“Eh? Brother Zirou! Why did you come out?” Cai Mao immediately asked when he saw Kuai Liang. Although Cai Mao and Kuai Liang opposed each other in public, the two families were still allies and their relationship with each other in private is quite good.
“Little brother. Why did you not wear red?1” Kuai Yue was also surprised that Kuai Liang did not wear red. It would not be festive otherwise. Those wedding clothes were all difficult to wear and time grew short. Kuai Liang may not even be able to finish wearing it in time.
“Welcome, welcome. Today is a happy day for our Kuai Family. I, Kuai Liang Kuai Zirou is very happy to have so many friends visit me for this wedding. I, Kuai Liang, thanks all of you for the support!” Kuai Liang smiled as he spoke while ignoring both Cai Mao and his brother’s questions.
Most people reacted with the standard reply when thanked. Eventually, another person asked Kuai Liang the same question. Why did he not wear red?
“Let me answer you all. Today is a wedding celebration for the Kuai Family, but I am not the one getting married. I am already too old to take another wife! My body cannot handle it!” Kuai Liang’s words stunned the crowd. Some amongst still smiled back kindly. They understood what he meant.
“It is not Kuai Liang’s wedding?” One person asked. Kuai Liang also has no son and his two daughters had already married off. He has a nephew but normally that would mean the celebration would take place at Kuai Yue’s residence.
“Brother Yidu. Does Brother Zirou have a son or a brother he did not introduce to us?” Cai Mao asked Kuai Yue.
“Children? Brother?” Kuai Yue became more confused as he listened to Cai Mao’s questions. Kuai Liang may have moved out but Kuai Yue had not yet lost contact with him yet. Kuai Yue was the one that helped prepare his two nieces’ weddings and understood very clearly that Kuai Liang had no son. He also knew for a fact that the two of them did not have any other siblings.
“How interesting!” Pang Degong sipped his tea as he smiled at the strange scenario. He did not care about who is marrying who. He only wanted to have someone guide his son when his son take up a post as an official.
“I may be from the influential Kuai Family of Jingzhou. However, I am actually quite disappointing. I only managed to give birth to two daughters that cannot burn joss sticks for the Kuai Family. As for my brother, he only managed to give birth to one son!” Kuai Liang jokingly complained as the rest became more interested in listening to his following words.
“Since the two of us are already old, we can leave all this to the next generation!” The more Kuai Liang spoke, the more uneasy Kuai Yue felt.
Leaving things to the next generation can only be done by a man as women are considered to belong to another family after being married of. Even when they die, they would be buried in their married family’s ancestral tomb.
“Yidu! Could this be Kuai Ran’s wedding?” Cai Mao asked. Kuai Yue wanted to immediately deny this but Kuai Liang was faster.
“I believe everyone has already guessed it. The protagonist for today’s event is my brother’s son, my nephew, Kuai Ran!” Kuai Liang announced while Kuai Yue’s expression turned dark.
“Kuai Ran!” Kuai Yue stared unwaveringly at his little brother. How could he endure the fact that his own son was going to have a wedding and he didn’t know about it? Everything had been organized by his little brother. He finally understood why the invitation letter written by Kuai Liang was so simple. He initially thought his Kuai Liang finally had another interest. Although it would not look good, they were nobles. Only now did he find out that the topic was different.
Kuai Yue hid his anger and smiled as he accepted the congratulatory words given. If he were to act out now, he would only lose more face.
“It is Kuai Yue’s son, Kuai Ran, getting married?” Pang Tong said to himself as he looked at the scenario. He had met Kuai Ran before. Kuai Ran was just an ordinary student of the Lumen Academy who watched Pang Tong have a verbal spar against another. Kuai Ran was the kind of person that would not attract Pang Tong’s interest. If Kuai Ran had not been Kuai Yue’s son, Pang Tong would not have even remembered his name.
Pang Tong did not care whose wedding it was. What was important were the nobles present. By obtaining their support, Liu Mang would not be able to obtain provisions and the Lu Bu’s Army would be destroyed.
“Everybody here knows. A few years ago, I misunderstood my brother’s kind intentions and moved out here!” Kuai Liang brought up the topic of him moving out.
“At that time, I was not thoughtful! It was something that happened many years ago but I was childish. Now, I finally understood. No matter what happens, I am still a Kuai. I am forever part of the Kuai Family!” Kuai Liang declared emotionally, bringing up his close relationship with his brother. This was something he, Liu Mang and Jia Xu planned. They did this because they were afraid that Kuai Yue would immediately oppose Kuai Ran’s marriage the moment he saw the bride. As Kuai Ran’s father, he had the final say.
The ploy worked as the angry Kuai Yue could not help but feel emotional. After all, the two were brothers who had worked together for the sake of the Kuai Family. They had gone through many trials together to make the Kuai Family so influential in Jingzhou. They only ended up living apart from each other due to a difference in political views. This had always made Kuai Yue feel guilty. Although he did the right thing as the head of family, he failed as a brother. Now that Kuai Liang had admitted his mistakes, Kuai Yue also had a softer opinion of his brother.
“Along with Kuai Ran’s marriage, I would also like to announce the Kuai Family residence at the outer city will no longer exist. I intend to return to the inner city. The only question is whether my brother would still welcome me back.” Kuai Liang said as he looked towards Kuai Yue.
“Of course! The things in your room have not been touched at all! Everything looks the same as when you left!” Kuai Yue replied as he looked at Kuai Liang emotionally. He had always wanted his little brother to come home. He initially thought he had to wait until Liu Biao left but his wish came faster than expected.
“Brother!” Kuai Liang looked back feeling guilty as he was making use of their relationship. He was plotting against his brother. However, he also felt that this could not be helped. The Kuai Family was important but they might as well not exist if they were going to be so passive. Kuai Liang wanted the Kuai Family to rise quickly, becoming influential throughout the world and not just Jingzhou.
This emotional play also made the audience feel quite moved.
“Alright, alright. You can have your brotherly reunion later. We are all here to attend Kuai Ran’s wedding.” Cai Mao laughed. Now that Kuai Liang have compromised, the Kuai Family’s influence would return to its more powerful state. That also meant that their alliance would become as strong as it once was.
On the other hand, Huang She harrumphed quietly. “Hmph! Hypocrisy!”
“That’s right! The wedding is more important!” Kuai Yue quickly became more forgiving. His unfilial son may not have informed him about the wedding but it got Kuai Liang to return so Kuai Yue would not argue. There is no pressure as long as it is not the main wife as Kuai Yue wanted the first wife to be someone of equal social status and could bring profit to the Kuai Family, such as Cai Mao’s daughter. However, there was no consequence if the person married is a concubine.
The others simply accepted the fact that Kuai Liang arranged this wedding as an opportunity to reconcile with his brother.
“Alright. Let us greet the newly-weds!” Kuai Liang clapped his hands. The first that came out was Kuai Ran who wore red robes.
“Lord Kuai Ran! Congratulations!” The others present congratulated Kuai Ran.
Kuai Ran walked forward and eventually stopped in front of his father. “Father.”
“Not bad.” Kuai Yue nodded with a smile but Kuai Ran could see the dissatisfaction in his father’s eyes. After all, Kuai Yue was strict so Kuai Ran was still afraid of his father. Fortunately, his uncle was there to encourage him. “Go. She is still waiting for you!”
“I understand, uncle!” Kuai Ran replied after receiving encouragement. He then took a deep breath and overcame his fear of his father.
Kuai Liang clapped again and this time, two figure walked out. The first was an extremely beautiful woman in red dress. The second was a man that seemed to have the gentleness of a scholar but also the stalwartness of a man.
“It’s you!”
“Why is it him?”
“Impossible! Impossible!”
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1. If you didn’t already know, red represents luck and happiness in Chinese culture. Those getting married generally wear red.
