Before he even reached Luoyi Lane, Chen Yi had already felt the impact of the Wei Dynasty's This Year's Tanhua getting married.
Starting from Kanning Street, the entire northern part of Shu Prefecture City rang with gongs and drums, while firecrackers crackled in unison.
Lanterns and colored banners adorned the streets, every one of them pasted with the character for joy.
Talented scholars and beautiful ladies dressed in red robes and skirts handed out candies, pastries, and other treats to passersby with happy smiles.
"This Year's Tanhua Li Huaigu is getting married. Share in the joy, share in the joy."
"Congratulations, Tanhua Li."
"Thank you, thank you."
The only scene that could compare to such liveliness was when Li Huaigu had paraded through North City last time, with talented scholars and beautiful ladies scrambling to follow him.
"There was none of this when we came by yesterday, yet everything's been hung up today."
Sitting inside the carriage and watching the scene beyond the window, Chen Yi found a memory surfacing in his mind without warning.
When he had gotten married that day, it had been much the same—lanterns and colored banners lining the route from Fengchun Tower to Marquis Dingyuan's Estate, brimming with life and celebration.
Only, the passersby back then had not offered congratulations as they did today. Instead, they had said, "General Jinghong is taking in a husband. Why didn't she find someone more outstanding?"
Vaguely, someone seemed to have also said, "A fresh flower stuck in a pile of cow dung—what makes you worthy?"
Chen Yi came back to himself, his brow creasing slightly.
That voice did not seem to have belonged to a passerby. It had spoken directly to him, as though right beside him.
Who was it?
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi finally