Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 508 Extra Chapter: Pei Wan

On the tenth day of the tenth month of the tenth year of Zhaoyuan, the imperial court held a grand ceremony to confer the title of Crown Prince.

At the tender age of six, Pei Yuan officially became the esteemed Crown Prince, truly second only to the emperor.

Civil and military officials from all over the country rushed to Yan County to participate in this grand ceremony. Those who were too far away to make it in time prepared a generous gift and sent it to Yan County. Even several nomadic tribes came to pay homage.

The people of Yan County were also amazed. Every day, luxurious carriages came and went at the city gate, and suddenly there were many high-ranking officials, nobles and wealthy merchants in the city.

In fact, this shows that the people of Yan County have not yet developed the same level of self-confidence as the people of the capital.

Back then, Luoyang was the most prosperous city in the world.

Yan County was established as the capital by Emperor Zhaoyuan only ten years ago. In the years prior, the emperor had been leading troops on campaigns abroad, and Yan County inevitably lacked some of the grandeur of a capital. Now, with peace restored throughout the land and the grasslands under his rule, Emperor Zhaoyuan is at the peak of his life, his power and prestige extending across the world. Who could possibly not attend such a grand occasion as the ceremony for establishing the crown prince? Who wouldn't want to be there?

The Pei family sons who had scattered to various places naturally all returned.

Pei Yue, who got married last year, returned with his wife Ge Siniang and his good brother Lu Wulang. Pei Wan returned, Pei Yu returned, and Pei Yun, who was stationed in Luoyang, also returned. Along with Pei Xuan and Pei Feng, everyone gathered together, making every day very lively.

Pei Yue, who had served as the prefect of Xin'an for five years, had shed his youthful naiveté, and his slightly chubby figure had become thinner, giving him the confidence and composure of a young man.

Upon reaching Pei Qinghe, Pei Yue reverted to his old self, shamelessly pleading and complaining: "...There are still some remnants of the Jiangnan Army in Xin'an County. There haven't been any major battles in recent years, but there have been constant small skirmishes. As the prefect, I have to manage both civil and administrative affairs and lead troops into battle. I'm busy from morning till night every day. Even a donkey pulling a millstone can't be used like this."

Pei Qinghe glanced at him with a smile: "With Lu Wulang and Ge Siniang helping you, you still complain about not having enough manpower?"

Pei Yue sighed, "Of course Fourth Sister is wholeheartedly helping me. Lu Wulang can no longer be kept here."

Pei Qinghe chuckled: "How could you not keep them?"

Pei Yue turned to look at Pei Wan beside him.

Pei Wan was quite generous and took the initiative to speak, saying, "Aunt, I am twenty-two years old this year, and I have reached the age to get married. I have known Lu Wu for many years, and we have been corresponding for the past few years. He sincerely asked to marry into my family, so I agreed to his request."

Sometimes, with powerful Pei family sons-in-law like Yan Mengbing, Yang Huai, and Bao Hao leading the way, men marrying into their wives' families were no longer criticized.

Pei Wan was the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Pei family, possessing both literary and military talents. She was deeply trusted and valued by the emperor and had the nickname "Little Qinghe". After becoming the governor of Danyang, she was determined to reform, implement new policies, and build many schools, achieving remarkable political achievements.

In this year's official performance evaluation, Pei Wan was rated as top-tier and will continue to serve as the prefect of Danyang. It's clear to everyone that Pei Wan is favored by the emperor and will undoubtedly become a pillar of the court in the future.

General Lu was overjoyed that Lu Wulang could become Pei Wan's son-in-law, and even prepared a "dowry" of three hundred elite cavalrymen.

"Has the wedding date been set?" Pei Qinghe asked with a smile.

Pei Wan smiled and said, "Please help me choose a wedding day, Aunt."

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "Let's get the wedding done as soon as possible while everyone is here. How about ten days from now?"

Back then, Pei Qinghe, Pei Yun, and Pei Yan got married in the military camp, and the ceremony was very simple. Pei Xuan and Pei Feng also held their weddings in the military camp. Now, this has become a new custom for Pei family sons to get married, with a simple and quick procedure.

Pei Wan nodded happily in agreement. Everyone rushed forward and surrounded Pei Wan to congratulate her.

Pei Wan's biological mother, Bian Shulan, and stepfather, Zhao Hai, were both overjoyed for Pei Wan.

Bian Shulan smiled and then suddenly burst into tears: "Back then, I was the first one to marry into the family, and I always felt a little guilty towards you. Now that you are so successful and about to start your own family, I can finally say I've done right by your deceased father."

The kind-hearted Zhao Hai wasn't annoyed at all. He took a handkerchief and wiped away his wife's tears, saying, "Such a joyous occasion, we should be happy. Don't cry." Bian Shulan cried with red eyes, "Don't worry about me. I've been holding it in for so many years, and today I'm going to cry my heart out."

Pei Wan smiled helplessly.

Pei Wang leaned closer and whispered, "If Lu Wu treats you badly, just write to me and I'll go beat him up."

Pei Wan smiled and patted Pei Wang's head: "Okay!"

The siblings had a deep bond since childhood, and even after being separated for several years, they had kept in touch through letters. Now, Pei Wang had grown into a handsome young man. When his sister wanted to pat his head, Pei Wang obediently bent down and brought his head closer.

Seeing the affectionate scene between the siblings, Bian Shulan couldn't help but smile through her tears: "Look at the two of them, how close they are."

Zhao Hai chuckled and said, "The children are all successful, but I'm not so successful. I spend all my time with you. Where did you get those tears?"

Bian Shulan chuckled.

The daughter is bringing a son-in-law into the family, not getting married. It's a joyous occasion with the addition of a new member to the family, so she really shouldn't be crying.

Bian Shulan wiped the tears from her face and began to prepare for Pei Wan's wedding.

Lu Wulang was very attentive, coming at least three or four times a day, which led to everyone joking, "According to custom, unmarried couples should not meet before marriage."

Lu Wulang was quick-witted: "Those are all old customs. It's been ten years since the founding of the Republic of China, and new customs come with new ones. In the past, sons-in-law had a low status. Now, even those who marry into the family can become officials. Also, I'm here to see my fiancée and to pay my respects to my future superior, Prefect Pei."

These words reached Pei Qinghe's ears, making her smile.

Bian Shulan didn't care about other people's gossip; she was very satisfied with her son-in-law, Lu Wulang. She used all her culinary skills to prepare three meals a day, and Lu Wulang actually gained weight before the wedding.

On his wedding day, Lu Wulang almost couldn't fit into his wedding attire.

Pei Yue and the others burst into laughter.

Lu Wulang waited five years and finally got his wish to marry into the Pei family and become Pei Wan's husband. He didn't care about the details at all. He straightened his back and happily went to the wedding ceremony.

Emperor Zhaoyuan himself came and sat at the head of the wedding hall.

Pei Wanrong, dressed in red, looked radiant and full of energy, while Lu Wulang, in his wedding attire, grinned from ear to ear.

The officiant was Minister Qin of the Ministry of Rites. Minister Qin was over fifty years old, his face wrinkled, yet he was full of energy and spoke with a strong voice: "Newlyweds, bow to the Emperor!"

That's a brilliant revision! With the emperor present, one should pay homage to him!
Everyone laughed together. Even Emperor Zhaoyuan, who was sitting upright, had a smile in his eyes.

The husband and wife bowed to their parents twice.

Bian Shulan laughed and cried at the same time. Zhao Hai quickly took a handkerchief and wiped away Bian Shulan's tears. The two had been married for eighteen years and had lived harmoniously for eighteen years. Now they were both in their forties, at the age to be grandparents, but they were still just as loving.

Will she and Shi Yan grow old together in love like this in the future?

Pei Qinghe saw this and subconsciously looked at Shi Yan. Shi Yan looked over as if on cue.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

(End of this chapter)