Chapter 325 Three Bows

Looking at the man riding a tall horse, exuding an innate majesty, Xiao Jue's eyes stung with tears.

Therefore, when my sister was in the Ye family, it was this man who protected her and fulfilled the responsibilities that he, as her older brother, should have fulfilled.

He has no right to blame Xuanyuan Ze; he is far inferior to Xuanyuan Ze.

Xiao Jue calmed himself down and saw that the carefree prince on horseback showed no sign of calming down, so he frowned almost imperceptibly.

Xuanyuan Ze glanced down at him, completely disregarding the weak-looking Qi official.

However, the name Xiao Jue seemed somewhat familiar; he remembered that Xiao Ye had an older brother with the same name.

He glanced at the two Qi generals, Duan Wei and Xiahou Zhong, who were also mounted on horseback, and a gentle smile appeared on his face, but his tone remained distant:

"Generals, we may begin."

What to begin? The answer is obvious.

Following the carefree king into the valley were eight hundred Yue soldiers, each tall and imposing, their physiques almost equal to two Qi soldiers, quite intimidating.

At this moment, when their leader spoke, almost everyone's face turned cold, and they all looked fierce and menacing.

Xiahou Zhong spurred his horse forward half a step, "Your Highness, according to the rules of marriage alliances in our Great Qi, the master of ceremonies must first recite the verses, and then Your Highness must personally escort the princess over. Only after the marriage alliance ceremony is completed can we kneel and pay homage to Your Highness."

The young man beside the carefree king glared at him coldly: "When was this new rule established?! Qi Kingdom has never had one before."

Xiahou Zhong: "Hey, people are flexible, and so are rules. Surely the Prince of Xiaoyao can't wait even for a short while?"

Xuanyuan Ze raised his hand, not letting Ren Shun continue: "Then we will do as General Xiahou says."

Seeing the looks in Duan Wei and Xiahou Zhong's eyes, Xiao Jue unfolded the document he had been holding and began to read it aloud to the Prince of Xiaoyao:

"By the Emperor's decree and in accordance with the will of both nations, we hereby proclaim this to the mountains, rivers, and the state—"

"Now there is Princess Qi Yuxuan of Chang Le County in the State of Qi, a woman of exceptional beauty and grace, gentle and virtuous... Considering that Qi and Yue have lived as neighbors for over a hundred years, though occasional conflicts have arisen, the people have long yearned for peace. Therefore, we have chosen Tianque Valley in Kuncheng as an auspicious site to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth with the rites of a hundred animals—"

The monk slowly recited the document. Xiao Jue raised his eyes to look at the carefree king on horseback in the Yue army, and raised his sleeves to proclaim loudly:

"Please, Prince Xiaoyao, dismount and accept the wild goose!"

Behind him is a bronze goose-shaped vessel about two feet tall, inscribed with the words "Wild geese carry messages, vows remain unchanged," symbolizing the eternal friendship between the states of Qi and Yue.

Xuanyuan Ze stared at Yan Zun for a long time before waving his hand. At the same time, the eight hundred Yue soldiers behind him dismounted. The sound of their armor clashing was uniform, as if they were all the same person.

Then, he tightened the reins, dismounted, stepped forward, and personally took the goose-shaped wine vessel, handing it to Ren Shun behind him.

Xiao Jue's tone suddenly rose:

"Golden carriages and jade wheels reflect the sun and moon, nine-tasseled black and crimson robes illuminate mountains and rivers! With this auspicious union now complete, may the flames of war be extinguished in the border cities, and may children sleep peacefully. May the prefect uphold the bright light of peace and harmony with neighbors, and may the prince embrace benevolence and pacify distant lands. From this day forward, may the marriage alliance between Qi and Yue be forever united, jointly safeguarding peace in the western frontier!"

Xiao Jue turned around, faced the bridal sedan chair, and bowed deeply.

"The auspicious hour has arrived—Please alight from your sedan chair, Princess. The newlyweds shall hold the love knot together and perform the three bows!"

After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands three times, and the sound of bells and chimes rang out in the valley. The birds in the forest were startled by the echoing music and flew up in all directions.

At that moment, all the Vietnamese soldiers tensed up instantly, each of them lowering their bodies slightly, gripping their weapons tightly, looking sharp and ready to pounce.

At that moment, Duan Wei said with a smile:

"It seems that music is rarely heard during weddings in Yue, otherwise they wouldn't be so easily frightened and on high alert just from hearing the sounds of bells and chimes."

As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Xiahou Zhong beside him, his eyes filled with mockery and obvious contempt.

"You!" The young man beside the carefree king stepped forward angrily.

"Step down," the carefree king said calmly.

Inside the bridal sedan chair, the curtain was slowly lifted by the maid outside, revealing a woman sitting upright with a red fan in her hand and wearing a bright red wedding dress. She was undoubtedly Princess Chang Le.

Qi Yuxuan was dazzled by the sudden burst of light after the carriage curtain was opened. She lowered her eyes slightly and was helped down from the carriage before she could see where she was.

Tianque Valley is indeed shaped like a celestial palace. However, apart from the steep cliffs on both sides, the valley is actually lush with aquatic plants and greenery. There is also a tranquil lake not far away, with sunlight streaming down from the opening at the top.

Aside from the thousands of incongruous people here, this place was originally a secluded and beautiful little valley.

She glanced at him briefly and then stopped observing the surroundings. Through the fan, she saw Xuan Yuanze standing at the very front of the group.

If it weren't for those overly familiar eyes, she would hardly have recognized that the person who was wrapped up so tightly was Xuan Yuanze.

Could it be that he really wore that mask that almost completely covered his face because he was afraid of dying?

Beside him, the young man who had recently shared life and death with him looked at him with the same cold indifference as any complete stranger, without hatred or resentment.

Qi Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.

She had a feeling that it wasn't Ren Shun, at least not the Ren Shun who used to be with her.

He was indeed a rather unenthusiastic boy, but he would never show such a deadpan expression.

What happened to Ren Shun?

The Vietnamese soldiers turned their gazes toward her. Qi Yuxuan walked steadily, but her palms were sweating nervously.

For her, the opportunity only comes once.

If you miss it, it will be a disaster.

The more nervous she was, the calmer her expression became.

To everyone else, the girl in the gold-embroidered wedding gown with dragon and cloud patterns and holding a red fan with phoenixes in flight had an astonishingly calm expression.

Her delicate and beautiful features showed neither the sorrow of leaving her hometown nor the unease of facing so many burly military generals.

The journey from the bridal sedan chair to the people in front of her was leisurely and composed, as if she were strolling in her own backyard.

When she finally stood in front of Xuan Yuanze, an attendant presented her with a love knot made of red silk that had been prepared beforehand.

She and Xuanyuan Ze, one person on one end.

The music continued to play in the valley.

Holding the two ends of the love knot are an oddly matched couple: one is dressed in a wedding gown, calm and composed, while the other is clad in armor, exuding a fierce aura.

It didn't feel like a marriage alliance; it felt more like a precarious attempt to maintain a facade of harmony when things were about to fall apart.

Everyone present, whether offering genuine congratulations or feigned flattery, wore polite smiles.

Xiao Jue continued loudly, "First bow to Heaven and Earth—!"

Guided by the attendant, Qi Yuxuan and Xuan Yuanze bowed deeply towards the direction of the sunrise in the east.

"Second bow to the parents—!"

Their parents? One of them lived far away in the capital of Qi, while the other was buried in the royal mausoleum of Yue.

So the two of them had no choice but to go west to pray.

"Husband and wife bow to each other—"