Chapter 6

The Mistaken Wedding Palanquin

Nanyi quickly realized that unless the snack hadn’t come from Lidu Prefecture, but was simply placed in a box from the Guoyu Building.

It might have been made by the kitchen at home, left to cool and then brought to deceive her—people who lived in these grand houses, living in luxury, wouldn’t know what food that had been frozen for three or four hours in the snowstorm would look like.

In an instant, Nanyi’s heart grew cold. If the Chengsha rice dumplings were fake, then the marriage with Zhang Yuehui was most likely not real either.

But Nanyi suppressed the unease on her face and cautiously asked, “Three days… is it really that soon? Can we make it in time? His family isn’t even here. This is such a big matter, I still want to meet him first.”

“This is precisely so you two can meet as soon as possible,” Madam Qin placed a hand gently on Nanyi’s shoulder. “There are rules in the army. If soldiers could meet with others at will, wouldn’t spies have the chance to take advantage?”

Nanyi pretended to be confused, nodding along, but deep down, she was more certain than ever that this was a scam.

“He says he’s eager to see you and is willing to keep things simple. The young master of the Zhang family is tall and handsome, with a remarkable appearance. He has a scar on his palm, supposedly from you biting him?”

Nanyi was stunned. In just a few days, the Qin family had managed to uncover all these details.

But upon further thought, it wasn’t so difficult. Lujian wasn’t a big place, and if they sent people to inquire, they would know everything about their past.

As her mind processed these thoughts, Nanyi’s performance was flawless. She lowered her head, took a bite of the Chengsha rice dumpling, and used her lowered gaze to hide the calculations in her eyes. Then, a tear fell down her cheek with practiced precision.

“It really is him. How wonderful. Father, Mother, you’ve fulfilled my dream from three years ago... I’ll follow your arrangement.”

As she spoke with emotion, Nanyi’s face involuntarily became streaked with tears. Realizing she had lost composure, she hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe her face, but the tears just kept flowing. Eventually, she gave up trying to wipe them away and knelt on the floor, kowtowing three times to her parents.

Seeing Nanyi believe them so sincerely, Madam Qin and Master Qin finally sighed in relief.

In the following days, Nanyi cooperated with the Qin family, handling many of the wedding preparations. Meanwhile, using her street-smart survival skills, her sharp ears and observant eyes, she learned the truth of the matter.

It turned out that the prominent Xie family from Lidu Prefecture had sent a matchmaker to propose, hoping that the Qin family would marry their daughter to the eldest son of the Xie family to become his secondary wife.

No one knew exactly why the distinguished family had chosen the Qin family, who were of humble origins. People speculated that the eldest son of the Xie family was frail and sickly, and perhaps his health was deteriorating, so they hoped that a marriage could bring him good luck. The families of equal standing were unwilling to marry their daughters into the Xie family, so it fell to the Qin family to take up the offer.

However, Qin family’s legitimate daughter, Qin Zheng, had been secretly involved with someone and was now pregnant, with her belly already too large to hide. Not wanting to forgo the opportunity to connect with a prominent family, the Qin family had come up with the idea of finding a replacement for her. At just the right moment, Nanyi had fallen into their trap.

Nanyi knew that the Qin family had gone to great lengths to deceive her, and they wouldn’t let her escape easily.

If she tore her face with them, she would only be even more tightly controlled.

Though she was keenly aware of the task that Pang Yu had entrusted to her, which was the most important thing at the moment, she just wanted to reach Lidu Prefecture as soon as possible and personally deliver the message.

The Qin family told her that Zhang Yuehui’s family was far away in Lujian, so it was impossible for him to attend the wedding, and they could only have the ceremony temporarily in a guesthouse in Lidu Prefecture.

Nanyi thought about it. The guesthouse was probably a lie, but the destination was certainly Lidu Prefecture. She could use the Qin family’s arrangement to get close to Lidu Prefecture, and once she was in the wedding palanquin, she would be out of their sight. Along the way, she would find an opportunity to escape.

Three days later, at noon, the sound of drums and gongs could be heard outside the Qin residence.

Before entering the palanquin, Madam Qin instructed one of the maids to bring a cup of tea for Nanyi.

Madam Qin smiled warmly, “Nanyi, the journey is long. To avoid getting thirsty, drink a cup of our hot tea before setting off.”

Nanyi obediently accepted the tea, drank it all in one go, and then discreetly spat the tea into the thick, voluminous sleeve of her wedding robe.

This cup of tea was the Qin family’s final plan. It contained a drug, and even if she reached Lidu Prefecture and realized she had been sold, she wouldn’t have the strength to struggle.

But Nanyi hid her actions from everyone in the Qin family, obediently entering the wedding palanquin and waiting for the right moment to escape.

She always thought back to the scene when Pang Yu had died and the instructions he had given her. She hoped she wasn’t too late, that the situation could still be salvaged if she could get the message to where it needed to go.

The palanquin swayed and creaked as it set off through the snowstorm, carrying Nanyi, whose fate hung in the balance. Everyone assumed that another woman was about to go to a wealthy family to enjoy riches and honor, not knowing that this particular woman held the fragile threads that could shake the very foundation of the kingdom.

——

Wangxue Wu was the elegant name for the Xie family residence, located to the northwest of Lidu Prefecture, covering an area of over a hundred acres.

Today, Wangxue Wu was lit up with decorations, bustling with activity. Originally, such a marriage would not have been this grand, but since Xie Heng’s health had been deteriorating since winter, and to bring him good luck, the family had made it more festive.

Such a rare joyous occasion at the Xie family meant that the Xie family matriarch had been preparing for the event in the main hall, overseeing everything with efficiency. The maids and servants were busy coming and going, their movements swift but orderly.

Meanwhile, the groom, Xie Heng, seemed unusually isolated in his Huai Xu Courtyard, and an air of solemnity lingered around him.

Xie Heng was sitting in his study, constantly fiddling with the pen rack beside him. His anxiety was evident in his movements.

A month ago, he had received a secret letter from the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Shen Zhizhong, instructing him to assist in escorting King Ling’an through Lidu Prefecture.

Lidu Prefecture was the essential route for the southern migration. The Qu Ling River flowed into the Yangtze River, and the Qi people were poor at naval warfare. Once they reached the Yangtze, it would be within the domain of the Yu Dynasty, making it harder for the Qi people to pursue them.

Both the pursuers and the escorted knew that Lidu Prefecture was the final battleground to trap King Ling’an.

Lidu Prefecture had a unique terrain, with the Qu Ling River running through the city. The only ferry to leave the city was one, and as long as they controlled that ferry, no one could escape.

The Qi people had already placed spies in Lidu Prefecture, monitoring every move in the city.

Xie Heng had drafted many plans, and finally decided to use the guise of a wedding procession to cover the escort of King Ling’an from Huguishan. He intended to get them into Lidu Prefecture under the guise of a wedding, with no one the wiser.

To allow the wedding procession to pass through the Huguishan valley, he needed to find a suitable bride from Luyang Town.

As for the prominent families, they couldn’t just marry anyone off for the purpose of continuing the family line. The only family in Luyang Town with a daughter of marriageable age that was suitable for the Xie family was the Qin family. Fortunately, the Qin family was willing, and the marriage was arranged quickly.

However, Xie Heng’s current worry was that after the last meeting with the palace’s Imperial Guard officer, Pang Yu, and finalizing the rendezvous plan, he had not been able to contact him since.

The Qi soldiers were closing in, and King Ling’an and his party were hiding in the Huguishan mountains. All communication routes had been cut off, making it impossible for both sides to inform each other of any changes.

In this situation, the most important thing was that the rendezvous plan not be leaked. Xie Heng had been extremely cautious. Today was the day to execute the plan, and the success or failure hinged on this moment.

As Xie Heng continued to fidget with his pen, his anxiety grew. At this moment, Qiao Yinzhī entered the study with medicine. She noticed that Xie Heng’s hands were icy cold. She quickly placed her hands over his to warm them and comforted him with a gentle voice.

“My lord, just wait a little longer. Good news will come.”

Xie Heng sighed, his gaze filled with guilt as he looked at Qiao Yinzhī. “Zhi-niang, I’m sorry. You’ve been with me all this time, enduring all the worries and fears with me. I promised you that I wouldn’t take another wife as long as you were here. But now... I’ve broken my word.”

Qiao Yinzhī quickly shook her head. “My lord, I understand. With such a great enemy looming, it’s better to sacrifice small matters for the greater good.”

Xie Heng held her hand with gratitude. His first wife had passed away early, and for many years, it had been Qiao Yinzhī who had been by his side. For over ten years, she had shared his joys and sorrows. She was the person who understood him best.

Her presence calmed him a little, but before he could relax, Xie Sui’an rushed into the room in a panic.

Xie Sui’an, the sixth daughter of the Xie family, had no interest in embroidery and preferred weapons. Xie Heng indulged her in her martial arts training, which was considered unconventional among the ladies of the noble families in Lidu Prefecture. But in times of chaos, her skills proved useful.

“Big Brother!” she called urgently.

Seeing the distressed look on Xie Sui’an’s face, Qiao Yinzhī quickly excused herself. “I’ll wait outside.”

Once the door was shut, Xie Sui’an spoke hurriedly, “Big Brother, someone placed three Chinese bellflowers at Ganxi Bridge in Huguishan this morning. It’s the emergency method for contact, but our people went to the rendezvous point and waited, yet no one arrived. There was no message from the other side. I felt something was off, so I rushed here to inform you.”

Xie Heng’s brow furrowed tightly, and his face grew even paler. He remained silent for a long time before making a decision.

“Go to Guoyu Building and gather all the secret agents from the Candlelight Division. Send them to Huguishan for the rescue operation.”

Xie Sui’an was stunned, thinking she had heard wrong. “Big Brother, all of the secret agents?”

“Yes, all of them.”

“But there’s been no message from the other side.”

“No message means this is the most urgent situation. If they hadn’t used such a method, there wouldn’t be a need for it. I fear our plan has been leaked, and today’s Huguishan valley is a trap set by the Qi people... cough, cough…”

Xie Heng coughed roughly, then continued, “There’s no time to notify the Prince. We can only fight the Qi people head-on. Our people may be lost, but we must ensure the Prince is safe.”

“Big Brother, if we fight the Qi soldiers in the valley, it’s essentially declaring war on the Qi royal court. Lidu Prefecture will be doomed.”

“The governor opened the city gates and allowed the Qi people to enter without a fight. Whether we fight or not, Lidu Prefecture is already lost.”

“But Big Brother… didn’t you say earlier that our forces are weak and now isn’t the time to engage in battle? You advised against tearing our face with the Qi people.”

“If the new Emperor dies here, what’s the use of saving face?!”

Xie Heng’s anger flared, and he coughed up blood.

Xie Sui’an, seeing this, hesitated, still shocked by the sight, but Xie Heng had already lost all concern for his own health.

“Quick, go!”