The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 582
Chapter 582: The Grand Wedding
Before dawn, Shan Shan was jolted awake by a nightmare.
It was terrifying.
He couldn’t tell whether the fear stemmed from his own urge to destroy everything or the endless slaughter of chickens in his dreams.
“Young Master woke up early today. I was just about to wake you,” said the maid, bringing out his clothes to help him get dressed.
“Today is Second Young Master Lu Zheng Yue’s wedding. The entire household has been awake all night preparing for the grand event.”
“Madam has instructed to dress you and Miss Chao Chao in festive attire.” The maid picked him up, tidied him up, and carried him out the door.
“Does your tooth hurt? Why are you holding your cheek?” she asked in confusion as Shan Shan remained silent, clutching his face.
Shan Shan’s tooth hurt, but he dared not admit it.
He simply shook his head.
The mansion was adorned with red lanterns everywhere. Baskets filled with steamed buns and pastries stamped with the character for joy were carried toward the city gates.
Xu Shi Yun had also prepared several large baskets of copper coins. Even common folk and beggars who came to celebrate could receive some.
Lu Chao Chao, clad in a festive dress, had grown taller at five and a half years old. Yu Shu had carefully styled her hair into an elegant bun.
She crouched at the back gate, pulling out a pouch filled with silver pieces.
“Hmm, exchange these for smaller coins and distribute them among my little brothers.”
“Today is my Second Brother’s wedding. Let’s add some wine and meat to the feast.”
The beggars at the gate beamed with joy, weighing the hefty red packet in their hands.
“Thank you, Fierce Bun! Thank you, Boss!”
Lu Chao Chao squinted and waved them off before heading inside.
Although the sky had yet to brighten, the brothers helping with the groom’s entourage had already arrived at the Lu Manor.
Lu Zheng Yue, dressed in a splendid wedding robe, raised a cup of tea in place of wine and toasted his friends. “Brothers, I shall trouble you today for the bride’s escort.”
Fetching a bride was a battle of wits and strength, with obstacles and trials awaiting the groom’s party.
“General Lu, rest assured! Your elder and younger brothers are both top scholars. No literary challenge will stump them.”
“We brothers shall handle the martial tests. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Exactly! And if all else fails, there’s still me!” said Li Zi Xi, his face slightly pale as he poked his head in.
As soon as he appeared, the crowd instinctively scattered.
“Scholar Li, why are you here?! Quick, quick! Prepare a separate table for him!”
“Scholar Li, it’s not that we don’t welcome you, but your luck is…” Before he could finish, a deputy general standing closest to Li Zi Xi was struck on the head by a sudden drop of bird droppings.
Li Zi Xi clutched his head and limped backward.
“I just wanted to have a drink at the wedding feast,” he said pitifully, still pressing a bandage to his injured forehead, red from a fresh wound.
“Scholar Li, did something happen to you on your way here?” one of the officials in the groom’s party asked.
Li Zi Xi chuckled sheepishly and nodded.
“When I left home, my old horse stumbled, and I was thrown into a ditch, spraining my leg.”
“Then, as I climbed out and stood beneath the eaves to dust myself off, a roof tile fell and hit me on the head. Don’t worry, don’t worry—it’s not fatal… I can still drink this wedding wine!”
Damn it, he had even left before dawn when the streets were empty, yet fate still played against him!
Everyone fell silent.
“Did you get cursed while in the Southern Kingdom? How is your luck getting worse by the day? Even walking to court every morning is like passing through a tribulation,” a colleague finally asked.
They only knew that His Majesty had sent him to the Southern Kingdom on a diplomatic mission. After he arrived…
The Emperor of the Southern Kingdom died.
The Empress Dowager also died.
The Eldest Princess died.
The Imperial Grandson died too.
The vast kingdom was left with only Lu Chao Chao, the lost royal heir, to inherit the throne.
Even Emperor Xuan Ping shuddered at the sight of Li Zi Xi, breaking into a nervous sweat.
Li Zi Xi frowned in grievance. “I didn’t do anything…”
Lu Chao Chao raised a hand to cover her face. Since Sheng He’s divine status was stripped away, misfortune had followed Li Zi Xi. If Sheng He perished, Li Zi Xi would also die.
After all, he was originally a fragment of Sheng He’s soul, and their fates were intertwined.
Lu Chao Chao pondered for a moment before gathering a portion of her spiritual energy into a small pearl and handing it to Li Zi Xi. “Hmm, this will temporarily ward off your misfortune, but it won’t last long.”
Only the one who tied the knot could untangle it. Sheng He had to recover for Li Zi Xi’s fate to change.
As soon as the pearl touched his palm, warmth spread through Li Zi Xi’s body.
“Many thanks, Your Highness!” His eyes gleamed, already planning to fashion the pearl into a pendant to wear close to his chest.
He had personally witnessed the princess’s divine powers in the Southern Kingdom.
“The auspicious hour has arrived! Time to fetch the bride!” the matchmaker announced, and the procession set off in high spirits.
As the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, common folk flooded the streets, offering blessings in exchange for festive coins and pastries.
The accompanying attendants did not drive them away but instead smiled as they scattered joy money and celebratory treats, adding to the revelry.
“We’re fetching the bride!”
Children ran alongside the wedding entourage, beating drums and cheering as they made their way to the Wen Manor.
At the Wen residence, Wen Ning clung to her mother’s lap, her face streaked with tears. Her mother, who had endured hardships in her younger years, now bore the marks of time.
“Zheng Yue is a good child. Entrusting you to him puts my heart at ease.”
“Lu Yuan Ze may have been a scoundrel, but his sons are like fine bamboo shoots from bad roots,” Wen’s father remarked wistfully.
“Nowadays, who wouldn’t wish to marry into the Lu family?”
“Lu Yan Shu, Zheng Yue, Yuan Xiao—each one is an extraordinary talent. The entire capital has their eyes on those boys.”
Marrying into the Lu family meant a chance at prosperity.
Even noble young ladies from prestigious households were eager for such an opportunity.
“Our Wen family was once on par with the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household.”
“But as the Lu children grew more accomplished, I feared our engagement would fall through.” After all, who wouldn’t prefer an in-law of equal status and mutual benefit?
Compared to the Lu family, the Wen family’s standing was too low.
“Zheng Yue and Madam Xu are not such people,” Wen Ning said, wiping her tears and looking at her father with admiration.
Ever since the Lu family’s rise, Zheng Yue had never wavered in his feelings for her.
Wen’s father looked at his daughter with warmth in his eyes. “A-Ning, you are blessed. We can rest assured. Good, good…”
Soon, the sound of drums and gongs echoed through the outer courtyard.
“The groom has arrived! He’s at the outer gate—Miss, quickly cover your head with the veil!” The maid announced joyfully.
In an instant, the Wen residence was filled with excitement.
Lu Zheng Yue stood flanked by his elder and younger brothers, accompanied by a host of young talents. The spectacle left onlookers in awe.
Wasn’t this the entire gathering of North Zhao’s most promising young men?
Many noblewomen’s eyes flickered with ambition, reconsidering ways to establish marriage ties with the Lu family.
“Wen Ning is truly fortunate… Even the most distinguished daughters of noble houses couldn’t win this match, yet she did,” someone whispered sourly.
“Watch your words! Madam Xu dotes on Wen Ning as if she were her own daughter. Speak ill of her, and you may make enemies of the Lu family.”
No one dared to cross the Lu family now.
The envious noblewoman pursed her lips.
Wen Ning was of lower birth, less beautiful, and not as talented as herself. She simply couldn’t understand why the Lu family was so resolute in marrying her.
Her own family had sent proposals to the Lu family, only to be tactfully refused.
What stoked her jealousy even more was that when Lu Zheng Yue arrived, he knelt before Wen Ning’s parents and solemnly made his vows.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation