Chapter 491: Lu Sheng’s and Chu Sihan’s Big Day
Lu Sheng was dumbfounded.
It was not that she was dumbfounded, but she was so shocked that she was speechless.
“In that case, won’t Qing Huan hate General Qi to death? Won’t she hate Young Master Qi as well?”
The murderer of her mother was her lover’s father. Wasn’t this… too messy?
“This was why Matriarch Qi was so heartless.”
s.h.i.+ Yi said lightly, “Back then, her eldest grandson died in battle. Her great-grandson was only a few years old. Matriarch Qi was afraid that Qing Huan would take revenge for her mother.”
Fu Sisi frowned. “Although she was worried, this was the reason why two lives were lost. How heartless.”
When Lu Sheng heard that, she did not speak immediately. She pondered for a moment before asking them, “How’s Qing Huan’s relations.h.i.+p with her mother?”
s.h.i.+ Yi shook his head. “I’m not sure about that. However, from what I know, Qing Huan has been following Brother Qi since she was eight years old. The two of them could be considered childhood sweethearts.”
Human nature could not be measured. Sometimes, it was uncertain.
If Qing Huan suddenly thought of taking revenge for her mother, Qi Dongjing, who had always believed her, might really be caught off guard.
However…
“If Qing Huan wanted to take revenge, why did she have to wait until later? I’m afraid she would have killed Young Master Qi long ago. After all, Young Master Qi likes her so much and trusts her so much. He doesn’t guard against her.”
Fu Sisi revealed Lu Sheng’s thoughts.
“This matter has pa.s.sed. Don’t mention it again.”
Yun Ting smiled faintly and said, “Instead of talking about those troublesome matters, let’s focus more on the happy occasion between Brother Chu and Miss Lu.”
“Brother Yun is right.” s.h.i.+ Yi smiled and nodded in agreement.
Lu Sheng and Chu Sihan looked at each other and smiled faintly.
—————
On the first day of August, Lu Sheng woke up early in the morning.
Lu Zhou invited an elder to do her makeup. No one knew who she was, not even Lu Sheng herself.
However, Lu Zhou invited her, which made Lu Sheng feel at ease.
“I heard from the Prince that you’re his disciple?”
The old woman looked kind and smiled kindly.
After putting on the rouge for Lu Sheng, she smiled and spoke.
Lu Sheng wanted to nod, but she was afraid that the accessory on her head would tilt. She could only sit up straight and reply with a smile.
The girl in the mirror was very beautiful. She was dressed in red and looked charming.
This was the first time Lu Sheng had put on makeup in all her years of life. Needless to say, she looked quite pretty.
“Liu Yue Village is beautiful. No wonder it raised such a beautiful lady!”
The old woman combed Lu Sheng’s hair and smiled.
Lu Sheng lowered her eyes and smiled, accepting it humbly.
He Yan, Duan Xiang, and Mdm Zhao stood at the side and watched.
Perhaps remembering her deceased daughter, Mdm Zhao felt relieved and sad.
Mdm Xu secretly nudged her and said in a low voice, “Why are you crying? It’s a big day today. You should smile.”
Mdm Zhao wiped her tears and nodded with a smile. “I’m just happy for the child.”
Mdm Xu glanced at her and shook her head helplessly.
Leya smiled at Lu Sheng and said, “Our Xiao Sheng is indeed pretty. There’s no girl in this world who can compare to her.”
“Who said so?”
Lu Sheng turned back and raised an eyebrow at her. “Sister-in-law, aren’t you one of them?”
Leya blushed and glared at her. “I know my limits.”
He Yan, who was at the side, chuckled and said, “My grandma said that Lu Sheng’s looks are very good. It’s just a pity!”
Halfway through her sentence, He Yan could not help but feel sad.
At the side, Mdm Zhao’s tears flowed uncontrollably.
Mdm Xu glared at He Yan and reprimanded her in a low voice. “It’s your cousin’s big day today. Why are you bringing this up for no reason? Moreover, if your aunt knows that your cousin is getting married, she’ll definitely be very happy too.”
“Grandma is right!”
He Yan knew that she had said something wrong and hurriedly apologized to Lu Sheng and Mdm Zhao.
Lu Sheng smiled faintly and shook her head, indicating that she did not care.
She stared at herself in the mirror and sighed.
She did not expect herself to be married in just one year after being single for more than twenty years in her previous life.
She could not believe it!
She caressed her face, her expression stunned.
“Don’t be nervous. It’ll be over soon!”
He Yan thought that she was nervous and came over to persuade her softly.
Lu Sheng smiled and nodded.
At this moment, gongs and drums suddenly came from the village entrance. The rhythm was very cheerful.
When Mdm Xu heard that, she hurriedly said, “The bridal escort team should be here. Quick, cover her with the wedding handkerchief.”
When Leya heard that, she hurriedly covered Lu Sheng with the wedding handkerchief placed at the side. Then, together with He Yan, she helped her back to the couch.
The old woman glanced at Lu Sheng and walked out with a smile.
Leya hid at the door and glanced out. She heard the crackling of firecrackers.
“This marriage is indeed destined!”
Mdm Fang looked at the festive scene and could not help but sigh.
“Indeed.” Aunt Yu smiled and said, “When we came here previously, the bride wasn’t around. Everyone thought that the marriage wouldn’t take place. Who knew that it would still happen a year later?”
Outside the gate, Chu Sihan rode a tall horse into the courtyard. He was wearing a red robe with gold rims. There were elegant bamboo leaves embroidered on it. A black silk belt was tied around his waist.
His extraordinary face made the women who attended the wedding banquet blush.
Lu Zhou stood at the side and watched Chu Sihan walk towards him. He felt extremely emotional.
Although he did not raise the girl in this lifetime, her soul was his daughter. Even if it was just marriage, he was still very reluctant.
“Third Prince!”
Chu Sihan had just finished his greeting when everyone behind bowed.
Instantly, everyone present, except for those who already knew Lu Zhou’s ident.i.ty, was stunned.
“What did Lord Chu call that young master just now?”
“Third… Third Prince?” someone replied uncertainly.
Instantly, no one dared to speak.
Lu Zhou looked at him and replied softly.
“Disciple, go and fetch your wife quickly. Don’t miss the auspicious hour.”
Ye Luo reminded kindly.
“Yes!”
Chu Sihan bowed slightly to Lu Zhou and Ye Luo before walking past them.
On the other hand, Mdm Xu and Mdm Zhao were explaining some taboos to Lu Sheng.
For example, she had to cry before getting on the sedan chair, but once she was on it, she could not turn back.
“Alright, Grandma. They’re here. Help her out.”
He Yan, who was guarding the door, hurriedly reminded her.
Lu Sheng’s grip on the handkerchief tightened and she became nervous.
“Coming!”
Mdm Xu replied and hurriedly helped Lu Sheng out of the door with Mdm Zhao.
Chu Sihan looked at the red figure and stopped in his tracks. He stood at his original spot and waited for the red figure to approach him.
Lu Zhou walked over and received Lu Sheng from Mdm Xu and Mdm Zhao. Then, he walked towards Chu Sihan and stood in front of him.
“I’ll leave my disciple to you.”
He mumbled for a long time before speaking.
“Prince, don’t worry. I’ll protect her in this lifetime and in the future lifetimes!”
Chu Sihan’s expression was solemn as he made a promise.
Lu Sheng initially did not have the desire to cry. However, after hearing their conversation, for some reason, her eyes were filled with tears.
Lu Zhou placed her hand in Chu Sihan’s and did not say anything else.
Because he believed that Chu Sihan would treat his disciple very well.
“Brother Chu, hurry up and carry the bride onto the bridal sedan chair. Why are you still standing there?”
Seeing Chu Sihan’s gaze on Lu Sheng but he wasn’t moving, Qi Dongjing could not help but remind him.
“Snort—”
Lu Sheng could not help but burst into laughter, and her tears flowed down.
When the onlookers heard her laughter, they turned their heads and giggled.
They had no choice. Even if they had ten guts, they would not dare to mock Lord Chu in front of him.
Chu Sihan regained his senses and coughed lightly. He hurriedly carried her and walked towards the sedan chair.
After placing Lu Sheng on the sedan chair, he whispered into her ear, “Sorry for the long wait, I’ll bring you home now.”
Without waiting for Lu Sheng’s reply, he left.
Lu Zhou and Ye Luo did not stay in the Lu family. Instead, they left with the bridal escort team.
Lu Ran and Leya stood at the side and watched the bridal escort team leave. They suddenly sighed softly.
“What’s wrong?” Leya turned back and asked softly.
He shook his head slightly. “Nothing. I just think that in the blink of an eye, Ah Sheng has married into a family.”
Leya looked at him and smiled.
The wind blew past them. When Lu Ran saw the smile on Leya’s lips, the melancholy in his heart dissipated immediately.
—————
The Chu Mansion was bustling.
Today was Magistrate Chu’s wedding day. Everyone who came was from a prestigious family.
Even so, they could not help but be stunned when they saw the long row of dowries behind them.
Other than a few people, almost no one had seen Lu Sheng before.
They only knew that she was a farm girl from a small village. Other than that, there was no other information.
However, when they saw the dowries behind the sedan chair, they were shocked.
Not only were Lu Sheng’s dowries from Chu Sihan, but they were also from Shangguan Dian, Lu Zhou, Sect Master Kong, Chunyu Dong, and Official Lu. It was not an exaggeration to say that they filled up a distance of ten miles.
“Are they marrying their daughter off or accepting a son-in-law into their family?”
“The Lu family is really mysterious!”
“The betrothal gift Lord Chu gave back then was already scary enough. I didn’t expect Miss Lu’s dowry to be so scary too.”
“What’s wrong with that? That Lu family’s restaurant earns a lot of money every day. They could earn in a day what Tian Xiang Restaurant could earn in a month.”
The onlookers praised.
Lu Zhou raised his eyebrows proudly but did not say anything.
The Chu Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, and the banquet was almost over.
The entire Chu Mansion was filled with congratulatory voices.
When they bowed, Mdm Chu and Chu Hongzhong could not sit still.
The reason was obvious from the few people sitting in the hall.
In this row, besides the Third Prince and Prime Minister Fu, there was also the Eldest Prince, the King of Hades, Lu Ying, and the rest.
No matter how much Mdm Chu disliked Lu Sheng, her daughter-in-law, she did not dare to be unhappy at all. She forced a smile from the start to the end.
“I didn’t expect you to get married so soon!”
Shangguan Dian could not help but sigh softly.
As they were wary of the Emperor Ghost causing trouble, Sect Master Kong, Chunyu Dong, and the rest did not attend. They only hurried back after sending the congratulatory gifts.
Lu Zhou did not want to speak, so he ignored Shangguan Dian.
The Eldest Prince turned to look at him and said gently, “Third Brother, you’ve been away from the capital for so long. Why didn’t you go back and visit Father?”
Lu Zhou said indifferently, “With Brother around, what can happen to Father?”
The Eldest Prince sighed softly and shook his head helplessly. He continued to look at the couple.
“Kowtow to the heaven and earth!”
Chu Sihan and Lu Sheng turned around and bowed their heads.
“Kowtow to the parents!”
The duo turned around again. After standing still, they bowed again.
“Kowtow to each other!”
The duo turned around and faced each other. They bowed for the third time.
After this bow, it meant that she would be a married woman for the rest of her life.
Even now, Lu Sheng still felt a little confused.
“The ceremony is completed. Send them to the bridal chamber!”
The duo turned around and walked out of the door with their hearts tied.
Instantly, the entire hall was filled with congratulatory voices.
“Third Brother, congratulations!”
When others congratulated Mdm Chu and Chu Hongzhong, the Eldest Prince turned his head and congratulated Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou snorted unhappily but did not say anything.
The Eldest Prince chuckled. “Third Brother is not young anymore. Your disciple is already married. Doesn’t Third Brother want to have a family? Mother nags me every day.”
“How’s Concubine Xiang?”
Concubine Xiang was the Eldest Prince’s mother.
Originally, she was just a small concubine. However, in the fifth year after Concubine An died, she was promoted to be an imperial concubine.
This was the imperial concubine with the lowest background in the entire Xuan Yue Country. This was because she came from the commoners. Other than the Emperor’s favor, she had no power.
However, the reason why the mother-son pair could remain safe until now was all thanks to the Emperor’s infatuation.
The Eldest Prince nodded. “She’s doing well. She just misses you a little. If you have nothing to do, go back and visit her.”
“I understand.”
Lu Zhou sat up straight and raised his eyebrows. “I’ll go back. Has the person from the East Palace been doing anything recently?”
“What other tricks can he play?” The Eldest Prince laughed coldly. “Don’t worry, Third Brother. Sooner or later, I’ll help you take revenge for Concubine An.”
If he hadn’t mentioned it, Lu Zhou wouldn’t have cared.
After all, Concubine An was only this skin’s mother and not his. Her life and death had nothing to do with him.
However, after hearing the Eldest Prince’s words, Lu Zhou suddenly felt that it was time to change the Empress.
Although Concubine Xiang came from the commoners and did not have much power, with the Eldest Prince around, no one should stop her from ascending the throne, right?
Although Concubine Xiang usually looked like someone who did not fight for anything, to be able to remain safe in the imperial harem, one had to have capabilities besides the Emperor’s favor.
If they did not have some capabilities, the original Third Prince and the Eldest Prince would not have grown up safely.
Hence, Concubine Xiang should be able to become the Empress.
“What’s Third Brother thinking?”
Seeing that he did not speak, the Eldest Prince looked at him suspiciously.
“I’m thinking…”
He stared at the Eldest Prince and pondered for a moment. Then, he suddenly gestured at the Eldest Prince.
When the Eldest Prince approached, he whispered into his ear, “What do you think about letting Concubine Xiang take the position of the Empress?”