Volume One, Chapter Thirteen: Escorting the Li Family to Accompany the Deceased Empress

Having made their decision, the two knelt and performed the traditional bows to heaven and earth in unison.

“Second bow to the elders!”

As Li Jize and Wang Yuanya knelt before the couple Li Jin and Huang Suqiu, the mother’s face was beaming with joy, but the father remained cold and indifferent, looking straight ahead without acknowledgment.

“Now, the bow between husband and wife!”

Just as the couple faced each other and prepared to perform the final bow, a commotion arose at the doorway…

Amid the scraping sound of iron armor, the second brother, Li Jihuan, clad in armor stained with fresh blood, returned.

The guests quickly stepped aside, whispering among themselves.

“Who is this man? Why is he dressed like that at a wedding? It’s such bad luck.”

“Don’t you know? He’s Li Jihuan, the second son of the Li family, just appointed as the border general commanding the Beiliang Wolf Cavalry, succeeding his foolish eldest brother.”

Li Jihuan, radiating a fierce aura and covered in blood, appeared at Li Jize’s wedding. Huang Suqiu, his mother, was utterly perplexed.

After a long moment, she rose displeased and scolded sharply, “Jihuan, today is your eldest brother’s joyous day. You come here covered in blood and armor? What are you trying to imply?”

Li Jihuan paid no heed to Huang Suqiu and knelt on one knee, performing a formal salute to Li Jin.

“Greetings, Father!”

Then he turned toward the crowd with a bright smile and saluted Chen Anran.

“Greetings, Mother!”

He completely ignored Huang Suqiu, his lawful mother—treating her as if she were invisible.

In the feudal era, this was extremely disrespectful. Because his biological mother was a concubine, Huang Suqiu was the legitimate wife.

Strictly speaking, only the legitimate mother was called “mother,” while the biological mother would only be addressed as “aunt.”

Yet now, not only did he appear boldly in armor at his brother’s wedding, but he openly disregarded Huang Suqiu’s authority.

She was about to explode with anger.

However, Li Jin, the husband, seemed unfazed. Despite maintaining a stern face throughout the eldest son’s wedding, he now greeted this illegitimate second son with a broad smile and reached out to help him up.

“Good to have you back! Good to have you back! Jihuan, guarding the northern border of Beiliang, you must have endured much hardship?”

“For the glory of the Li family! For His Majesty, your son suffers no hardship!”

Father and son played out a scene of deep affection.

But the guests exchanged confused glances, bewildered.

Had they mistaken who the main figure of today’s event was?

After all, there was still the newlywed couple waiting at the wedding.

—

Huang Suqiu, dissatisfied, looked toward Li Jin and said, “Jin Ge, isn’t this improper? Today is Jize’s wedding. How can Jihuan show up like this?”

Before Li Jin could respond, the concubine Chen Anran stepped forward with a sarcastic tone, “Our Jihuan guards the border for Great Qi and was summoned back today! He comes dusty and bloodied from battle—for Great Qi, for His Majesty! Between a general who fights for the nation and a fool getting married, I believe everyone knows which weighs more, right?”

Huang Suqiu had endured much up to this point, but when Chen Anran called her son a fool, she could no longer hold back.

She retorted sharply, “Don’t speak as if my son has done nothing! If we talk about serving Great Qi and His Majesty, Jize has done far more! When he was sacrificing, your son didn’t even know where he was!”

Chen Anran was rendered speechless, unable to reply.

In frustration, she brought up the past again.

“Hmph! So what? It was Jize who was seen as an ill omen by His Majesty, the one who would bring disaster to Great Qi, not my Li Jihuan!”

“You…”

Huang Suqiu’s anger surged, about to retort, when—

“Enough!”

At the critical moment, the head of the family Li Jin sharply interrupted. Both Huang Suqiu and Chen Anran fell silent.

He said coldly, “The past shall not be mentioned again!”

Clearly, Li Jize was considered a “monster,” and the emperor’s dream of his rebellion and overthrow of Great Qi was a taboo subject.

To speak of it openly would bring misfortune not only to Li Jize but also to the entire Li family.

The Empress had already arranged the marriage and was not pursuing the matter further; they should be grateful and not keep bringing it up.

Once things settled down, Li Jin took a deep breath and looked at his second son, Li Jihuan.

“You, also go and take off your armor. Change into something proper! Later, stay with your father and drink a few more cups!”

The first half of the sentence sounded like a reprimand, but the latter half was an invitation for heartfelt bonding.

Because now, Li Jihuan had received the military authority over the Beiliang Wolf Cavalry by imperial decree.

This meant…

The youngest son had replaced the eldest son Li Jize in the emperor’s favor.

The future of the Li family now rested solely on Li Jihuan.

This explained why Li Jihuan dared to be so audacious—ignoring his lawful mother Huang Suqiu and openly asserting dominance over Li Jize and his mother at the wedding.

Huang Suqiu was furious.

If her son were still the Prince of Qin, still the former supreme general, would this mother and son dare to act so brazenly?

She was deeply angry but could only suppress her rage.

Now, thinking of nothing else, Huang Suqiu only wanted to finish this wedding quickly, so her son Li Jize could settle down and start a family.

—

As for Li Jize?

Did he care?

Not at all.

Regarding his second brother Li Jihuan, his stepmother Chen Anran, and even his father Li Jin…

No. To be precise, Li Jize held no affection for the entire Li family.

Since they were so loyal to the Empress and played happily on this already battered “broken ship” called Great Qi,

Li Jize would not mind letting them “fulfill their duties” faithfully beside the Empress before finally sinking this broken vessel.

“Matchmaker! What are you waiting for?”

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the “fool” Li Jize called out to the matchmaker.

The matchmaker was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized and loudly proclaimed, “Husband and wife, bow to each other!”

Li Jize and Wang Yuanya, both long impatient, performed the bow between husband and wife amid the astonished gazes of everyone present.

With a shout from the matchmaker, “The ceremony is complete! Escort the bride to the bridal chamber!”

After many twists and turns, the wedding was finally concluded, fraught with difficulties but completed at last.

…

Inside the bridal chamber,

The lights were bright, while outside relatives and friends ate, drank, and laughed.

Inside, however, Wang Yuanya was restless, the first time as a bride with no experience.

She didn’t know who had made the rule that the groom could feast and enjoy outside, while the bride could only wait inside the bridal chamber.

And she didn’t know when the “fool” would arrive.

Rubbing her rumbling belly, she glanced at the various fruits on the table…

Fine! I’m not really marrying this fool Li Jize, so why follow any rules?

If the lady of the house wants to eat, she’ll eat!

With that thought, Wang Yuanya lifted her bridal veil, sat on the table, and began munching on a peach, savoring it with delight.

Just then, with a creak, the door opened!

The groom Li Jize had returned, and the two stared at each other wide-eyed.