diymy 100 wedding invitations
100 wedding invitations
Zhou Lun never expected that Li Wanqing had sent Li Zhong to deliver a wedding invitation.
Yes, it's a wedding invitation, a wedding invitation.
Zhou Lun, the eldest brother, is finally getting married.
Li Wanqing should have been married long ago at his age, but he had to observe a three-year mourning period after his parents passed away. After the mourning period ended, the Li family was too poor to find a suitable match for him.
Furthermore, the tax increase followed, and Li Wanqing was arrested by the government... To this day, he remains single.
Speaking of which, even Zhou Lun has been married for half a year, while Li Wanqing, as the eldest brother, is still single, which is indeed quite different.
Zhou Lun had initially considered finding him a suitable wife, but the journey was fraught with hardship and battles, and the matter was delayed. After settling in Fugu, before Zhou Lun could even revisit the matter, Li Wanqing went to garrison Gushan Fort.
After returning from Shenmu last time, Zhou Lun made a special trip to Gushan Fort to see Li Wanqing and had a good chat with him.
However, on that occasion, Zhou Lun only spoke with Li Wanqing about Gao Yingxiang, hoping to dispel his concerns and eliminate any misunderstandings. He didn't mention anything else.
But before long, Li Wanqing was getting married and even had Li Zhong deliver a wedding invitation to him.
This made Zhou Lun extremely happy. His elder brother should have gotten married long ago. Now that he finally has a wife, it's a great thing to have someone who cares about him.
Moreover, only Li Wanqing remained in the Li family. As the saying goes, "Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants." If these people who risked their lives to become rebels and engage in treasonous activities could leave themselves an heir, even if they were ultimately defeated and killed, at least they could give their ancestors an explanation.
"Where is your sister-in-law from? How did this marriage come about?" Upon hearing this good news, Zhou Lun couldn't help but ask Li Zhong while also being happy for Li Wanqing.
"My mother was a military household in Gushan Fort. It was quite a coincidence that this marriage was arranged by my mother's maternal uncle..." Li Zhong said with a smile. Although they were not officially married yet, as Li Wanqing's adopted son, Li Zhong already addressed her as "mother".
Li Zhong told Zhou Lun and Gao Guiying that since Li Wanqing took up residence in Gushan Fort, Gushan Fort and the surrounding area of several dozen miles had been under his jurisdiction. For the local people, Li Wanqing and his rebel army had suddenly replaced the original government and garrison, which not only made them feel uncomfortable but also made them very wary.
However, after Li Wanqing and his men settled down, they did not disturb the local people. In addition to the daily training of the troops and stabilizing the area, he also personally led his men to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land.
In addition, given the drought in Shaanxi over the past two years, Li Wanqing also helped dig wells, open canals, and divert water to the best of his ability. Furthermore, unlike Wang Er and others, Li Wanqing, who came from a farming background, was very friendly to the people, and the army was strictly disciplined, so there was never any instance of him bullying the people.
Even considering that some villages were struggling and the people were starving, Li Wanqing personally led a group to deliver some food to them, helping them get through the harsh winter.
Over time, Li Wanqing's benevolent character earned him widespread praise in the area. The people gradually shifted from initial wariness and defensiveness to becoming closer to him. Many people would give a thumbs-up and praise him as a "good man" whenever they mentioned "Chief Li."
As a result, Li Wanqing's reputation for treating the people well gradually spread. Because of this, the relationship between Li Wanqing's troops and the local people became much closer, and the interaction between the rebel army and the people became more and more profound.
Not long ago, news came from Fugu that Gao Yingxiang's troops had accepted the imperial court's offer of amnesty and had transformed from a rebellious righteous army into an official army.
Li Wanqing, one of the leaders of the rebel army, suddenly went from being a bandit to an official.
The change in his status, coupled with the official position promised by Yang He, made Li Wanqing more accepted by the locals in Gushan Fort. With these changes, a local family took a liking to the unmarried Li Wanqing and, through an intermediary—whom Li Zhong mentioned was the woman's maternal uncle—tentatively proposed the marriage.
The woman was a local strongman in Gushan Fort, her family was a military household, and her father held the hereditary title of centurion.
Moreover, the woman's family was relatively well-off, considered a good family in the Gushanbao area. In addition, the local military and farming households had very close relationships, so if this marriage were to be arranged, it would be a good thing for both sides.
Thanks to the woman's influence in the area, Li Wanqing was able to maintain a stable presence in Gushan Fort, which greatly benefited his governance of the region. Meanwhile, the woman's side was also interested in Li Wanqing's army and his newly recruited commander position.
Although Li Wanqing's background was not good, having risen to power through rebellion, the world was no longer what it used to be. Now, having a son-in-law who held significant military power, coupled with an official position in the imperial court, was a tremendous asset to the woman's family.
For this reason, Li Wanqing was moved after only two conversations. Considering his advancing age, he couldn't remain single indefinitely; he needed to have an heir regardless of the future. Besides, this marriage would be beneficial for both parties. Thus, they quickly reached an agreement and settled the marriage.
Considering their respective identities and current circumstances, they decided to proceed with the marriage as soon as possible after the engagement was set. The formalities of the matchmakers and betrothal gifts were completed quickly, and the wedding date was confirmed. Only after the date was set did Li Wanqing send Li Zhong to Fugu to deliver wedding invitations to Zhou Lun, Gao Yingxiang, and others.
After listening to Li Zhong's words, Zhou Lun's face still showed joy, but he felt slightly uneasy.
"Is this woman from a military family? And her father is a centurion?" Zhou Lun pressed.
Li Zhong nodded and said, "That's true. However, the position of centurion is only a hereditary title, and the actual centurion office no longer exists. Now, the He family is just considered a large household in the area, with more than 330 mu of land and nearly 100 former military households serving as servants. Apart from their status, they are not much different from ordinary large farming households."
Zhou Lun then pressed Li Zhong for more details about the He family, the woman's family. Li Zhong answered all his questions without reservation, telling him everything he knew.
After listening carefully to the answer, Zhou Lun nodded to indicate that he understood, accepted the wedding invitation, and promised to attend his elder brother's wedding at Gushan Fort on time.
For the rest of the time, Zhou Lun didn't ask or say much about this matter, but instead chatted with Li Zhong about other things. He also inquired about the current situation of Li Wanqing's troops at Gushan Fort, as well as some news in the army. In addition, he asked about Li Zhong's own situation, including his experience in the army. The uncle and nephew chatted happily until evening, only stopping when Gao Guiying called them to dinner.
That evening, Zhou Lun treated Li Zhong to a good meal at his home. After dinner, he arranged for Li Zhong to stay overnight.
Tomorrow, Li Zhong will also send a wedding invitation to Gao Yingxiang. Whether Gao Yingxiang can go or not is another matter, but as the leader of the rebel army, the wedding invitation must be sent. This is both a matter of etiquette and custom.
After settling Li Zhong in, Zhou Lun returned to his room. Once inside, he picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of water, and slowly drank it.
"My lord, is something on your mind?" Gao Guiying asked softly as she walked over to Zhou Lun, noticing his slightly furrowed brow.
"It's not exactly a worry, it's just..."
"Are you worried that your brother might take this too seriously?" Gao Guiying asked softly.
Zhou Lun glanced at Gao Guiying, thinking to himself that his wife was indeed clever.
Although she wasn't very well-educated, her sensitivity far surpassed that of many well-educated women. It's likely that Gao Guiying had already discerned his thoughts when Zhou Lun inquired about Li Wanqing's marriage with Li Zhong earlier today. However, she remained silent, not even uttering a single word, until now, when no one else was around, she finally spoke up.
"My older brother is a good person, and an honest one at that. But it's precisely because he's so honest that I worry about him!" Zhou Lun nodded and couldn't help but sigh.
Zhou Lun was a little uneasy about what Li Wanqing's in-laws were up to and why they had taken the initiative to arrange the marriage.
Is it because she's attracted to Li Wanqing's current changed status, or is there some other reason she doesn't know? It's really hard to say.
To be fair, Gao Yingxiang's troops agreed to be pacified and are now using the banner of government troops. But what is really going on is something that not only Zhou Lun and Gao Yingxiang, but even Gao Guiying, who is with Zhou Lun day and night, knows perfectly well.
The reason for agreeing to the pacification was, frankly speaking, nothing more than a mutual calculation. On the surface, they agreed to the pacification, but what their real purpose was was probably clear not only to Zhou Lun and Gao Yingxiang, but also to Yang He.
In other words, this whole affair was a matter of mutual exploitation and each getting what they wanted. No one could guarantee what the future held. Yet, at this very moment, Li Wanqing unexpectedly formed a marriage alliance with a local centurion family in Gushan Fort. Zhou Lun couldn't be sure if there were some unknown reasons behind this.
"Your elder brother's marriage has already been arranged, and besides, you can't make the decision yourself. Moreover, your elder brother is not young anymore. Getting married and having children in the future would be a good thing," Gao Guiying comforted her from the side.
Zhou Lun nodded silently, thought for a moment, and said to Gao Guiying, "I will go to my elder brother's wedding in person. You and Yigong can stay in Fugu and don't need to come with me."
"Master, do you perhaps think that the eldest brother's side..." Gao Guiying asked warily.
Zhou Lun waved his hand: "It's not that bad, but we're just being cautious."
"How about... you let Kazuko go with you?"
"No need, let him stay here with you." Zhou Lun smiled at his worried wife and said, "I'll take Yaoqi with me. He'll be enough to protect you. Besides, I'm going to my elder brother's wedding, nothing will happen, don't worry."
As he spoke, Zhou Lun took Gao Guiying's hand and gently squeezed it. Gao Guiying's face was full of worry, but she finally nodded in agreement.