad feeling for Qi Heng.
But it's not a bad thing. Qi Heng's marriage to the head of Jiacheng County was originally an attempt to seize the legitimate heir.
The last person to take the position was Zhao Zongquan, and the Duke of Qi obviously lost because of the pressure on him.
Not to mention whether Zhao Zongquan would suppress the Duke of Qi because of the Qi family's support for King Yong, this marriage alone would bring no political help to Qi Heng and it would be a big loss.
Now that the head of Jiacheng County is dead and Qi Heng has become a widower, it gives Qi Heng another chance to choose again.
Although Qi Heng was married for the second time, because of his young age, his first wife did not have any children.
It does not affect Qi Heng's value in the marriage market at all. The several conditions required for marriage, including appearance, family background, talent, education, and character, are not much different from the original ones.
Although the old emperor has passed away, the new emperor has not raised Princess Pingning. Without the friendship with the emperor, the power of the Duke of Qi will inevitably be lower than before.
However, Qi Heng, a top-ranking nobleman, could almost make up for these gaps if he passed the examination with a good rank.
The county lord's wife is gone, so the girl Qi Heng marries this time from the Shen family is not an ordinary girl, she is the granddaughter of the prime minister.
Qi Heng became a Jinshi and wanted to change the tradition of nobles and take the civil service route. He needed the help of this kind of wife family.
"Brother Zecheng, please hurry up and please come inside."
"You go ahead and entertain the guests. Don't worry about me. I'll look around by myself."
After all, it was Qi Heng's wedding day. Qi Heng was very busy and there were many guests, so Sheng Changbai didn't chat much with Qi Heng.
Although the two of them were brothers from Zhuang Xuexue's point of view, Sheng Changbai still never came to Qi Heng's house.
When Qi Heng got married for the first time, Sheng Changbai was in Xuzhou, so of course he couldn't come. Now he was visiting the top mansions in Bianliang like Qi Guogong Mansion.
I saw the Qi family's mansion on the edge of the imperial city. I walked in and out. There were hills, rivers, lakes, and gardens in the courtyard.
Sheng Changbai is still very envious. It's okay to be big. If you want a big house, there are some ways. The most important thing is that the location is good.
It's close to the Imperial City, so you can save an hour on your daily commute to work.
There are only a limited number of large houses in the inner city of Bianliang. They are either in the hands of nobles or in the hands of wealthy families who have been officials for generations.
The remaining mansions were all in the hands of the emperor, and their circulation mainly relied on raids and rewards.
If the Sheng family wants to live in such a big house now, it's still a bit short.
Only when you become an important minister in the court, you are almost at the level of prime minister or deputy prime minister.
The emperor needed to find someone to discuss state affairs at any time. To facilitate the discussion, the emperor would allocate a large mansion to his ministers to live in.
The allocated houses were basically just for temporary living. If the official passed away, the emperor would take them back.
In this regard, civil servants are not as good as nobles. Because of the hereditary title, the houses given by the emperor to nobles are basically permanent gifts.
Zhao Zongquan gave a group of people in Yuzhou a permanent mansion.
"Ze Cheng!"
"Zhong Huai, didn't you go to the south to cause chaos among the common people? Why did you come back suddenly?"
Sheng Changbai was just thinking that when the emperor gave Gu Tingye the largest vacant mansion in the inner city, he saw Gu Tingye.
"The civil strife has been calmed down, and we are on our way back to the court. I heard that Yuan Ruo was getting married, so I took a step back."
Gu Tingye explained that the Gu family and the Qi family were related, mainly because Gu Tingye was related to Princess Ping Ning.
Although this relationship is quite distant.
However, because the two families have always had equal status in the DPRK and China, and they need to help each other, their relationship is quite close.
In terms of seniority, Gu Tingye is Qi Heng's second uncle.
Gu Tingye abandoned the army and returned to Beijing first, so there was no big problem.
This time Gu Tingye put down the rebellion. Although Gu Tingye did the work of a general, he was actually just a deputy general.
The official leader was Zhao Zongquan’s eldest son, Zhao Jiying.
"It will be good if the civil unrest is suppressed. Only after the country is stabilized will it be possible to take back the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures."
When Gu Tingye was young, he was quite ambitious. When he met Sheng Changbai for the first time, he clamored to take back the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun.
But in the past few years, I have been severely beaten by society, and my ambition has almost been beaten away.
Sheng Changbai could only remind Gu Tingye from time to time.
After returning from quelling the chaos this time, Gu Tingye will obviously be promoted.
Originally, as Zhao Zongquan's most trusted general, Gu Tingye had a high status.
If he gets promoted again, Gu Tingye can be said to be a military boss.
Gu Tingye is not required to take action against Xixia and Liao now.
The current economic and military strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty is insufficient, but preparations can still be made.
Gu Tingye is not required to enhance the military strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but the military strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty cannot continue to weaken.
During the old emperor's reign, due to the rise of Xixia, the national defense pressure of the Great Zhou Dynasty increased greatly.
The old emperor needed a sense of security, so the Great Zhou Dynasty began to continuously mobilize troops. At its peak, the Forbidden Army alone numbered 800,000.
Including the larger number of Xiang troops, Fan soldiers, and rural soldiers, the total number is already several million.
Although the actual population of Dazhou may be in the hundreds of millions, except for the hidden population and customers who rely on the main household to survive and cannot pay much tax.
In fact, the number of people who pay taxes to the country is only 50 to 60 million.
The ratio of the military to the tax-paying population has exceeded 11.
It can be considered as a complete act of militarism.
There are too many troops to support, and military expenditure accounts for 70% of the country's revenue.
This is also the biggest reason why the country was generally at peace for decades during the old emperor's reign, but the national power of the Zhou Dynasty was still getting weaker and weaker.
If you can raise a strong army, you can still expand abroad when encountering this situation.
However, after the outbreak of the army in the Zhou Dynasty, the military personnel were mixed, and the resources provided to each soldier were reduced, which was not enough to train strong soldiers. There was corruption in the army and power was used for personal gain. Various reasons led to the lack of increase in military combat effectiveness after the explosion.
reduce.
There are many problems, and it is not an easy thing to solve.
Sheng Changbai's idea was to submit a letter himself, and Gu Tingye would cooperate with the military to reform simple matters first.
"After the imperial court recuperates, recharges its energy, and accumulates enough strength, I will ask the officials to lead the army in the Northern Expedition." It seems that Gu Tingye still has some enthusiasm.
Even if they just shout slogans, they are much better than those noble children who have completely forgotten the national crisis and only know how to sing and dance to live in peace and sleep.
"Sit down and practice self-cultivation is not just a matter of words. The country's taxes cannot make ends meet, so there is no talk of self-cultivation. I am going to write to the officials."
Sheng Changbai's first thought was that the army was too large and needed to be streamlined.
The first thing is to reform the retirement system of the Zhou Dynasty army.
In the feudal era, when thirty or forty were considered old, the army had to raise soldiers until they were sixty, which was a waste of money and food.
Veterans in their 40s and 50s, not to mention fighting on the battlefield, or even working as engineering soldiers, are not physically strong enough.
Although the army of the Zhou Dynasty paid salaries to soldiers according to their combat prowess.
There is no need to pay these weak soldiers any amount of money every month.
But when the number increases, just taking care of the food and clothing of these people is a big burden.
If you want to make people retire, you don't just have to kick them out.
These professional military households have been soldiers all their lives and do not even have basic farming skills, and have no ability to survive in society at all.
We must also do a good job in resettling retired soldiers. If these people are not resettled well, these soldiers who have received military training will become chaos in the local area.
Even if we don't develop chaos, we will still become victims of disaster.
According to the national policy of the Zhou Dynasty, these people should be recruited back and supported at home.
Sheng Changbai's plan was to arrange for these people to cultivate wasteland.
After the fields are reclaimed through collective reclamation, the land will be distributed and these people will be allowed to become farmers.
This is the temporary idea. If it is really implemented at that time, of course there will be specific demonstrations.
"Ze Cheng, this argument is reasonable, I support you, and I will write to you together."
Gu Tingye agreed, in fact, many people are aware of this kind of problem.
But the imperial court's income could still support it, so no one wanted to change it.
"It's exactly what I need from you. To implement this strategy, you will inevitably have to work hard."
Sheng Changbai has already proposed a practical method, and Sheng Changbai is still confident that this memorial will be passed in front of Zhao Zongquan, the Queen Mother, and the Prime Minister.
Although the three people may have considerable differences on other matters.
But when it comes to saving money for the country, the three people still have the same position.
The death of the old emperor and the enthronement of the new emperor were two major events that actually emptied the national treasury.
If Zhao Zongquan hadn't confiscated a lot of money from Xungui who was involved with King Yan.
In the first year of the new year, Zhao Zongquan should think about how to raise taxes on the people.
When he first came to power, he raised taxes on the people, and the people naturally had nothing good to say.
"I will not refuse anyone who is useful to me."
"You go to the officials to express your loyalty. How can I touch a general like you?"
The situation of Wengui and Wuqing was not obvious in front of Gu Tingye, the hero of Conglong.
There was no way Sheng Changbai, a seventh-rank official, could command Gu Tingye, a fourth-rank official.
Not counting Gu Tingye's contribution to following the eldest prince to quell the chaos this time.
After this performance review, Gu Tingye will probably wear a third-grade purple robe.
"Then let's not talk about this. Let's talk about Yuan Ruo. Why did Yuan Ruo settle down with the Shen family so quickly?"
"Yuanruo is taking the high school examination in this department. As one of the few promising children among the nobles, he will be reused sooner or later. Considering Yuanruo's various conditions, it is not surprising that the Shen family likes Yuanruo."
Although Sheng Changbai has always been in Bianliang, Sheng Changbai really doesn't know the inside story of Qi Heng's marriage.
Qi Heng's engagement process this time was not as public as the last time.
Princess Pingning was preparing for Qi Heng's marriage this time, but unlike the last time, she did not announce the idea to the outside world after she had the idea of proposing for her son's marriage.
Originally, it was during the old emperor's filial piety period that Qi Heng still needed to pay filial piety to the Lord of Jiacheng County.
When discussing marriage, a low profile is highlighted.
Probably just like the three orchids of the Sheng family, during the old emperor's mourning period, the two parties had contact and had some tacit understandings.
After waiting for the new emperor to start planning marriages for the clan, Qi Heng started the process with the Shen family.
Although the inside story is not that clear, the Qi family and the Shen family are nothing more than another combination of interests.
There was no way that in the past six months, just after his wife died, Qi Heng went to find Mr. Shen to fall in love.
"Zecheng, do you think it is possible for me to find a marriage like this?" Gu Tingye asked enviously.
"What's so difficult about this? You are now the most popular person in front of the officials. I heard that before you left the capital and went to quell the rebellion, the matchmaker in Bianliang took you to court during the filial piety period of the late emperor.
The threshold of your home is almost broken, what kind of lady are you looking for but can’t find?"
Although Gu Tingye's daughter-in-law Rong Feiyan did not have any accidents when King Yan tried to force her into the palace.
However, the Rong family followed King Yan and forced the palace soldiers to remonstrate, so of course Rong Feiyan, the daughter of the Rong family, was also implicated.
Rong Feiyan was originally demoted as a slave, but because she was Gu Tingye's wife, she was exempted from punishment.
But it was impossible for Gu Tingye to let such a woman from a family of rebellious ministers be his eldest wife.
After interceding for Rong Feiyan to avoid punishment, he wrote a revision letter to Rong Feiyan.
Rong Feiyan was also a fierce woman. After going through so many things, she did not think about marrying anyone else. She saw through the world of mortals and directly found a nunnery to become a monk.
"What they value is my current status. When I was infamous, why didn't they marry their daughter to me? I don't want to do this. I want someone who treats me sincerely."
After all, I have been a wanderer since I was a child, and I have seen a lot. I have seen and played with everything.
After playing too much, I feel that relying on money, status, and status to pursue women is boring, so I want to play with real feelings.
"This is a fallacy of yours. If you want to find a sincere person, why don't you just find a woman from the common people? Why are you still thinking of finding a noble woman? You don't want others to seek your status, so why do you covet others'?
Family background."
Sheng Changbai said, disagreeing with Gu Tingye's idea. Gu Tingye can covet other people's family background, and others can naturally covet Gu Tingye's status.
If Gu Tingye hadn't turned over, how could those people who were originally unwilling to betroth their daughters to Gu Tingye have their current attitude changes?
"It's not that women from the common people are not allowed to do so. It's just that women from the common people are inevitably not as well-educated as those noble girls from high families."
"No matter what kind of woman you are looking for, I will not be involved in your matter. Let me remind you that if you want to discuss marriage, you should wait until your father's filial piety period has passed. Otherwise, I may not
One of them will join you."
Gu Tingye wanted to observe filial piety for Gu Yan, and the son would observe filial piety for his father for three years, which was actually twenty-seven.
Being an official and having banquets are considered trivial matters, but forgetting them. Taking a wife while serving your father as a filial piety is too much.
