Chapter 231: The Wedding Dress
When He Yan returned to the residence, the night was already deep.
He Yunsheng told her about Bai Rongwei’s visit to the residence. When He Yan heard that they had even calculated an auspicious date, she couldn’t help but pause: “After the New Year?”
“Yes,” He Yunsheng looked at her expression, “Do you also think it’s too rushed?”
“Not exactly,” He Yan replied, “It’s just that there are many affairs in the court recently, and the Wutuo envoys have just arrived in the capital today. The next two months will be very busy. Where would Xiao Jue and I find the time to prepare for the wedding?”
He Yunsheng frowned: “Don’t you yourself think it’s too fast?”
“It’s fine,” He Yan said. “The Emperor has bestowed the marriage; sooner or later, I have to marry. What does it matter?”
“But it’s your own wedding after all,” He Yunsheng said with a headache. “Could you at least show a little more concern?”
He Yan felt it was unnecessary.
In her previous life, when she got married, it was also shortly after returning to the capital and switching identities with He Rufei. The time was tight, but the He family had already arranged everything—from the dowry to the wedding dress—she hadn’t worried about a single thing. She didn’t know if other women were the same when they married, but in her memory, getting married was merely moving from one home to another.
He Sui scolded He Yunsheng: “Your sister knows what she’s doing. Why are you worrying so much?” Then he turned to He Yan and asked, “Yan Yan, when Madam Xiao visited today, she said the betrothal gifts are already prepared. Since you hold an official position, after marrying into the Xiao family, you won’t need to perform morning and evening greetings; everything will remain as before. As for your dowry, I’ve also saved up some for you over the years. Of course, our family can’t compare to the Xiao family, but you don’t need to feel ashamed or troubled about it. Our daughter will bring her own salary when she marries, receiving it every month. Isn’t that better than a dowry?”
“However, there’s one last thing,” He Sui scratched his head. “You’ve been in Liang Province for so long and haven’t embroidered your wedding dress. Now, with the wedding approaching, there’s no time to embroider it yourself… In Shuojing City, there are several excellent seamstresses. Whichever one you like, I’ll hire her to make your wedding dress. It should be ready in time.”
“That must not be cheap, right?” He Yan asked.
“My daughter’s wedding deserves the best,” He Sui said carelessly. “I have plenty of money.”
“I’m not short on money either,” He Yan said. “I have my own plans for the wedding dress. Don’t worry about it, Father.”
“But…”
“It’s my own wedding, so of course, I’ll decide for myself,” He Yan stood up. “Does Father even want to choose the wedding dress for me?”
“That’s not what I meant,” He Sui quickly said. When he saw He Yan’s gaze, he backed down. “Fine, as long as you’re happy with it. But once you’ve chosen a seamstress, you must tell me so I can hire her for you.”
“Understood,” He Yan glanced outside. “It’s getting late. Father, you and Yunsheng should rest early too.”
After washing up, Qingmei entered the room to take away the basin of hot water. As she did, she said, “If the auspicious date is set, once the New Year passes, you’ll be getting married, miss. Why do you seem so calm about it?”
“Getting married isn’t like going to battle,” He Yan chuckled. “What is there to be nervous about?”
“You’re too carefree, miss,” Qingmei muttered. “What about the wedding dress? Haven’t you ever imagined what you’ll look like wearing it when you marry Commander Xiao?”
He Yan paused slightly.In her previous life, when she married Xu Zhiheng, the wedding dress prepared by the He family was actually quite splendid and exquisite. However, as He Yan looked at her reflection in the mirror, adorned with the phoenix crown and cloud cape, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat uneasy. The scars beneath the fine garments would inevitably catch the eyes of others, and what awaited her was an uncertain future, living as a woman in an unfamiliar household.
Even with anticipation, deep down, there was fear at that time.
Now...
She no longer feared the idea of marriage. Perhaps it was because Xiao Jue had promised her that even after marrying into the Xiao family, she wouldn’t have to sacrifice or give up anything—she could simply be her true self.
Seeing He Yan silent, Qingmei thought she had finally grown shy and smiled with relief, carrying the basin of hot water out the door. The sound of the door closing startled He Yan back to her senses. She lay down on the bed and suddenly remembered something, reaching into her inner garment to retrieve the snake-patterned Black Jade.
Under the lamplight of the night, the Black Jade emitted a cool yet warm glow. After Xiao Jue gave it to her, He Yan had been afraid of losing it if she wore it at her waist, so she found a cord to string it on and wore it as a necklace around her neck.
A beautiful wedding dress would undoubtedly require a considerable amount of silver. He Sui and He Yun Sheng were already stretched thin for her wedding expenses. She wondered if, by taking this jade to the embroidery workshop, others might allow her to buy on credit out of respect for Xiao Jue.
But... buying a wedding dress on credit—if word got out, her own reputation aside, Xiao Jue’s face would also be tarnished.
That wouldn’t do.
He Yan tucked the jade pendant back into place and turned over.
Throughout history, getting married truly was an expensive affair.
...
On the mountain at night, in the vast, empty hall, two giant wooden tigers crouched before the entrance, as still as if asleep.
A gray-feathered pigeon fluttered its wings and landed on a small table, blinking its black bean-like eyes before pecking at the red wild berries in a porcelain dish on the table. A slender hand reached over and removed the copper tube tied to the pigeon’s leg.
A moment later, with a crisp clink, the copper tube fell to the ground. Someone yawned sleepily and mumbled, “What’s going on?”
The speaker had a round, pale face, his eyes narrowed into slits by plump cheeks, yet he didn’t appear greasy or unpleasant. Instead, he looked rather comical and amiable. If He Yan were here, she would recognize him as Lu Daichuan, Xiao Jue’s master skilled in sword forging, whom she had met before.
“Huh,” Lu Daichuan spotted the gray pigeon stealing food and paused in surprise. “A letter? Whose is it?”
“Who else could it be? Your precious disciple,” the woman holding the letter turned around, revealing a face full of charm.
The woman appeared to be in her thirties or forties. Her features weren’t strikingly beautiful, but the charm in her brows and eyes was captivating—her eyes were alluring, yet her lips were thin, giving her a restrained and cool demeanor. This contradiction blended seamlessly within her, leaving behind an indescribable, ethereal aura. With such a face, she wore coarse linen clothes, her hair loosely tied with a casually broken branch, resembling a legendary mountain spirit hidden in the hills.
“Huai Jin sent a letter?” Lu Daichuan said in surprise. “Why would he suddenly send one?”
The beautiful woman sneered, “Of course, he’s asking us to do something for him. Did you really think he was sending it out of care or filial piety?”"Of course I know he's just sending someone to handle things." Lu Daichuan said with a smile, "What is it this time?"
"This fellow is getting married right after the New Year, and his noble wife still needs a wedding dress. He's bothering me to embroider one for him." The beautiful woman spoke with rising anger, "What is this place, an embroidery workshop? He orders me around without the slightest hesitation!"
"Ah, don't be angry." Lu Daichuan poured her a cup of tea, "After all, our Ruxing was once the most famous embroideress in all of Great Wei."
Ruxing remained unmoved by his flattery, "At this age, still calling me 'girl'! And what embroideress—that was so many years ago, it's surprising you still remember."
Lu Daichuan blinked, "Of course I remember. After you went up the mountain, so many people searched for you, and even now in Shuojing City, legends about you remain." He continued, "Your embroidery skills are unmatched anywhere in heaven or earth. That's precisely why Huaijin came to you for help."
"I've never seen a disciple who orders his master around so effortlessly." Ruxing glared at him, "Among our group back then, you were the one who spoiled him the most. That brat's current terrible attitude is entirely your fault!"
Lu Daichuan looked innocent, "All five of us were his masters—why blame it all on me? Besides, Ruxing, do you really think I spoiled him back then?"
Ruxing shot him a sidelong glance and fell silent.
Of course not. When Xiao Jue first came up the mountain, he was very young. By the time he descended at fourteen, he was still just a youth. But during those more than ten years in between, there was likely not a single day of ease. Xiao Zhongwu understood deeply what kind of lonely and difficult path the boy would have to walk in the future, bearing the weight of the Xiao family's legacy. He demanded that the five of them teach and train Xiao Jue in the strictest manner possible.
Only by enduring what ordinary people cannot endure can one achieve what ordinary people cannot achieve. The world all says Xiao Zhongwu is blessed—the eldest son was already so outstanding, yet the second son surpassed even him. If not for his somewhat cold and rigid temperament, he would have outshone all the young men in Great Wei. But no one knows what kind of life Xiao Jue lived during those years on the mountain.
It was certainly no pleasure.
The masters were human, not actual immortals—they all had emotions and desires. Sometimes, seeing the young child truly pitiful, they couldn't help but feel compassion, yet they couldn't show it. Over time, Xiao Jue didn't develop deep attachment to his masters either. Since he descended the mountain, aside from the annual required visit, there hasn't been much interaction in daily life.
Lu Daichuan understood well—who could possibly have a good attitude toward someone who tormented, beat, and frequently locked them in formation arrays as punishment since childhood?
The fact that Xiao Jue hasn't returned for revenge already shows remarkable restraint.
"Well, well," Lu Daichuan clasped his hands together, "I was originally worried that staying on the mountain so long would make his temperament solitary and rigid, perhaps even destined to remain single and lonely for life. Now I can finally rest easy. If our influence had caused this boy to never marry, the sin would have been great indeed. Well, well, Amitabha."
Ruxing rolled her eyes at him, "What about that girl?"
Lu Daichuan, "What about what?""You've seen that girl before, haven't you?" Ruxing asked impatiently. "That Shen family girl chased that stubborn boy for so many years, yet he never showed any interest. But now he's taken a fancy to this girl, even ordering me to embroider her wedding dress. I really want to know what makes this girl so special," she smoothed her hair, "Is she more beautiful than me?"
Lu Daichuan chuckled softly, "She's only seventeen or eighteen, in the prime of her youth. You're already halfway into the grave, how can you compare?"
"Has it been too long since you've tasted a beating?" Ruxing smiled.
"I was just joking," Lu Daichuan cleared his throat. "That girl seems quite good to me. You should trust Huaijin's judgment."
"Men's judgment can never be trusted." Ruxing dismissed it with disdain.
"You should at least trust the sword's judgment." Lu Daichuan smiled faintly. "Huaijin's Drink Autumn Sword likes her very much."
"What?"
"That day when she came to pick up the repaired Drink Autumn Sword for Huaijin, when the sword reached her hands, I could feel it—Drink Autumn liked her. I've been on this mountain for many years, and I've seen more swords than people. Drink Autumn follows its master's nature. If Drink Autumn likes Miss Xiao He, then she must be good."
After a long silence, Ruxing finally said, "Maybe that sword has been on the battlefield too long and its mind isn't clear anymore."
"Now you're just being unreasonable." Lu Daichuan said, "Do you know what you sound like right now? Like a bitter, sharp-tongued mother-in-law dissatisfied with her new daughter-in-law."
"Who are you calling a bitter mother-in-law?" Ruxing's gaze toward him instantly overflowed with killing intent.
"I mean, you should relax a little." Lu Daichuan said, "Huaijin, this child, has better judgment than either of us. Since he likes Miss Xiao He, we as elders should support him. Although Huaijin usually treats us coldly, you know very well why our mountain has remained peaceful all these years, free from messy disturbances."
Ruxing remained silent.
"Now that he can marry and start a family, it doesn't betray General Xiao's trust when he entrusted him to us back then." Lu Daichuan sighed.
The cool breeze in the hall reminded them of the nights on the mountain years ago, when the young boy practiced swordplay with a cold, handsome face. Practicing and practicing, in the blink of an eye, he had grown up.
After a moment of silence, Ruxing stood up and walked out. Lu Daichuan called after her, "Hey, where are you going?"
"Of course, I'm going back!" Ruxing gritted her teeth. "To help your damned disciple embroider that wedding dress. I really raised a debtor! I finally managed to send him down the mountain, and now, just as he's about to marry, he comes back to trouble me again!"
"The Great Wei's top embroiderer," Lu Daichuan smiled behind her, "The wedding dress you embroider will naturally be unparalleled in the world."
"Of course," Ruxing's voice carried a hint of laughter, "I hope that girl is worthy of my craftsmanship."
...
He Yan had no idea that Xiao Jue had invited his master to embroider her wedding dress. Bai Rongwei sent someone to say that Xiao Jue was already preparing the wedding dress. He Sui and He Yun Sheng still felt somewhat uneasy—since when did the groom's family prepare the bride's wedding dress? But He Yan thought Xiao Jue was very considerate, knowing she wasn't good at such things and taking care of it himself, which actually made her happy and relaxed.
The wedding date was finally set for the tenth day of the Lunar New Year.The wedding invitations from the Xiao family had already been sent out, and the news had spread throughout Shuojing. The He family did not have many relatives and friends—at most, a few close companions from He Sui's days as a captain on the training grounds. He Sui worried constantly these days, concerned that too few people from the bride's side would attend the ceremony. He Yan, however, did not see this as a big deal. A wedding was not a fight—more people did not necessarily mean better.
Besides, she had no desire to be gawked at like a monkey.
For now, she set aside the wedding preparations because there were more pressing matters at hand.
The Wutuo envoys had finally arrived in the capital this winter.
On their first day in the capital, Emperor Wenxuan accepted their reparations and their plea for peace.
When He Yan heard the news, though not entirely surprised, she had not expected it to happen so quickly. The emperor's inclination toward peace was not good news for her or Xiao Jue.
He Yun Sheng sat across from He Yan and asked, "In three days, His Majesty will host a banquet at Tianxing Terrace. Those Wutuo people will surely seize the opportunity to make a nuisance of themselves. Can you bear it?"
"I have no choice," He Yan replied with a bitter smile. "Your sister's rank isn't high enough to ignore the emperor's decree."
The banquet at Tianxing Terrace was meant to showcase the might of Great Wei and make the Wutuo people see its prosperity and strength. However, as a military officer, He Yan found it hard to accept standing alongside the enemy who had slaughtered Great Wei's people. She had no desire to watch those despicable Wutuo people strut arrogantly on Great Wei soil.
"Do you think," He Yun Sheng pondered, "the emperor will agree to let them establish a Trade Market in Great Wei?"
The rumor had already spread throughout Shuojing, so He Yun Sheng's knowledge was no secret. He Yan occasionally discussed court affairs with him, believing that whether he pursued a civil or military career, he would likely enter government service in the future. It would do him no harm to learn about these matters early.
He Yan shook her head. "I don't know."
She had asked Xiao Jue the same question, and he had only said that Emperor Wenxuan had not agreed for now, but what would happen in the future remained uncertain.
"Ah," He Yun Sheng sighed heavily. "Those Wutuo people have killed so many of Great Wei's citizens. If we welcome them in to do business, what would the dead think? What about the soldiers who fell at their hands? It's just..." He wanted to say more, but the person in question was the Son of Heaven, and it was not his place to criticize. He swallowed his words, though disappointment lingered in his eyes.
He Yun Sheng was not the only one disappointed.
He Yan understood clearly that by agreeing to the Wutuo people's plea for peace at this critical moment, Emperor Wenxuan had also dealt a blow to Xiao Jue's reputation. What did it matter if he was General Feng Yun? No matter how heroic and undefeated he was, no matter how great his victory at Jiyang, as long as they pleased the emperor, the Wutuo people could still swagger into Great Wei's territory and even enjoy privileges and benefits that even Great Wei merchants could not access.
How ironic.
However...Sometimes, being too clever only leads to tripping over one's own feet. If everything went smoothly, and Wutuo and Great Wei "turned swords into plowshares," it would benefit He Rufei, benefit Xu Jingfu, benefit Xu Zhiheng, and even benefit the King of Wutuo thousands of miles away... but it would bring no benefit whatsoever to the people of Great Wei, to Xiao Jue, or to He Yan herself.
Therefore, the blood shed by the fallen soldiers must not be in vain.
Emperor Wenxuan must be made wary of these cunning Wutuo People and see their true nature.
Three days later at Tianxing Terrace, He Yan lowered her gaze. By then, there would truly be a spectacle to behold.
(End of Chapter)
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