The sound of gongs and drums grew closer and closer.
The lively and festive wedding procession stopped in front of the prefect's mansion. The luxurious carriage was lifted, and the bride and groom, dressed in red, stepped out.
However, the palm-leaf fan that was supposed to be in front of the bride completely obscured the groom's face. Even so, judging from his elegant and otherworldly demeanor, one could imagine how exceptionally handsome the man behind the fan must be.
Surrounded by the wedding attendants, the two entered the mansion and then the main hall.
Magistrate Mei sat calmly in the hall, with an exceptionally beautiful but aloof lady sitting beside him. Only when Mei Lanxin, dressed in a phoenix coronet and wedding gown, approached did a faint smile appear on her face.
"First bow to Heaven and Earth—"
Accompanied by chanting and shouting, the palm-leaf fan slowly moved aside, revealing a face that looked like that of a celestial being.
The crowd fell silent, gasping for breath. Could there really be such a handsome man in the world? Even the most beautiful woman in the land would pale in comparison. No wonder the daughter of the governor, who had seen countless handsome men, was so captivated by him.
The man's face had a faint chill in it, but the more so, the more extraordinary he seemed.
Even when they were bowing to heaven and earth, he only nodded slightly. No one was surprised at all. They thought it was a great honor that this god-like person had descended to the mortal world and was willing to marry someone.
"Second bow to the parents—"
The two turned to face Magistrate Mei and his wife.
"Smack—"
The prefect's wife slammed her hand on the table, her eyes fixed on that face, her shock filled with resentment. Before she could raise her hand, Prefect Mei had already grasped it, smiling, "Madam, I know you're happy, but we'll have to wait until the wedding ceremony is over."
"he--"
The governor's wife's voice was sharp and shrill.
She was interrupted again before she could speak, "Your daughter has excellent eyesight. The new son-in-law is indeed quite handsome. Look, even your brother-in-law is stunned."
"Madam, please sit down quickly. After the wedding ceremony, you can have a proper chat with your new son-in-law."
Magistrate Mei held his wife's hand with a broad smile.
The guests immediately exclaimed in admiration that the relationship between the prefect and his wife had remained unchanged for decades, and that even though they had only one daughter, they had no concubines, mistresses, or illegitimate children in their harem.
The King of Southern Xinjiang sat at the head of the table, with a broad face and a beard. His phoenix eyes held a sinister glint. His hand, resting on the table, was clenched into a fist as he stared at the man's face, his breathing becoming more rapid.
Under the subtle and overt hints from Prefect Mei, the Prefect's wife suppressed her anger and doubts.
Mei Lanxin proudly raised her head and looked at her husband, who was incomparably handsome. Even her mother and uncle were stunned.
Upon seeing this, the person chanting the ceremony secretly wiped the cold sweat from his brow and quickly resumed chanting, "Second bow to parents—"
"Heh—with neither of his parents here, what kind of parents is the groom paying respects to!"
A loud voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
Looking in the direction of the sound.
The Marquis of Fuyu, dressed in fine brocade robes, strode in with dozens of his brothers, nephews, and sons.
Beside him stood a plump, round-figured woman in a shimmering red dress. Beneath her ruby headdress, her rosy cheeks shone with unparalleled beauty, rivaling even the bride in her own right. In fact, her elegant and luxurious attire made her appear even more festive.
Mei Lanxin's expression changed instantly. She stepped in front of Jiang Jiaojiao and Li Yan, blocking their view. She stared intently at Jiang Jiaojiao, gritting her teeth, "What are you doing here!"
Jiang Jiaojiao looked radiant in her bright red dress, her face contorted with rage.
"You—how dare you disrupt my wedding!"
Mei Lanxin shouted, "Kill her for me! How dare she steal my woman! I won't mind adding more red to the wedding ceremony!"
"Hehehe..."
Magistrate Mei smiled, showing no surprise whatsoever. Instead, he slowly rose to greet them, saying, "You've really come. Wait—"
"father--"
Mei Lanxin felt a sudden urgency.
Magistrate Mei, however, smiled broadly as he looked at Marquis Fuyu, his eyes gleaming, especially at Jiang Jiaojiao's festive red attire. "So, you've agreed?"
As he spoke, unable to contain his excitement, he raised his hand to suppress the low murmurs that filled the room, "Today, my Prefectural Government is blessed with two great joys."
"The first joy is something everyone knows: my daughter is getting married and has found her husband!"
"The second joy is—"
Magistrate Mei raised his hand and suddenly pointed at Jiang Jiaojiao, "I will take the granddaughter of the Marquis of Fuyu as my concubine!"
Boom—
These words were like a bolt from the blue.
The room fell silent, then erupted in a clamor, even Mei Lanxin was stunned, but only for a moment, her expression vanished, replaced by a mocking smile, "Good, good!"
The love rival becomes the concubine!
In the future, won't I be able to manipulate and control her at will?
Hahaha--
Mei Lan was overjoyed, but her face was full of sarcasm. "So you're wearing the wedding dress for your new home. I'm afraid you don't know that as a concubine, you can't wear bright red!"
"Someone come here—go and change the concubine's clothes!"
The room was filled with sighs of disbelief. No one expected that this pampered young lady, who was the same age as the governor's daughter, would become the governor's concubine!
Some people also secretly observed the expression on the prefect's wife's face.
The prefect's wife did indeed have an unfriendly expression, but... her eyes didn't even look at the concubine who came to the door. Instead, she stared intently at the new son-in-law, as if trying to see through his face to see what she wanted to see!
The King of Southern Xinjiang was also keeping a close eye on the new son-in-law.
They didn't care at all whether the governor took a concubine or not.
Just then—
A surprised voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, "I've never heard that the Marquis of Fuyu has a granddaughter?"
"Yes, I heard that after becoming wealthy, the family only had one daughter and one granddaughter among the male descendants..."
"Granddaughter? The Marquis of Fuyu's granddaughter isn't a princess personally appointed by His Majesty? The future Princess Consort of Prince Chen?!"
"The Prince Chen is dead, so where would a Princess Chen come from? Hehe... Even if there is one, she would just be a widowed princess who hasn't been betrothed yet."
suck--
The guests in the hall gasped, and their gazes toward Jiang Jiaojiao suddenly became incredibly varied.
"The Prince Chen is dead. Even if she doesn't die with him, she'll be a widow for the rest of her life!"
"No wonder she was willing to become the prefect's concubine; it's much better than being a widow in a prince's mansion."
"Hehe, our Prefect is so magnanimous, he doesn't hold grudges and is willing to take her as a concubine. She's so lucky!"
Accompanied by chirping sounds.
Mei Lanxin grew even more haughty, turning to take the groom's hand, "Let's continue the ceremony, who knows, we might even get to drink the new concubine's welcoming tea later, hehe..."
My hands were suddenly empty.
Mei Lanxin then noticed the man's icy, chilling gaze.
He shuddered.
"boom--"
"boom--"
"boom--"
The old women who went to help Jiang Jiaojiao change her clothes were all kicked away by the men of the Jin family.
Jiang Jiaojiao smiled radiantly as she slowly stepped forward. Her delicate gaze passed through Mei Lanxin and landed on his face. The corners of her mouth turned up. "This princess is here today—to steal your bride!"
"When did my husband become the new son-in-law of the Prefect's mansion?"
Splash—
A deathly silence fell over the room instantly. Princess? Husband? Son-in-law?
The guests were bewildered by the string of names; those with quick minds stared at the new son-in-law's face, their legs trembling.
The wealthy Marquis led the men and men of the Jin family to bow in unison.
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Chen!"
"Your Majesty, I am too late to save you—"
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