Chapter 74 break off an engagement
The sky was gloomy, and the wind hurt people’s cheeks.
The procession of welcoming and seeing off relatives walked slowly across the street, and the sky was full of gongs and drums.
Yu Huanchen rode his horse to lead the way, while Yu Xinyi and Tang Buli were guarding both sides of the sedan chair as bridesmaids. Regardless of the urging of the matchmaker, the group deliberately slowed down the itinerary.
But even so, the gate of Xue’s mansion was still getting closer and closer, and the silk and bamboo were playing, and the guests came out surrounded by Xue Cen, who was dressed in a wedding gown.
In the bridal sedan chair, Yu Lingxi was holding the jade pendant with dragon pattern in her hand, while the dragon and phoenix auspicious fan was left aside, with Xue Cen’s Geng invitation on it.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing her father all the best.
If there is no more news from the palace, they can only take the next step.
Amidst the lively sound of firecrackers, the sedan chair fell to the ground, and Yu Lingxi’s heart sank.
Across the hazy embroidered red curtain at the head of the sedan chair, one can see that the brocade clothes in front of Xue’s mansion are like clouds. Xue Cen, who is tall and tall, is walking forward with upright steps, his jade face is slightly red, and he folds his sleeves and salutes towards the sedan chair.
Yu Lingxi clenched the jade pendant tightly, but did not get out of the sedan chair.
In the cold wind, Xue Cen was tall and straight, bowed earnestly, and invited the bride again loudly.
On horseback, Yu Huanchen and Yu Xinyi looked at each other, seeing determination in each other’s eyes.
The third time you ask the bride not to come down, it’s time to completely tear your face.
The wind blew across the ink-stained sky of the capital, and a piece of snow fell.
First there are a few fine white spots, and then more and more, until they become a floating piece of white.
“Bride, get off the sedan chair!”
“Erlang, don’t be cowardly, take your bride down!”
The guests around were eagerly urging and booing, and Xue’s father’s smile was a bit forced, and he couldn’t help gesturing to Xue Cen with his eyes.
Xue Cen pretended not to understand his father’s hint, the groom’s official hat was stained with a few pieces of white, and politely asked all the guests not to scare the bride in the sedan chair, then blushed, insisted on following the etiquette, and walked towards the sedan chair for the third time. The beauty in red makeup folded her sleeves and bowed, raising her eyebrows.
The maidservant Hu Tao stood aside in a light red jacket, secretly glanced at the unmoving master in the sedan chair, the handkerchief in her hand was already wrinkled.
Time seems to be stretched infinitely.
A rush of horseshoes came from North Street, and the yelling pierced the noise of the sedan chair ceremony.
“The imperial decree has arrived! Everyone in Xue’s residence accepts the decree!”
A waiter in brocade clothes held the imperial decree in his hand, and hastily reined in his horse to stop, interrupting Xue Cen’s unspoken words.
He had no choice but to straighten himself back to the side, face the direction of the imperial decree together with Father Xue and Xue Song, who looked dignified, and kneel down with their robes lifted.
After all, the marriage was bestowed by the Son of Heaven, and it was normal to issue an imperial decree to express condolences on the day of the wedding. Everyone did not have too much suspicion, and even faintly envied them. After all, no other couple in the entire capital could find such an honor.
The waiter in brocade clothes got off his horse, cleared his throat, and then opened the imperial decree and said loudly: “By God, the emperor’s decree said: Xue Youxiang, the veteran of the two dynasties, served the country carefully. Old, caring for the rest of the world. Xue Song, the left servant of the household department, and the young minister of Qianguanglu Temple, will take office immediately, there must be no mistakes…”
Hearing this, the guests all turned from envy to surprise.
The two high-ranking court officials of the Xue family, one dismissed the official and asked the old man, and the other moved to Guanglu Temple outside the core power-this is obviously not an honor, but a punishment!
Everyone was puzzled, and then the servant continued: “…the second son of the Xue family respects filial piety and courtesy, and the second girl of the Yu family is gentle and virtuous. However, the destiny is not compatible, and they are in conflict with each other. Let them return to their own ways and serve their parents. When the time is right , I will choose a spouse again for the two families, and another good son-in-law, hereby!”
After the holy decree was read, the audience was in an uproar.
This was unexpected, Xue Cen raised his head suddenly, the charming and warm smile faded from his eyes, and gradually turned into a daze.
Is it wrong in the imperial decree? Why did the fate suddenly disagree?
Xue Cen didn’t want to believe it, he couldn’t believe it.
The crushed snow was blurred in front of his eyes, and the sedan chair fell a foot away from him, within reach.
When getting engaged, the Ministry of Rites has already checked the horoscope and measured the auspicious time, hasn’t it?
“Xue Erlang, accept the order!” The servant reminded loudly.
Xue Cen didn’t respond, as if he was in a nightmare, and he didn’t know what to do with himself.
It was Xue Song who knelt down and stretched out his hand on his behalf, and said hoarsely: “Minister, take the decree.”
The imperial decree fell on the palm of his hand, as heavy as Mount Tai, Father Xue choked up with sobs and closed his eyes, knowing that everything was over.
Their plans were ruined at the closest step to success, they fell short and became a laughing stock.
Yu Huanchen and Yu Xinyi breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. In the sedan chair, Yu Lingxi’s tense body relaxed, and she let out a long breath of white air while leaning on the cushion.
Until this moment, she seemed to be alive again.
“Fortunately, the ceremony has not yet been completed, Xue Erlang, Yuer Miss.”
The servant bowed to each of the two families, and said with a smirk, “I also ask the two families to return the Geng Tie to each other, and this marriage will be considered as a thing of the past, so that the minister can go back to the palace to report to His Majesty.”
Yu Huanchen nodded, turned around and opened the car curtain, held out his palm and said in a low voice, “Sui Sui, I’m fine.”
Yu Lingxi picked up Xue Cengeng’s note that had been prepared earlier, tightened her fingertips, then raised her eyes and said, “Brother, I want to tell him personally.”
Surprised, Yu Huanchen hesitated for a moment, and finally held his sister’s hand instead, leading her to get off the sedan chair.
The matchmaker had already taken Yu Lingxi’s Geng Tie with trepidation and handed it to Xue Cen.
Xue Cen took it in bewilderment, still standing there in a daze, not knowing what to do.
A sudden nightmare from which no one told him how to wake up.
There was movement in the bridal sedan chair, and Yu Lingxi got down with Yu Huanchen’s palm in her skirt.
She didn’t hold the back fan, and her exquisite and unparalleled face was exposed in front of everyone. The red dress set off the white and falling snow, so beautiful that it was almost dazzling.
Xue Cen’s unfocused eyes finally lit up a little, and he took a slow step forward, calling out, “Second Sister…”
Yu Lingxi stood still, keeping a distance of half a foot from him.
The bright red skirt was on fire, and she didn’t wear the gorgeous wedding dress that Xue Cen personally selected and supervised, but she wore a noble and unfamiliar jade pendant with dragon patterns around her waist.
Xue Cen understood something, and stopped walking slowly.
The two looked at each other from a short distance away, one was transparent and calm, the other was at a loss, like a chasm in the sky.
Yu Lingxi regained her composure, returned the Geng invitation with both hands, and said softly and firmly: “You have the posture of a mountain, and the beauty of an adult. May you have a beautiful woman in your life, and the road ahead will be bright.”
The last bit of hope in Xue Cen’s eyes was shattered by the phrase “the beauty of an adult”, turning into reddish tears.
Yu Lingxi personally got off the sedan chair and returned Geng Tie, which was to save his last bit of face, and also showed her attitude.
She belongs to her heart, gentle and sober.
He has always been the only one who lives in the dream and is affectionate.
At such a close distance, he could not even hope to touch her.
Xue Cen looked at the Geng Tie in her hand, and for a while, brushed off the snowflakes on Yu Lingxi’s Geng Tch with his sleeve, and then returned it with both hands.
He bowed his head and lowered his head, his Adam’s apple twitched a few times, Fang said in a very difficult and hoarse voice: “May the second girl go well in everything, and have a worry-free life for the rest of her life, and find…a lover again.”
“Thank you.”
Yu Lingxi accepted her Geng Tie, and Fang Lue nodded goodbye.
Xue Cen still kept his bowed posture. The person who usually writes and paints with paper and pen is stable, but now he is holding the thin Geng Tie, but he is trembling unreasonably.
Two hot drops of water fell and splashed on the thin snow on the floor tiles, scalding two dark holes.
The servant completed the task and returned to the palace with satisfaction.
The people around were discussing, either in horror or speculation, and looked at Xue Cen with pity in their eyes for a while.
“Hey, it’s such a grand and unprecedented happy event, why did it happen like this?”
“Isn’t it! The marriage was ruined when I came to the hall, who can bear it?”
“In my opinion, it will be difficult for the second daughter of the Yu family to marry a well-matched family member in the future!”
“Who said it wasn’t? There were all kinds of rumors first, and finally there was Xue Erlang, who was deeply affectionate and righteous, but he died without a problem. The marriage was rough, maybe it was fate.”
“It’s a pity that such an upright and young beauty is so beautiful. After this incident, it is very difficult to find a decent man.”
In the crowd, someone sighed and sighed, “I don’t know which down-and-out kid will be cheaper in the future, or the widower who will continue.”
Tang Buli couldn’t listen anymore, his brows were bristling with anger, and he subconsciously touched the long whip on his waist.
It was only later that she realized that today she thought it was Yu Lingxi’s great joy. As a bridesmaid, she naturally couldn’t carry a weapon.
Yu Xinyi also had an angry look on her face, taking into account her sister’s face, so she refrained from beating someone in public. After all, at this point, it is impossible for the Yu Mansion to shut up the mouths of the people in the world.
“No matter what, Yaomei is the jewel in the palm of my Yu Mansion. The members of the Yu family would rather have her stay in the mansion forever under Cheng Huan’s lap than to wrong her a single bit.”
Yu Huanchen looked around with sword eyebrows and staring eyes, and said clearly, “Anyone who speaks contemptuously again will be an enemy of my Yu family.”
Only then did the surrounding discussion subside a little, but the eyes of everyone looking at Yu Lingxi were still full of unscrupulous amusement and exploration.
“Brother, don’t waste your time on idlers.”
Yu Lingxi pulled Yu Huanchen’s sleeve and said calmly, “Let’s go home.”
This can be regarded as the most satisfactory solution. Compared with the non-human being married, this kind of gossip is nothing at all.
She turned around to meet everyone’s scrutinizing gazes. The wind and snow were heavy, but she only felt unprecedented relief.
Afterwards, Yu Lingxi stopped in her tracks and her eyes fell on the end of the long street.
It wasn’t just her, all the restless onlookers in the street quieted down and automatically opened a lane to let the huge team pass.
Three thousand shards of snow flew like catkins, and the leader was dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, wearing a black fox fur and riding a horse. His handsome face almost blended with the flying snow, like a **** descending into the world.
Behind him, more than a hundred attendants and palace servants came carrying silk boxes and suitcases, holding Ruyi treasures in their arms, and bowed their heads.
“Hey! Who is the prince and grandson, such a row?”
“It’s King Jing!”
Someone in the crowd recognized the leader of the team.
“He… what is he doing here?”
“With so many things, did you steal the mansion of another minister?”
King Jing’s ruthless methods of purging the court in the past few days are vivid in his mind, everyone in the court is in danger, and the courtiers who came to the banquet for a while were so shocked that even their voices changed.
Yu Lingxi was also stunned.
She originally thought that Ning Yin was mostly manipulating behind the scenes, but she didn’t expect him to show up in a grand manner at this time, with so many attendants and treasure chests.
When Ning Yin rode his horse past the gate of the Xue Mansion and walked in front of the Yu family, all the ministers bowed down tremblingly and shouted: “Kowtow to His Royal Highness King Jing!”
I was afraid that if I was too slow, I would be punished as “abolishing the prince’s party”, dismissed from office and imprisoned.
Ning Yin ignored the people kneeling on the ground, passed the pale-faced Xue Cen, and slowly rode to a stop in front of Yu Lingxi, looking down at her.
Everyone turned around following Ning Yin’s movement, kneeling with their heads always facing Ning Yin’s direction.
They all sweated a little before watching the excitement of the Xue family, and it seemed that it was the turn of the Yu family again.
King Jing’s aura is obviously not good for those who come to the Yu family.
Yu Lingxi raised her head and looked at Ning Yin who was on the horse, her eyes flickered.
The wind and snow were blurred, her eyelashes were stained with broken snow, she lowered her voice and asked, “Ning…Your Highness, what are you doing here?”
Ning Yin touched his chin lightly with the horsewhip, his lacquered eyes were like ink, and his lips were raised.
In front of the entire Xue family, he stretched out a cold, white and slender palm to the girl who had just retired, and leaned over to invite him: “I heard that the second girl Yu is very happy to retire, and I am very happy. Come… let me be clean.”
He bit down the words “send innocence” very clearly.
Yu Lingxi’s heart skipped a beat, the only person who could say “Xiali” so euphemistically was a lunatic.
The trembling and kneeling people on the ground paused, as if they had seen a ghost.
This… This matter is going the way, why is it not right?