Marriage (2)

The grand wedding procession packed An Family's secondary residence so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.

An Ziran had originally chosen this place as a temporary residence because it was relatively quiet. Now, people filled it inside and out, and the courtyard was piled high with An Ziran's dowry. It had originally been prepared for An Yuzhi, yet unexpectedly ended up being used for him.

Besides that, there were maids in the courtyard, as well as the wedding matron and others sent by Prince Fu's Manor. The group crowded the courtyard so tightly that there was practically nowhere to set foot.

When the wedding matron saw the procession arrive, she hurriedly picked up the red bridal veil from the table to cover An Ziran's head, only for him to raise a hand and stop her. The wedding matron froze. "Young Master An, this is...?"

An Ziran said calmly, "I'm a man. There's no need for this."

"But... this isn't proper!" the wedding matron said hesitantly, clutching the red veil.

Unmoved, An Ziran said, "Proper or not, I won't wear it."

The wedding matron was helpless. The auspicious hour was about to arrive, and any further delay would cause trouble. If the prince blamed her, she could not bear the responsibility. Yet she also feared that the prince would blame her for failing to cover the newlywed's head with a red veil.

An Ziran seemed to see through her thoughts. "If the prince holds anyone accountable, I'll take full responsibility."

The wedding matron looked slightly embarrassed. Since he had put it that way, she could only agree. She handed the veil to a maid beside her and had someone support An Ziran as they headed out. Then, remembering something, she asked, "Young Master An, aren't there any elders from the An Family coming to see you off?" She meant the blessings of close family. In Da Ya, this was generally part of the custom, meant to wish the newlyweds a harmonious marriage.

"No. Let's go."

An Ziran thought the wedding matron meant An Changfu's concubines. After all, they were the only elders left in the An Family, but as concubines, they could not appear on such an occasion. Besides, he had not sent anyone to inform them.

He had originally worried that Fang Junping and the others would be unwilling to accept it and make trouble for him, so he had not told them about the marriage agreement. Thus, they still had no idea that he was marrying into Prince Fu's Manor. Had they known, they would probably already have caused a scene, because with his status, marrying into Prince Fu's Manor was tantamount to taking the An Family's property with him as well.

The wedding matron could only follow his wishes and did not mention it again.

As the group stepped outside, a dense sea of heads immediately filled their view. Pair after pair of burning eyes fell upon An Ziran, who walked in the middle. Perhaps because he was not wearing a veil, most people looked astonished and craned their necks to stare at him.

An Ziran swept his gaze over the crowd before it landed on Fu Wutian, the most eye-catching figure at the front. Dressed in an equally crimson brocade robe, he radiated an imposing nobility. A trace of surprise flashed through An Ziran's eyes. He had not expected Fu Wutian to come in person.

Steward Su had told him that many people of high status in Da Ya did not personally go to receive their brides. Most grooms waited at their residences. First, because of their noble status, and second, because it demonstrated that the husband's family was heaven itself, and that after entering the household, the wife had to obey her husband. This was especially evident among imperial relatives.

While he was studying Fu Wutian, Fu Wutian was also studying him.

The sight of the youth in a scarlet robe made a flicker of admiration pass through his eyes. What a refined young man, handsome and graceful, with features as exquisite as a painting. He had always known the youth was not unattractive.

With that thought, Fu Wutian extended his hand toward him. "Princess Consort, I have come to take you home."

An Ziran stared at the hand extended toward him. He did not hesitate for long before slowly placing his hand in it beneath everyone's watchful eyes. Warmth immediately enveloped him.

A rare smile appeared on Fu Wutian's face, devastatingly handsome. The maids behind An Ziran blushed one after another at the sight. The prince was truly handsome, completely unlike the rumors said. Seeing was believing after all.

Watching the two of them standing together, Steward Su could not help rubbing his eyes. Why did he suddenly feel that the eldest young master and Prince Jun were actually quite well matched? That had to be an illusion!

With Fu Wutian personally supporting him, An Ziran climbed into the bridal sedan.

Though the bridal sedan had no flashy decorations, it was exceedingly ostentatious. Its large frame was carried by eight burly men, whose light steps suggested that they all possessed martial skills. The ride was extremely steady, with scarcely the slightest sway.

The sounds of gongs and firecrackers rang out once more as the wedding procession set off again.

Some of the onlooking crowd hurried after them, while others stood rooted where they were. Only after being bumped by the pressing crowd did they abruptly come back to their senses and cry out in shock.

"Heavens, who said Prince Jun was ugly?"

He was clearly outrageously handsome!

Regarding Chapter 35, I felt it did not flow very well, so I deleted the part at the beginning where the woman in purple appeared. She will reappear later.