Tiger Owl

Chapter 263 Cao's Proposal for Marriage
A short while later, Zhang Zhao hurried in, bowed, and said, "I apologize for disturbing Lord Wu's rest during the New Year!"

"Is there something urgent?" Sun Quan asked.

"Wang Xiu just contacted me and said that Prime Minister Cao wants to arrange a marriage between his second son, Cao Zhi, and the sister of the Marquis of Wu."

"what?"

Sun Quan's eyes widened. "To ask for Shangxiang to marry Cao Zhi?"

"He said that Hua Xin would send over the formal marriage proposal in a few days."

Sun Quan was in a real bind. Liu Bei's marriage proposal had already given him a huge headache, and now Cao Cao was also asking for a wife. To make matters worse, he had no idea where his sister Shangxiang was. How was he supposed to marry off his sister?

Sun Quan took a deep breath to calm himself down. He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and asked in a deep voice, "What does the strategist think Cao Cao means?"

Zhang Zhao calmly said, "Lord Wu, the timing of this marriage proposal is quite subtle! After the spring, Liu Bei will send someone to fetch the bride, and it is precisely at this critical juncture that Cao Cao sends someone to propose marriage. Doesn't Lord Wu find this strange?"

"This is very strange. Could it be that Cao Cao's real purpose is to sabotage the marriage alliance between us and Liu Bei?"

Zhang Zhao nodded. "There should be some connection, but not entirely."

"What do you mean?" Sun Quan's gaze darkened.

"Cao Cao could have done many things to prevent us from forming a marriage alliance with Liu Bei. Threatening to break the agreement would have been effective. There was absolutely no need to use a marriage alliance."

Sun Quan was a little confused. "What exactly does Cao Cao mean?"

"I can't say for sure. Perhaps he wanted a marriage alliance and had been considering it for a while, but after receiving news that Liu Bei wanted a marriage alliance, he immediately moved it forward."

Sun Quan suddenly remembered that his sister was missing, and he was immediately filled with anxiety. "But my sister is missing, how am I supposed to explain this?"

Zhang Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Shangxiang's disappearance at this time is actually a good thing!"

"A good thing?" Sun Quan was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly understood. "You mean we can use this as an excuse to reject both Liu Bei and Cao Cao?"

Zhang Zhao nodded. "That's indeed a good excuse, and everyone knows that Shangxiang has really disappeared."

Sun Quan walked to the window with his hands behind his back and began to ponder the matter. Previously, only Liu Bei had proposed marriage, but his sister's disappearance made it impossible for him to explain to Liu Bei, which infuriated him. Now that Cao Cao had also proposed marriage, he certainly dared not offend him. His sister's disappearance had indeed become an excuse to avoid offending either side.

At this moment, Sun Quan suddenly remembered something else, frowned and said, "Does the agreement say that I will marry Cao Cao's daughter? Why didn't Cao Cao mention this? Shouldn't the envoy who came to propose marriage be here for my sake?"

Zhang Zhao was also somewhat uneasy. Cao Cao had indeed not mentioned the marriage between Wu Hou and Cao Cao's daughter, and Zhang Zhao did not know where the problem lay.

"Let's ask about this properly once the marriage envoy arrives!"

Sun Quan nodded and said, "Now we must make a big show of it and expand the search area. We must search all the nunneries and Taoist temples in the famous mountains and rivers of Jiangdong. We must also make the information public so that all the people know that the sister of the Marquis of Wu has gone missing."

He used to hide it, but now he's not hiding it anymore. He wants to announce to the world that his sister has gone missing, and that your marriage proposals are useless.

Before we knew it, the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, arrived. The customs of the Lantern Festival have existed since the Western Han Dynasty and are closely related to the development of Taoism. Ordinary people eat glutinous rice balls and visit lantern fairs.

The lantern festival today is not as grand as it was in the Sui and Tang dynasties, when every household would hang lanterns. In addition, on streets with concentrated commerce, many shops would make all kinds of lanterns to attract customers, competing with each other in their beauty and attracting a large number of ordinary people to come and play. Many vendors would also take the opportunity to set up stalls and do some small business, making the Lantern Festival lively.

The Lantern Festival in Chaisang takes place on East Street and West Street, which are the most important commercial hubs in Chaisang. Shops line the streets, and restaurants, inns, and brothels are everywhere. At night, all the shops display all kinds of lanterns, stretching for miles.

As dusk settles, bright red lanterns hang high in front of every household, like flames leaping in the darkness. On the bustling East-West Street, all kinds of lanterns shimmer and glow, creating a sea of ​​lights from afar.

Nearly 300,000 people from Chaisang came out to watch the lanterns, along with families from Pengze, Haihun, Liling, and other counties. The streets were teeming with people, and the large carriages of many wealthy families could hardly move.

However, wealthy officials and nobles had another way to view the lanterns: they would book a private room in a restaurant facing the street in advance. This way, they could watch the lanterns from their room, which was both safe and allowed them to enjoy the experience.

Xunyang Grand Restaurant is the largest restaurant in Chaisang and is an industry owned by Gansu and Ningxia. The surrounding area is full of high-end restaurants and shops, making it the best place to view the lanterns. More than 100 of the most beautiful large lanterns in the city are gathered here.

In front of the restaurant was a small square, crowded with people watching the lanterns and all sorts of vendors.

In front of the gate, Xu Wei, Xiao Qiao, and Sun Shangxiang stood on the steps, surrounded by seven female guards who prevented anyone from approaching them.

Xiao Qiao smiled and said, "Last year, my sister was pregnant and couldn't come to see the lanterns. Actually, this is our first time seeing a lantern festival. Ah Ren, how is the Lantern Festival in your Wu County?"

Sun Shangxiang and Xu Wei exchanged a glance and said with a wry smile, "Of course there's a lantern festival, but we're not allowed to come out. It's said that the lantern festival is quite chaotic, with too many lecherous men."

At this moment, a lantern vendor tried to step forward but was stopped by the female guard. The vendor asked, "Would the three young ladies like to buy lanterns?"

The three girls were tempted by the various lanterns, and Xiao Qiao quickly said, "Sang Ye, let him come over! Let's buy a few lanterns."

The female guard then let the vendor pass, but still kept a watchful eye on his every move.

"I have goldfish lanterns, lotus lanterns, peony lanterns, moon lanterns, Chang'e lanterns, and moon rabbit lanterns here. Which one do you like?"

"How much is one lamp?" Xiao Qiao asked.

"The peony lamp is complicated to make and costs twenty coins a lamp, while other lamps cost ten coins."

The three of them each picked out a few lanterns, and Xu Wei also bought a peony lantern for Da Qiao before taking the lanterns upstairs.

The Gan Ning family booked the largest private room on the third floor, which also had a terrace. The child was already fast asleep, being held and gently soothed by the wet nurse.

The large table was covered with all kinds of pastries and fruits, and there was also hot wine. Several maids stood against the wall.

Gan Ning stood on the terrace with his arm around his wife's waist. Below them were all sorts of dazzling lanterns, and a bright full moon hung above their heads.

Da Qiao gently rested her head on her husband's shoulder, gazing at the bright moon with tender eyes. "Husband, I love watching the moon and lanterns like this, especially with you. Ah! It's been so long since we watched the moon and lanterns together."

“You’ve been taking care of the child for the past few months.”

Gan Ning said softly, "I'll spend more time with you from now on. We can take a walk together to admire the moon in the evenings."

"OK!"

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the other side of the stairs, and three young women ran in.

"Husband, they're back."

"Never mind them, let's continue moon-gazing!"

Xiao Qiao and Xu Wei were used to it, but this was the first time Sun Shangxiang had seen Gan Ning and Da Qiao standing side by side, so affectionate. Her pretty face flushed red, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up inside her.

She couldn't quite describe the feeling; perhaps it was envy, or perhaps she also hoped that one day she could snuggle up with her beloved to admire the moon and lanterns.

(End of this chapter)