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Elder Brother Li deliberately put on a stern face. "Why shouldn't I chase you away? You're someone else's now; do you really think you can stay in the Li Family?"
"Elder Brother—" Li Zhoule pouted, initially intending to tease her elder brother, but he turned the tables and teased her instead.
Wen Zixia held Li Zhoule's hand and said to Elder Brother Li, "Elder Brother, I will take Zhou Le to the inn right away. We definitely won't linger in the Li Family."
Elder Brother Li glared at Wen Zixia. "Good lad, standing up for your wife!"
The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
"Alright, stop chatting outside. Zhou Le and the others must be tired from their journey. Let's head back home so they can rest properly," Hanno suggested. Jiang Haozhi, being considerate, took his leave during their reunion and left behind the carriage for Li Zhoule along with several servants to assist. Hanno and Wen Zixia helped Li Zhoule into the carriage, and the group returned to the Li Residence.
At the entrance of the residence, a swarm of servants rushed out—some guiding the way while others carried luggage, bustling about energetically. The Jiang Family's servants wanted to help but found it difficult to get involved. Hanno handed several Jiang Family servants generous tips, and they expressed their gratitude before happily heading back to the Jiang Family.
"This is our home now," Elder Brother Li said as he led his siblings and brother-in-law through the door.
"So big and impressive!" The country bumpkins were astonished by the grandeur of the Li Residence.
"It's even larger than the county magistrate's and prefect's residences," Wen Ziyu exclaimed with wide eyes. As a newly appointed Scholar, he had the privilege of attending banquets hosted by both the Prefect and Magistrate, allowing him to visit their homes.
"Of course! My elder brother is a general; his rank is much higher than that of the Prefect or Magistrate," Li Yishu said proudly, lifting his chin.
Wen Zixue joyfully ran around the courtyard before returning to ask, "Sister-in-law, this place is so big! Where will we live?"
Hanno stepped forward and ruffled the child's hair. "Don't worry; we've already prepared a courtyard for you. But since you're getting older, you can't stay with your elder brother and sister-in-law anymore."
"Then who will I live with?" Wen Zixue blinked his big eyes in curiosity. He was quite fond of this older sister whom his brothers and sister-in-law knew but he did not yet know well himself. She was so gentle and had given him beautifully wrapped candies when they first met; they tasted really sweet!
"You'll live with your Second Brother and Brother Li Yishu. You’re all boys; you can study together and practice martial arts."
"That's great!" Upon hearing this, Wen Zixue immediately set aside his earlier worries.
Li Zhoule smiled and said, "Sister Han truly deserves to be the mistress of the house; everything is arranged so well. My elder brother is fortunate to marry Sister Han."
Elder Brother Li immediately chimed in, "Indeed, meeting Nono is my greatest fortune."
Li Yishu hurriedly interjected, "I am as lucky as my elder brother; I have received Sister Han's help. Otherwise, my sister and I would have starved long ago."
Wen Zixia added, "It's not just you two who would have starved; us three brothers would have as well. So, Sister Han is a blessing for all of us."
Even though Hanno had thicker skin than most, her face was now flushed red. "If you keep this up, my face will be hot enough to fry an egg."
The group gathered together. The two families celebrated the new union with great respect. The six rites were observed without fail. The offerings were all prepared. The gentlemen conducted themselves with dignity and grace. How lovely and serene they appeared! Their words were respectful and sincere.
In this marriage, fortune and misfortune intertwine. The women of Wei flourish together. The beauty of Bao Si brought down the Zhou dynasty. They competed fiercely, fearing virtue rather than harboring hatred. The gods revealed their blessings, and indeed they received great favor. My love for her is profound.
— From the Marriage Poem by Qin Jia of the Han Dynasty.
Finally, the day arrived for Elder Brother Li and Hanno to wed. Long before the wedding, Hanno had purchased another house in the capital where she would move after marriage. Mo Yan, the Princess, and Qi Xueru went ahead to accompany Hanno at her new home. Mo Yan even invited her mother, the princess, to style Hanno's hair. The princess had a very good impression of Hanno, finding her composed and dignified; little did she know that Hanno had already married Elder Brother Li countless times in this world—how could she not be composed?
The bridal procession was adorned in true Twenty Miles red; the bride's dowry had already been carried through the groom's door while the dowry from the bride's family had yet to be lifted. All the dowries left those attending the wedding wide-eyed; they were exquisite and incredibly valuable—many of which they had never seen before. No wonder some said General Li's fiancée was like a golden doll; indeed, just this dowry alone must be worth over a hundred thousand taels of silver.
Jiang Haozhi watched the dowry from among the crowd and confirmed one thing in his heart: those novel items belonging to the Li Family must have come from the bride's side. He recalled his previous visit to see his sister in the palace.
Consort Jiang was very pleased with her brother's arrival and personally welcomed Jiang Haozhi despite feeling drowsy due to her early pregnancy; she had mostly been sleeping but overcame her fatigue this time out of excitement for her brother's visit.
The siblings chatted casually while exchanging information unbeknownst to others. During their conversation, Consort X sent something over to Consort Jiang, who accepted it without hesitation.
"Sister?" Jiang Haozhi asked in confusion as Consort Jiang seemed overly trusting of Consort X. "You are pregnant now!"
Consort Jiang smiled and replied, "Yes, precisely because I am pregnant makes it even safer."
"Calm down, my brother," Consort Jiang reassured him. "It has been a long time since a child was born in the palace, and the Emperor is very much looking forward to this one."
Jiang Haozhi understood that the Emperor placed great importance on Consort Jiang's pregnancy, which meant many of the underhanded tactics had to be put aside. However, it seemed his sister was a bit too trusting of Consort X. After all, she was the one aiming to become Queen, posing the greatest threat to his sister.
Lowering his voice, Jiang Haozhi asked, "Sister, are you really so at ease with Consort X?"
Consort Jiang smiled and replied, "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry; Consort X is a clever person who won't turn against me."
Jiang Haozhi looked at her with skepticism. Women in the harem rarely got along without conflict. Once Consort X had her own child, she would surely compete with Consort Jiang for that position.
Consort Jiang noticed her brother's concerns and beckoned him closer. Leaning down, she whispered into his ear, "Let me tell you a secret. The reason the Emperor is supporting Consort X as Queen is not only because of the previous 'Miracle,' but also because Consort X can no longer bear children."
"What?" Jiang Haozhi's eyes widened in shock.
Consort Jiang smirked slightly and continued, "Consort X was severely injured when someone snuck her out of the palace. Although she was healed by divine intervention, the injury affected her ability to conceive. The Emperor is more inclined to make her Queen out of compensation for her loss. Of course, it is precisely because she has lost her fertility that she can secure her position as Queen."
Is that really the truth? Jiang Haozhi felt a bit dazed. The affairs of royalty were indeed beyond what someone like him could imagine.
Consort Jiang straightened up and said, "My lowly background means I am destined not to become Queen, so I will not envy Consort X. She understands this and seeks to ally with me rather than oppose me."
She gently touched her belly and added, "Moreover, just because I cannot become Queen does not mean I have no chance of becoming the most esteemed woman in the future."
Hearing this, Jiang Haozhi's gaze fell upon Consort Jiang's belly.
Consort Jiang continued, "Since you have befriended General Li, make sure to maintain that friendship. It will give your future nephew an additional ally."
...
Jiang Haozhi snapped back to reality as the bride and groom completed their ceremonial bows and the bride was led into the bridal chamber. Yue Yunfei ran over and pulled Jiang Haozhi along to join in the festivities. The two had met through Elder Brother Li; Jiang Haozhi was smooth and sociable, getting along well with both Yue Yunfei and Geng Shi'an, thus forming a friendship.
The enormous Dragon and Phoenix Candle burned brightly, filling the air with red hues. The groom lifted the scale rod tied with red silk to unveil the bride's face, revealing her stunning beauty to all the guests, eliciting gasps and exclamations of admiration.
"How beautiful! General Li is truly fortunate to have such a beauty," was the collective thought of all the men present.
"Has the bride even put on makeup? If not, how come her eyes appear so large and bright? Why do her lips look so vibrant?" was the curiosity shared among the women.
"Haha, the bride's veil has been lifted; it's time to celebrate the wedding night!" Yue Yunfei laughed as he jumped forward.
Elder Brother Li smirked slyly, "Are you sure you want to cause a ruckus? I've arranged some interesting activities; do you really want to miss out?"
Yue Yunfei chuckled mischievously, "Don't think you can distract me; I'm definitely going to stir up your wedding night!"
Elder Brother Li replied with a grin, "Since you're not interested, let others enjoy it. Li Yishu, Ziyu, take some people to the training ground and set off fireworks."
"Yes, Brother Li!" The two young men excitedly exited the bridal chamber.
Finally, they could set off fireworks! They had previously tested hundreds of fireworks during the day, and their effects had left them in awe.
Yue Yunfei had no idea what fireworks were. He was solely focused on using this opportunity to tease Elder Brother Li. Just as he rolled up his sleeves to announce his plans for the newlyweds, a sudden loud bang startled everyone inside the room. They quickly retreated to the courtyard, scanning their surroundings. Then they heard Jiang Haozhi exclaim in surprise, pointing at the sky, "Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers! Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers! The real Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers!"
Everyone hurriedly looked in the direction he pointed and saw three silver beams of light rising from the training ground into the sky. Suddenly, brilliant "flowers" burst forth in midair, connecting with the silver beams, resembling a giant tree made of light—indeed, it was Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers!
As this display of Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers faded from view, more began to rise from the training ground. Various colorful flowers bloomed in the sky—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—all competing for attention in a dazzling array that adorned the night sky with breathtaking beauty.
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