Chapter 67
Building a porcelain kiln required several days. After accepting the first mission of the third phase, Lu Hanzhi no longer went to the estate and instead devoted himself entirely to preparing for the wedding.
He had quietly moved into Prince An’s residence, but in the days leading up to the wedding, he snuck back to his family home with Ah Chan. Though he didn’t care for societal judgment and felt no pressure about living together before marriage, he still wanted to save some face for his parents.
Not that their reputation mattered much at this point—after all, their son had already given birth to Prince An’s child. Who cared what society thought?
It was clear that social norms only applied depending on whom one was involved with. After all, no one dared to mock the legitimate Wang Fei of Prince An.
As one item after another was carried into the Lu family residence, Lu Siwei and Madam Lu were grinning from ear to ear.
Today was not only Lu Hanzhi’s wedding to Prince An, but also Prince Chu’s wedding to Lu Xuzhi.
Over the past half-month, Lu Hanzhi had occasionally met with Prince Chu and had watched him gradually lose weight.
His second brother was heartbroken over it, but there was nothing he could do. Prince Chu’s condition had worsened to the point where only Lu Hanzhi’s marinated dishes could entice him to eat—though even then, he couldn’t eat much.
During this time, apart from fulfilling his duties at the Hanlin Academy, Lu Xuzhi had spent most of his time accompanying Prince Chu.
Yuwen Jue found his reactions exaggerated. He had long since gotten used to vomiting, but Lu Xuzhi panicked every time it happened, as if he weren’t pregnant but suffering from a deadly poison.
Sitting there, letting the maids help him into his wedding robes, Lu Hanzhi glanced at his anxious second brother across from him and said exasperatedly, “You’ll only be gone for a short while. Will Second Sister-in-law really be in trouble just because you’re not there for a bit? Are you this worried every time you leave him alone?”
Lu Xuzhi replied, “Not usually, but this morning he had some spotting. Doctor Lin examined him and said it wasn’t serious—that it’s common after taking sacred medicine at an older age. But I still can’t help worrying. Today will be a long day of travel, and I don’t know if he’ll be able to handle it.”
Lu Hanzhi grew concerned as well. “What should we do? What else did Doctor Lin say?”
Lu Xuzhi answered, “He gave him some medicine and said that as long as he doesn’t engage in strenuous activity, it should be fine.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded, feeling slightly reassured.
Traditional weddings were such a hassle. Unlike in his time, where young people could just skip the ceremony and hop on a plane for a destination wedding.
Over at Prince Chu’s residence, things were just as chaotic. After all, today, two princes were getting married simultaneously—one marrying into the Lu family, and the other bringing his wife into Prince An’s residence.
The Emperor had even granted Imperial Concubine Rong a special privilege: she was allowed to personally escort her son to his wedding.
Since the Emperor himself would also be attending, it was more convenient to hold the banquet at Prince An’s residence rather than splitting it between multiple locations.
Fortunately, the Lu family and both princes’ residences were all on West Market Street, making travel between them relatively easy.
Imperial Concubine Rong had been bustling about all day, moving back and forth.
Prince Chu stepped forward, took her hand, and said, “Mother, please rest for a while. The attendants and matrons have everything prepared—you only need to watch your son get married.”
Imperial Concubine Rong knew she was just running around unnecessarily.
At last, she sat down, holding Prince Chu’s hand. Looking at his still-flat belly, she asked, “You must be close to three months now, right?”
Prince Chu’s expression turned slightly awkward. Lowering his head, he said to her, “Mother, I’m sorry… I won’t be able to fulfill my filial duties to you in the future.”
Imperial Concubine Rong waved her handkerchief and said, “You’re just talking nonsense. Even if you were still an ordinary man, would you really be able to fulfill your filial duties before me? The palace is heavily guarded. As long as you live well outside, I will be completely content.”
Prince Chu felt a bit uneasy, and for a moment, the atmosphere in the room became heavy.
Imperial Concubine Rong cleared her throat and said, “Don’t dwell on it too much. In any case, you’ll still be entering the palace as usual to pay your respects to me. Next time you visit, remember to bring your little nephew. It’s been a long time since I last saw Ah Chan, and I truly miss him. I heard he was attacked last time—it made my heart skip a beat.”
Prince Chu furrowed his brows slightly and said, “That night, Xuzhi also spent the entire night searching outside, from the Lu estate to the residence, and then back to the Lu estate again. Perhaps it was a bond between father and son, but in the end, it was Hanzhi who found Ah Chan. That child is truly lucky—not a single injury despite falling from such a great height.”
When Imperial Concubine Rong heard “falling from such a great height,” she couldn’t help but furrow her brows tightly.
“Fortunately, His Majesty has already granted him the title of County Prince. At least from now on, he will have his own personal guards, ensuring his safety.”
At this, Prince Chu paused and then asked, “Mother, I heard… there are rumors in the palace that His Majesty intends to make you Empress?”
Imperial Concubine Rong stood up, glanced around cautiously, and immediately waved her hand. “You must never mention this. As long as the current Empress has not been deposed, the matter of appointing a new Empress cannot even be discussed. Furthermore, this rumor did not originate from His Majesty’s palace. The fact that it has been allowed to spread is not necessarily a good sign.”
She knew all too well why the Emperor had not bestowed the title upon her.
Prince Chu asked again, “And what about Young Master Ping? Has the matter been investigated thoroughly?”
Imperial Concubine Rong sighed. “How could it possibly be clear? I fear this matter is far more complicated than it seems.”
Prince Chu knew he shouldn’t press his mother any further. If he said too much, the family rules might come into play.
After the grand wedding, his fourth brother’s side would likely fan the flames again—at the very least, they would make sure the fire reached Prince Min’s residence.
A voice called from outside: “The auspicious hour has arrived! The groom may receive his bride!”
The gates of Prince An’s residence swung open, and Imperial Concubine Rong stepped out.
Yuwen Min stood outside, dressed in a bright red wedding robe. As soon as he saw Imperial Concubine Rong, he immediately knelt and performed a grand bow.
Imperial Concubine Rong stepped forward to help him up, instructing, “I’ll go check on the bridal chamber one more time to see if anything has been overlooked.”
Yuwen Min chuckled and said, “Mother Concubine, there’s no need to trouble yourself. Please rest—there are people handling everything.”
Imperial Concubine Rong replied, “It’s my son’s wedding. I can’t just leave everything to others. Ah, I’ll wait a little longer. Once your elder brother is escorted out, I’ll come over to you.”
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of the wedding procession’s music and drums echoed from afar.
Yuwen Min glanced at the approaching procession and remarked, “Second Brother Lu is quite impatient. Mother Concubine, I’ll take my leave.”
Imperial Concubine Rong said, “Go ahead! Don’t forget to bring Ah Chan over as well.”
Yuwen Min responded, “Mother, rest assured.”
The two wedding processions met in passing, and the grooms on horseback exchanged respectful bows.
Lu Xuzhi, holding a golden-red horsewhip, arrived at the gates of Prince Chu’s residence. He dismounted, performed three deep bows, and then stepped inside.
Even though Prince Chu was marrying into another family, the proper rites still had to be observed.
When Imperial Concubine Rong saw him, she greeted him warmly, and Lu Xuzhi bowed to her in return.
The day was a whirlwind of rituals—just the bowing alone took dozens of rounds.
Imperial Concubine Rong waved a hand and said, “No need to fuss over all these formalities. Hurry and take your bride home!”
Lu Xuzhi looked a little bashful. He inclined his head slightly and said, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Imperial Concubine Rong chuckled and asked, “What should you be calling me?”
Lu Xuzhi suddenly realized his mistake and corrected himself, “Thank you, Mother Concubine.”
Imperial Concubine Rong waved him off. “Go on, then!”
Prince Chu, too, was dressed in a red wedding robe. His powdered face looked much more presentable, though he had lost a lot of weight over the past two days. Just seeing this made Lu Xuzhi’s heart ache.
He still didn’t know how to take care of himself—running off to the northern outskirts in the freezing cold to investigate medicinal herbs with Prince An, only to return and vomit until he was completely drained.
After that incident, Lu Xuzhi had insisted on handling everything personally, never allowing him to run off recklessly again.
The courtyard was adorned with red lanterns, silk draperies, and festive decorations. Lu Xuzhi stepped forward, entering the main hall step by step.
The moment he laid eyes on Prince Chu dressed in red, his eyes lit up. This little psychopath from the Yuwen family—no matter what, he was finally going to marry him and take him home.
A prince seducing his study companion and even taking sacred medicine for him—was this something a prince should be doing?
And yet, I must have been completely bewitched, drawn helplessly by the depth of your love. From then on, my soul belonged to you, my body belonged to you, and even my afterlife was bound to you.
The short walk felt like half a lifetime. Lu Xuzhi stepped forward, took Prince Chu’s hands in his own, his face breaking into a smile. “You look beautiful today.”
The red robes only made Prince Chu appear even more captivating.
Prince Chu’s lips curved slightly, but he said, “Mother is watching us from behind.”
Lu Xuzhi: …
He quickly wiped away the almost greedy look from his face, took a step back, and gave a deep bow to Yuwen Jue.
“Wife, your husband has come to take you home.”
Since Xiao Langjun was the one marrying out, there was no need to cover his head with a red veil, and if he wished, he didn’t even need to ride in a sedan.
Prince Chu disliked riding in sedans, so the two of them mounted a pair of horses—one black, one white—and set off for the Lu family estate.
Lu Xuzhi personally helped Prince Chu onto his horse and considerately asked, “How does it feel? I’ll have them ride slower to make it less bumpy.”
Prince Chu scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “I’m not made of paper, you know.”
Even the attendants leading the horses laughed. Amidst the blaring wedding music, Lu Xuzhi and Prince Chu’s wedding procession slowly made its way toward the Lu estate.
It had taken ten minutes to arrive, but the return trip would take at least half an hour.
Meanwhile, at Prince An’s estate, Yuwen Min also reached the Lu family. He rode his trusted warhorse, Ben Sha, the one that had accompanied him through countless battles.
Lu Hanzhi had complained more than once about the tyrant’s horse—stupid and clumsy. How could one win a great battle riding such a horse?
Perhaps it was the stupid horse that had its own fortune. Every time danger arose, it would carry Yuwen Min and somehow escape unscathed.
The horse was named “Ben Sha” because it ran fast and had a bad temper.
It was as quick as a thunderbolt.
At this moment, Yuwen Min had just dismounted from Ben Sha, and even the heavy sword he carried, Chen Ke, was tied with a red ribbon—he looked quite the “red person.”
He truly was handsome. When he dismounted, the young maids of the Lu residence couldn’t help but blush.
He might have felt uncomfortable with the large red silk flower on his chest but couldn’t remove it. Frowning slightly, he lifted his foot and entered the Lu family’s threshold.
Madam Lu was waiting in the hall, crying with a runny nose and tears, and had already been nagging Lu Hanzhi all morning: “Prince An is here. After marriage, you must be a good wife, supporting your husband and raising children properly. You absolutely cannot be reckless.”
Lu Hanzhi replied weakly, “Mother, I know, you’re so annoying!”
Just as Madam Lu was about to grab his ear, Yuwen Min entered the main hall.
Lu Hanzhi immediately stood up, and Madam Lu, annoyed, said, “Han’er! Be composed!”
The two of them locked eyes and both froze.
Yuwen Min, for a moment, couldn’t find the words to describe the person before him. He only thought, with this young man dressed in red, could he be a celestial child who accidentally descended to the mortal realm?
In Lu Hanzhi’s eyes, there was also amazement and disbelief. This man! This man! He was truly captivating!
He stepped forward and, sincerely, said to Yuwen Min, “You must be some sort of male fox spirit from a mountain, right? Tell me the truth—are you here to marry the mountain’s wife?”
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