Ling Feng, who was almost left dumbfounded at the side, quickly said, "We’re still half an hour from the auspicious hour."
The wedding procession must abide by tradition, not leaving until the time is auspicious, otherwise it’s bad luck.
The master has asked this question at least three times since the crack of dawn. How anxious must he be?
The cheerfulness on Mu Houchu’s face dulled slightly. Time seemed to be crawling insufferably slow.
Bearing the fear of an impending storm, Ling Feng hastened to comfort him, "Just half an hour more, it will pass in the blink of an eye."
Mu Houchu turned to look out of the window. The courtyard was already crammed with dinner tables. Everyone in the village was attending, including frequent business patrons who were there out of respect. Even Wu Zhanggui from Guilin Residence had arrived. The crowd was so large that they had to arrange more tables in the courtyard due to space constraints within the house.
The place was bustling like never before.
He was known for preferring quietude and detesting loud noises. Normally, the atmosphere in his mansion was so serene that there was hardly a peep. Let alone ranting and hullabaloo. Yet, hearing this hubbub evoked a heartfelt joy within him today; an unprecedented smile crept onto his handsome face.
At the side, Ling Feng was taken aback. Ever since his master met this girl, he had seen him perform one astonishing act after another, leaving him speechless.
But at this moment, a man in black suddenly rushed in, kneeled on the ground and said anxiously, "Master, something terrible has happened!"
"What is it?"
"Gongsun Yi has led his father’s old troops from Huanan and stormed into the capital!"
The smile on Mu Houchu’s face faded instantly, replaced by a chilling expression. His eyes glinted with sharp ferocity. "What?!"
The man in black hurriedly explained, "I just received the news. Gongsun Ming’s old Huanan troops had discreetly infiltrated the outskirts of the capital city unknown to us and launched a surprise attack this morning, they have broken into the capital!"
Mu Houchu exuded an icy killing aura, his voice cold as ice, "Most of Gongsun Ming’s old Huanan troops have long been controlled. The remaining ones, who were selfish and had not been dealt with, comprised merely of ten thousand at most. How could this paltry force infiltrate the capital?! Are all the heavily deployed defenses in the capital dead?!"
The defenses within the capital city, which were the most crucial, had always been stringent and airtight. After the New Emperor’s ascension to the throne, Mu Houchu himself had designed and arranged the defenses, an army of ten thousand imperial guards, three thousand members of the imperial forest army, each capable of battling ten at once. Not to mention the impregnable walls of the capital city. Even if besieged, it should be able to hold on for at least a month. How could it be that attackers could break in so easily?
Gritting his teeth, the man in black stated, "The defense layout map of the capital city has fallen into the enemy’s hands! This has allowed Gongsun Yi and his people to have a clear knowledge of the deployment of the imperial city guard, giving them the courage to break in without any fear. Now, we are at a huge disadvantage!"
Mu Houchu slammed his hand onto the pear wood table in the room, causing it to shatter instantly, startling the man in black who couldn’t help but tremble from the aftershock.
Mu Houchu’s eyes emitted a grim light. The pressure from his murderous aura was enough to make a person nauseous, "Who was it?"
The defense layout map of the capital city was personally crafted by him. As of vital importance, the only people who knew of it besides the Emperor were two or three others - Feng Yan, commander of the imperial guard, and Elder Chen An. They were all trusted and important figures. How could it have possibly landed in Gongsun Yi’s hands?
"I don’t exactly know the full details. Given the current urgency, there isn’t enough time for extensive investigation. Gongsun Yi and his people have already infiltrated the capital city. With full knowledge of the defense setup, even if our imperial guards are each capable of battling ten times their number, they stand no chance in this situation. Gongsun Yi, being the cunning man that he is, kidnapped Chen Yining, Elder Chen’s daughter as soon as he entered the capital. I’m afraid that within a few days, they will attack the Imperial Palace, endangering His Majesty. Master, you must return to the capital ASAP," the man in black quickly said.
Mu Houchu headed to the exit with a frosty expression on his face. "Send a message to Cangzhou immediately. Summon thirty thousand troops from there to suppress the chaos in the capital. Take out the alternate defense layout map from my safe room and command all the imperial guards to switch to this new map for defense. Defend the Imperial Palace and protect His Majesty at all costs! I will rush back to the capital immediately."
"Yes!"
Just as Mu Houchu was about to leave, he paused and spoke in a terrifying grim tone, "You all should leave first. I’ll follow after drawing those assassins away."
"Are you planning to see the madam, master? When I was coming over, I learned that a bunch of assassins have been lying in ambush outside Yangluo Bay. It seems like Gongsun Yi had anticipated that you would rush to the capital to foil his plot as soon as you get the news. Therefore, they are looking to strike first. Any slight move from you would trigger their pursuit. Going after the madam now could attract those assassins and possibly endanger the madam..."
Mu Houchu’s hand tucked in his sleeve clenched into a tight fist. How could he forget, conniving as Gongsun Yi was, would have taken every precaution and made thorough plans? At the moment, the toughest obstacle to his plans in the Imperial Court was Mu Houchu. Even while planning to infiltrate the Imperial Palace and usurp the throne, he would still want to assassinate him. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
If he were to be killed, Gongsun Yi’s chances of success would greatly increase.
How thoughtful of Gongsun Yi to arrange this for him.
Mu Houchu pursed his lips, "Send the message to the capital city as I instructed. Ling Feng, prepare my horse. I’m heading to the capital immediately."
Ling Feng hastily replied, "I will accompany you to the capital, master."
"You shall stay here. After I’ve drawn away those assassins lurking outside Yangluo Bay, you go find her. Tell her that I had an urgent matter to attend to and had to leave her this once. I’ll make up for it when I return. Don’t mention the situation in the capital. I don’t want her to worry and do something rash."
With the current turmoil in the capital, and Gongsun Yi’s party having the upper hand, even if he returns now, he would be walking into grave danger. If she learns that he’s risking his life, she might want to follow him. Anything could happen to him and he wouldn’t be afraid, but he feared that she might do something reckless.
"Understood."
With a stern expression, Mu Houchu mounted his horse, swiftly rode out of the village, and took a discreet path from the rear exit. The streets were almost empty as most of the villagers were at his house attending the wedding feast. His conspicuous red robes caught the attention of the assassins lying low, prompting them to pursue him.
——
Xin He had finished her bridal preparations. Clad in a flaming red wedding dress, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. A smile crept upon her lips at the mesmerizing bride looking back at her.
"What a beauty! The most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. Mu Chu is lucky indeed to be marrying such an angel-like woman," Aunt Guixiang marveled.
"Goodness, it’s almost time for the auspicious hour, the bridal sedan should be arriving soon. Let’s get the veil on her now so we won’t have to rush later," Hong Qin said, proceeding to carefully place the red bridal veil over Xin He’s head.
Now that her vision was obstructed by the veil, Xin He could only sit idle, nervously fiddling with a corner of her wedding dress. Her heart raced inexplicably. She found this amusing. Was she getting nervous at this moment?
Suddenly, she felt a prick of pain on her fingertip. Glancing down, she saw that she had accidentally cut her finger on a sharp ornament on her wedding dress.
Blood oozed out from the cut on her fingertip.
"Hiss." Xin He let out a soft gasp.
This elicited a scream from Aunt Guixiang, "Oh my, how did you get hurt? Bleeding on such a joyous day is not a good sign."
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