Top Scholar

Chapter 388 Wedding Pranks
Hejiang is a city that never sleeps tonight.

Centered on the Jieyuan Mansion, the houses, roads, and even the river within a mile radius were all illuminated by red lanterns.

Under thousands of red lanterns, the banquet stretched from the gate of the Jieyuan Mansion all the way to the main street, seemingly endless.

Two long tables stretched along both sides of the street, laden with large bowls and plates—glossy red Dongpo pork, Dongpo elbow stewed until the meat fell off the bone, incredibly delicious Dongpo fish, Dongpo duck with amber skin, sweet and delicious Dongpo soup, tender and flavorful Dongpo tofu, and golden Dongpo cakes coated with sesame and honey…

Okay, this is just the menu provided by Dongpo Restaurant. Other restaurants and eateries also use their own methods, but without exception, they all serve plenty of meat and fish!
Of course, only one kind of wine is served—two jars of Erlang wine with the character "囍" (double happiness) on each table. The aroma of the wine mixed with the aroma of the dishes fills the county town, and even the evening breeze carries a hint of intoxication.

The children ate until their mouths were glistening with oil, and the men drank heartily. The sounds of drinking games, shouts, toasts, and laughter filled the air... The elderly people, who had lived for sixty or seventy years, had never seen such a grand wedding banquet.

~~
The wedding banquet inside the Jieyuan Mansion was the main event. Ninety-nine tables were set up to the brim, with a colorful canopy made of red silk and oilcloth above it. Strings of lanterns with the character "囍" (double happiness) hung under the canopy, illuminating the canopy as bright as the white ground.

Each of the eight-immortal tables was covered with a beige tablecloth and set with the finest abalone and shark fin dishes. Even the fruit platters were arranged in the shape of the Chinese character for "double happiness." Each table was worth ten taels of silver.

However, most of the guests at the Jieyuan Mansion were prominent figures from the county, prefecture, and even the Sichuan region, so naturally no one coveted this opportunity.

Even the teachers, Zhang Yanqiu and Liu Dachuan, had been indulging in various banquets ever since Su Lu became the top scholar in the imperial examination, and had long since satisfied their cravings. At this moment, they all ate with refined manners and dignified behavior, not wanting to lose face as teachers of the top scholar.

"Oh, Headmaster Zhou, it's been a long time!" A local gentryman from Luzhou saw Headmaster Zhou and came over to offer him a toast.

"Oh, I am now the headmaster of Taiping Academy." Headmaster Zhou smiled faintly, "Our academy is in Hejiang, so I don't go back to Luzhou very often."

"I see, what a pity..." the gentry sighed. "My son is supposed to start school next year, it seems he won't have the chance to be taught by Master Zhou."

“We can send your son to our Taiping Academy,” Headmaster Qian said proudly. “The Jieyuan brothers and Master Lin, who ranked thirty-first in this year’s provincial examination, were all trained by our academy!”

"Really? That's amazing!" the gentry from the outlying county exclaimed in unison.

"Of course, this Mr. Zhang is the mentor of both Jieyuanlang and Master Lin," Qian Shanchang solemnly introduced Zhang Yanqiu.

"Mr. Zhang has truly made a difference in nurturing talent for the country; his merits are immeasurable!" The local gentry quickly offered their praise.

"Alas, my old skills are limited; it was mainly thanks to the top scholar himself." Mr. Zhang was always modest, but he couldn't help but boast, "On the very first day of school, this child created something that no one else could understand. Later, I encouraged him to figure it out, and it became the phonetic symbols that were later used by elementary school children in Sichuan..."

"Wow, amazing! Respectfully yours, Master Jieyuan!" The gentry all toasted Zhang Yanqiu, and then asked, "Mr. Zhang, are you still accepting disciples? My son has some talent..."

Seeing everyone gathered around Zhang Yanqiu, Liu Dachuan muttered to himself, "I'm a top scholar too..."

In short, the guests inside the Jieyuan Mansion, mindful of their status, treated the wedding banquet more as a social gathering, and the atmosphere was not as lively as that outside.

So although the table was set with top-quality "top scholar's liquor," no one drank excessively, and no one got drunk, except for one drunkard at the main table...

At the main table, a group of officials, including Xiao Tixue, Lu Zhizhou, Liu Changshi of the Prince's Mansion, Hou Zhixian, and Yan Song, all had strange expressions as they watched Yang Shen, the dignified young Grand Secretary, carrying a wine pot and circling the main table, pouring wine and toasting each person in turn.

This was his second round of drinking. He had drunk at least half a jin of strong liquor. His handsome face was as red as a boiled shrimp, and his tongue was so big it looked like it was stuffed with cotton. He had to hold onto the shoulders of the gentlemen to keep his balance...

"Come, come, Grandmaster, let me toast you again. May you have a smooth journey and a bright future!" Yang Shen poured wine for Xiao Tixue again, but his hand missed the rim of the cup, and he spilled wine all over the table.

Xiao Tixue couldn't bear to watch any longer. He pressed down on Yang Shen's wine pot and said in a deep voice, "Yongxiu, stop drinking. Erlang wine is good, but you can't overindulge."

"Don't worry about me..." The young Grand Secretary pushed his hand away and insisted on filling Xiao Tixue's cup. As he poured the wine, he grinned and said, "Hehe, my dear Jieyuan brother and my dear cousin are getting married... I'm happy today, so what's wrong with drinking a little more?"

"Alright, alright, you can drink it." Xiao Tixue didn't care anymore.

The young Grand Secretary, however, wouldn't let Xiao Tixue off the hook. He picked up his wine cup and insisted that Xiao Tixue drink, putting his arm around Xiao Tixue's shoulder and saying:
"I have to thank you so much! If you hadn't been the matchmaker, how could things have gone so smoothly between them? I must toast you with this glass of wine!"

"Young Master Yang, you're drunk..." Everyone quickly came to Xiao Tixue's rescue.

"I'm not drunk!" Yang Shen still wanted to force Xiao Tixue to drink more, but fortunately Yang Dun brought Shi Tianzhu over and carried him away.

"I apologize, sirs, my elder brother has had too much to drink. I'll take him back to rest first."

"Let me go, I haven't had enough to drink yet, I still want to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber..." Yang Shen still tried to struggle.

"Brother, why are you so excited about someone's wedding?" Yang Dun pressed Yang Shen down hard, speechless. "Don't embarrass yourself, okay? Look, everyone's stopped talking and is looking at us."

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen someone drunk before? Sages and worthies of the past are all lonely, only drinkers leave their names behind..." Yang Shen was completely out of his mind.

Yang Dun and Shi Tianzhu were horrified to discover that what quieted the guests down wasn't the drunken Yang Shen, but rather several uninvited guests who appeared at the door—

The newcomers were a group of five, wearing large, mane-wrapped hats, bright red flying fish robes, and embroidered spring knives with brass hilts and dragon and cloud patterns. Although they were also dressed in red, their red clashed sharply with the atmosphere of the wedding banquet—the red of the wedding was vibrant and festive, while their red was as somber as blood!
The flying fish patterns resembling dragon heads on their chests are menacing, with wide-open mouths revealing sharp teeth and piercing, piercing eyes that exude a terrifying majesty...

Brocade! Clothes! Guards!
These three terrifying words flashed through everyone's minds: wherever the Imperial Guards went, even ghosts and gods would be uneasy!

Leading the group was Qian Ning, flanked by four Imperial Guards. All five were tall and imposing, with cold eyes and frosty faces, like five ferocious beasts ready to devour their prey. Every step they took seemed to tread on the hearts of the crowd, instantly plunging the festive atmosphere to freezing point wherever they went...

Steward Tian forced himself to go forward, smiling obsequiously and bowing, "Fifth, what brings you here, sirs?"

Qian Ning slowly swept his gaze over the guests in the courtyard. Once the room had completely quieted down, he took out an invitation from his sleeve, handed it to Steward Tian with two fingers, and said calmly, "Attend the wedding banquet."

Then he tossed a small bag of silver to Steward Tian, ​​saying, "This is a congratulatory gift."

"Oh, so you are distinguished guests. Please come in quickly..." Steward Tian hurriedly took over and led Qian Ning and the others into the wedding banquet.

The place, though filled with the names of the top scholars, remained deathly silent. Even a fool wouldn't believe they were simply there for a wedding. Who the hell would dress like that for a wedding? Were they going to scare the groom so badly he'd lose his manhood?
Just then, Su Tai, who was toasting, greeted Qian Ning with a broad smile and said, "Brother Qian, you've finally arrived! Come with me, I've saved you a seat."

"No need for that." Qian Ning slowly shook his head and said, "I'm busy with official business, so just having a drink at the wedding will do."

"Since you're already here, sit down and have a bite to eat. It won't delay anything," Su Tai warmly invited.

Qian Ning and his four companions remained completely still.

"Alright, alright. Since you're really busy, I won't force you." Su Tai had no choice but to wave.

When Xiao Xiami brought out the tray, Su Tai personally poured five cups of wine, offering one to Qian Ning. When he offered wine to the other four Imperial Guards, they refused to accept it.

"They came with me, but they can't drink because of official duties." Qian Ning raised his glass and said in a deep voice, "I wish Wu Jieyuan and Miss She a long and happy marriage."

"Thank you, Brother Qian." Su Tai quickly raised his glass to drink with him.

Qian Ning downed his drink in one gulp, placed the glass back steadily on the tray, and said with a smile, "Alright, my personal business is done."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, realizing that things weren't that simple.

Su Tai looked at Qian Ning, waiting for him to continue.

"Come on, shall we go somewhere else to chat for a bit?" Qian Ning stepped forward with a smile and patted Su Tai on the shoulder.

"Does it have to be now?" Su Tai frowned and said, "I want to consummate our marriage tonight."

“It’ll be quick, it won’t take up much of your time,” Qian Ning said. “Or we can chat here.”

"..." Su Tai hesitated for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "Come with me."

Seeing this, Lu Zhaoye couldn't pretend to be dead, so he stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "My lords, I am the prefect of Luzhou. Please give me some face. We can discuss any official business tomorrow..."

"Get out of the way." A member of the Imperial Guard raised his hand to stop him. In the eyes of these henchmen of the imperial court, the prefect was nothing more than a roadside official.

Prefect Lu had no choice but to reluctantly step aside, and the other guests dared not say anything more. Only Yang Shen shouted at the door, "What are you doing?! Don't cause trouble..."

Yang Dun and Shi Tianzhu quickly dragged him away...

The bridal chamber was located in the backyard, so Su Tai led the Imperial Guards to the expanded west courtyard.

Only after they disappeared through the west gate did the wedding venue come to life again, with guests whispering amongst themselves in unease, wondering what had happened.

Her family members were ashen-faced, and the old lady kept asking what had happened.

"Why are the Imperial Guards here on such a joyous occasion?"

"Are they trying to extort money from me?" my uncle whispered.

Everyone else turned to look at Su Lu; no one knew more about Su Tai's affairs than him.

"Don't panic." Su Lu calmly reassured his family, saying in a deep voice, "I and my older brother are here for you."

Su Man then loudly clasped his hands in greeting to the guests and said, "I'm so sorry, dear friends and family, but a sudden change in my family has occurred. It seems that tonight's wedding banquet will have to end here. I'm extremely sorry! I will apologize to everyone another day!"

(End of this chapter)