Chapter 53 The groom still loves me!

What does this mean?

Li Cunxu looked at Feng Huaihe with puzzlement, but the latter did not answer. Li Cunxu did not care. He ordered his men to show the weapon that Zhu Qingxin had given him that day, and patted Feng Huaihe on the shoulder with satisfaction, laughing loudly:

"I never expected you could actually provide such excellent weapons. I am very pleased. Zhu Feichuan came yesterday and gave me ten thousand bushels of grain," Li Cunxu exclaimed with satisfaction. "With you two as husband and wife, I feel as if I have divine assistance."

Looking at the set of weapons from helmet to foot guards, Feng Huaihe could vaguely guess why Zhu Qing would give them to Li Cunxu without authorization.

He asked with a forced smile, "Has she been with Zhang Yin all this time?"

Li Cunxu smiled and patted his shoulder to comfort him: "Don't be discouraged. In my opinion, you and Zhu Qing are a perfect match. You both have some skills. Zhang Yin is no match for you and is not worthy of her."

Feng Huaihe was not pleased by his words. He knew clearly that it didn't matter how others viewed him and Zhu Qing; what mattered was how Zhu Qing viewed him.

When Li Cunxu saw Feng Huaihe staring intently at the groom's wedding attire, his deep gaze suggesting he was plotting some unspeakable and earth-shattering conspiracy.

Li Cunxu then fell silent, admiring the set of weapons to himself.

-

Even on their wedding day, Zhu Qing did not tell Nie Zhen about the whereabouts of her two elder brothers.

She was always afraid of things that would lead nowhere, and even more afraid of giving people hope only to crush it. She would never easily reveal any news about the two of them unless she personally brought her brother out.

The sky was clear and the air was fresh, with a gentle breeze and light clouds. Only a few auspicious red lanterns were simply hung inside the Xihua Hall.

Apart from her family, there was no one else in the house. Zhu Qing, dressed in a simple wedding gown, sat in front of a bronze mirror, letting Zhuo Yunmeng and Nie Zhen do her hair and makeup.

Nie Zhen was still worried, "This is no child's play. Have you really thought this through? Even if we bring Feng Huaihe into the picture, what good will it do?"

“I’m not trying to lure him out now; I’m just worried about unforeseen circumstances.” Zhu Qing frowned. The Prince of Jin had already given his intention to grant the marriage. Although it wasn’t like an imperial edict that she couldn’t disobey, she was worried that resistance would lead to unexpected changes.

Zhuo Yunmeng brought out a red veil and covered Zhu Qing with it, saying, "Although Zhang Yin seems refined and harmless, I still feel that he is too proactive in this matter."

Zhu Qing was silent for a moment, then said, "Didn't Bao Fu shoot an arrow? Help me put it on."

Zhuo Yunmeng found a quiver and hung it on Zhu Qing's waist. "Do you want a quiver?"

Zhu Qingjian firmly replied, "Yes."

She had already thought it through and was prepared that whatever happened between Feng Huaihe and Zhang Yin in Bozhou was none of her business.

In this matter, her only goal is to find and rescue her two brothers, and she cannot place her hopes on either of them. They can only be stepping stones for her own interests, not objects of her dependence.

Today, she trades marriage for peace and surrenders weapons for men; these are all actions she takes to achieve her goals.

All she needed to know was where her brothers were and how she could save them. As for the truth behind it all, it didn't matter who lied to her, because they were all dispensable to her.

She didn't care; she only cared about whether she could achieve her goal.

Zhu Qing thought to herself and carefully carried Chuan Yang on her back.

She has now mastered archery, but she is not yet able to control long-range shots; she can guarantee a perfect hit at closer ranges.

There were no other guests at Xihua Hall; the main guests were all at Zhang Yin's residence. Zhu Qing prepared everything and silently waited for Zhang Yin to arrive.

But after waiting for a long time without anyone arriving, Zhu Qing couldn't contain herself any longer. She lifted her veil, straightened her back, and looked at Zhuo Yunmeng, asking, "Is there still no news from Zhang Yin?"

Zhuo Yunmeng peeked outside and saw that everything outside the house was peaceful, with only the wishing tree swaying gently.

Suddenly, Bao Fu rushed in from outside, panting, wiping his sweat as he shouted, "There's news! Zhang Yin left ahead of schedule!"

Zhu Qing suddenly stood up: "Where are you going?"

"I don't know either. They say Feng Huaihe discovered it and wanted to move the person, but Zhang Yin went to stop him in advance."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qing immediately understood where Zhang Yin had gone.

How long has he been gone?

"Not long after!"

Zhu Qing quickly went out, led out her horse, and rode off. It was too dark that night, and she couldn't see the road clearly, but Zhang Yin seemed to see it very well.

She vaguely sensed something and hoped to catch up with him halfway.

As she wished, she soon met Zhang Yin on the way. He was wearing a red wedding robe, riding a tall horse, followed by a group of men given to him by Li Cunxu.

Zhu Qing called out to him from a distance, and he promptly reined in his horse, turning back to meet Zhu Qing, "You..."

"Feng Huaihe is here?" Zhu Qing asked directly.

Zhang Yin nodded, with dark circles under his eyes, looking very tired.

He had made all the necessary preparations and was just waiting for this day, but to his surprise, he learned that Feng Huaihe had really returned and that he had found the location of the Zhu Zhengyang brothers and was leading his men there to rescue them.

Zhang Yin wanted to go and resolve the matter alone without Zhu Qing's knowledge, but for some reason Zhu Qing still found out and followed him.

Zhu Qing said, "I'll go with you. I must see with my own eyes that my elder brothers are safe and sound. Lead the way."

Zhang Yin wanted to refuse, but seeing Zhu Qing's firm expression, he was afraid that she would become suspicious.

They were both intellectuals after all; he would argue with Feng Huaihe when they got there. He believed that Zhu Qing would choose to trust him.

Based on Feng Huaihe's criminal record, Zhu Qing would not believe him.

Zhang Yin rode ahead on horseback, with Zhu Qing following behind. Their bright red clothes were dazzling in the spring sunshine.

Riding a horse was faster; it only took about half an incense stick's time to reach the destination.

The place was deserted, with only two or three houses far apart in the surrounding area.

As soon as Zhu Qing arrived, he saw that the house was surrounded by a large group of soldiers, blocking the way completely.

Zhu Qing's gaze shifted, and among the vast array of armored soldiers, she spotted a striking red.

The world seemed to stand still for a moment.

Feng Huaihe was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, with black hair and a jade crown. He held a bow and arrow, rode on the head of a horse, and looked at Zhu Qing with a gentle smile, his eyes warmed by the spring sun.

A gentle spring breeze stirred his hair, and he stared at Zhu Qing without uttering a word.

Zhu Qing's heartbeat gradually quickened, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the reins. The slight stinging sensation from the rope rubbing against her palms kept her alert.

"Where are my eldest and second brothers?" Zhu Qing asked, raising his voice.

Feng Huaihe chuckled, "Then you'll have to ask the people around you."

Zhu Qing glanced at Zhang Yin, but Zhang Yin ignored her, glaring angrily at Feng Huaihe: "What do you mean by wearing this?"

Feng Huaihe lowered his eyes and looked at his wedding dress, which was more exquisite and redder than Zhang Yin's.

He acted so flamboyantly, as if he were the groom today.

He ignored Zhang Yin, raised his hand and waved it lightly. Zhang Yin and the men he brought quickly changed direction, all facing Zhang Yin and surrounding him, raising their swords.

Zhang Yin's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth: "You're playing me?"

Feng Huaihe smiled and said, "You still haven't realized your own incompetence. If you really had the cunning to plan everything, how could you have been an unknown strategist before?"

Zhang Yin knew that the 'before' he was referring to was their previous life.

Zhang Yin's face darkened: "When did you find out?"

"We knew that from the second assassination attempt in Bortala."

A mouthful of blood rushed to Zhang Yin's crown, causing his blood to surge and his once refined face to turn red with anger.

Veins bulged on his forehead as he glared at the group of soldiers surrounding him. These were the troops Zhu Qing had acquired from Li Cunxu. It seemed that Zhu Qing and Li Cunxu had known about this all along.

Zhang suppressed the urge to vomit blood and glanced at Zhu Qing: "When did you find out?"

"The night you brought me here," Zhu Qing said calmly, "it was so dark I couldn't see the road, but you seemed to have night vision, knowing me so well."

Zhang Yin laughed sarcastically: "Why didn't you say anything? Why did you just go along with me?"

"I only want my eldest and second brothers to be safe. If I expose you and then back out of the marriage at the last minute, you'll inevitably overthink things. As the saying goes, a clever person racking their brains is no match for a fool's quick thinking. What if I anger you and you decide to kill my brothers?"

Zhang Yin: "..."

At this moment, Feng Huaihe's voice drifted over: "Every step you take is incredibly stupid."

Hearing his extremely sarcastic words, Zhang Yin could no longer hold back. His face turned a deep purplish-red with anger, and he glared at Zhu Qing with a sinister look.

He recalled his past life, how Zhu Qing was intelligent and kind, and how she never abandoned him even when he had no achievements.

She was always by his side, scheming for him and amplifying his laziness, regardless of the sacrifices she made, because she loved him and had firmly chosen him.

Why is there such a big difference between this life and the previous one? Most importantly, she no longer likes him.

Zhang Yin questioned, "So this was your plan with Feng Huaihe?"

"No, I don't deign to scheme against someone like him. My goal is simply to rescue my eldest and second eldest brothers."

"What's the meaning behind his wedding attire?"

Zhu Qing glanced at Feng Huaihe; his eyes were smiling, and his handsome face was flushed with joy. She exclaimed, "Perhaps he has a fever?"

Zhu Qing explained, "It means he has a high fever."

Zhang Yin gritted his teeth: "To have such energy while running a high fever, do you really think I'm an idiot!"

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, but he couldn't control his emotions at all. He couldn't hold back and angrily reached out, pulling Zhu Qing onto his horse. He grabbed her neck from behind with one hand and pointed a dagger at her neck with the other.

Zhu Qing felt the cold blade against her neck, and memories of her past life with Zhang Yin flashed through her mind.

She suddenly mourned her past self, realizing that Zhang Yin may never have loved her.

Zhu Qing watched that completely unequal relationship as an observer, feeling melancholy. But at this moment, Zhang Yin's every move could no longer stir her heart.

She quickly reassured him, saying, "Impulsiveness is the devil, and murder will land you in jail!"

"Although you put on a show for yourself like a makeshift troupe, at least we all sang along with you, didn't we?"

“It’s not that you’re not smart, you’re just not really suited to be a strategist. If all else fails, we can switch careers! I’ve already thought of something for you: you’re better suited to calligraphy and painting, or writing comedic scripts or something.”

Zhang Yin coldly looked at Feng Huaihe opposite him and said smugly in a serious tone, "You saw it?"

"Although I can't compare to you in the art of strategy, I will always be one step ahead of you when it comes to her. She is still planning my future path to this day."

Just like in her previous life, she still plans and does things for his benefit.

Zhu Qing: "..." Suddenly she couldn't continue. If it weren't for her memories of that life, she wouldn't have understood what he was talking about!

Feng Huaihe: "..."