Chapter 70
Li Er listened with skepticism to Yuan Tiangang’s divination.
Could Su Li truly have such a significant impact on a nation?
“Appoint Su Li as the Commandant of the Imperial Escort and promote him from the General of the Left Martial Retainers to the General of the Left Imperial Guards!” After a moment of contemplation, Li Er gave the order.
Li Er hadn’t yet decided on Su Li’s role, and as an emperor, he couldn’t suddenly promote Su Li solely based on Yuan Tiangang’s comment. But it was undeniable that Su Li needed an official position.
Due to the rushed wedding for auspiciousness, Su Li remained deprived of his rights. Even calling Su Li a consort was inappropriate, as Li Er didn’t bestow that title upon him during the marriage.
Putting aside how to make the best use of Su Li, now that Changle had awakened and was focused on Su Li, their marriage was established, and Su Li deserved a proper status.
Regarding Su Dingfang’s appointment as the General of the Left Guard, it was Li Er’s decision. Li Er’s knowledge of Su Li was limited to his calligraphy skills. How to best utilize him was unclear. However, Su Dingfang was Su Li’s elder brother. With this family connection, there was no need for Li Er to be overly cautious about Su Dingfang, who Li Jing implicated.
While both the positions of General of the Martial Forward and General of the Left Guard were fifth-rank titles, one was honorary, and the other held actual responsibilities, making a significant difference.
Furthermore, Li Er had a good understanding of Su Dingfang. In Li Jing’s campaign against the Eastern Turkic Empire, Su Dingfang, as a pioneer officer, played a crucial role and studied military strategy under Li Jing. His military prowess was unquestionable. After careful consideration, Li Er found no issues and proceeded with the appointments.
On the other side, it was midnight inside the Princess’s Mansion.
“Hehe… Not only did I accumulate enough points for the city-breaking halberd, but I also obtained the attribute point gift pack,” Su Li said with a hearty smile as she looked at the soundly sleeping Princess Changle in her arms.
Upon opening the attribute point gift pack, Su Li gained two additional free attribute points. Without hesitation, he continued to allocate them to strength and physique.
At this point, he was pursuing maximum development. The further he progressed, the greater the attribute benefits. After enhancing his strength and physique, he would then consider balanced development.
The next day… Su Li again woke up beside Princess Changle after three hours. This time, they didn’t sleep until they woke up naturally because Li Er had sent an angel to deliver a decree.
“Appoint Su Li as a Cavalry Captain, elevate him to the third class rank, and grant him a jade buckle, brocade boots, ceremonial tablet, sandalwood, and a set of saddle and bridle. Present him with one hundred pieces of red silk, a bridal gift of one thousand taels of gold, and bestow upon him a fiefdom of eight hundred households. Allocate a commanding officer with a rank below the seventh class, an attendant with a rank below the eighth class, and an inspector with a rank below the ninth class within his residence. Also, provide him with ten servants as an accompanying entourage!” The celestial envoy spoke solemnly.
Behind him, palace attendants were carrying gift boxes.
“Wow! They’ve sent the betrothal gifts for me!” Su Li exclaimed as he looked at the array of gift boxes and respectfully accepted the decree.
In ancient times, proper marriages involved dowries from the bride’s side and bridal gifts from the groom’s side. The dowry was generally more substantial than the bridal gifts. In antiquity, marrying off a daughter was about the marriage itself, not a transaction. This was because the dowry constituted a woman’s personal property, protected by law. If the dowry was too small while the bridal gifts were extensive, it could lead to strained relations with the groom’s family. The bride might lack confidence and standing in her new household without an adequate dowry.
When a princess married a consort, it required a different phrasing. It should be called “Princess Hiring a Consort.”
Typically, the more favored the princess, the more extensive the dowry given to the consort, and the higher the official rank of the consort. The dowry given by Li Er was undoubtedly generous.
The original rank of a consort’s lieutenant was the fifth class, and Li Er directly promoted Su Li to the third class. But even more remarkable was that he granted him a fiefdom of eight hundred households. Even considering the dowry for marrying a princess, this could be regarded as an unusually generous gesture.
Su Li expressed his gratitude, and the group of people quickly moved the boxes to the Princess’s Mansion.
After everyone left, Su Li eagerly approached the pile of boxes.
“Let me see…”
Since arriving here, Su Li had never seen what a thousand taels of gold looked like. It was a bit embarrassing, to admit. In this life, he was truly just a simple peasant. Although there wasn’t much to spend money on in the Princess’s Mansion, in theory, Su Li didn’t possess any personal property, as the wealth of the Princess’s Mansion was entirely Princess Changle’s. The dowry Li Er gave was essentially Su Li’s to manage freely.
“This doesn’t seem like a thousand taels…” Su Li was shocked when he saw the thin layer of gold coins. He then looked at the so-called hundred pieces of red silk… They weren’t all top-quality silk. Instead, there was a mix of various fabrics. While there might indeed be a hundred pieces, their value might need to be somewhat discounted.
“The dowry isn’t as substantial as it seems…” Su Li’s enthusiasm waned.
However, in reality… this was quite normal. After all, Li Er was known for being frugal, and the Great Tang treasury was somewhat depleted. Not too long ago, they had to tighten their belts to finally overcome the embarrassment of the Treaty of Wei River. While they had recently defeated the Eastern Turks, war always depleted resources, leaving the treasury somewhat depleted again.
Given Li Er’s frugal nature, he was probably more interested in symbolic gestures regarding the dowry. The substantial aspects were Su Li’s promotion to third class, the officers appointed to his residence, the fiefdom of eight hundred households, and the associated privileges.
Theoretically, these eight hundred households wouldn’t have to pay taxes to the state in the future. They would pay taxes directly to Su Li. Having an officer, an attendant, and an inspector in his residence under Su Li’s control instead of Princess Changle’s command granted Su Li a certain level of autonomy and authority. The fiefdom of eight hundred households would also provide Su Li with a stable income.
“Focusing on these symbolic gestures…” Su Li sighed with some exasperation.
His relationship with Princess Changle was deeply intertwined. There was no need for these empty gestures.
On the contrary, it was the consort who actually needed these things… Li Er wasn’t providing them anymore.
However, on second thought, this could be seen as a way for the emperor to express his recognition. The message was straightforward. The consort could independently set up officers to exercise authority. He permitted this. The staff in the princess’s mansion could become arrogant and overbearing if unchecked. Without the emperor’s backing, they might exploit their close relationship with the princess to act contrary to expectations.
“I don’t need them…” Su Li murmured and found it uninteresting and criticized Li Er for not being generous enough. After sending the celestial envoy away, he undressed, lay back on the bed, and continued sleeping while holding Changle.
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