Chapter 675: Taichong gets married, a couple of gods
The seventh day of the seventh month in the twenty-third year of Zhenguan is an auspicious day for marriage.
As Li Zhi gradually achieved a smooth transition of power, the Tang Dynasty calmed down again. He followed the Huang-Lao policy, continued to reduce taxes and levies, and gave the people a rest.
Of course, with the strong family fortune left over from the Zhenguan Reign, his life as emperor was much more luxurious than that of Li Shimin. As soon as he took office, he set about building the even more magnificent Daming Palace.
However, on the day of Chinese Valentine's Day, Emperor Li Zhi secretly received a message.
A piece of news that has spread wildly among Buddhist and Taoist monks.
Li Daoxuan, the imperial teacher of the Tang Dynasty, is getting married!
The person to be married is the Palace Master of Yuxuan Palace, the most beautiful goddess in the world, Xiaoxiang. There is also news that the Ghost Fairy Queen of Qingming Realm has ascended to heaven, and the underworld will be taken over by Chen Ziyu.
Not long ago, the Black Mountain Old Demon had died at the hands of the National Master, and the City of the Dead, the Yellow Springs Realm, and the Azure Underworld had merged. This meant that the underworld, which had been divided for hundreds of years, was finally unified again.
And that goddess will be the new king of the underworld!
Some people say that there are two most powerful women in the world today. One is Princess Li Lizhi, who was crowned a queen as a woman, the leader of the Dormant Dragons, and the commander of the monks in the Tang Dynasty court.
The other is Chen Ziyu, the King of the Underworld, who became an immortal by reborn as a female ghost. Nowadays, in addition to being called the goddess, many people also call her the Ghost Emperor and the Lord of the Palace.
Behind these two women stands the same man, the current number one in the world, Li Shenxian from Longhu Mountain.
Changle was his disciple, and Chen Ziyu was his soon-to-be wife, which made countless others envious.
"Didn't the Imperial Master invite me to the wedding banquet?"
Li Zhi asked.
The trusted eunuch shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, we have not received any invitations. However, Prince Chen and those most senior hibernating dragons have already left the capital. I think they went to Mount Longhu."
The wedding venue was not in Yuxuan Palace, but in Longhu Mountain.
Nowadays, Mount Longhu is closed and only those who receive invitations can enter. With Li Daoxuan in charge, no one dares to take chances. Even Emperor Li Zhi would not dare to go without an invitation.
It is said that in the ghost market of Chang'an, someone offered ten thousand taels of gold just for an invitation, but unfortunately there was still no demand.
Li Zhi shook his head and said, "The Imperial Master has a carefree and aloof personality, so let's not bother him."
The Imperial Master's action clearly showed that he treated him as an outsider. When his father died, he actually left him a secret decree with only one sentence.
"After I die, you should treat Taichong as your king and father!"
This was something that an emperor should never say, but Li Shimin said it anyway, because he had already realized that after his death, except for Changle, Taichong's relationship with the Li Tang royal family would basically be severed.
The Tang Dynasty will gradually lose its pillar of support.
But Li Zhi had his own ideas.
"There should be only one Li in the Tang Dynasty, the Li of Li Tang."
Instead of Li Daoxuan's Li.
He waved his hand and whispered, "How's that going?"
The trusted eunuch said, "Your Majesty, we have already won over many extraordinary people, adopted many orphans, and started training them. I believe they will be able to help your Majesty in the future!"
Li Zhi nodded and said, "Since Zhelong and the Bad People are difficult to mobilize, I will train my own monks. What do you think we should name them?"
The eunuch thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, these people cannot be seen in public and are not under the court's control. However, they are a good weapon hidden in the dark. How about... calling the inner guards?"
For some reason, Li Zhi suddenly remembered the beautiful figure he had met in Taiji Palace.
She stood under the plum tree and was even more beautiful than the plum blossoms.
"Let's call them... Plum Blossom Guards."
…
Longhu Mountain, Tianshi Mansion.
In the holy land of Taoism, however, there were lights and decorations, and it was a festive occasion. From the true disciples to the outer disciples, even the little Taoist children of seven or eight years old were all happy and excited, as if they were expecting something.
The eldest brother is getting married!
At the ceremonial gate, there are red walls, green tiles, and soaring beasts on the ridges.
A vertical plaque with three golden characters "帝灵旨" is hung on the upper end of the middle door. Couplets with golden characters on a black background are hung on the two front pillars. The top couplet reads "The Tao is so high that dragons and tigers subdue it" and the bottom couplet is "Virtue is so great that ghosts and gods admire it."
Li Daoxuan was standing outside the door.
He took off his Taoist robe and put on a crimson groom's suit. He wore a jade crown on his head and a black belt around his waist. He was tall and slender, graceful and elegant, and his look was handsome and charming.
It has the elegance of Taoism and yet retains the masculine spirit .
As the groom, he has to welcome the friends who come to attend the wedding banquet.
One by one, familiar people came as promised.
Yan Chixia and the sword practitioners from Wanshou Palace all came and presented a pair of male and female swords that they had forged themselves. They were not particularly valuable, but they were the result of their joint efforts.
Xuanzang brought the man by the roadside forward and presented him with a handwritten message of congratulation.
It is worth mentioning that Lu Hui, a disciple of Lu Biansheng, had officially become a monk in the Da Ci'en Temple under the recommendation of Xuanzang, and his Buddhist name was Huineng.
This surprised Li Daoxuan a little. He didn't expect that this little guy would be the future Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
There is no Bodhi tree, nor is there a mirror stand. There is nothing at all, so where can dust gather?
This famous Zen poem was written by him.
It seems that since Xuanzang retrieved the Mahayana Sutra, the fortune of Buddhism has become increasingly prosperous.
However, Taoism is not without outstanding successors.
Ye Fashan, the head of the Maoshan sect, came with his new disciple, calling him Daoyin, whose common name was Sima Chengzhen.
Little Sima Qing was handsome and looked up at Li Daoxuan with curiosity in his eyes.
"Are you the Tang Dynasty's Imperial Master, the Immortal Li from Mount Longhu?"
His voice was clear and full of energy. All the elders of Maoshan Sect were very reserved and timid in front of Li Daoxuan. On the contrary, the little boy was neither humble nor arrogant, and asked questions frankly.
Li Daoxuan laughed and said, "That's me."
Little Sima vowed: "Immortal Li, I will definitely be more powerful than you in the future!"
At this, everyone in the audience laughed. Even Ye Fashan shook his head and laughed. He apologized to Li Daoxuan, "Daoyou, children speak without restraint. Please don't blame me."
Ye Fashan is Li Daoxuan's elder, but those who have achieved great success in Taoism come first, and facing Li Daoxuan who has already become an immortal, he consciously calls him a fellow Taoist.
As for the other white-haired old Taoists, who had not yet entered the state of Yangshen, they would bow and greet Li Daoxuan and call themselves his disciples.
Li Daoxuan was not angry at all, but rather somewhat appreciative: "Good, you have great ambition. I see that you have extraordinary talents. Why don't you stay in our Longhu Mountain for a while longer—"
Ye Fashan coughed and hurriedly pulled the little disciple into the hall. He looked so anxious, as if he was afraid that if he was too late, the disciple would be gone.
Li Daoxuan shook his head and smiled.
Sima Chengzhen would become a Taoist priest of the Maoshan sect whose name would go down in history in the future. He would also be known as one of the Ten Friends of the Immortal Sect along with other great poets such as Li Bai, Wang Wei, He Zhizhang, and Meng Haoran.
Not long after, Changle came with Zhelong and presented something that looked like a scroll.
Li Daoxuan opened it.
"In the ninth year of Yonghe, in the year of Guichou, at the beginning of late spring, we met at the Lanting Pavilion in Shanyin, Kuaiji..."
The handwriting is elegant and flowing, like flowing clouds and running water, yet still graceful and beautiful, showing the character. Even Li Daoxuan, who doesn't know much about calligraphy, can feel the charm of it.
"Is this... the best running script in the world, the Preface to the Lanting Poems?"
Changle nodded and said with a smile: "My father loved this item the most when he was alive. He would always play with it and appreciate it. He never left it. He would not even let me take a look at it."
Li Daoxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "You took it out of the palace?"
Changle shook his head and said, "This is what Father left for you."
Li Daoxuan was stunned.
"Before my father passed away, he sent me the Preface to the Lanting Poems. He said that he would not be able to see you get married, so when you get married, he asked me to give it to you as a gift to express my congratulations."
Li Daoxuan was somewhat moved.
Li Shimin loved calligraphy to the point of obsession. Legend has it that the world's best running script, "Lanting Preface", was tricked from a monk by him.
Unexpectedly, she was not buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum but left to him.
"Master, this is my gift. I hope you and your wife can give birth to a chubby baby soon so I can play with it~"
What Changle gave was actually a golden locket for longevity.
Li Daoxuan smiled and tapped her head, and she complained to him in a tender voice for a long time.
After some greetings, the auspicious time arrived.
The hall was already filled with guests, each of whom was a very outstanding figure in the world today. They were either the head of a sect, an elder, a true disciple, or a high-ranking official in the court, a famous general, such as Xue Rengui.
There are twelve in the Guangyang Divine Realm!
This does not include the two contemporary immortals Li Daoxuan and Chen Ziyu.
The world-famous fortune teller Yuan Tiangang personally served as the caller of ceremony.
"The turn of summer and autumn is a golden and jade time. Beautiful scenery and good time, a perfect couple made in heaven, this marriage is complete."
"The auspicious time has arrived, welcome the bride and groom into the palace!"
Two figures slowly walked in from outside the hall, one was Li Daoxuan, and the other was naturally Chen Ziyu, but she was not wearing a red veil. Instead, she held a plum blossom fan to cover her face, and walked in with light lotus steps.
This is a Tang Dynasty custom, where the bride covers her face with a round fan, and then the groom removes it himself.
The moment the bride appeared, the whole place fell into silence.
The beauty of the Goddess of Xiaoxiang has long been known throughout the world. Countless talented men who claim to be romantic have been tossing and turning for her and admiring her endlessly.
Apart from her beauty, her identity is even more legendary.
The master of the Xiaoxiang water vein, the emperor of the underworld, the lord of the netherworld, that red dress is about to become the symbol of the legendary Ghost Emperor.
Most of the people who come here are monks. How can they not be awed and curious about such a female fairy who holds the authority of Shinto?
Those who had seen Chen Ziyu were fine, but those Taoists and monks who had only heard of her name but had never seen her in person all held their breath, staring at that beautiful figure with curiosity.
The breeze blows her jade sleeves, and her Xiang skirt drags her golden lotus.
She was dressed in a gorgeous ceremonial gown with ornaments and hairpins, a golden silk cape, a long skirt that trailed on the ground, and jingling rings and bracelets. Light blue tassels hung down her gown, and a phoenix crown shone brightly on her cloud-like black hair.
The little flower god waved his colorful wings, scattering petals in the air, which fell like rain and formed a flower path on the ground.
Chen Ziyu came over gracefully, with a slender and graceful figure. Although she covered her face with a round fan, it could not conceal her unparalleled beauty.
As she and Li Daoxuan came hand in hand, beautiful lotus shadows appeared all around, there were beads hanging in the sky, brilliant light, and morning glow in the sky.
They are truly a perfect match.
When the newlyweds walked to the front of the hall, Yuan Tiangang said with a smile: "Please give me the fan, groom!"
Many young Taoist priests cheered, unable to wait to see how beautiful the bride was. However, before they could shout a few times, they were pulled up by their elders by their ears.
Li Daoxuan held Sister Yu's hand holding the fan, gently moved it away, and they smiled at each other.
A gorgeous face appeared from under the fan, with cloud-like hair and flower-like complexion, a lotus-like pattern adorning the center of the eyebrows, fair skin, bright eyes, and a charming look. She was stunningly beautiful and elegant like an immortal.
The young monk Huineng was puzzled and asked, "Master, didn't you say that all women are tigresses?"
"But this tigress is so beautiful..."
The man on the roadside quickly stuffed a bun into his mouth and said, "You are still young and don't understand the severity of this. I will punish you by silently reciting the Diamond Sutra three times in your heart!"
"oh."
Huineng swallowed the bun and began to recite silently, but he couldn't help but take a few glances.
It is so beautiful.
Lubian was so angry that he covered his eyes with his hands.
"Master, will Immortal Li be eaten by the tigress?"
"Of course, not even a bone is left!"
…
After performing the four rituals of fanning, washing hands, drinking from the same pot, and drinking the same cup, the two finally began to worship heaven and earth.
Bow to heaven and earth!
Second bow to your parents!
The two men bowed to Zhang Qianyang and Liu Ningyan.
Zhang Qianyang was very excited and looked at Li Daoxuan with satisfaction. White hair gradually appeared on his temples. It was a relief to see his most respected disciple getting married.
Husband and wife bow to each other!
The two looked at each other and then bowed.
The last ceremony is tying the hair.
Li Daoxuan took off the engagement tassel on Yujie's head, and the two cut off a little bit of each other's hair, tied it into a "bun", put it into a brocade bag, and gave it to the bride to keep, symbolizing the eternal bond of love.
At this point, the ceremony was finally completed.
From now on, Sister Yu is his legally married wife and must be addressed as Madam, and Chen Ziyu must also change her address to call him Langjun or Xianggong.
The dust has settled.
After that, the bride returned to the inner room, while Li Daoxuan was responsible for drinking with the guests.
Junior fellow apprentice Wu Wei got drunk and hugged Li Daoxuan and cried, saying that he was so old but had never touched a girl's hand and wanted Li Daoxuan to introduce her to one.
If all else fails, he plans to refine a special puppet that looks like a beautiful woman on the surface, but is actually made of wood and Taoist magic. Not only can it get whatever it wants, it can even change its appearance.
Li Daoxuan almost wanted to sponsor this project.
Unfortunately, in the end, the junior brother was carried away by Uncle Dabao, and as he walked, he picked up a thorny wooden stick.
Xuanzang used tea instead of wine to congratulate his elder brother on his marriage.
After the wedding banquet, he would return to Da Ci'en Temple and concentrate on translating the Mahayana sutras. It might take ten years, or maybe twenty years, he was not sure.
Everyone in Zhelong came forward to toast and reminisce the years they fought together with Li Daoxuan.
As Dianmu drank, she started to cry, saying that watching the Imperial Master get married made her feel like her youth was gone. She shouted that she wanted to be a concubine, but her brother covered her mouth with his hand.
Even Xiaotian was burping constantly and was so drunk that he revealed his true form and performed a backflip for everyone.
As night fell, Li Daoxuan straightened his clothes and took a deep breath amid the crowd's cheering.
The next step is the wedding night.
