The few days from New Year to the tenth day seemed to pass very slowly, yet also very quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was the day when He Yan was going to get married.

Early in the morning, Xia Chengxiu came over in a carriage.

The He family had very few relatives in Shuojing, and they had lost contact with them because of Mrs. He's death. Fearing that there would be no female relatives to help, Xiao Jue asked Yan He to ask Xia Chengxiu to come over to help. Yan He was of course unwilling to do so, but Xia Chengxiu was easy to talk to and came over early.

As she combed He Yan's hair, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss He, I will make you the most beautiful bride in Shuojing City today."

He Yan smiled and said, "It's not that important whether she's pretty or not."

"That's right," Xia Chengxiu put down the comb, "as long as Commander Xiao thinks it's good."

He Yan couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat.

Qingmei came over with the box in her hand and said, "Miss, please change into your wedding dress first."

The clothes were sent by Xiao's family yesterday evening. It was a little late at that time, and He Yan just tried them on hastily to make sure they fit. Now when the box was opened, Xia Chengxiu exclaimed.

He Yan asked curiously: "What's wrong?"

"This embroidery..." Xia Chengxiu gently stroked the pattern on it, "It looks like the lost Wuzhuang embroidery of the Wei Dynasty."

"What is Wuzhuang Embroidery?" Qingmei was also confused.

"It was a cloth shop famous for its embroidery skills in the past, but it disappeared later. The daughter of the shop owner, Ruxing, had superb embroidery skills, and even the nobles in the palace could hardly get a piece of fabric." Xia Chengxiu smiled: "I don't know where Commander Xiao found the embroiderer to make this wedding dress, which shows that he was thoughtful."

He Yan was slightly startled, and took the wedding dress out of the box. Qingmei helped He Yan put it on.

The wedding dress consisted of a top and skirt, a red embroidered shirt with colorful dragons and phoenixes embroidered on the front, a long skirt with a very large hem, and the edges of the skirt were embroidered with fine cloud patterns with golden and red silk threads, which was graceful and beautiful. The shawl hung from the shoulders to the front of the body, with a gold and jade pendant hanging from it.

It was not easy to put on this dress. Xia Chengxiu and Qingmei had to help her put it on for a long time. At this moment, He Yan had not tied her hair up yet. Qingmei took out the phoenix crown from inside and pretended to put it on He Yan's head: "Girl, take a look at this first!"

He Yan looked at herself in the mirror. The phoenix crown was not like the ones worn by other noble girls, with a gold and jade base and full of jadeite. On the contrary, it looked particularly small, as if it was made of silk and as thin as a cicada's wing. It was studded with star-shaped rubies and pearls. When she wore it on her head, it was like a layer of red clouds. The crystal beads on her ears made her face look particularly white and beautiful.

"The girl is so pretty..." Qingmei was a little dazed. She had been with He Yan since she was young and knew that He Yan was beautiful, but now it was like a gem that had been dusted off, so stunning that people couldn't take their eyes off it.

"Commander Xiao is very good at choosing wedding dresses." Xia Chengxiu was also stunned for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Among the brides who have married in Shuojing City in recent years, none of them can compare to the wedding dresses Miss He is wearing."

He Yan also thought that this wedding dress was very beautiful. Unfortunately, she had no talent for poetry and could not come up with any beautiful words. She could only secretly say "good" in her heart.

When she got married in the He family, her wedding dress was also expensive and fitted, but He Yan felt a little uncomfortable wearing it. Later, she thought that the wedding dress was particularly charming and beautiful, which was completely different from her temperament. But the one in the mirror now, from head to toe, was well-fitting.

"Sit down first," Xia Chengxiu took the tiara away, "I'll comb your hair first, and then put on the tiara after your hair is done. It should look better."

He Yan was pressed on a chair by Xia Chengxiu, watching her combing his hair.

Qingmei stood aside holding a small box of jewellery, handing Xia Chengxiu her pearl hairpins from time to time. Suddenly, she felt a little disappointed, "From now on, you have to wear your hair in a bun. Time flies."

After getting married, He Yan naturally had to tie her hair into a bun, but when she was in this small courtyard, He Yan was still a child. Qingmei still remembered the first time she saw her daughter. At that time, He Sui brought Qingmei back to the He family. Qingmei saw a little girl with messy hair standing at the door, staring at her angrily, asking He Sui to chase her away. Qingmei suppressed her fear and timidly stepped forward and said, "Miss, don't chase me away. I know how to comb my hair."

One comb, that's all these years.

The long hair of the woman in the mirror was combed down like silk, and then gently rolled up in Xia Chengxiu's hands, with pearl hairpins pinned on it little by little, followed by silk flowers, agate, and silver hairpins...

Xia Chengxiu combed her hair very carefully, as if decorating a flower that was about to bloom, and she wished to use all the beauty and goodness on herself.

The woman in the mirror went from being bare-faced to being well-dressed and adorned, her face gradually becoming clearer.

He Yan looked at the person in the bronze mirror in a daze. She had never known that a woman could be so beautiful when she got married.

At this time, there was a light knock on the door. Qingmei went to open the door. When she saw the person outside, she asked with some doubt: "You..."

"Miss He?" He Yan was stunned, then stood up.

He Xinying walked out from behind the door, seeming a little nervous. She first looked at He Yan, stunned for a moment, until Xia Chengxiu asked softly: "Girl?" She finally reacted.

"I heard that Miss He is getting married today, so I wanted to come and take a look," He Xinying bit her lip and took out a small box the size of a palm from her back. "This is my gift...After the incident at home, there is nothing left. This is the earring my mother gave me when I got married. I heard that it was left to her by my grandmother."

"I don't have anything valuable, just this..." He Xinying paused, lowered her head and said, "If Miss He dislikes it..."

The next moment, the box was taken over, and He Yan smiled at her, "Great, I'm getting married today, and many of the earrings I've tried don't look that good." She opened the box, and inside lay a pair of amber earrings in the shape of phoenixes with pearls, and she took them out, "These earrings look just right, and they match my wedding dress very well."

"Xinying," she called affectionately, "Please help me put it on."

He Xinying was stunned and asked uncertainly: "I...?"

"Yes," He Yan took her hand and placed the earrings in her palm, "Please help me put them on so that I can share in the good fortune."

It was winter, but the hand holding hers was full of warmth. For a moment, He Xinying felt extremely sad. She mustered up all her courage to come here today. She was now the daughter and wife of a criminal. She had to endure the contemptuous looks of others wherever she went. She was really afraid that He Yan would dislike her when she came here. She finally explained to Madam Wei. When she arrived at the door, she hesitated for a long time and dared not come in. And now, He Yan treated her as if she was no different from others.

He Xinying calmed herself down, carefully picked up the earrings, and put them on He Yan's ears. Finally, she took two steps back, looked at the person in front of her, and murmured, "Miss He, you are so beautiful."

Her eyes slowly overflowed with sadness, and she suddenly thought of the day when she got married. In fact, she was also nervous and uneasy at that time, and a little expectant and shy. At that time, Mrs. He Er also put the earrings on her ears like herself. At that time, He Xinying thought that she was going to start a new and happy new life, but it turned out that the marriage was so unbearable.

The bride in front of her is so beautiful, He Xinying thought. She really envied He Yan.

He Yan's gaze fell on He Xinying's eyes which became dazed for a moment. After a pause, she suddenly took a step forward, ignoring her complicated dress and the bun on her head, and gently hugged He Xinying.

He Xinying was stunned: "Miss He..."

"You will be this beautiful in the future."

The warmth in front of her was so real that it made her feel like she had found support for a moment, but she just lowered her head in panic and said helplessly: "No... I won't have a better time."

The sudden changes in her family's status were enough to make the once proud and headstrong daughter of a wealthy family become self-deprecating and timid in a short period of time. He Yan's heart ached, and she tightened her arms around He Xinying. She whispered, "Don't forget, you are General Feihong's sister." After a pause, she continued, "You are also my sister."

He Xinying's heart was shocked.

The bride had already let go of her hand and stood there looking at her, her eyes were truly warm and intimate, "The first time I saw you was at Yuhua Temple, Xinying, you may not know that Yuhua Temple is really spiritual."

"Buddha will bless devout people to have their wishes come true, so you will definitely get better and better," she said.

He Xinying was stunned for a moment. After a while, she slowly smiled and looked at He Yan: "Okay."

"Since you're here," He Yan pulled her aside, "come and help. There are very few women in our family, and Cheng Xiu can't handle it all by herself. Xinying, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for a while."

He Xinying waved her hands hurriedly: "No trouble, no trouble."

"Oh, by the way," the bride seemed to remember something, and smiled at herself in the mirror: "You can call me 'sister' in the future."

…

"Is it okay?" He Yunsheng paced back and forth outside, feeling a little nervous.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" He Sui scolded him, "Your sister is dressing up in there, so of course she has to take her time." Even so, his eyes were full of anxiety, and he wrinkled the bottom of his new clothes and jacket.

He and He Yunsheng also changed into new clothes. He Yunsheng had grown a lot taller now, and after changing his clothes, he looked like a handsome young man. However, He Sui had been a warrior all his life and rarely had the time to dress up. Now that he thought about it, the last time he dressed so formally was when he got married. Time passed quickly, and now it was his own daughter's turn to get married.

Just as he was thinking, the door inside creaked open, and Xia Chengxiu and He Xinying walked out, followed by Qingmei. Xia Chengxiu smiled and said, "Master He, Miss He has finished her makeup. You can go in and talk to her."

"Oh...Okay! Thank you, Miss Xia." Upon hearing that, He Sui couldn't wait to get up and walk towards the door. He Yunsheng followed him in. Qingmei covered her mouth with her hands and smiled, then closed the door again.

When He Yan turned around, he saw He Yunsheng and He Sui standing in front of him, stunned and silent.

"What's wrong?" She took a step forward carefully, but was afraid of shaking off the pearl hairpins on her head, so she could only raise her head slightly, "Doesn't it look good?"

“No, no, no…pretty!” He Sui came back to his senses, “Yan Yan is so pretty!” He choked up as he spoke, “You and your mother…look so much like…”

Since she woke up, He Yan knew that He Sui and his late wife had a very good relationship. And because Miss He looked like Madam He, she had been very proud of her since she was a child. Now that He Sui saw this, she was afraid that she would miss him. She had no choice but to move to He Sui's side with small steps and gently patted He Sui's shoulder to comfort him.

"Dad," He Yunsheng rolled his eyes, "You're crying on such a happy day, don't you think it's embarrassing? Besides, He Yan can't compare to my mother's beauty, you're exaggerating."

His words actually brought He Sui back from his sorrow. He Sui scolded him, "How can you talk like that?"

“It is.”

"Go, go, go." He Sui pushed him aside and took out a thick stack of papers from his sleeve. "Here are some land deeds and fields. Yanyan, take them."

He Yan was stunned for a moment: "What do you mean?"

"I've seen the betrothal gifts sent by the Xiao family." He Sui said, "Our family cannot be compared with the Xiao family, but your dowry, given our family's situation, is not shameful to tell others. This is not written in the dowry list, you should hide it secretly and don't tell Huai Jin. If you are short of money in the future, you can use this..."

"Wait, Dad," He Yan asked, "Our family is almost empty-handed just with the betrothal gifts, where did we get the land deeds?"

A proud smile appeared on He Sui's face: "When I got married to your mother, I was a door-to-door son-in-law. Well, there was no betrothal gift, but your maternal grandmother and grandfather felt sorry for your mother and sent her a dowry photo. After your mother left, I haven't touched a penny from the dowry in these years. I just thought that if you get married in the future, some of it can be used to teach others. Look, our He family is rich, so we won't be looked down upon by our husband's family. The other part..." He pushed the land deed into He Yan's hand, "take it yourself, you are not looking for a son-in-law, you are going to someone else's house. There must be money needed, don't ask Huai Jin, dad will give it to you."

He Yan never thought that He Sui, a rough man who looked careless, was actually so meticulous. She stuffed the deed back into He Sui's hand with a smile on her face, "Dad, I don't want these. I have my own salary, so I'm not short of money. Yun Sheng is spending money right now, so keep these for him."

"I don't want it." Without waiting for He Sui to say anything, He Yunsheng rejected it first. He said, "What kind of man only thinks about the money at home? If I want something, I will earn it myself. You can keep what your mother gave you."

"I……"

He Sui slammed the deed on the table and was unusually tough with He Yan: "No, you must obey me on this matter. Yan Yan, take it! If you don't take it, I won't let you leave this door."

He Yan: “…”

She said, "Okay, I'll keep it." But then she thought to herself, forget it, I'll just think of a way to put it back when we meet next time.

He Sui looked at He Yan and said with emotion: "When your mother passed away, the things she couldn't let go of the most were you two. I swore in front of her bed that I would never remarry and would raise you two well. Yanyan, now that you have a good home, I feel relieved." He reached out his hand and wanted to touch He Yan's head, but was afraid of messing up He Yan's hair. In the end, he touched it lightly and retracted his hand: "Your temperament is very different from your mother's. Originally, Dad thought you were arrogant and willful, and was afraid that you would suffer. Now it seems that you are strong and have your own ideas. Even if you marry someone else instead of Xiao Huaijin, you can still live a good life."

"Dad is proud of you."

He Yan looked at the man in front of her. In her previous life, she had only been used and disappointed by the word "father". Now, as if to compensate her, God sent the best father in the world to her. She realized that the shadow of a father could be so gentle and strong, silently loving his children, as always.

"Dad," she held his hands covered with silk and said with a smile, "Thank you, I'm proud of you too."

Qingmei's voice came from outside: "Girl, the wedding procession is coming soon, sir, hurry out after you finish talking, don't miss the auspicious time."

He Sui helplessly let go of her hand, and glanced at He Yan again, somewhat reluctant to leave, as if he had thousands of things to say, but in the end he could only utter one sentence: "Yan Yan, Dad is leaving first."

He Yan nodded.

Qingmei walked in, asked He Yunsheng to wait at the door, and tidied He Yan's dress before carefully covering her with the shawl. She held He Yan's hand and walked towards the door, saying softly, "Girl, please don't be nervous. Don't be nervous."

While I was speaking, my voice was trembling slightly.

He Yan wanted to laugh. She was getting married, not going to a fire scene, but everyone in the He family actually created an atmosphere of life and death separation.

When I reached the door, I heard Qingmei say, "Master, the girl is coming out."

The bride was to be carried to the sedan chair by her brothers. He Yunsheng half-knelt down and spoke nervously, "Come on up."

He Yan climbed onto his back.

The boy looked tall and thin, but his back was broad and warm. He Yan put his hands around his neck and asked quietly while no one else could hear, "Yunsheng, have you had breakfast this morning?"

"Shut up," He Yunsheng was a little nervous at first, but after she interrupted him, he didn't feel any pain at all, and just said, "I told you not to eat it, it's too serious."

"Am I heavy?" He Yan frowned slightly, "You can't even carry me, how are you going to carry the girl you love in the future?"

"If that girl was as heavy as you, she wouldn't be my 'beloved'." He Yunsheng gritted his teeth.

He Yan: "When I was in Liangzhou Guards, I could lift two rocks as heavy as mine at a time. Brother," she reminded him kindly, "you need to exercise more."

"Would you please stop talking?"

He Yan said "Oh" and stopped talking.

The road from the door to the sedan chair was not long, but He Yunsheng walked very slowly. After He Yan really stopped talking, he was silent again. After a while, he said, "He Yan."

"What?"

"When you get to Xiao's house, eat whatever you want."

"You told me to eat less."

"If you really want to eat, just eat," He Yunsheng frowned, "You should behave like this in your own home, so you can't behave in other people's homes. Anyway, just treat the Xiao family as your own home, don't put yourself in a difficult position, and if someone bullies you, just tell me, and I will help you even if I have to tear down the Xiao family's door."

He Yan leaned on his back, and no one could see her face under the scarf, she was laughing so hard, "Thank you, but I don't think anyone dares to bully your sister. If someone really bullies me, I will get back at them myself. As for you," she admonished He Yunsheng, "after I'm gone, don't always go against dad. He's old, why are you always arguing with him? Give him some way. And you, be more generous in the academy. Your sister is an official appointed by the court after all, and your brother-in-law is a famous general of the Wei Dynasty. Let's not say that you spend money like water, it's okay to pretend to be a playboy occasionally..."

Seeing that she was getting more and more distorted, He Yunsheng was speechless. After a moment, he said, "We're here."

The sedan chair was right in front of them. He Yan got off He Yunsheng's back and was helped onto the sedan chair by Qingmei and Xia Chengxiu.

The wedding procession had already arrived. She could hear people talking everywhere, and someone's voice reached He Yan's ears.

"Hey, is that Governor Xiao? Governor Xiao is here!"

"Here he comes. He's so handsome! And so noble. What good fortune did the girl from the He family have? How did she end up with such a good marriage?"

"Our little Huasheng is not bad, will they still accept her? Even if she is sent to be a concubine, it would not be bad. She will have a beautiful baby in the future."

"Bah, you're dreaming. If you really want to recruit someone, it won't be your turn first. My little Ye is still unmarried!"

He Yan was sitting in the sedan chair, listening to what people were saying, and she was so anxious that she wanted to lift the curtain to see what the groom looked like, who was so soon being noticed by the neighbors. To be honest, she had never seen Xiao Jue in red, and wondered if he was as graceful as the moon or as beautiful as jade...

She could only faintly hear the sounds of Xiao Jue and He Sui bowing and saying goodbye, as if they were placing the betrothal gifts and sending off the geese. Then, the sedan chair slowly started to move forward.

This is the start of the journey.

As the sedan chair got up, the children's cheers suddenly rang out. General Feng Yun in Shuojing City was getting married, and not only were there thousands of people, but the streets on both sides were crowded with people watching the ceremony. The Xiao family's wedding party was generous, throwing some wedding money at random, and the children laughed and scrambled for it, distributing wedding candies to the new companions everywhere.

Shen Han and Liang Ping were walking onto the bridge when they heard the sound of gongs and drums from afar. The coaches of Liangzhou Guard and Wang Ba were granted a rare leave, so they could attend Xiao Jue and He Yan's wedding banquet in person today. They were going to follow the wedding procession to Xiao's residence.

"I really want to see what Brother He looks like in his wedding dress." Xiao Mai stared at the approaching sedan without blinking.

"Do you still call me Brother Ahe?" Hong Shan asked.

"It can't be changed." Xiao Mai shook his head.

Wang Ba snorted: "I can't imagine what she looks like in her wedding dress. She's just a female bandit."

"No," Jiang Jiao said with a smile, "Brother He's beauty is naturally different from others."

"It's almost here," Huang Xiong also laughed, "How about we go grab some wedding money? Share in the good cheer?"

"Uncle, how old are you?" Xiao Mai couldn't help but say, "What's the point of getting some good luck? It's better to let my brother go." He pushed a handful of stones, "Brother, you go and grab it."

Shitou looked at it seriously and said nothing.

While they were chatting, another child from the wedding procession came running over. The Xiao family had a generous amount of money for the wedding, and the children from poorer families in the capital city of Shuo followed the procession from beginning to end, making it very lively.

At this time, the man walking in front threw out a handful of wedding money. The copper money tied with the wedding rope bounced to the side of the sedan chair and rolled down the bridge. A thin boy bent down to pick up the wedding money at the feet of the man, but he was too thin and was pushed lightly by someone and fell backwards. At this moment, it was the side of the bridge with a low railing. The crowd screamed and the child suddenly fell off the bridge.

"Ah——" the child cried out in fear.

The next moment, someone flew out from the sedan chair, his robe as red as smoke. He grabbed the boy who was falling upside down and held him in his arms, then stepped on the bridge railing and landed gracefully.

The veil had fallen to the ground the moment she flew out, revealing the face of the bride under the phoenix crown. Her black hair, the amber earrings adorning her temples trembled slightly, her red dress was embroidered with phoenixes, and her makeup was embroidered with brocade. Her eyes were clear, like the clearest stream in the capital, with a hint of doubt and a hint of realization, completely different from those coquettish, shy and timid brides, and like the morning glow reflecting the snow, looking forward to the bright future.

There was a moment of silence on and under the bridge. No one knew whether they were shocked by the sudden change or shocked by the bride's facial expression under the veil.

"Ah," someone's voice broke the silence, "the veil has fallen off, what should I do? It's unlucky!"

He Yan let go of her hand, and the little boy ran away after seeing that he had gotten into trouble. She stood there, at a loss for a moment. Just now, she heard someone was in trouble in the carriage, and in a hurry, she took action without thinking, but she forgot that this was during the wedding.

Is this unlucky?

He Yan was worried.

Someone walked over here, came to the shawl that had fallen on the ground, bent down and picked it up.

He Yan raised his eyes and looked towards him.

It was the first time she saw someone wearing the color of fire so subduedly and fittingly. The bright red dress made the young man look like jade and gold, and as he walked over step by step, his shadow was elegant and graceful.

The beautiful young man who rode a white horse with a golden saddle in those days, gradually grew into a handsome and vigorous man in the passing years. He was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a cold demeanor and a graceful figure.

He walked closer step by step until he was in front of the woman in the bridal tiara.

He Yan looked at him and could see a clear image of himself in his long, autumn-like eyes.

"Young Master..." The old woman on the side stepped forward bravely and said, "The wedding scarf has fallen to the ground. It's unlucky..."

"So what?" he said calmly.

Then he picked up the shawl and gently and tenderly put it back on the bride's crown.

He Yan's vision was blocked again, but at this moment, even though it was dark, he felt extremely at ease.

She heard Xiao Jue's voice.

"It's OK."