Chapter 324 Entering the Valley
Under the afternoon sun, the black armor of three thousand elite soldiers gleamed with a chilling light as they escorted the 180 dowry carriages adorned with countless red silks into the valley.
The large wheels rolled over the gravel, making a fine, crisp sound.
Qi Yuxuan's fingertips clenched slightly. She looked up at the gap in the carriage curtain, which was so tight that not a single ray of light could get in.
She knew they had entered the valley.
This is the handover point agreed upon with the Yue Kingdom.
The iron hooves kicked up dust, echoing through the valley. The golden-armored horses neighed, and the marriage procession of nearly four thousand people was incredibly grand.
"stop--!"
Duan Wei suddenly reined in his horse and raised his hand, causing the entire army to slowly freeze. All four thousand men stopped at the same time, like a ferocious beast lurking in a valley.
The scout immediately understood, spurred his horse, and galloped toward a narrow, shadowy exit that opened up in the valley ahead.
Soon, the young scout turned around and came into the line of sight.
He personally reported something to Duan Wei and Xiahou Zhong at the front of the troops. Everyone saw that the two generals' expressions turned solemn, and then they looked at each other as if they had made some kind of decision.
"I'll go and meet him myself!" Duan Wei said through gritted teeth.
"No!" Xiahou Zhong hurriedly said, "General, you are the backbone of our army. How can you put yourself in danger? This humble general is willing to go for you!"
They had agreed to enter the valley to welcome the bride, but that brat Xuanyuan Ze hesitated outside the valley, looking cowardly and suspicious, as if he dared not come in.
This valley is practically an insurmountable barrier, less than ten zhang wide, with sheer cliffs on both sides as if cut by a knife and axe. It would be fine for ordinary people to pass through with their carriages and horses, but when it comes to thousands of troops, it would be impossible to evacuate quickly.
Therefore, in previous battles between the two countries, the Yue Kingdom would never choose this location.
Duan Wei raised his hand, interrupting Xiahou Zhong's attempt to persuade him, and took the lead, brandishing his sword and spurring his horse toward the valley exit.
General Duan, though old, was still vigorous and had a booming voice that Qi Yuxuan could hear clearly even while sitting inside the carriage.
"Since the Prince of Xiaoyao has come to welcome the bride, why not show yourself and receive the gifts? Are you so timid and hesitant because you're afraid our wedding procession will eat us alive?"
A familiar young voice then rang out:
"General Duan is joking. The prince just wants to see whether what Qi sent was a bride in a wedding dress or swords wrapped in red silk."
Inside the bridal sedan chair, Qi Yuxuan's eyes suddenly widened.
There's no mistake, that's Ren Shun's voice.
He didn't die; in fact, he came to the wedding with Xuanyuan Ze.
As expected, they were brothers who had known each other since they were humble beginnings for over ten years, and Xuan Yuanze would not really kill them.
Duan Wei stared at the dark mass of Yue troops behind the two men. He was in the valley, and with just a glance, he could estimate that there were quite a few of them.
It seems that Xuanyuan Ze is indeed very afraid of death. Not only does he dare not enter the valley, but he also brought so many soldiers. He must have calculated that they would make a move here.
Duan Wei: "Young man, watch your words! If you really suspect this much, why not send someone into the valley to take a look? See if what we are escorting is indeed Princess Chang Le's bridal sedan chair."
"The Prince of Xiaoyao is really making quite a show of force. He calls it a wedding procession, but it looks more like he's about to lead an army to attack and break the alliance."
As soon as he finished speaking, the tall, imposing man at the head of the horse rode forward. His dark iron mask, which covered most of his face, reflected a cold light, yet his tone was gentle:
"Today is a joyous day for the eternal friendship between the Yue and Qi kingdoms. I trust the Qi kingdom and I also trust General Duan, but—"
He held the reins in his left hand, and gently rubbed the jade thumb ring on his right thumb with his fingertips, speaking slowly:
"The messenger should have delivered the message to General Duan yesterday. General Duan, you are a man of high status and may be forgetful. Perhaps you are not planning to keep your promise?"
Duan Wei's expression remained unchanged as he cheerfully said, "Since the Prince of Xiaoyao has agreed to personally welcome the Princess, why shouldn't we fulfill our promise?"
"Or is it that the Carefree Prince has no intention of entering the valley to welcome the bride at all?"
With a single sentence, the ball was passed to Xuanyuanze.
It seems the choice is entirely in his hands.
Upon entering the valley, the marriage alliance was finalized, and the two countries forged a lasting friendship and harmony.
If Yue does not enter the valley, it is because Yue broke the alliance first, so Qi will have a legitimate reason to do whatever it wants.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanze's eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he were in a difficult position.
He seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, "With General Duan's words, it seems I have no need for suspicion or doubt. I would like to ask General Duan to lead the way so that I may personally welcome the Queen of Yue."
Duan Wei sneered inwardly. The princess hadn't even left Qi yet, and she was already the empress of Yue in his eyes. What a shameless thing to do.
He remained expressionless, pulled the reins, turned his horse around, signaling Xuan Yuanze and his group to follow. He then spurred his horse and galloped back towards the Qi state's army.
The sound of thundering hooves echoed through the valley once more, unstoppable and even more powerful than the iron cavalry of Qi, drawing ever closer.
Qi Yuxuan gripped the round fan in her hand tightly.
In Xuanyuanze's view, behind Qi Jun, led by a large red sedan chair, nearly a hundred carriages were filled with neatly arranged red lacquered dowry items, stretching for at least a mile.
Regardless of what they really think, they at least put on a good show.
At that moment, Xiao Jue stepped forward and bowed.
"Xiao Jue, Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies of Qi, greets the Prince of Xiaoyao."
He was the official in charge of the marriage ceremony. Even though he could see that the two armies were on the verge of war, he felt it was all the more important to step in immediately to prevent the situation from escalating.
However, aside from official duties, personal desires also made him glance at the leading man a few more times.
It is said that Prince Xiaoyao Xuanyuanze was Ren Ze, his childhood sweetheart who lived next door to his sister when she was living in the Ye family. So, by chance, this marriage alliance came about.
When he first heard the news, his first reaction was not relief or reluctance, but heartache.
As the elder brother, he was completely unaware of any of his sister's past acquaintances or friends in the Ye family, and he had never even inquired about the location of those families.
He had only heard that the Ye family lived in the outer city of the capital. A fire broke out accidentally, and only the younger sister survived. She then took up embroidery to make a living, which was seen by Li Mama. He didn't care about the rest, and didn't even want to care, for fear that he would also be tainted by their poverty.
He searched through all the news from that year and personally went to the Ye family home, which had been burned to ruins and was now deserted. He saw the blackened broken walls and heard the sighs of the neighbors about the Ye family.
"The Ye family is dishonest and of bad character. They deserved to be burned to death. What? You're asking about their original daughter?"
"I only remember that she always kept her head down and spoke softly. Her adoptive parents tormented her day and night. As she grew up and became thinner, she didn't gain any weight. When her adoptive mother raised her hand, she would tremble with fear. It's clear that she was beaten a lot..."
“These days, which child doesn’t get beaten? She was an adopted child, and now that the parents have their own son, they don’t care whether she lives or dies.”
Xiao Jue couldn't remember how he got back to the Xiao family, only that it rained heavily that day.
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