Chapter 92

The matchmaker, true to her battle‑hardened self, didn't forget to rescue Xiao Yichen even though she was badly frightened.

Her words could at least ease the current awkwardness a bit.

No matter how you put it, today is the wedding day, and Mu Yuanzhi doesn't want to quarrel with Xiao Yichen; she said coldly, "Please, Prime Minister Xiao, open your eyes and see clearly—your bride is over there."

Following Mu Yuanzhi's gesture, the people from Changle Palace, not knowing whether they were anxious, sent someone over; Xueer saw Xiao Yichen in groom's attire and Mu Yuanzhi in her bright red wedding dress standing face to face, with Xiao Yichen still holding Mu Yuanzhi's red veil.

What the hell is going on!

Surely the people from Weiyang Palace don't think they can snatch away their Prince Consort with some low‑class tricks, do they?!

Shameless!

Xiao Yichen didn't even glance that way; he simply stared at Mu Yuanzhi without speaking.

The atmosphere was eerily strange to the extreme; even the matchmaker's sharp tongue couldn't utter a word at this moment.

Who will tell her what's wrong with Prime Minister Xiao?

She had heard that Prime Minister Xiao and Princess Yunxi were deeply in love, and only after finally shaking off Princess Yuanzhi's entanglement could they finally become husband and wife!

But this doesn't look right—why does Prime Minister Xiao seem intent on marrying Princess Yuanzhi?

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't stand Xiao Yichen's statue‑like behavior; she snatched back her red veil and said coldly, "Prime Minister Xiao, please show some restraint—this endless entanglement is truly unsightly!"

Those were the very words he had scolded her with in his previous life, and she threw them right back at him unchanged.

Xiao Yichen's black eyes sank deeper and deeper.

She said this endless entanglement is truly unsightly?

Ha, I see—now it's him who's entangled beyond clarity.

Indeed, she had long let go, leaving him after his repeated weariness; only he returned to the same spot, deludedly waiting for her to turn back.

Mu Yuanzhi took back her red veil and didn't replace it, since Gu Rongjin wasn't there; she had lifted it herself, so she might as well leave it off.

"Princess, please wait!" the matchmaker from the Weiyang Palace side hurried over and quickly caught up with Mu Yuanzhi.

How did she just walk off by herself?

The Altar of Earth lies outside the imperial city, and the wedding procession must exit the palace gate and head to the southeast corner of Jingcheng.

Pingnan Wangfu had no wedding procession, so Mu Yuanzhi had to go alone.

"How did the bride come out by herself?" the onlookers outside the imperial city murmured.

"What's with her lifting the red veil?"

"Come to think of it, we really haven't seen Pingnan Wangfu's wedding procession, have we?"

"Could the rumor be true—that Lord Gu has disappeared?"

"Is he running away from the marriage?"

"Surely not?"

"What more could he want from such a beautiful princess?"

"I heard Lord Gu committed a grave crime, and even Pingnan Wang, who entered the capital, was detained!"

"No way—that would make the bride far too pitiful!"

The crowd chattered in all directions, their gazes toward Mu Yuanzhi varied and manifold.

At that moment, a sudden burst of deafening drum and gong noise drowned out all the chatter; everyone turned curious, and there appeared a joyous wedding procession on the street out of nowhere, its musicians dancing as if ready to flutter at any moment.

"It's Pingnan Wangfu's wedding procession!"

Someone spotted the feudal prince's official badge, and the bride's sedan bore a large "Gu" character—clearly Pingnan Wangfu's procession.

"Looks like the rumors aren't true after all!"

"Wow, what a lavish dowry!"

Another bridal escort party came from the direction of Zhuque Gate, its endless dowry leaving onlookers stunned.

"Good heavens, there are literally ten‑plus carriages!"

Mu Yuanzhi was just as stunned as the onlookers; she turned and stared blankly at the bridal escort—her dowry was supposed to be only two carriages, so where did the extra ten come from?

Gu Rongjin?!

He's back?

Amidst the sea of joy, Mu Yuanzhi anxiously looked around for Gu Rongjin's figure, but that flower‑like smiling face never appeared in her sight.

Gu Rongjin…

Is it you?

"Please, bride, board the sedan." a unfamiliar bridal attendant approached Mu Yuanzhi and respectfully invited her onto the carriage.

Mu Yuanzhi hesitated, unwilling to just sit down; instinctively wary, the bridal attendant quietly opened her hand toward Mu Yuanzhi—revealing the Frost Descent mark!

Feeling reassured, she sat in the bridal sedan, though the red veil remained uncovered, for she feared missing the chance to seek Gu Rongjin.

"But what about the groom in the wedding procession?" someone in the crowd asked.

"Right, where's Lord Gu?"

"Maybe he's planning a surprise—look, this wedding procession appeared out of nowhere too."

"Lord Gu is Lord Gu—he always has so many tricks."

Obviously, all those earlier rumors have been tossed aside by everyone.

Everyone began to speculate just how extravagant this endless dowry really was.

The neighboring Changle Palace wedding and escort parties were blocked; Pei Yunxi, seated in her sedan, noticed the carriage wasn't moving and found it odd, so she sent Xueer to check—Xueer returned and said, "It's Princess Yuanzhi's dowry that's blocking our procession!"

"It's only two carriages of dowry—how could it block us?" Pei Yunxi puzzled.

Xueer muttered, "I don't know where they got those ten‑plus carriages of dowry, all glittering gold—passersby have all stopped to gawk!"

Ten‑plus…?!

Pei Yunxi, excited, wanted to lift the red veil to look, but Xueer stopped her: "My lady, you mustn't lift it!"

With so much dowry, isn't it surpassing hers?

"My lord, don't be anxious; they're just making up the numbers. The emperor gave only that much dowry—where would they get spare money to prepare their own?"

As soon as Xueer's words fell, a gasp rang out: "Isn't that the Great Wan Kingdom's Heavenly Blood Steed? A precious breed that can only be raised a few every fifty years—good heavens, there are over a dozen!"

"Wow, these must all be night pearls—there's so much they'd have to be weighed by the catty!"

Praises rose and fell, making Pei Yunxi seethe.

Isn't this slapping her in the face? She had already declared her dowry to be the most grandiose of the dynasty!

Pei Yunxi clenched the red apple in her hand so tightly that the juice squeezed out splashed onto her wedding dress, yet she didn't notice.

Hateful Mu Yuanzhi!

At this moment, the escorting Pei Shangling's face was also grim; originally, Mu Yuanzhi's insistence on marrying Gu Rongjin had already left him scrambling to make up for it, and now it's even worse—does he have to compete with his little sister over these? Does he just want to embarrass his little sister?

What has Mu Yuanzhi turned this proper wedding into!

"Old Four, didn't you say you had a way? The bridal sedan is about to reach the Altar of Earth to perform the wedding rites." Pei Shangque showed rare agitation.

Pei Shangling said in a grim tone: "What's the rush? We're just waiting to bow."

He gazed at the Pingnan Wangfu's wedding procession, the corners of his mouth twitching.

He had secretly arranged everything; today Mu Yuanzhi must marry Xiao Yichen, whether she wishes it or not—her status as a concubine is already decided!