Моя жена перелезает через стену

Глава 5

“Yes!” Xu Qingzhi chimed in, “Since that’s the case, you two should just get married. You even gave up the position of the Prince Consort for her sake.”

Li Yuxuan continued with a bitter face: "How can we get married? We were betrothed since we were children, and now neither of us has any parents or a matchmaker. Although she doesn't mind marrying me like this, I do. Life is only once, and I don't want to wrong her."

...

After a moment of silence, Su Shi said, "Since you are my sworn brother, I will discuss it with my father tonight. You will become his adopted son, and our family will officiate your wedding."

"No, no!" Xu Qingzhi quickly shook his head: "The imperial court is most averse to factional strife. Your Su family already has three members serving as officials in the court, so you must keep a low profile. This method won't work."

Su Shi nodded after hearing Xu Qingzhi's words: "Eldest brother is right. We really have to be careful about this. We might be taken advantage of by villains and ruin our third brother's future."

"Sigh!" Li Yuxuan shook his head: "My mind is in a mess, and I can't think of any solution right now."

Xu Qingzhi fell into deep thought. Li Yuxuan noticed that Xu Qingzhi had a habit of fiddling with his fingers when he was thinking.

After scrolling through his fingers, Xu Qingzhi slowly said, "I have a solution..."

Li Yuxuan and Su Shi asked in unison, "What method?"

Xu Qingzhi chuckled: "Look at how anxious you two are. I was just thinking, a mentor is like a father. If you could get your mentor to officiate your wedding, hehe, you could have any kind of grandeur you want."

Li Yuxuan's eyes lit up. This was exactly what she had been waiting for. She had already planned it out. This was a great opportunity to curry favor with Ouyang Xiu. She could do it discreetly and without drawing attention to herself. Ouyang Xiu held the high position of prime minister and was enjoying great favor with Emperor Renzong. No one dared to impeach him.

Immediately, he smiled and said, "Brother, your suggestion is good, but will our teacher agree?" "How about this..." Su Shi interjected, "This afternoon I will go and call Brother Wang, and we will go to our teacher's house together to talk to him. Perhaps our teacher will agree because of us."

Li Yuxuan clasped his hands in thanks to the two of them: "I thank you in advance. You and Brother Wang are both my master's prized students. With you accompanying me, this matter will basically be settled."

Back at the Dali Temple, Su Shi came over and asked, "Third brother, you really have a wife you were betrothed to since childhood? I thought you just didn't want to marry Princess Fu'an."

"Shh!" Li Yuxuan waved two fingers to his lips: "Second brother, don't talk nonsense, it's a capital offense."

Su Shi casually patted him on the shoulder: "I'm not talking nonsense. Don't think I didn't see your little tricks that day."

"Hmm?" Li Yuxuan raised her head and looked into Su Shi's eyes. "What little tricks are you playing?" There was nothing she could do; she could only look up to Su Shi. Who told him to be so tall? A whole head taller than her… Life is truly full of tragedies. Even more tragic was that every time she gazed at his handsome, bright face, she couldn't bear to look away.

It's all because of his words. Why did she bother studying his words a thousand years ago? Now she can't help but want to study them.

Su Shi smiled: "I won't say what it is, but I saw it. You really did look like you were crying!"

"Squeak—" It turns out that everyone in this world has sharp eyes.

"Let me add something. Prince Xin's reaction at the time startled me. If we weren't brothers, I would have thought you and Prince Xin had something going on."

Li Yuxuan rolled his eyes at him: "Second brother, are you really trying to be helpful by reminding me? Or are you just gossiping about me in front of me? Your third brother is an upright and honest man, and I would never do such shady things."

"Hahahaha." Su Shi laughed loudly: "Yes, a real man, just a little effeminate."

"You!" Li Yuxuan threw a pen at him: "You'd better go and call Brother Wang right now! If you say that again, I won't acknowledge you as my second brother."

Su Shi walked out with a smile: "Second brother, you look a bit too effeminate. Why don't you grow a bit more of a beard?"

The man was so angry that he remained silent for half a day.

The four of them arrived in the afternoon and walked together toward the scholar's residence. Li Yuxuan had already asked a servant to bring over a copy of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" from her home. This was an authentic work by Wang Xianzhi of the Han Dynasty, which she had taken when she fled the Li family years ago. She had it authenticated by a specialist later.

The three of them exclaimed, "Third brother, you're really willing to do this!"

You can't catch a wolf without risking your life.

Upon arriving at the scholar's residence and meeting Ouyang Xiu, Li Yuxuan respectfully presented the gift, which was worth a thousand gold pieces.

Upon seeing that it was a genuine work by Wang Xianzhi, Ouyang Xiu immediately took a liking to it. Li Yuxuan knew the weakness of literati: they loved these impractical, elegant objects. It was a pity she hadn't brought a copy of *Dream of the Red Chamber* with her when she transmigrated; otherwise, she could have stirred up quite a storm in the world of Song Dynasty literati.

Although she managed to pass the imperial examination as a third-ranking scholar by relying on her past memories and piecing together poems from various sources, in a world where Wang Anshi came before her, Su Shi was in the middle, and the Four Masters of the Su School were behind her, her third-ranking scholar status was just a decorative potted plant, fluttering around a bit to add icing on the cake for others.

Sigh, why didn't God tell her before she time-traveled? At least she could have memorized "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

Taking advantage of Ouyang Xiu's good mood, Li Yuxuan quickly stated his purpose, and then knelt down on the ground with a thud: "My parents have both passed away. I beg my esteemed teacher to make the decision on this most important matter in my life."

"When I saw the four of you appear together, I thought it was something serious!" Ouyang Xiu quickly told his servants to help her up: "I agree."

Li Yuxuan knelt on the ground and refused to get up: "I have no way to repay your great kindness, Master. Please accept me as your godson so that I can take care of you in my daily life."

Strike while the iron is hot

Seeing the hesitation on Ouyang Xiu's face, Li Yuxuan kowtowed three times: "I lost both my parents at a young age and grew up alone. Seeing others with both parents and children, enjoying their happiness, I often wake up in the middle of the night with tears on my pillow..." After speaking, he raised his head, his eyes glistening with tears: "I couldn't help but say these words. If I have offended you, please forgive me."

"You silly child!" Ouyang Xiu stepped down from his seat. "Get up, get up. I didn't say it was impossible. Oh dear, you've really had a tough time. May I ask who your parents are?"

"The student's parents were originally merchants in Jiangnan. They were killed by robbers five years ago. The student was lucky enough to survive and sold his house and belongings to flee to the capital."

Ouyang Xiu reached out to help him up: "Don't dwell on the past. You've brought honor to your parents' family."

Li Yuxuan dared not accept his help and quickly got up from the ground.

Xu Qingzhi and Wang Anshi's parents were both far away in their hometowns. Li Yuxuan's words stirred up their longing for them, and they both wished they could immediately bring their parents over to enjoy family life. They were also immediately filled with pity for this frail, handsome scholar from Jiangnan. At least they had families and parents; this third-ranked scholar... well, he was too pitiful.

Wang Anshi, having served as an official for many years, always acted with prudence and rarely overstepped the bounds of propriety. Seeing Li Yuxuan's dejected appearance, however, a strong urge to protect him welled up within him for no apparent reason. Protecting the weak was, of course, his duty as a man of stature. As the ancients said, "No act of kindness is too small to be done..."

Just then, Li Yuxuan looked over with a pleading gaze. His heart warmed, and he stepped forward and said, "Master, in my opinion, it would be a wonderful thing if you were to take Yue Wu as your adopted son!"

“Yes, Master, Yue Wu is a young prodigy whose knowledge of poetry and literature is no less than ours. He has achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations in the past five years, which shows that he is no ordinary person. If you were to adopt him as your godson, it would truly demonstrate your love for talent and virtue!” Su Shi and Xu Qingzhi stepped forward and clasped their hands in greeting.

Li Yuxuan looked at them gratefully. These three were indeed upright gentlemen. Compared to their honesty, she was a complete scoundrel, having schemed her way into their carefully drawn trap. Alas, what could she do? She was a woman. And what could she do when Confucius famously said, "Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with"? Being associated with petty men wasn't her prerogative; she was merely an executor…

Well, looking at the three people lined up to plead for her: In the future, one day, or when you find out the truth, please don't come after me. If you want to settle scores, go find Confucius—by then, I will definitely disappear to the ends of the earth—.

While he was lost in thought, Ouyang Xiu called over a maid: "Go and call the madam out!"

Before long, a middle-aged woman, still quite attractive, emerged from the inner hall. The four quickly paid their respects to their teacher's wife.

After his wife sat down in the main seat, Ouyang Xiu smiled and said to Li Yuxuan, "Yuewu, come here and pay your respects to your godmother!"

"Ah—" Li Yuxuan was overjoyed that things had gone so smoothly, and that Ouyang Xiu had agreed so readily. He knelt down before Ouyang Xiu with a thud: "Son Li Yuxuan greets Father!" "Son Li Yuxuan greets Mother!"

The lady, having weathered many storms, glanced at Ouyang Xiu with some surprise, but showed no sign of it. She immediately smiled and told the maid to quickly fetch the reward.

Seeing that things were settled, Li Yuxuan stood up, took the teacup brought by the maid, and respectfully served tea to Ouyang Xiu and his wife. You should know that Ouyang Xiu is now in a prominent position, and there are countless people who want to be his adopted son. As the saying goes, even a servant in the prime minister's household is a seventh-rank official. What a ostentatious status it is to be an adopted son.

However, his current status is not low either. The three of them were praised by Emperor Renzong as rare talents who appeared only once in a century during the palace examination. They were all young and promising, and all three were dashing and debonair. It was indeed a rare sight to see three such talented young men pass the imperial examination together.

Although she was a counterfeit—

The three talented men standing nearby immediately came over to congratulate her.

The lady's reward also arrived—a pair of jade ruyi scepters. Li Yuxuan accepted the reward, and the lady smiled and said, "I've heard that the third-ranked scholar is exceptionally talented. How about composing a poem today and presenting it to Mother?"

Li Yuxuan always avoids plagiarizing other people's intellectual property whenever possible, and rarely flaunts it except when taking exams.

However, things are different now, and she has no choice but to do it. In this rush, what should she write?

Tragically, these days her mind is filled with Su Shi's poems, as if she's bewitched.

Seeing her hesitate, the others immediately laid out the paper on the table, and Xu Qingzhi began to grind ink for her.

Li Yuxuan racked his brains trying to recall poets from the Song Dynasty onwards, trying to find a suitable poem without revealing his true identity... Well, he managed to come up with one, but couldn't remember who it was. In the future, when he has time, he should study some authentic poems; at least they'll be genuine, and he won't have that lingering unease.

She picked up her brush and, in one swift stroke, wrote: "A hundred-foot western tower with twelve railings, the sun lingers, flower shadows cast a leisurely shadow upon me. Autumn winds have already entered my fleeting dreams, Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away. Broken branches evoke longings, longings are lost; fallen plum blossoms and new melodies are intertwined with sorrow. With the poem finished, I wish to visit Jiangnan, a thousand miles of misty waves and ten thousand layers of mountains."

After finishing writing, I let out a long sigh of relief.

Ouyang Xiu praised, "What a fine poem! Yuewu, from now on this will be your home. You won't need to travel south of the Yangtze River, nor will you need to brave the misty mountains and rolling hills. Whenever you miss home, just come and keep this old man company."

Li Yuxuan cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

Su Shi laughed and said, "Seeing Brother Li's excellent poem, I was also itching to write one myself. I'll make a fool of myself and write a poem after Brother Li's poem."

Li Yuxuan hurriedly rolled up the poem manuscript: "No, my poem is good on its own, but when placed next to Brother Su's, it becomes a green leaf to set off the red flower. Besides, my calligraphy doesn't match yours at all." What a joke! Her calligraphy is comparable to the cursive script of the monk Huaisu. How could it possibly be placed next to the works of Su Shi, who would become a calligrapher in the future?

Just then, someone came from the front hall to report: "Master, Madam, the banquet is ready."

Ouyang Xiu chuckled and said, "Let's go. Today's celebration is all here. We'll drink until we drop."

The lady instructed a maid to take the poem manuscript from Li Yuxuan, and the group followed her toward the dining hall.

The group drank and recited poetry until late at night before returning home.

The next day, Li Yuxuan came to present his and Yinzi's birth dates and times, asking Ouyang Xiu to choose an auspicious day for their wedding. He also sent a large number of gifts to his wife, Madam Xue, and even gave valuable treasures to his three sons and two daughters.

Although she had no experience in officialdom, she had experience in the workplace. Having watched many historical dramas like Ji Xiaolan, she was able to apply her knowledge to other situations and understand things in a comprehensive way.

Someone once said that the two most sordid places in the world are brothels and officialdom. So, it's never wrong to think of officialdom as sordid.

Moreover, this is a feudal bureaucracy where rule by man outweighs the rule of law.

Moreover, she knew that Ouyang Xiu's decision to adopt her as his godson was mostly driven by Wang Anshi's famous saying, rather than by a genuine desire to protect her.

As for Wang Anshi, according to historical records, he was a typical ruthless politician who turned his back on people without hesitation. In the end, he even sent Ouyang Xiu, who strongly recommended him for his rapid rise to power, home to his own home.

Su Shi almost lost his life because of him.

Wait, wasn't Xu Qingzhi also there? Where was Xu Qingzhi back then? Why is there no record of him in history? Could he have been driven off the stage of history by Emperor Renzong and Wang Anshi?

Uh—her thoughts are really impure.

The present is wonderful, the harmony before us is wonderful. After a few years of shouting, she'll just pack up and leave, regardless of wind or rain, thunder or lightning.

Ouyang Xiu quickly set a date; the 8th of next month was an auspicious day. It was also the fastest possible date. Less than half a month had passed.

Li Yuxuan originally didn't want to make a fuss, and there was nothing to make a fuss about, but unexpectedly, once the news of Ouyang Xiu officiating the wedding spread, officials from the capital who had no connection with him for eight lifetimes came, and even Bao Zheng sent Zhan Zhao to deliver congratulatory gifts.

Among the congratulatory gifts, Prince Xin's present was the most unique: two peony flowers carved from Hetian jade, each the size of a bowl. They were incredibly valuable, yet also carried a profound meaning. Li Yuxuan broke out in a cold sweat upon seeing them, feeling that Prince Xin had discerned her gender.

Whether he sees through it or suspects it, as long as he doesn't expose it, she can simply pretend not to hear. Whatever his motives, she'll deal with whatever comes her way; there's always a way out...

Wedding night

September 8th arrived quickly. The courtyard had been newly decorated, with bright red lanterns and silks hanging all over it. Early in the morning, the other Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who had stayed in the capital, along with Li Yuxuan, began to come and join in the festivities. Her adoptive mother, Madam Liang, also arrived early and was chatting with Yinzi in the guest room.

Around noon, Ouyang Xiu, Prince Xin, Su Shi, Wang Anshi, Xu Qingzhi and a large group of others arrived after court. Li Yuxuan paid his respects to Ouyang Xiu and invited him to sit in the main seat in the hall. He also invited Liang Shi to sit down. Immediately, a servant helped out the silver. Under the guidance of the master of ceremonies, the two bowed to heaven and earth, to their parents, and to each other as husband and wife. Then they were led to the bridal chamber.

Li Yuxuan noticed two unfamiliar maids standing in the room and asked, "Who are they?"

Yinzi replied softly, "My godmother just gave this to me; I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."

"Really? That's great." Li Yuxuan's mind raced, wondering whether Madam Liang's sending two maids without her consent was intentional or unintentional. She walked over to Yinzi and pinched her fingers: "Be discerning!"

Yinzi nodded.

Li Yuxuan took out several specially made handkerchiefs from the cabinet and stuffed them into her sleeves. She had asked Yinzi to prepare these for today; the cotton handkerchiefs had a thin layer of silk sewn into the middle, specifically for drinking. She knew she wouldn't be able to get past the drinking challenge today. Although she had a good tolerance for alcohol, those people outside were just waiting to force her to drink.