"Moreover..." Zhao Feng smiled and looked at Wang Yan. "I promised Yan’er that I would give her the grandest wedding banquet. If the Great King doesn’t attend, how can it be called the grandest wedding banquet?"
"The Great King is going to Shaqiu to attend your wedding banquet?" Wang Jian’s expression was one of surprise.
"Father-in-law, the Great King is busy with state affairs; naturally, he will not go to Shaqiu," Zhao Feng explained. "So, I plan to hold one ceremony in Xianyang and then a simpler one in my hotown. One is to make good on my promise to Yan’er, and the other is for my mother and the elders back ho."
"That sounds good," Wang Jian said with a smile. "The Great King has even rewarded you with a mansion."
"Sister," Wang Ben teased Wang Yan, "your eye for n is truly one of a kind. You’ve captured the youngest Senior General of our Qin."
Faced with the teasing, Wang Yan couldn’t help but blush. She had been the one to make the first move, only to be deftly countered by Zhao Feng. It was on that night that Wang Yan learned what a true man was.
"The Great King said he would attend your wedding banquet?" Wang Jian asked with a smile.
"He will," Zhao Feng nodded.
"You certainly have a lot of pull," Wang Jian chuckled.
"Brother-in-law," Wang Ben asked curiously, "what exactly did you and the Great King discuss all night? I heard you both got drunk."
"We did get drunk," Zhao Feng said with a helpless air. "But we didn’t discuss anything major, and besides, I can’t simply repeat what was said."
"Ben’er, don’t ask what you shouldn’t. Knowing too much isn’t good for you," Wang Jian imdiately chided with a stern face.
At that mont, a boy of about seven or eight years old walked up to Zhao Feng. "Uncle," he said, first with a respectful bow, then with a smile. "My na is Wang Li. I’ve heard that your martial arts are incredible. You have to teach in the future!"
"Alright, Uncle will teach you in the future." Zhao Feng smiled, looking at the young Wang Li.
In history, this Wang Li would beco the Wang Family’s final general, the one who saw the family’s curtain call at the End of Qin. Although he was defeated by what should have been countless routed armies, he still proved the Wang Family’s loyalty. But this ti, with here, even if the End of Qin truly cos, I’ll use my marital ties to the Wang Family to ensure their bloodline continues.
"When are you planning to set the wedding date?" Wang Jian asked.
"I’ll hold my wedding after my brother-in-law’s and Fusu’s ceremonies are over. Anyway, their weddings are both set for this month," Zhao Feng said with a smile.
"So, during this ti, will you be staying at my mansion or returning to your own?"
"I think I’ll head back to my own place for now," Zhao Feng said with a smile.
"I... I’ll go with you," Wang Yan said gently.
"Sister, you haven’t officially married into the family yet," Wang Ben laughed.
"Qi’er and Ling’er have only just t their father; they should naturally spend more ti with him," Wang Yan imdiately explained.
"Go ahead," Wang Jian said, offering no objection. "The whole of Xianyang knows my daughter has been granted a marriage by the Great King. All Zhao Feng owes is a wedding banquet." After all, his daughter already had children, and the wedding was set. What more could he say?
"Oh, right," Zhao Feng said, clapping his hands. "Mother-in-law, since it’s my first visit, I wasn’t sure what to bring. So I brought so of the brocades and Jade Articles bestowed by the Great King."
At his signal, his trusted aides carried in several chests. One look was enough to tell they were gifts from the royal court.
"You are being far too polite," Mrs. Wang said with a broad smile, though she waved her hands in refusal. "We have everything we need in the mansion."
"This is a gift from your son-in-law; you must accept it, Mother-in-law," Zhao Feng insisted with a smile.
"Accept it," Wang Jian said with a laugh. "We’ll consider it the betrothal gift for marrying Yan’er."
"Father-in-law, this isn’t the betrothal gift. I will prepare the real one myself. You just wait to receive it," Zhao Feng said, smiling. Now that he owned a moneymaker like the Immortals’ Liquor House, wealth was the least of his concerns.
"Have you eaten breakfast?" Wang Jian asked.
"I was in a hurry to co back and see the children, so I didn’t eat at the Royal Palace," Zhao Feng replied.
"Servants!" Wang Jian called out at once. "Quickly, prepare a al."
"Yes, my lord," the housekeeper promptly responded.
Inside the hall, the whole family gathered around Zhao Feng. Of course, while Wang Jian’s wife, Mrs. Wang, was present, his concubines had no opportunity to appear. In this era, concubines held no status; only the official wife did. The palace intrigue dramas of later generations are mostly a joke. The idea of concubines competing with the official wife, or even a consort trying to usurp the queen’s position, was completely impossible.
"Brother-in-law," Zhao Feng asked Wang Ben while eating, "do you know anything about this Princess Liyang?"
"The princess resides within the Royal Palace; how would I know her?" Wang Ben replied. "I’ve only heard that she is the daughter of the late Lord Chang’an, adopted by the current Great King and greatly favored."
I hope she’s not the sa Princess Liyang from the ’Odes of Qin.’ Otherwise, my brother-in-law here is going to be cheated on. The Princess Liyang he rembered had an affair with Gao Jianli. Although Wang Ben eventually killed her, the incident brought sha upon the Wang Family.
"The Great King granting a princess to our family is a sign of his favor. Regardless of her temperant, our Wang Family will treat her with the respect due between husband and wife," Wang Jian stated slowly.
"Father-in-law," Zhao Feng began, "last night, I had a long talk with the Great King. Although he didn’t state it outright, he is extrely knowledgeable about the affairs of the Court. As for the Court’s earlier proposal of a marriage alliance between Fusu and the Wang Family, the Great King saw through it completely," he finished with a sneer.
"The Great King possesses great vision and strategic brilliance," Wang Jian said with a smile. "No matter how much he favors Mister Fusu, he would never grant him military authority at this ti. I understood that from the beginning."
"What is your view on the Bai Family’s impeachnt yesterday?" Zhao Feng asked, smiling again.
"The Bai Family," Wang Jian mused. "Although they appear to have little connection to Mister Fusu, they are part of that faction. Wang Wan thinks he’s clever and that no one knows of his connection to the Bai Family. Yesterday’s impeachnt must have been his doing. He knows your influence is too great to suppress, so perhaps he hoped to use the Bai Family’s impeachnt to win your favor. After all, by pleading for you after the accusation, he could be seen as building a positive connection."
Hearing this, Zhao Feng smiled. "Father-in-law, you may be a Military Commander, but your understanding of the Court is no less than that of those Civil Servants. I knew Wang Wan was involved, so last night, I set a trap for them in front of the Great King."
"Set a trap for them?" Wang Jian’s interest was piqued. "How so?"
"From pushing the Wang Family to arrange a marriage with Fusu, to Chunyu Yue sending n to make threats... I told the Great King everything," Zhao Feng said coldly. "Their intent was to marry into the Wang Family to get their hands on military power, and then they sent n to threaten one of Qin’s own War Generals. Heh... that should be enough to keep them busy for a while."
Hearing this, Wang Jian couldn’t help but give his son-in-law a deep look. "Wang Wan and his faction truly picked the wrong person to offend. With those words, the Great King will surely suppress them in the future. They’ve overreached," he said with a sigh.
Zhao Feng scoffed, "I never provoked them, yet they targeted again and again. Did they really think I have no temper? This ti is just a small lesson. If they dare to try anything again, they’ll have only themselves to bla." Zhao Feng was not a man known for his good temper.
「Within Zhangtai Palace」
Ying Zheng awoke with a pounding headache. "How much wine did I drink yesterday? My head is splitting." He slowly sat up.
Hearing the movent inside, Zhao Gao imdiately asked respectfully, "Is the Great King awake?"
"What is the hour?" Ying Zheng asked.
"Replying to the Great King, it is already noon. Shall I have lunch sent in?" Zhao Gao inquired respectfully.
"First, bring a bowl of hangover soup," Ying Zheng ordered sternly.
"As you command," Zhao Gao imdiately responded.
"Right," Ying Zheng added with concern, "is Zhao Feng awake yet?"
Zhao Gao replied, "The Senior General awoke early this morning and has already gone to General Wang Jian’s mansion."
Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Ying Zheng’s face. "Is that boy a demon? He drank so much, yet he woke up that early?"
"Great King, will you be reviewing the petitions today? Should I postpone them?" Zhao Gao asked respectfully.
"No need," Ying Zheng said in a deep voice. "I will continue to review them."
"Then I shall prepare the Spirit Pill that the State Preceptor made ready for you. After taking the Spirit Pill, you will surely recover," Zhao Gao said respectfully.
"Very well," Ying Zheng nodded.
He then rose slowly, and a group of palace maids entered to help him change his robes. Seated once more upon the throne where he reviewed petitions, Ying Zheng picked one up but did not begin reading. A faint smile touched his lips as he seed to recall the previous night’s drinking session with Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng... he really is an interesting person!
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