Chapter 36

At the third watch of the night, under a frosty moonlit sky, Yang Yanzong left the Sixth Prince’s estate. Shortly after, the Sixth Prince and his advisors also emerged from the outer study.

Ji Yan was inwardly anxious and deliberately slowed his pace, waiting for Mr. Fang and the others to leave with the lantern-bearing maidservants. He hurriedly said, “Father, are we really going to secure the positions of Deputy Commander of the Left Guard and Commander of the Western Garrison for Yang Yanzong?!”

How could that be?!

If Yang Yanzong secured these two positions, he would simultaneously hold significant military and political power locally and in the capital. The latter position alone carried considerable authority, making him a core member of the Sixth Prince’s power circle. In other words, he could act independently and support the Sixth Prince’s estate, a qualitative leap in both status and power. But how could this be allowed?

Ji Yan was furious. If he had known Second Miss Su had such capabilities, he would have taken her himself without hesitation. Now, he had a strong premonition that things were spiraling out of control and could backfire.

No, not could, but would!

Yang Yanzong was ruthless and vengeful. Once he succeeded and had the opportunity, he would undoubtedly retaliate.

How could Ji Yan sit back and watch a minor ailment turn into a major threat?!

But without any reason, the Sixth Prince would never listen to him. Frowning, he said, “Without Yang Yanzong, we would lose the position of Deputy Commander of the Left Guard.”

In the Southern Army and the Governor’s Office, the Sixth Prince’s influence and manpower were the weakest. They had been at a disadvantage in the previous competition, and it was almost certain that the position of Deputy Commander of the Left Guard would be taken by Pang Weixin of the Seventh Prince’s estate.

Now, with this excellent opportunity, no one would miss it. There was no need for further discussion. In the outer study, almost everyone agreed. After thoroughly questioning and scrutinizing Yang Yanzong’s actions in the palace, especially the day before he left, the Sixth Prince decided to personally take Yang Yanzong to the palace to see the emperor the next day.

The Sixth Prince could guess his son’s thoughts to some extent. He stared at the heir for a while and slowly said, “Once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. Since the Sixth Prince’s estate joined the struggle for the throne, every step has been like walking on thin ice.” Over the years, many dangers and challenges had been overcome, with one opponent falling and another rising. “The court is treacherous, and the situation is unpredictable. A single misstep could lead to total defeat.”

At that point, it would mean the downfall of the entire estate. Therefore, they had to strive for everything they could. Personal grudges must never outweigh the interests of the group.

As the Sixth Prince spoke, he couldn’t help but frown. He couldn’t understand how the heir had managed to turn his relationship with Yang Yanzong, his legitimate cousin, into such a mess. This should have been the most stable and trustworthy support. There had been many better and more conciliatory ways to handle it, but it had ended up like this.

The Sixth Prince felt a faint disappointment, but it quickly passed. Cultivating an heir was not easy and required a lot of effort. The heir was still young and could be taught.

The Sixth Prince gave a few words of advice, and Ji Yan dared not argue further. After a moment, he said, “Father, but this person is deeply scheming and inherently rebellious. I’m just afraid that elevating him too high will bring more harm than good.” He made one last effort and signaled Ji Ye, who was waiting nearby, to speak.

Ji Ye hesitated but could only step forward from the corridor and bow, “Please reconsider, Father.”

Ji Yan’s words were filled with subjective emotions, and the Sixth Prince only listened to about thirty percent. However, his concerns did seem somewhat reasonable.

“Perhaps,” the Sixth Prince said, staring in the direction Yang Yanzong had left before slowly retracting his gaze. He had, of course, considered this himself. Without wasting words, he said calmly, “As long as his foundation remains in the Sixth Prince’s estate, he won’t be able to overturn the heavens in the short term.”

The Sixth Prince’s judgment wasn’t wrong; in fact, it was quite insightful. However, no one anticipated that Yang Yanzong had secretly reached an agreement with the old emperor.

…

The next day, the Sixth Prince took Yang Yanzong to the palace in Yangdu.

The Sixth Prince and his entourage were not regular attendees of the morning court. They usually manipulated events from behind the scenes, but of course, a prince could attend court whenever he wished.

That day’s grand court session in the Mingguang Hall was filled with sparks and fierce debates. The Sixth Prince personally stepped forward, angrily accusing the old emperor of being harsh and ungrateful, burning bridges, and being heartless—actions unworthy of a benevolent ruler and contrary to the ancestors’ teachings, damaging the prestige and trust of the Ji royal family. His words, though seemingly flawless on the surface, were quite fiery in meaning, immediately causing an uproar. The Sixth Prince’s followers quickly stepped forward, their emotions running high.

The old emperor was so enraged that he nearly collapsed. The leaders of the Fourth and Seventh Prince’s factions immediately realized that the Sixth Prince was likely aiming for the position of Deputy Commander of the Left Guard and quickly joined the fray.

The Fourth Prince’s estate was in a similar position to the Sixth Prince’s, having little advantage in the competition for the Deputy Commander of the Left Guard. Given this, they didn’t mind which side won, preferring not to let the old emperor firmly control the Left Guard. After some debate, their stance became somewhat ambiguous.

The factions of the Seventh Prince, the royalists, and the Sixth Prince fiercely argued. However, at the root of the matter, the old emperor’s actions were indeed questionable. Everyone was well-informed; killing an ordinary doctor was one thing, but Su Ci and Yang Yanzong had the strong backing of the Sixth Prince’s estate. The argument ended with the old emperor angrily adjourning the court.

Privately, the factions of the Sixth and Fourth Princes analyzed the situation and concluded that if things continued this way, the Sixth Prince’s estate had a good chance of ultimately securing the position.

Ji Yuanhao said, “Whether the position of Deputy Commander of the Left Guard falls to the Sixth Prince’s estate or the Seventh Prince’s estate, it makes little difference to His Majesty.”

On the contrary, the ongoing drought in the northeast for the past two years was a significant concern for those in power. Much like how emperors often had to issue self-reproach edicts after earthquakes, as these disasters were seen as heavenly signs of disapproval of the emperor’s actions. In such circumstances, the old emperor wouldn’t want the Sixth Prince’s estate to exploit the situation and further damage his reputation. Therefore, the Sixth Prince’s estate had a good chance of achieving their goal.

Ji Yuanhao’s analysis hit the mark, and everyone in the outer study nodded in agreement. However, Ji Yuanhao thought of Yang Yanzong and squinted slightly. This man had risen so quickly? He feared that in the future, Yang Yanzong would become an extremely troublesome figure. But he wondered whether this would be beneficial or detrimental to him.

…

The court’s turmoil had little impact on Su Ci and the women of the Su and Yang families. They were busy preparing for the wedding, clearing snow and ice, and decorating the house anew. The Autumn Embroidery Workshop had already delivered the wedding dress. Two women with sleek, oiled hair were holding up the bright red and gold wide-sleeved wedding dress. The stewardess smiled and congratulated the family, inviting them to inspect the dress. Mrs. Chen carefully examined the craftsmanship and was very satisfied. She urged Su Ci, “Quick, Ci’er, try it on. If it doesn’t fit, we can alter it now.”

Su Yan took the wedding dress and led her sister into the inner room. The two women wanted to help, but the sisters politely declined.

Trying it on was no big deal.

The Su and Yang families spared no expense. The wedding dress was made with plenty of gold thread, and several embroiderers worked simultaneously for over a month to create this exquisite, lifelike golden phoenix. Even Su Ci touched it carefully. It was practically a piece of folk art, and she didn’t dare use too much force, fearing she might damage the painstakingly crafted masterpiece. The inner garment, middle garment, underskirt, outer skirt, and finally, the wide red embroidered gold belt cinched her waist, making her slender waist appear even more delicate. The bright red dress made her cheeks blush, and Su Ci’s small face, no bigger than a palm, was highlighted by her expressive eyes, which glanced over, making even Su Yan, a girl, exclaim in awe.

Her sister was gorgeous!

She wrapped her arm around Su Ci’s shoulder and clenched her fist, “Sis, if that Yang guy or that old hag Yan dares to bully you, come to me. I’ll beat them up!!” She didn’t care about harmony or unity. She had only one sister in this life, and if anyone made her sister unhappy, she would fight to the end!

Su Ci chuckled and leaned her head on her sister’s shoulder, “If you were a man, I would marry you.”

Who could be better than her sister? No one.

The sisters hugged and laughed, whispering to each other, enjoying a moment of warmth. But their peace didn’t last long. They heard the sound of the door curtain being lifted and Mrs. Bai talking.

Mrs. Bai was uncharacteristically polite, and Mrs. Chen responded calmly before asking the sisters inside, “Is it okay? Does it need any alterations?” She lifted the curtain and carefully examined the waist, chest, and back areas. It fit perfectly, so she instructed the two women responsible for alterations to follow Mrs. Bai out.

Mrs. Chen stayed outside to entertain the embroidery workshop’s stewardess and settle the final bill. She instructed the sisters to carefully remove the wedding dress and store it in the camphor wood chest next to the phoenix crown, adorned with a large red double happiness character.

Su Yan loudly responded, “Okay,” and agreed but then pouted. The pout wasn’t directed at her mother but at Mrs. Bai and Su Rong.

Su Rong and Yang Yanxin’s marriage had also been arranged and would take place shortly after Su Ci’s wedding. Yang Yanxin was not young anymore, and Yang Yanzong considered that things would likely not settle down after this period of calm before the storm. In the short term, there might not be another opportunity to arrange and celebrate a wedding properly. Given this, they decided to move the wedding date forward, finally setting it for the ninth day of the second month, just about ten days after Su Ci’s wedding on the twenty-seventh of the first month. With these objective factors in mind, even though Mrs. Chen was somewhat unhappy, she began to make arrangements, considering Su Di’s situation.

Due to the extremely tight schedule, everything else was manageable. Mrs. Chen had prepared everything for her beloved daughter’s wedding, including festive silk, flowers, paper-cut decorations, wedding cakes, new clothes, and wood. There was plenty of everything, and sharing some wasn’t a problem.

The Su family wasn’t wealthy, but they managed to gather the dowry worth several trips around Suiping City. The only exception was the wedding dress, which was custom-made for Su Ci. Two months in advance, they took her measurements, selected the style, and made adjustments. Mrs. Chen frequently checked the progress and suggested modifications. Several embroiderers worked together for over a month to complete it just in time. If Su Rong were to order one now, it would definitely be too late. Fortunately, the embroidery workshop had ready-made sample wedding dresses. Mrs. Chen took Su Rong to choose one, and they brought back the one she liked best on the same day. The mother and daughter had been busy making alterations in their room for the past few days. Some parts required the expertise of the workshop’s embroiderers, so they waited until the embroiderers finished their work and delivered the dress today to make the final adjustments.

Unlike her sister’s indignation, Su Ci shrugged, not minding much. The fact that she would be sisters-in-law with the original female lead was quite unexpected. She thought to herself, what kind of karma was Su Rong dealing with? Even though the plot had deviated so much, she still couldn’t escape Mrs. Yan’s clutches. Life truly is like a play.

However, this time, it was a bit different. If Su Rong could secure her husband’s affection, she should fare better with her cleverness and agility than in the original storyline. But it wasn’t her concern. Su Ci just vented a bit and let it go. She took off the wedding dress, and her sister carefully folded it as if it were a golden egg, then placed each piece into the large camphor wood chest next to the phoenix crown. She then carefully carried the two boxes, one large and one small, back to Su Ci’s room in the backyard.

Su Yan was strong and carried both boxes at once, startling the stewardess, who pointed at Su Yan in shock, unable to speak for a moment. Su Yan didn’t care, carrying the boxes out with a flourish, leaving Mrs. Chen half-angry.

Su Ci heard the commotion and couldn’t help but smile. She leaned on the windowsill, watching Su Yan swagger into the backyard. Let her sister handle the household affairs; she was getting married and moving out. The two families were very close, and her sister was more suited to staying at home.

Alright, as long as everyone’s happy!

The next evening, Su Ci saw Yang Yanzong, who had just returned home. He hadn’t even changed his clothes and came over first. He casually placed a small box down and asked Su Ci, “Is there anything else you want?”

Su Ci tilted her head. Was he asking what she wanted as a wedding gift?

She examined him. He looked thinner, his facial features sharper and striking, but his spirits were high. Clearly, despite being busy, things were going well for him.

Su Ci thought for a moment, “No.”

Yang Yanzong’s expression tightened, “No? Fine.” He was about to leave!

Su Ci chuckled and grabbed his arm, “Hey, don’t go,” she glared at him, “You stingy man!”

If a man goes out of his way to ask what you want as a wedding gift, and you think about it and still say nothing, that would indeed be disappointing. Su Ci understood this. But she really couldn’t think of anything she wanted. She opened the small box and glanced inside. It was filled with gold jewelry and accessories. Her parents had spent the past two months preparing everything they could think of, from the wedding dress and farmland to the smallest needle and thread.

However, Su Ci smiled and shook Yang Yanzong’s arm a few times, “I don’t want anything else! If you can protect me from any troubles at home after we’re married, that would be enough!” She sighed, half-seriously, half-jokingly, her beautiful eyes looking at him.

Yang Yanzong snorted softly, pulling her into his arms with one hand, “If you behave, of course I’ll protect you.”

She was his wife; if he didn’t protect her, who would he protect, whether at home or outside?

Su Ci smiled and winked at him, “You said it. I’ll remember that!”

“En.”

Su Ci stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

When she was being obedient, she was adorable. Yang Yanzong felt a bit moved and wanted to kiss her back, but just as he was about to, he heard a whistle from the courtyard wall—Su Di had just entered the house, hurriedly removing his armor, and was coming to the backyard with Mrs. Chen.

Yang Yanzong had to leave. It wasn’t appropriate for him to be found in Su Ci’s room on this day.

Su Ci opened the door to greet her parents and listened to their earnest advice. By the time she saw them off, it was already the third watch of the night. She lay in bed, feeling quite awake and unable to sleep. So she opened the window and looked at the cold stars in the sky. She rested her chin on her hand, thinking, “I’m getting married, huh?”

It finally felt real, but she was still relatively calm about it. Su Ci thought her mindset wouldn’t change much before and after marriage. At most, she would raise a child. If she had a child, she would be pretty happy. As for Yang Yanzong, if he treated her well, she would treat him well too. But if things didn’t go so well in the future, she wouldn’t be too disappointed. Marriage was something she could accept but wasn’t overly fixated on. She had a normal attitude towards it. She was confident that she would be quite happy. If someone really made things difficult for her and refused to let her be happy, then they would just be unhappy together!

Thinking this way, she felt at ease. The idea of pre-wedding jitters was simply impossible for her. She enjoyed the cool breeze and watched the stars for a while until she felt sleepy. Then she happily closed the window and went to sleep.