Building the Tang Dynasty Together [Diplomat in the Zhenguan Era]

[May you weather a thousand waves and remain by your beloved's side, A Life Worth Living] In middle age, Xue Rongtai, Vice Minister of Rites, looks back on his career in government. As a diplomat, he lived in a remarkable age. The Tang Empire was the suzerain state, and Li Shimin was Emperor. The camel bells of the Hexi Corridor rang toward the eastern lands, while Central Plains civilization spread across the Silk Road. Tang banners stood on the horizon, and the four seas paid tribute. Flowers bloomed in a golden age, but spring would return to a place where none could find it. In middle age, he also looks back on his marriage. When he met his wife, she was engaged to another man. Through a twist of fate, she became his “colleague.” He managed the Turkic general; she cared for the general's wife and children. He hosted missions sent to the Tang court; she helped students who had come to study in Tang. Princess Chengyang Li Hengzhen grew up in the Eastern Palace, raised by the Crown Prince as his younger sister. She once confided her innocent hope to him: “My eldest brother will be the future Heavenly Qaghan. I hope people will love and respect him as they do Father.” The year Crown Prince Li Chengqian rebelled, the Eastern Palace's officials were demoted, dismissed, exiled, or sentenced to death, including her first husband. Everyone said she had given her heart in vain, that all her fervor had been met with the collapse of a great house. But she said, “I gave it everything I had. I have no regrets.” A collection of workplace anecdotes from officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, a look back at the flourishing diplomacy of the seventh century, and the story of Xue Rongtai and Li Hengzhen's marriage. The world is vast, human conflicts are small, and even the imperial palace is but a glimmering light beneath the heavens. When they become parents and reach middle age, the past is buried deep in their hearts. Yet their hands remain clasped as they weather the long journey of life together, through storm and fair weather alike. * [Before You Read] 1. The author respects historical facts and figures. Some characters may be dramatized, but they will not be vilified. Nitpicking and personal attacks are not welcome. 2. About the leads: Princess Chengyang and her husband. This story preserves their historical relationship and family ties, but changes the official position of her husband, Xue Guan, from Court Attendant of the Imperial Sacrifices to an official of the Court of State Ceremonial. To avoid confusion between fictional adaptations and actual history, the male lead has been given a new name. 3. The male lead's name, “Rongtai,” comes from an elegant written term for the Ministry of Rites used during the Tang and Song dynasties. His career in this story is meant to represent the officials of the Ministry of Rites in the early Tang period. 3. The female lead takes part in a rebellion, but there are extenuating circumstances. This is a creative extrapolation of history, not a story that mistreats women or romanticizes suffering. Please don't rush to judgment before the truth comes to light. Theme: A world united as one