MLMD -Chapter 99 Wedding in Progress (Part 1)

Days passed one after another, and finally, the day of Yue Yang’s grand wedding arrived.

On the twentieth day of May in the sixth year of the Chongzhen era, it was an auspicious day for travel and marriage.

Today, both the Yue Family Estate in Wulizhai and the Yue Mansion in Yingzhou City were bustling with activity. Numerous servants and attendants busily hung lanterns and decorations at both locations. The Yue Mansion in Yingzhou City, in particular, was swarming with guests. Nearly every notable figure in Yingzhou Prefecture had made their way to Yue Yang’s residence.

“Ah… Li, little brother, you’re here too! Pleasure to see you!”

“Brother Lin, long time no see! Come in, come in!”

“Ah, Zhao Yuanwai, it’s been ages! We must have a few drinks together later!”

Yue Yang, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, stood at the main gate, smiling and greeting everyone he saw. From noon until the afternoon, he felt as though he had unleashed all the smiles he would ever have in his life, all on this one day. His personal attendant, Shunbao, who had grown up with him, temporarily set aside his duties as a guard and quietly took up his old role as Yue Yang’s personal servant.

Suddenly, a figure darted past Yue Yang. Already accustomed to the city, he immediately shouted, “Ah… Wu… you bunch of scoundrels, get inside at once! Don’t loiter in front of me!”

Yue Yang kicked Wu Chengfeng irritably, and then looked around to see that, besides Wu Chengfeng, Hu Laosan, Feng Xiaoming, and more than ten other important subordinates—including key defense officers and company commanders—had all arrived.

Seeing Yue Yang grinning until his face twitched, everyone burst into laughter.

“Laugh… laugh my foot! Get inside quickly; I’ve still got guests to receive!” Yue Yang said, but something about his own words felt oddly awkward. Before he could even react, the laughter around him grew louder. Everyone knew today was Yue Yang’s big day, and no matter how much they joked with him, he wouldn’t get angry, so their laughter was especially boisterous.

Noticing Yue Yang’s face turning slightly pale, Shunbao quickly began shoving the group of fools into the courtyard.

Once the group was inside, Yue Yang rubbed his already cramping cheeks, leaned against the doorframe, and gasped for air. He beckoned to Shunbao, “Quick, pour me a cup of water! My throat’s about to burst! Damn it, today I’m really paying a big price!”

Seeing this, Shunbao hurried to the back room and brought out a teapot. Before Shunbao could pour, Yue Yang grabbed it and took several large gulps straight from the spout. The cool tea finally soothed his nearly split throat.

“Ah…” Yue Yang let out a satisfied groan. He was about to speak when Shunbao tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Young master, two sedan chairs have arrived up front. One’s a blue eight-man chair, the other a green four-man chair.”

“Hmm? That too?” Hearing this, Yue Yang’s heart skipped a beat. In this era, sedan chairs were a common mode of transport, but strict regulations applied for their use under the feudal system.

An eight-man sedan chair meant it was carried by eight men. Aside from the bridal chair, only officials of provincial governor rank or above could use an eight-man chair. This rule could not be easily bypassed.

Hearing that an eight-man chair had arrived, Yue Yang was naturally shocked and turned to look. He immediately saw a green sedan chair touch the ground, and a man in blue civilian clothes step out.

“Phew… That old man actually came!” Yue Yang was startled.

He quickly ran up, bowed, and said with surprise, “Xu Da-ren, why have you come?”

“Haha… Today is your big day! I’ve specially brought a friend to celebrate with a toast. You won’t mind, Zhenghong, will you?” A moderately authoritative voice rang out. The visitor was none other than the provincial governor of Shanxi, Xu Dingchen, who had come all the way from Taiyuan.

Facing the arrival of this provincial governor, Yue Yang felt not only surprised but also a little nervous.

“Didn’t I invite this big shot? Why did he come? Could it be… I just gave him twenty thousand taels of silver and he felt a bit embarrassed, so he came to show face?”

Seeing Yue Yang’s astonished expression, Xu Dingchen smiled and said, “Zhenghong, don’t be nervous. I came purely to have a toast in your honor today, nothing else. Just treat me as an ordinary guest.”

“Yeah, right,” Yue Yang muttered to himself. Any sensible person would know that a provincial governor randomly attending the wedding of a minor sixth-rank official and claiming he’s only there for a toast was impossible to believe. But since higher-ranking officials always carried weight, he forced himself to accept it.

Xu Dingchen then said, “Also, today I have a distinguished guest to introduce. He is the newly appointed Chief Eunuch of the Shanxi Garrison, Wei Tonghe. Zhenghong, have you not met him yet?”

At these words, Yue Yang turned and saw a middle-aged man nearby, wearing a blue robe embroidered with mountains and rivers, his face pale and beardless, smiling at him.

“Chief Eunuch of the Garrison?” Yue Yang’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, “Your servant Yue Yang of Yingzhou Prefecture greets you, Wei Gonggong. May you enjoy health and happiness!”

Wei Tonghe sized Yue Yang up and, in his distinct eunuch quack, said, “Gaga… Save the formalities. Before coming, I wondered what kind of brave warrior could defeat over ten thousand bandits with only five hundred militia. Today I see you, and I am both surprised and delighted! When did our Ming dynasty produce such a young hero?”

“Hmm… this dead eunuch sure knows how to speak,” Yue Yang thought. He had always associated eunuchs with greed, cunning, and cruelty. They usually spoke down to everyone except the emperor. He hadn’t expected such courtesy from one to a lowly prefectural officer like himself.

Quickly realizing his old misconceptions came from books and dramas, Yue Yang understood that not all eunuchs were idiots.

Although his mind raced, Yue Yang quickly smiled and said, “Wei Gonggong, you are too kind. I was merely fortunate to win a battle. Thanks to Xu Da-ren’s trust in assigning me the responsibility of defending the city, I have this day. Otherwise, you would never have heard of a mere officer from Yingzhou like me.”

“Gaga… Lord Yue, you are too modest!” Xu Dingchen, standing beside him, felt pleased hearing this. Even Wei Tonghe took a slightly deeper look at Yue Yang. He had expected a young man like Yue Yang, after a battlefield victory and recognition from the governor, to be arrogant, but instead he spoke humbly and tactfully, like a seasoned official. Wei Tonghe could not help but hold him in higher regard.

Seeing Wei Tonghe about to speak, Xu Dingchen laughed and interjected, “Bridegroom, we’ve been standing at the door for some time. Won’t you invite us in for tea?”

“Oh… Xu Da-ren, you’re right. I neglected to do so. Please, gentlemen, come in for tea!” Yue Yang quickly invited them inside.

Once Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe entered, Yue Yang followed closely, then whispered to Shunbao, “It’s time. Quickly, close the doors!”

“Yes!”

Bang!

The main gate shut, separating the inside’s bustling activity from the outside world.

When Yue Yang led Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe into the main hall, they saw Zheng Fakui and several of the most prominent figures in Yingzhou conversing with the matriarch. Upon noticing Yue Yang, they paused and turned their gaze toward the newcomers.

Most of the people in the hall did not know Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe. Seeing Yue Yang walking behind these two high-ranking figures, many looked on with curiosity and confusion. It was understandable—few had the chance to see a provincial governor. Zheng Fakui realized first, paused, then stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your servant, Yingzhou Prefecture Magistrate Zheng Fakui, pays respects to Governor Xu. Wishing you health and prosperity!”

Clamor!

As soon as Zheng Fakui spoke, the hall erupted like boiling water.

“What? Did I hear that right? He’s the provincial governor?”

“Brother, pinch me. I’m not dreaming, right? The governor is here too?”

Xu Dingchen’s arrival left everyone in the hall astonished, hardly believing their eyes. Understandably, though many were influential figures in Yingzhou, the gap between their world and that of a provincial governor was immense. Even the matriarch, who had been seated at the head, quickly rose with Yue Ying’s help to greet Xu Dingchen.

Xu Dingchen helped the matriarch back to her seat and addressed the hall, “Everyone, I apologize for my sudden arrival and for any inconvenience. However, I am not the main character here. I am accompanying the newly appointed Chief Eunuch of the Shanxi Garrison, Wei Gonggong. Hurry, give him your respects!”

“Chief Eunuch of the Garrison?”

Everyone was taken aback. Such a position was generally reserved for the emperor’s confidants. Why had he come to this wedding?