Chapter 157 - Red Extract
Qu Changqing and Jiung Hengzhou exchanged glances and displayed wry smiles before hastening to catch up with him.
Lu Zheng escorted them to the front hall. Whether Zuo Yunwen and his wife were present or not, they needed to bid farewell to their elders before departing.
Unexpectedly, when they arrived at the foyer, they found Zuo Yunwen and Mrs. Xue comfortably seated at the main table. Apart from them, Zuo Yunyang and his spouse, along with a few other branch families residing in the capital, were also in attendance.
In the past, when Zuo's Mansion had been forced to leave the capital, they had voluntarily distanced themselves from the Zuo Family to avoid entanglements. Now, they audaciously returned to seek a marriage alliance with Zuo Shaoqing due to their shamelessness.
Zuo Shaoqing's eyes briefly flashed with coldness, while Lu Zheng's countenance turned icy, exuding an aura that deterred strangers from approaching.
The people in the hall were uncertain how to react when they witnessed Master Lu carrying him like this. They couldn't muster smiles or laughter, and Zuo Yunwen felt particularly embarrassed, squirming in his seat.
In theory, he was Zuo Shaoqing's father and Lu Zheng's father-in-law. Zuo Shaoqing and Lu Zheng should kneel and pay respects to him. However, given Lu Zheng's status, he truly couldn't bring himself to make him kneel.
Lu Zheng placed Zuo Shaoqing in a chair and declared before everyone, “You are forbidden from touching the ground with your feet. This is a rule!”
But how could he kowtow if he didn't descend to the ground? Originally, Zuo Yunwen and Mrs. Xue intended to accept Zuo Shaoqing's salutations, but witnessing Master Lu's intentions, it appeared they had no intention of making Zuo Shaoqing kneel.
Zuo Shaoqing, upon seeing Zuo Yunwen and his wife, concealed a derisive smile. He didn't resist Lu Zheng's actions and simply sat there, remarking, “I thought father and mother were too busy to attend. It would be unfilial of your son to make the elders travel back and forth!”
Mrs. Xue wanted to taunt him but refrained from speaking further. Instead, she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, “Shao Qing, you also understand that your brother is unwell, and your family is in disarray. Mother has been quite overwhelmed lately, and I apologize for the delay in your marriage.”
Zuo Shaoqing curled his lips, unwilling to flatter her. He only replied, “It's alright with Second Uncle's assistance.”
Everyone's eyes lit up. They were well aware that Zuo Shaoqing's marriage had been arranged by Zuo Yunyang, but his biological parents had played no role, making them view Mrs. Zuo and her spouse with curiosity.
“Alright, it's getting late. Let's go; we mustn't miss the timing!” Lu Zheng didn't wait for Zuo Yunwen's response and directly carried Zuo Shaoqing. He turned around, ready to depart.
The wedding officiant was taken aback. She had never witnessed such a brief departure ceremony, without even a single word of blessing.
Zuo Yunwen's face briefly displayed a mix of humiliation and mostly anger, stemming from his sense of shame. The reasons for his shame and anger were known only to him.
Mrs. Xue let out a disdainful snort after they departed and muttered, “Aren't you afraid people will mock you endlessly like this?”
Zuo Yunyang narrowed his eyes and grinned, “Shao Qing is the Duchess of Duke Zhen; who would dare to ridicule him? Instead… “Haha…”
Mrs. Xue's expression darkened when Zuo Yunyang scolded her. However, he didn't have the time to concern himself with her at the moment. He shouted to the people below, “Don't just stand there; quickly bring out the dowry and follow the procession! Master Lu's route will take you through the city, so don't lose track of it!”
Initially, Mrs. Xue had considered leaving, but when she heard the word “dowry,” her lips twitched, and she continued to sit there calmly. She wanted to witness what this “wealthy” Second Uncle could offer as a dowry for that wicked individual.
In her view, no matter how much money Zuo Yunyang, a merchant, had, he wouldn't be able to purchase anything impressive in the capital. It would merely be a collection of crates.
However, when they brought out the overflowing chests of dowry from the back hall, she was so stunned that words escaped her. It wasn't just her; all the onlookers stared in amazement at the boxes of dowry.
According to the prince's rank, the princess's dowry was typically one hundred and twenty-four taels. Unless it was an extraordinarily wealthy family, it would be challenging to accumulate so many items.
Even if they did, it would mostly be counterfeit. They would place something under the items to create the illusion of abundance. However, Zuo Shaoqing's dowry was evidently exceptional.
Without needing an explanation, the first items they presented were two large chests filled with gold items, including a set of golden bowls and chopsticks, and a few gold sculptures.
If the gold were only superficial, how could the rest of the chests contain such valuable items?
As the boxes were opened, the sight left everyone feeling incredulous. Countless rare and precious treasures that they had never seen before were neatly packed inside the boxes, even pearls, which were typically hard to obtain, were part of the collection.
Notably, there wasn't a single piece of furniture that constituted a substantial portion of the dowry. All of the one hundred and twenty-four taels of dowry had been stacked with these rare and precious treasures.
A box filled with multicolored gems glistened before Mrs. Xue's eyes, exciting her to the point where she unconsciously clenched her fists, not realizing that her nails had pierced her palms. Her mind was flooded with regret and bitterness.
She lamented, “If it were my own daughter marrying Duke Zhen today, how wonderful it would be! Then these priceless treasures would belong to my daughter.”
124 Dower chests, each of them holding a wealth comparable to a small affluent family's, and these… these were Zuo Shaoqing's dowry! She clenched her teeth in frustration!
The other outsiders couldn't help but wonder: Where did Zuo Shaoqing acquire all these items? He was the neglected son of a concubine, relying on his family's allowance for his daily expenses. Where did he find the silver to purchase such a prestigious dowry?
Even if you combined all the assets of the Zuo Family, they might still not be able to assemble such an opulent dowry.
Mrs. Xue sneered, “Impressive indeed! I wouldn't be surprised if Duke Zhen Manor had contributed to give him face.”
Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement. That seemed quite plausible. Otherwise, an unremarkable illegitimate child, even if he had a wealthy merchant as his second uncle, would likely be incapable of acquiring these dowry items.
Zuo Yunyang chuckled without offering an explanation. He instructed his men to carry the items and continued forward.
In order to transport the dowry, he had enlisted the help of some laborers from the Cao Sect. Over two hundred robust young men carried the dowry, creating a procession that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The main street from Zuo's Mansion to Duke Zhen Manor had been cleaned and secured by the National Guard. Soldiers stationed every few steps maintained order, preventing onlookers from encroaching on the road.
Curious citizens craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the wedding procession. When the magnificent line of dowry chests came into view, they couldn't help but be awestruck.
Since it was a wedding between two men, Zuo Shaoqing didn't ride in a bridal sedan but was carried by Lu Zheng on a vibrant red horse. Under the intense scrutiny of the crowd, his smile remained radiant, undaunted by any judgmental or disdainful glances.
As the 124 dowry chests were displayed one after another, spectators no longer had the time to debate the appropriateness of the two men's marriage. Their eyes were captivated by the exquisite treasures on display.
“Isn't this dowry a bit too extravagant?” The chests brimmed with gold, silver, pearls, and jade. Even for a royal wedding, it would be considered opulent.
In fact, they weren't the only ones intrigued. Even the individuals from Duke Zhen's residence hadn't anticipated this lady's ability to keep such a remarkable dowry a secret.
When the lady received the dowry, she initially assumed her son had provided the funds to cover his wife's expenses. However, she knew that wasn't the case. She was well aware of the silver reserves in Duke Zhen's mansion.
Even Duke Zhen's residence didn't possess such a tall coral tree. Even if they wished to purchase it, they wouldn't be able to do so quickly, not to mention the crates of carefully selected pearls.
Even if she utilized all the resources of the Zuo Family, she couldn't replicate these items. It seemed that her daughter-in-law indeed had some remarkable capabilities.
Throughout history, the tradition of dowry had always been in place, signifying not just prestige but also family background and status.
From top to bottom, the attitude of Duke Zhen Manor toward this new mistress had subtly shifted. While they hadn't previously looked down upon this couple, they hadn't held them in high regard either.
This had changed now. The new wife, at only fourteen years old, was already a top scholar. This indicated that her husband was a worldly genius, capable of providing such a generous dowry.
If Zuo Shaoqing knew that his dowry had caused such a significant transformation, the first thing he would do upon returning would be to generously reward Supervisor Ke. After all, Ke Youliang had earned all these items for him.
After circling the capital's main street, the wedding procession arrived at Duke Zhen Manor before noon. In contrast to the cold and deserted Zuo's Mansion, Duke Zhen Manor was bustling with people.
The Empress muttered to herself at the entrance. Normally, she would have assisted the bride's entry, but since the bride was a man, she was unsure how to proceed.
Lu Zheng lifted the groom from the horse, carefully crossed over the brazier at the entrance, and swiftly entered the hall.
“Master Lu…” “Master Lu, this goes against tradition…” Throughout her years of attending weddings, she had never witnessed a groom carrying a bride to the altar.
“Who established all these traditions anyway?” Lu Zheng was concerned she might bring up some customary practices unique to brother's weddings, so he carried the bride to the front of the hall before setting him down.
Zuo Shaoqing didn't resist this time and simply blushed as he let himself be carried. He reasoned that since he had already been carried out once, it wasn't as embarrassing this time, even though the number of guests here was evidently many times greater.
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