Chapter 77: Princess Pingyao’s Wedding, General Fengyang Appears

    The Emperor has been imprisoned, and so has Consort Hui.

    In a sense, the two of them are sharing in the bitterness and hardship.

    Only the Empress Dowager, the solitary widow, is furious with a face ashen with anger, unable to see her own son, nor command her new daughter-in-law, and powerless to rescue her nephew who has been thrown into prison.

    Moreover, the perimeter of the imperial harem has been reinforced with guards at some point, confining the Empress Dowager to the harem area, greatly restricting the exercise of her power as the Empress Dowager.

    This undoubtedly makes the Empress Dowager feel angry, anxious, and uneasy.

    Although she has always been certain that the poisoned Regent would not dare to seize the Emperor’s power, even if he now wields power over the entire court, when the Emperor comes of age to govern, he must obediently return the reins of government.

    But Ji Yucang’s methods of operation have clearly exceeded her expectations.

    Now, with the addition of the unrestrained Princess Pingyao, the Empress Dowager truly feels a fear of losing control.

    Ji Yucang alone is enough to cause them distress, and Princess Pingyao makes them even more infuriated.

    Seeing that these two people, for some unknown reason, seem to have joined forces, how can the Empress Dowager not regret her actions of the past?

    But it stops there.

    All her regrets have nothing to do with Ji Yucang and Shen Ning, nor do they have anything to do with Princess Pingyao.

    They have many things to do and simply have no time to bother with an old woman who is obsessed with ruling behind the curtain.

    On the sixteenth day of the tenth month, Princess Pingyao’s grand wedding takes place.

    Guests arrive at the door, and the festivities are lively and extraordinary.

Firecrackers crackled in unison, and drums resounded through the sky.

This was the first instance in the history of the Yong Kingdom that broke with the secular tradition of men marrying women. Princess Pingyao directly took on the role of a Princess to marry her Prince Consort, riding in a flower-decked sedan chair with her Prince Consort through the city, akin to a high-ranking official on a tour of inspection, glorious and honorable. Even the Prince Consort beside her became the object of envy for many.

Servants dressed in red scattered red dates, peanuts, and copper coins along the way. Children on the side of the streets joyfully scrambled for the coins and red dates, while the citizens warmly blessed the Princess and her Prince Consort, wishing them a hundred years of happiness and an early birth of noble offspring.

A hundred years of happiness?

Princess Pingyao turned her head, looking at Qin Yumo who was sitting beside her: “Prince Consort, do you think we can have a hundred years of happiness?”

Qin Yumo today was dressed in a bright red wedding garment, which complemented his youthful and handsome appearance. His originally gentle and reserved demeanor, under the reflection of the red robe, took on a few more hints of bright and flamboyant luster, prompting Princess Pingyao to take a second look.

“As long as the Princess wishes it, it can be so.” Qin Yumo smiled faintly, his smile rippling with a flowing radiance.

Princess Pingyao narrowed her eyes: “Are you trying to seduce me?”

Qin Yumo was taken aback and quickly restrained his smile: “No.”

“I’m just teasing you.” Princess Pingyao stared at his red robe: “But you look quite good in red. You can wear it often in the future.”

Qin Yumo remained silent.

“I’ll have people make you more red garments.”

Qin Yumo was silent for a moment, then nodded softly: “Mm.”

By the time evening arrived, the sun had set in the west.

The sedan chair came to a stop outside the gates of the Princess’s residence.

Princess Pingyao alighted from the sedan chair, holding one end of the red silk, and smiled faintly at Qin Yumo: “Let’s go, my Prince Consort.”

Qin Yumo held the other end of the red silk, and together with Princess Pingyao, they walked up the long red carpet. The carpet was exquisitely embroidered with auspicious patterns of dragons and phoenixes, filled with joy and blessings.

Stepping through the main gate, they proceeded step by step towards the festively decorated hall.

Ji Yucang and Shen Ning were seated in the position of honor.

As the ceremony official loudly announced, “The auspicious time has arrived, the newlyweds bow to Heaven and Earth!”

Princess Pingyao and Qin Yumo entered the wedding hall.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

“Second bow to the esteemed elders!”

“The couple bows to each other—”

Clop, clop, clop!

A sudden sound of horse hooves broke the harmonious festivity, accompanied by a high-pitched and urgent shout: “Wait!”

Princess Pingyao frowned and turned her head towards the outside of the wedding hall.

Qin Yumo’s hand holding the red silk trembled imperceptibly, and he pressed his lips together without speaking.

“Today is a joyous occasion for the wedding. Haven’t the defenses outside been set up? Except for the invited guests, suspicious individuals are not allowed to approach.” Ji Yucang raised his eyes to look at Princess Pingyao, “How could such a mistake happen?”

Princess Pingyao remained unfazed: “Doesn’t Your Highness want to know who this person is?”

Ji Yucang said indifferently, “The voice sounds a bit familiar.”

Outside the main gate, a commotion arose, accompanied by intense arguments.

Princess Pingyao ordered, “Go tell them outside to let the guest in.”

“Yes.”

The nursemaid hurried out and, upon seeing the face at the main gate, stiffened: “General Fengyang?”

A young man dressed in white brocade military attire, covered in the dust of travel, appeared to be in his late twenties. His face was filled with anxiety and urgency.

He pushed aside the gatekeepers and guards blocking his path with brute force and rushed in like a whirlwind: “Pingyao, you can’t marry him! I am your betrothed!”

Qin Yumo’s expression paled slightly, and he turned in disbelief to look at the man who had rushed in.

Dressed in white brocade military attire, his presence was extraordinary.

His appearance was also quite good, with distinct features, heroic and handsome.

Could he be the once-famous young general of the Yong Kingdom, Ling Fengyang, who grew up with Princess Pingyao and unfortunately died on the battlefield?

Qin Yumo lowered his gaze.

Compared to himself, a useless and weak scholar, who the Princess would choose should be obvious without guessing.

“Stop him!” Princess Pingyao raised her arm and spoke coldly, “Today is my wedding day. Whoever dares to ruin it, I will not spare them!”

With the command given, a group of black guards suddenly appeared from all directions. In the blink of an eye, they formed a human wall, firmly blocking Ling Fengyang’s path.

“Pingyao?” Ling Fengyang was stunned, looking from afar at Princess Pingyao in her wedding dress on the wedding platform, “I am Ling Fengyang… Don’t you recognize me anymore?”

Time seemed to slow down in an instant.

Everything around became desolate and quiet. The guests who were drinking at their tables, hearing the unusual commotion, came out in groups of twos and threes to watch the spectacle. When some of the guests saw Ling Fengyang, their faces were filled with surprise.

“General Fengyang! You… Didn’t you die on the battlefield?”

“General Fengyang has been dead for three years. How could he suddenly appear? Could he be an impostor?”

“What is going on here?”

In the wedding hall, Qin Yumo unconsciously held the red silk in his hand, feeling like he had become a complete outsider.

Today’s wedding might have to change grooms at the last minute.

“Even though I don’t know if you are really Ling Fengyang, or where you suddenly appeared from, today, no one is allowed to ruin my wedding,” Princess Pingyao said coldly. “Even if you are the real Ling Fengyang, you have your reasons, you have your secrets, you have a lot to say to me, but it will have to wait until after my wedding!”

With that, she commanded forcefully, “Stop him, don’t let him come any closer. Anyone who disrupts my auspicious moment, don’t blame me for cutting off their head and using it as a ball to kick.”

Then, she turned to signal the ceremony official, “Continue.”

Qin Yumo raised his head, looking at Princess Pingyao in disbelief, and asked blankly, “Princess?”

“What?” Princess Pingyao frowned, “Do you have a problem?”

Qin Yumo quickly shook his head, with a hint of panic, “No, no problem.”

The ceremony official then shouted, “The couple bows to each other!”

Qin Yumo and Princess Pingyao stood facing each other and bowed simultaneously, with Qin Yumo bowing a bit lower, his heart filled with complex emotions.

“The ceremony is complete, escort them to the bridal chamber!”

“Pingyao! Pingyao!” Ling Fengyang shouted anxiously, “You can’t marry him, you’re my fiancée, we are the ones who should be together, Pingyao!”

Princess Pingyao didn’t bother to acknowledge him, holding the red silk, she and Qin Yumo were escorted to the bridal chamber.

Ji Yucang raised his hand to signal, “Bring him over.”

The black-clad guards dragged Ling Fengyang and brought him to the wedding hall, roughly forcing him to kneel on the ground.

Shen Ning’s gaze fell upon him, her pupils slightly contracted, her voice cold: “The attire you are wearing, is it that of a general from the Nan Dynasty?”