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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 89: Farewell
Li Jian Cheng held the goose he had redeemed with great effort and walked up to the bride, placing the tightly bound goose in front of her.
Xiao Chanyan reached out to touch the goose, indicating her acceptance. The two then returned to the Main Hall to bid farewell to their parents. Xiao Cong's expression was solemn as he said, "Be cautious and respectful; do not defy the commands of the palace!"
Lady of Liang Guo Duke Cai couldn't help but shed tears, saying, "Be diligent and respectful; do not neglect your duties day or night!"
Xiao Chanyan replied, "I will obey my parents' wishes."
After that, they went to bid farewell at the family temple before stepping outside. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, they boarded the Li Family's wedding carriage. Li Jian Cheng rode his horse around the carriage three times, officially leading the procession home.
As they approached the space between the two families, a group of people suddenly blocked the road ahead. Each one was spirited and gallant. Seeing the wedding carriage approach, they rode forward and called out, "Young man! We are Lords from various states, traveling from afar. We come to admire your beauty and grace. With jewels and elegance, we block your way; you must offer us cattle and sheep!"
Li Jian Cheng waved his hand, and his friends quickly rode forward to confront them. A few skilled fighters even dismounted to demonstrate their skills. Initially, both sides were evenly matched, but today Li Jian Cheng had specially invited Dan Xiongxin for protection.
Thus, it didn't take long for the blocking party to retreat, but they still refused to clear the road. Unable to resolve it with force, they resorted to words.
"The lady is adorned in splendid attire, her virtues shining bright. The marriage is a grand affair; may it bring glory for generations to come."
"Fortune and Virtue abound; may health and strength prevail. The daughters are learning to speak while the sons march in formation."
"Naturally skilled in arts and literature, your nephew has become a Chancellor. Those who come knocking are all promising young men; may your family be honored for a thousand generations as you celebrate this union."
On this joyous occasion filled with auspicious words, Li Jian Cheng ordered people to bring out cattle and sheep. However, those blocking the way refused again, laughing as they said, "Precious treasures shine brightly; fragrant incense fills the air. Gold and silver rain down like droplets; fine silks pile high against walls. Music resounds while lanterns glow brightly; tables are filled with delicacies and fine wine. We humbly request gifts from your Lord's lady."
The protectors were displeased by such bold demands and retorted without hesitation, "In this sacred time of celebration, nurturing all lives—where are your manners? Clear our path at once; do not hinder our procession!"
The blocking party laughed in response: "We are all descendants of esteemed families from San Tai—Longxi Li, Taiyuan Wang, Fan Yang Lu, Qinghe Cui, Jingzhao Wei, Henan Yu, He Dong Xue, He Dong Pei, Wu County Gu, Wu Xing Yao, Dai Bei Yuan—today we dare to challenge your procession; we are no ordinary folk!"
The onlookers cheered loudly; these were all descendants of prominent families with centuries of history. Even those from Capital City had never seen so many noble Lords come forth in such a humble manner.
With no other option left but to present offerings of incense and gold along with fine wine, they finally turned their horses around joyfully and transformed from blocking into escorting as they led the way while singing loudly.
Once they successfully returned to Duke Tang's Residence, there were still many ceremonies awaiting the newlyweds. In the southwest corner of the courtyard stood a beautifully decorated pavilion and a hundred sons' tent.
The couple stopped in front of the pavilion while several unmarried ladies from both Xiao Family and Li Clan entered first to sing: "On this auspicious night, a son of Li Clan marries Xiao Lady. We humbly wish that after this union lasts for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, may prosperity be preserved."
“Five Men and Two Women,” the servant girl recited, “the man shall serve as Chancellor, and the woman shall be appointed as Prince. From this day forth, we vow to extend the lives of husband and wife!”
Then the two of them linked arms and entered the chamber, sharing a single platter of food and drinking from the same cup, colorful threads binding their hands and feet…
Once all the rituals were completed, the night had already passed its halfway mark. Both were feeling a bit weary. Li Jian Cheng gently untied the silk ribbon from his wife's head. “You’ve worked hard.”
“My lord… you’ve worked hard too.”
Even in their fatigue, they could not skip the final step. In a slightly tense atmosphere, they fumbled for quite some time before successfully completing their duty.
…………
After the wedding, Li Jian Cheng had no time to linger with his wife. The guests heading to the capital were preparing to leave; they had traveled great distances to attend and would depart just as far. Who knew when they would meet again?
Li Jian Cheng specifically sought out several merchant caravans and introduced friends with similar routes to travel together. He also dispatched Guardians to accompany them for protection.
The world was already showing signs of chaos; several people on the road could easily fall victim to bandits or water pirates.
Li Jian Cheng almost spent every day seeing off guests outside the city, without a moment's respite for over ten days. Fortunately, his wife came from a noble family; not only did she not throw tantrums, but she also helped with arrangements.
When most of the guests had departed, Li Jian Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Dan Xiongxin remarked, “My lord truly has friends all over the world; there are kindred spirits everywhere.”
Li Shimin proudly raised his head and said, “There are still many who didn’t receive news or couldn’t come due to trivial matters; otherwise, there would have been another thousand or eight hundred people here.”
Li Jian Cheng patted Er Lang on the back of his head and said, “Then we might really have to sell our residence.”
“And what of it?” Li Shimin replied without hesitation. “With so many close friends, we can go anywhere in the world. What’s there to worry about? Opportunities for achievement will come; once we have accomplishments, wealth and property will follow!”
“Haha, my Er Lang has such grace.”
Dan Xiongxin laughed as well. “Though Er Lang Jun is young, he has lofty aspirations; his future will surely be bright.”
Li Shimin felt a bit shy but was brimming with confidence.
Li Jian Cheng turned to Dan Xiongxin and said, “These days have been thanks to you, Brother Dan. I wonder if you have any aspirations?”
Dan Xiongxin paused for a moment and said, "It's nothing more than glorifying the ancestors. To be honest, my family has had a history of serving as Prefects, but our family name has fallen into decline over the years. It's even difficult to find someone to serve in the military now."
"With Brother Dan's skills, I can hardly find anyone like you in the military. His Majesty is considering a campaign against Goguryeo, and I can recommend you to serve as City Gate Captain. Zhang Suduo and several Grand Generals of the Pillar State, including Yurira Makitezhang, still have some connections with me. You can choose one of them to serve and seek achievements."
Dan Xiongxin gratefully clasped his hands together but suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I am just an ordinary man and do not understand the current state of affairs. I dare to ask you, my Lord, for guidance."
Li Jian Cheng looked into the distance with his hands behind his back and said, "Jian Cheng has many friends and has always been generous in helping those he can. I would never mislead others based on my own opinions."
Dan Xiongxin fell silent for a moment. "If His Majesty raises an army, will you lead the troops to attack Goguryeo? I would be willing to serve under your command until death."
Li Jian Cheng shook his head. "I have already begun planning to take up an official position in a local area."
"Do you think this campaign will not go well? After the Sui Dynasty unified the realm, even the Turkic tribes were subdued; how could Goguryeo be any different..."
Seeing that Li Jian Cheng remained silent, Dan Xiongxin felt conflicted and finally couldn't help but say, "I have always admired the Duke of Rongguo's great name. I hope you can introduce me to him."
Li Jian Cheng smiled and said, "Good. Tomorrow I will host a banquet for the sixth son of Kong Gu, and at that time, I will certainly fulfill your wish."
…………
(End of Chapter)
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