Chapter 68
The “male fox spirit” on the opposite side couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, unsure of how to react to the description the man before him had given.
Yuwen Min decided to follow the proper procedure and ignored his occasional teasing.
He took a step back, bowed, and said, “Wang Fei, I came to marry you.”
This time, it was Lu Hanzhi’s turn to twitch his mouth. He lowered his voice and said to Yuwen Min, “Aren’t we just going through the formality? Is it really necessary to be so sincere about it?”
Not far away, Madam Lu had started urging him, “You child… What are you dawdling for? Quickly take the prince’s hand, don’t delay the good time!”
Lu Hanzhi immediately placed his hand on Yuwen Min’s, which was covered in calluses from wielding swords. As he did so, he paused for a moment in slight surprise.
These hands were not the delicate hands of a pampered prince. The calluses must have been formed after years of holding a sword.
Indeed, Yuwen Min was someone who had been wielding a sword for years, even carrying his heavy Chen Ke with him for the wedding.
Outside, the music and ceremonial sounds resumed. Lu Hanzhi got into the bridal palanquin.
The procession headed toward Zhu Que Street, and halfway there, they coincidentally met the slow-moving bridal procession coming to the Lu house.
Lu Xuzhi, Yuwen Min, and Prince Chu greeted each other with smiles. Hearing the noise, Lu Hanzhi lifted the curtain of the palanquin and looked out.
When he saw Prince Chu riding a large white horse, he was immediately upset. “Why does my second sister-in-law get to ride a horse, and I have to sit in a palanquin? This is so unfair!”
Prince Chu chuckled and said, “This palanquin was probably prepared for me. Did they make a mistake?”
Since Prince Chu was pregnant and afraid of the bumps during the journey, they had prepared a palanquin for him and a horse.
Sitting in the palanquin like a little red person, Lu Hanzhi said, “What should we do? How about we switch?”
The matchmaker quickly intervened, “No, no, no, changing palanquins halfway is inauspicious!”
But Lu Hanzhi had already gotten out of the palanquin and went forward to help Prince Chu down. “What’s so inauspicious about it? Look, my second sister-in-law’s face is pale, and he can’t handle the fatigue. Come on, second sister-in-law, get into the palanquin.”
Then, Lu Hanzhi helped Yuwen Jue into the palanquin, got on the white horse himself, and rode over to Ben Sha.
On the opposite side, Lu Xuzhi had no objections, and Yuwen Min had no objections either.
These four people shared the same values—they couldn’t stand unnecessary restrictions and formalities.
The basic etiquette was fine, but all these little details along the way were really too tedious and burdensome.
Also, Yuwen Jue, sitting on the horse, clearly wasn’t comfortable.
This caused a bit of a commotion in both bridal processions, as the decorations were different, and changing the palanquin meant changing the ceremonial escort.
So, in a hurry, both processions had to rearrange their ceremonial teams.
By the time Lu Hanzhi and Yuwen Jue entered the door, they almost missed the good time.
Fortunately, they completed the ceremony smoothly, offering their respects to heaven and earth.
But after all the hustle and bustle, Lu Hanzhi felt a bit tired and hot.
He thought it was because he hadn’t rested well, and he might have caught a slight cold.
Thinking of taking some indigo woad root later when he rested, he heard someone announce that Prince Min had sent a congratulatory gift.
Lu Hanzhi had not yet entered the bridal chamber because Xiao Langjun was a man, and he had more freedom compared to an ordinary woman.
Moreover, he was a first rank prince’s Wang Fei, so although he couldn’t hold an official position, he did enjoy some equivalent privileges.
Upon hearing that the famous Prince Min from the original text had arrived, Lu Hanzhi immediately became interested and ran to the door to see the little imperial uncle who had managed to make the Eldest and Fourth Princes dance in circles.
Lu Hanzhi looked up and saw Yuwen Mingyi wearing a white embroidered brocade robe, a sword at his waist, and a gold-trimmed silk hat. He walked in with a smile.
Ah, the little imperial uncle had indeed added another member to the Yuwen family’s small “weirdo” group.
This little imperial uncle truly gave off the feeling of a wealthy and leisurely prince. His attire was extravagant, with gold thread even adorning his hat and shoes.
It was clear he was someone who paid great attention to his appearance.
He was followed by a group of attendants, each holding a treasure chest.
Yuwen Min stepped forward personally to greet him, bowing respectfully to Yuwen Mingyi. “Nephew greets Little Imperial Uncle.”
Yuwen Mingyi reached out his hand and said, “Ah Min, don’t be so polite. Today is your wedding day! I just visited your elder brother’s side. The Lu family really is full of lights and festivities, it’s quite lively!”
Yuwen Min was usually seen with a cold, expressionless face, and he treated Yuwen Mingyi in exactly the same way.
In the original story, Yuwen Mingyi was extremely kind to the younger generation, especially to Yuwen Min.
He pitied his background and often took him along to various elegant gatherings.
Although Yuwen Min didn’t particularly enjoy it, he was willing to stay a little longer with his little imperial uncle.
After Lu Hanzhi entered the book, Yuwen Min gradually learned about this little imperial uncle’s background and depth of character.
To be able to face the person who wanted to harm him so badly, yet still remain calm, Yuwen Min was quite impressive.
Yuwen Mingyi instructed his attendants to place the congratulatory gifts in the designated area in the courtyard, and the steward came to record everything in the account books.
Only then did Yuwen Mingyi speak, “My older brother might not be able to make it today. There’s an urgent matter on the Western Border, and the express delivery came this morning. If it weren’t for this, he would have already arrived.”
Yuwen Min paused for a moment before asking, “The Western Border? Does Uncle know which country has crossed the border?”
Yuwen Mingyi smiled brightly and said, “I don’t know that. As your little imperial uncle, I’ve never really taken an interest in state affairs. As long as my older brother is handling it, I’ll just focus on eating, drinking, and having fun!”
He then opened his folding fan and waved it leisurely, looking carefree.
Lu Hanzhi couldn’t help but think: Tsk, the Yuwen family could really set up their own family Oscars.
One’s better at acting than the other, and each one’s more photogenic.
However, the Western Border has already started causing trouble so quickly?
In the original text, the little imperial uncle didn’t start stirring up trouble with the Western Border this soon.
In the original plot, everything was following the little imperial uncle’s carefully laid plan—he first succeeded in manipulating the Eldest Prince and the Fourth Prince, and only later did he have a direct confrontation with the Crown Prince.
In the face-to-face battle with the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince lost, and the little imperial uncle emerged victorious.
When Yuwen Mingyi was about to kill the Crown Prince, the female lead stopped him, leading to that classic line: “Little girl, if you’re not happy, then what meaning does the rest of my life have?”
Tsk, Su Wan’ning’s stunning beauty was truly extraordinary.
And, judging from the current situation, Su Wan’ning had only faced minor setbacks on the surface, but nothing substantial had truly harmed her.
She had lost the Lu family as her backing, but her powerful allies in the imperial harem were still around!
Yuwen Jun, Yuwen Jing, Yuwen Mingyi…
Lu Hanzhi was lost in thought when Yuwen Min approached him. He patted Lu Hanzhi on the shoulder and said, “Ah Chan’s here, do you want to go hug him?”
Lu Hanzhi looked outside and asked, “Where is he? Where’s my Chan’er?”
At the mention of Ah Chan, there was a noticeable tenderness in Lu Hanzhi’s eyes.
Yuwen Min felt a little sour. How could someone have such an expressive face, shifting between so many emotions so intensely?
Yuwen Min clenched his teeth and answered, “Mother Concubine is holding him.”
Lu Hanzhi immediately responded, “Oh, in that case, I won’t hug him. Let them be close for a while longer!”
It was rare for Imperial Concubine Rong to leave the palace, so she must have been eager to spend time with Ah Chan.
As Lu Hanzhi said, the Prince An’s Residence was hosting a grand banquet, but Imperial Concubine Rong had slipped into the back courtyard to play with Ah Chan.
Ah Chan was quite clever and could make Imperial Concubine Rong laugh heartily with just a few playful movements.
The nearby palace maid, Er Ya, also wore a smile as she watched Ah Chan, who was cuddling around Imperial Concubine Rong’s neck and giving her a kiss on the cheek. She said, “It’s strange. Although our little prince looks like Prince An, his personality is completely different. He’s affectionate and likes to please the elders. He’s clearly a fortunate and blessed person.”
Imperial Concubine Rong gently cradled Ah Chan’s chubby face and said, “That’s right. Our Ah Chan is born to be a noble. Which royal grandson gets titled as a county prince at just six months old? Our Ah Chan is truly unique!”
As she spoke, Imperial Concubine Rong began tickling Ah Chan, causing him to lose his balance and fall back onto the soft couch.
Rolling around and kicking his little feet, he laughed so hard that tears came out.
Imperial Concubine Rong’s face was full of smiles as she grabbed his small feet. Looking down, she noticed a few dark spots on his feet.
At first, she thought the spots were caused by dirt, so she tried wiping them off. However, she soon realized they were a few small moles.
Imperial Concubine Rong immediately called Er Ya over to take a look, exclaiming in surprise, “You know, these little moles on Ah Chan’s feet, they’re really a complete match for Ah Min’s.”
Er Ya quickly gathered around and exclaimed in amazement, “Wow! It’s true! Your Majesty, our little prince really is destined for greatness! The Fourth Prince has chaotic and scattered moles on his soles, which are a bad omen. But the little prince’s moles are in a perfectly arranged pattern, resembling the Big Dipper. This is a sign of divine favor!”
Imperial Concubine Rong’s face lost its cheerful expression. She quickly put little socks on Ah Chan and, after a moment of contemplation, said, “This matter must not be shared with anyone.”
Er Ya knew how serious matters related to destiny were and nodded firmly, saying, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I will keep it a secret.”
Ah Chan’s special foot markings had never been mentioned by Lu Hanzhi, her daughter-in-law.
It seemed that the child was also aware and didn’t want Ah Chan’s destiny to be exposed to the public, turning him into an easy target.
Imperial Concubine Rong sighed quietly. Recently, she had felt uneasy in her heart.
A tree wishes to be still, but the wind will not stop. She hoped that all the younger generation could live peacefully and safely.
Soon, it was time for the banquet. Imperial Concubine Rong took Ah Chan and headed to the front garden.
Though it was a festive banquet, the atmosphere was not overly formal.
Since the Emperor wasn’t coming, everyone could enjoy themselves even more freely.
Yuwen Mingyi led a group of cultured scholars to hold a “Flowing Wine and Poetry” event, where they drank and composed poetry to offer their blessings to the newlyweds.
The poems were written on red paper, and once completed, they were posted on the columns of Prince An’s Residence.
The event was full of elegance and charm, and Lu Hanzhi watched for a while.
However, his mind was becoming increasingly unfocused. Not only did he feel a bit feverish, but his mouth was also dry.
He considered returning to his room to drink some medicine but was detained by Yuwen Mingyi and his scholars, who insisted that he join them in composing poetry.
Lu Hanzhi could only sniffle and try to endure.
He thought for a moment. He could still recite many poems about longing.
Then, clearing his throat, he spoke, “In my life, I have never known longing. Only when I began to long for someone did I become consumed by it. My body is like floating clouds, my heart like drifting willows, my breath like a wandering thread, leaving behind only a faint lingering scent. I long for my dear one, who has gone far away. When will the time come when we can reunite? When the lamp is dim and the moon is half-bright.”
After Lu Hanzhi recited the poem, the area by the winding stream became silent, like the cold of winter cicadas.
Lu Hanzhi wondered if there was something wrong with the poem he had recited, but then he heard a voice by his ear, saying, “What a line: ‘When the lamp is dim and the moon is half-bright.’ I suppose this is how Wang Fei must feel, longing for Prince An, isn’t it?”
Lu Hanzhi turned around and saw a pale-faced young woman slowly walking toward them.
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