“Mother, is Li’er ready? The Cold King’s envoy has arrived to escort her,” Leng Jinyu called out loudly from outside the door.
“Yes, yes, we’ll be out momentarily,” replied Old Madam Xia.
Madam An quickly took the mandarin duck veil and placed it over Leng Ruoli’s head.
Xing’er and Ling’er swiftly opened the room door. Madam An and Madam Jiang helped Leng Ruoli step out.
In the front hall of the Leng General’s mansion, Leng Ruoli’s dowry filled the entire outer courtyard.
Jun Mohan wore a golden hairpin embedded with a purple-gold crown to tie his hair, a vibrant red wedding robe, and a white jade belt embroidered with auspicious clouds in golden silkworm silk at his waist. His feet were clad in black, long boots with white soles…
His handsome face was chiseled with sharp, defined features. Beneath his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of unusual violet eyes. His nose was like a hanging beam, complemented by a thin, chiseled lips that held extreme allure. However, his gaze was as cold as ice, making him unapproachable.
Today was the grand wedding day of the Cold King. Riding his favorite Arabian steed, Liehuo, he led a magnificent sixteen-bearer grand bridal sedan chair, arriving in a grand procession at the Leng General’s mansion for the bride escort.
The onlookers were baffled. How could the infamous ugly legitimate daughter of the Leng General’s mansion be so fortunate? Not only was she marrying the Cold King, but the Cold King himself had come to escort her. They were filled with envy.
“Wow, His Highness the Cold King looks truly magnificent today!” exclaimed a besotted maiden.
“Hmph! What’s the use of being handsome? Don’t forget he suffers from a strange blood-devouring illness. The eldest daughter of the Leng family might not live long after marrying him,” said a woman beside her, pouring cold water on the maiden’s admiration with a look of disdain.
“You… you, I won’t allow you to insult my idol!” The maiden’s eyes widened as she glared at the woman, speaking with fiery indignation.
The woman also placed her hands on her hips, glaring back at the maiden.
At this moment, a clamor arose from the crowd.
“Look, look! What are those things being carried by the carriages approaching from the street?”
The onlookers craned their necks towards the street.
Subsequently, the carriages quickly drove over and stopped at the entrance of the Leng General’s mansion. An eunuch emerged from one of the carriages.
Xia Shanyi hurried out to greet him. This was supposed to be Leng Jinyu’s task, but today, Leng Jinyu was solely in charge, and the bustling affairs were too much for him. The task of greeting guests at the door had to be handed over to the two brothers from the Xia family.
“Greetings, esteemed eunuch,” Xia Shanyi said politely.
The eunuch respectfully replied, “Lord Xia, today is the day the eldest daughter of the Leng family marries. You need not be so formal.”
With that, the eunuch flicked his horsetail whisk and walked to the Cold King’s side, offering his congratulations.
He then approached Xia Shanyi again, and in a gravelly voice, announced loudly to the crowd at the entrance, “This servant is here today at the Leng General’s mansion to deliver the Empress Dowager’s imperial decree for the eldest daughter of the Leng family’s dowry. There are a total of twenty-eight chests of jewelry, ornaments, paintings, and calligraphy. Lord Xia, please make the necessary arrangements.”
“Xia Shanyi thanks the Empress Dowager for her grace on behalf of his niece Leng Ruoli! Wishing the Empress Dowager auspiciousness!” Xia Shanyi immediately knelt to express his gratitude to the Empress Dowager.
“Lord Xia, please rise. I must report back to the Empress Dowager.”
After saying this, the eunuch turned, got into his carriage, and departed.
However, shortly after the eunuch left, the Emperor also sent Eunuch Li with thirty chests of treasures to add to Leng Ruoli’s dowry.
The crowd instantly erupted in another uproar.
Person A said, “This eldest daughter of the Leng family has such great face! Even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are personally sending gifts for her dowry.”
Person B: “Indeed! How much better is she than the second daughter of the Leng family, who is hailed as the most beautiful woman in the capital?”
Person C: “Heh! That second daughter of the Leng family is the daughter of a concubine. How can she compare to the legitimate eldest daughter of the Leng family?”
Just then, someone shouted, “Everyone, quick! Look! What are those things being carried by the carriages approaching from the street?”
The onlookers turned their heads towards the street.
Subsequently, the carriages quickly drove over and stopped at the entrance of the Leng General’s mansion. An eunuch emerged from one of the carriages.
Xia Shanyi hurried out to greet him. This was supposed to be Leng Jinyu’s task, but today, Leng Jinyu was solely in charge, and the bustling affairs were too much for him. The task of greeting guests at the door had to be handed over to the two brothers from the Xia family.
“Greetings, esteemed eunuch,” Xia Shanyi said politely.
The eunuch respectfully replied, “Lord Xia, today is the day the eldest daughter of the Leng family marries. You need not be so formal.”
With that, the eunuch flicked his horsetail whisk and walked to the Cold King’s side, offering his congratulations.
He then approached Xia Shanyi again, and in a gravelly voice, announced loudly to the crowd at the entrance, “This servant is here today at the Leng General’s mansion to deliver the Empress Dowager’s imperial decree for the eldest daughter of the Leng family’s dowry. There are a total of twenty-eight chests of jewelry, ornaments, paintings, and calligraphy. Lord Xia, please make the necessary arrangements.”
“Xia Shanyi thanks the Empress Dowager for her grace on behalf of his niece Leng Ruoli! Wishing the Empress Dowager auspiciousness!” Xia Shanyi immediately knelt to express his gratitude to the Empress Dowager.
“Lord Xia, please rise. I must report back to the Empress Dowager.”
After saying this, the eunuch turned, got into his carriage, and departed.
However, shortly after the eunuch left, the Emperor also sent Eunuch Li with thirty chests of treasures to add to Leng Ruoli’s dowry.
The crowd instantly erupted in another uproar.
Person A said, “This eldest daughter of the Leng family has such great face! Even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are personally sending gifts for her dowry.”
Person B: “Indeed! How much better is she than the second daughter of the Leng family, who is hailed as the most beautiful woman in the capital?”
Person C: “Heh! That second daughter of the Leng family is the daughter of a concubine. How can she compare to the legitimate eldest daughter of the Leng family?”
Just then, someone shouted, “Everyone, quick! Look! The bride is coming out!”
All eyes turned towards Leng Ruoli as she emerged.
“Wow! The wedding dress of the eldest daughter of the Leng family is so beautiful!”
“Yes, I’ve seen many daughters of officials getting married, but I’ve never seen such a beautiful wedding dress.”
After Leng Ruoli stepped out, the matchmaker shouted, “Bride, get into the sedan chair!”
She then spoke many auspicious words.
Xia Annan walked out from the crowd and carried Leng Ruoli into the sedan chair. Jun Mohan performed a grand bow to Leng Jinyu and then, riding Liehuo, set off with great fanfare and excitement towards the Cold King’s mansion.
Behind them, the servants carrying the dowry chests formed a neat, endless procession. It was truly a ten-mile red procession, a spectacle comparable only to a princess’s wedding.
As the sedan chair passed a restaurant, a woman on the upper floor stared intently at the bridal sedan chair below. Her eyes, filled with fury, seemed capable of shooting out fire dragons to ignite Leng Ruoli’s sedan chair.
This woman was Qin Xixue, who had always harbored feelings for Jun Mohan.
“Cousin, the Cold King is not the right man for you. I once heard someone from Guigu say that the Cold King is suffering from a very difficult-to-cure poison. If no one can develop an antidote, he may not live much longer,” said Lin Mengzhi, standing beside Qin Xixue.
“Then his consort should not be Leng Ruoli!” Qin Xixue said through gritted teeth, gazing down at the scene below.
“Really? I think it’s quite good that the Cold King married Leng Ruoli. Because if the Cold King dies at such a young age, Leng Ruoli will surely be buried alive with him. Haha—” Lin Mengzhi said with a smug grin.
As she was laughing heartily, Qin Xixue slapped her casually, leaving five finger marks on Lin Mengzhi’s face.
“I won’t allow you to curse the Cold King to death!”
Qin Xixue yelled at Lin Mengzhi with an angry glare, then turned and walked away, leaving Lin Mengzhi seething with anger and gnashing her teeth.
“Bah! Qin Xixue, who do you think you are? Just an old woman who can’t get married. I, Lin Mengzhi, curse you to remain unmarried your entire life and to experience the taste of being with countless men.”
After cursing, Lin Mengzhi stomped heavily on the floor.
“Hmph! Arrogant bitch Qin Xixue!”
“Let’s go, we’re going to the Cold King’s mansion for the wedding banquet!”
Lin Mengzhi yelled at the two maids behind her and immediately went downstairs!
—
Meanwhile, after bringing the bride to the entrance of the Cold King’s mansion, the Cold King dismounted his horse, kicked the sedan chair twice, and then directly carried Leng Ruoli out.
This procedure was supposed to be guided by the matchmaker. However, he found the matchmaker’s incessant chatter annoying. Therefore, as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the Cold King’s mansion, he ordered his guards to block the matchmaker aside and carried Leng Ruoli inside himself.
This immediately caused the onlookers to burst into laughter.
“Look, the Cold King is so eager to get into the bridal chamber that he won’t even let the matchmaker announce the sedan chair.”
“Yes, it was rumored before that His Highness the Cold King was indifferent to women and was a homosexual. Turns out that’s not true, he just has unusual tastes.”
With that, the crowd burst into laughter again.