Chapter 5359 Family Happiness

Chapter 5359 Family Happiness
As soon as Fang Jun entered the mansion, he went straight to his father's study. After the father and son finished discussing various matters and came out of the study, they saw that their children were already waiting outside the door.

"Father!"

"father!"

"Ah!"

The first two are Fang Shu and Fang You, and the last one is Fang Jing, who is still learning to walk and has not yet spoken.

His two sons clung to his legs, while Fang Jing tugged at his clothes...

Fang Jun laughed heartily, and the eloquence and lofty sentiment that had just filled the study instantly turned into a gentle, tender feeling.

He bent down, put his hands under his daughter's armpits, picked her up and placed her on his neck, then took one son by the hand in each hand and walked towards the back of the house.

Fang Jing was very excited about this novel way of "riding a big horse". Her little hands would hold tightly to her father's hair for fear of falling off, and then she would wave her hands and feet excitedly. Her giggles echoed in the courtyard.

The wives and concubines were all waiting outside the back gate of the mansion. When they saw the father and his two sons return in such a "strange" manner, they couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Seeing her daughter excitedly squealing on her father's neck, Xiao Shuer panicked. Holding her belly, she rushed forward and said urgently, "Get down quickly! What if you fall? Besides, this doesn't look like the behavior of a proper young lady at all!"

As a descendant of the royal family of the former Southern Liang Dynasty, Xiao Shu'er was both reserved and proud. From a young age, she knew that she had a noble bloodline and an extraordinary background, so she was extremely strict with herself. She was not only proficient in reading, painting, playing the zither, playing chess, and needlework, but also had an impeccable temperament and demeanor.

What if my daughter grows up to be crazy and carefree?

Fang Jing wasn't afraid of her mother. She opened her little hands and hugged her father's head, stubbornly saying, "No!"

"you……"

The usually dignified and virtuous Xiao Shuer was furious. She took two steps forward, ready to pull her daughter down.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Be careful!"

Fang Jun quickly let go of his two sons' hands, supported his daughter on his neck with one hand, and stopped Xiao Shuer with the other, and said with a smile: "My daughter is happy to see me. It's rare for us to be close, so please forgive her this time and teach her a good lesson later."

"Humph!"

Xiao Shuer glared at her smug daughter with a stern face, but ultimately didn't say anything more to scold her.

As Fang Jun said, he spends more than half the year away from home and has very little time to spend with his children. Now that he has this rare opportunity, he should enjoy some family time.

Furthermore, having successfully conceived after "hard work" before the Lunar New Year, and now that my pregnancy is showing, I really shouldn't get upset...

Fang Jun was escorted into the main hall by his wives, concubines, and children.

Fang Jun went to check on his youngest son, who was fast asleep after finishing his breastfeeding, while Jin Shengman, standing beside him, radiated maternal love...

After talking for a while, they went to the side hall for a meal. After the children washed up, they were taken to their bedrooms by the nannies to sleep. Fang Jun, on the other hand, sat in the flower hall with his wives and concubines, drinking tea and chatting.

The conversation soon turned to Princess Jinyang...

Princess Gaoyang asked with a stern face, "What exactly do you plan to do with Sizi? She is well past the age of marriage and should be getting married. However, the other day His Majesty and the Empress brought up the matter again, and that girl simply moved to Xuanqing Temple. We can't even see her anymore."

Fang Jun said helplessly, "What does this have to do with me? Over the years, I have never done anything inappropriate to her, let alone made any suggestive remarks. It's probably just that I met an outstanding man when I was just beginning to fall in love and I can't forget him... So this is not my problem."

Xiao Shuer asked curiously, "Does my lord truly have no improper thoughts about Princess Jinyang? The princess is intelligent, beautiful, and deeply in love with you, even vowing to marry no one but you. Any other man would have fallen for her long ago."

Jin Shengman also smiled and said, "In my opinion, as long as the young master nods, Princess Jinyang will be happy to accept it even if she doesn't want any title."

"Hey, you can't say that."

Fang Jun frowned slightly: "Although you Silla people admire Chinese learning and imitate it in everything, you still can't shake off your wildness. The national conditions of Silla and Tang are very different. Although the atmosphere in Tang is open now, a girl's reputation is still important. You can't say such things again."

"Oh, I misspoke."

Kim Seung-man stuck out her tongue, her face slightly flushed, looking quite embarrassed.

As Fang Jun said, no matter how open-minded the Tang Dynasty was, it was still far behind Silla. In Silla, it was not uncommon for a girl to elope for a man, and even secret affairs between men and women were commonplace.

Fang Jun was also extremely worried when Princess Jinyang was mentioned.

But what could he do?

We can neither marry her nor let her marry just anyone...

Seeing that it was getting late, he put aside this troublesome topic and asked with a smile, "Which lady will serve this Grand Commandant tonight?"

Xiao Shu'er was pregnant, so it was not an option.

Jin Shengman also smiled and said, "The child hasn't been feeling well these past few days and cries several times at night. I'm worried about him, so I've been staying with him and the nanny."

Qiao'er smiled and shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but her status was too low, and it wasn't her turn yet.

That leaves only Princess Gaoyang...

Fang Jun then smiled and said, "It's getting late. Why don't I help Your Highness bathe so you can rest early?"

Princess Gaoyang smiled coldly and glanced sideways: "My lord is in Huating, working day and night. He must be exhausted and his muscles and bones are sore. I wonder if he is still of any use?"

Xiao Shuer, Jin Shengman, and Qiao'er covered their mouths and chuckled.

The Maritime Trade Office of Huating Town now almost monopolizes more than half of the Tang Dynasty's foreign trade. Every day, countless merchants and officials travel between Huating Town and Chang'an. Therefore, although the two places are thousands of miles apart, news flows very quickly.

The rumors about a certain young man sleeping with a beautiful woman in his arms and flying wing to wing with her were known to almost everyone in Chang'an...

Fang Jun decisively skipped the topic, laughed loudly as he stood up, his spirits soaring: "How dare Your Highness underestimate my skills? Tonight I will certainly have a good spar with Your Highness, but Your Highness must not ask those girls for help!"

"Pooh!"

Princess Gaoyang spat in embarrassment and anger at his explicit words.

Just as she was about to speak, Fang Jun grabbed her hand, pulled her up, and dragged her to the back room to wash up...

*****
Regarding the arrangements for the royal families of Lin-yi, Zhenla, and other countries to enter Chang'an, Fang Jun remained uninvolved, leaving the Ministry of Rites, the Court of State Ceremonies, and other government departments to conduct urgent consultations and make proper arrangements.

So I spent several days at home with my parents, wife, and children, enjoying a very leisurely time...

After the court assembly on the first day of the tenth month, in the Imperial Study.

Li Chengqian sat in the center, surrounded by a host of important officials including Fang Jun, Li Ji, Liu Ji, Li Xiaogong, Li Yuanjia, Ma Zhou, and Liu Rengui.

After the eunuchs served tea, Li Chengqian began by stating his purpose: "I have summoned you all here today to discuss the confirmation of the fiefdoms of the princes. Please feel free to express your opinions."

Since it was confirmed that the fiefdoms of the princes would be located overseas, everyone has been waiting for the end of the war in the Indochina Peninsula.

At present, only King Wei (Li Tai), King Jin (Li Zhi), and Li Ke, who was previously enfeoffed as "King of Silla," have gone to their respective fiefdoms.

Now that the war in the Indochina Peninsula has ended and the Tang army has won a great victory, it has brought almost the entire Indochina Peninsula under its control, except for the Pyu Kingdom in the west. It is time to accurately delineate the fiefdoms of the various kings and send them to their fiefdoms as soon as possible.

After all, the bureaucracy of the Tang Dynasty was already large and even bloated. Direct vertical management of the Indochina Peninsula and Southeast Asia would have too many drawbacks. It would be better to divide the region into kingdoms and establish them for self-governance.

After a brief moment of silence and contemplation, Fang Jun spoke first, without hesitation: "Let King Jiang be enfeoffed in Tunwuli."

The others glanced at him, offering no objection, but all wore thoughtful expressions.

The marriage between Fang's younger sister and King Jiang was almost a done deal. They were just waiting to go to the fiefdom after the wedding. Since Fang Jun had asked King Jiang for Thonburi, it was clear that Thonburi had advantages that others did not know about...

Li Chengqian would naturally not disagree with Fang Jun on this issue. No matter where, as long as Fang Jun speaks up and no one else strongly objects, the outcome is basically set in stone.

Before he could speak, Liu Ji asked, "I do not object to what the Grand Commandant said, but first we should divide the Indochina Peninsula. Its land is crisscrossed by mountains and rivers. I suggest that it be divided according to its complex topography, and we should also take into account the farmland, ports, transportation and other conditions, and divide it into several relatively balanced vassal states."

The reason why it is said that "governing a large country is like cooking a small fish" is because the art of "balance" is everywhere. As long as the "balance" is done well, many things will naturally be done smoothly and easily.

At that time, the group decided to divide the Indochina Peninsula into three countries. In principle, all three countries have mountains, plains, and seas. Therefore, the three countries are irregularly elongated, dividing the entire Indochina Peninsula into three parts from east to west. The areas vary slightly, but are roughly the same.

Thonburi is the largest in area and has the most plains. It is not hampered by the indigenous peoples or powerful families of Lin-yi and Chenla, but it is separated from the Pyu Kingdom by mountains to the west, making it the most vulnerable to border threats...

It is fair and just enough.

"The Kingdom of Lin-yi is granted to Li Yin, the Kingdom of Zhenla to Li Zhen, the Kingdom of Thonburi to Li Yun, the Kingdom of Luzon to Li You, and the Kingdom of Kunlun to Li Shen... Do any of you ministers have any objections?"

The so-called "Kunlun Kingdom" is the "tail" of the Indochina Peninsula extending southward...

No one objected.

Li Chengqian added, "The other princes are still young, so we won't consider their fiefdoms for now. Anyway, there are still places like Ryukyu and Brunei overseas, which are enough for them to divide up."

Li Xiaogong said, "Your Majesty's wisdom extends far and wide; this is a wise and timeless strategy."

Li Yuanjia nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty's benevolent heart shines brightly upon the Tang Dynasty, and will be praised for thousands of years to come."

Strictly speaking, the division of the empire was a family matter for the emperor. Since two important ministers who could represent the Imperial Clan Court and the entire Li Tang imperial family had given their approval, the matter could be settled.

The meeting went very smoothly.

Li Chengqian felt that a major event was about to be completed, and he was in a great mood. He looked at Fang Jun and asked with a smile, "Now that Li Yun's fiefdom has been confirmed, has his marriage to my younger sister been held already, so that they can go to their fiefdom as soon as possible?"

Fang Jun nodded and smiled, "I will follow Your Majesty's arrangements."

Li Chengqian nodded, but inwardly thought: If you really followed my arrangements in everything, that would be perfect...