Chapter 29: The Wedding Incident
It's the same these days. Before dawn, everyone in the mansion starts to get busy.
The governor-general Cheng from Yizhou had stationed his troops in the city a few days ago and only brought a few personal guards to the governor-general's mansion of Xiu Tu.
The great news of the Xiu Tu Governor's Mansion spread to every street in the capital. Every household hung lanterns and decorations on the roadside. The Governor's Mansion sent out people to clean the house and started distributing wedding cakes two days ago.
The gate of the Governor's Mansion had already been hung with red ribbons.
The city had been bustling since yesterday, and on the night of the wedding ceremony, it was no less lively than the Lantern Festival in Chang'an.
A few hundred miles away from the border city is a foreign city where people eat raw meat and drink blood. It is amazing that Xiu Tu, far away from the capital, also has such a grand event.
Many unfamiliar people came into the city, and most of them said they were from Yizhou. When Xiu Tu's people heard this, they didn't find it strange.
So people from various sects blended into the crowd naturally.
The maid who was helping the bride dress her wedding gown did not dare to doze off at all. The Governor's Mansion, which was usually dull and rule-abiding, was now completely quiet because of the arrival of the lady from the Cheng family.
Jiaoran sat at the doorway, her eyes closed, resting as she timed the moment. Her mind was churning, unable to calm down for even a moment. She kept thinking, "Why is the phoenix chick so slow?"
Suddenly Xiaoju called her and asked her to come and help. In fact, the young master was already ready to go, and Jiaoran didn't know what else she could do.
She had pretended to help him smooth out the wrinkles on his wedding gown, but there was no need for that; she had just wanted to find something to do to keep herself occupied.
She didn't even dare to raise her head to look at him again. She had a hunch that the young master was staring at her, and it felt like a hole was about to be stared out of his head. Her hands were not clumsy in adjusting her wedding dress.
She really wanted to say something to him, but now even saying goodbye became difficult.
Their beginning was a lie, and their separation now was more shameless than a lie, it was a betrayal.
She couldn't firmly choose him between Huiyingmen and him, couldn't be honest, couldn't take him away. She had too many concerns, and he was too insignificant compared to her mother.
Once the plan begins, chaos will break out in the mansion. Regardless of success or failure, she will leave here, and she will never see the man in front of her again for the rest of her life.
He would continue to live a life of luxury, reading, writing, playing chess and fishing, marry a wife of his status, have a few children, and become someone's father or grandfather.
Jiaoran felt extremely uncomfortable when she thought that she would lose him every moment in the long future. This was the first time she faced a permanent separation. When she left Huiying Inn, she knew in her heart that sooner or later she would go back, but after parting with him today, he had nothing to do with her anymore.
Will he forget her?
It’s not that important at the moment. What’s important is that he should hate her, hate her for deceiving and abandoning him.
Will hate outlast love?
The more she thought about it, the more her mind kept flashing back to his clumsy but passionate kiss. That late night, in the pitch-black darkness, he was so vivid, completely different from the jade statue she had seen during the day.
He is a living person.
She thought of looking for him on a rainy night, of him carefully asking her if there was a snake in the bed, of him holding her hand and teaching her how to write, but he didn't teach her how to paint. Jiaoran thought that maybe painting was harder than writing, and he knew she couldn't do it.
Everything was like a roll of silk thread that could not be untied, and the whole place was in a mess. She wanted to drink some wine to give herself courage, because there was still a possibility tonight - death here. This was also the first time she was so close to death. If she failed, she might be killed by a sword on the spot.
A man with a cold gleam in his sleeves appeared on the street, and soon a man dressed similarly appeared next to the fruit shop. Not many people noticed them.
The old man drinking sat by the roadside and glanced over. Next to him sat the only friend he could talk to. They were of similar age and had both seen a lot when they were young. Although the stars were shining brightly tonight, there were already signs of an impending storm.
"It seems that many people will die tonight." said the friend.
"Human hearts are like this, their desires are insatiable. Everyone thinks they are the oriole behind the scenes, but they don't know that they are just pawns." The old man sighed.
In the Governor's Mansion.
Chai Yu heard what Chai Che said and frowned, "If that's the case, has the mansion made any preparations?"
Chai Che and Chai Lie stood beside him. Chai Lie said, "Father, don't worry. They're just a bunch of scoundrels." Chai Yu then asked, "Where's the third brother? I haven't seen him since the afternoon. Where did he go?"
Cha Che said, "I've made it clear to him. Things have been turbulent these past few days, and he knows how to protect himself."
The governor remained silent with a stern face, his expression growing increasingly grim. "No matter what, this marriage must be successfully completed tonight."
On the other side, Cheng Yuan didn't allow anyone to come in until the maid called her father in panic.
Lord Cheng was kind and gentle at first, but later he lost his patience and even wanted to hit her.
Her neck was stiff. "I've been tolerant of him time and time again, but he's unwilling to even complete the ceremony. He won't marry me, so even if I'm with him, how can he ever pity me in the future?"
Master Cheng suddenly shouted, "Shut up! No more crying on such a happy day! He told me that he had to go and get the Gao Shan Shou in person, otherwise no one else would know the secret mechanism. We only have this one chance tonight."
Cheng Yuan was frightened by her father's tyrannical anger and dared not say much. She was still indignant in her heart, and Mu Jin's disgusted expression was still lingering in front of her eyes. No man had ever looked at her like that. She had lost all her face and self-esteem.
After Lord Cheng got furious, he saw that his daughter was frightened, so he took out a jade ring and tried to comfort her, asking her to obey the men's plan and not make trouble.
Cheng Yuan was stunned for a moment. She didn't say anything, and her tears had stopped flowing. After all, she was still a young girl at heart. "Isn't this what he always wears?"
"Everyone in the mansion knows that this is his mother's legacy. He asked me to give it to you because he still cares about you. With your father here, you don't have to worry about him changing his mind about you in the future. If he dares to treat you badly, how can I forgive him?"
Cheng Yuan held the ring in his hand and said helplessly, "I already knew whether he had me in his heart. If it wasn't for my father getting the Gao Shan Shou, I would never have fallen into such depravity."
"Good boy, you know your time is running out. I only ask you this once. Whether this is successful or not, if you can get away and divorce me later, I will let you go home without saying anything."
She shook her head. "Daddy wants to treat my lifelong event as a business, but to me, Mu Jin is not a gift to be bought and sold. He will be my husband in the future, my husband for life. I have chosen him and will never change my mind. Even after this is over, I will not divorce him."
The wedding had already begun. Si Yuyuan had only two servants and two maids following the young master. Among the maids, one was Shao Feng and the other was Xiao Ju.
All the important people from all the states and counties including Quan Xiu Tu came. The Governor's Mansion had never been so lively. Jiao Ran was squeezed in the crowd, and the crowd blocked her sight. She could hardly see Mu Jin and Madam Cheng.
Shuilongtai is the banquet venue for entertaining general guests today, Shenlong Hall is the place for entertaining nobles, and Xinyuyuan near Qingbiyuan is for entertaining close relatives and friends, who will be personally received by Madam Chai, Chai Lie and others.
The ceremony was held in Si Yu Garden. After the veil was covered, the bride could not walk far, so they simply held the ceremony in the main hall of Si Yu Garden. The newlyweds began to hold the ceremony soon. Across the crowd, Jiaoran saw Mu Jin's stiff face. He smiled at everyone, but his smile looked even stranger.
Jiaoran couldn't bear to look at his expression anymore. Whether he liked this marriage or not, it was a foregone conclusion.
Jiaoran retreated from the crowd.
After walking a short distance, she heard a familiar voice calling her.
The phoenix chick has arrived, and even he is holding a lantern with a wedding character on it.
The musical instruments started playing and the newlyweds began to bow to each other.
Bow to Heaven and Earth! Hearing this, Jiaoran shuddered suddenly, as if pricked by a sting.
The ladies, all adorned with glittering golden hairpins, gathered to watch the excitement. Before they could even begin to say their second greetings to their parents, a man rushed out of the crowd and headed straight for the newlyweds.
I don’t know where he pulled out a knife from, but he was able to hide it and enter the Governor’s Mansion.
When the crowd saw the murder weapon, they screamed in panic and fled in all directions.
Whoosh! Someone in the crowd released a flare, and blue fireworks exploded in the sky.
The crowd came towards Jiaoran like a tide. Fenghuangchu said, "Run!" and Jiaoran followed them, no longer looking at the newlyweds in the hall.
After running for a long time, he found someone following him unknowingly. The young phoenix said not to worry, because he was one of them.
Thinking it was his apprentice or friend, Jiao Ran asked, "What's the situation now?"
Phoenix Cub said, "We can unite with other sects to start a rebellion in one stick of incense. The Governor's Office won't react that quickly. Once chaos breaks out in the office, everyone will come to support us. If we can break through the armory, these people will be too busy to take care of us for a while. We can take advantage of this opportunity to take Gao Shan Shou."
At this point, Jiaoran no longer cares about their plans. She just wants to complete her mission as quickly as possible and leave here. Cutting the Gordian knot is the best solution.
Before the mission began, she stayed awake all night in the inn, thinking about "Takayama Shou". After the mission began, she often tossed and turned and couldn't sleep well in order to find the whereabouts and guards of "Takayama Shou". But now that the mission is really about to be completed, she doesn't care at all. The things in the world are really ironic. They are all just mediocre people worrying about themselves.
The three men were almost at the armory.
A knife suddenly flew over and stabbed into the ground, blocking the way of several people.
Jiaoran was so frightened that he stopped immediately.
The knife came too unexpectedly. When Jiaoran looked up and saw that it was Chai Hui, he was even more shocked. This devil, why does he always have to interfere in everything?
Upon seeing this, the Phoenix Cub immediately drew his sword and stepped forward.
Chai Hui was in no hurry. He slowly pulled up the long knife from the ground, pointed at Jiao Ran behind Fenghuang Chu and said, "Are you in the same group with these guys?"
Jiaoran didn't know what to say.
"Speak!" He frowned and gritted his teeth.
Chai Huidao pointed in the direction of the armory and said, "Are you going there? Oh, you are here for 'Takayama Shou' as well. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, what a pity."
Jiao Ran felt that there was something else behind his words. "What's a pity?"
"You can't get it."
"How do you know if you don't try?" Jiaoran said.
Chai Hui felt it was a pity to kill her directly, "Are you sure your choice is right?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" said the young phoenix.
He continued to talk to Jiaoran non-stop, his nagging manner completely different from usual. "If you cut ties with them now, I will spare your life. Otherwise, after today, I will make your life worse than death."
"You're so arrogant!" shouted the Phoenix chick.
But seeing that the opponent did not stop and seemed to not see him at all, the Phoenix Chick had no choice but to fight back.
As soon as this happened, all the guards near the armory rushed over.
At the same time, Jiaoran looked from afar and saw fire on the top of the mountain. Several courtyards seemed to be engulfed in a sea of fire. Shouts for help, men fighting, children crying... were heard everywhere.
This is the real beginning.
Chai Hui was actually in the mood. He snorted, swayed his body slightly, drew his sword and chopped it down. Fenghuang Chu took the blow head on, and the two of them fought hard.
At this time, an assistant of Fenghuang Chu also came and took over Fenghuang Chu and started fighting with Chai Hui, and every move was a killing move.
In a moment, the Phoenix Chicks and the armory guards started fighting.
Jiaoran secretly felt strange in her heart. "Gao Shan Shou" was so important, why were the guards still the same as when she came to scout the place before?
Chai Hui didn't fight his opponent to death. He took the opportunity to tiptoe to Jiao Ran's side and grabbed Jiao Ran's wrist tightly with one hand, wanting to break it. "You can't get it. If you stop now, you can still save your life."
Fenghuangchu stayed beside Jiaoran, and after a few words he started fighting with Chai Hui again. He had superb footwork, and whenever Chai Hui was about to get close to Jiaoran, he would separate them. As a result, after seven or eight rounds, Chai Hui could only touch Jiaoran's shoulder with his fingertips, and could no longer move forward.
Phoenix Young's sword strike also missed. Chai Hui spun on his heel and cleverly dodged it. He found an opportunity to repeat, "You can never take it away!"
Jiao Ran said, "There is no lock in the world that I cannot open."
Just as the Phoenix Cub was about to change his tactics and cut the phoenix in half, Chai Lie waved his sleeves a few steps away and a hidden dart flew out from his sleeves. With a clang, it knocked away the Phoenix Cub's killing move.
"Brother, why are you here? How's it going up there?"
"Your second brother is here, he can handle it, and Dad is also here to take care of it. You just need to be careful on your own. You're running around all day, and Dad said he'll have to teach you a lesson once this is over."
The sword of the Phoenix Chu was swept away by the flying knife and fell to the ground. He turned over and took back the weapon. Chai Lie and the Phoenix Chu started fighting, and Chai Hui also followed suit. It was obvious that the Phoenix Chu was at a disadvantage.
Another flying knife cut through the sky and flew towards Chai Lie and Chai Hui. Chai Lie hurriedly blocked it with his knife.
"Senior Brother Bu Yue!" Jiaoran whispered in joy. He finally came and he felt relieved to see an acquaintance.
Jiaoran was blown by Chai Lie's sword, and she staggered and retreated two or three steps. Fortunately, her friend Fenghuangchu held her waist and she was able to stand firmly.
Before Jiaoran could say thank you, the man took her towards the armory. Jiaoran was pulled away before she could even look at Bu Yue.
Just when she was still in shock, Chai Hui had already caught up with her.
He stepped forward to grab Jiaoran, but the man next to him grabbed her waist, spun her around, and pushed her behind him.
"Who are you?" Chai Hui asked him to tell his name.
"The person who took your life today." He said in a low voice.
Jiaoran listened carefully to his voice and felt that it was somewhat familiar.
Chai Hui refused to give in. Three incense sticks of time had passed. Jiaoran picked up a stone from the ground and remembered the trick of throwing flying knives that Bu Yue taught her. With a flick of her fingers, she threw three small stones at Chai Hui as hidden weapons.
The sound of the stones breaking through the air was very sharp. When Chai Hui was concentrating on dealing with other people, she attacked him by surprise. One of the sharper stones actually scratched Chai Hui's face.
He looked at Jiaoran in disbelief, and in the moment he was distracted, the man in front of him had already stabbed the dagger into his chest.
Chai Hui hurriedly swung his sword to cut off his attack and forced the man back a few steps. He was using a short weapon, so if he couldn't get close to him, he would have no chance of attacking.
Chai Hui has always had an extremely stubborn and eccentric temper. He was injured and ambushed by Jiaoran at this time. In a fit of rage, a mouthful of blood gushed out of his throat.
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