Chapter Fifty-Three: The Bride Robbery (Part 1)

Master Mu was also a little uneasy, unable to figure out what kind of person this Scholar Ye was. But he never expected that one problem would be solved and another would arise.

No sooner had Ye Tanhua left the manor than a matchmaker arrived. His silver tongue flowed like a torrent, effortlessly praising the plain-looking concubine's daughter into a celestial being, so much so that even Mu Lian himself was ashamed, utterly impressed by the matchmaker's ability to blatantly lie. Finally, he abruptly changed the subject, revealing that he was there to propose marriage on behalf of the Prince of Ruyang's heir, startling Master Mu so much that he nearly fell off his armchair.

"What should we do?" Master Mu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and secretly glanced at Madam Mu, whose face was full of anger.

Madam Mu twisted the silk handkerchief in her hands again and again. She always had to maintain a facade of virtue and gentleness in front of others, but now she could no longer pretend. The thought of that day caused her inexplicable heartache. How could that worthless concubine's daughter, what merit did she possess to be able to catch the eye of both Scholar Ye and the Prince of Ruyang's heir? Were they both blind?

"Mother, Mother, please think of something..." The young Miss Mu, who had just come of age, clutched at Madam Mu's clothes, tears streaming down her face. If that ugly Mu San were to marry Ye Tanhua, she, Mu Yanyan, would surely become the laughingstock of the entire capital.

Looking at her beloved daughter, whose eyes were swollen from crying, Madam Mu sighed deeply: "The only solution now is probably to marry off that illegitimate daughter as soon as possible."

"Marry her off? Marry her to whom?" Upon hearing the word "marry," Master Mu leaned forward. As long as it was a respectable family, it would be better to marry off his third son as soon as possible than to get him caught up in the competition between Scholar Ye and the Prince of Ruyang. Master Mu had a feeling that these two marriage proposals were not so simple.

Outside, Mu Lian, dressed in black, held her breath and overheard the entire scheme unfolding inside. "Truly my good stepmother," she thought, "she's come up with such a clever way to keep the wealth within the family. It's a pity it'll all be for nothing."

With a cold laugh, Mu Lian turned and left the Mu residence. In a few leaps, she landed in the alley behind the Judicial Office.

With a clang, Mu Lian deflected the hidden arrows from the soldiers with the iron caltrops at her fingertips, shook the token at her waist, and flipped into the courtyard.

"It's Lord Mu, it's Lord Mu..." The hidden soldier behind him whispered excitedly. This was the first time he had seen Lord Mu, the head of the Judicial Office, since he entered the Judicial Office, even though he had only seen his back.

Across the alley, the shadowy figure who had followed them all the way glanced at the entrance of the magistrate's office, then turned and swiftly left.

"My lord, aren't we going to chase after them?" Meng Yuan asked from the window, staring in the direction the man had gone.

"No need, let him go back and report." Mu Lian pulled off the black mask from her face, a smile playing on her lips. Since they were going to use this opportunity to infiltrate, they had to add fuel to the fire for that person.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived, and the third day of the third month is fast approaching. On the third day of the third month, the weather is fresh and new, and many beautiful women gather by the waters of Chang'an. Their demeanor is elegant and refined, their skin delicate and their figures well-proportioned. Their embroidered silk robes shine in the late spring, adorned with golden peacocks and silver unicorns.

Mu Lian sat in the festively decorated room, carefully applying makeup to a human skin mask in her hand. Today was the day her illegitimate daughter was to be married; there was no need to deliberately make herself look ugly anymore. A moment later, a woman with delicate features appeared in the bronze mirror. Mu Lian looked at the person in the mirror and gave her a gentle smile.

My little illegitimate daughter, from now on, you will no longer be confined to this deep mansion. I will take you out into the world legitimately, to see the sky over Kyoto, and to see the beautiful landscapes beyond Kyoto.

Her eyes seemed a little blurry, and through the faint mist, Mu Lian seemed to see that quiet and pretty girl from years ago nodding solemnly at her. Her slender fingers gently touched that smiling, delicate face through the bronze mirror, and Mu Lian made a promise in her heart: One day, I will surely bury your remains with your mother in a proper and honorable way.

Once everything was arranged, the matchmaker entered and placed a bright red veil over Mu Lian's head. Mu Lian tugged at the sleeve of her wedding dress, covering her fair, unpainted fingertips.

"Congratulations! Congratulations, Master Mu, on the birth of your wonderful son-in-law..." Congratulatory messages came from the front yard.

"Congratulations, congratulations..." Master Mu, his face beaming, was slightly tipsy, and deeply gratified. Although the marriage had been arranged somewhat hastily, and the social standing was a little lower than expected, it was ultimately Madam Mu who had overseen the process. Now that his third daughter was finally married off, Master Mu felt he could finally give his beloved concubine a satisfactory answer. He imagined that if Qingniang knew this in the afterlife, she would find some solace.

Beneath the bright red veil, Mu Lian, about to step into the bridal sedan chair, sneered inwardly. She pitied her foolish father, still completely oblivious. That Madam Mu was always good at putting on a show, her heart filled with scheming. How could she genuinely want to find a husband for her illegitimate daughter? The "ideal husband" they found this time was a useless, impotent man. Only because his family had only recently arrived in the capital did no one know his true nature. Furthermore, because of his impotence, he possessed some rather strange traits. If her illegitimate daughter were to marry him, it would ruin her life.

But the best is yet to come.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, lifting the sleeves of Mu Lian's bright red wedding dress and revealing a small section of her jade-like arm, which startled the onlookers.

"Wasn't it said that this concubine's daughter was plain-looking? But just now her skin looked like jade, she's probably quite a beauty..."

"That's true, fair skin hides a hundred flaws. This groom has really struck gold..."

"What a pity. If I had known this would happen, my young master could have also proposed marriage. At least she looks more robust than this groom..."

Behind her, the crowd murmured amongst themselves. Mu Lian pulled back her sleeves and gracefully boarded the bridal sedan chair. Everything was ready; now it was up to whoever would take the lead.

The procession was filled with music and fanfare, quite a lively scene. The groom, surnamed Sun, sat astride his tall horse, glancing back at the swaying bridal sedan chair, a strange smile appearing on his handsome face. "A little beauty, is it? This young master loves tormenting little beauties."

The capital city was unusually bustling today, with several weddings and other ceremonies causing traffic jams on Suzaku Avenue. With the auspicious hour fast approaching, the Sun family's steward grew anxious and urged the sedan chair bearers to take a detour through West Street. However, just as they rounded the bend, they bumped head-on into another wedding procession.

Perhaps the other party was also in a hurry, because the sedan chair bearers walked very fast. Before the Sun family's wedding procession could make way, they rushed in like tigers entering a mountain, knocking the young master Sun off his horse.

"You, you, you, where did this scoundrel come from?" Having hurt his leg, Sun Wenbin stopped pretending and started cursing. But then, a broken shoe flew from the side and struck him squarely in the face, making his mouth twist and spit out half a mouthful of blood.

Upon seeing the groom being beaten, the Sun family immediately abandoned their sedan chairs, rolled up their sleeves, and joined the fight. In an instant, the two groups were tangled together, tearing at each other in a chaotic scene. Then, a quick-thinking matchmaker pulled the bride out of one sedan chair and, in a few swift movements, transferred her to another.

After succeeding, the matchmaker suddenly shouted behind her, "Oh dear, the patrol army is coming..."

Upon hearing that the patrol had arrived, everyone hurriedly stopped what they were doing, supporting each other and urging each other to hurry on their way. The auspicious time was of the essence; if they were caught by the patrol, the wedding might not be able to take place today.