Chapter 7

Wedding Tragedy

“Stop!”

A young girl’s crisp voice came from the wedding palanquin.

The wedding procession had already reached the Huguishan valley. The vast valley seemed silent, save for the wind and the rustling of the trees.

Although the surroundings appeared peaceful, hidden in the shadows were the deadly agents from both sides, waiting for the new emperor to make an appearance. A hunt was about to begin.

The procession did not stop. A matchmaker, standing behind the palanquin, asked Nanyi through the curtain, “Madam, why do you want to stop the palanquin? The snowstorm is fierce in the valley, we should hurry and get through it.”

“I need to relieve myself.”

Nanyi answered pitifully.

In her plan, the best place to escape was near this valley close to Lidu Prefecture. The mountains provided cover, while the city, with its large population, made it easy to be noticed by the wrong people.

“Madam, just hold on a little longer.”

“But I can’t wait anymore... you can’t expect me to embarrass myself during the wedding, can you?”

Nanyi’s voice sounded like she was about to cry. The matchmaker hesitated.

Nanyi sat in the palanquin, gripping the dagger hidden in her sleeve. This was the weapon that Xie Que Shan had left behind after he rejected her. It had become her courage at this moment. She was just waiting for the matchmaker to agree, and once the palanquin stopped, she would rush out and run without looking back.

The matchmaker did not respond, but the palanquin stopped. The procession outside became eerily quiet. Nan Yi grew suspicious but still prepared to lift the curtain.

At that moment, a hand lifted the curtain before she could.

The wind and snow poured into the palanquin, and a snowflake landed on Nan Yi’s fingertips, the cold piercing her heart.

She didn’t know who the newcomer was, but her instincts told her it was dangerous, so she immediately raised her fan to shield her face.

Xie Que Shan glanced inside the palanquin. The confined space contained only a young woman, sitting obediently with a wedding fan.

They met again through the thin fan, though neither of them recognized the other, so close yet unaware. Xie Que Shan saw nothing unusual and quickly lowered the curtain.

“One of the fugitives we are tracking has infiltrated. We need to search the procession,” he ordered.

With a sharp command from Husa, the Qi soldiers began to brutally search the procession, inspecting boxes of dowries and the people accompanying them. Husa’s hawk-like gaze swept over everyone, but he found nothing suspicious.

This was a last-ditch effort. Revealing themselves meant being exposed, while the target remained hidden.

Yet, they still did not encounter the Prince of Ling’an, and the wedding procession was about to leave the valley. Despite Xie Que Shan’s objections, Husa was determined to search, unwilling to let any remaining possibility slip away.

He knew that the valley was filled with hidden assassins, and once they found the Prince of Ling’an, a battle was inevitable.

But by now, they had no choice but to take the risk. They couldn’t miss this opportunity.

However, they found nothing. Their plan failed, and the Prince of Ling’an never appeared. The Qi soldiers left empty-handed and allowed the wedding procession to continue.

Still unwilling to accept defeat, Husa ordered a few Qi soldiers to follow the procession.

The sound of their horses’ hooves relentlessly followed behind. Nan Yi dared not leave the palanquin now; she had once been hunted by these very soldiers. For her safety, she had no choice but to miss her best chance of escape.

She could only wait for another opportunity.

Xie Que Shan and Husa watched the wedding procession leave. They both understood that the calm was not true peace, but a result of the various factions canceling each other out. The undercurrents were still surging, and the struggle was far from over.

What was frustrating, however, was that they still didn’t know where the problem lay—was it that the Prince of Ling’an had not appeared, or had he secretly mixed into the procession right under their noses?

If they couldn’t capture the Prince of Ling’an in Lidu, capturing him after he crossed the river to the South would be even more difficult and prolonged.

Xie Que Shan remained calm, believing that this wasn’t the worst situation. He explained to Husa, “No matter where the Prince of Ling’an is now, he definitely hasn’t left Lidu. At least we know that the Xie family is the main force behind the escort. If we keep an eye on them, there’s still hope.”

“Then kill Xie Hengzai. Once he’s dead, their plans will fall into chaos.”

Husa stared into Xie Que Shan’s eyes.

...

The same news was urgently delivered to Xie Hengzai.

He was initially surprised, then breathed a slight sigh of relief. This was the best outcome they could hope for. However, he couldn’t shake off the unease. Why hadn’t the Prince of Ling’an appeared?

Could someone have warned him not to go, sensing the danger?

Then, how would he proceed to assist the Prince? A multitude of questions flooded Xie Hengzai’s mind.

At this moment, the wedding procession was nearing Wangxuewu, and he still had to attend the ceremony tonight.

The streets, once desolate, were now alive with the loud sounds of firecrackers, and the red banners swirled in the snow. As the wedding palanquin reached Xie family’s Wangxuewu, the snow ceased.

The last crystal snowflake fell on the red silk under the eaves, instantly melting into a small dark water stain.

Nan Yi stepped out of the palanquin. Her face was mostly obscured by the wedding fan, and she could only see the bustling crowd, unable to distinguish anyone’s face. She vaguely saw a man in a wedding robe standing in the hall. He was a bit thin but had a tall posture. When guests came to congratulate, he cupped his hands in return, his demeanor gentle and refined.

Nan Yi didn’t even know his name.

At that moment, the surrounding noise and liveliness made Nan Yi feel the reality of her marriage.

Earlier, she had been consumed with thoughts of escape, but she missed all her chances. Now, at this moment, escape was no longer possible. She gave up, and the fear in her heart faded, replaced by a sense of confusion.

She began to realize that this was marriage, the most important moment in a woman’s life. After the ceremony, she would be his wife. Could she ever escape after that?

But now, she was standing here, beside this man.

The evening bell echoed from the mountains, signaling that the auspicious time was near.

The Xie family was a prominent family in Lidu, and their influence was unquestionable. The wedding hall was filled with guests. However, there were also a few Qi spies who had blended in, one posing as a Xie family servant, and another pretending to be a wealthy merchant from the city. They blended into the crowd without attracting attention. The two exchanged a glance, ready to execute their plan to eliminate Xie Hengzai.

At that moment, the butler outside shouted, “Governor Huang has arrived!”

Along with the Lidu Governor Huang Yankun came Xie Que Shan and several Qi soldiers. Many of the people present didn’t know who Xie Que Shan was and whispered to each other about this unfamiliar man. They were curious why the Lidu Governor was so courteous to let him enter first, and about the Qi soldiers accompanying him...

However, when the Xie family members saw Xie Que Shan, their expressions froze, their faces darkened, and no one remembered to follow the proper etiquette to welcome him.

It was the Xie family matriarch who reacted first, directly ignoring Xie Que Shan and greeting the Governor.

But Huang Yankun stepped aside, making a gesture for Xie Que Shan to take a seat first, his face full of polite smiles.

The Qi soldiers placed the gifts they brought on the floor. Although it was a congratulatory gesture, each of them looked like a fierce deity, exuding a domineering presence.

One played the “white-faced” role, while the other took on the “red-faced” one, as Huang Yankun explained to the Xie family matriarch.

“Matriarch, Young Master Que Shan is an envoy sent by the Great Qi royal court. They’ve traveled a long way to establish a friendship with the Xie family and have brought many gifts as a token of congratulations. It is only right that Young Master Que Shan should be seated first to demonstrate the Xie family’s hospitality.”

Upon hearing the name “Young Master Que Shan,” a loud buzz exploded in Nan Yi’s mind.

“Do not let me find you, or there will be no chance of redemption.”

The moment his voice had fallen that day, Nan Yi had started fleeing desperately, running to the Qin family, only to fall into a trap. In the end, she missed her chance to escape in order to seek safety, and fate had still brought her before this demon.

Nan Yi tightly gripped the wedding fan in her hand, hoping that the thin fan would hide her face, preventing Xie Que Shan from recognizing her.

After hearing “Young Master Que Shan,” everyone in the room more or less understood. Most of the people present had heard of the notorious Xie Que Shan. He was the third son of the Xie family and a shameful traitor of the Yuchao dynasty. After the “Spring Shock Incident,” the Xie family had severed ties with him.

At this moment, though everyone’s heart was in turmoil, no one dared to speak out of turn. Saying anything would seem awkward and out of place.

Moreover, there were Qi soldiers present, and the dynasty had been torn apart by the Qi people. The fear of the Qi people was deeply ingrained in everyone’s bones. No one wanted to cause a conflict with them at such a critical moment, so the entire wedding hall fell into an eerie silence.

The quiet atmosphere forced the two spies to temporarily hold back and wait for another opportunity.

The most awkward person, Xie Que Shan, acted as if nothing was wrong. Huang Yankun invited him to take a seat, and he thanked him politely before sitting down.

Nan Yi, out of the corner of her eye, glanced at Xie Hengzai. His face, which had been warm and gentle earlier, now appeared ashen and dark.

Finally, Xie Taifu could no longer maintain her composure. She slammed her hand on the table and scolded Xie Que Shan.

“Xie Que Shan, do you want your elder brother to bow to you? Do you have no respect for seniority and hierarchy?”

Xie Que Shan smiled faintly and politely asked Xie Taifu, “Are you asking me as Xie Taifu, or as my grandmother?”

Xie Taifu was momentarily speechless.

“Grandmother, please do not be angry. It is an honor for the Great Qi to wish to form an alliance with our Xie family. Let us continue with the ceremony. We cannot delay the auspicious time.”

In the end, it was Xie Hengzai who, with a calm demeanor, eased the conflict. He glanced at his brother, and for a moment, their gazes met. It was as though thousands of thoughts passed between them, but it was hard to capture.

The sweating officiant received the signal to continue and almost couldn’t wait to push the wedding forward, eagerly shouting, “The auspicious time has arrived—first, bow to heaven and earth—”

Nan Yi stiffly turned around to face Xie Hengzai, performing the bow to heaven and earth. She silently prayed in her heart for this to end quickly.

“Second, bow to your parents—”

Nan Yi bent at the waist and rose, the pearls and jade on her head softly jingling. Then, as she lifted her head, her gaze involuntarily slipped past the edge of the fan and landed on Xie Que Shan, who was sitting amidst the crowded hall.

Her eyes met his, those eyes cold as a deep pool. At that instant, the noise and bustle of the room seemed to vanish. Despite the snow having stopped, a bone-chilling cold rushed into Nan Yi’s chest.

She was caught in his cold gaze. The bloodstains splattered across the snow, the questions of “life” and “death”… All the terror of the death he had brought rushed into Nan Yi’s mind.

“Couple bow to each other—”

Nan Yi stood frozen, staring at Xie Que Shan, her body stiff, forgetting to complete the final bow of the ceremony.

At that moment, the greatest disruption occurred, but it was not caused by Nan Yi. Xie Hengzai, standing next to her, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed silently.

“Hubby!” Qiao Yin Zhi cried out in alarm, rushing to hold her husband. The wedding hall erupted into chaos. Nan Yi, who had been standing beside Xie Hengzai, was pushed to the edge, while everyone surrounded the fallen Xie Hengzai.

Xie Que Shan also stood in surprise.

“There’s an assassin!” In the midst of the chaos, the governor shouted. The soldiers waiting outside Wangxuewu sprang into action, the sound of clanging armor growing closer.

Xie Hengzai’s face turned pale, and he was already unresponsive. No matter how people called out to him, he did not react.