Chapter 21: A One-Stop Wedding
In order to find out what was happening, Qin Feng squeezed through the crowd and approached the main gate of the Qin family mansion. He had barely taken a few steps when, at the front of the wedding procession, a man with dark skin, clad in black armor, blocked his way with a long halberd and said coldly,
“Stand aside, stranger.”
“I…” Qin Feng began to explain.
The man with dark skin flicked his wrist, making the halberd sway menacingly. It seemed he intended to shove Qin Feng away.
At that moment, Cang Feilan stepped forward with a swift pace, drawing a dagger from her waist and blocking the halberd.
The man with dark skin furrowed his brow. He increased the force behind his halberd, but to his surprise, the woman in front of him, wearing a black square scarf, remained calm and didn’t retreat.
The divine steed beneath him neighed, its powerful front hooves continuously striking the ground, raising clouds of dust.
Cang Feilan stood her ground, merely casting a faint glance. The steed seemed to be startled by something, its violent emotions subsided, and it quieted down. It even voluntarily turned its body, avoiding Cang Feilan’s gaze.
The man narrowed his eyes, dismounted, and introduced himself, “I am Xing Sheng, the Forward Commander of the Divine Marquis Army. And who might you be?”
Cang Feilan didn’t bother to respond.
Qin Feng hearing this looked thoughtful, Divine Marquis Army? One of the most valiant and warlike armies in the Great Qian Dynasty. TheForward Commander holds the official rank equivalent to Grade 3. This person holds such a high position but he is willing to lower himself to become a guard for the marriage?
Wait, the Divine . “You are from the Duke Liu House of Heavenly City’s household, right? Is the person in the grand red sedan… Could it be Liu Jianli?”
“Insolent! How dare you address the Heavenly City’s Duke Liu young lady so informally!”
It really was her. Qin Feng’s mind raced. He still remembered the marriage contract between the Liu family and the Qin family. But this shouldn’t be happening. How could the extraordinarily gifted young lady stoop so low as to marry into this remote place? Wait, whom is she marrying? Could it be…
Just then, within the Qin mansion, a girl dressed in a green skirt poked half of her body out and glanced around. Her face lit up, and she hurriedly ran out of the mansion, holding up her skirt.
“Young Master, you’re finally back! Master and Madam have been anxiously waiting. Come inside with me to see them.”
“Are you Qin Feng from the Qin family?” Xing Sheng asked in amazement.
“What? Haven’t you seen such a handsome young master before?”
“You!” Xing Sheng was speechless.
Qin Feng ignored him. Eager to understand the situation, he retorted before following the girl, Qing Er, hastily into the mansion.
Cang Feilan didn’t follow. After observing for a moment, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Inside the Qin mansion, chaos had ensued. Qin Jian’an paced back and forth in the main hall. He glanced at a woman in blue holding a sword and a sword sheath not far away and said
“Madam, the guests are here and you don’t know how to make tea for them?”
“Huh? Oh, right, right.”
Meng Xue was lost in thought. She hastily picked up the teapot on the table and took a teacup, intending to pour tea. However, her mind was preoccupied with something else, and she didn’t notice that the teapot was empty.
Qin An glanced at his mother who was preparing tea. He furrowed his brow, feeling that something was off. After staring for a moment, he realized the problem. He reminded her,
“Mother, the teacup you picked up is mine.”
Meng Xue jolted, glanced at the teacup, and apologized,
“My mistake, my mistake. I’ll get another one.”
The three of them were lost in their own thoughts, all thinking about the same person.
Suddenly, Qing Er’s voice echoed into the main hall, “Master, Madam, Young Master has returned.”
As the words fell, Qin Feng arrived at the entrance of the main hall. He entered, and with one glance, he spotted the woman in a blue dress carrying a sword. She had mesmerizing features and an elegant figure.
Upon hearing the commotion, she turned her gaze toward Qin Feng, her eyes filled with scrutiny.
Qin Feng only gave the woman a few glances before he approached his parents and asked softly,
“Mother, Father, what’s going on here?”
His parents hesitated, and Qin Jian’an handed over a sealed letter, indicating for him to open it.
Qin Feng opened the letter and read it from top to bottom, until the last word caught his eye. His face displayed a mix of complex emotions.
The exceptionally gifted Miss Liu from the Liu family had failed her tribulation and was now paralyzed from the waist down. Even the imperial physicians in the capital couldn’t treat her.
Mr. Liu sincerely requested the Qin family to fulfill the ancestral marriage contract and allow Liu Jianli to leave the capital, to live in peace far away.
The letter was filled with Mr. Liu’s pleas and apologies.
After all, Liu Jianli was no longer the heavenly maiden she once was, but had fallen to the mortal world.
Being half-paralyzed would discourage countless suitors.
Mr. Liu was well aware of this fact.
Qin Feng pondered for a moment and didn’t give an immediate response. Instead, he raised his head and asked, “Mother, Father, what do you want me to do in this situation?”
His mother was hesitant.
Qin Jian’an patted Qin Feng’s shoulder and said solemnly, “The Liu family’s daughter is also a pitiable person. The higher one stands, the harder the fall. I want to help her as much as I can. After all, when we were in the capital, the Liu family always treated us well and took care of us. Moreover, even when there were numerous talented young men in the capital proposing to the Liu family, Mr. Liu refused them all based on the ancestral marriage contract. The Liu family has never gone back on their word. We should repay kindness with kindness.”
Qin Jian’an didn’t finish his sentence, but Qin Feng understood what he meant. His father wanted him to agree to this marriage.
His mother hesitated and said, “Maybe we should reconsider, and let Feng’er…”
Qin Jian’an interrupted, “Let him decide for himself.”
Qin Feng appeared conflicted. He thought about it from the perspective of the others. He sympathized with Liu Jianli’s predicament, but he couldn’t sacrifice his own future happiness.
Qin Jian’an, understanding his son’s concerns, leaned in and spoke earnestly, “The Liu family’s daughter is exceptionally beautiful, a first-class beauty. Just looking at her is a pleasure. And as for you, son, don’t have too narrow a perspective. You can take concubines in the future if necessary. I haven’t had the opportunity yet, so, hey, hey, dear, let go!”
“What do you want?” Qin Jian’an asked, in pain as his wife squeezed his hand.
“Father, Mother, there are guests present,” Qin An reminded them in a low voice.
His mother suddenly realized her lack of decorum and released her grip, giving a faint smile to the woman in the blue dress.
Qin Feng sighed. Society expected men to be fearless and resolute, but he had to bear the weight of decisions he shouldn’t have to make at his age.
“I understand. So, when is this wedding taking place?” Qin Feng reluctantly agreed, one for the sake of repaying the Qin family’s debt to the Liu family and two, because his father’s words had swayed him.
“We need some time for preparations,” Qin Jian’an said as he calculated the timing with his fingers.
But the woman in the blue dress, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, “My master has already had the auspicious date calculated. Today is the perfect day.”
“Today?” They all exclaimed in surprise.
“Excuse me, I’m Lan Ningshuang, the sword attendant to the young lady.”
“Miss Lan, isn’t this too hasty? We only just learned about this.” Qin Jian’an was concerned.
Did it have to be so rushed? Were they afraid of him changing his mind?
Qin Feng smirked. “It’s fine. The Liu family has already made all the preparations.”
In a matter of moments, led by the dark-skinned man, more than ten strong men along with a few maids entered the Qin mansion. Each of them carried various decorative items and began bustling around the mansion.
An hour later, when they looked at the Qin mansion, it had transformed into a scene of festivity from the preparations, dowries, decorations, and the wedding ceremony. The Qin family hadn’t been involved at all. It was all organized by the Liu family. Could this be what they meant by a One-Stop wedding arrangement of ancient times?
It seemed incredibly efficient.
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