Chapter 1 Ye Tao’s Proposal

Ye Tao still remembered a friend's extremely classic but inimitable marriage proposal. That friend had tossed a custom-made ring to his girlfriend and said boldly, "Wear it if you like it. And be ready to drive somewhere tomorrow morning, got it?"

When the details of this proposal were forced out by a bunch of his mischievous friends at the wedding, the whole place erupted. Everyone thought that it would be impossible to find a bride with a better temper, or a groom who was more confident to an exaggerated degree. But, this probably wasn't a good standard to follow.

When he heard Tan Weixin come out and state her intentions so clearly, Ye Tao's mind was flooded with the lights and shadows of this world and that world. Millions of words of sweet talk ran through his brain like the famous opening credits of "The Matrix," neon lights and floats, the clinking of glasses at banquets, the flash of cameras and the faint but obvious sound of batteries recharging, the champagne cork accidentally hitting a hotel waiter running dishes and his miserable cry, the carefully constructed champagne tower collapsing and shattering all over the floor, the beautiful bride in her wedding dress getting drenched in champagne for an impromptu wet-body photo shoot, the best man and maid of honor hooking up and getting caught in the hallway... He had been to too many weddings. As a guest who had to prepare red envelopes, as a photographer who could get red envelopes but had nothing to eat, as a wedding emcee who teased the newlyweds until they wanted to rush up and chop him into pieces, as a best man who had to drink heartily, and now, he would finally be standing in that unique position.

Lost in his chaotic imagination, Ye Tao didn't know what he was thinking, but he was so excited that his hands were shaking. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something... uh, it was his wallet. Annoyed, he threw the wallet on the ground and reached into his pocket again. Damn it, this time it was his pencil case and notebook... Then, a jade pendant? No! ... This kind of traditional clothing really could hide a lot of things in the pockets and sleeves. Almost at the last moment, Ye Tao pulled out a small, dark brown, meticulously crafted chamois leather pouch. Ye Tao carefully took out two rings from the pouch. Two platinum rings that were both priceless treasures and exquisitely crafted masterpieces for this era, inlaid with diamonds that were crystal clear and flawless.

The two rings were tied together with a bright red ribbon. The elaborate knot on the ribbon was vaguely the kind that girls of a certain era liked to show off their skills with. Ye Tao clumsily, yet meticulously, untied the pair of rings bit by bit, putting one on his own hand. Holding the other ring, he stood up, knocking the chair he had been sitting on to the ground in his excitement. He knelt on one knee and presented the ring to the princess. At that moment, his mind became incredibly clear. He said in a deep and magnetic voice, "My princess, before any other choice pops into your royal father's head, please allow me to ask you to make your choice. In this world, any two people promising to spend their lives together is an adventure, but please believe me, as the inventor and producer of the most precise mapping tools of this era, I have set a very distant goal for our adventure. And that goal is: eternity."

Standing to one side, Liu Yong now stood aside. His expression was a mixture of seriousness, amusement, emotion, and admiration. This was clearly not how he understood any marriage to be successful, but he and his wife, as former Jianghu (martial world) figures, hadn't they decided to spend their lives together in a hasty and romantic way?

Tan Weixin gently took the ring from Ye Tao's hand. The sunlight created countless dazzling points of light inside and outside the diamond. The incredibly hard platinum was engraved into a small daisy, with delicate petals surrounding the perfectly sized diamond. Such a thing, whether from the difficulty of the craftsmanship or from its meaning, Ye Tao could never have entrusted to anyone else. And from Ye Tao's careful design and meticulous carving of the ring, one could see how much Ye Tao would cherish his lover, and how he would care for her fragile life.

A glint of tears flashed in Tan Weixin's eyes as she asked, "You've been carrying this around all this time?"

"Yeah," Ye Tao replied through his nose. He didn't know how to explain his motivation for carrying it around, or perhaps he didn't even know himself.

"Then, my answer is—" Tan Weixin put the ring on her finger, gently raised her hand, carefully looked at her hand at that moment, and then placed her hand in Ye Tao's palm.

Although Liu Yong and Tan Weixin's guards weren't big talkers, the news of Ye Tao's proposal to the princess and her acceptance had spread throughout the streets and alleys of Dongping's capital, Danyang, before noon, on the small square in front of Yi Zhan Lou.

Although many aristocratic youths had long regarded the two as an inevitable couple, they were still amazed by this method that didn't conform to the rules of this era. What about the matchmaker? What about the betrothal gifts? What about the parents' orders? Although everyone knew that these two were mavericks, they didn't expect them to be so unconventional. However, they had many friends, and the many aristocratic youths of Danyang and their respective families were happy to see this happen, and they didn't say a word about this unconventional procedure, as if they hadn't seen it.

But Tan Xiaopei couldn't pretend he didn't see it. Ye Tao and Tan Weixin's actions could basically be regarded as a private agreement for life, and in the eyes of those crazy censors, it was another major event that damaged the face of the country. But he also vaguely knew that his daughter had found her happiness, and he should be happy. When, a little later, an inner court guard brought news that Tan Weixin and Ye Tao had returned to their respective residences after spending a little more time together. This calm and indifferent attitude, as if their actions in the morning were only a matter of course, made Tan Xiaopei feel a little dumbfounded.

"Serve the meal... bring the wine!" After pacing back and forth in the study for a long time, Tan Xiaopei suddenly realized that he was actually so hungry. And while wanting to have a good meal, he was also so sure that he wanted to have a little wine.

Tan Xiaopei naturally wouldn't have lunch in the imperial study. Although he worked at his residence, he wasn't a slovenly soho worker after all. In the side hall, the eunuch brought a table of side dishes and placed a small pot of mellow and fragrant wine on the table, and Tan Xiaopei sat at the table in such a depressed mood, and even more depressedly picked up the small wine pot and drank it all in one gulp.

"Someone, bring another pot!" Tan Xiaopei ordered.

Before long, Empress Zhuo Xiu walked in calmly with two pots of wine. "Your Majesty, why are you in such a good mood today?"

"In a good mood?" Tan Xiaopei said with a wry smile, "Come, Xiu'er, come and have a drink with me."

"Okay." Although Zhuo Xiu was the queen, she was also Zhuo Mang's sister, and she also had a bit of boldness back then, but this boldness had been tempered by time into today's grace and generosity. She sat generously beside Tan Xiaopei and filled the wine cups for the Dongping ruler and the father of their children.

"You don't know yet..." Tan Xiaopei just wanted to say, but was interrupted by Zhuo Xiu.

"How could I not know?" Zhuo Xiu said with a smile, "Probably not many people in the entire Danyang don't know about it, right? This kind of news travels the fastest."

"Alas, that's right. Look at this..." Tan Xiaopei drank it all in one gulp again. The small wine pot was the right container for his alcohol capacity, and the small wine cup was just not enough for him.

"What are you dissatisfied with? Do you disagree with their marriage? Or is it because Xin'er shouldn't have decided her own affairs privately? ... Or do you feel that this father is not as good as an outsider in Xin'er's eyes? I know that you are definitely not throwing a tantrum because some people outside said that it damages the royal face." Zhuo Xiu smiled radiantly and said to her husband who had known each other for many years.

Tan Xiaopei was stunned by the question, and he said hesitantly, "It's really not that. The royal face... who doesn't know that the Tan family started as bandits and became warlords, and then ruled Dongping as warlords. Although so many generations have passed, others wouldn't mention the things that happened in the beginning, but I, Tan Xiaopei, don't take the royal face so seriously. It's just... alas, although I didn't allow Ye Tao and Xin'er's marriage, I didn't at least say no, right? Couldn't she ask me, even if it was just symbolically?"

"Hehe, look... you're really jealous, aren't you?" Zhuo Xiu laughed extremely happily. "The court rejected Xin'er's memorial, and she has a lot of resentment. Maybe Xin'er is just throwing a tantrum on purpose. Besides, if Xin'er has made up her mind, what difference does it make if she asks you? Would you really say no? Then what's the point of doing the formality?"

Tan Xiaopei sighed, "Alas, among the children, Xin'er is the most decisive, and also the smartest and most talented. If she wasn't a woman and her body wasn't so weak, she would definitely be a generation of great rulers. In terms of unifying the Central Plains, she is more important than Ming'er and Ran'er. Ming'er and Ran'er both understand this, so they almost always listen to their older sister. Do you think I don't want to pass her memorial? There are too many things involved, too many people are opposed, and I have some concerns... But, a daughter shouldn't torment her father like this, right?"

"Xin'er has always been like this, don't you know? If she really came to ask you about this matter, if you didn't agree immediately and hesitated a little, she would dare to mess with the inner treasury and leave you without money to drink, wouldn't she?" Zhuo Xiu joked.

"That's right," Tan Xiaopei was also amused, "Xin'er really can do such a thing."

Then, Tan Xiaopei was a little worried, "Since the two of them have made up their own minds, forget it, I won't stop them. But, if Xin'er lets go of the affairs of the inner treasury, who will take over?" Tan Xiaopei looked at Zhuo Xiu seriously.

"This concubine won't go and suffer that kind of hardship," Zhuo Xiu smiled gently and declined, "Xin'er will definitely arrange everything properly, and there will be a procedure at that time, so you shouldn't have to worry about it. However, there are many people staring at this matter, so don't be too careless."

Tan Xiaopei naturally understood what Zhuo Xiu was talking about, and he nodded. He sighed again, "Fortunately, Ye Tao is also an official now, so at least he can still contribute in the future."

Zhuo Xiu reminded him with a smile, "Whether you allow this matter is one thing, but it is only right for a father-in-law to test his son-in-law, so don't let this opportunity pass too easily. You know, now that you ask Ye Tao to do anything, he wouldn't dare to disagree."

Tan Xiaopei's eyes lit up, and then he became a little nervous, "Isn't it giving that kid Ye Tao too much power all at once?"

"Too much?" Zhuo Xiu chuckled, "Ye Tao is afraid that the power in his hands is too great, and you are afraid of giving him too much power, who do you think is more afraid?"

Tan Xiaopei thought carefully for a moment and laughed heartily. He gently put his arm around Zhuo Xiu and said, "It's a good thing I have you. Come, let's have a drink."

The next morning, at the court meeting, Tan Xiaopei announced his decision before anyone could express any opinion on this "marriage proposal event":

"Ye Tao, a consultant of the Ministry of Industry and a consultant of the Ministry of War, with the military rank of Lieutenant General, is eighteen years old. He comes from a family of craftsmen and has talents in mechanical engineering such as military equipment, and he is also proficient in military affairs. His talent is outstanding and he can be regarded as a model for the youth of this generation. After careful consideration of his talent and character, they are all of the highest quality. I appreciate his sincere intentions and bestow Princess Zhaohua, Tan Weixin, upon him. From today onwards, Ye Tao will be promoted to驸马都尉 (Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant), promoted to Vice Minister of War, promoted to Vice Minister of Industry, and promoted to General of the Guards. Princess Zhaohua, Tan Weixin, is granted the purple phoenix honor guard. The marriage between the two will be supervised by the Ministry of Rites, the Inner Treasury, and other government offices starting today. This is my decree."

"The matters mentioned in the 'Memorial on Consulting and Discussing the Qingluo Canal' submitted by Shi Xiu, Vice Minister of Industry, have been discussed in court and are indeed necessary. The canal excavation and tributary dredging matters listed should be carried out as soon as possible. Appoint Ye Tao, Vice Minister of Industry, Vice Minister of War, General of the Guards, and Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, as the Canal Supervisor, in charge of all canal excavation matters. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of War will fully cooperate. Ye Tao will supervise all river, civil affairs, and military affairs in the areas involved. This is my decree."

As soon as the two imperial decrees were issued, everyone was dumbfounded. What was going on? On the one hand, he agreed to Tan Weixin and Ye Tao's marriage, and on the other hand, he immediately sent Ye Tao out to work like a horse. Canal excavation was not something that could be completed in a short period of time. Although the power was great, the responsibility was also great. The relocation of residents, the organization and management of civilian laborers, the engineering design, and the construction period management involved in canal excavation were all difficult tasks. Ye Tao would have to work hard on the Qingluo Plain, which was not too far from Danyang, but not very close either. If it were anyone else, canal construction would at least be a lucrative job, and with a little bad intention, it would definitely be a source of wealth. But Ye Tao didn't lack money, and he wasn't that kind of person either. Marrying someone else's daughter, but having to work for them for free first. This father-in-law was really snobbish.

Tan Xiaopei didn't seem to care at all. He cleared his throat and said from the throne, "Is there anything else today?"

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ps: Seeing that the monthly votes have exceeded 800, I have to add more updates again. The manuscript is running out, but please continue to squeeze me with monthly votes~