Chapter 104: Wedding Night (1)

It was the same main hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion that had hosted the grand banquet last time, but with the difference that the room was no longer filled with bright red "double happiness" characters or noisy guests. At the round table, three handsome men, each with their own unique style, sat side by side.

Dan Yulan bowed slightly and smiled, "Congratulations. I didn't get a chance to say it last time." It was his first time disturbing someone else's wedding banquet like that; although it was at the Emperor's instruction, he still felt sorry for Lou Xiyan.

Su Ling also bowed slightly to express his apology.

Lou Xiyan smiled calmly, "Thank you. It is not too late to drink this wedding wine now."

A servant stepped forward to pour wine for them. The ginger-yellow liquid poured out slowly, and the mellow aroma of the wine filled the room. Before even drinking, Su Ling had already praised in a low voice, "Morning Dew Flower Carving! Good wine!"

Lou Xiyan smiled faintly, "I have long heard that General Su has quite a discerning taste for wine; it is truly well-deserved."

Picking up his wine cup and drinking it in one gulp, Su Ling replied nonchalantly, "I just happen to like good wine."

Compared to Su Ling's boldness, Dan Yulan and Lou Xiyan appeared much more refined. As the fine wine entered their throats, they tasted it carefully, appearing extremely elegant.

Glancing at the main seat that had been deliberately left empty beside Lou Xiyan, Dan Yulan asked curiously, "Are there any other distinguished guests coming?" Someone Lou Xiyan regarded as a guest of honor—could it be...

"Do I count as a distinguished guest?" While Dan Yulan was still guessing, a hearty male voice filled with majesty came from outside the room.

The person who arrived was dressed in simple casual clothes, followed by a beautiful, clear shadow. As the two stepped into the room, the three immediately stood up to welcome them, kneeling halfway to salute, "Greetings, Emperor, Consort Qing."

With a joyful smile on his face, it was clear that Yan Hongtian was in a very good mood. Waving his hand, Yan Hongtian smiled, "Rise. Since today is a family banquet for the Prime Minister, these cumbersome formalities can be dispensed with."

"Yes."

Qingfeng's gaze swept across the spacious main hall, but she didn't find Zhuo Qing's shadow. Looking at Lou Xiyan, Qingfeng asked naturally, "Brother-in-law, where is my sister?"

Brother-in-law?! Yan Hongtian raised his brows slightly. This "brother-in-law" was called quite affectionately. She seemed to have forgotten her own identity. She called Xi Yan brother-in-law, so what should he call Xi Yan?

Lou Xiyan was also stunned, then smiled and replied, "She and Qing Mo are in the room."

Mo'er is also there?! The urgency on Qingfeng's face was undisguised. Lou Xiyan said to a servant beside him, "Someone, escort Consort Qing to Lanyue Lou."

"Yes."

Qingfeng gave Lou Xiyan a grateful smile and immediately followed the servant toward the backyard.

After Qingfeng left, only a few men remained in the main hall, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed and comfortable.

The room was filled with the faint aroma of wine. After sniffing it, Yan Hongtian frowned in dissatisfaction, then waved his hand lightly. Several men dressed as guards walked in from outside, holding seven or eight jars of wine. Yan Hongtian laughed loudly, "Today is a joyous day. I have specially brought aged Xifeng. Tonight, we shall not stop until we are drunk."

Aged Xifeng? Su Ling's eyes lit up, looking eager to try. Lou Xiyan and Dan Yulan, however, had stiff expressions and could only look at each other and smile wryly. Aged Xifeng was indeed a rare fine wine, but the reason it was so famous was largely due to its potency. Those without a high tolerance could fall asleep for a whole night after just one cup, let alone those full jars of wine. Tonight, it would be impossible not to get drunk!

Inside Lanyue Lou, the door was tightly shut. Gu Yun was half-lying on the back of a chair with her back to Zhuo Qing. Her petite body looked even more fragile at this moment. Under her high-rolled sleeves, a white, slender arm was exposed, but a large area of dark blue bruising on the arm looked somewhat shocking. While carefully applying medicinal oil for her, Zhuo Qing scolded coldly, "This Su Ling is truly a brute; his hand was too heavy!" Even if Yun was a woman, he actually managed to strike her. This bruise would probably not heal for half a month, but fortunately, no bones were injured!

Gu Yun closed her eyes slightly and replied lazily, "He didn't fare much better!"

Actually, they were both in a fit of anger that day, and it was pitch black in the carriage, so they couldn't see anything clearly. Since they had exchanged blows, how could they not be injured? Su Ling had also been kicked by her several times; the bruises on his body would definitely not be fewer than hers!

Could these two not get along properly? Zhuo Qing sighed helplessly, "Why don't you move in with me for a while?"

Gu Yun shook her head immediately, "You are newlyweds; who wants to be a third wheel! Besides, I already have news about the Golden Silk Bagua Disk." She hoped to find a way back as soon as possible. Having stayed in this strange world for more than half a year, she still couldn't get used to it.

Zhuo Qing asked without much enthusiasm, "What news?"

Gu Yun sat up straight, slowly lowered her sleeves, and explained, "I saw in a genealogy of the Su family that the Golden Silk Bagua Disk is a family emblem passed down for many years. The Su family believes it can protect and guard the descendants of the Su clan. Under normal circumstances, the family emblem is kept in the Su family mausoleum. Every year during the sacrifice, the clan leader and the eldest son of the Su clan bring out the family emblem for the descendants to worship. But I don't know where the Su family mausoleum is, or where exactly in the mausoleum the family emblem is kept. To know these things, I still have to start with Su Ling!"

In order to go back, she had to stay in the General's Mansion, even if Su Ling was indeed annoying!

Whatever Yun decided, she would do, no matter how difficult. Zhuo Qing didn't try to persuade her further, only instructing, "Alright, but you must be careful. That Bagua Disk is extremely evil. If there is any news, tell me; don't act alone."

"I know..." Gu Yun suddenly stopped speaking and looked toward the door cautiously.

Not long after, a male voice came from outside the door: "Madam, Consort Qing has arrived."

Consort Qing? Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun looked at each other and whispered, "It's Qingfeng."

Gu Yun nodded lightly in understanding. Zhuo Qing went to open the door, and Gu Yun turned to put the medicinal wine on the table into her sleeve and walked to the window, pushing open the tightly closed window.

The door opened, and Qingfeng stood outside. Seeing Zhuo Qing, she immediately smiled and called out, "Sister."

Zhuo Qing waved at the servant standing to the side, took Qingfeng's hand, and said, "Come in quickly."

"Mo'er!" Seeing Gu Yun in the room, Qingfeng rushed forward excitedly, holding her hand tightly, unable to speak for a moment due to choking. Gu Yun felt a bit awkward, but it was hard to pull her hand back, so she could only stand there stiffly.

Qingfeng gently stroked Gu Yun's increasingly thin face and asked with heartache, "Mo'er, you've lost weight! Did Su Ling bully you?!"

Being stroked on the cheek like this made Gu Yun feel truly awkward. Stepping back slightly, Gu Yun replied, "No one bullied me." It was already good enough that she didn't bully others.

Qingfeng's hand stiffened. Was her little sister really this distant from her? Even unaccustomed to her touch? Slowly lowering her hand, her heart ached, but Qingfeng continued to ask with concern, "Have you been well these past six months?"

Gu Yun saw the pain in Qingfeng's eyes very clearly. However, to her, the woman in front of her was just a stranger she was meeting for the first time; she really couldn't express any deep feelings. Coughing lightly, Gu Yun replied concisely, "I am very well."

"Mo'er, what... is wrong with you?" Qingfeng was a bit confused. The woman in front of her had a polite but distant attitude, and her brows revealed a firm and arrogant light. This wasn't the gentle, thoughtful, timid, and obedient little sister in her impression?! Panicking, Qingfeng asked urgently, "Did you also lose your memory because you drank that damned soup?"

Zhuo Qing raised her brows lightly, watching with a smile to see how Gu Yun would answer. If she also said she lost her memory, it would be too fake.

"I..." Gu Yun was stunned. Only that lazy woman Qing could come up with such an irresponsible excuse. Glaring fiercely at the gloating Zhuo Qing, Gu Yun looked back at Qingfeng's worried eyes and laughed dryly, "I'm fine. It's just been too long, and I'm a bit excited, not knowing what to say."

Excited? Zhuo Qing almost burst out laughing, but because Qingfeng was present, she could only swallow it back. Feeling Gu Yun's fierce glare, Zhuo Qing stepped forward, helped Qingfeng to a chair to sit down, and casually found a topic to talk about, "You should sit down first. You have to be careful about everything in the first three months."

Qingfeng felt a sharp pain in her heart. The eye contact and small movements between Mo'er and her sister showed their familiarity and intimacy. It seemed her little sister was just distant toward her. Forget it, her little sister had always been closer to her eldest sister since childhood. With her sister taking care of her, she could also rest easy.

Gently stroking her slightly protruding abdomen, Qingfeng smiled and replied, "It's already been more than four months."

More than four months? So fast. Calculating it this way, she had relations with Yan Hongtian almost as soon as she was sent into the palace.

Having had contact with Qingfeng several times, in Zhuo Qing's heart, she was a woman who cherished her relatives, had a strong and stubborn personality, but also had a bumpy fate. Thinking of her situation in the palace, Zhuo Qing asked with concern, "Last time I asked you to steal the Empress Dowager's seal, did Yan Hongtian discover it?"

Qingfeng's eyes turned cold, and she sneered indifferently, "I don't know, perhaps he did. In fact, isn't he also using your eagerness to save Lou Xiyan to achieve his own goals? Everything is just each taking what they need. What difference does it make whether he discovered it or not!"

The helplessness and hatred in her words made Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun feel heartache for her. The two looked at each other and finally chose silence, because they didn't know what words to use to comfort Qingfeng. They were not Qing Ling or Qing Mo; they couldn't understand the suffering the Qing family had endured, nor had they lived in that huge imperial palace, so they couldn't experience her hardships and sorrows.

The three had their own worries, and the room fell into silence. Qingfeng suddenly came back to her senses and smiled, "Today is your joyous day; don't talk about such depressing things. Let me comb your hair into the Immortal-Welcoming Bun you used to like the most."

Holding her shoulders, Zhuo Qing shook her head and smiled, "No need for trouble." It wasn't a grand banquet, so there was no need to be so grand, and she didn't like it either.

Holding Zhuo Qing's hand lightly, Qingfeng insisted, "It's not trouble at all."

Pulling Zhuo Qing to sit in front of the dressing table in the inner room, Qingfeng gently groomed her hair, just as they often did at home. They often combed each other's hair; perhaps those times would never return. It wasn't easy for her to see them now!

"Sister, Mo'er. Staying in Qiongyue is an unchangeable fact, so you must be happy, you know? Your happiness is my greatest happiness." Qingfeng groomed and styled her hair carefully and attentively, every movement gentle and thoughtful. Zhuo Qing could feel her cherishing and lingering. Although she was no longer her sister and didn't have those shared beautiful memories, her pity for her was increasing bit by bit.

Her despair for happiness in her words made Zhuo Qing's heart ache. Turning back, holding Qingfeng's hand, and placing it gently on her own stomach, she persuaded in a low voice, "Feng, you must also make yourself happy. Perhaps Yan Hongtian is disappointing, but you already have a baby. For him, you must also be happy, okay?"

"Yes." Qingfeng's hand gently stroked her slightly protruding abdomen, and a gentle and soft smile finally appeared on her face. Yes, she still had them, and the baby in her stomach.

After a few cups of strong wine, Yan Hongtian suddenly looked at Lou Xiyan and asked, "Xi Yan, is your body feeling better? Do you want me to summon a few imperial physicians to take another look?"

Thinking of his body only now?! Lou Xiyan secretly smiled wryly. If he really cared about him, he wouldn't let him drink such strong wine. Knowing clearly that Yan Hongtian was deliberately teasing him, Lou Xiyan put down his wine cup and replied unhurriedly, "Thank you, Emperor, for your concern. I am much better."

His chest felt as uncomfortable as if it were being burned by fire. If he kept drinking like this, he would collapse before the banquet even started! Dan Yulan also hurriedly put down his wine cup and casually found a topic to talk about, "This time, thanks to Madam Lou's quick wit, Bai Yi was not able to take advantage of the situation."

As soon as Lou Xiyan saw that Dan Yulan was panting while speaking, he knew he had also been tortured enough by this wine. Pouring a cup of tea for Dan Yulan, Lou Xiyan continued his topic, "When she left the prison that day, she left me a note saying that Bai Yi was instigating trouble inside and wanted to frame Su Ling, and she intended to counter a plan with a plan. I was worried she would act rashly. Fortunately, Mo Bai sneaked into the prison that night and explained her plan to me in detail. I think with General Su responding from the outside, they should be able to succeed."

Lou Xiyan and Dan Yulan were already desperately drinking tea. Yan Hongtian stopped forcing them; after all, the night was still long, and it wouldn't be fun to get them drunk so quickly. Looking at Su Ling opposite him, who was still drinking cup after cup without turning red or panting, Yan Hongtian smiled, "Su Ling, after this time, do you finally feel that women are actually not that stupid?"

Su Ling's hand holding the wine cup stiffened. After hesitating for a while, he snorted disdainfully, "Even if they aren't stupid, they are still shrewish!" That savage woman Qing Mo—he had exchanged blows with her in the carriage a few days ago, and his waist and back were still aching.

Lou Xiyan, who had witnessed Su Ling and Qing Mo kicking the carriage roof to pieces, naturally understood the meaning of "shrew" in Su Ling's mouth. Lou Xiyan smiled lightly, "Although the ending of this case is slightly different from the Emperor's original plan, after this incident, the Yang family's power has also restrained itself a lot."

Yan Hongtian nodded slowly, his cold eyes slightly stern, and said in a low voice, "Bai Yi is so young, yet he knows how to assess the situation so well and is so deep in his schemes. After he ascends the throne, he will not be content to remain under Liaoyue."

Su Ling replied in understanding, "I will send people to monitor Liaoyue's movements at any time." Even if Bai Yi had the heart to surpass Qiongyue, it would definitely not be something that could be achieved overnight.

"Master, Young Master Qi is here."

Before Jing Sa could finish speaking, Qi Tianyu's rogue-like shouting had already sounded outside the door: "I say Xi Yan, I've only been out for a few months, and you've already gotten married! You didn't even send someone to notify me; that's too unloyal!"

Lou Xiyan shook his head with a wry smile. It had been so many years, and Tianyu still hadn't changed his style of letting people hear his voice before seeing him.

Entering the room, Qi Tianyu discovered there were others in the room. Looking closely, he only recognized two of them. Bowing slightly, Qi Tianyu smiled, "General Su and Official Dan are also here."

The man in the main seat just sat there quietly, his cold eyes staring, his arrogance and dominance making people afraid to look directly at him. With such momentum, and being able to occupy the main seat in Xi Yan's home, Qi Tianyu had already guessed his identity.

"Commoner pays respects to..." Just as Qi Tianyu was about to salute, Yan Hongtian raised his hand and smiled, "That's enough. Today is a family banquet, no need for formalities. However, the wine cannot be refused."

Qi Tianyu was a bold person by nature. As soon as he heard Yan Hongtian say this, he immediately laughed and replied, "Tianyu will accompany you!"

Tianyu was also a wine lover. Lou Xiyan was afraid they would start a drinking contest again, so he hurriedly said to the servant behind him, "Go invite Madam and Xiwu and the others over, and prepare to start the banquet."

"Yes."

Before long, Lou Xiwu's pretty figure appeared in the main hall. After saluting one by one, Lou Xiwu sat down beside Qi Tianyu, pouting, and hummed, "Brother Qi, you haven't come to see us for a long time."

Qi Tianyu had always cherished her like his own younger sister. Seeing her pouting, he immediately took a long, thin box from his sleeve and gently stuffed it into her hand, smiling, "Aren't I here now?! I also brought you the most famous mutton-fat jade hairpin from Yancheng."

"Really?" Lou Xiwu opened the box in surprise. A white, moist jade hairpin lay quietly inside. Lou Xiwu liked it very much and smiled happily, "Thank you, Brother Qi."

The two chatted and laughed, neither noticing that Jing Sa's already dark complexion was now even more terrifyingly dark.

At this time, Zhuo Qing and her group also walked in. Qi Tianyu had only taken one look before his entire attention was attracted by the petite, cute, and sweet-looking Gu Yun. Before the three had even sat down, he had already asked fearlessly, "Sister-in-law, who is this little beauty beside you...?"

This scene did not escape Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun's eyes. The two looked at each other and smiled. Fortunately, Yan Hongtian also had feelings for Qingfeng.

"Qi Tianyu, long time no see. You are still the same, but I advise you best not to provoke her." Zhuo Qing smiled wryly. This person was truly a rogue; he wanted to tease every woman who looked decent!

Qi Tianyu asked in confusion, "Why?"

Zhuo Qing looked meaningfully at Su Ling, who was full of dark clouds behind him. Qi Tianyu turned his head, met Su Ling's cold eagle eyes, and smiled in understanding. It turned out the beauty already had an owner.

Coughing lightly, Qi Tianyu smiled sensibly, "It seems I was a step late." Picking up his wine cup, Qi Tianyu raised it to Lou Xiyan and Zhuo Qing, smiling, "I didn't get to drink the wedding wine last time. This time, let's have a toast!"

Lou Xiyan also raised his wine cup and smiled, "Let's all do it together."

Everyone raised their cups. Yan Hongtian picked up the tea beside him and handed it to Qingfeng, whispering, "You drink this."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 105 =====