After nightfall, he only had one hour to be close to the beauty.
After drying his hair, Dongfang Heng carried Shen Lixue to the bed. Her warm, soft body and delicate fragrance were extremely alluring. "Lixue, have you heard about what happened at the Grand Commandant's mansion?"
"You mean Lei Cong and Shen Caixuan's wedding?" Shen Lixue pointed to the small table by the bed: "I've already received the invitations. They're getting married in a month!"
“Shen Caixuan disagreed with the marriage and caused a huge scene at the Prime Minister’s residence!” After a pause, Dongfang Heng continued, “In order to force her to agree to the marriage, Lei Shi kept her tied up in the sun and exposed to the elements until she was barely recognizable as a human!”
“Shen Caixuan is very resistant to this marriage!” Shen Lixue’s lips curled into a beautiful smile.
"What do you want to do?" Dongfang Heng knew from Shen Lixue's gaze that she was plotting against him.
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "You'll know in a month!" Shen Minghui and the Lei family had tried every means to scheme against her, so she had to retaliate.
One month later, on an auspicious day, Lei Cong and Shen Caixuan got married!
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... Lots of things will happen at this wedding... ...Revenge on the scumbags...
Chapter 111 Bloodstained Wedding Hall
At Chen Shi (7:00-9:00 AM), Shen Lixue led Qiu He and Yan Yue out of the Zhan Wang Mansion and took a carriage to Lei Taiwei Mansion.
Lei Taiwei and Shen Minghui are both first-rank officials with considerable influence in the court. Their families are also related by marriage, making the union of Lei Cong and Shen Caixuan a double blessing. Their wedding preparations lasted for a month, becoming the talk of the town and a great sensation.
From afar, Shen Lixue saw through the carriage curtain that the Grand Commandant's mansion was bustling with people. Officials and their families came in an endless stream to offer their congratulations, and gifts were piled up like mountains. The Grand Commandant's steward stood at the door to greet the guests, his eyes narrowed to slits, and his old face beaming with joy.
"Look, look, the bride is here!" someone shouted, and everyone's eyes turned to the main road.
Shen Lixue also turned her head to look over. Lei Cong was dressed in a bright red wedding robe and wearing a festive red flower. He was riding a tall horse, looking dejected. His dim eyes flashed with intense anger and dissatisfaction. His fat body swayed mechanically with the movement of the fast horse. His gloomy face was completely out of place with the festive atmosphere.
As the only legitimate grandson of the Grand Commandant's family, his noble status fostered his arrogant temperament. He was superior to the celestial beauty Shen Yingxue, but married the lowly Shen Caixuan, so naturally he couldn't muster any enthusiasm.
Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, Lei Cong dismounted. The matchmaker hurriedly handed him a red silk ribbon, and he reluctantly took Shen Caiyun's hand, entering the Grand Commandant's mansion surrounded by the crowd.
At the very end of the crowd walked four familiar figures: Shen Minghui, Lei Yarong, Shen Yingxue, and Shen Yelei. Officials, noblewomen, and young ladies around them offered their congratulations, and the four greeted them with polite words such as "thank you" and "congratulations to you," their faces beaming with smiles.
The royal family doesn't pay much attention to the weddings of officials' children. Although the Prince of Zhan's mansion received the wedding invitation, no one came to the banquet, and Grand Commandant Lei didn't say much either. Shen Lixue chose to come to the Grand Commandant's mansion at Chenshi (7-9 AM) to watch the wedding ceremony directly, but she didn't expect to run into the four of them at the door.
Lifting the curtain and stepping down from the carriage, Shen Lixue, supported by Qiu He's hand, slowly walked to the door.
Qiu He glanced at Shen Minghui and the others, her eyes darting around, and called out loudly, "Princess, slow down!"
Shen Minghui paused, his brows furrowing tightly. A hint of wariness flashed in his serious eyes. Li Xue knew the whole truth. Could she be here to cause trouble?
It's better to be safe than sorry; we must stop her from entering the hall!
Shen Minghui turned to look at Shen Lixue and said coldly, "From ancient times to the present, has there ever been a woman who came to a wedding banquet alone?" The implication was that she should go back to the War Prince's Mansion and stop making a fool of herself here.
“I have no brothers or sisters in the War King’s Mansion, and my godfather doesn’t like attending such lively banquets. Why can’t I come on his behalf?” Shen Lixue waved the gold-embossed invitation in her hand, the two golden characters on it shining brightly in the sunlight.
"Or is it that Prime Minister Shen doesn't like people from the Prince of Zhan's Mansion attending your daughter and nephew's wedding banquet?" Shen Lixue's lips curled into a mocking smile as she coldly stared at Shen Minghui. If it weren't for disrupting this wedding, she wouldn't have come to the Grand Commandant's Mansion.
Shen Minghui's face flushed red and then turned pale, changing more than ten colors in an instant. It was a great honor for him that the master of the Zhanwang Mansion had come to attend the wedding banquet. It was one thing for him not to treat him with hospitality, but he actually chased him away. If word got out, people would definitely say that he didn't know what was good for him.
"Your Highness is overthinking it. I had no intention of making you leave!"
"That's good!" Shen Lixue wore a long, flowing dress with a hundred flowers. The light pink skirt was embroidered with delicate red flowers, and the stamens of the flowers were inlaid with bright diamonds that sparkled in the sunlight. A delicate kingfisher hairpin adorned her elegant updo, and the snow-shaped gemstone earrings swayed gently with her movements, perfectly showcasing the nobility and pride of a royal princess.
Shen Yingxue's hateful gaze lingered on Shen Lixue's clothes and jewelry, her beautiful eyes almost spitting fire with anger. "Bitch! She definitely dressed up so beautifully on purpose to show off in front of me."
It wasn't that Shen Lixue wanted to show off, but she didn't wear anything when she went to the War King's mansion. The War King had prepared these kinds of clothes and jewelry for her. If she didn't wear them, how could she attend the wedding?
Shen Yelei glared at Shen Lixue without saying a word, thinking to himself, "She was only granted the title of a minor princess, yet she doesn't even acknowledge her own father. What an ungrateful, sycophantic, and despicable woman!"
"Princess, the wedding ceremony is about to begin!" Shen Minghui said softly, his majestic eyes flashing with intense anger. His large hands were clenched into fists. Shen Lixue's noble attire and arrogant aura silently reminded everyone that she was a royal princess, no longer his daughter.
His blood flows in her veins. He is clearly her father, yet he is forced to treat her with utmost respect due to his status, which is a great disgrace.
"Thank you for the reminder, Prime Minister Shen!" Shen Lixue replied casually, without even glancing at Lei Shi, Shen Yingxue, or Shen Yelei. She took Qiu He's hand, passed through the group, and headed towards the Grand Commandant's residence.
After entering the gate and handing over the invitation, Shen Lixue walked straight ahead without stopping. The wedding ceremony was about to begin, and she had to get there as soon as possible. If she missed the time, she wouldn't be able to disrupt the wedding.
Yan Yue, who was walking behind, presented the gift.
The gift was wrapped in a festive red silk, so Shen Yingxue couldn't see what was inside, but she could see that it was a box, about the size of a palm. She couldn't help but sneer. Seeing Shen Lixue dressed so elegantly, it turned out she was just putting on a show. Giving such a small box as a gift could mean it was a treasure, or it could mean she was really poor.
She would not let go of any opportunity to strike at Shen Lixue.
“Princess Li Xue is the adopted daughter of Prince Zhan. The gift she gives must be exceptionally precious and unique. I wish I could open it and take a look!” Shen Yingxue gazed longingly at the small wooden box, her beautiful eyes filled with anticipation. In her heart, however, she was sneering. If the box contained cheap things, she would definitely mock her mercilessly once it was opened.
"Yes, yes, we'd love to see too!" The crowd murmured among themselves. Shen Lixue was the adopted daughter of the War King and was representing him at the wedding banquet. The War King was the Azure Flame War God, mysterious and unpredictable. Officials and their families were all eager to know what gift she had given.
"Alright!" Unable to withstand the pressure from everyone, the butler pulled back the red silk in front of everyone, revealing an exquisite wooden box. The box was made of sandalwood and was carved with delicate openwork patterns. A sapphire was set in the center of the box, reflecting rays of light under the sunlight.
Shen Yingxue was taken aback. The small box was so exquisite and valuable. The contents must also be precious. She had been too careless and too hasty.
The butler was quick, and Shen Yingxue couldn't stop him in time. In her regretful gaze, the box was opened, and a warm light spread out, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
In the center of the box, a round bead lies quietly, taking up most of the wooden box and radiating a warm glow!
What is that? It's so beautiful!
A luminous pearl? No, luminous pearls only glow at night, and they're not that big.
Pearls? They don't glow, and they're not that big...
Everyone racked their brains but still couldn't figure out what it was. They were all from noble families, and had seen countless treasures; they immediately recognized that the bead was also a treasure. The fact that they hadn't seen it before meant it was rare and precious, and they began to discuss it again.