Chapter 73 Chapter 73 The Two Brides Birds, Birds, Souls...
After He Qiongzhu got on the bridal sedan, four bearers carried the sedan across the bluestone road of Xinchangfang, but avoided the closer main road, made a long detour and finally arrived at Shaolingyuan.
It was cloudy today, and when we reached Shaolingyuan, the sky suddenly became even grayer, dark clouds pressed down, and the air around us became stagnant.
Shaoling was originally a place with large cemeteries and there were few pedestrians on weekdays. But today, with such a dull atmosphere, the sedan bearers and the bridesmaids were inevitably a little panicked. Their feet made dull creaking sounds as they stepped on the yellow earth, and they cursed the unreasonable owner He Zhuohua in their hearts.
Only on happy occasions would a madman come to Shaolingyuan.
When they reached a white banner, the bridesmaid took a look at the new gray-black stone tablet and the paper money all over the ground. It was obviously a young man who had just been buried. She rolled her eyes and whispered, "What bad luck!"
Suddenly, a strong wind howled from the depths of Shaolingyuan. The wind was so strong that it blew up the dead branches and rocks on the ground, raised a huge sandstorm, and then rushed towards the sedan chair like a ghost.
Everyone was blinded by the yellow sand and blown to and fro by the wind. The bridesmaid had already run far away. The main concern was to save her life, but the servants were all servants of the He family, and they were afraid that something might happen to the bride in the sedan chair and they would be punished by the He family. He had no choice but to pick up a thick branch as a weapon and bravely approached the sedan chair, but was pushed back by the strong wind carrying flying sand and dead leaves, and was directly thrown to the ground.
The wind sounded like a wail from the abyss of the underworld, swirling sadly around the sedan chair. After an unknown amount of time, the strong wind finally died down. Fortunately, the sedan chair stayed where it was and was not blown away by the wind.
Not only was it not blown away by the wind, even the curtains of the crimson sedan chair did not shake at all. It stood on the yellow earth of Shaolingyuan, looking eerie.
The bearers looked at each other, feeling a little uneasy. The leading bearer approached the sedan carefully and asked cautiously, "Madam He, are you okay?"
After a long while, a crisp voice came from inside: "Nothing, let's go, don't delay the auspicious time."
As expected of the Wang family of Langya, a family of a mere fifth-rank official is incredibly wealthy. Duan Zhiwei sighed as he walked on the corridor paved with shiny pebbles.
She and Yuan Shenji arrived at the palace, which was crowded with people, a bunch of dignitaries and nobles, accompanied by maids and servants, carrying gifts and walking in.
The person who came to greet them was Yuan Shenji's good friend Wang Qian.
Duan Zhiwei met Wang Lang, who was entertaining guests at the door. He was wearing Chang'an's most fashionable red brocade robe and a black fu hat. He was smiling obsequiously at someone and looked like a pig in red from a distance.
Although Wang Qian is also fat, he is very friendly, speaks well and is approachable. However, today Duan Zhiwei just doesn't like him.
She didn't show it on her face, and just followed Yuan Shenji to greet him. Unexpectedly, Wang Qian looked at her meaningfully and said, "Although Wang Lang and I are cousins, we are not familiar with each other. Madam Yuan, there is no need to 'hate the whole family'."
Being exposed at once, Duan Zhiwei looked a little embarrassed.
It suddenly started to rain in the afternoon, and the three of them sat in the pavilion in the garden. A maid in gorgeous clothes hurriedly brought them three cups of milk and a plate of flower-fried goose cake.
Wang Qian asked, "The auspicious time seems to be approaching. Hasn't the bride arrived yet?"
The maid of the Wang family was very polite and said, "My lord, the He family took a long detour and may be late. The master ordered us to send some snacks to fill the guests' stomachs."
Wang Qian waved his hand, and the maid returned the greeting and went downstairs with the tray.
Yuan Shenji was discussing the cheating case with Wang Qian. Duan Zhiwei drank a bowl of yogurt first and said in surprise, "Wang Lang is your cousin. Aren't you afraid that his mess will implicate you and affect the family's reputation?"
Wang Qian didn't care: "It's normal for aristocratic families to have some villains. He can't implicate me. Besides, Wang Lang has done so many bad things that he deserves to be imprisoned." He actually showed some anticipation on his face: "This play is very interesting. I want to write it into the Bianwen."
Duan Zhiwei didn't understand his enthusiasm for writing. She was attracted by the flower-fried goose cake brought by the maid. Yuan Shenji was still talking to Wang Qian about cheating in the imperial examination. Seeing her looking at him eagerly, he put the plate of flower-fried cake in front of her.
She couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks. Chang'an was a prosperous era, and the food in the nobles' homes could be called delicacies. On the plate were two peonies, one pink and one green. They were obviously made of glutinous rice, folded layer by layer and steamed in a steamer, turning into translucent and delicate petals.
Under the petals is a whole piece of rouged goose breast. It should have been roasted on a charcoal stove. The goose breast had a firm texture and clear texture. Duan Zhiwei took a bite and found the meat tender and juicy, and the aroma of fat and meat became more mellow after roasting.
The seasoning and pickling were also very appropriate. Onions, ginger and garlic were used to remove the fishy smell. Spices such as prickly ash, cardamom, pepper, cloves, etc. were intertwined together, giving it a very rich layering. Duan Zhiwei was still thinking about how to draw on this famous dish when the sound of stringed instruments came from outside the Wang family's mansion.
It looks like the bride has arrived.
The palace was full of dignitaries, all of whom were proud of their status and unwilling to join in the fun outside. Duan Zhiwei didn't care about that and squeezed to the door with some female guests who loved the fun. She wanted to find an opportunity to tell He Qiongzhu about Wang Lang's impending conviction, hoping that she could prepare herself mentally early.
The sound of stringed instruments suddenly stopped.
The bridesmaid went up and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, and a woman in a green dress with a fish and lion pattern came out, holding a round fan.
It was indeed He Qiongzhu. She was wearing traditional alcohol-stained makeup today, which made it even harder to conceal her stunning beauty. However, she had a cold face and stared at the palace with eyes that seemed to be filled with overwhelming hatred.
The guests who were watching all felt that something was wrong and began to whisper to each other.
The bridesmaid also felt something was wrong, so she whispered in He Qiongzhu's ear: "My dear, on this happy day, you must smile. It's unlucky to have a cold face."
It was the Wang family's housekeeper who was smart and quickly urged the musicians nearby to play and sing again.
Amid the joyful music, the bridesmaid held He Qiongzhu's arm and was about to walk inside.
But then a crisp, lively and smart voice came out from the sedan chair: "Mother Xi, why didn't you wait for me?"
The sound of stringed instruments stopped abruptly again.
According to custom, the sedan chair can only accommodate the bride, so who is else in it?
The crowd watching were confused and surprised, and no one dared to lift the curtain of the sedan chair.
After a stalemate, a hand painted with red nail polish opened the curtain by itself, and He Qiongzhu, who was wearing a fish-lion green dress and traditional wine-blushing makeup on her face, got off the sedan chair with a smile and said to everyone, "No one came to pick me up, so I had to get off by myself."
The two He Qiongzhu looked exactly the same and wore exactly the same clothes. The difference was that one was beaming with joy, as if she was really happy to be getting married, while the other was cold as ice, with hatred evident on her face.
The abnormality at the door quickly attracted the master of the Wang family and today's groom.
Wang Qian rubbed his hands excitedly in the back: "Two identical brides, it will be very interesting if they are written into a Bianwen."
The auspicious time was approaching, and after some discussion, several members of the Wang family decided to have the groom hold the hands of each bride as they walked into the main hall to worship heaven and earth and their parents.
After discussing for half a day, they came to this conclusion. Everyone was stunned and could only watch Wang Lang and two identical He Qiongzhu enter the main hall.
Wang Lang was of small stature to begin with. He looked from He Qiongzhu on the left to He Qiongzhu on the right with his small eyes. He was only going to marry one woman, but ended up getting a pair of beauties. He was secretly delighted.
After the three of them finished the ceremony in the main hall, they entered the bridal chamber with the bridesmaid and some female guests. According to the rules, there was also a "spreading the tent" ceremony in the bridal chamber.
The king's father entertained the guests as if nothing had happened and began the banquet.
Duan Zhiwei pulled Yuan Shenji's sleeve and asked, "Didn't the Dali Temple Shaoqing say that he had evidence of Wang Lang's cheating in the imperial examination? Why hasn't he come to arrest him yet?"
She really didn't want such a kind and beautiful lady to be taken advantage of by a pig.
Speak of the devil, here comes Li Heng, leading a team of runners from the Dali Temple into the hall.
The prince's father was just raising his glass and offering wine to the Minister of the Central Secretariat when he saw the Minister of Justice coming in aggressively. He had always been at odds with the Dali Temple official, and he was so angry that he threw the wine glass and said, "Li Shaoqing, my son is getting married today. If you come to ask for a glass of wedding wine, I won't say anything. But what is your intention in bringing a team of yamen runners with swords in?"
Li Heng said: "Wang Lang cheated in the imperial examination and stole the scholar Chen Wei's "On Feudalism". His brother-in-law He Zhuohua helped to kill him and destroy the body. The evidence is irrefutable."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room burst into an uproar.
The king's father was so angry that his face turned blue: "If you don't have any evidence, I will definitely report you to the saint. Come on!"
Every noble family would always train some thugs and secret guards. With his shout, a group of ferocious servants holding Mo Dao and spears stood opposite the Dali Temple runners.
During the stalemate, a leisurely voice sounded: "Today, the eldest son of Wang Zhongcheng is very happy, why don't you treat me to a drink?"
The person who came was actually the always elusive demon catcher Lu Ling Dugu.
Others attending the wedding were all dressed in fashionable silks and satins, fearing that they would be looked down upon by others. But he was different. He wore a coarse linen shirt, cloth shoes dangling from his feet, and his hair was tied up in a crooked style.
The Monster Catching Division is directly managed by the Saint and is not part of the Three Provinces and Six Departments. Basically, every official has to give Dugu some face. Wang Zhongcheng twitched his mouth and said, "Dugu Luling is busy with affairs. It is this old man who forgot to hand in the invitation. I hope Luling will not blame me."
Li Heng was feeling dissatisfied at being ignored. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a shrill scream from the back room.
The bridesmaid ran out with blood on her hands: "Not good, behind..."
Everyone quickly ran to the back door. Duan Zhiwei was a cook, so her nose was more sensitive than that of ordinary people. She could smell a very strong smell of blood before she got close.
When she pushed open the door, she saw a large pool of blood on the ground. He Qiongzhu stared at it coldly.
"Where is my son?" Wang's parents asked miserably.
He Qiongzhu gave a strange smile and pointed to the sky.
The Wang family has a ginkgo tree that has been planted since the previous dynasty. After a hundred years of growth, it has become a towering tree. Everyone looked up and saw a gray-black nine-headed bird happily pecking at Wang Lang's eyes with its sharp beak.
He Qiongzhu stared at the pale and limp Wang Zhongcheng and said, "Today, all the people with the surname Wang in this mansion will be buried with my Chen Lang."
The nine-headed bird swooped down and landed steadily on He Qiongzhu's shoulder. It spoke in a lively and lovely girl's voice: "Don't forget our promise. Give me your soul and I will help you get revenge."
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