In the Imperial Palace—
Ma De knelt on the ground. His face almost pasted on the floor, and even his breathing became cautious for fear of provoking Dongfang Xiao.
“My Eighth Brother agreed immediately without resistance, and he also arranged the dowries by himself? Even the day is set, and it’s just two days later?”
Dongfang Xiao smiled faintly, and his words were so cold that Eunuch Feng who was standing beside him couldn’t help shivering and bending even more.
“Your Majesty! What I have said is really true. The Eighth Lord only hesitated for a moment and took the imperial edict directly. He had no radical reaction. Eunuch Feng was also there at that time. If I lied, I would be hit by the thunder…”
“Enough!”
Dongfang Xiao impatiently interrupted Ma De, stomping back and forth for a few steps with a gloomy face. He suddenly picked up the memorials on the desk and smashed them on Ma De’s head, swearing, “Idiot, go out!”
Ma De got up from the ground at once. He retreated and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. I’ll go. I’ll go…”
At the moment, he was relieved. The Majesty was willing to scold him, which meant that the Ma Family could get out of many affairs and wouldn’t be punished again.
He had been with Dongfang Xiao for many years. Although it couldn’t say that he fully knew his temperament, at least he could figure out 70% of his thoughts. Dongfang Xiao was furious at this time, and actually, the Majesty knew that his decision was… wrong this time!
Ling Li was just the one he chose according to the Majesty’s thoughts. But as soon as the imperial edict was issued, Lord Rui’s Mansion happily arranged dowries, instead of resisting.
It was almost out of everyone’s expectation.
“The things of the royal family are getting more and more complicated, which aren’t easy to deal with…”
Thinking of this, Ma De walked out of the gate of the palace unconsciously. Looking back at the majestic and magnificent main gate of the Imperial Palace, he couldn’t help shaking his head and sighing, then he walked away.
At the same time, it was still so silent in the Imperial Study of the Imperial Palace that any sound could be heard.
Dongfang Xiao turned to sit at the table and gently picked up the thick scrolls. There were the plans to deal with Dongfang Rui if he launched an uprising. He thought that they were perfect before.
Now, all of them were useless!
“Eighth Brother, my Eighth Brother, you conceal so much that even I underestimate you.”
Looking at Dongfang Rui’s information in hands, Dongfang Xiao sneered, “Everyone thinks that you love your daughter very much. But when it was at the critical moment, you set her up without any hesitation. You trouble me so much…”
“Your Majesty, don’t worry, or you will be weak. Your health is the most important thing.”
Before Eunuch Feng finished his words, he was stopped by Dongfang Xiao who waved his hand and said slowly, “Don’t worry, I’m not so vulnerable. Since the opportunity has been missed, I will look for other opportunities. The marriage between Eighth Brother and the Ling Family means that they will be weak together. That’s is nothing! But the wedding banquet…”
Dongfang Xiao narrowed his eyes, “If I cannot see it with my own eyes, how can I get relieved? Feng Xian!”
Eunuch Feng immediately stepped forward and said, “I am here!”
“Ling Li once made a big mistake in the early years. Which girl did he peep at?”
“Your Majesty, it was General Wu’s daughter, Wu Xiuxiu.”
“Let her come to the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes!”
…
On the next day, there was only one day left before the wedding.
The servants of Lord Rui’s Mansion and the Ling Mansion were all busy. After several days of elaborate preparation, both Ling Mansion and Lord Rui’s Mansion were all decorated in bright red. There were a lot of red decorations everywhere. It was very joyous. The East Courtyard was decorated more ceremoniously. In addition to the secluded site of the study, the furniture and decorations in almost all other places had been replaced with new ones.
Inside the room, Ling Li was sitting in a wheelchair in a red robe, looking at himself in the mirror quietly. Qiu Meng, who personally tied his hair behind him, couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of Ling Li’s white hands, which made her laugh quietly.
It was the first time that he was so nervous.
After so many years, Ling Li had been wandering around with women. She even thought that Ling Li would marry ten or eight popular courtesans as his wives finally. Who ever thought that the fate was so magical? This silly boy not only met the right one, but also was lucky to marry her home.
As his mom, sometimes she wondered if she was in a dream. Her son was so blessed!
Thinking of this, her fingertips caressed Ling Li’s black hair and she looked at the cold and serious face in the mirror. She was slightly surprised that the naughty boy she was used to seeing was so handsome, which she never thought so?! Her son was much more handsome than those boys in Yunjing City who called themselves handsome men.
“If only considering the appearance, my son can totally match Su Li.”
Qiu Meng thought secretly and sighed, “It’s the last time for me to tie your hair. In the future, Su Li will be in charge of it. You should treat her well and not let her down, you know?”
“Yes, mom.”
Ling Li agreed, and smiled bitterly inside. Although it was not clear what was going on, there must be something wrong with it.
In front of Su Yue’s tomb in the osmanthus forest, she had already taken a stand. It was lucky that she didn’t seek revenge. How could she agree to marry him?
Maybe all of this was only Su Li’s acting.
But even if it was just her acting, even if… it was all false just like the moonlight in the water or he deceived himself, he was still willing to cooperate with Su Li to act!
The groom’s dress was extremely complicated that Ling Li had been sitting for half a day. In the afternoon, Ling Ping in military uniform returned to the Ling Mansion. When he saw Ling Li, he couldn’t help joking,
“Brother Li, you look so handsome in such dress, but your expression is not right. How can you be so nervous? People will think that you’re going to fight in a war.”
Hearing it, Ling Li smiled bitterly, “Second Brother, don’t tease me. I am nervous enough.”
“Eh? You’re wrong!” Ling Ping waved and said, “You are the son of our Ling Family and you can’t be timid at any time…”
“Ping!”
Before Ling Ping finished his words, Qiu Meng came in and rolled her eyes, “Don’t tease your brother. If you have the ability, you can find one. I’d like to see how you can keep calm.”
Hearing his mother’s words, Ling Ping immediately stopped playing around. He shrank his neck and didn’t dare to say anything more.
When Ling Li saw this scene, he was relaxed a little and he managed to show a smile, which made Ling Ping frown slightly.
When Qiu Meng went out again to arrange, there were only the two brothers in the room. Ling Li looked at his mother who was far away from the house, and the he took off his armor. Then, he crouched down to look at Ling Li into his eyes, and said seriously,
“You look nervous, Brother Li. Tell me, is there something that you conceal from me?”
Ling Li was stunned. There were so many things… that he concealed from his Second Brother. He didn’t know which one Ling Ping was talking about for a while, so, it wasn’t easy for him to respond.
Ling Ping thought that Ling Li was self-abased, and he sighed slightly. He clapped the carpet covering on Ling Li’s legs and said, “Take it easy. I have met countless people. Miss Su Li is pure and sincere. Since she is willing to marry you, she will not dislike you.”
Ling Li was in a daze and felt complicated.
He didn’t tell his family that his legs were cured for ten years, and he didn’t know how many years he would keep doing that.
“Second Brother, I know.”
Ling Li answered with a low voice, which made Ling Ping felt helpless, but he gave up persuading him, because he knew that it wasn’t easy for Ling Li to be confident after being disabled for so many years. And it would be really weird for Li to maintain confidence at present.
After seeing his brother, Ling Ping changed into casual clothes, and came out to help Qiu Meng to decorate immediately. There were two major purposes for him to come back. The first one was to help his brother to hold the wedding, the second one was…
“The border of Nanjiang Country was not peaceful. Maybe after the wedding, I’ll go out for the war immediately. I… I’ll tell them this thing after Brother Li’s wedding.”
Ling Ping shook his head to disperse the thoughts. It was not the first time for him to go to the battleground, but now the most important thing was his brother’s wedding, and other matters should not be considered now.
At night—
Ling Li lied in the bed, and couldn’t fall asleep.
Until midnight, when all the people in the Ling Mansion fell asleep, Ling Li got up quickly, opened the hidden grid which was under the wardrobe, and saw a pair of black clothes. However, he was stopped by two hands before he took off the wedding clothes.
“Master, Madam asked for several times. It’s better to avoid meeting the bride before you two get married. It’s unlucky!”
With a tired expression, Ling Mo said helplessly, “And, Madam spent the whole day to dress you up. She even asked you to sleep with the clothes on tonight. If you take it off, she will definitely discover tomorrow.”
Ling Li thought and hesitated for a while, and he finally put down the black clothes. No one knew that it was the former part of Long Mo’s words or the latter part that persuaded him.
Seeing that Ling Li gave up, Ling Mo relieved, and took the clothes immediately.
“Ling Mo, do you think that Su Li really wants to marry me?”
“Master, if you want to know this answer, why not asking the Mistress tomorrow?”
“Mistress?”
Ling Li smiled bitterly, turned to lie down and closed his eyes. The night would past, whether he fell asleep or not.
…
The fifth day of lunar March was a suitable day for people to get married!
The whole Yunjing City was bustling in the early morning, especially the street in front of the Ling Mansion where was crowded. If the feudal office didn’t help maintain the order, even the sedan chair couldn’t be held out.
People discussed almost everywhere on the street. They all knew that today, in Yunjing City, the first beauty would marry the first playboy!
When the imperial edict was just issued, almost all talents in Yunjing City felt angry. All of them wanted to go to the Ling Mansion and kill that playboy.
But the marriage was granted by the emperor, and they didn’t dare to disrupt this wedding.
Several days after, the marriage between Lord Rui’s Mansion and the Ling Family became a hot topic of conversation in Yunjing City. So, it was not strange that so many people gathered here on the day of the marriage.
With so many people watching, Ling Li in a red robe sat on the special seat made for taking the bride, and set out!
