Within a few days of returning to Xinxie Manor, Si Lan arrived, bringing three sets of wedding attire in different styles, said to be personally selected by Lu Qianqiao. Xin Mei stared for a long time at those three phoenix crowns that looked very much like chamber pots, then turned to look at Si Lan, who was expressionless. Turning back to look at Xin Xiong, his eyes were glowing—even if Lu Qianqiao had actually sent a few chamber pots, he would probably cry tears of joy.

“You’re certain… I’m supposed to wear this to marry him?”

She picked up one chamber pot… no, one phoenix crown, and plopped it on her head. Half her face was immediately swallowed up.

Si Lan coughed discreetly: “The General said the War Ghost clan’s wedding attire style is just like this.”

…War Ghost clan brides were truly pitiful, every one of them married wearing chamber pots on their heads.

“The General also instructed that he’ll deal with the peasant soldiers around Jiaping Pass within half a month and won’t have time to look after you, so this arduous task falls to me. For the next half month, you’ll stay obediently at Xinxie Manor and aren’t allowed to go anywhere.”

Speaking of which, this task was indeed arduous… Si Lan rubbed his aching temples.

Unexpectedly, she actually nodded obediently, showing no intention of objecting. Si Lan finally exhaled the breath that had been stuck in his throat.

“By the way, Si Lan.” Xin Mei removed the phoenix crown and turned to look at him kindly. “Since this is a rare opportunity and you’re here, let me take you to see that doctor in Lushui Town. He has excellent needlework skills and specializes in treating facial paralysis, muscle spasms, and strokes.”

…He had indeed exhaled that breath too early.

Half a month’s time passed in the blink of an eye for Xin Mei, but for Si Lan, it felt slightly longer than three lifetimes.

Good news soon came from Jiaping Pass. Although the old General Bai Zongying had retired and returned home, the newly appointed Cavalry General was no less capable. He easily killed several of Wu Shuang’s major generals in succession. Wu Shuang, who had been unstoppable since his uprising, finally experienced mountain-high setbacks and was forced to withdraw from Jiaping Pass, retreating all the way to outside Qiong Kingdom’s borders. It seemed unlikely he would dare invade again anytime soon.

Emperor Rong Zheng was greatly pleased. Gold and silver flowed like water in rewards, and he even launched major construction projects, building a Cavalry General’s mansion in the capital while eagerly awaiting the General’s return to court.

This expectation was obviously dashed once again. Lu Qianqiao wrote a memorial requesting six months’ rest and, without waiting for a reply, packed up and returned to the Imperial Tomb that very night.

He was busy getting married recently and had no time to return to court.

That day was September 18th, said to be an auspicious day that couldn’t get any better.

Xin Mei wore the chamber pot-like phoenix crown on her head and the sack-like wedding dress woven from hundreds of bird feathers. Under everyone’s gaze, dressed like this, she really couldn’t muster her usual courage and had to cover her face with her sleeves before getting into the bridal carriage again. Unlike last time, Lu Qianqiao came in person this time, riding the fire-red Lie Yunhua and wearing the sack-like celebratory robes, yet still managing to look graceful and dignified.

Lushui Town was in an uproar once again. It was said that the young miss from Xinxie Manor with the husband-killing fate had married and killed her previous husband within just a few months, but quickly found another sucker to take his place—and a remarkably handsome sucker at that.

Looking at Xin Xiong’s wrinkled, flower-like old face, the crowd with unmarried daughters at home felt both hatred and jealousy. They rolled up their sleeves and ate and drank ferociously at the banquet until the kitchen could produce nothing more, finally departing satisfied.

Just as the wedding procession was about to leave, Xin Xiong hurried to support the bridal carriage and pulled open the curtain: “Xiao Mei, those books father gave you—you’ve read them all, right?”

Xin Mei was spinning the phoenix crown on her finger when she heard this. The crown immediately fell to the ground.

Those books… she had only read one volume of “Orchid Musk Tender Pistil Collection.” The rest she had planned to peruse when she had time, but who knew that when Lu Qianqiao brought her back to Xinxie Manor that day, he had unceremoniously confiscated them all again.

“I’ll study them properly, don’t worry.”

He had thrown her that line quite seriously at the time, causing her to have spring dreams for several more nights.

“In any case, I’m inspecting the goods tonight.”

Xin Mei picked up the phoenix crown and turned to give Xin Xiong a long-absent smile full of domineering aura.

The grand wedding procession finally took to the skies, flying toward the Imperial Tomb. Xin Mei felt stuffy sitting in the bridal carriage and pulled open the curtain, unexpectedly catching sight of Lu Qianqiao urging Lie Yunhua toward her. She quickly waved.

“Si Lan said your War Ghost clan weddings seem quite different from ours, and later there’ll be performances like breaking stones with one’s chest and such. Let’s make a deal—let me eat first, then perform, okay?”

…What was this about breaking stones with one’s chest? What exactly had Si Lan told her?

Lu Qianqiao pulled a bag of pastries from his robes and tossed it to her, smiling faintly: “Silly girl, do you think this is street performance art? Just cover your head with the veil—you don’t need to do anything.”

He then gazed at her quietly for a while, his ears reddening slightly as he said softly: “You look… very beautiful today.”

He had wanted to see her wearing War Ghost clan wedding attire many times. The imagined scenes in his mind paled in comparison to the person actually sitting before him now.

“You’re very suited to my clan’s wedding dress.”

Xin Mei hesitantly looked down at the sack-like clothing on her body, plus the chamber pot-like phoenix crown in her hands. So… in his eyes, she was suited to dress like this.

“You look quite good in this outfit too,” she forced herself to compliment. “These bird feathers are really magnificent.”

Uh, he… he looked so blissfully happy.

Xin Mei guiltily pinched out a piece of date cake and silently stuffed it in her mouth.

Lu Qianqiao was about to say something more when he suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned around sharply to see several giant birds of paradise slowly emerging from a mass of clouds in the distance, pulling an extremely flashy and luxurious golden carriage that leisurely approached.

Golden light transformed into flowing script. When it occasionally brushed against the body, the feeling… was very unpleasant.

“General!”

Si Lan ahead was extremely alert, immediately steering his horse back to block them protectively, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt at his waist.

Lu Qianqiao shook his head, signaling him to step back.

He finally understood what that unpleasant aura on Xin Mei that day had been about. She had encountered a great monk from the Fox clan?

“…What do you want?”

He urged his horse forward three steps, his voice indifferent.

A hand wearing black silk gloves rolled up the white bamboo curtain, and the great monk poked his head out, leisurely smiling at him.

“I’m not looking for you, I’m looking for her.”

He pointed at Xin Mei, who was stuffing her mouth with date cake in the bridal carriage.

Lu Qianqiao furrowed his brows tightly without speaking, only shifting slightly to block his unbridled gaze.

“Beautiful bride in the carriage!” The great monk cupped his hands around his mouth and called out loudly. “Thank you for the mooncakes last time. Today I’ve come to return the favor.”

Xin Mei brushed the crumbs from her hands and stared at him curiously for a long time before speaking in amazement: “Do I know you?”

“Tsk, so ungracious.” He laughed unconcernedly. “Forgotten me? That’s fine too. Here’s my return gift, and by the way, I’ve also brought a congratulatory gift from that fox at Chongling Valley. Catch!”

With a flourish of his long sleeve, he tossed over a large box.

Lu Qianqiao’s hand shot out like lightning, instantly intercepting it. He stared at the monk for a moment before slowly lowering his eyes. In his hand was a wooden box over a foot long and wide, containing two smaller boxes—one held a pearl the size of a pigeon’s egg, the other contained an exquisite golden necklace.

“The necklace is my gift.” The great monk smiled lazily and leisurely. “I wish you a hundred years of harmony, inseparable like glue, and many children soon.”

The necklace emanated a disgusting aura. Lu Qianqiao remained expressionless and directly threw the box away.

The monk didn’t get angry and continued smiling: “Why such hostility toward me? I actually have quite a good impression of you.”

Lu Qianqiao turned away, ordering: “Continue forward.”

The wedding procession continued on, and the magnificent golden carriage gradually disappeared from sight. Xin Mei poked her head out and watched for a long time before suddenly having a flash of inspiration and remembering: “Oh! That meat-eating fake monk!”

Lu Qianqiao said flatly: “Don’t think about him.”

Uh, jealous?

Xin Mei cupped her chin and smiled sweetly at him: “Good boy, you’re the only one in my heart.”

A trace of a smile appeared on his face but quickly vanished: “Sit steady, careful not to fall.”

The Fox clan… That day at Jiaping Pass, Limin had mentioned before leaving that they had been restless recently, even troubling Mother greatly. One side insisted they were descendants of heavenly gods, the other firmly denied the other’s divine bloodline—that’s how the conflict arose. In recent years, the War Ghost clan had dwindled, so it seemed… it was time to settle things.

“Lu Qianqiao, what are you thinking about?”

The bride’s voice from the carriage interrupted his contemplation. He smiled—right, he was still in the middle of getting married.

“Nothing.” He pulled down her window curtain for her. “Sit properly, we need to pick up the pace now to reach the Imperial Tomb before dark.”

Weddings were joyous occasions for observers but exhausting for those involved.

Getting married in the War Ghost clan was more troublesome than giving birth. Xin Mei, with her head covered by the bridal veil, was carried in Lu Qianqiao’s arms as they went through knife mountains and oil cauldrons. The wedding dress woven from hundreds of bird feathers served this purpose—during the passage through knife mountains and oil cauldrons, not a single feather could fall, or it would be inauspicious.

After finally entering the gates, a large iron ball came flying head-on—was this a bridal chamber or a trap room?!

Watching Lu Qianqiao effortlessly kick the iron ball away, smashing the wall to pieces and turning that poor room into complete ruins.

Turns out… the bridal chamber was behind it.

Xin Mei was placed on the bed and hadn’t yet had time to assume a bashful pose when she heard several whooshing sounds from beneath her feet. A row of steel blades shot up from under the bed, turning the wedding bed into a cage.

The groom stood outside the cage, about to roll up his sleeves and break the steel blades to reach his beauty, but the beauty inside had already jumped up in fury and kicked all the blades to pieces.

“Come here!” Xin Mei pulled off her bridal veil and beckoned him with her finger. “Now—we can finally consummate the marriage, right?”