Top Scholar

Chapter 385 Uninvited Guest

September 27th, the day before the wedding, at the rear residence of the Luzhou Military Prefectural Office.

Huang Bingxian didn't work today. He got up early and personally handed over his dowry to his daughter. His wife passed away early, so as a father, he had to take on the responsibility of caring for his wife as well.

Actually, his eldest son Huang and second son Huang Qiao had both returned. Even if Huang Feng was shirking his responsibilities, he didn't need to take charge personally. But as a father, he felt sorry for his youngest daughter and insisted on personally explaining everything to her before he could feel at ease.

Inside the dowry room, thirty-six vermilion lacquered wooden chests were arranged around the four walls, each adorned with a gold-powdered "囍" (double happiness) character. In the center of the room were silver basins, carved ancestral buckets, and other utensils to be used the next day, all filled with the mingled fragrance of osmanthus oil and agarwood.

Huang Ke held the red slip list and patiently explained each item to her daughter.

"These last five boxes contain your clothes and bedding—six Shu brocade mandarin duck and lotus quilts, six plain silk quilts, six silk quilts, ten sets of everyday clothes, six sets of jackets for receiving guests, six lined jackets, six silk robes, and two cotton robes... all made for you by your mother when she was alive. It's enough for you to use for a lifetime."

"Daughter remembers, Father..." Huang E's eyes were red as she tightly gripped Huang Ke's sleeve.

"Don't keep the gold and silver; give it all to your mother-in-law. Keep the jewelry and ornaments for everyday wear; they can be used in emergencies." Huang Ke said, pointing to the locked sandalwood box on the table.
"This is your last resort. Inside are a hundred one-tael gold ingots, as well as the deed for two salt companies in Chengdu and Chongqing; and the deed for a hundred acres of paddy fields in our hometown of Suining. The two deeds combined will bring you several hundred taels of silver in dividends every year, enough for your pocket money; the land deed is your backup plan. If you can't make ends meet in the future and your father is gone, you'll have land to rely on when you go back to your hometown."

"Don't worry, Father, it won't happen," Huang E said softly.

"Of course, all parents want the best for their children, but life is unpredictable. We can't help but plan for the worst," Huang Bingxian sighed, then said in a low voice, "especially given the current political situation..."

He quickly stopped himself, saying, "Let's not talk about these things on such a joyous occasion. It's always better to be prepared. In the future, we'll be separated by distance, so let this dowry take care of you in my place!"

"Thank you, Father," Huang E said, her voice choked with emotion.

"Sigh..." Huang Ke sighed deeply, her voice thick with nasal congestion.

"In spring, the fragrant trees have lost half their blossoms, and the young girl in her boudoir is about to be married."

Knowing that family members will eventually part, I cannot bear to say goodbye to my family today…

Both father and daughter were deeply immersed in the sorrow of parting.

~~
Inside the main room, Huang Ke's three sons were also preparing for their wedding.

The eldest son, Huang, was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations) in the fourteenth year of the Hongzhi reign (1490). After failing the metropolitan examinations twice, he studied at the Imperial Academy in Nanjing. The second son, Huang Qiao, was also a student at the Imperial Academy in Nanjing. The two brothers made a special trip from Nanjing to attend their sister's wedding.

While checking the guest list, Huang asked Huang Feng, "Third brother, have you met your brother-in-law?"

"I heard he achieved the 'Triple Crown' and 'Jieyuan' titles, even surpassing Yang Yongxiu." Huang Qiao asked curiously, "Tell me, what kind of person is he? A bookworm or a romantic genius?"

Huang Feng remained silent until he was pressed and finally said in a low voice, "No."

"What?" the two older brothers asked, puzzled.

"I've never seen him, so don't ask me." Huang Feng threw his work on the table, his face dark, and walked out.

Huang and Huang Qiao exchanged a glance. After Huang Feng left, the latter whispered, "It seems that the third brother and his future brother-in-law don't get along."

"Don't even mention your future brother-in-law, isn't your sister the same?" Huang said. "He's been back for two days, have you seen them exchange a single word?"

"That's true." Huang Qiao said, puzzled. "That's not right. The third brother loves to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak. His future brother-in-law is so outstanding, he should be busy coaxing him. Why would he be acting up?"

"I don't know." Huang shook his head and said, "We can't end up like him, otherwise how sad would my sister be?"

“Yes, we should treat our future brother-in-law better,” Huang Qiao said, deeply agreeing.

~~
Meanwhile, the three Su brothers set off from home to return to Luzhou to fetch their brides.

The group, leading their horses, headed towards the west gate of the city. Along the way, greetings rang out constantly; not only pedestrians on the street, but even shop owners and managers came out to chat.

"Gentlemen, are you on your way to fetch the bride?"

"Yes, that's right." Su Lu said with a beaming smile, "Come to my house for the wedding banquet tomorrow!"

"Absolutely! It would be an honor to be able to drink at the wedding of these three gentlemen!"

"Quickly, here are some freshly baked steamed buns! Take them and eat them on the way!"

"Two bunches of grapes and a pomegranate."

"Bring a jar of stinky tofu to go with your rice..."

"We appreciate your kind offer," Su Man said, bowing respectfully. "We'll arrive in Luzhou this afternoon, so we can travel light."

"You still need to eat lunch, so take it with you..."

"Take this with you..."

Su Man and Su Lu led the way, dealing with the enthusiastic county residents, while Su Tai silently followed behind, leading his horse. His enormous size was so imposing that no one dared to speak to him.

While Su Tai was idly pacing, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. It wasn't the kind of chill that comes from a cold wind, but rather the feeling of being stared at by a venomous snake, which sent shivers down his spine.

Su Tai didn't suddenly turn around. Instead, he pretended to chat and laugh with Su Dan beside him, naturally turning his head halfway to glance behind him out of the corner of his eye—

At a glance, he locked onto the owner of those two cold, sinister gazes from the crowd on the street.

It turned out to be his old classmate, Qian Ning!
As their eyes met, a fleeting look of panic crossed Qian Ning's face, which quickly vanished before she broke into a smile and strode toward him.

"Brother Su, do you remember me?" "Ah, Brother Qian!" Su Tai chuckled and scratched his head, "Who do we have here? It's you."

He quickly went to greet Qian Ning, and they exchanged warm greetings with a fist and palm salute.

"Didn't Brother Qian go to the capital? Why is he back again?"

"Oh, I just happened to be going back to Sichuan on business. I heard you passed the martial arts exam, so I came over to congratulate you." After not seeing him for several years, Qian Ning had grown a mustache and looked more mature and composed, with the demeanor of a great man, but his temperament had also become increasingly cold.

As he spoke, he used his hand as a gun and suddenly stabbed Su Tai between the eyebrows!

He thought his attack was sudden enough to confuse Su Tai and force him to dodge.

Unexpectedly, Su Tai simultaneously raised his right arm, his forearm held horizontally in front of his brow, his wrist bone steadily meeting Qian Ning's fingertips—there was no panic or haste, but rather it was as if he had anticipated this move.

With a soft thud, fingertips touched wrist bones. Qian Ning's pupils contracted slightly, clearly not expecting Su Tai to react so quickly. He instinctively changed his move three times in succession.

With a slight swing of his arm, Su Tai blocked all three lightning-fast moves!

The two moved extremely fast. Just as the onlookers' attention was drawn to them, Qian Ning suddenly stopped his attack.

He put his hands behind his back, secretly massaging the knuckles of his right hand with his left. His lips twitched, and he said with undisguised surprise, "It's been two years, and your skills have improved by leaps and bounds! No wonder you were able to pass the imperial examination with top honors."

"Thanks to Brother Qian's guidance back then," Su Tai said with a simple smile. "I've been practicing hard for the past two years, just so I can have another match with you."

"Haha, there will be opportunities." Qian Ning laughed and asked, "What are you going to do there?"

"Get ready to go fetch the bride," Su Tai said. "I'm getting married tomorrow."

"Really? My timing is perfect!" Qian Ning exclaimed with delight, then leaned closer and whispered, "Are you that Miss She?"

"Mm." Su Tai nodded shyly.

"Wow, that's impressive!" Qian Ning exclaimed. "Back then, we all said you'd never win over your mother-in-law."

"Fortunately, my mother-in-law is more understanding than I expected." Su Tai smiled, then called over his cousin Su Yang and asked him to help entertain Qian Ning.

He then had Xiao Xiami take a blank wedding invitation, presented it with both hands, and said, "I have to rush to Luzhou, so I can't entertain Brother Qian today. If Brother Qian is free, you must come and have a drink at our wedding tomorrow."

"Of course! Two classmates becoming a couple is such a rare thing, it only happens once in eight lifetimes, I definitely have to give a gift." Qian Ning gladly accepted the invitation and waved her hand, saying:
"Go on, your brothers are waiting for you."

"Excuse me." Su Tai clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and left, quickly catching up with his brothers.

Qian Ning watched with a smile as Su Tai left the city. Once he looked away, Su Yang, standing beside him, quickly and politely asked, "Where is Lord Qian staying now? Would you like me to make arrangements?"

"No need, see you tomorrow." Qian Ning coldly rejected Su Yang's offer and turned to disappear into the crowd.

~~
Meanwhile, the brothers left the city.

Su Tai looked back to see if anyone was following, then whispered to Su Lu, "Qian Ning is here!"

"..." Su Lu's eyes sharpened, and his joy turned into a bone-chilling cold as boiling water was poured over snow.

"Who is Qian Ning?" Su Man asked.

“My classmate from the martial arts school in Luzhou,” Su Tai said.

"What's so scary about that?" Su Man asked, puzzled.

“Two years ago, he dropped out of school and went to the capital to succeed as a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard,” Su Tai added.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Su Man's expression tightened. In the Hongzhi era, these three words were not so terrible, but in the Zhengde era, eunuchs were in power, and the imperial guards went out everywhere to arrest loyal officials, destroy families and exterminate clans. Even retired Grand Secretaries Liu Jian and Xie Qian had their homes confiscated.

Although the eunuchs from the Eastern and Western Depots were in charge of directing and supervising the operations, the dirty work was done by the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Thus, the three words regained their effect of stopping children from crying at night.

But what was even more frightening was yet to come. Su Man heard Su Tai say softly, "He was the one who led the team to hunt down Mr. Yangming back then..."

"Huh?" Su Man exclaimed in shock, "Are you sure?"

“Yes, I saw him with my own eyes.” Su Tai nodded.

"Did he see you?" Su Man asked hurriedly.

"Back then, I was disguised as a chieftain, and my face was covered in soot from the bottom of a pot..." Su Tai said with a sense of relief.

“But your physique…” Su Man said helplessly, “is quite rare in the whole of Sichuan.”

“My dad said I take after my uncle…” Su Tai lowered his head in distress.

"That's not right either. If he recognized you, he would have made a move right away." Su Manyue became more and more confused as she analyzed, "Could it be that he only realized it after so long? Could it be that he was just passing by?"

"Stop guessing." Su Lu said in a deep voice, "What's meant to be will be. Let me ask my father-in-law first..."

"Yes!" Su Tai nodded emphatically, spurred his green horse, and galloped towards Luzhou.

(End of this chapter)