In the blink of an eye came the day of Liang Zhe and Qin Shuying’s wedding.

Liang Zhe now had sufficient manpower, so no matter how many wicked schemes Luo Meixiang concocted, she couldn’t execute them. As soon as she devised a plan, Liang Yanjun would lead a group and eliminate it within minutes.

Liang Yunshan returned the day before Liang Zhe’s wedding, travel-worn but very pleased.

No matter how much he disliked Liang Zhe, this brat was still his son, and moreover a real man. He had heard about the battlefield events—the boy had backbone and took responsibility, truly worthy of being Liang Yunshan’s seed.

Liang Yunshan liked men with backbone.

Liang Yunshan arrived in the capital in the morning and went to see Emperor Delong immediately.

Emperor Delong kept him for dinner before letting him return home.

Upon returning home, he saw Old Madam Liang with a constipated expression, the overjoyed Luo Meixiang, and Luo Meixiang’s three children, but he didn’t see Liang Zhe.

Liang Yunshan sent his personal guard to Songtao Residence to “invite” Liang Zhe, only to be told that Liang Zhe had gone to the Zhao family.

Liang Yunshan’s nose twisted with anger. He had been back for an entire day, and everyone in the capital knew it—how could Liang Zhe not know? This brat deliberately went to the Zhao family, deliberately avoiding him.

That night, after some intimate moments, listening to Luo Meixiang’s tearful complaints, Liang Yunshan almost wanted to go to the Zhao family immediately and give Liang Zhe a beating. Thinking that Liang Zhe was to bow in marriage the next day and that beating him too severely would look bad, he angrily abandoned the idea.

That brat had thrown his words to the nine heavens and dared treat the old madam and Meixiang this way—just wait until he peeled his skin!

Then he touched his nose—actually, he didn’t want to go to the Zhao family either. Zhao Zhenyuan’s rigid, stubborn temperament was truly unbearable.

Anyway, that brat would return home in the morning, and the Zhao family would come too. He’d settle accounts then.

The eighth day of September dawned bright and clear.

After a sleepless night and the morning’s bustle, Qin Shuying finally stepped out of the Qin manor’s gates with her magnificent dowry procession and entered the bridal sedan.

This being her second marriage, her mood was calm as she left the Qin manor.

The most excited was Ziteng.

The wedding’s grandeur rivaled even Princess Fu’an’s marriage.

Qin Shuying’s abundant dowry was one reason for the wedding’s magnificence.

Qin Shuying’s wealth now totaled three to four hundred thousand taels of silver. She left some good shops at the Qin family, saying they were the third branch’s contribution to supporting the old madam.

The rest, naturally, all went as dowry.

Just the deeds for various shops and estates filled an entire carrier.

As for gold and silver jewelry, pearls and jade, they were countless.

Among them were gifts from Princess Yongjia and Consort Lian, presents from sisters like Lin Zilan and Qin Lulu, and gifts from nominal “good sisters” like Princess Fu’an, Yun Jingshu, Liu Sujiang, and others.

A full one hundred and twenty carriers formed a ten-li red dowry procession—truly living up to its name.

The wedding procession’s grandeur was the second reason for the wedding’s magnificence.

Liang Zhe’s wedding party consisted entirely of handsome young men riding fifty black horses, imposing and full of masculine vigor.

Liang Zhe himself rode a white horse, making him appear even more noble and heroic.

Young wives and unmarried girls stared with unblinking eyes.

The wedding party had only a few women—one beaming, trembling wedding attendant and several wedding women.

The wedding attendant was eloquent, spouting auspicious words endlessly along the way, followed by a crowd of children joining the excitement.

As for Songtao Residence, Ziteng had heard from Liang Yanjun that it was decorated most exquisitely.

Master Liang’s emphasis on this wedding made Ziteng especially happy.

Everyone discussed animatedly with great joy, as if it were their own family marrying.

“Didn’t they say Young Master Liang was very ugly? Is that really him?”

“That is Young Master Liang himself. Who said he was ugly? Those were rumors spread by his stepmother to ruin his reputation.”

“Exactly! Didn’t they also say Young Master Liang killed without blinking and had many women? I heard Young Master Liang is a good man who killed so many Western Bang people! When Madam Liang gave him two courtesans, he didn’t even glance at them!”

“My son knows someone who returned from the northwest. He said that in the northwest, all the common people love Young Master Liang because he’s brave in battle and the Western Bang people flee in terror at his name! As long as he’s there, the common people fear nothing.”

“Once, Young Master Liang went out and encountered an old man crying at his doorstep. When Young Master Liang asked, the old man said his son and daughter-in-law had been kidnapped by a small group of Western Bang people. Without a word, Young Master Liang mounted his horse and chased after those Western Bang people. When he caught up, there were over ten of them while Young Master Liang had only one companion, yet the two of them killed all ten-plus enemies and rescued the old man’s son and daughter-in-law.”

“I’ve heard that story too. Wasn’t there also a legend about Young Master Liang killing beauties? I heard from merchants that those weren’t his women but Western Bang spies. These spies were trained from childhood—when grown, they were both beautiful and deadly. Many unsuspecting people would be captivated by their beauty and skills. After Young Master Liang identified them, he cut them down one by one like slicing watermelons. After the killing, he stood among the pile of heads drinking wine and eating meat. Other Western Bang spies were terrified just hearing his name!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

“Before even going to battle, he already made the enemy fear him three parts—Young Master Liang is truly formidable!”

“Sigh, no matter how capable he is, he still doesn’t live as happily as us common folk. You think today’s wedding is what? An imperial decree marriage, yet the Liang family is indifferent—it’s all arranged by Young Master Liang’s maternal uncle! Knowing Young Master Liang was to marry, Madam Liang still gave him two courtesans. Tell me, would a birth mother do such a thing? Even ordinary stepmothers wouldn’t do this, and she’s a marquis’s wife!”

“Exactly! Also, Liang Zhe has a biological sister who was harmed by Madam Liang—married off to Xianren County, never to return in this lifetime.”

…

People discussed Liang Zhe’s heroic deeds and the Liang family gossip endlessly. Several storytellers in the crowd, seeing the conversation growing, smiled and quietly slipped away.

Then they went to another location and continued telling these stories.

Just for telling stories, they earned two taels of silver daily—truly a good thing.

Moreover, curious themselves, they had inquired of northwestern merchants who came to the capital and confirmed that Young Master Liang indeed had high prestige in the northwest, with his deeds widely known and the northwestern people loving him.

This made the stories even easier to tell.

They had been telling stories for nearly a month, with more and more material, able to speak at will anytime.

Ziteng vaguely heard people telling stories and felt very happy.

Miss’s strategy was truly brilliant.

Unknowingly, Liang Zhe’s image in many people’s hearts had completely changed.

Now everyone in the capital knew that the stepmother Luo Meixiang mistreated and slandered Master Liang.

Of course, such talk couldn’t play a crucial role, but it would surely be useful in the future.