However, this did not mean that Wei Yue was willing to accept the marriage. He chose to resist and refused to marry his cousin... even though they were distant relatives.
So he naturally ran away from the wedding.
If he agreed to accompany Duanmu Ci back to Japan today, what difference would that be from a lamb entering a tiger's den? Wei Yue dared to swear on his family name that after he eloped, his elders had definitely planted spies in places like international airports and made countless calls to warn his family. As soon as he dared to pass through the immigration hall of a Japanese airport, his name and photo on his passport would be immediately displayed to his retainers.
Then he was "arrested".
Therefore, Wei Yue actually rejected Duanmu Ci's suggestion, "Let's go to Tokyo to see the cherry blossoms together." Her attitude was resolute, her reply was swift, and her tone was firm.
Duanmu Ci came from the feudal era, so he was not quite used to things like "free marriage and free love." After all, the ideas of the new trend were still hard to sway this immortal who had been "unmoved by worldly desires" for many years. Therefore, he was somewhat puzzled by Wei Yue's decision to run away from the wedding rather than get engaged.
"If you're willing to marry that princess, I guarantee you'll have a grand wedding. The Imperial Household Agency will allocate at least a third of its budget for this year's arrangements, and Hong Kong and France will broadcast the entire event live. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide will watch your wedding, and your marriage will receive the blessings of the entire nation. Under the sunset at Meiji Shrine, a photo of the two of you kissing will make headlines in media outlets around the world! You have no reason to refuse."
Duanmu Ci's "scheming" seduction depicted a scene as beautiful as a fine oil painting, adorned with vibrant colors. Such a grand wedding was every young man and woman's dream. A marriage that would garner worldwide attention and national blessings was one no one could refuse.
Wei Yue shook his head and said succinctly, "I don't know her well, and I don't want to be with a stranger." This was actually his reason for running away from the wedding.
"Then you can go on dates! Pre-wedding dates are so romantic. For example, you could take a cherry blossom trip to Mount Fuji, take the train to Nagoya to attend all sorts of fun festivals, and then take her shopping in Ginza. Girls love that! Finally, you can make your vows under the Tokyo Skytree—isn't that wonderful?"
Wei Yue sneered, "Duanmu-jun is overthinking it. The Japanese Imperial Family is the least humane aristocracy in the world. Every move they make is monitored by the Imperial Household Agency. For those old fogies, the most acceptable date they can have is for the man and woman to plant trees and watch birds in an ancient shrine. Nothing else is allowed! If I dare to take Princess Kako to Nagoya and Ginza today, the Metropolitan Police Department's arrest warrant will be on the front page of the news tomorrow!"
"Besides, I don't need to pursue her at all. If I wanted to, I could put on a formal suit and hold a wedding with her at Meiji Shrine anytime. Even the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers would personally attend the wedding and present their gifts. Why would I need to go on dates?"
Duanmu Ci lightly slapped his forehead. He had forgotten about this; the Japanese Imperial Family was essentially kept in captivity, completely devoid of freedom. The Crown Prince didn't even have the right to say in front of the media that he liked oranges, because someone else was growing apples. Under such circumstances, it was indeed difficult for any "free love" to occur, and it was no wonder that Wei Yue was displeased.
"What was the royal family's reaction to your elopement? They were probably furious," Duanmu Ci suddenly remembered. "As a family that has been called gods for generations, I don't believe your royal family would allow something so shameful to happen. They should have been the first to break off the engagement, so why haven't we heard anything from them yet?"
“Because my family kept this news from me,” Wei Yue said helplessly. “I only recently learned from a loyal retainer that my escape was explained by my family as a vacation. They told His Majesty the Emperor that I came to enjoy my last days as a single man and, incidentally, to scout out a honeymoon destination. Those old bastards are so cunning!”
"This is deceiving the emperor!" Duanmu Ci exclaimed in surprise. "According to the old laws, such behavior should be punished with the extermination of the entire clan. Your elders are clearly taking advantage of the fact that the emperor has no power."
"No one dares to exterminate my Minamoto clan, not even Emperor Meiji." Wei Yue leaned back in his chair. "In short, no matter what you say, I will not return to Japan." His tone was as resolute as a samurai facing death.
"The sixteenth," Duanmu Ci suddenly said.
"What?" Wei Yue asked, "Is it a plane ticket for the 16th? No way, I'm not going! Even if you book the ticket for me, I'm not going!"
"The 16th, Liu Gongquan," Duanmu Ci added.
Wei Yue fell silent. After a while, he said with grief and indignation, "You seduced me?!"
"The Sixteenth Day" is a work by Liu Gongquan, a famous calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. It is a running-cursive script. Wei Yue had seen it before in Duanmu Ci's possession and liked it very much. Now that Duanmu Ci is offering this calligraphy as payment for him to go to Japan, he feels very sad and indignant.
What angered him even more was that he had actually fallen for her...
"Okay, I'll go!" Wei Yue lowered her head, her hands trembling slightly.
Duanmu Ci knew what he was feeling right now; it was a kind of self-loathing for his own incompetence...
"I'll book your plane ticket for the 16th," Duanmu Ci said with a smile.
...
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P: Thank you to the readers [勿忘我v], [雁孤鸿], [夙&凉夏], [爱如纯阳], [斩天穹], [五陵先生], [红颜**], and [j__b乳] for their generous donations!
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