TRWSB – Chapter 139 The Wedding of Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan

Yi Fan’s mansion was buzzing with excitement as countless guests gathered for his wedding. The venue was filled with laughter and conversation as people eagerly awaited the arrival of the newlyweds. Groups of three or five people gathered together, chatting and enjoying the atmosphere. A few noble guests whispered among themselves.

“Previously, when Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao were engaged, Yi Fan went to deliver the bride. Now, it’s the other way around. Yi Fan is getting married, and Zhuang Hao is the one organizing it.”

“Yi Fan’s wedding should have been arranged by his elders, but because of his strained relationship with Yi Xun and the Yi family, he turned to Zhuang Hao.”

“Yi Fan and Zhuang Hao seem to get along really well.”

“Speaking of which, Yi Fan’s mansion looks really impressive!”

“Yes! Even the Yi family’s main residence doesn’t look this grand. Yi Fan is truly making something of himself!”

Yi Fan had spared no expense in decorating his mansion, earning much praise for his extravagant taste.

“Big Brother, Yi Fan is almost here,” Zhuang Qian hurriedly entered and said to Zhuang Hao.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Alright, have them set off the fireworks.”

“Understood,” Zhuang Qian responded and hurried off.

Tang Tianying walked over to Zhuang Hao. “Ah Hao, who would have thought that for Yi Fan’s wedding, you and Qi Shaorong are the ones making all the arrangements? It’s like you and Qi Shaorong are playing the role of Yi Fan’s parents.”

Zhuang Hao felt a little embarrassed. “I wouldn’t want to be Yi Fan’s parent. His group is too troublesome!”

Tang Tianying glanced over at Yun Hu and asked, “Isn’t that the disciple you arranged for the Martial City instructor? I heard the instructor is quite pleased with that hard-to-handle disciple.”

Zhuang Hao sighed, not wanting to respond.

“Ever since he arrived, he’s just been eating non-stop,” Tang Tianying added.

Zhuang Hao sighed again, “He really can eat a lot!”

Yi Fan had invited numerous guests, and the kitchen was working hard to keep the dishes coming out to ensure no food was left empty.

Zhuang Hao coughed twice. “Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan should be here soon. I’ll go to the entrance to welcome them.”

When Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan arrived, the guests immediately crowded around them to offer congratulations.

Both Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan were good-looking, and the compliments from the crowd made them feel slightly awkward.

Yi Fan held Mu Tingxuan’s hand as they exchanged pleasantries with the guests.

In the main hall, the red flowers and candles burned with fervor.

Qi Shaorong stood by the candle holders, watching Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan.

Zhuang Qian looked at Zhuang Hao. “Big Brother, what’s with the red flower-tied ribbon that Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan are holding? What’s that for?”

Zhuang Hao shook his head. “I’m not sure, but I heard it’s for a ceremonial offering to Heaven and Earth.”

“Offer to Heaven and Earth? What’s that?” Zhuang Qian asked, confused.

Zhuang Hao gave him a glance. “Just watch. Don’t ask so many questions.” He inwardly thought: I don’t know what this Heaven and Earth offering is either.

Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan turned around and bowed towards the entrance.

Zhuang Qian, still confused, asked, “What’s this all about?”

Zhuang Hao casually said, “Probably, Yi Fan doesn’t feel confident in keeping such a beautiful wife, so he’s asking Heaven and Earth to help him look after her.”

Zhuang Qian nodded in understanding. “I see! Big Brother, you really know a lot!”

Zhuang Hao smiled. “It’s nothing.”

“Second bow to the Boss.”

Qi Shaorong stood with his hands on his hips, smiling as he received their bow.

Zhuang Qian tilted his head and asked, “Big Brother, who is the Boss? A shopkeeper? Why are they bowing to the Boss?”

“The Boss is the one who provides for them, so of course they bow,” Zhuang Hao replied.

Zhuang Qian nodded again. “I see! Big Brother, when you and Qi Shaorong get married, will you also bow to Boss Laoquan? You two don’t seem to have a Boss.”

“That… we’ll talk about it when the time comes,” Zhuang Hao thought to himself. He recalled Qi Shaorong telling him that this bow was originally supposed to be for the parents, but it was changed to a bow to the Boss at the last moment.

“Now, the couple will bow to each other.”

Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan bowed to each other, facing each other in a traditional gesture.

The wedding of Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan was a sensation. Even a month after the ceremony, people in the royal capital were still talking about it.

Yi Fan’s mansion and its luxurious decorations were frequently mentioned with admiration.

The banquet’s lavish and delicious buffet was another topic of conversation among the guests.

The Yi family did not receive an invitation, sparking much speculation.

Among the guests, the appearance of the expert from the Li Kingdom, Mu Xingzhi, was also a topic of interest.

Qi Shaorong’s Mansion

Qi Shaorong stared at the imperial edict in his hands, his eyes narrowing.

Qi Heng looked at him, displeased. “Young Master, the Emperor is truly going too far. This is clearly an act of revenge against you.”

Qi Shaorong shook his head. “Ah Heng, you can’t say it like that. I’m only at the seventh rank, and the Emperor still granted me a territory. This is a great favor.”

In the Yuan Kingdom, the royal family sought to win over powerful individuals. Any eighth-rank expert in the kingdom willing to swear loyalty to the Emperor would be granted a territory and become a vassal.

Qi Heng frowned. “But the territory the Emperor granted to Young Master is the Bihai Plain!”

The Bihai Plain was located near the Blue Moon Sea, home to powerful sea clans. Some of these groups were extremely formidable, and from time to time, they would come ashore to plunder and cause havoc. The Bihai Plain was far from peaceful.

Many of the sea clan’s special products could be exchanged for vast amounts of resources in human society. Therefore, despite the dangers, numerous merchant caravans still operated in the area.

“The Emperor really has a sense of humor. Whether the Bihai Plain can still be considered part of the Yuan Kingdom is uncertain,” Qi Heng said.

Qi Shaorong’s expression darkened. The Bihai Plain had originally been part of the Yuan Kingdom, but after several sea clan invasions, the Yuan Kingdom had been unable to send forces to quell the uprisings. The locals in the Bihai Plain declared independence, and after some time, their independent regime disbanded. The area was too dangerous; many civilians had been killed or injured, and many had fled.

Now, those active in the Bihai Plain were no longer people of the Yuan Kingdom.

Although the Bihai Plain was nominally part of the Yuan Kingdom, in reality, the Emperor had no control over this territory.

“You know, Young Master, the ten previous lords sent to the Bihai Plain all died within ten years. It’s said to be a place where lords go to die,” Qi Heng continued.

“The last lord died eight years ago, and since then, no one has been willing to take the position due to the dangers. The position of lord has remained vacant for all these years,” Qi Heng added.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “I know all about that…”

“You can refuse this assignment!” Qi Heng urged.

Qi Shaorong smiled. “Since the Emperor already has ill intentions towards me, there’s no avoiding it by hiding.”

Qi Heng narrowed his eyes. “The Emperor really is going too far.”

Qi Shaorong chuckled. “Actually, I have a great interest in the Bihai Plain. Even if the Emperor didn’t arrange this, I would still want to see it for myself.”

Qi Shaorong rested his chin on his hand, thinking about the wealth of marine products in his previous life. This world’s sea was quite different from the one in his past life.

It was said that the human race was born from the sea—some people ascended to land and became human, while others remained in the sea and became the sea people. To adapt to life in the ocean, the sea people developed tails, fish scales, or even shells, transforming in various ways.

There was also a special kind of elixir in this world, the “Water Avoidance Pill,” which allowed humans to breathe underwater and stay in the sea for extended periods. Humans could use it to blend in with the sea people.

“You want to go to the sea? What for?” Qi Heng asked.

“I’ve heard that the sea people are stronger than humans. If it weren’t for the fact that many sea people can’t leave the water, the mainland would have been wiped out by them long ago,” Qi Shaorong said with a smile. “I also heard that many of the sea people’s special products can help improve strength.”

Qi Heng looked at him with a wry smile. “Young Master, you really… Fine, I’ll accompany you there.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Sure! Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan are newlyweds, so they shouldn’t be traveling. Besides, the business of the Qingcheng Cosmetics Store still needs their attention.”

There was a knock on the door, and Zhuang Hao entered.

Qi Shaorong looked at him. “You’ve arrived.”

Zhuang Hao noticed the imperial edict in Qi Shaorong’s hand and frowned. “Can I take a look at that?”

“Of course,” Qi Shaorong casually tossed the edict to Zhuang Hao.

Zhuang Hao examined the edict, then looked at Qi Shaorong. “Are you familiar with the situation in the Bihai Plain?”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “I know a bit.”

Zhuang Hao took a deep breath. “Many of those who were assigned to the Bihai Plain met different fates. Most of them offended some powerful factions there and died from assassinations.”

“Are there any who have fared well?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Zhuang Hao crossed his arms. “Some lords, upon arriving, lowered their stance and joined a local major faction. If they do that, they tend to survive longer.”

“It sounds dangerous,” Qi Shaorong said.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “If you’re going to the Bihai Plain to take up the lordship, I’ll accompany you.”

Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao, intrigued. “I’m going to be the lord. Zhuang Hao, how do you plan to accompany me?”

Zhuang Hao looked up and smiled. “If you don’t mind, I’ll accompany you as the captain of your personal guard. Does that sound alright?”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “That works.”

Just then, Bi Liuyun pushed the door open and walked in, waving a fan. “I heard Young Master is going to the sea. I want to go too.”

Qi Shaorong looked at Bi Liuyun. “If you go with me, who will manage the Lihua Pavilion?”

“I’ll leave that to Tingxuan,” Bi Liuyun said matter-of-factly.

Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes. “You’ll leave the Lihua Pavilion in the hands of Tingxuan, that expressionless man? When you come back, you’ll find that it’s shut down for good.”

Bi Liuyun patted Qi Shaorong on the shoulder. “Young Master, don’t underestimate Tingxuan! It doesn’t matter if he’s expressionless; he’s handsome enough. Besides, you don’t know, the trend these days is for expressionless faces.”

Qi Shaorong sighed. “…”

“When do you plan to leave, Young Master?” Bi Liuyun asked.

“The edict says I must take office within three months. I want to leave soon to get a feel for the situation, so I need to hand over things here. I plan to leave in the next few days,” Qi Shaorong thought to himself. If he left earlier, he could disguise his identity and survey the situation.

Bi Liuyun nodded. “In that case, I’ll finish handling things here and go with you.”