Chapter 323 Grand Wedding With Whom?

The Silver Armor Guards had spies in Yizhou as well, but because this was rebel territory, they were hidden very deep.

All they could do was leave a signal and wait for the guards to find them.

However, as Xiao Li listened to the gossip along the way, she felt that something was increasingly amiss.

"That scoundrel Feng Chang is unbelievable! He still owes me for half a month’s worth of drinks. So what if he’s latched onto the Prince? What’s he so smug about? Going on about how a relative of the Prince doesn’t have to pay—what kind of relative is he, anyway? He’s really got some nerve."

"The Feng Family is willing to marry someone like Pei Chanjuan just to get a foothold. Is there anything they wouldn’t do?"

"’Marry’? What ’marry’? That residence belongs to Prince Pei, and the dowry provided by the Pei Family fills half of it. They’re only calling it a marriage to give the Feng Family some face. In reality, he’s marrying into her family."

Xiao Li was puzzled. "The one marrying Pei Chang’en’s daughter is from the Feng Family?"

’Is it the Feng Family I’m thinking of?’

Rong Qing hadn’t expected Xiao Li to ask that and was stunned for a moment. "The entire Feng Family returned to their ancestral lands, which happen to fall under Prince Pei’s sphere of influence. Did Your Majesty not know?"

Xiao Li replied, "I’ve been swamped since I woke up. When would I have had time to worry about them?"

Rong Qing couldn’t help but laugh. He’d thought Your Majesty had been calm out of indifference, but it turned out she simply had no idea.

Then again, her current attitude wasn’t exactly warm, either.

The crowd’s chatter hadn’t specified which Mr. Feng was marrying Miss Pei, and Your Majesty showed no intention of asking.

It made sense. Only one Mr. Feng from the Feng Family had ever found favor with Your Majesty; the others were insignificant. And even that particular Mr. Feng hadn’t been actively summoned by Your Majesty after she woke up. The Feng Family was therefore even less worthy of her concern.

The two of them found an inn to stay in. Early the next morning, the Silver Armor Guards they were waiting for made contact, bringing with them a completely unexpected piece of news.

Prince Pei Manor had issued a public announcement, inviting the Empress to attend the wedding of his daughter, Pei Chanjuan, and the Feng Family’s Mr. Feng, Feng Yin, on the morrow.

Xiao Li raised an eyebrow. "Who did he say Pei Chanjuan is marrying?"

Rong Qing watched Xiao Li’s expression as he replied, "Feng Yin."

To suddenly hear Feng Yin’s name, especially under these circumstances, was somewhat of a shock to Xiao Li. And it being news of his wedding, no less. It truly was a considerable ’surprise’.

But she wasn’t particularly shocked or angry. ’I’m quite fond of Feng Yin, but I don’t see him as my property. Even if he really were getting married, it wouldn’t matter to me. Besides, it’s obvious there’s something fishy about this wedding.’

"Feng Yin holds an official post at court. Why would he be in Yizhou at a time like this?"

The Silver Armor Guard reported, "We have not heard any news of Mr. Feng appearing in Yizhou. Before today, the Prince Manor had never announced the identity of the Mr. Feng who was to marry Miss Pei."

Xiao Li understood. "They’re doing this to guard against me."

Although Xiao Li had never officially granted any man a title, the Empress’s romantic escapades were easy enough to inquire about.

There was obvious chemistry between the Empress and Feng Yin. The Feng Family blamed the Empress entirely for Imperial Tutor Feng’s death, and Feng Yin, for the Empress’s sake, had even raised a storm demanding to be disowned by his family.

All signs pointed to their relationship being far from ordinary. Had the Empress not been injured and fallen into a coma, Feng Yin would have likely already entered her imperial harem.

Of all the talented young men in the world, and of all the men in the Feng Family, they had to choose Feng Yin. It was clearly a move meant to provoke and spite the Empress.

They kept the news under wraps, afraid the Empress would attack if she found out. Now, with the wedding just a day away, they released the announcement so that even if the Empress learned of it, she wouldn’t be able to make it in time.

The news of the Empress’s disappearance had not spread. The outside world believed she was still in Beicang. A journey from Yizhou to Yingdu in Beicang would take a full day, even at the fastest pace.

By the time she received the news, the wedding would be over. What’s done would be done. Prince Pei’s daughter would have stolen the man the Empress favored, and by making him marry into her family, no less. The Empress would completely lose face.

Meanwhile, Prince Pei could feign righteousness and claim he was doing the proper thing, magnanimously inviting the Empress—his junior—to attend the wedding feast.

If the Empress didn’t come, it would be because she was narrow-minded, not because he was impolite.

The whole thing was just purely nauseating.

Only the incompetent rely on such underhanded schemes for their own psychological comfort.

Was Xiao Li angry? Not really. The ploy was so transparent and crude that it wasn’t even worth getting angry over.

It was laughable, really. Prince Pei had calculated everything perfectly, certain that the Empress was too far away and would have to swallow this bitter pill in silence.

Even Xiao Li herself would never have imagined that she would arrive in Yizhou at this exact moment and in such a way, just in time to stumble upon this very affair.

’And don’t even talk to me about fate. I have no need for a "fate" that had me suffer, nearly die, and all for the sake of meeting a man.’

’But since they’ve extended such a ’cordial invitation,’ I absolutely must attend this wedding, no matter what.’

’I’ve conquered Yue Country and Beicang, and I’ve even killed Xu Nianqing. I thought I had my fill of playing games. The remaining rebel princes could have been dealt with by my subordinates.’

’But Prince Pei insists on dying by my hand. His graciousness is simply too hard to refuse.’

Xiao Li glanced at the Silver Armor Guard. "Did you bring the Cloud-piercing Arrows?"

The Silver Armor Guard nodded. "Yes. Five in total."

Xiao Li said, "That’s enough."

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BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Five red fireworks shot into the sky from all corners of Yizhou City, their red smoke lingering in the air long after.

The common folk saw them and assumed the Prince Manor was putting on a display for the grand wedding. After all, red was a truly festive color.

In Prince Pei Manor, the white-haired advisor Zhang Xi saw the fireworks and immediately grew wary. "Prince, that looks like some kind of signal. Could it be related to the Empress?"

Prince Pei’s brow tightened. "Investigate at once."

Another advisor, a scholar-like man named Du Ruming, calmly reassured him, "There’s no need to be nervous, Prince. The Empress is far away in Beicang. How could she possibly react this quickly? I suspect someone saw your announcement and is setting off red fireworks to deliberately curry favor with you."

Prince Pei replied, "Then let’s hope your auspicious words prove true."

The men sent to investigate had not yet returned, and Prince Pei felt a growing unease. "How are things with the groom?"

A servant replied, "Reporting to the Prince, the groom went to see his mother. He has since returned and is now trying on his wedding attire."

Du Ruming said with a broad smile, "It seems our groom is quite sensible after all. The enmity from a parent’s murder is a blood debt that must be repaid. Following you, Prince, is the righteous path."

Zhang Xi couldn’t stand sycophants like Du Ruming, who understood nothing and only knew how to flatter. But the Prince enjoyed it immensely. If Zhang Xi were to speak up now, that Du fellow would probably accuse him of being an alarmist again.

The men sent to investigate returned. They reported that they couldn’t find who set off the fireworks, and that there was no other suspicious activity in the vicinity.

Du Ruming maintained that it was nothing to worry about and that Zhang Xi was making a mountain out of a molehill. Zhang Xi, however, still advised caution, urging them to strengthen their guard to prevent any unexpected trouble.

But no matter how hard they wracked their brains, they would never have imagined that the Empress, at this very moment, was already in their city.