Xiao Jingyu let out a soft sigh and nodded. "The Emperor said my title was conferred by Emperor Daozong, and since I haven’t committed any unforgivable crimes, he can’t revoke it... However, he did allow me to decide whether to continue overseeing the Three Judicial Offices."
Chuchu blinked. "Do you still want to manage them?"
"I haven’t decided yet... Let’s finish this case first." Xiao Jingyu patted Chuchu gently on the waist, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Since I’ve promised you something, how about helping me with something in return?"
Seeing his expression, Chuchu knew it must be something good and agreed without hesitation. "Of course."
Xiao Jingyu smiled lightly. "The Emperor has issued an edict for Xiao Jue and Leng Yan to marry. The wedding will take place in three days... Leng Yan will depart from the General’s Manor, and since Xiao Jue’s official residence isn’t ready yet, she’ll stay at the Prince’s Manor temporarily. I’m tied up these days—would you be willing to help with the arrangements?"
Chuchu’s eyes sparkled with joy. "I’d be delighted!"
☆ ☆ 128 The Manchu-Han Imperial Feast (XX) ☆ ☆
Xiao Jue’s betrothal gifts arrived at the General’s Manor along with the imperial wedding decree. In the days leading up to the wedding, Xiao Jue was busy recuperating from his injuries and catching up on Ministry of War affairs, while Leng Yan stayed by his side at the Prince’s Manor. The myriad wedding preparations were handled entirely by Madame Leng and her heavily pregnant sister, Leng Yue.
If it were up to Leng Yan herself, she wouldn’t have cared for the elaborate rituals and trivial customs—having Xiao Jue agree to bow with her in the ceremony was enough. But since this was an imperial marriage, skimping on the grandeur would be seen as disrespectful to the Emperor, or in palace terms, an act of grave insolence. As the former captain of the Empress’s guards, Leng Yan was far from foolish enough to invite ill fortune on her own joyous day, so she let others take charge of the arrangements.
Xiao Jingyu was racing to clean up the mess left by Xue Rucheng before Ashina Suwu returned to the Turks, so busy that he hardly had time to eat or sleep. He merely asked Chuchu to deliver several sealed chests to Xiao Jue on his behalf, rumored to contain one hundred thousand taels of gold—an early wedding gift from the Sixth Prince, Xiao Jingli.
Chuchu didn’t disturb him and instead worked closely with Steward Zhao to manage the wedding preparations. While decorating the bridal chamber, Chuchu suggested having everyone in the manor write auspicious blessings on red paper to paste inside, hoping to dispel the lingering misfortune from Xiao Jue’s troubled life. Ashina Suwu joined in the fun, teasing Wu Jiang for writing "May you have a son early," before proudly scrawling a large "May your livestock thrive" beside it. Chuchu pasted both messages, unedited, onto the chamber walls.
On the wedding day, Leng Yan’s bridal sedan was escorted by forty former subordinates from the imperial guards, all riding tall horses. Four maids flanked the procession, scattering petals of phoenix flowers from the palace greenhouse into the air. Court musicians played lively tunes along the way, drawing crowds of onlookers who lined the streets, making the celebration even grander than a princess’s wedding.
Though the ceremony was lavish, many traditional formalities were simplified. Since Xiao Jue couldn’t drink alcohol, he retreated to the bridal chamber immediately after the ceremony. Xiao Jingyu stepped in to host the guests on his behalf, toasting each table with the cool boiled water Chuchu had prepared for him.Xiao Jinyu first toasted Ashina Suwu. After drinking, Ashina Suwu eagerly learned finger-guessing games from Jing Yi. By the time Xiao Jinyu had finished toasting over a hundred guests and returned to find Ashina Suwu, the man who claimed to never get drunk was nearly slumped under the table.
Jing Yi, catching Xiao Jinyu’s glare, wisely slipped away in a flash.
"Prince An..." Ashina Suwu propped up his flushed, grinning face and slapped Xiao Jinyu’s shoulder with such force that he nearly sent him stumbling. "I’m at ease leaving my girl in your care!"
Xiao Jinyu, his face dark, mustered all his strength to push Ashina Suwu’s hand away. "I’m not at ease."
"Huh?" Ashina Suwu casually dragged over a chair and sat cross-legged opposite Xiao Jinyu. "Wasn’t the peace agreement settled? As long as I’m the Khan, the Turks won’t trouble you... What more reassurance do you need?"
Xiao Jinyu coldly drew a translucent jade token from his sleeve and said quietly, "Give this to Wulan. Tell her to keep it with her at all times."
"She’s your daughter-in-law—why not give it to her yourself?"
Ignoring his remark, Xiao Jinyu pressed the jade token into Ashina Suwu’s hand. "Give this to her... Take her back with you when you depart tomorrow."
Ashina Suwu stared blankly at the jade token in his hand before grasping Xiao Jinyu’s meaning. He shot up from the chair, his drunkenness fading rapidly, and stared wide-eyed at Xiao Jinyu’s impassive face. "You... What did you just say?"
Xiao Jinyu replied nonchalantly, "I said there are too many children in my household, and I can’t raise them all... Take her back for now."
Ashina Suwu’s wine-addled mind struggled to process this. No one was more reluctant to leave behind his four-year-old daughter, but it wasn’t as if he could simply take her away. "No, no... She’s here for a marriage alliance. The peace terms state she can never leave the capital city in her lifetime..."
Xiao Jinyu’s gaze fell on the jade token in Ashina Suwu’s hand, and he retorted irritably, "Do you think this jade token is for warding off evil spirits?"
Ashina Suwu frowned, examining the cool jade token engraved with intricate seal-script characters he couldn’t decipher. Xiao Jinyu’s remark only reinforced his impression that they looked like ghostly scribbles. He nodded seriously. "Mm... It does."
Xiao Jinyu sighed silently, having no intention to explain further. "Then take it as a talisman... With its protection, Wulan can leave smoothly with you... In a few years, I’ll send someone to bring her back."
Ashina Suwu stood frozen like a statue, staring at Xiao Jinyu for a long moment. Just as Xiao Jinyu turned to leave, Ashina Suwu suddenly punched him in the shoulder. "Prince An, you’re a true friend!"
Before Xiao Jinyu could even rub his nearly dislocated shoulder, Ashina Suwu pointed a finger right at his nose. "Let’s become sworn brothers!"
OpenNovel