Chapter Eighteen: The Wedding Day Arrives, and Guests Gather!

These past two days, Han Fu has been living in leisure—reading and practicing his martial arts as always. Meanwhile, the servants of the Zhou household have become busy, despite the wedding not being held on a grand scale. Still, as the niece of the Duke of Peiguo is to be married, even a modest celebration is beyond compare to others.

Steward Zhou was bustling about, directing the servants as they ran to and fro, decorating the residence with lanterns and festoons. The normally solemn Zhou estate was transformed, filled with a festive atmosphere. Since receiving the family letter a couple of days prior and thanks to Bai Li Mingda’s divination, Steward Zhou’s worries had vanished, and he wore a constant smile. Knowing the young master Bai Li as he did, the ominous prediction that his mother had only three days to live was, in fact, a sign she would live at least another ten years. With the wedding today, it was a double blessing for him. He was determined to soak in the good fortune before returning home, hoping his mother might gain another five years of life.

Lady Wang of the Zhou family urged Steward Zhou to return home early and not risk any mishap that might leave him with lifelong regrets. But he firmly shook his head, declaring with conviction, “I trust Young Master Bai Li.” When Bai Li Mingda heard of this, he was so vexed that he couldn’t read the entire afternoon.

Now, just past noon, Han Fu sat inside in a bright red wedding robe, reading a book, since it was not convenient to practice martial arts in such attire. He waited quietly for dusk to arrive and the wedding procession to begin. Aunt Song’s skill with the needle was impressive; the clothes fit perfectly and needed no alteration. Han Fu was not surprised by the tradition of fetching the bride at dusk; this had likewise been the custom in ancient times in his previous life. The morning wedding for a first marriage and an afternoon one for a second marriage were customs that only appeared in the postmodern era.

As for why the bride was fetched at dusk, it all came down to the concept of “auspiciousness.” According to ancient beliefs in yin and yang, women belonged to yin and men to yang. Dusk was the moment when yang receded and yin arose, aligning perfectly with the symbolism of a woman marrying into a man’s household. Thus, weddings were held at dusk. Although Han Fu was marrying into the bride’s family—yang entering yin—since Bai Li Mingsu had already moved out, he still had to fetch her back, so the concept held.

Bai Li Mingda had disappeared somewhere, and Han Fu enjoyed the peace and quiet. Ever since he’d learned of Bai Li Mingda’s “reverse hex” quirk, Han Fu had become even more diligent. He had already read the “Records of Omen Realms” at least three times, yet he never tired of it, determined to memorize all the territories, mountains, and rivers of the Xu Dynasty by heart. With the reverse hex in play, he dared not be careless.

Another hour and a half passed. While Han Fu remained engrossed in his book, the stir outside grew. The niece of the Duke of Peiguo was marrying, and the match was granted by the Emperor himself. Even though Zhou Xinyi did not make a grand affair of it, the stream of guests bearing gifts was endless.

Of course, most of those coming were the servants of the various households; they would deliver their gifts and leave. Only those with a close relationship to the Zhou family would come in person or send a son or nephew as their representative. Thus, although the front hall of the Zhou residence was lively, few guests actually sat down.

“Haha… Brother Zhou, to gain such a talented son-in-law, you truly make me envious.”

“Brother Li, your presence graces my humble home.”

“If the Duke of Peiguo’s residence is humble, then my own house must be a chicken coop!”

Laughter rang out.

Zhou Xinyi was in the front hall, exchanging pleasantries with his peers, men who held similar rank at court. The younger generation, meanwhile, was received by Zhou’s eldest son, Zhou Yuanshan, and his second son, Zhou Yuantou. All put on a festive face, each harboring their own thoughts. Even Qin Ping made no mention of the recent events on the dueling stage, as if they were already past or had never happened.

The young men, however, were different—proud and inexperienced as they were. In a corner, several of them were discussing Han Fu.

“Brother Zhou, during the recent dueling challenge, the intentions of the Zhou and Qin families were plain for all to see. Now that the alliance between your families has failed, all thanks to Han Fu—can you really swallow that?”

Though Zhou Yuanshan looked down on Han Fu, he wasn’t a fool. Today was a great occasion for the Zhou family; any mishap would be a disgrace. He snorted, “So what? Brother Zhang, just enjoy the wine today. If you want to teach Han Fu a lesson, there will be plenty of time for that later.”

“Of course not…” Li Quanshan gave an awkward smile. “Now that he’s to be your brother-in-law, why would I bother?”

“Good,” Zhou Yuanshan replied indifferently.

Steward Zhou Hai was at the door, recording the gifts, while Steward Zhou directed others in the courtyard. Guests sat at their tables, chatting and laughing; everything was in perfect order.

After a while, Steward Zhou checked the time, put aside his tasks, and hurried toward the rear courtyard.

“Young master, the auspicious hour has arrived. It’s time to fetch the bride,” he called outside Han Fu’s door.

Han Fu closed the “Records of Omen Realms,” dusted off his robe, and strode out. “Let’s go.”

Soon, the wedding procession set out from the Zhou residence, following the prearranged route to the Zhou family’s villa. Han Fu couldn’t ride a horse, but had no choice but to do so. Considerate as always, Steward Zhou had found him a gentle little mare the day before; its gait was steady and smooth, without the slightest jolt.

As they proceeded, more and more townsfolk gathered to watch, offering their good wishes along the way.

The Zhou family was generous; members of the wedding procession handed out red envelopes prepared in advance to the well-wishers along the route. It wasn’t much money, but it created a festive spirit. Even beggars who called out blessings received a few coins as a reward. With the music and fanfare, the scene was nothing if not lively.

While the wedding procession was bursting with excitement, Zhou Qing was thoroughly bored. The whole Zhou household was busy in the front courtyard, receiving and entertaining guests. Even his mother was elsewhere, chatting with the visiting ladies. He was left under the watchful eye of his nursemaid, playing idly in the main wing’s small courtyard.

The excitement outside had long since caught his interest, but the nursemaid kept a close guard, and he saw no chance to slip away. The little fellow was anxious, having tried to sneak off several times, only to be brought back every time, unwilling to give up. Just then, the nursemaid suddenly clutched her belly, her face twisted in pain.

“Oh dear…”

With a woman’s instinct, she knew this wasn’t a stomachache but the onset of her monthly cycle. Su Guifen, the nursemaid, panicked—what was she to do? If she left, the young master would surely slip away, but she was already feeling the uncomfortable wetness below. Unable to endure, Su Guifen hurried to Zhou Qing, crouched down, and instructed him, “Young master, play here by yourself for a moment. I’ll be right back. There are lots of strangers outside, very scary, so don’t run out…”

Before leaving, she even tried to frighten him a little. But in her haste, she failed to notice the gleam that flashed in Zhou Qing’s eyes at the mention of “strangers outside.” As soon as Su Guifen was out of sight, Zhou Qing wasted no time. He dashed out, his tiny legs carrying him away without a backward glance.

He soon reached the front courtyard, where he saw many people scattered in groups. With all the commotion and being so small, no one noticed him at first. After wandering for a while, an official who was friendly with the Zhou family spotted him and smiled kindly. “Isn’t this the little master of the Zhou family? Why are you playing alone?”

Zhou Qing stopped at his words, tilted his head to look at the man. The man smiled back, about to tease him, but his expression froze at Zhou Qing’s next move.

Zhou Qing spat at him.