I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 96 The Duke of Zhou and Liu Bang in the Age of Exploration

After the church wedding ceremony, Chen Wenbin and Diana returned to Robin's mansion by carriage.

According to the custom of British aristocrats, they would also hold a wedding banquet at home and entertain guests.

The expenses were all borne by the woman, so Chen Wenbin simply had Richard work with the Spencer family's butlers and servants to handle the arrangements. He and Diana were only responsible for entertaining guests and relatives in the banquet hall on the first floor.

The head guest at today's wedding banquet is not Lord Spencer, but George Spencer, Duke of Marlborough, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Member of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor of Oxfordshire, the current Lord Privy Seal, and the Duke of Marlborough!

This guy is only twenty-five years old this year. He is tall and strong. He retired from the army three years ago and married Caroline from the Russell family a year ago.

Upon seeing Mr. and Mrs. Chen approach, he downed his whiskey in one gulp, then broke free from his wife and laughed loudly at them, "Robin! Diana! Congratulations!"

He looked at Diana, whose face was rosy and who looked radiant, and laughed, his breath reeking of alcohol, "I really didn't expect you to get married before Georgiana!"

However, Robin is indeed an exceptional man. I have never admired anyone else in wrestling and strength, but Robin is an exception!

He is a truly powerful man!

Did you notice the way those women looked at Robin?

They'd love to pounce on you and steal your husband! Because they can tell who can win them over...

Chen Wenbin and Diana exchanged a glance and decisively chose to remain silent.

This guy's bad habits haven't changed; he likes to talk nonsense when he drinks!

When they first met a week ago, he left a deep impression on Chen Wenbin... To put it simply, he got drunk and wanted to have a manly fight with Chen Wenbin, which was wrestling and arm wrestling, and he even made provocative remarks.

Chen Wenbin certainly wouldn't tolerate him. He took off his shirt and used one hand to torture him until he had no choice but to retract his arrogant words.

Who knew that instead of backing down afterward, this guy actually enjoyed the exhilarating experience of sparring with Chen Wenbin, coming over every day to practice, which annoyed Chen Wenbin so much that he had to avoid him for a while...

"George!"

Seeing this, Caroline, dressed in a well-fitting blue silk gown, quickly stepped forward and pulled her husband back, then said helplessly to the two of them:

"I'm sorry! Diana, Robin, George had a few drinks just now... Congratulations on your marriage! You're welcome to visit Blenheim Palace after the baby is born!"

Chen Wenbin immediately agreed, "Of course! Caroline, we will definitely go!"

After saying that, he gave George a quiet look, then took Diana's hand and left.

"...Actually, Uncle George wasn't like this before."

After the two left, Diana whispered, "He didn't like drinking at all before he joined the army, and he even read Shakespeare's Macbeth to me. But after he was discharged, he completely changed. He became rude and a heavy drinker. I really don't understand what happened to him!"

"...Maybe he's under too much pressure and needs to release it?"

Chen Wenbin shrugged and said, "He suddenly lost his father at the age of nineteen and had to retire to inherit the title. He also had to face the expectations of his family and the noble community... If he doesn't find a way to release the pressure, he will drive himself crazy!"

Okay, stop thinking about it. Let's go say hello to Francis and Elizabeth! Thank them for being our best man and maid of honor...

The wedding banquet lasted until 11 a.m., followed by a social dance party after the aristocratic wedding banquet.

The servants moved the tables and chairs off the first floor, clearing out a dance floor, and the musicians began to play the Minuet.

As newlyweds, Chen Wenbin and Diana naturally took the lead in dancing the first dance.

Fortunately, Chen Wenbin's athletic talent had been greatly enhanced, and the minuet was originally a social dance of the nobility, so it was not difficult to learn. Therefore, the two danced quite well and won a round of polite applause after the performance.

Then a dozen or so well-dressed unmarried noblemen and women began to dance in groups. This was not only a social dance, but also an occasion for them to find a partner. If they liked each other, the two families could begin to negotiate a marriage alliance to ensure the continuation of the noble bloodline.

Of course, even if the man and woman don't like each other, their families can still arrange for them to marry for the sake of their own interests. At most, they would have an heir after marriage and then go their separate ways. This is how many marriages of British nobles are conducted. Whether the couple has feelings for each other is not important. What is important is that the title and wealth need to be inherited. Otherwise, if the line ends, everything is over.

For example, Richard Neville, whose ancestors served for four generations, was the Earl of Warwick, who was founded in 1088 and was a key figure in William the Conqueror's conquest of England. Later, during the Wars of the Roses, the sixteenth Earl of Warwick, Richard Neville, deposed and installed two English kings, earning him the title of "Kingmaker".

However, even noble families that have enjoyed such glory can change their surnames due to the lack of male heirs. If it weren't for the fact that England does not implement the Saxon Act of Succession, which allows women to inherit titles and the throne, this title would have disappeared completely long ago.

This reality made Chen Wenbin realize that only by having as many children as possible during his lifetime could he ensure that his career would be inherited, his achievements would be praised, and his bloodline would continue.

Why was the Zhou Dynasty able to rule for eight hundred years?

Because the Duke of Zhou enfeoffed the feudal lords of the Ji surname, all the feudal lords in the world were one family. Even though they fought against each other during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the blood of the Ji surname Zhou people still flowed in their veins!

Why did the Qin Dynasty perish after only two generations?

Because the First Emperor did not trust his relatives and sons, and instead used officials from other clans to govern the country, when the nobles of the six states all rose up against Qin, the loyalty of Qin's officials dropped to zero!

Why was the Han Dynasty able to last for four hundred years?

Can something that was once interrupted be revived?

If it weren't for Emperor Zhaolie of Han's bad luck and unfortunate fate, the Han Dynasty could have risen again for a third time.

Besides the institutional and cultural development of the Han Dynasty, the most important point is that the Han imperial family was spread all over the world, and there was no shortage of talented people with the surname Liu in every social class!

The counterexamples are the Ming and Tang dynasties. Starting with Emperor Taizong, the Ming dynasty treated its imperial family members like pigs, confining them to their palaces and denying them any opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Once the emperor in the central government was beheaded, the Ming imperial princes could only become spoils of war for the enemy.

The Li Tang dynasty implemented the "Xuanwu Gate Succession System," similar to how the Ottoman Sultan would raise poison among his sons, with the winner becoming the crown prince. While this system could select an excellent successor, it resulted in intense internal strife, consuming a large number of members of the imperial family and the elites of governance each time.

If the Tang Dynasty had followed the example of the Western Zhou Dynasty and enfeoffed its princes to Northwest Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, then the world a thousand years later would probably have been dominated by the Tang Dynasty...

Now, Chen Wenbin has a similar opportunity. Since he has role models, why can't he become the Duke of Zhou and Liu Bang of the Age of Exploration?