Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 171 Eight hundred men it is, eight hundred men, eight hundred men should strike first!

Dusk is the time when yin and yang alternate.

This is the moment when all things in the universe begin a new cycle. Therefore, holding a wedding at dusk symbolizes that the union of the newlyweds is in accordance with the laws of nature and also signifies that they will begin a new journey in life.

Therefore, the wedding was called "昏礼" (hunli).

As dusk fell, the vermilion pillars inside and outside the Situ Mansion were wrapped in red silk, and hundreds of gilded lanterns illuminated the eaves as brightly as day.

Yuan Ji, dressed in a dark black robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, stood in front of the main hall to greet guests. His face was full of gentle smiles, and his every move exuded the demeanor of a young master from a noble family.

Outside the mansion gate, carriages and horses rumbled, and the jewels on the guests' clothes reflected the light of the lamps. One by one, the guests strode in with their heads held high, exchanging greetings with each other, their faces beaming with joy. They resembled a winding fire dragon in the streets and alleys of Luoyang City.

Two rows of towering, gilded vermilion bird lanterns stood before the gate, their wicks infused with precious ambergris, their wisps of smoke filling the entire street with a fragrant, spring-like aroma.

Meanwhile, the sound of gongs echoed from every street in Luoyang City, and carriages laden with wine jars came one after another. Servants from the Situ Mansion scattered five-zhu coins along the way, and children frolicked and crowded together, receiving five-zhu coins and candy from the servants of the Yuan family while singing nursery rhymes to bless the newlyweds.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the main streets such as Tianjie and Zhuque Avenue were almost completely blocked. Even the Imperial Guards were caught in the crowd and unable to move. It was because the wedding of one of the three highest-ranking officials of the court was taking place.

Yuan Wei had already made arrangements with Zhong Yao, the magistrate of Luoyang, well in advance for Yuan Ji's wedding today.

Speaking of which, Zhong Yao was also related to the Yuan family of Runan. Zhong Yao's elder sister married Guo Yu, the head of the Guo family of Hedong. Guo Yu's younger sister married Yuan Yi, the son of Yuan Wei's elder brother Yuan Xu.

It's not a problem to do them a favor, especially since the current Minister of Works is personally coming to their door, and the Crown Prince has also promised to personally visit them to bestow blessings upon the newlyweds.

The extravagance of the Yuan family wedding in Runan went far beyond this. The Yuan family booked out all the restaurants in Luoyang and held a continuous banquet, meaning that except for curfew hours, the fire in the stove never stopped, and dishes were constantly being served and replenished.

Anyone dressed neatly can enter the restaurant to dine, and can come and go at any time. No gifts or monetary contributions are required; simply leave a congratulatory message for the newlyweds upon entering.

For the refugees and poor people outside the city, Yuan specially arranged for servants to set up porridge stalls at each gate outside the city. The pots and pans were placed on the stoves made of bluestone, and the fires were burning brightly to cook the slightly sticky wheat porridge.

The servant in charge of cooking held a long ladle and stirred the pot incessantly, while the starving people around stretched their necks, their nostrils flaring, greedily sniffing the aroma of the porridge in the air.

The maintenance of order was achieved not only by some of Yuan's servants armed with swords, but also by the garrison soldiers of the city gate command who carried long spears.

Without these garrison soldiers, it wouldn't be surprising if refugees fought tooth and nail for food, even resorting to murder and robbery.

At times like these, it is essential to have garrison soldiers with official status stationed at the scene. Otherwise, the refugees will not care whether it is the Yuan family of Runan or the Yang family of Hongnong. If such a big mess is caused on the wedding day, it will not only be an unlucky thing, but the court will also hold the Yuan family of Runan accountable!

At this time, inside the brightly decorated Situ Mansion, Yuan Kui, under the pretext of going to the toilet, left with the help of Yuan Shu, abandoning his guests and departing from the front yard to return to the inner courtyard.

Yuan Wei frowned, his steps were heavy, each step felt like he was dragging a thousand-pound burden, and the originally short distance was walked with faltering steps.

He would look up at the sky from time to time, his eyes filled with worry. For some reason, Yuan Wei felt inexplicably uneasy today, whether it was the tension of impending doom or a warning from his ancestors.

After Yuan Ji interpreted the prophecy "The one who will replace the Han dynasty will be Gao Tu" as meaning that the Yuan family would replace the Liu family and rule the world, Yuan Kui became increasingly superstitious. He would burn tortoise shells, cast divination with copper coins, or observe the clouds, and would cast a divination from time to time to predict good or bad fortune.

Yuan Shu supported his uncle, his eyes filled with a strange expression. He felt that his uncle's pretense of illness was somehow becoming real.

Prophecies are nothing more than tools used by these powerful and wealthy families to deceive the common people. Who would actually believe them?

Theory of gods and ghosts?

Have you not seen how Zhang Jiao, who was said to be able to turn beans into soldiers and summon heavenly thunder, was exhumed and his corpse mutilated?
The tragic death of Jiao He, the former governor of Qingzhou, serves as a negative example of superstition and belief in gods and ghosts!

How can someone deceive themselves and end up deceiving others?

"Alas, let me cast one last divination." Yuan Wei also noticed Yuan Shu's gaze. He knew all too well that these supernatural tales were nothing more than a means to fool the people.

However, the fate of the Yuan family of Runan now rests entirely on his shoulders. Either he will bring the clan to its peak, or the Yuan family of Runan will be wiped out. As the head of the family, how could he not be nervous?
Yuan Wei sighed deeply, touched the tortoise shell in his sleeve, and gently stroked it with his fingers as if it were his cure. He then ordered his servants to light a bonfire in the courtyard.

As the evening glow illuminated the deep lines on Yuan Kui's face, Yuan Shu realized for the first time that his uncle had truly aged, perhaps even become senile.

How can one perform divination at a time like this?

But Yuan Wei stood in front of the campfire. It was already hot in the summer, and fine beads of sweat quickly appeared on his forehead. Yet he continued to place the tortoise shell on the fire to roast, his eyes fixed on the patterns on the shell, completely ignoring the group of Yuan clan members standing around him, staring at him.

Just as the flames were scorching the tortoise shell, making a crackling sound, Yuan Shu finally couldn't contain his anger. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he strode forward, kicking the tortoise shell away.

The charred tortoise shell traced an arc in the air before landing somewhere unknown. Upon seeing this, Yuan Wei hurriedly tried to go forward to search for the tortoise shell, but Yuan Shu stopped him, angrily shouting, "Uncle!"

"Why cast a divination? Are you just going to quit if the result is bad?"

Normally, Yuan Wei would have pointed at Yuan Shu and angrily cursed him as a "bastard," but Yuan Wei also knew he was in the wrong.

At this moment, in front of all the members of the Yuan clan, a divination is performed. If it is an auspicious divination, that's fine, but what if it is an inauspicious one?

Just as Yuan Shu said, if it's an unlucky omen, does that mean we should just give up?

However, as the head of the Yuan family of Runan and an elder, he was ultimately humiliated and couldn't help but retort, "After all, we only have eight hundred people in the manor!"

Yes, the Yuan family of Runan only had eight hundred axemen in the Situ Mansion in Luoyang!

Unlike He Jin's General of Chariots and Cavalry Mansion and Zhu Miao's General of the Guard Mansion, the Situ Mansion did not have a military corps in name.

Moreover, this matter is of great importance. Yuan Ji believes that the private soldiers from his hometown of Runan should not be summoned. The matter should be kept secret. If someone leaks the secret on their way to Runan, everything will be ruined.

Therefore, of these 800 people, 500 were members of the Yuan clan of Runan, and the remaining 300 were private soldiers who guarded the Situ Mansion on a daily basis.

Furthermore, suddenly mobilizing the private army from Runan might arouse the Crown Prince's suspicion, and even a slight suspicion could lead to failure.

Moreover, although there were only eight hundred swordsmen and axemen, the numerous servants of the Yuan family present, despite lacking military training, could form a force with considerable combat capability once armed.

"Eight hundred people it is!"

Yuan Shu glanced at his trusted generals and soldiers behind him, including Ji Ling, Yue Jiu, Lei Bo, and Chen Lan, a fierce glint in his eyes, and whispered, "Eight hundred men, strike first!"

The Yuan clan members all agreed with Yuan Shu's words. As long as the Crown Prince entered the Situ Mansion, the moment the gate was closed, they could take the Crown Prince's life!
Yuan Wei realized his lapse in composure and apologized to his clansmen, who naturally did not blame him.

Anyone can understand the immense pressure this patriarch is under right now. The Yuan clan members seem to have regained their unity and their morale has been boosted.

However, in the grass of the backyard, the tortoise shell, cracked from the fire, lay there quietly, as if it had been completely forgotten.

It is unclear whether it was due to insufficient roasting or damage from being thrown, but the main pattern (vertical) on the tortoise shell was broken and discontinuous, while the secondary patterns (horizontal) formed a crisscrossing network.

If a skilled diviner were here, he would surely exclaim in alarm at this ominous sign.

A broken and discontinuous main line—a horizontal branch of the tortoise shell pattern—indicates defeat in battle!

A crisscrossing, net-like pattern—Heaven has forsaken my teacher; my actions will lead me into a trap!
(End of this chapter)