The Imperial Guard’s Revenge
Chapter 98 The Wedding
Currently, the biggest event in the capital was the wedding of Lu Heng, Chief Commander of the Imperial Guards. Nobles, whether they were young masters or young ladies, usually married early. Lu Heng, however, delayed until he was in his twenties without even a notable woman by his side. Even with the mourning period for his deceased father, many rumors about his health circulated the court.
Everyone had assumed that Lu Heng had some sort of issue, but after fulfilling his filial duties, he suddenly announced his marriage, sending invitations to all the prominent figures in the capital.
This sudden move from Lu Heng led all parties to speculate about his bride’s background and how it might affect the situation. While people were busy guessing about the mysterious future Madam Lu, rumors about Lu Heng’s impotence or disinterest in women were quickly debunked.
Wang Yanqing was unaware of the speculation surrounding her as she focused on the wedding preparations. Traditionally, a woman would marry out of her family’s home, but since Wang Yanqing’s parents were both deceased, Lu Heng purchased a residence in the capital under her name to make the wedding more impressive. Three days before the wedding, Wang Yanqing moved from the Lu Mansion to the new residence. On the day of the wedding, she will be fetched from there, and after the wedding procession, would be able to officially move into the Lu Mansion.
Since it was a temporary residence, Wang Yanqing didn’t pay much attention to it and left all matters entirely to Lu Heng’s staff. Although it was only designed for a three-day stay, Lu Heng put more effort into managing this property than even his own home.
The reason was none other than Fu Tingzhou.
Lu Heng could almost predict what Fu Tingzhou was up to. As the wedding was approaching and there no way to infiltrate the Lu Mansion, these three days, while Wang Yanqing was temporarily relocated, presented the best opportunity for action. Lu Heng meticulously screened the residence staff, ensuring that only familiar faces were allowed, and no strangers could enter. The house was also heavily stationed with guards.
Lu Heng protected Wang Yanqing closely and, under his vigilant watch, the three days passed without incident. In the blink of an eye, the wedding day had arrived.
Wang Yanqing had just closed her eyes for a short while when she was called for. The maids attended to her, helping her bathe and change. She put on a white inner garment, then, five or six people surrounded her, fussing over her makeup. Lu Heng had invited a Quanfu, a woman blessed with living parents, a harmonious marriage, and a full set of children, to style Wang Yanqing’s hair. The Quanfu Madam, holding an antler comb, wove it through Wang Yanqing’s waterfall-like long hair while humming softly: “One comb through to the end of youth, two combs for harmony between this couple until the white hair meets the eyebrows, three combs for a full house of grandchildren…”
|| Quanfu (全福人) means someone who is entirely blessed, referring to a woman who is living at peace with living parents, a husband, siblings, and children. A Quanfu, typically older female relative of the bride, attends to her during the wedding process to bless the marriage with good luck.
Wang Yanqing sat in front of the mirror. As she looked at the woman in the bronze reflection with delicate eyebrows, starry eyes, and beauty like peach blossoms, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity. As layers of makeup were applied, her eyebrows and eyes were carefully outlined. Although the makeup made her look more radiant than before, it also masked her features, like she was wearing a gorgeous mask. Although it was beautiful, Wang Yanqing felt it wasn’t real.
The grand and splendid wedding dress not far away, the bustling new residence, and even the fact that she was about to become a bride all seemed unreal to Wang Yanqing. She was fiddled with, like a puppet in front of the mirror for a long time, and finally, the maids said: “Done. Quickly help the Miss change her clothes.”
Wang Yanqing’s head was burdened by a complex and heavy hairpiece and dared not make any large movements. She could only stretch out her arms and allow the maids to move around her, dressing her in bright and intricate wedding garments.
The maids spread out the gold-woven horse-faced skirt, adjusting the laces, wrapping it tightly in circles, and carefully securing it around Wang Yanqing’s waist. Next came the red cross-collar jacket. The maids knelt on the floor, smoothing the edges of the garment, and then quietly stepped back. Two maids held up a long, red wide-sleeved robe to fill the empty space. The gown reached the floor and was fastened with three gold pearl buttons at her chest. The edges of the sleeves were adorned with blue embroidery and gold trim, trailing over the skirt in a dignified and grand manner. Over the robe she wore an additional layer of cyan shawl, which hung just above the knees. A cluster of pearl tassels adorned the bottom of the shawl, swaying gently with the wind.
With several layers of clothing piled on top, even the liveliest bride would need to walk slowly. Wang Yanqing clasped her hands in front of her and, with the support of the maids, sat down on the wedding bed, waiting for the bridal procession.
The red attire was as bright as fire. Wang Yanqing sat on the bed with her skirt neatly draped around her feet, revealing only the tips of her cloud shoes adorned with pearls. Her skin was as white as snow, and her bright eyes and pearly teeth shone through, even the heavy bridal makeup could not obscure the tranquility in her features. As she sat quietly, Wang Yanqing resembled the most subtle and exquisite touch of white space on a richly colored painting.
Both the Quanfu Madam and the matchmaker privately admired her beauty, noting that it was unlike anything they had ever seen before. No wonder a commoner girl like her could catch the eye of Master Lu. Such beauty was worth more than a fortune of thousands of gold coins.
The onlookers, moved by the sight, couldn’t help but regard the soon-to-be Madam Lu with increased respect, impressed by her calm demeanor on such a grand occasion, with neither arrogance nor timidity on her face. In reality, however, Wang Yanqing’s lack of expression was due to her sheer exhaustion from hunger.
The wedding ceremony would last an entire day, and to prevent the bride from needing to change midway through the rituals, brides were often not allowed to eat anything the night before. Wang Yanqing had only drunk a few sips of water since waking up. She had been fussed over for a long time and had to bear the heavy hairpiece and shawl weighing her down, she had neither the strength nor the energy to think about anything else.
Wang Yanqing had no family members in the capital. The matchmaker, noticing the absence of her relatives to help with the makeup, continuously chatted with her to keep the mood lively, fearing an awkward silence. In fact, Wang Yanqing didn’t mind the lack of a bridal procession. It saved her the trouble of socializing.
After waiting for a while, the auspicious time gradually approached. She vaguely heard trumpets and drums outside. A maid brought in the bridal veil, and the matchmaker, while chanting auspicious phrases, threw it up into the air. From Wang Yanqing’s view, a splash of fiery red descended gently.
The veil obscured her vision, so she could only see her own slender, white fingertips clasped on her lap, with the sleeves of her gown neatly stacked at her sides, and a ceremonious and elegant cyan coverlet draped in the middle. The sounds of joy and celebration grew louder and louder. In a moment, Wang Yanqing suddenly heard the matchmaker’s cheerful shouting. At the same time, maids supported her arms, guiding her out of the room.
As her embroidered shoes touched the cold, hard floor tiles outside, the chill from the wind brought a sense of reality. She was getting married, and Second Brother was not far away. What she had been looking forward to for many years was finally happening today.
But why did she feel no sense of relief but instead a deep sense of fear?
Surrounded by the crowd, Wang Yanqing walked out of the bridal chamber toward the main hall to bid farewell to her ancestors. Her parents and grandparents had all passed away, and today she was saying goodbye to the tablets of Wang Cong and Shen Lan. The ancestral tablets were moved from Datong by Lu Heng and were now enshrined in this residence, serving as Wang Yanqing’s maternal home.
As she walked through the crowd, Wang Yanqing realized that everything was arranged by Lu Heng. Although it was officially their wedding, Wang Yanqing had only been involved in trying on the wedding dress, she hadn’t worried about anything else. Before she knew it, Lu Heng had taken care of everything. Wang Yanqing felt a bit more at ease. This was her considerate and caring brother who had always looked out for her, he truly had her best interests at heart. If her parents and grandparents were still alive, they would surely approve of this marriage.
Wang Yanqing moved gracefully, her skirts flowing effortlessly as she walked towards the main hall. Lu Heng stood in the hall, dressed in red. While he often wore red clothing and his flying fish robes were known for their opulence and extravagance, today’s attire felt especially grand.
The red silk was embroidered with subtle patterns, and the flower-patterned sash elevated his red robe, outlining a sleek and elongated waistline. Lu Hend stood beneath the eaves, with the wind howling and snowflakes swirling outside. He watched her, covered by a bright red veil, approach him step by step amidst the crowd.
After half a year of worrying, Lu Heng’s heart finally settled. The things he had been wary of did not come to pass, and everything proceeded smoothly. She waited obediently and eagerly for him to marry him. Now that the wedding was successfully underway, there were no more obstacles to worry about.
Wang Yanqing was surrounded by a sea of red, making it impossible to see where she was walking. When the matchmaker signaled for her to perform the greeting, Wang Yanqing positioned herself properly and bowed deeply. After standing still, she was unsure of which direction to go next when suddenly her hand was enveloped in warmth.
The hand covering hers was long and strong, with slight calluses on the fingertips and palm. Wang Yanqing immediately recognized whose hand it was. Confused, she remembered that when the matchmaker explained the process yesterday, she did not recall a hand-holding step for the couple. Had she forgotten it?
Seeing that no one around seemed to object, she assumed she had made a mistake in remembering. However, it wasn’t that she had made an error, but rather that Lu Heng had taken the initiative to change the process.
The matchmaker was alarmed, her eyes widening in disbelief, as it was against the traditional etiquette for the couple to make contact before the ceremony was completed. However, looking into Lu Heng’s calm, inscrutable eyes, she did not dare to speak out. Instead, she pretended not to see and allowed Lu Heng to proceed as he wished.
Lu Heng guided Wang Yanqing into the main hall. At the front of the hall, the ancestral tablets of Wang Cong and Shen Lan were already in place. Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing each paid their respects before the tablets.
In the important event of marriage, they did not dare to act on their own. So, they were informing their ancestors to ensure a lasting union.
In his heart, Lu Heng silently apologized to the long-departed Wang Cong and Shen Lan. He felt he had acted improperly and hoped that his father-in-law and mother-in-law would forgive him. Going forward, he vowed to take their place, dedicating his life to accompanying and protecting Wang Yanqing.
After paying their respects, the sounds of celebration resumed. Lu Heng led the procession on horseback, while Wang Yanqing, with the assistance of the matchmaker, boarded the bridal sedan chair, heading toward her new home — the Lu Mansion.
Once Wang Yanqing was seated in the sedan chair, she quietly let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t had a drop of water, and the heavy attire was weighing her down. With all the bowing and rising along the way, she gradually felt her strength waning and her vision blurring. Wang Yanqing silently told herself to endure a little longer. Once they arrived at the Lu Manion and the ceremonial rites were completed, she would be able to rest in the bridal chamber.
Wang Yanqing sat properly in the sedan chair, hands clasped together, even though no one was watching her. Just as she was trying to regain her strength, she suddenly sensed some movement below.
Alarmed, she quickly lifted her veil to look down. In a flash, Wang Yanqing’s mind raced. On her wedding day, she hadn’t brought her usual dagger for self-defense. Could someone have anticipated this and set a trap inside the sedan chair?
But this was a bridal procession, with Lu Heng not far ahead and the attendants and guards just a curtain away. What good would it do for an assassin to hide here?
In the blink of an eye, as Wang Yanqing looked down, she saw someone emerging from a hidden compartment beneath the seat. The figure, noticing Wang Yanqing, was halfway out of the compartment and looked up at her with a pleading expression.
Wang Yanqing realized that this woman was afraid she would shout for help. Though Wang Yanqing had never seen this woman before, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Deep inside, a voice seemed to reassure her that she didn’t need to be alarmed, the woman would not harm her.
Wang Yanqing couldn’t quite place where this feeling was coming from, but she sensed that there must be a compelling reason for this woman to be hiding under the sedan chair. So, she remained silent, quietly moving aside to allow the woman to climb out from beneath the seat.
Once the woman, dressed in green, was free to move, she immediately knelt before Wang Yanqing and whispered: “Miss, I’ve finally found you.”
The bridal sedan chair for the highest-ranking Imperial Guard Commander was quite spacious and could comfortably accommodate two or three people. Wang Yanqing and the woman, known as Fei Cui, did not feel crowded at all. The women were light in weight, and the two of them combined were probably lighter than the sedan chair, so the sedan carriers did not notice anything amiss even though there was one more person hidden in the sedan chair.
Wang Yanqing looked at the woman kneeling beside her, with a sense of astonishment: “Who are you?”
“I am Fei Cui.” The woman said, her head lowered as she wiped away tears. The sounds of trumpets and drums from the wedding procession were so loud that Fei Cui’s deliberately lowered voice went unheard by the outside world, “Miss, I served you for ten years. Have you forgotten even me?”
The Lu Mansion was like an impenetrable fortress, and the residence where Wang Yanqing temporarily stayed was also tightly guarded by Lu Heng. The only opportunity for anyone like Fu Tingzhou to act was during the bridal procession. The procession would circle the city, and this rare moment where Wang Yanqing would be alone made an excellent opportunity.
Wang Yanqing stared at Fei Cui’s face, deep in silence. Seeing Wang Yanqing’s indifference and her calm eyes that looked at her like she was a stranger, Fei Cui felt a mix of sorrow and heartache. She struggled to hold back her tears and began to recount the events of the past years.
Fei Cui was three years older than Wang Yanqing. When Wang Yanqing first entered the mansion, Fei Cui had been assigned to serve her. Initially a second-rank maid, Fei Cui had been promoted due to her diligent work and eventually became Wang Yanqing’s personal maid.
While Wang Yanqing appeared to live a glamorous life on the surface, she was really an orphan living under someone else’s roof. She and Fei Cui depended on each other, and though their relationship was labeled as that of master and servant, they were more like sisters.
Fei Cui was aware of many habits that even Fu Tingzhou did not know. Fei Cui knew Wang Yanqing’s preferences, dislikes, the events she had experienced, and the injuries she had endured over the years better than anyone else in the world. Fei Cui didn’t need to use elaborate words, her sincerity was the strongest evidence.
Wang Yanqing continued to gaze at Fei Cui’s face. This woman had managed to infiltrate her sedan chair during her wedding procession and immediately claimed that the man she was about to marry, who was supposedly leading her, was an impostor. According to Fei Cui, the real home of Wang Yanqing was the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion, not the Lu Mansion. Such actions had to be deliberate, there must have been a hidden agenda.
Despite Wang Yanqing’s efforts, she couldn’t find any signs of deception in Fei Cui’s words. She began to doubt whether this woman had undergone special training to perfectly disguise her emotions. However, Fei Cui’s unconscious gestures revealed that she had received no such training and had less control over her emotions than the Imperial Guards. She was simply an ordinary maid.
What was even more unsettling was that the details Fei Cui mentioned seemed to resonate with Wang Yanqing.
It was impossible for anyone to fabricate lies so convincingly, and the fact that Fei Cui accurately described many habits Wang Yanqing herself hadn’t even noticed, seemed too coincidental.
Wang Yanqing felt as if she had been pushed off the edge of a cliff, plummeting into darkness, with the surrounding wind swallowing her whole. Her body felt numb and detached.
She didn’t want to believe it, but an inexplicable sense of dread told her that Fei Cui’s words were true.
If Fei Cui was telling the truth, then who was the person outside the sedan chair?
Noticing Wang Yanqing’s complete daze and the pale of her face even through the elaborate makeup, Fei Cui felt a pang of compassion. She swallowed the rest of her words, choosing not to prompt Wang Yanqing further.
The sounds of the suona, drums, and gongs were loud and exuberant, and the cheers of the onlookers filled the air. The outside and inside of the sedan chair seemed to become two worlds. The outside world was a vibrant celebration, while the inside felt like a cold, desolate cave.
Wang Yanqing remained motionless for a long time. Fei Cui heard a signal sound along the way, a secret code made with the Marquis in advanced, and knew they were nearing the Lu Mansion. If she wanted to ensure her own survival, she needed to quickly return to her original position. Fei Cui was uneasy thinking about the ruthless and merciless commander outside, but was unable to disturb Wang Yanqing. Just as Fei Cui was at a loss, Wang Yanqing finally spoke: “Did the Marquis of Zhenyuan send you?”
Fei Cui’s expression froze, unsure of how to respond. As she hesitated, Wang Yanqing already understood. Wang Yanqing gave a faint nod, her tone light as smoke: “I see. You should hide now.”
Fei Cui sensed that something was seriously wrong with Wang Yanqing but, given the urgency, she had no time to talk. She could only hide again under the seat, suppressing her worry. Wang Yanqing sat motionless in the sedan chair, the joyful and lively music outside only deepening her sense of sorrow.
As the music grew louder, the matchmaker outside, full of cheer, reminded her that they were approaching the Lu Mansion and urged her to sit up straight. The sedan chair was lowered, and three arrows were evenly and securely fastened to the top of the chair. The matchmaker, still speaking auspicious words, lifted the curtain.
The cold, pale winter sunlight streamed into the sedan chair, and Wang Yanqing looked up, meeting the gaze of the figure outside. Lu Heng, noticing that Wang Yanqing had lifted her veil, paused for a moment before smiling and bending slightly, using his body to shield her from the view of the guests and matchmaker. He personally stepped into the sedan chair to help her.
As Lu Heng took Wang Yanqing’s hand, he immediately felt how abnormally cold it was. He noticed more details. Wang Yanqing had lifted her veil, she was sitting on the left side of the chair, revealing a space to her right, and there were traces of movement on the wooden floor beneath the seat…
Lu Heng’s eyes narrowed briefly, but his face remained impassive as he firmly held Wang Yanqing and resolutely pulled her to her feet. At the same time, using his body to shield her, he gently lifted her veil.
To the guests, it appeared that the notoriously difficult Imperial Guard Commander, Master Lu, was assisting his new bride out of the sedan chair. He held her wrist tightly, as if afraid that letting go would make her vanish. The guests laughed heartily and applauded, making light-hearted jokes.
The crowd was loud, filled with smiling faces and congratulations, even by his political rivals who were rarely seen smiling. Despite the festive atmosphere and the joy around him, Lu Heng felt a profound sense of falseness. Every step he took seemed to make him question whether this was all a dream.
In this illusory world, his only reality was the cold touch of her fingertips. Her fingers trembled in his palm, and no matter how tightly he held her, he couldn’t warm them.
Lu Heng struggled to describe his feelings at that moment. Among the crowd, he spotted Fu Tingzhou standing at the side of the road, observing the ceremony. Fu Tingzhou stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression neutral and unmoving, simply watching him.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, the air seemed charged with a lethal tension, filled with a palpable sense of hostility. Lu Heng kept contemplating the possibility of killing Fu Tingzhou right now and whether he would be able to retreat safely afterward. Fu Tingzhou was likely thinking the same thing, that he needed to take Wang Yanqing away before the wedding rites were completed.
Lu Heng was so absorbed in his murderous thoughts that he momentarily forgot to be wary of his surroundings. Just as he was lost in these dark considerations, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound approach from behind.
Lu Heng’s eyes snapped into sharp focus. Is someone launching an ambush?