My name is Wei Shubin, female, fifteen years old, and unwed though of marriageable age…
Later, when Wei Shubin recalled that day – the dinghai day of the first month in the ninth year of Zhenguan – these inexplicably puzzling words were always the first to surface in her mind. Though she was certain she hadn’t spoken them aloud, they just kept churning in her head, gradually casting a grey haze over the scene before her.
It was still very cold at the end of January. On this hill in the corner of Guangde Ward, her family – the mansion of Minister Wei – had cordoned off an area with screens, blocking the view of passersby but failing to stop the cutting winter wind of late winter and early spring from slicing at one’s skin. Thus, they had placed a large bronze brazier in the middle of the screened area, with her father, mother, and visiting guests sitting around it on their respective mats.
Wei Shubin, being junior in rank, could only sit downwind. The smoke from the charcoal brazier kept blowing into her face in waves, making her repeatedly lower her head to cough and pull out her handkerchief to rub her eyes. When she finished rubbing and looked up, she caught her father Wei Zheng glaring at her reproachfully, so she quickly clutched the small white copper hand warmer on her lap and sat up straight, not daring to move.
Before her, her mother Lady Pei was also sitting properly while talking to Madam Cui, her face full of smiles and extremely humble.
Quietly sighing, Wei Shubin shifted her gaze toward the canals, ward walls, and Western Market street scene below the hill. The weather was good today, and quite a few families were gathered for recreation in the cordoned area by the canal in the northwest corner of Guangde Ward. Her younger siblings were all playing at the foot of the hill, their laughter faintly carried by the wind.
She very much wanted to join them but was dragged by her parents to stay and attend to guests – who told her to be the eldest daughter of the Wei family. After all, their family hadn’t come here for leisure and entertainment –
The entire household had gone to tremendous effort just to meet with the family of Cui Mingan, the Yellow Gate Secretary.
Her mother Lady Pei wore mainly crimson-brown colored robes and skirts, looking very proper and dignified, while constantly bowing and smiling. The Madam Cui sitting upright across from her wore a striking ensemble of vermillion cape, green jacket, and pomegranate-colored skirt, her expression cold and proud. If an uninformed person were to enter, they would surely think Lady Pei was the wife of a subordinate official paying respects to her superior, Madam Cui.
But in fact, Shubin’s father Wei Zheng was now the Acting Minister of the Imperial Chancellery and Duke of Julu County, holding the rank of Senior Second Grade and the position of Prime Minister. His reputation as an “upright minister” was renowned both within and beyond the empire, respected by the Emperor, and praised by the court and common people alike. Moreover, as head of the Chancellery, the “Minister” was the direct superior of Cui Mingan, the “Yellow Gate Secretary.” By rights of official rank, it should have been the Cui family bowing and smiling profusely.
Yet the scene before her was exactly the opposite.
Why was this?
Madam Cui goes on about how “the eldest son is betrothed to the Zheng family of Yingyang, the second son is promised to the Li family of Zhaojun, the eldest daughter will marry my maternal nephew and just the other day the Wang family of Taiyuan came seeking the second daughter’s hand,” one could guess the reason. Mother Lady Pei – actually Father Wei Zheng – coveted the prestigious Cui clan of Boling’s social status and desperately hoped to form a marriage alliance with them.
Wei Shubin glanced at her father, seeing how the empire’s foremost minister Wei sat with hands clasped, stroking his goatee on his long thin face while trying hard to force a smile, putting on an appearance of warmth and sincerity.
It must be difficult for him – even when having an audience with the current Tang Emperor, Minister Wei would hardly need to put in much effort to flatter.
Their family’s Julu Wei clan was descended from Wei Xin, the Marquis of Quyang of Han, with generations of classical scholars and famous gentlemen. Wei Langen, Wei Shou, and grandfather Wei Changxian were all renowned generals and scholars within the past hundred years, making the Wei clan quite prestigious in the Yanzhao and Hebei regions –
But compared to the Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Wang clans, they were still inferior by more than one level.
Father had always considered “marrying into a noble family” as one of his life’s greatest pursuits, with a fervor no less than assisting an enlightened ruler, creating a prosperous age, or establishing virtue, words, and merit. For this reason, the Wei family had been sending messages and making overtures to Secretary Cui’s family of Boling for no less than a year or two. Now that they had finally agreed to come to today’s garden party, allowing a face-to-face meeting, even though her parents had important matters in the evening, they still had to rush to arrange the banquet and present their eldest daughter for inspection and acceptance – Shubin thought silently, this was truly demeaning enough.
“Madam mentioned earlier that the previous young masters and ladies are all betrothed,” Lady Pei began to get to the point, “about the third one that the matchmaker mentioned-“
A violent hiccup. Lady Pei quickly pulled out her handkerchief to cover her mouth, repeatedly apologizing for her rudeness. Wei Shubin moved over to help pat her mother’s back to ease her breathing, a sight she had grown accustomed to over the past month or two. Of her mother’s five pregnancies in the past seven years, none had been as trying as this one. Father was pleased though, saying “A troublesome one must be a male,” eagerly anticipating his fourth son… Come to think of it, Minister Wei was already over fifty years old, yet his constitution remained quite robust.
Sitting beside the main guest, Elder Miss Cui, who was Secretary Cui’s widowed elder sister and served as the matchmaker for this meeting, still put in effort, turning to Madam Cui saying: “Lady Pei is unwell and shouldn’t be delayed long, let’s have Wanu come over for a look.” Madam Cui nodded and ordered her maid to call someone.
Wei Shubin understood this meant her parents would be examining her potential husband. Just as she was wondering if she should withdraw, the Cui family moved quite efficiently – in the blink of an eye, a maid appeared from behind the screen to lead the way.
So her future husband was about to appear? Wei Shubin quickly shrank behind her mother and lowered her head, but unable to resist her curiosity, she secretly peeked out with one eye toward the screen entrance. Wonder what kind of tall, handsome, and dignified noble young gentleman this third son of the Cui family would be?
“Wanu, go pay your respects to Minister Wei and his lady.” At Madam Cui’s instruction, the maid led the third son forward to bow, and Wei Zheng and Lady Pei both rose slightly to return the greeting. Wei Shubin, hiding at her mother’s side, was dumbstruck.
This young master did indeed have a jade-like complexion with fair and delicate skin, his hair done in three tufts making him look adorable, his tiny hands pressed together in greeting, just like a divine child from a Buddhist painting-
He was at most five years old.
My name is Wei Shubin, eldest daughter of Chancellor Wei Zheng of the Imperial Chancellery, fifteen years old, and already had my coming-of-age ceremony, unwed though of marriageable age… As the dignified daughter of the Chancellor’s mansion, were her parents planning to sell her to the Cui family as a child bride?
Wei Shubin’s ears buzzed, but her mother seemed completely unconcerned about her, taking up the Cui family’s little boy and showering him with praise, then passing her copper hand warmer to her daughter while rolling up her sleeves to reveal her bracelets. Wei Shubin received the hand warmer in a daze, failed to grip it properly, and the copper warmer fell to the ground with a bang, its lid popping open and scattering burning charcoal everywhere.
The sudden noise startled young Master Cui, who jerked away from Lady Pei and fled back into his nurse’s arms, then refused to come out from behind her skirts no matter what. Even when Lady Pei removed her gold bracelet and offered it as a meeting gift, it was of no use. Madam Cui watched this unfold, scolding “This child has no manners,” whereupon the five-year-old burst into tears.
At this point, nobody could do anything. The soon-to-be-betrothed Third Young Master Cui, face covered in tears and snot, was carried out of the screened area by his nurse. Madam Cui also took the opportunity to take her leave, gracefully departing, leaving only Elder Miss Cui who had served as matchmaker behind.
Why stay behind? Naturally to… negotiate the price.
“Minister Wei is now deeply valued and respected by His Majesty, holding high office and noble rank. Everyone in court and common society knows that Minister Wei is the Star Lord of Celestial Authority descended to help establish the Great Tang’s ten-thousand-year foundation. Our Cui family falls far short, for generations we’ve only known farming and studying and are quite poor. I fear the bride would suffer hardship…”
Very well, starting with crying poverty, they’d gotten to the main point. Wei Shubin kept her head down, listening to her parents repeatedly humble themselves, saying things like “Our Wei family also comes from humble origins and maintains a modest household,” while Elder Miss Cui very efficiently and smoothly waved her cape and smiled:
“What Your Excellency and Madam say is certainly true – Minister Wei is a great talent and upright official who never seeks wealth! However, as the household of a Senior Second Grade Duke and Chancellor, you are still far more prosperous than our humble Cui family. Just the other day I heard that when Minister Wei offered one word of advice last year, the Empress rewarded him with 400,000 cash and 400 bolts of silk at once. The amount of gifts aside, such glory is rare indeed!”
Tsk tsk, the Cui, Lu, and other Five Great Clans truly deserved their nickname of “marriage merchants” – whoever came seeking marriage, they would investigate even their additional income sources crystal clear, discussing finances and negotiating prices openly and fairly, dealing honestly with young and old alike… Think again of that Third Young Master Cui who didn’t even reach an adult’s waist – they weren’t bearing children, they were producing golden Buddha statues one by one.
How much would it cost to buy a golden Buddha as a son-in-law? Wei Shubin patiently listened on as her parents continued discussing with Elder Miss Cui for quite a while before finally getting to the figure – they wanted 30,000 bolts of silk.
Lady Pei immediately started hiccuping from morning sickness, while Chancellor Wei’s fingers stroked his chin, nearly pulling out his goatee.
Wei Shubin was utterly stunned. In recent years, with her mother’s frequent pregnancies and poor health, she, as the eldest daughter, often helped manage the household and was quite familiar with market prices. Thirty thousand bolts of silk could pile up into a small mountain – even ten middle-class households’ combined wealth might not amount to that much.
Earlier when mentioning the time her father had advised about Princess Changle’s dowry, the Empress had rewarded the Wei family with 400,000 cash and 400 bolts of silk. The 400,000 cash was worth only about 800 bolts of silk, totaling 1,200 bolts – not even a tenth of what the Cui family was demanding. Her father’s annual income from official salary, land allowances, monthly wages, and service fees combined didn’t even reach 700 bolts of silk. Though in recent years the Emperor’s favor had granted them several estates, concerns about reputation meant they couldn’t charge high rents, and with the Wei mansion’s large household, there were barely any annual savings. The Cui Mingan family had opened their mouths like lions, demanding 30,000 bolts at once. Wei Shubin looked at that five-year-old child from every angle and thought that even if the child were truly cast in solid gold, steamed, deboned, and sold by weight, it wouldn’t be worth this much money.
Elder Miss Cui maintained a fearless demeanor, casually smiling as she said: “Don’t blame our family for being greedy, Your Excellency and Madam. This is how things are these days – one mustn’t undervalue oneself. You both know the Lu family of Fanyang, who are related to Minister Fang Xuanling’s wife’s family. When Minister Fang sought a match for his eldest son Yizhi, after much negotiation, he had to give 40,000 pieces as betrothal gifts before the bride would enter their door. And there’s Lord Shiwu, granted the imperial Li surname by the Emperor Emeritus, made a Duke in the Wude era, reaching the highest position possible for a subject – such prestige! Yet when he sought marriage with the Zheng family of Yingyang, the Zhengs looked down on his family for being mere rural gentry and warriors during the Sui dynasty, refusing absolutely, no matter how much money was offered. Of course, the Wei clan of Julu are Hebei gentry, and Minister Wei has a reputation for integrity, so a marriage alliance would bring glory to our family name. Our Cui family is sincere about this marriage discussion…”
Lady Pei sighed, glancing at her daughter, then unconsciously touching her belly.
Wei Shubin interpreted her mother’s meaning – this would be the first marriage of this generation in the Wei family, requiring them to scrape together everything they owned, and she still had two younger sisters and three younger brothers, plus the one in her mother’s belly. According to her father’s wishes, he wanted all of them to marry into the Cui, Lu, Zheng, or Wang families – perhaps Lord Wei Xuancheng should stop being a mortal minister and become the God of Wealth in heaven instead, as that would be more useful.
“Your Excellency and Madam should discuss this carefully at home. There’s no rush to settle this marriage – currently, only two or three families are seeking Wanu’s hand.” Elder Miss Cui smiled ever more warmly. “Now, about another marriage prospect – as mentioned before, there’s a high-ranking official whose original wife has passed away. He wishes to take a second wife from a noble family with ancestors who served in court. He’s offering 50,000 bolts of silk as betrothal gifts! The First Young Lady would be most suitable. Are Minister Wei and Madam interested?”
“I… what?”
Wei Shubin could no longer contain herself, exclaiming in surprise. Were they talking about her?
Elder Miss Cui and her parents turned to look at her. A grey haze passed before Wei Shubin’s eyes again:
“Weren’t you planning to have me marry Young Master Cui? How did a widowed high official suddenly appear?” How many times did her parents want to marry off their one daughter?
“Young Master Cui…” Mother had another bout of reverse breathing. “Child, how can you be so foolish? Who told you that was a young master!”
“Huh?” Wei Shubin’s mouth gaped open. “Then what was it?”
“Didn’t you hear the childhood name ‘Wanu’? After all these years of study, where has your learning gone!”
‘When a son is born, he sleeps on a bed, is clothed in robes, and plays with jade. When a daughter is born, she sleeps on the ground, is clothed in wrappings, and plays with tiles…’
Such a familiar piece from the Book of Songs, yet she had completely forgotten it. Thinking again of that delicate-featured, fair-skinned, shy little child, indeed it seemed more like a girl. Mother had even removed her bracelet as a meeting gift… So that was the Cui family’s Third Young Lady.
“Axin, you’re truly absurd,” Father Wei Zheng also frowned and scolded, “If you were to be betrothed to a Cui family young master, how could a man and woman meet so openly? Where would our family’s reputation be!”
So… today her parents had brought her, the eldest sister, to help examine a potential bride for her elder brother.
Wei Shubin’s face gradually grew hot as a sudden realization dawned in her heart.
The Cui family’s price of 30,000 bolts of silk, which her parents would have to empty their entire fortune to gather as betrothal gifts, would naturally only be for her eldest brother Shuyu, to marry a Cui family noble “principal wife” to serve the ancestral temple. She was just a daughter who would eventually belong to another family – how presumptuous of her to think she could be worth 30,000 bolts in dowry.
Not only was she not worth 30,000 bolts, she was apparently to be sold to earn 50,000 bolts.
“That high official offering such a rich bride price for the young lady,” Elder Miss Cui was still chattering, “though of humble origins in his youth, now has both fame and fortune. He’s a renowned general of the court, and his ancestors have all been posthumously granted official titles. Given Minister Wei’s prestigious position, taking him as a son-in-law wouldn’t be inappropriate…”
“Who exactly is it?” Wei Shubin asked with trepidation.
“The Pillar of State, Duke of Su, Left Commander of the Imperial Guards – Cheng Yaojin.”
“Cheng-” Wei Shubin’s vision went dark, and she nearly fainted.
Cheng Yaojin, nicknamed the “Chaos-Bringing Demon King,” had visited the Wei mansion before. The Wei siblings, unable to contain their curiosity, had hidden behind screens and window shutters to peek at him. They only remembered General Cheng as imposingly fat, with an extraordinarily large belly and a face so covered in beard that his mouth and nose were barely visible, looking as fierce as the Vajra warrior statues in temples. Marry him as a replacement wife? She’d probably end up filling his belly on their wedding night!
Wei Shubin’s ears were buzzing, but she heard her mother’s weak voice:
“This matter… needs careful consideration. General Cheng is nearly fifty, and several of his children from his first wife, Lady Sun, are older than Axin. Axin is only fifteen – as a young wife to an old husband, and being so naive and simple, how could she compete with the children from the first marriage…”
“Madam thinks too much. An old husband with a young wife is more likely to dote on her. The young lady would just need to enjoy the good fortune after marriage. Isn’t that right, Minister Wei? Though General Cheng looks fierce, he has a very good temper, and his family is rolling in wealth…”
Does Cheng Yaojin have a good temper? Then why don’t you, Elder Miss Cui, marry him yourself and enjoy that good fortune… Wei Shubin looked up to see her father stroking his beard, actually nodding vigorously:
“I have known Lord Cheng since our days at Wagang Fort, and we’ve maintained a close friendship all these years. Given my relationship with him, I’m sure Lord Cheng would not mistreat my daughter.”
“Exactly!” Elder Miss Cui slapped her knee, beaming radiantly, “General Cheng is still in his prime. If the betrothal is settled now, who knows – by this time next year, Minister Wei and Madam might be holding a grandchild!”
Wei Shubin turned to look at her mother. Lady Pei’s face was pale, but she too remained silent.
Of course – contemporary noble families emphasized proper status for the principal wife but didn’t care so much about the distinction between first and subsequent wives. Many noble ladies and even princesses in their first marriages wed husbands decades older than themselves as subsequent wives and such matches were praised as good marriages. Her parents weren’t exactly harming their daughter, they were just… selling their daughter for a bride price to afford to marry their son to a daughter of the Five Great Clans.
It was such a normal thing that they didn’t even need to discuss it in secret with their daughter. Everything else discussed was empty talk – the only things that mattered were:
Fifty thousand bolts of silk! A Cui family bride! Fifty thousand bolts of silk! A Cui family bride! Fifty thousand bolts of silk!
Wei Shubin lowered her head and stood up, giving a slight curtsey before silently walking down the hillside, no longer listening to her parents and the matchmaker arrange the details of her marriage. This should count as proper and law-abiding behavior, she thought – Father probably had an approving look on his face.
The wind of late winter and early spring was truly cold, carrying the faint sounds of her younger siblings’ calls from by the canal, now sounding strangely unfamiliar in her ears. How many days did they have left to play so carefree? Wei Shubin knew she could no longer join them.
She walked slowly along the screen fence, and when she heard clear voices and horses snorting outside the screen, she gave it a forceful push. The screen mounted on poles fell on command, crashing down on her family’s horse-holding servants waiting outside.
Gathering up her multi-colored long skirt with her left hand, she stepped over the fallen screen, snatched the reins from the groom’s hands, found the stirrup, and mounted. Before anyone could react, she spurred the horse into a gallop, fleeing desperately along the roads of Guangde Ward.
No need to think about the days ahead. She, Miss Wei, would not submit to fate so easily.
Sounds of pursuit quickly rose behind her, while the wind whistled in her ears. Wei Shubin held back her brimming tears, gripped the reins tightly, lowered her body, and urged the horse forward, letting her mount gallop wildly with all four hooves flying.
That afternoon, Wei Shubin felt she was the most tragic maiden awaiting marriage in the world. But by nightfall, she would revise that assessment.
Notes for Vol 1 – Chapter 1:
1. [SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN CAPITAL LETTERS] THIS IS FICTION! AN INVENTED STORY! NOT HISTORICALLY DOCUMENTED FACT! TO REPEAT THIS IMPORTANT POINT THREE TIMES – THE MAIN PLOT IS FICTIONAL, FICTIONAL, FICTIONAL! [/SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN CAPITAL LETTERS] Please consider anything not explicitly verified in these notes as fictional.
The main text is a story, while the notes discuss history. The author takes responsibility for the authenticity of historical materials, artifacts, and research mentioned in the notes.
However, these Vol 1 – Chapter notes will only point out “Hey, this part mentioned in the story is historically accurate, isn’t the author amazing? hahaha…” As for the inevitable “knowingly altering history” parts, well, to avoid spoilers, they’ll be explained collectively after the whole story is complete (hopefully).
2. The main storyline takes place around the ninth year of Zhenguan in the early Tang dynasty, with historical references dating back to the Sui dynasty. There’s no guarantee against distorting historical figures’ images (as perceived by everyone). If readers see their idols appear in this text, the safest approach is to click X to exit…
3. Wei Zheng’s wife’s surname was Pei, as recorded in Wei Chancellor’s biography. His daughter’s name “Shubin” is the author’s mischievous invention. Historical records only mention Wei Zheng’s four sons: Shuyu, Shuyu, Shuwan, and Shulin. By the way, in a whisper, the character “玢” shouldn’t be pronounced as “fen,” but rather as [bīn] ^_^
4. The matter of Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and Li Shiji paying high bride prices to seek marriages with the “Shandong noble families” like the Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Wang clans is mentioned briefly in historical records when discussing the “Clan Records.” The details, of course, are my elaboration.
Some great families in the Central Plains and Hebei during the Tang dynasty inherited traditions from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, considering themselves “of noble descent” and refusing to marry commoners – even looking down on the imperial family. Many officials and scholars acknowledged their nobility and went to great lengths to form marriage alliances with them. Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong) disliked this situation and ordered his wife’s uncle, Chancellor Gao Shilian, to compile a “Clan Records” to suppress these Shandong noble families’ arrogance. However, the uncle ignored the leader’s intention, and in the initial draft of the “Clan Records,” still ranked Cui Mingan of Boling (the family Wei Zheng was trying to curry favor within this chapter) as first-class nobility, above the imperial family.
Emperor Li II thus flew into a rage and later directly issued an edict establishing policies to encourage second children… no, to prohibit intermarriage among the representative “Five Surnames and Seven Families” (the Li of Longxi, Li of Zhaojun, Wang of Taiyuan, Zheng of Yingyang, Lu of Fanyang, Cui of Qinghe, and Cui of Boling), and forbade them from accepting high bride prices or dowries. Of course, this public edict was also amusing – he didn’t follow it himself, claiming his family was from the Li of Longxi (or Li of Zhaojun), yet arranged for his son Li Zhi to marry a bride from the Wang family of Taiyuan.
This isn’t obscure history, so I won’t elaborate further. The Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 200, summarizes it:
“Initially, Taizong was vexed by how the Shandong gentry prided themselves on their family status and demanded excessive wealth for marriages. He ordered the compilation of the ‘Clan Records’ to lower their status by one grade. Royal consorts and imperial sons-in-law were selected from meritorious official families, not considering the Shandong clans. However, Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Li Shi’s families all eagerly sought marriages with them, constantly surrounding them, thus their old prestige didn’t diminish. Sometimes within one surname, different branches and relatives maintained vast status differences. Li Yifu, failing to arrange a marriage for his son, resented this. Thus, using the former emperor’s intention, he encouraged the emperor to correct this abuse. On the renxu day, an edict was issued prohibiting intermarriage among the descendants of Li Bao of Longxi from Northern Wei, Wang Qiong of Taiyuan, Zheng Wen of Yingyang, Lu Ziqian of Fanyang, Lu Hun, Lu Fu, Cui Zongbo of Qinghe, Cui Yuansun, Cui Yi of Boling from Former Yan, Li Kai of Zhaojun from Jin, and others. The edict also set limits on marriage payments nationwide, prohibiting excessive dowries. However, as clan prestige was valued by society, the ban proved ineffective. Some secretly sent daughters to husbands’ families, while others kept daughters unmarried rather than marry outside their class. Declining branches and those excluded from genealogies often falsely claimed to be from the banned marriage families, demanding even higher prices.”
5. Everyone is familiar with Cheng Yaojin, though probably not the historical figure but rather the character from storytelling, drama, and film… His epitaph was unearthed in 1986 from an auxiliary tomb of Zhaoling, which mentioned his marriage situation: “Former wife Lady Sun, third daughter of County Magistrate Lu’er, was granted the title Lady of Su. She perfectly embodied the four virtues and never deviated from the six conducts. Her years were not long, returning early to the deep night. At age thirty-one, she passed away at the residence in Huaide Lane on the twenty-first day of the sixth month in the second year of Zhenguan…” The rest is omitted to avoid spoilers ^&^