The annual increase in the unmarried tax for commoners may be +1, +2, +4...
However, the leader of the Ye Kingdom believed that what he preached had the same effect, so he required all officials to set an example. If they did not marry when they reached the marriageable age, they would be severely punished.
The unmarried tax increases or decreases according to the official position. For ministers like their generals, the increasing multiple of the unmarried tax is +1, +10, +100...
Yu Wensheng was indifferent, lowered his eyes and took off his bloody dirty gloves.
Seeing that Wang Zebang could not persuade his master, he could only use all his blood as a loyal minister and closed his eyes and finished speaking in one breath.
"The king of the country has issued an order that the general must get married this year. He said that if you don't even abide by the laws that you have implemented, won't all the people in the country have to follow suit in the future? He also said that if there is no woman who satisfies you in the entire Ye Kingdom, then He will give you Princess Sheng'an."
The last sentence is a real threat.
Naturally, Yu Wensheng would not marry Princess Sheng'an, whose guest was like a crucian carp crossing the river. The king also knew that Yu Wensheng was not willing, but he was happy to use this matter to embarrass Yu Wensheng.
Sure enough, Yu Wensheng's originally indifferent expression was like a pebble thrown into the water, causing ripples. Under the deep water, there seemed to be some hidden beast about to move.
A chuckle broke the frozen atmosphere.
"Did he set his sights on my side of the bed?"
Wang Zebang knew that using the king's words to force the general to go on a blind date would definitely offend him. At this time, his palms were already wet with sticky sweat.
"There are many virtuous and virtuous women in the procession this time. Although their family backgrounds are low and they are not worthy of the general, their temperament and appearance are good enough. If the general does not like one, he can first take a concubine to serve him. By his side, he blocked the entrance of His Majesty and everyone in the court."
Who among the powerful people in the court would only marry one wife? If he could not find a satisfactory wife for the time being, the family would give him a room of concubines to cope with the court's forced marriage policy.
He took out the information on the women who were sending bridesmaids that he had collected over the past few days for the general to read and refer to.
"Concubinage?"
Yu Wensheng's eyes were smiling, like a cuttlefish dragging out a dark color: "But the men of the Yuwen family will only marry the first wife in their lives."
There is no one else, no harmony, no divorce. The only thing that can separate them is the widowhood.
Of course, this was a matter of Yu Wensheng’s parents’ generation.
It didn't matter to Yu Wensheng whether he got married or not. Anyway, even if he married a woman and returned home, it would be nothing more than a decoration.
This was the first time Wang Zebang heard about this, and he was startled when he heard this.
But this may be the only chance to help the general get out of singleness.
He knew that the general was cold-hearted, and he didn't want the general to be alone all his life. At least there was a woman by his side who could care about him, take care of the general's food and daily life, and give birth to children for him, so that they, the loyal people who guarded the general. Only people can rest assured.
"General, the wedding party is too crowded and it is difficult to enter with your true identity. My subordinates have forged part of your identity information for you, so that you can join the procession without being disturbed and choose the woman of your choice."
"Zebang, you are well prepared for everything." Yu Wensheng said with a smile on his lips.
It is an information album, and it is identity disguise information. This intention is really "touching".
When Wang Zebang heard this, he immediately knelt down in fear.
"Please punish me, General."
"It just so happens that I have something important to do, and I want to take advantage of this trip to see the bride off. It's just a mistake for you. If you do this again next time..." Yu Wensheng's tone became softer, but Wang Zebang's whole body felt cold. , head lowered to the ground.
"Just go to the Blood Fish Pond and soak in it for a day."
After Yu Wensheng led the army for a long time, Wang Zebang still kept kneeling and bowing his head.
Wei Yao knelt down and patted Wang Zebang on the shoulder: "You warrior, you can persuade our general to marry a wife, but those country girls are not worthy of our general."
Wang Zebang straightened his stiff back and clapped his hand: "The general said he was here to station troops for training and build the frontier, but in fact he was feared by the king and exiled. No one knows when we will be able to return to Taiyuan. Is it possible that the general will be allowed to return to Taiyuan?" Have you been single all this time? More importantly... the general has never been married. Our unmarried tax increases exponentially every year. Do you know how big the figure is so far this year? "
"Okay, okay, don't be angry. I don't know what kind of woman the general will marry as his wife in the end."
When Wang Zebang said this, he also imagined what his future wife would look like.
First of all, you must have fair skin, good looks, and a tall figure.
The little master born in this way will be fat and white.
Then you must be gentle and virtuous, be considerate of others, and considerate of your family and your home.
Only in this way can we take good care of the general and take care of the trivial matters in the back house for him.
He put a lot of effort into selecting the best candidates for the general, and they were basically all of this type. He believed that the general would never make the wrong choice.
——
On the day of the wedding reception, Wang Zebang picked out a soft cotton silk blouse for Yu Wensheng, covered his eyes with a veil, and walked slowly on the country road with a stick.
Today, Yu Wensheng no longer has the killing and iron-bloodedness of a general, but instead has the image of a gentle scholar.
Wang Zebang pretended to be a scholar for him, allowing him to appear on this batch of household registration lists without any sense of disobedience.
And in remote corners where no one is aware, there are many hidden sergeants who are paying close attention to everything on the street. If there is anything unusual, they can take action at any time.
At the Marriage Court in Fu County, the men came to wait early. Many of them could not restrain their excitement, and some had calm faces, but all of them were looking forward to the woman sending them off.
A little later, the bride-to-be team finally arrived, and dozens of tall, short, fat, and thin women were seen side by side. At a glance, each one was filled with the charm of a different girl.
Their eyes were shy, curious, worried and expectant, and fell one by one on the thirty unmarried men opposite.
I saw that the oldest one here should be in his thirties.
He is a retired soldier with a broken arm. Because he is permanently disabled, he will receive state subsidies and he will not have to pay the fiancée tax. Although he joins the bride-to-be ceremony every year, he has not found a partner willing to marry him every year.
The younger ones are naturally green and tender sixteen-year-old boys.
Zheng Quchi would not choose a partner at such a young age, even though she knew that it was normal to get married at such an age in this era.
But for her, someone in their twenties is more suitable.
In fact, the retired soldier with a broken arm was also suitable. He was of a decent age and good looks, but she gave up her idea after she found out that his family had a large population and it was often said in the village that their family was in a mess.
After Xiang Zuo waited for both men and women to arrive, he introduced the man first.
You must report your name, age, family background, and even whether you have paid the unmarried tax.
Although the man chooses the woman first, the woman can decide whether to marry this person or not.
Marry, okay, choose a date to get engaged and get married.
Not getting married is fine, but if no other man picks her up next, then she will have to pay the unmarried tax afterwards.
