After seeing off Li Chang's grandfather, the Ninth Prince led Yuan Yao into the Li residence.
This is a three-courtyard house. It doesn't have too many rooms, but it's spacious enough.
If Li Chang hadn't married the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, he probably would never have been able to own such a large mansion in the capital.
Guests of average status sat in the front courtyard, while those of higher status sat in the middle courtyard. The back courtyard was where the host family usually rested.
In the middle courtyard, another small courtyard was carved out.
The Ninth Prince, accompanied by Yuan Yao and led by a servant, found a relatively secluded pavilion.
The pavilion is draped with bamboo curtains and gauze curtains. Once the curtains or curtains are lowered, it becomes a small world of its own, undisturbed by the outside world...
Danqing had the palace servants bring out the tea and snacks they had brought and set them out on the stone table.
The Ninth Prince lazily instructed, "Tuanzi, the wedding banquet will be attended by many people. Remember, you must not eat anything served at the banquet, understand?"
A crowded place provides an ideal opportunity to poison someone...
One wrong move and you could die...
Yuan Yao nodded obediently: "Yao'er remembers!"
The Ninth Prince gently stroked her little nose with satisfaction.
The father and daughter drank tea for a while longer.
Soon, a voice came from the wind: "My lord, everything is ready."
The Ninth Prince responded, stood up, and picked up Yuan Yao.
The two arrived at the wedding hall, just as the suona music outside the house had stopped.
A child whispered, "The bride is here!"
However, no one dared to go out and see the strange sight.
Every child attending the wedding banquet had been instructed beforehand that, given the special circumstances, they should not make loud noises.
Yuan Yao nestled in the arms of the Ninth Prince, sitting below the main seat.
In the main seat sat Li Chang's grandfather.
Yuan Yao opened her eyes wide and looked curiously out of the courtyard.
Soon, a group of festively dressed old women helped the bride, who was wearing a wedding dress and a veil, into the room.
All the guests stared wide-eyed.
The groom died yesterday. No groom came to greet the bride, and no groom kicked the sedan chair door. How should the wedding ceremony proceed?
Among them, some sympathized, while others gloated and waited to see the show.
Parents are not allowed to accompany their daughter to her wedding. Presumably to express their dissatisfaction with the marriage, the Xu family only sent Xu Changze, the eldest son of the Minister of Revenue, and a few members of collateral branches…
Xu Changze, nearing thirty, rose to the rank of fifth-grade official in the Ministry of Works thanks to the influence of his father and Consort Wan…
As soon as Xu Changze entered, someone said, "Congratulations, Physician Xu!"
"Hehe, same to you." Xu Changze has a round face, thick eyebrows and round eyes. Even when he is angry, he doesn't have much of a deterrent effect.
Upon hearing the words "shared joy," the official offering congratulations changed his expression and gave a dry laugh.
Xu Changze walked up to the Ninth Prince, his face dark, and reluctantly bowed: "This humble official, Xu Changze, pays his respects to the Ninth Prince."
The Ninth Prince lifted his eyelids and hummed in agreement.
At this moment, the bride was helped in.
The matchmaker, with her head bowed and eyes lowered, helped the bride to stand in the center of the wedding hall, while Xu Yunzhi held the red silk ribbon alone.
Li Chang's grandfather looked at the bride, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred: "Let's begin."
"Wait a minute..." a shrill voice came from outside the courtyard.
Everyone looked up at the courtyard gate.
The person who arrived was none other than Li Deshan, a eunuch serving the emperor!
Li Deshan stood at the courtyard gate with a smile on his face, and announced in a high-pitched voice, "Consort Wan has arrived..."
Immediately, all the guests in the hall paid their respects.
Xu Wanzhi, dressed in a lotus-colored palace gown, slowly stepped into the wedding hall with the help of palace maids.
Even thick layers of makeup couldn't cover the red marks on her face.
Looking at the red marks on Xu Wanzhi's face, Yuan Yao opened her eyes wide with curiosity.
Consort Wan...was beaten?
Judging from the size of a palm, the one who hit the person seems to be the emperor.
Consort Wan walked to the head of the table and glanced at Li Chang's grandfather: "You are Li Chang's family?"
Old Master Li braced himself and said, "This humble subject greets Consort Wan."
"Rise," Consort Wan said haughtily. "I am here on behalf of the Emperor to observe the ceremony, so there is no need for formalities. Eunuch Li, please begin."
Li Deshan responded and walked to the center of the wedding hall with a smile: "I heard that there is no master of ceremonies to preside over the wedding banquet today, so His Majesty sent my family to do so."
After speaking, he bowed to the Ninth Prince and Yuan Yao: "This servant Li Deshan greets Your Highness and the Princess."
The Ninth Prince waved his hand.
Li Deshan smiled, waved his whisk, and announced loudly, "Please welcome the new bride..."
Before he finished speaking, a black coffin was carried out from behind a screen next to the wedding hall.
coffin??
The wedding hall erupted in chaos.
Yuan Yao is about to explode.
She stared at the gilded coffin, feeling a chill run down her spine.
Unexpectedly, the Ninth Prince would resort to this tactic?
Or was this the Li family's idea?
The guests, recovering from their shock,
"The Xu family actually brought out the coffin for the wedding ceremony?"
"I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've ever seen a wedding like this!"
"Tsk tsk, this is going to be good..."
"..."
I've never seen anything like this before!
Yuan Yao had a heavy burden on his head.
The Ninth Prince stroked her head and whispered, "Are you scared? If you are, turn into my arms."
Yuan Yao saw her own pale face reflected in his pupils.
She... was a little scared.
However, she wasn't afraid of the corpse, but rather a little afraid of the coffin.
This was the first time she had ever seen a coffin in her entire life...
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Yao said, "Father, Yao'er will get used to it and won't be afraid anymore."
The Ninth Prince smiled and said, "My daughter has guts."
Hearing this, Yuan Yao was greatly encouraged: "Father, it's alright!"
Once you get used to seeing coffins, you're not so afraid of them anymore.
Moreover, in the Great Qi Kingdom, people are always buried in coffins...
Consort Wan, however, was deathly pale. Her mouth agape, she rose from her chair, her finger trembling as she pointed at the coffin: "What are you doing?!"
Xu Changze also stepped forward and angrily declared, "The Xu family will not proceed with this marriage!"
Old Master Li gripped the armrests of his chair tightly: "The Emperor bestowed this marriage upon us, and you just say you won't go through with it?"
Although my Li family is poor, we have our pride and never wanted to marry into this family!
My grandson died suddenly and unexpectedly, and you all want to bully this lonely old man?
Xu Changze angrily said, "Since that's the case, I'd rather crawl on my knees from here into the palace than not ask the Emperor to cancel this marriage!"
"Go! If you go, I'll kill myself right here!" Old Master Li said, his eyes red.
The wedding hall was in complete chaos.
Li Deshan's expression shifted between the group of people. With a slight smile, he bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think..."
The Ninth Prince curled his lips, his brows and eyes cold and sharp: "Continue."
What happened next was even more terrifying.
One coffin after another was carried into the wedding hall and placed to the side...
The Vice Minister of Rites wiped his sweat and mustered his courage to ask, "May I ask Your Majesty... what... what is going on?"
Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince glanced at him disdainfully: "You ask me? Who should I ask?"
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel choked up.
puff……
If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, Yuan Yao would have almost burst out laughing.
Is this Vice Minister of Rites scared out of his wits?
Her gaze shifted and suddenly fell on the person walking out from behind the screen in the wedding hall.
The man was dressed in festive red, but his face was gloomy.
"Li Chang?"
Yuan Yao opened her eyes wide and called out the name in a childish voice.
Everyone turned to look at her as she spoke.
In the crowd, someone exclaimed in surprise—
"Ah...it's come back to life!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com