Chapter 55: The Du Gu Family’s Arranged Marriage (Part 2)

Du Gu Shi finally convinced his granddaughter, and his heart settled a bit. Though Li Qing’an was renowned in the capital, he wasn’t good enough to make Du Gu Shi eager to arrange his daughter’s marriage. During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, the status of warriors was not high, and prestigious families forbade their sons from joining the army. Moreover, Li Qing’an was only a lieutenant general—a position that meant little in Chang’an, where great generals abounded.

Du Gu Shi wasn’t attracted to Li Qing’an’s outstanding demeanor either. While he did see some potential in his future, the real reason was Du Gu Shi’s fear that his third granddaughter would repeat her second granddaughter’s fate. Two years earlier, in March, his second granddaughter had been granted the title of Princess Jingle by the Li royal family and married Li Huaijie, the governor of Songmo in Khitan. Yet just half a year later, Li Huaijie rebelled and killed her. This incident left Du Gu Shi deeply resentful toward Li Longji. With hundreds of royal princesses available, he couldn’t bear to see his own granddaughter sacrificed in a marriage alliance and end up dying tragically.

Recently, he learned that the Ning Su Kingdom intended to propose marriage to the Tang Dynasty. Coincidentally, his third granddaughter, Mingyue, had grown up. He didn’t want her to be chosen by Li Longji and sent to a border kingdom. Anxious, Du Gu Shi decided the best course of action was to arrange her marriage right away.

That morning, in the Hanyuan Hall, Du Gu Shi took one look at Li Qing’an. At just 25, he was talented and had no parents or spouse. With Du Gu Shi’s support behind him, he would surely become the governor of Anxi in the future. Besides, Li Longji was currently courting the Anxi army and would surely not disrupt their marriage. After much consideration, Du Gu Shi decided to bring Li Qing’an into the family.

With his hands behind his back, Du Gu Shi entered the room. He smiled at Li Qing’an and turned to say, “Don’t keep the guest waiting. Has everyone come in?”

With a loud noise, like wasps swarming out of a nest, more than a dozen women rushed in, all dressed flamboyantly. Leading them was Lady Wang. The others were mostly in their thirties or forties—some were Du Gu Shi’s concubines, some his sister’s wives, and some his sister-in-laws. In short, almost all of his relatives were present. This was the Du family’s custom: when bringing someone into the family, everyone’s approval was needed. First, the women would score him, then the men would give their opinions. It was a series of tests, even more exhausting than Guan Yu’s solitary journey of a thousand miles.

The room immediately became lively. The women chattered noisily. Before the stunned Li Qing’an could react, they bombarded him with questions.

“General Li, I heard you’re an orphan. Is that true?”
“General Li, how much land does your family own? How much is your annual salary in Anxi?”

“General Li, do you plan to buy property? I have a mansion that I can sell to you at a low price.” The women chattered nonstop since he entered, and Li Qing’an, from initial surprise and discomfort, gradually became indifferent. He just kept drinking, occasionally glancing at Du Gu Mingzhu beside him, who looked at him with sympathy and subtly pointed outside. Li Qing’an immediately understood. He stood up, bowed to Du Gu Shi, and said with a smile, “I’ve drunk too much; I need to use the restroom.” The room fell silent instantly. All the aunts and cousins stared at him in shock. Li Qing’an wondered what he had said wrong. Actually, it wasn’t his fault—the soldiers in Anxi spoke ten times more rudely than this, and he was already quite polite. Yet in wealthy families, the phrase “use the restroom” was considered too vulgar even for servants; they usually said nothing or claimed to be going to change clothes. Du Gu Shi, overwhelmed by the noise from the women, felt relieved when the room quieted down. He laughed and said, “Typical of a soldier—so straightforward in speech. Go quickly and come back soon.” Du Gu Mingzhu immediately stood up and said, “Grandfather, let me take him!” Du Gu Shi glared at her fiercely. Why should a young woman accompany a man to the restroom? Fearing him, Du Gu Mingzhu sat back down. She had intended to use this opportunity to talk to her sister about her feelings toward Li Qing’an. As soon as Li Qing’an left, the women began discussing him. “I don’t think this young man is suitable; he probably doesn’t own any land.” “Exactly! I also think it’s inappropriate. Look at that scar on his forehead—it’s terrifying. How can we share a bed with him?” “True. How could a mere lieutenant be worthy of the Du Gu family’s eldest daughter?” Despite many reasons, none of them mentioned that Li Qing’an going to the restroom was inappropriate. In fact, that was the real reason—how could these noblewomen tolerate someone who constantly used servants’ language? Du Gu Shi was also frustrated. No wonder his third-granddaughter refused him—his manners were lacking. But one person found Li Qing’an interesting. Du Gu Mingzhu picked up another tangerine and began peeling it, thinking about how to persuade her sister to meet Li Qing’an. … Li Qing’an stepped out of the side room and let out a long sigh. If he had known it would be such dull drinking, he would never have come.

Li Qing’an thought about waiting until Du Gu Shi came out before leaving. At that moment, two maids along with a young girl were walking toward them from outside the Moon Gate, and their voices could be faintly heard.
“Miss, we’re just taking a look; let’s not seem too stingy.”
“I know, stop talking.”
Li Qing’an became interested. Was this the third daughter? She seemed quite pretty. From a distance, the girl appeared to have light steps, wearing a long dress in yellow and red, tied at the waist under her armpits—somewhat similar to the dresses worn by Korean women in later times, yet not bulky, giving off a delicate and slender impression.
As he got closer, Li Qing’an saw her face clearly. She was completely different from her sister Du Gu Mingzhu—her eyebrows were long and graceful, and her fair oval face featured beautiful phoenix-like eyes that seemed both affectionate and solemn, both resentful and serious. She was a beautiful and dignified young woman. She walked forward gently, her dress’s hem seemingly about to flutter in the wind, with the occasional sound of delicate jewelry clinking.
As the girl passed by Li Qing’an, she glanced at him, bowed slightly, smiled gently, and slowly entered the room, leaving behind a faint, delicate fragrance.
“What a beautiful woman!” Li Qing’an exclaimed sincerely. His spirits lifted, and the thought of leaving vanished. He quickly followed the girl back into the room.
Du Gu Mingyue was already seated, right across from Li Qing’an. Seeing that Li Qing’an was the young man she had seen outside earlier, a blush appeared on her face.
“Hehe! Seventh Brother, let me introduce you—this is my granddaughter, Mingyue.”
Du Gu Shi was in high spirits. Whether this marriage would succeed or not was one thing, but his granddaughter was well-mannered and did not neglect guests, which gave him face. For this reason, he would do his best.
Li Qing’an stood up, bowed to Du Gu Mingyue, and said with a smile, “I am Li Qing’an from Anxi. It’s my pleasure to meet you for the first time. If I’ve been rude, please forgive me!”
Du Gu Mingzhu beside her curled her lips. Just moments ago he had rudely mentioned going to the bathroom, yet now he was behaving politely. Needless to say, this guy had his eye on her sister.
“Mingyue, let me add one more thing,” Du Gu Shi added with a smile. “Seventh Brother is a great hero of the Battle of Xiao Boli. He was appointed as a Lieutenant General in the Qianniu Guard at the Hanyuan Hall and granted the title of Count. He was also given a purple gold fish bag. Seventh Brother, show Mingyue your purple gold fish bag.”
“General, I’m sorry, but I lost that purple gold fish bag in my box.”

Du Gu Mingyue smiled gently, her voice soft and melodious. “General Li has earned great respect for his contributions to the country. He is talented at a young age. I hope he will achieve further feats for the nation and not waste his youthful years.”
“I appreciate your kindness, miss.”
Li Qingan sat down, raised his cup, and said to Du Gu Shi with a smile, “It is an honor for me to be entertained so generously by the great general today. I toast to you, great general.”
Li Qingan was clear in his mind—that Miss Mingyue was subtly telling him she did not want this marriage. If she didn’t want it, then it was fine. There were many beautiful women in the Tang Dynasty, not just her. Li Qingan drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.
The women around them were all beaming with approval, thinking such a refusal was right. How could this military officer be worthy of a Du Gu family lady? But Du Gu Mingzhu sighed softly. Actually, this guy wasn’t bad. Her sister should get to know him better.
Du Gu Shi, who had still felt proud moments ago, immediately grew gloomy. One should at least drink a few cups and exchange a few words—how could one refuse so quickly?
Before he could speak, Li Qingan stood up, bowed to Du Gu Shi with a smile, and said, “This is my first time in Chang’an. I’d like to go out for a stroll tonight. I’ll take my leave now and visit you again another day, great general.”
He also smiled at Du Gu Mingyue and said, “Miss Mingyue, it’s an honor to meet you again.”
“Miss Mingzhu, I look forward to seeing you again.”
After saying that, he nodded to everyone and left under their surprised gazes.