A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-[ ]
-Lord_Clamiral
-Cain
-Shahzaam
-Goha21
-Jacob Mooe
-Nathan king
-Mp Gaming
-Paul Panzer
-Austin Levy
You can read 50 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
When Fei Qian had previously mocked Liu Biao for his marriage alliance with the Cai family, he thought it had happened quickly. But now that it was his turn, he realized that the process wasn't much slower.
The main reason was that both sides were in agreement, so there was no need for deliberation, consultation, or hesitation. Many of the steps were just formalities, mere rituals.
For example, the roles that Fei Qian's parents should have played in this marriage were mostly taken over by Pang Degong.
Fei Qian's parents had passed away years ago due to an epidemic of typhoid fever. Although the mourning period had long since ended, as a member of a branch family with no one to care for him and living in poverty, no one had discussed marriage with Fei Qian.
Later, Fei Qian himself fell seriously ill, and his soul was replaced by one from the future. He struggled to adapt, and the modern Fei Qian hadn't given much thought to marriage. After all, in his previous life, getting married in your twenties was considered early, and in larger cities, many people didn't marry until their thirties or even forties.
So, Fei Qian had never considered his unmarried status a big deal—until now, when Pang Tong's mockery made him realize that he had become a bona fide late-marriage youth in the Han Dynasty...
In the Han Dynasty, men could marry as early as fifteen, and women at fourteen. However, due to the lack of a proper household registration system, it was often difficult to determine exact birthdates. As a result, there was an additional rule: a wooden pole was used to measure height, and if someone surpassed the standard line, they were considered eligible for marriage.
The standard line was based on the Qin Dynasty's measurements: for men, six feet five inches (about 1.4 to 1.5 meters in modern terms), and for women, six feet two inches (about 1.3 meters).
Fei Qian, in his current situation, was the ultimate bachelor. He had excellent qualifications: he owned a house and a carriage, had no in-laws or younger siblings to care for, and held a government position. On top of that, he had the backing of two academic giants, Cai Yong and Liu Hong, as well as the subtle influence of Pang Degong. Even by modern standards, he would have been a top-tier catch...
Although ancient marriages were generally complicated, this one was different because both families had already agreed beforehand. Thus, the "Nacai" (proposal) stage was merely a formality. Fei Qian prepared a pair of wild geese as a gift, and that was that.
The subsequent steps, such as "Wenming" (name inquiry) and "Naji" (divination for auspiciousness), were also smooth sailing. Since the marriage was clearly arranged, no one would dare to suggest that the two were unsuitable in any way.
Naturally, it was deemed a match made in heaven, the best possible choice.
Fei Qian had originally thought he would at least need to prepare for the "Nazheng" (betrothal gifts) stage. After all, this was the daughter of a prominent family, so the betrothal gifts had to be carefully selected and collected.
But to his surprise, Pang Degong had already taken care of everything. All the necessary items were prepared, lavish and abundant. All Fei Qian had to do was deliver them in person...
While Fei Qian was grateful for Pang Degong's care and consideration, he also felt that things were moving at a breakneck pace.
However, he could somewhat understand the urgency. In ancient times, the first few steps of the marriage process were still in the "intent" phase, and intentions could change...
Only after the "Nazheng" stage was the marriage officially settled, and there would be no further changes.
Since Fei Qian had already made up his mind, there was no point in hesitating. He certainly wasn't the type to go back on his word, so he followed Pang Degong's advice and went to deliver the betrothal gifts.
The "Nazheng" process went smoothly, and Fei Qian returned shortly after.
As soon as he got back to the wooden cabin, Fei Qian immediately confronted Pang Tong, grabbing him firmly and glaring at him. "Pang Shiyuan! Did you know about this all along? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Pang Tong looked up at Fei Qian's expression and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Hahaha, I was wondering if you'd only find out on the wedding day..."
Zao Zhi, who was nearby, was still confused. Fei Qian had gone to deliver the betrothal gifts, so why was he now confronting Pang Tong? He couldn't figure out what was going on and kept asking for an explanation.
Fei Qian, feeling somewhat frustrated, let go of Pang Tong and snorted, not really wanting to explain.
Pang Tong, still laughing, said, "Hahaha... Zijing, it's nothing. It's just that... haha... Ziyuan found out that the new bride... turns out to be... haha... an old acquaintance..."
Fei Qian recalled the slightly strange expression Pang Tong had when he first mentioned his arranged marriage. Feeling a bit tricked, he asked, "When did you find out?"
"Let me think... hmm..." Pang Tong, realizing there was no point in hiding it now, answered straightforwardly, "It was on the day Liu Biao got married. Remember when you dragged me to find Yi Boji? I was stopped halfway..."
"And then?" Fei Qian pressed, looking as if he would take action if Pang Tong didn't come clean.
"Then I came to confirm with you whether it was really that person..." Pang Tong, being very perceptive, naturally told the truth without holding back.
"So, that day, you deliberately spoke vaguely to make me lower my head so you could get a better look?"
Pang Tong clapped his hands. "Ziyuan, you're so clever! Exactly!"
Xu Shu, who had been studying in his room, heard the commotion and couldn't resist coming out to see what was going on. After looking around, he went to Zao Zhi, who seemed more approachable, to get the details.
Zao Zhi explained what he had just learned to Xu Shu.
After hearing the story, Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh. "Congratulations, Ziyuan! Isn't this a good thing? The new bride being an old acquaintance—it's truly a match made in heaven!"
While Xu Shu's words were true, and Fei Qian did feel somewhat comforted that his politically arranged marriage wasn't to a complete stranger, the feeling of being kept in the dark wasn't pleasant. Especially with Pang Tong's smug expression, it made Fei Qian want to punch him...
"Does Pang Degong know about this too?" Fei Qian asked. Please tell me I'm not the last to know...
"Pang Degong? Of course... he knew long ago!" Pang Tong delivered the final blow.