Chapter 27: The Wedding Procession
Su Mo remained at the Hao residence until noon, departing only after sharing lunch with Mu Bai.
Hao Yue and her mother had dealt with Mu Bai yesterday and already knew he was not someone to be easily manipulated; today, they did not come looking for trouble again. Mu Bai, glad for the quiet, spent the day studying the sword manual. After dinner, he strolled around the Hao residence.
He had memorized the location of Lord Hao’s study, and when night fell into deep silence, he changed into his night-traveling attire and slipped out.
The mission on the bounty notice was to find evidence of Lord Hao embezzling disaster relief funds. Mu Bai had previously taken on two such bounties; disaster victims could not afford such rewards, so those issuing the tasks were mostly rival factions within the imperial court.
Judging by the size of the bounty, those seeking his life must be highly influential; no wonder Hao Liang was so eager to ally himself with Su Mo for protection.
Mu Bai slipped into the study, closed the door behind him, and cupped his hand over the flame of his fire starter to conceal its light as he approached the desk to search through the scrolls laid upon it.
Hao Liang clearly had no penchant for tidiness: inkstones were scattered haphazardly, letters crumpled into balls, stained with smudges of messy ink. It fell to Mu Bai, determined not to miss a single clue, to carefully unfold each sheet, examine it, and then crumple it back up again.
He knew not how many letters he had unfolded when, suddenly, beneath the flickering light, one corner of a sheet revealed a striking crimson lotus emblem.
Mu Bai spread the paper carefully on the tabletop.
The handwriting was brief, only a few lines stating that the Fifth Prince’s feigned illness had been exposed and he would soon depart for the Wuti imperial capital.
He furrowed his brow, crumpled the note into a ball, and returned it to its original place.
Just then, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside, strikingly abrupt in the silent night.
Mu Bai immediately blew out the fire starter. Hearing clearly that the footsteps were heading his way, he hid behind the bookshelf.
There were two people.
With a faint “creak,” the door opened, allowing a sliver of light to filter in.
Pressing himself against the bookshelf partition, he peered out to see Lord Hao standing by the doorway, respectfully gesturing for a man cloaked in a dark red cape to enter.
Hao Liang closed the door, led him to the desk, and with a sweep of his sleeve, knocked all the crumpled papers onto the floor, making Mu Bai’s eye twitch.
Fetching a purple clay teapot from who-knows-where, Hao Liang poured a cup of tea and respectfully presented it to the man before sitting down opposite him: “Envoy, may I ask what instructions have come from above?”
The man spoke, his voice unexpectedly hoarse and unpleasant: “How are matters progressing regarding the Fifth Prince?”
Hao Liang’s expression stiffened; he replied with difficulty: “Yue’er specially inquired and learned the Fifth Prince’s favorite dishes, preparing a whole tableful, yet he refused to touch even a bite, suspecting Yue’er of poisoning him.”
“Useless.”
The man’s tone remained utterly flat, yet sweat beaded on Hao Liang’s forehead. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it away, saying as he did, “However, from what I’ve observed, the Fifth Prince seems deeply concerned about his betrothed wife.”
“Oh?”
“He arrived at the residence early this morning and has stayed by that young lady’s side ever since, never straying a single step. Speaking of which, that Miss Qin is truly striking; even I find myself envious upon seeing her. No wonder she has completely bewitched the Fifth Prince.”
Mu Bai shuddered with disgust, then heard the man say calmly, “In that case, there is no need for you to arrange for Hao Yue to approach the Fifth Prince.”
He tapped his knuckles rhythmically against the table: “The Sect Leader says that among all the members of the Wuti royal family, not one is capable of achieving anything, except for this Su Mo, who remains an enigma. A prince without maternal support managing to survive safely in the palace until this age could hardly be attributed to luck alone.”
“The Sect Leader took a fancy to him and intended to elevate him to the Wuti throne, yet he rejected the offer without a second thought, feigning illness to retreat deep into the remote forests of Qinglian Valley.” He let out a cold laugh. “I nearly believed he was truly devoid of desire, only to discover he ultimately fell because of a woman.”
Mu Bai: Wake up, I’m a man.
For the next half hour, he remained utterly still, holding his breath behind the bookshelf, listening as the two outside plotted how to kidnap him to use as leverage against Su Mo.
Given the Fifth Prince’s high regard for Mu Bai, Hao Liang could not afford to let anything happen to him within his own residence; otherwise, Su Mo would likely crush him to death in an instant.
Thus, the two planned to strike during the wedding procession, sending men to abduct the bride.
To prevent Mu Bai from escaping, they also decided to slip a knockout drug into his tea ahead of time. This way, once he was seated in the bridal sedan chair and the drug took effect, the kidnappers waiting along the route would only need to burst into the chair and carry him off.
Beyond this, the two discussed numerous details; their plan was so meticulously crafted that Mu Bai felt like applauding them.
After finalizing their conspiracy, Lord Hao escorted the special envoy out.
As the study door closed, darkness and silence enveloped the surroundings once more, so profound that even the fall of a needle could be heard.
Mu Bai waited quietly for a moment before stepping out, lighting her fire starter, and then continuing to search for what she needed.
He had originally assumed that Lord Hao was merely eager to seek Su Mo’s protection, never expecting him to be an undercover agent sent by another faction—unfortunately, his infiltration had failed.
However…
Mu Bai carefully reviewed the ledger in his hands, lowering his gaze halfway.
Now that he had found this document, Lord Hao would not enjoy many more days of peace.
–
The crown prince of Wuti Kingdom typically requires two to three months of preparation for his wedding. Whether the Fifth Prince was exceptionally efficient or simply too impatient, no one could say; yet, just as autumn began and before the air had time to turn cool, he already sent the bridal sedan chair to Master Hao’s residence to fetch his bride.
Jin Yi arrived at the Hao household the day before the wedding. Early on the morning of the ceremony, she brought three maids and an elderly nursemaid to Mu Bai’s room.
The bride’s attire and adornments were especially intricate and cumbersome, but Mu Bai refused their assistance, dismissing them all. She remained inside, busily preparing herself for nearly an hour before finally opening the door to let them back in.
As a maid arranged Mu Bai’s hair, lifting up the cascade of dark tresses, she noticed the slender, snow-white nape exposed beneath, its lines exquisitely graceful. She then suggested that Mu Bai remove the troublesome neck scarf to reveal her neck.
Mu Bai refused without a second thought.
A light dusting of powder, brows delicately traced, lips softly tinted, and floral ornaments affixed. Just as his eyelids grew heavy and he was nearly drifting off to sleep, an exceedingly heavy phoenix crown pressed down, jolting him awake.
“…Must I wear this? It’s so heavy.”
“Endure it a little longer, Miss Qin. Other brides would dream of wearing a phoenix crown of such grandeur; few are so fortunate.”
Mu Bai lowered her gaze, fingers idly toying with the beaded tassels hanging before her eyes, silently pondering: This thing doesn’t look particularly large upon the head, so how can it weigh so much? Beautiful it certainly is, yet utterly tormenting.
The appointed hour is near; the bridal sedan chair awaits outside the gate. Before departing in her brocade robes, Jin Yi urged them to hurry. The maids hastily adorned Mu Bai with earrings and conducted a final head-to-toe inspection.
The wedding gown was not the garish crimson common to such occasions, but a misty water-pink hue like gauze, shimmering with orange-pink pearlescence. The bride’s tall stature, broad shoulders, and narrow waist framed a face of dazzling, breathtaking beauty that held all eyes captive.
“If I possessed even half the lady’s beauty, I would laugh aloud in my dreams.”
Just as the maids were teasing, Lady Hao entered leading Hao Yue. Immediately, they fell silent and stepped aside.
Hao Yue looked up and saw Mu Bai, pausing for a moment as a shadow flickered in her eyes before she forced a bright smile and stepped forward. “Sister Qin, since you are to be married off today, I truly feel reluctant to part with you.”
Mu Bai waved her hand. “No need, no need.”
After all, the two of them were not particularly close.
A servant from the Hao household kept their head bowed as they carried a pot of tea to the table.
Lady Hao poured a cup of tea for Mu Bai and pushed it toward him, speaking with great warmth: “Miss Qin, after you marry into the prince’s household, do come visit us whenever you have time. The Hao residence may not be as splendid as the prince’s mansion, but both Lady Yue and I truly care for you…”
Mu Bai maintained a polite smile, ignoring Lady Hao’s repeated hints, and did not touch the tea even once.
When Jinyi came over to urge him again, Mu Bai made as if to leave, prompting Lady Hao to grow somewhat anxious. She grabbed hold of him, saying, “Miss Qin, this tea was specially brewed for you at my request. Are you really leaving without taking even a sip?”
Mu Bai raised an eyebrow. “Lady Hao, why are you in such a hurry?”
Lady Hao lowered her eyes, tugging at the corner of her mouth as she said, “Because… this is Songzi Tea, a specialty from my hometown. Drink a few more cups, and you’ll soon bear a child for His Highness the Prince.”
Mu Bai replied, “…Thank you, but we’re not planning to have children just yet.”
“How can you…”
Lady Hao was about to speak again, but Mu Bai ignored her, leading the maid out of the room without another glance.
Jin Yi, seeing Mu Bai emerge just like that, hurried forward to drape the red veil over him and led him into the bridal sedan chair.
No sooner had the curtain been lowered than Mu Bai could no longer contain himself; he lifted the veil to gulp in some fresh air, only to feel the sedan chair tremble slightly before soaring upward into the sky.
The four bearers carried the chair with remarkably steady hands; along the way, there was not even a hint of bumpiness, making the ride more comfortable than traveling by carriage.
The only discomfort was the phoenix crown, so heavy it felt suffocating. Estimating that they still had some distance to go before reaching the prince’s residence, Mu Bai removed it and held it in her arms.
“Thud!”
The sedan chair suddenly jolted violently before crashing to the ground.
Recovering from the jolt, Mu Bai heard the clashing of weapons and immediately realized what was happening outside.
“Protect the bride at all costs,” Jinyi ordered the four burly palanquin bearers to guard the perimeter, before rushing forward to engage the suddenly appearing assassins.
The man on the left side of the palanquin door lifted the curtain and peeked inside. Seeing the red veil lying aside and the bride clutching her phoenix crown with her black hair somewhat disheveled, he reassured her, “Do not be afraid, bride; we will surely protect you.”
Before his words had even faded, someone charged forward to attack.
The burly man drew his sword and slashed at the assassin, but unexpectedly, the opponent possessed profound internal energy; a single palm strike sent him flying five meters away.
The assassin vaulted over the carriage pole and lifted the curtain, but before he could catch a glimpse of the bride’s face, a phoenix crown came crashing down upon his head.
No one could have imagined that the bride sitting in the bridal sedan chair would strike with such ferocity. His head rang with a deafening buzz from the blow, and before he could recover, the bride in red lifted her leg and kicked him flying.
Mu Bai stepped out from behind the curtain, bent down, and drew the long sword from the assassin’s waist.
A quick glance revealed over a dozen assassins surrounding the sedan chair, locked in fierce combat with the wedding escort guards.
A young guard, having never witnessed such a scene, turned pale as death. Under the assassin’s onslaught, he was forced back step by step, barely managing to hold his ground.
Spotting his accomplice pinned beneath the bride’s foot, the assassin abandoned his original opponent and charged straight at Mu Bai.
—Only to be struck down by a single slash.
The guard stood frozen in stunned disbelief.
When the bride emerged, he stole a glance and secretly envied the prince’s immense fortune in love.
Now, that same person stood with raven hair cascading loose, clad in crimson robes, a sword gleaming like snow. Still breathtakingly beautiful, yet this beauty was now tempered with the chilling aura of slaughter.
He saw the bride walking toward him and unexpectedly felt his legs go weak.
Mu Bai patted the guard’s shoulder and said softly, “You’ve worked hard. Go sit in the sedan chair for a while; I’ll take care of things outside.”