Chapter 314: The Grand Wedding
Chapter 314: Chapter 314: The Grand Wedding
Lu Zhan led Zhi Wan by the hand, only letting go when they were outside a room. "Go on in."
Zhi Wan gave him a questioning look but went in as he said.
When she saw the person lying on the bed, she cried out in shock, "Uncle?"
The person on the bed was none other than Zhi Ye.
Back in the Dragon Tent, he had been stabbed by Shen Congrong.
Although the sword had missed his heart by about an inch, the lack of timely medical attention had led to excessive blood loss, leaving his life hanging by a thread.
Even when a doctor was later brought in to treat him, he was already beyond medical help.
Hearing Zhi Wan’s voice, he struggled to open his eyes.
"My... niece..." His voice was filled with remorse.
Zhi Wan saw his condition and sat down by the bed. "Uncle, are you alright?"
"You... don’t blame me?" Zhi Ye asked, his voice strained.
Deep down, of course she blamed him.
He was her own uncle, her only relative in this world, yet he had planned to kidnap her to threaten her cousin.
And because of what her uncle did, she was almost sold into a brothel by Zeng Jiayi.
’How could she not blame him?’
But even though her cousin hadn’t said anything, she could see that her uncle wasn’t going to make it.
So, facing her uncle’s expectant gaze, she went against her heart and shook her head. "I don’t blame you anymore."
It was unclear if it was because his wounds were too painful or if he was reflecting on his life’s deeds, but a tear slid from the corner of Zhi Ye’s eye.
"I’m... sorry... I’ll go to the Underworld... and atone... to your father and mother..." After sputtering out these words, Zhi Ye closed his eyes for the last time.
"Uncle!" Zhi Wan cried out in alarm.
But Zhi Ye was no longer breathing. His eyes were closed, however, suggesting he had departed without any lingering regrets.
Hearing her cry, Lu Zhan walked in.
"Cousin, Uncle... he’s gone," Zhi Wan said, throwing herself into his arms, her voice choked with sobs.
Even though her uncle had done many terrible things, he was still her family. As he breathed his last, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.
"For him, this is a form of release, in a way," Lu Zhan said, gently patting his cousin’s back.
With the help of Lu Zhan and Chen Jiu, Zhi Wan handled Zhi Ye’s funeral arrangements, choosing a quiet plot for his burial.
Staring at her uncle’s lonely grave, Zhi Wan felt a swell of emotion.
’No matter how one strives in life, rich or poor, it all ends with a plot of earth.’
Remembering the remorse in her uncle’s eyes before he died, Zhi Wan sighed.
’If only he had repented sooner.’
On the way back, Zhi Wan voiced the question that had been weighing on her mind. "Who was it... that wounded Uncle?"
Lu Zhan leaned against the wall of the carriage, resting with his eyes closed.
So much had happened over the past few days that he hadn’t had a moment to rest.
At her words, he opened his eyes and said flatly, "He was wounded by Shen Congrong, the head of the Imperial Guards."
"Shen Congrong?" Zhi Wan froze.
She had never heard the name before.
"Yes," Lu Zhan nodded. "According to your uncle, Shen Congrong is also a son of King Jin, though born to a mistress. Your uncle only found out about it recently himself."
Zhi Wan was stunned. "So the rebellion at the hunting ground was orchestrated entirely by him?"
"Yes. All these years, he’s been hiding in plain sight at the Emperor’s side, under the guise of avenging King Jin. He used the funds and supplies your uncle sent from Jiangnan to secretly train soldiers at the hunting ground, waiting for the day he could seize the Emperor and usurp the throne. Your uncle never knew of this ambition and trusted him implicitly.
He lost his life this time because he fell for Shen Congrong’s scheme."
Zhi Wan’s heart hammered in her chest as she listened.
Her cousin had spoken of the events at the hunting ground so casually, but the danger must have been far more severe than she had imagined.
’Thankfully, my cousin returned safely.’
Lu Zhan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, sensed her gaze. He opened his eyes and asked with a smile, "What are you looking at?"
Zhi Wan shook her head and leaned into his embrace. Fiddling with his lapel, she asked, "So, has the dust finally settled?"
"Yes," Lu Zhan answered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. His voice was warm. "All you have to do now is wait for me to come and marry you."
At the thought that they would be married in just a few days, a blush crept onto Zhi Wan’s face.
"Mhm," she nodded gently.
A smile flickered in Lu Zhan’s eyes as he pulled her closer.
...
On the day of the wedding, the sun shone brightly; it was an auspicious and peaceful day.
Nanny Chen had urged Zhi Wan to get up, bathe, and dress at the crack of dawn.
After a flurry of preparations, the auspicious hour soon arrived.
Hearing the firecrackers of the wedding procession outside, Zhi Wan suddenly grew nervous.
Although she had grown up in the Duke Mansion, this time she would be entering it as a daughter-in-law, as a wife.
The change in her status left her feeling unsettled and a little lost.
Last night, her mind had been racing.
’Will my future be happy? Will it be smooth and carefree?’
She couldn’t find an answer.
Although her aunt and cousin were very good to her, she still had a long life ahead, full of uncertainties.
’But no matter what, this is the path I’ve chosen. I must face it with courage.’
"Wanwan, I have something fun to tell you," Ouyang Zhenzhu suddenly whispered mysteriously in Zhi Wan’s ear.
"What is it?" Princess Chang Le asked before Zhi Wan even had a chance.
"Hehe!" Ouyang Zhenzhu giggled, covering her mouth and deliberately building suspense. "You’ll see when you meet the sedan bearers."
Zhi Wan gave her a suspicious look. "Is there something wrong with the sedan bearers? It’s not Junior Minister Ouyang and Junior Minister Duan, is it?"
The smile vanished from Ouyang Zhenzhu’s face. She frowned. "How did you know?"
Princess Chang Le scoffed. "You made it completely obvious."
Looking disappointed, Ouyang Zhenzhu twisted her handkerchief. "I shouldn’t have said anything. Now there’s no surprise at all."
Zhi Wan took her hand and said earnestly, "Thank you, Zhenzhu."
"What for?" Ouyang Zhenzhu asked, confused.
Zhi Wan simply smiled without answering.
Princess Chang Le glanced at her and immediately understood.
’The poor girl must be nervous, huh?’
’But after Ouyang Zhenzhu’s little distraction, she actually seems more relaxed?’
"Thank you as well, Your Highness," Zhi Wan said, turning to Princess Chang Le with heartfelt sincerity.
She was an orphan, but on her wedding day, she wasn’t the least bit lonely.
They had filled the room with life and warmth.
"Don’t be nervous. If Lu Zhan ever dares to wrong you, just come to me. I’ll see that you get justice," Princess Chang Le said resolutely, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulder.
"Then I’ll be counting on Your Highness as my protector," Zhi Wan said with a blink.
"I thought I already was," Princess Chang Le replied, raising an eyebrow.
"The groom has arrived to fetch the bride! Quick, put on her veil!" Just then, the Wedding Maid entered, her face beaming with joy. She picked up the large, red bridal veil and draped it over Zhi Wan’s head.
When it was time to leave, Chen Daniu, acting in the role of her elder brother, carried Zhi Wan on his back to the bridal sedan.
The sedan curtain fell, and with the Wedding Maid’s cry of "Lift the sedan!" the chair was hoisted into the air.
Sitting inside the bridal sedan, Zhi Wan could faintly hear bursts of laughter from the crowd outside.
"Those two at the front—aren’t they Junior Minister Duan and Junior Minister Ouyang? What are they doing carrying the sedan?"
"Two Junior Ministers of the Ministry of Justice carrying the bridal sedan? That has to be a first!"
Amid the roaring laughter, someone also exclaimed, "The groom is so handsome!"
"The bride is so fortunate!" someone else said with envy.
Hearing this, a sweet warmth spread through Zhi Wan’s heart.
It was as if she could see right through the sedan curtain to the image of her cousin: devastatingly handsome in his fiery red wedding robes, mounted on a fine steed.