Marriage fraud

Lu Huai was stunned, remaining in a daze for a long time before he exclaimed in shock and anger, "So you set this trap to scheme against me! Are you not afraid of the law?" The bearded man below the stage pulled out a sharp bone knife and slammed it on the table, saying, "As the saying goes, one must accept the consequences of their bets. You chose to gamble with me, and now that you have lost, you want to play tricks!" A gambler wearing a hat nearby quietly reminded Lu Huai, "According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, gambling for money privately warrants a hundred strikes with a rod. Where will you report him?" Lu Huai's face turned pale as he stared at the gleaming bone knife, momentarily at a loss for words. The bearded man sighed and said, "Looking at you, it seems you do not have forty thousand taels of silver. Consider it my bad luck; if you are willing to help me with a small task, this debt will be wiped clean." Lu Huai seemed to have found a lifeline, fearing that the other party would change their mind, he hurriedly said, "Please tell me! Please tell me!" The bearded man replied in a deep voice, "Then please allow me to speak with you privately."

Seeing Ximeng lost in thought, Xiaogong approached her with a smile and asked, "Ximeng, who is the one you have in mind?" Xiaoyan, standing nearby, pulled over Li Hong and said, "It's him. The son of Governor Li Daliang from Liangzhou, and beside him is Governor Li." The father and son from the Li family hurriedly bowed and greeted them. Xiaogong carefully examined the two and smiled, "Indeed, he is a handsome young man." Then he noticed Chang Helin standing nearby and said, "So it turns out that all the good drinkers have gathered here today. Come, come, everyone sit down and have a few more drinks. Xiaoyan, come sit next to me."

The courtyard of Changle Fang is a small, independent residence, with a stone-paved yard where a rack for swords and spears has been set up for an unknown period. In the courtyard, two large willow trees grow, their canopies towering and their branches lush with leaves. Xu Guan has been waiting under the tree for quite some time, and as soon as Lu Huai sees him, he scolds, "It is all your fault that I have suffered greatly!" Xu Guan's face turns crimson, and he is at a loss for words. Xiao Yan laughs and says, "Sir, it was my idea; he is an honest man, do not blame him." Lu Huai continues, "If it weren't for him, how would I have recognized the young lady? He will surely become someone who fears his wife in the future." Xu Guan's face reddens even more, and Ma Zhou interjects from the side, "Fearing one's wife is not uncommon; I have heard that the current Prime Minister, Fang Xuanling, is particularly afraid of his wife." Upon hearing the name Fang Xuanling, Xiao Yan is slightly taken aback, glancing at Xu Guan, who is also looking at her, clearly recalling the incident from that night when they encountered Madam Fang.

In the courtyard, everyone was filled with joy when suddenly a series of knocks sounded at the door. Ma Zhou hurriedly went to greet the visitor and was taken aback to see a group of soldiers blocking the entrance. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the man at the forefront, who was seated on horseback; it was Wang Xiu, the gate captain under Chang He. Wang Xiu did not dismount but clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Ah, it is you, sir. I heard that General Chang has been here; have you seen him?" Ma Zhou felt anxious but was somewhat reassured by Wang Xiu's polite demeanor and replied, "I did see him, but he has already left." Wang Xiu exclaimed, "Ah! I am one step too late! Do you know where he went?" Ma Zhou replied curiously, "He went to the residence of the young lady in Pingkang. Why is the captain in such a hurry to find him?" Wang Xiu explained, "We received news that the general's enemies have arrived in the city these past few days and intend to harm him, so we rushed to inform him... I won't say more, brothers, let us hurry to Pingkang!" After saying this, he vigorously waved his riding whip in the air, and the horse neighed loudly, with the soldiers responding in unison. Suddenly, a voice like a broken gong shouted, "I have killed too many people in my life; if an enemy comes, I should hide, so I might as well not go out at all." Looking over, they saw that the speaker was none other than Chang He, who had returned without anyone noticing.

As Chang He rushed out the door, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Huai poured a glass of wine for Li Daliang and said, "My brother has been a bit eccentric for a long time, and I hope you both will forgive any disturbances caused." Li Daliang seemed disinclined to engage in conversation, simply replying, "Well said." The two clinked their glasses and drank. Lu Huai caught a glimpse of the interaction between Xi Meng and Li Hong, cleared his throat, and said, "I truly feel ashamed; I only learned of the matter between my daughter and your son quite late. When it comes to marriage, there should be the three teas and six rites, as well as the matchmaker's words. However, since they have privately pledged themselves to each other and are mutually affectionate, and given that we both come from military backgrounds, we need not adhere to those formalities. I intend to betroth my daughter to your esteemed son; may I ask for your thoughts on this matter?" Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, all eyes on Li Daliang. Li Daliang glanced at Li Hong, then at Xi Meng, and said, "Very good." He then ceased to speak further. Although he was sparing with his words, everyone understood him clearly, and in an instant, smiles spread across their faces, with Xi Meng and Li Hong particularly overjoyed.

Li Hong saw that he was exceptionally skilled and exuded a heroic spirit, resembling a valiant warrior on the battlefield rather than a madman, which left him filled with doubt as he turned to Ma Zhou. Ma Zhou wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, unsure of how to respond, and could only lower his gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. Seeing that everyone was at a loss for words, Xi Meng's eyes brimmed with tears as she approached Li Hong and said, "Li Lang, I ..." Li Hong noticed her dazed expression and exclaimed, "Xi Meng! What is wrong with you?" Xi Meng replied, "Li Lang, we once vowed that if we were destined to be together in this life, even if the mountains crumble and the rivers run dry, we would not part. Do you truly mean this, or are you merely saying it to please me?" Li Hong was taken aback and said, "Xi Meng, why do you say such things? The heavens bear witness, I am sincere. If something has happened, tell me, and I will certainly help you." Seeing that she was about to confess everything, Lu Huai and the others felt both moved and pained, yet they were at a loss for what to do, and for a moment, they fell silent. Xu Guan and Ma Zhou had expended much effort, but the situation remained unresolved, leaving them dejected. Only Chang He, who was unaware of the background, looked on in confusion, staring wide-eyed at Xi Meng. Xi Meng trembled slightly, sighed, and said, "If only I ... if only I ..." Before she could finish her sentence, a soldier at the door loudly announced, "The Prince of Zhao has arrived! The wife of Minister Fang has arrived!" Xiao Yan jumped up in delight and said, "They have finally arrived!" Then turning to Xi Meng, she said, "Sister, you can slowly share your feelings with him later; let us go greet them first!"

Li's father and son had just finished their formalities when the crowd was about to enter. Suddenly, they heard someone in the distance shout: "Bing Wang, what are you doing here?" Ma Zhou looked over and couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. He saw a man with a face like a pot bottom, a lion's mouth, a garlic nose, and a chest covered in unruly black hair. As he approached, he said to Ma Zhou: "I came to Chang Le Fang to pick some wine, but none of the shops were good. I wandered all the way here. I didn't expect to run into you; it turns out you live here." He then pointed at the others and asked: "Are these all your friends?" Ma Zhou stammered in response: "They are..." Before Ma Zhou could finish, the man stretched his neck and sniffed, exclaiming: "So fragrant! So fragrant! Bing Wang, are you hosting a banquet today? It's better to arrive early than to arrive just in time; let me taste your food and wine." Without greeting anyone else, he stepped in boldly. Xiao Yan pulled Xu Guan, Lu Huai, and Ma Zhou aside and asked: "Who is this person?" Ma Zhou forced a smile and replied: "That man is none other than Chang He, the Deputy Gatekeeper of the Left and Right."

Note: "The Complete Records of the Court and the Opposition": "Lady Lu, the wife of Fang Xuanling. When Xuanling was in a precarious state, he fell ill and was on the verge of death. He said: 'My illness is severe, and you are still young; it is not appropriate for you to remain alone. Do well for future generations.' Lady Lu wept and entered the chamber, revealing one eye to Xuanling, indicating that there was nothing else. Eventually, Xuanling recovered well and honored her for the rest of his life."

Upon seeing Chang He, Ma Zhou cried out in distress, while Wang Xiu was overjoyed. He dismounted and approached Chang He to report, "General, my brothers have received news..." Chang He waved his hand, signaling him to wait a moment, and quickly jumped in front of Ma Zhou, saying, "Ma Binwang, hurry up! Who told you that the young lady has been unhappy all day because her cat died?" Ma Zhou had no choice but to fabricate, "Well... this... it was Old Man Zhang from the tea house on the back street who saw it. He is old and has poor eyesight, so he might have mistaken someone. Who told you that the young lady has been unhappy all day because her cat died?" Ma Zhou had no choice but to fabricate again, "Well... this... it was Old Man Zhang from the tea house on the back street who saw it. He is old and has poor eyesight, so he might have mistaken someone..." Chang He scolded, "That old scoundrel is talking nonsense. I just remembered that my beauty went to Fengxiang Prefecture's Chengshi Temple to pray the day before yesterday, and she is not even in Chang'an." He then pulled Zhou Xiu and said, "You came at the right time; let us go to Ma Binwang's house to drink and talk." Ma Zhou intended to stop them again, but he could not, and the three of them entered the small courtyard one after another.

Lu Huai saw that he was losing quickly, and it was not convenient for him to leave immediately. He smiled and said, "Since my friend is in such high spirits, I will accompany you for a few more rounds. However, I must say this first: if you happen to lose all your silver again, it will be difficult for me to continue accompanying you." The man with the bushy beard replied, "A gentleman's word is his bond! I will be the banker this time, and let us each stake two hundred taels first." Without waiting for Lu Huai's agreement, he grabbed a porcelain bowl, scooped in two dice, shook it a few times, and slammed it down on the table. Then he slowly lifted the bowl just enough to peek inside and shouted, "I will raise the bet by four hundred taels, do you dare to match it?" Seeing that he was betting so heavily, everyone else dared not place their bets and all looked at Lu Huai. Lu Huai thought to himself, "When he lifted the bowl to look at the dice just now, there was clearly a flash of disappointment in his eyes. Why would he raise the bet? Ah, he must have rolled poorly and is trying to bluff me. How could I fall for his trick?" Having made up his mind, he picked up a porcelain bowl, covered the dice, shook it twice on the table, and when he lifted the edge of the bowl, he saw a pair of 'four of a kind', a very high score, which made him feel even more at ease. Lu Huai then said, "I will match your bet of six hundred taels, let us open the bowls and compare scores." After saying this, he lifted his own porcelain bowl.

But the bearded man said, "Wait a moment. What you have lost is not four hundred taels, but forty thousand taels of silver." Lu Huaiqiang laughed and said, "My friend, you truly have a way with words. The silver on your table is not even four hundred taels, how could it become forty thousand?" The bearded man replied, "Did you not just say that regardless of how much I have left on the table, you would bet it all at once, is that not so?" Lu Huai said, "Indeed it is." The bearded man nodded and said, "Then that is settled." After saying this, he took out a small golden hammer from his bosom, and with a series of clinks, he struck down on four silver ingots, shattering them open, from which rolled out four shiny large pearls. The crowd, upon seeing this, felt dazzled by the brilliance. With another series of clinks, he struck down on the four silver ingots again, shattering them open, and from within rolled out four shiny large pearls. The crowd, upon seeing this, felt dazzled by the brilliance. The bearded man picked up one pearl, shook it lightly, and said slowly, "This is called the Toad Dragon Pearl. The Toad Dragon can only transform into a dragon after living for ten thousand years; before that, it resembles a giant turtle with a massive shell. Inside the shell are twenty-four ribs, and within those ribs grow these large pearls. Each pearl is worth ten thousand taels, and here we have four pearls, not counting the broken silver, which means you have lost forty thousand taels."

At noon, when both man and horse are weary, a small shop tucked away in a back street of Chang'an's Xuan Yang Fang is bustling with noise. Four or five people are gathered around a large table, shouting and betting fervently. At the west end sits a round-faced man with big ears, his face glowing red and a slight sheen of sweat on his nose; he is Lu Huai, a prominent merchant from Jinzhou. At the east end is a well-dressed man with a scruffy beard and a face full of pockmarks, yet he wears a troubled expression, clearly having lost a considerable amount. Lu Huai counts the pile of silver in front of him, picks out two large ingots, and tosses them to the bearded man, saying with a smile, "Your luck is not good today; it would be better to call it a day. These two ingots of silver can be considered as my treat for you to have some tea." The bearded man, anxious, replies, "The loser does not speak, and the winner cannot leave. Do you intend to run off after winning?" The surrounding gamblers join in, urging Lu Huai to stay. Lu Huai responds, "It is not that I wish to offend my friends; gambling always has its ups and downs. If luck is not on your side for a moment, taking a break to turn your fortune around is also a good idea. Otherwise, the more you bet, the more you may lose." The bearded man sneers, "How do you know my luck has always been poor?" He then pulls out several hundred taels of silver from under the table, clattering them all onto the table, and shouts, "Let’s continue!"

Two maids entered the door and stood on either side of the courtyard. Following them, a tall elderly woman hurried in, leaning on a cane; she was Madam Lu, the wife of the Left Minister Fang Xuanling. After her came four guards, and finally, a person walked in slowly, dressed in purple and wearing a sword at his waist; it was Prince Li Xiaogong of Zhao County. Everyone quickly knelt down to pay their respects, and Xiaogong said, "You may all rise." Then Madam Fang asked, "Which one is Miss Ximeng?" Xiao Yan then brought Ximeng before her. Madam Fang scrutinized Ximeng from head to toe, then from toe to head, remaining silent the entire time. Ximeng noticed that Madam Fang was missing one eye, but the remaining eye exuded a sense of authority, and her face bore a rather fierce expression. After being examined for a long time, Ximeng felt frightened and unconsciously took a step back. Everyone quickly knelt down to pay their respects again, and Xiaogong said, "You may all rise." Then Madam Fang asked again, "Which one is Miss Ximeng?" Xiao Yan brought Ximeng before her once more. Madam Fang scrutinized Ximeng from head to toe, then from toe to head, remaining silent the entire time. Ximeng noticed that Madam Fang was missing one eye, but the remaining eye exuded a sense of authority, and her face bore a rather fierce expression. After being examined for a long time, Ximeng felt frightened and unconsciously took a step back. Xiaogong asked from the side, "Madam Fang, what do you think of this girl?" Madam Fang sighed and said, "Indeed, she is someone I find pitying..." Suddenly turning to Ximeng, she said, "My husband and I wish to adopt you as our goddaughter today; would you be willing?"

Two days later, it was March 13. Xu Guan and Ma Zhou went to welcome the Li family. Upon arriving at the inn, Ma Zhou saw that Li Hong had red lips and white teeth, and a tall and imposing figure. He secretly thought it was no wonder that Xi Meng had a fondness for him. However, upon looking at Li Da Liang, he noticed that his appearance was quite different from that of his son: his hair was graying at the temples, his back was already hunched, his face was purple-red and full of wrinkles, and there was a scar on the side of his nose. He then quietly said to Xu Guan, "Goodness, the hardships of the frontier are all etched on his face." After the formalities were completed, Ma Zhou spoke first: "Greetings, Governor Li. I am Chang Zhou, courtesy name Bin Wang, and this is my younger brother, Chang Guan. The governor and Brother Li Hong have traveled a long way, and my sister has prepared a modest feast at our humble abode to welcome you both and wash away the dust of your journey. We kindly ask for your presence." Li Da Liang nodded, his expression rather dull. However, Li Hong appeared quite respectful and hurriedly replied, "Thank you for your kind hospitality; we should have come to pay our respects in person." Xu Guan and Ma Zhou led the Li father and son to the Chang Le Fang residence, where Lu Huai and Xiao Yan had already come out to greet them. Lu Huai, with a beaming smile, clasped his fists and bowed to Li Da Liang and his son, saying, "I have long admired the governor's reputation in Xiliang. It is a great honor to meet you today!" He then pointed to Xiao Yan and said, "This is my youngest daughter, Xiao Yan, the sister of Xi Meng." Xu Guan noticed that Lu Huai was indeed dressed like an officer, wearing official attire and military boots. However, it was unclear where he had obtained this set of official clothing, as it did not fit him well. Lu Huai was rather stout, and the official attire seemed to cling tightly to his body. Seeing his comical appearance, Xu Guan dared not laugh out loud, only biting his lip and lowering his head, not daring to look at him again.

It turns out that Xiao Yan and Xi Meng have known each other since childhood, and their bond is particularly strong. They had already made up their minds to help her achieve a marriage. They devised a plan to have Lu Huai impersonate Chang He, and everything was prepared. However, the more Xiao Yan thought about it, the more uneasy she became, secretly pondering: "This method might work temporarily, but if her future husband finds out, it will ultimately be unseemly. Xi Meng is only worried that her family background does not match with Li Hong. What if she truly becomes the daughter of a high-ranking official?" Suddenly, she recalled that day when Zhao Junwang Li Xiaogong had made a promise in Yanwan Garden. She quickly used her lightness skill to reach Zhao Wangfu and recounted the matter of Xi Meng to Xiaogong, even whimsically suggesting that Xiaogong recognize Xi Meng as his daughter. Xiaogong, upon hearing this, was both amused and exasperated; as a member of the royal family, how could he casually recognize a relative? However, having made a promise, he could not go back on his word, and he found Xiao Yan's scheme quite interesting, feeling an irresistible urge to give it a try. Just then, Madam Fang arrived at the residence to demand an explanation, accusing him of framing Fang Xuanling in Yanwan Garden. Xiaogong then devised a plan, telling Madam Fang that Fang Xuanling was truly infatuated with a woman named Xi Meng, who lived in Chang Le Fang. He also mentioned that Fang Xuanling was now a high-ranking chancellor, and it was inappropriate for Madam Fang to make a scene over this matter. It would be better to recognize Xi Meng as an adopted daughter, thus giving her a father-daughter title with Fang Xuanling, making it impossible for him to act recklessly. The next day, Xiaogong specifically invited Fang Xuanling to drink at Chang Le Fang. Madam Fang sent a maid to secretly observe, and upon returning, reported that the Prime Minister was indeed drinking heavily at Chang Le Fang. Madam Fang became even more convinced of Xiaogong's words, which led to the discussion of recognizing a daughter.

Everyone was taken aback. It should be known that Fang Xuanling had been with Taizong since the end of the Sui Dynasty, assisting in strategies, subduing various warlords, and planning the Xuanwu Gate Incident, which helped Taizong ascend to the throne. Now, having been appointed to the position of Left Minister, he was in charge of all government affairs, holding a position of great power. If he were to adopt a son or daughter, countless people would surely scramble for the opportunity. Ximeng said, "Madam, you... you must be joking." Lady Fang replied seriously, "I have only three sons under my knee, and for many years I have wanted to adopt a daughter. Holding such a high position, if he were to adopt a son or daughter, countless people would surely scramble for the opportunity. Ximeng said, "Madam, you... you must be joking." Lady Fang replied seriously, "I have only three sons under my knee, and for many years I have wanted to adopt a daughter. Are you hesitating to respond because you look down on us as a couple?" Xiao Yan, standing nearby, laughed and said, "Sister, you have such good fortune; why not quickly thank Lady Fang?" Although Ximeng did not understand the situation, she knew to bow to Yingying and said, "Mother, I bow to you as your daughter." At this moment, Lady Fang finally revealed a hint of a smile, took off a jade bracelet from her hand, and placed it into Ximeng's hand, saying, "Very well. From now on, you shall be the daughter of me and Xuanling." Then, leaning on her cane, she turned and left, and the two maidservants also bowed and withdrew. When everyone wanted to see her off, Lady Fang waved her hand and said, "No need." Ximeng stood dazed in the courtyard, the jade bracelet still warm in her hand, while Lady Fang had already gone far away. Lu Huai, Ma Zhou, and others were filled with mixed feelings of surprise and joy, all thinking, "Ximeng has become the adopted daughter of Minister Fang; even if she were the daughter of the governor of Liangzhou, she would still be worthy, let alone the son of a prince." However, they could not help but wonder why Lady Fang would come to Chang Le Fang to adopt an unfamiliar woman as her daughter, which they found quite perplexing.

After listening, Lu Huai's face turned pale, and he stammered, "How could it... how could it be so coincidental? What are we to do?" Li Hong, standing nearby, looked confused and stepped forward to ask, "Could it be that something is amiss at your home? Who was that elder who just entered?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows slightly, already formulating a plan in his mind, and sighed, "It is unfortunate to say, that elder is a relative of my family, also a brother of my father's uncles. Due to many setbacks in his early years while seeking an official position, he eventually lost his sanity and claims to be General Chang He. Everyone pities him for his old age and often indulges him, so I hope you two can be more accommodating. Father, let us accompany our guests inside to discuss further." Lu Huai steadied his mind, gritted his teeth, and said, "Indeed. Fame and fortune are the most exhausting; my brother is also a suffering man. Please do not take offense, follow me." Seeing the Li family father and son enter with Lu Huai, Xiao Yan quickly pulled Xu Guan and Ma Zhou aside and said, "We must find a way to send this genuine General Chang away, otherwise our counterfeit General Chang will be in serious trouble. Brother Bin Wang, since you work at the Chang He residence, do you know of any urgent matters that could prompt him to leave immediately?" Ma Zhou replied, "You all go in and make small talk; let me think for a moment." Xiao Yan and Xu Guan entered the courtyard, where a banquet had already been set under the two large willow trees. Lu Huai and the Li family father and son were seated at the table, while Guo San sat at the end, pouring and drinking for himself. Xi Meng stood behind Lu Huai, serving wine to everyone, but her beautiful eyes were fixed solely on Li Hong, who was also gazing at Xi Meng. The two locked eyes, both entranced, as if they had completely forgotten the world around them.

The man with the bushy beard shook his head, lifted the porcelain bowl, and sighed, "Enough." The crowd looked over and saw that he had rolled one die showing three points and another showing two points, which did not form a pair and had low values, so he naturally lost. Lu Huai gathered the opponent's six hundred taels of silver in front of him and laughed heartily, "Thank you for your generosity. Would you like to play again?" The bushy-bearded man angrily replied, "Do you think I have no silver left on the table?" Seeing that he still had three or four hundred taels of silver remaining, Lu Huai thought, "If I don't make him lose completely, he will never be satisfied." He then said, "This round, let me be the banker. No matter how much you have left on the table, let's wager it all at once and decide the winner in one round. Do you dare to bet?" The bushy-bearded man said, "What is there to be afraid of? Hurry up and roll the dice." After Lu Huai rolled, he leaned over to look at the edge of the bowl and saw that the two dice had rolled a pair of "double sixes," which was the highest possible score. Even if the opponent also rolled "double sixes," he would still win as the banker. Lu Huai was overjoyed inside but maintained a calm expression on his face as he said, "It's your turn." The bushy-bearded man held the two dice in his hands, rubbed them together, blew on them, and then tossed them into the porcelain bowl. He casually turned the bowl over, as if performing a trick, flipping the porcelain bowl between his palm and the back of his hand, while the dice struck the bowl's wall, producing a series of crisp sounds.