A princess's marriage was, after all, a joyous occasion for the entire nation. Wen Boyuan had wanted to have the beggars driven away, but Wu Jingshan, Minister of Rites, thought that would be inappropriate. Even when an ordinary family married off a daughter, let alone the imperial family, beggars often came calling to beg under the pretext of offering congratulations. Such matters were usually settled by giving them a little money for the sake of an auspicious celebration. But Princess Anping's departure for her distant marriage had not been publicly announced. How had these beggars learned of it?
Wen Boyuan coldly surveyed the beggars ahead. They crowded together, blocking the road, and even a rough count put their number at nearly a hundred. So many beggars could not all have come here by coincidence. Had they known in advance that the princess would pass along this road, and gathered here to ask for rewards?
Wu Jingshan said quietly, "Just give them a little silver. This is a joyous occasion, after all. We shouldn't make a battle of it."
Wen Boyuan nodded. They had not even left the Kang Capital, and already they had run into trouble. Giving out rewards was not his responsibility; his duty on this journey was to protect Princess Anping. Wu Jingshan oversaw the arrangements as their commander in chief, while the deputy Marriage Escort Envoy, Hu Xiaotian, handled internal affairs and supplies. The three of them seemed to have clearly defined responsibilities, but that was only the surface. Behind it lay a balancing and contest of power, with each man backed by a powerful patron. Put plainly, one controlled the troops, another controlled the purse, and Wu Jingshan's role was to smooth things over. Though he was the Marriage Escort Envoy, his appointment had been the