On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was clear, the sun shone brightly, auspicious clouds drifted overhead, the snow began to melt, and it was an auspicious day for all matters.
This day marked the grand occasion of the marriage between the heir of the Prince of Ning and the Princess of Yan Yun, a union that would bring the countries of Yan Yun and Yu into an alliance!
Early in the morning, the people of the capital city woke up before dawn. They called on their relatives and friends, stepped out of their homes, and flocked to the streets to witness the grand wedding escort of the heir of the Prince of Ning.
The capital city was awash in red. Red lanterns were hung on both sides of every street to welcome the arrival of the Princess of Yan Yun.
As dawn was breaking, Ji Lingchuan, dressed in a bright red wedding robe embroidered with four - clawed golden dragons, stepped out of the Prince of Ning's Mansion. He mounted the well - bred Ferghana horse that had been prepared in advance. The saddle, noseband, and hoof covers of the horse were all in bright red.
Ji Lingchuan's long, inky hair was tied up behind his head with a golden wedding headdress, revealing his resolute and handsome face. Since it was his wedding day, the usually cold and serious heir of the Prince of Ning had a hint of joy between his eyebrows. The corners of his lips were slightly curled up, and his pair of dark phoenix - like eyes sparkled like stars. Paired with the fiery red silk flower on his chest, anyone could see the excitement of getting married on his face.
Apart from Ji Lingchuan, the wedding escort team from the Prince of Ning's Mansion included matchmakers, maids, musicians, sedan - chair bearers, and the rest were the Black Armored Army soldiers who were there to protect the team.
However, on this day, these battle - hardened soldiers did not wear their armor. Instead, they were dressed in uniform red short jackets, looking neat, clean, and valiant. This added a unique charm to the wedding escort team.
The butler of the Prince of Ning's Mansion shouted at the top of his voice, "The auspicious time has arrived! Let's go for the wedding escort!"
The servants quickly stepped forward to light the firecrackers on both sides of the main gate. Amidst the "crackling" sounds, Ji Lingchuan pulled on the reins of his horse. To the sound of drums and suonas, he rode towards the city gate.
The Princess of Ning and the Prince of Ning watched the wedding escort team set off. The servants rang the gongs to welcome the guests into the mansion for the ceremony.
Three days ago, the wedding procession from Yan Yun had already arrived at Yingning Town. Song Yihuan, in disguise, returned to Yingning Town under Ji Lingchuan's escort to prepare for her wedding. She was waiting for her wedding day in the post - house of Yingning Town.
She had been extremely busy in these three days. She tried on her wedding dress and headdress, listened to the matchmaker's instructions on wedding rituals, and learned the rules for a new bride.
Before the wedding, she had to take a bath with milk and flower petals to purify herself, then have her facial hair removed, hands moisturized, and hair coiled up.
On the day of her wedding, she didn't even have a chance to sleep soundly. She had just closed her eyes for a short while when she was woken up. Under the hasty hands of the matchmaker and maids, the fiery red wedding dress embroidered with the totem of the Vermilion Bird of Yan Yun gradually wrapped around her graceful figure. The Vermilion Bird embroidered with gold thread looked noble and elegant, shining brightly with her every move.
The headdress inlaid with gold spar, rubies, and white crystals, special products of Yan Yun, was extremely luxurious. It made the bride's face look as delicate as a peach blossom after a spring rain, her lips full and charming, and her black hair as beautiful as floating clouds.
Looking at herself in the mirror, even though she had been mentally prepared, Song Yihuan still felt a moment of daze.
Even the matchmaker couldn't help but exclaim, "I've seen so many brides, but I've never seen a woman like the princess. She can be called the most beautiful woman in the world."
The maids of the royal family of Yan Yun, carefully selected by Feng Tingyun, who were serving beside Song Yihuan, laughed and said, "That's for sure. Our princess is the incarnation of the Vermilion Bird Fairy. How can ordinary women compare with her?"
Song Yihuan blushed at their praise. She said, "Don't exaggerate like this. There are countless women in the world, and beauty comes in different forms. If this kind of talk gets out, it will be a laughingstock."
With a hint of shyness, her eyes sparkled like falling stars, making her even more breathtakingly beautiful.
Outside, it was already broad daylight. Faint sounds of suonas and drums could be heard in the distance. Everyone's expressions tightened. They said, "They're coming! Hurry, block the door. Be careful not to let the groom break in!"
Everyone rushed forward to block the door. Song Yihuan watched this scene and subconsciously held her breath, clenching her hands tightly.
She had waited for this moment for many years.
Now, she was finally going to get married.
Moreover, the man she was going to marry was the one who had been hidden in her heart since she was a young girl.
Their fates had begun in the dilapidated temple on the back mountain of the Imperial College. From the moment she heard his voice, their destinies had become intertwined like vines and were hard to separate.
Finally, she was going to become his wife.
The wedding escort team arrived at the post - house in Yingning Town. The ordinary - looking post - house a few days ago was now decorated with red decorations, looking extremely festive. However, when the horses reached the post - house, they were stopped.
The one who stopped Ji Lingchuan was Bai Xisong, a capable subordinate of Feng Tingyun.
Bai Xisong was accompanied by several burly men. They blocked the way and laughed heartily.
"General Ji, although our emperor is marrying the princess to you, it's not that easy to marry the princess of Yan Yun. If you can't pass our test, sorry, we'll have to find another son - in - law for the princess."
After he finished speaking, the burly men beside him patted their well - muscled chests and shouted:
"Right! We've long heard of the great reputation of the God of War of the Yu country. Today, we brothers want to see General Ji's skills!"
"If you want to marry our princess of Yan Yun, you have to step over our bodies first!"
Ji Lingchuan knew that this was a test set by Feng Tingyun. He neatly dismounted from his horse. With a calm expression, he raised his hand towards Bai Xisong and the others and said, "Please."
At Bai Xisong's order, the burly men lined up in the shape of the Big Dipper and rushed towards Ji Lingchuan one by one.
Ji Lingchuan never underestimated his opponents. He calmly responded to their attacks. While fighting, he sighed at the many talented people in Yan Yun. These people's skills were not much inferior to his. In the Yu country, they would also be fierce generals.
However, in front of him, they were still no match!
First, he dealt with the man in the position of Yaoguang, then Kaiyang, Yuheng, Tianquan...
His palm stopped just in front of Bai Xisong's chest. Ji Lingchuan said indifferently, "Commander Bai, thank you for your concession."
Knowing that this palm could shatter his heart veins, Bai Xisong, who was standing in the Tian Shu position, had a satisfied smile on his face. "General Ji has excellent skills. With this, I can rest assured to report to our emperor."
He stepped aside from the main gate of the post - house and made a "please" gesture. Ji Lingchuan led the wedding escort team behind him and walked in, not noticing the sly smile on Bai Xisong's face.
As soon as Ji Lingchuan walked into the main gate of the post - house, he quickly encountered another obstacle.
A group of women dressed in the official uniforms of Yan Yun blocked his way. The leader was the senior maid who had always served beside Feng Tingyun. Her name was Shen Jiang.
"General Ji has actually passed the first test set by Commander Bai. You truly live up to your reputation as a hero praised by our emperor. However, if you want to marry our princess, you still have to pass my test."
"This is the unique Sparrow God Wine of Yan Yun. One drop can make a person drunk. If General Ji can walk from here to the princess's room smoothly, only then can you take our princess away."
The official women lined up in two rows, each holding a bowl of wine. Counting them carefully, there were actually as many as sixty bowls!