Chapter 51: There are cattle, there are cattle!

Although Lady Pei was the Empress's daughter-in-law.
Although Lady Pei was the Crown Prince's sister-in-law.
Yet the departed were gone, and the living still needed to live better.

The wooden door creaked open, and Pei Yun slowly raised her head from before the bronze mirror to catch sight of her father, Pei Judao.
"Father..."
The makeup on Pei Yun's face was exquisitely painted; her brows were delicately brushed, and her lips were stained with red paper, crimson and dripping with moisture.
She asked softly:
"Has he not arrived yet?"

To escort a bride across the threshold should at least happen at dusk, but according to the customs of the bride-fetching ritual, one had to arrive at the doorstep early in the morning.
Even though both families understood the true nature of this marriage and kept everything simplified, the proper etiquette could not be omitted. This was not only for the dignity of Pei Judao's household, but also symbolized the social standing and prestige of the entire Pei clan.
"Perhaps the Empress is giving him instructions over there. After all, it is the first time a junior has encountered such a matter, and he is busy as well."
Pei Judao knew what would happen tonight, but he could not tell his daughter.

Pei Yun remained silent. She could perceive her father's suppressed anxiety, yet for reasons unknown, she assumed it was solely on her own account.
"Your daughter should have followed the late Crown Prince into death back then. Remaining until this day has brought my father much trouble."
"You are forbidden to speak such words."
Pei Judao stood before his daughter, his voice chilling: "Allowing you to marry today is not because we fear the Empress. With our family's prestige, let alone a mere military man—even if he currently depends on others for support, the Pei clan can still elevate him within three to five years."

Even if he were not the husband of a daughter from the main branch of the Pei family, he was still entering the Pei household as a son-in-law.
The Hedong Pei clan possessed precisely this confidence.
Pei Yun pressed her lips together and lowered her head in silence.
"Dress your hair properly, make yourself look beautiful today, and henceforth you will have a husband who cherishes you."

Pei Yun's expression remained tranquil. A moment later, her voice grew hoarse as she whispered:
"Your daughter already knows what Father plans to do tonight."
"Your father is planning nothing..."
"That letter sent from the Eastern Palace—your daughter saw some of the contents unintentionally."
Pei Judao drew a sharp breath, standing there somewhat flustered. The contents of that letter pointed far too explicitly, and the demand within it was naturally something Pei Judao could never agree to.

A trace of a smile actually appeared on Pei Yun's face.
"Father, I am actually quite happy."
"Ah?"
Pei Judao was momentarily stunned, assuming his daughter had momentarily lost her wits from sorrow.
"The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is actually willing to resort to such petty means just to make him submit... This shows that your daughter's husband is a man truly worthy of the Crown Prince's heavy reliance."

What on earth are you turning over in your mind, my girl?
Just as Pei Judao was about to offer some guidance, Pei Yun shook her head and said earnestly: "Daughter is truly happy."
"It seems my good man did not agree to the Eastern Palace's demands."
Father and daughter fell silent. At that moment, a knock sounded from outside.

"Sir, Eldest Miss, the people have arrived!"
......
"Hmph, it seems this Wu'an truly is a rustic boor returned from some barren land, utterly devoid of manners."
At the entrance stood several men in their twenties and thirties, all clad in lavish robes, but most importantly, they all shared the surname Pei.
In Chang'an City, Pei clan members could easily be gathered by the dozen. With the Pei residence holding a grand wedding today, it was only natural for family members to come and lend support.
They had expected a lively affair, yet the groom had not shown his face even as the sun reached its zenith.
"He is, after all, the Empress's nephew. Arrogant indeed! Perhaps he got dead drunk drinking flower wine somewhere and forgot he was supposed to come fetch a bride today."
"Alas, one cannot entirely blame others for looking down on us. Who told our family's daughter, not content with being the Crown Prince's consort, to rush right over and court the Empress's..."

The sentence remained unfinished because someone beside him immediately struck him across the mouth with a fist.
"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you."
The group of Pei clan youths chattered disorderly until someone finally shouted: "Call out, someone is coming up ahead!"
First to arrive at the doorstep was the groom's messenger, but to everyone's surprise, this messenger was dressed in the green robes of an official.

Zhou Xing sat high on his horse, looking down with a condescending gaze at the men in luxurious garments, having already guessed their identities.
Scions of a great clan...
Under normal circumstances, these people were ones he would have to greet with a smiling face, yet at the same time, it was precisely these people who blocked the path of his promotion.
Zhou Xing coughed lightly, pulling his thoughts back.
His personal grievances could be set aside for now, because there was a more important task to be executed today.

"The Empress's nephew, the Defier-of-Strums Commandant Wu'an, has come specifically to fetch the bride!"
Behind him, figures on horseback surged out from the wind and snow. The bridal procession began to appear down the street, and the sound of music wafted over faintly.
No matter how much the Pei clan youths had scoffed in private, on the surface they immediately fell into an orderly routine, each to their own duty. Some went to greet guests, while others led a group of servants to make preparations.
Yet for some reason, they found this procession somewhat eerie. Leaving aside the formation, even a simple exchange of glances seemed to exude a murderous intent.

Li Jingxuan watched the cavalry procession at the front, feeling a pain in his heart so sharp he could barely breathe.
Those men were elite troops he had brought back from Hexi, individuals he had intended to groom as his personal guards, and Li Jingxuan had even gone out of his way to request rewards from the imperial court for them beforehand.
Even so, these men had remained mostly cold to him on the journey back, showing little sign of gratitude.
Yet now, they were willingly acting as the vanguard for that rustic boor!

A band of fierce killers just withdrawn from the frontlines of the battlefield naturally could not possess a mild and amiable aura. The Pei clan youths unconsciously grew tense, guarding the entrance with their servants for fear that these men might suddenly charge in, seize the bride, and bolt.
"If the groom wishes to claim his bride, he must first answer our questions!"
Someone shouted with feigned courage, and a servant hoisted up bamboo poles bearing strips of paper with riddles and questions.

The crowd parted as a figure in black rode forward on horseback. The Pei clan youths instinctively looked toward him. Beside the young man in black, those fierce, cavalry-like "servants" dismounted upon reaching his side, bearing an implicit air of reverence.
Wu'an gave a light cough, glancing casually at a few questions before feeling a headache coming on.
Writing poetry was one thing; he could manage to copy down fragments relying on memory.
As for the remaining couplets, riddles, and scholarly queries, he was genuinely incapable of solving them.

Seeing this groom's obvious dilemma, smiles finally broke out on the faces of the Pei clan youths.
Without finishing the questions, he could forget about entering the Pei household.
The Crown Prince rode up behind him, flicking his hand casually. Dozens of figures in scarlet official robes immediately dismounted, hurried over to the questions, and began drafting answers.

The leading Pei clan youth was about to bark a reprimand about cheating, but when he recognized the official robes those men wore, he froze in surprise.
"Hand me the brush."
A somewhat familiar voice drifted into his ears. The Pei clan youth paused, looked up, and saw that the newcomer was actually his elder. His expression shifted instantly as he stammered:
"Unc—Uncle?"
"Tell me the answers to the questions, quickly."
The old man in the scarlet official robe muttered in a low voice, showing not a shred of embarrassment. Once he finished writing the answers, he glanced at the red-robed officials beside him with disdain, snapping, "You're here helping someone fetch a bride, and you don't even have the skill to answer these questions? Can't you be faster?"

His colleagues nearby drew a deep breath and began writing even faster.
......
Whether it was the Pei family or the onlookers lining the street, the moment those scarlet-robed officials appeared, everyone involuntarily held their breath.
Some had even recognized the figure on horseback standing quietly behind Wu'an.
The... Crown Prince?

So many current ministers of state, so many officials of the fifth rank, and... the appearance of the Crown Prince, coupled with recent rumors, felt as though the wings of a butterfly far in the past had fluttered silently, finally whipping up a sky-filling gale at this very moment.
Yet regardless of how the affairs within the palace might eventually turn out, many people would remember this scene today.

Li Jingxuan sat motionless on his horse. A purple-robed minister beside him dismounted, walked before the crowd, took up an ink-laden brush, pondered for a moment, and began slowly composing a poem.
The brush stopped, the poem was finished.
Immediately, several Pei clan youths hurried forward in trepidation; one took the poem while another politely invited him to the side hall for tea and rest.

Logic dictated that the majority of the bride-fetching procession should remain outside and wait in the cold.
Today was different. If most of these welcoming escorts were not properly received, it would instead reflect poorly on the Pei clan's lack of manners!
"Are you happy today?" The Crown Prince appeared beside him at some point, leaning close to his ear to ask softly.
Wu'an nodded slightly. Though he initially felt little sense of belonging to the Chang'an City beneath his feet, today, his heart genuinely felt at ease.
"Tonight, I will make you even happier."

The Crown Prince wore a knowing smile, pointed toward the grand gates, and was about to suggest they head inside when his gaze suddenly hardened.
At the other end of the street, the crowd parted abruptly. Clearing the path ahead were imperial palace guards on horseback.
Behind them, a massive procession emerged, the blaring and beating of music forcefully overwhelming the clamor of the entire street.
At the front of this procession rode three more purple-robed figures.
The howling wind and snow of today seemed to quiet down silently before them.

A military general clad in armor spurred his horse forward, arriving before the gates of the Pei residence to announce in a booming voice:
"I am Li Duozuo, Central Guard General of the Northern Gate's Left Yulin Guard. By imperial decree of the Empress, I have come to present betrothal gifts to the Pei clan on behalf of the Empress's nephew!"
The three purple-robed ministers and imperial clan members dismounted, their expressions exceedingly cordial. From afar, they nodded and gestured toward the Crown Prince and Wu'an, as if Wu'an were also their long-lost nephew.

Li Jingxuan stared in disbelief at that procession, a sudden wave of regret welling up in his heart.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince's eyes widened. He glanced at the young man in black beside him; he had been full of complacent triumph, expecting his younger brother to be thoroughly won over by now, yet at this moment, he found himself somewhat panicked.