Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 176 Planning the Wedding
As the sun set, the towers of Red Tide Fortress cast warm silhouettes, and the entire territory seemed to be immersed in a sense of solemnity.

Bradley stood in the center of the wedding hall, his slightly slipping silver-rimmed monocle trembling slightly with his anxious breathing.

As the chief steward of the Crimson Tide Territory, his duty should have been to remain calm and composed, but at this moment he had not been able to get a good night's sleep for three consecutive nights.

“Raise the Calvin family’s moon banner another half foot…yes, a little higher, so it doesn’t block the Edmund family’s silver eagle.”

He directed his attendants in a low voice, the thick procedure manual in his hands already worn and tattered.

His gaze swept quickly across the steps, the guest seating area, the main entrance, and the altar.

Every detail has been meticulously crafted to near perfection.

However, he knew that for a true aristocratic wedding, perfection was never enough.

This is a combination that cannot afford to fail.

The ceremony was presided over by a high-ranking clergyman from the North, who held considerable prestige in the North.

Although His Highness Louis has personally simplified the ceremony considerably, many key elements have been preserved intact, refined and appropriate.

Bradley even set up a musical ensemble for each segment, with local Red Tide bands and traditional Northern sanxian players performing together, both practical and symbolic of "North and South playing together".

The guest seating chart has been changed six times.

At the very front row were the bride's father, Lord Edmund, and representatives of the Calvin family.

The back row was arranged according to rank and lineage, consisting of core knights of the Red Tide Territory, nobles, and invited nobles.

Bradley walked to the window and saw the Northern Guard, lined up neatly in the open space, training in formation. Their silver armor gleamed, their cloaks fluttered, and their steps were like drums.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief: at least in terms of momentum, he shouldn't lose face.

The wedding venue setup was the part he was most proud of.

Two large banners with intertwined family crests hang from the dome of the main hall, with silver eagles spreading their wings and the bright moon shining, symbolizing a new chapter of marriage alliances and the reshaping of the aristocratic order.

The ground was marked with neat whitewashed paths, complemented by red carpets and silver ornaments, exuding a dignified yet pragmatic style characteristic of the lord's mansion.

The flowers were all sourced from a noble merchant guild that specializes in cultivating flowers. After three rounds of selection, the final selection consisted of bluebells, white roses, and ice roses, symbolizing loyalty, purity, and the glory of the North.

As for the guests' food... he noted down with no small amount of pride the latest southern ingredients that had arrived that day.

The ice carp from Cloud Bay, the crystal dates from Dalan, and the dried black hazel venison were all top-quality offerings specially allocated by the Calvin family from their own warehouse.

Even in a low-key marriage, the necessary decorum must not be lacking.

“Something’s still missing…” he murmured, his gaze once again falling on the ceremonial table covered with red silk.

“Lord Bradley, you haven’t been back to your room to rest for three days,” the servant advised.

He shook his head, forcing himself to pull out the sixteenth draft of the flowchart, and managed a weary reply:

"This wedding is very important... It must be worthy of the Calvin family bloodline, and it must also give the nobles of the North something to say. It can be low-key, but it cannot lose face."

While everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming wedding, Louis finally managed to spare some time.

To be precise, it was only after he received Emily's handwritten letter that he remembered his wedding was only two weeks away.

So that evening, Louis, accompanied by two guards, stepped into the banquet hall behind the main hall, which had been specially decorated for the wedding.

For the first time, he saw with his own eyes that this banquet hall, which had once been used for awarding flags and medals, was now decorated with blue and red brocade and transformed into a stage for an aristocratic wedding.

The musician was testing the sound in the corner, the steady double-stringed lyre and the Northern flute harmonizing to create a series of tranquil melodies.

Several maids walked around the steps, their backs ramrod straight, trying to complete the welcoming ceremony without stepping on the hem of their skirts.

Meanwhile, several young attendants, dressed in trial-dress robes, were simulating a vow-taking scene, reciting the oath in low, devout voices: "Before the Dragon Ancestor and all the people, I swear..."

The entire space was filled with solemnity, yet also exuded an indescribable sense of tension.

Perhaps the traditional ceremonies of the imperial nobility were too solemn, or perhaps the subordinates of the Red Tide Territory were too reserved.

In short, it's like a meticulously crafted scabbard—perfect, but lacking a touch of warmth.

"You've arrived." Bradley arrived upon hearing the news, holding the day's agenda scroll in his hand. His expression was as restrained and composed as ever, though his eyes were slightly dark.

“Well done,” Louis said softly, glancing at the setup.

Bradley hesitated for a moment, coughed, and cautiously began, "Your Highness, if I may be so bold as to ask, given your and Miss Emily's status, doesn't this wedding seem... a little too simple?"

He paused, then added, "Given the current prestige and status of the Red Tide Territory, coupled with the marriage alliance between two major families from the north and south... adding some ceremonial segments or a viewing process might further enhance its significance."

What he didn't say was that this wedding was already tacitly recognized within aristocratic circles as a significant signal of a "coalition of old powers."

If we are too restrained, will people misunderstand that the Calvin family has lost power in the capital?

Or perhaps it will lead outsiders to wonder if this engagement was rushed?

Louis listened, but his expression remained unchanged. His gaze slowly shifted to the honor guard practicing their marching rhythm in the distance. "I know you mean well," he said in a low voice, "but it can't be any more grand."

Bradley was taken aback.

“The current situation is that the royal family is purging the old nobility, and the Southern nobles are making concessions one after another. My wedding is already sensitive enough,” Louis said, a flash of rationality in his eyes.

Bradley lowered his head and softly replied, "Understood."

Although Louis said he wanted to keep things simple, and although he had to keep a low profile due to the special circumstances.

But this is, after all, his first wedding, and very likely his last.

He wasn't particularly obsessed with ceremonies and pomp, but it was precisely because of the various meanings represented by this wedding—the consolidation of identity, the forging of alliances, and the fulfillment of emotions—that he became so captivated.

This wedding deserves to be remembered.

But now, looking at the almost textbook-perfect flowchart before him, and listening to the servants reciting oaths in emotionless tones, a thought kept gently nagging at him:
"Something's missing...that thing that can touch people's hearts in an instant."

He slowly walked to the edge of the viewing platform, his hands clasped behind his back. The setting sun cast its last rays upon the rooftops of Crimson Tide City, the distant northern mountains were enveloped in gold and red, night quietly descended, and a few stars began to appear in the sky.

In the evening breeze, the townspeople in the distance were still making final preparations for the wedding. Children ran through the alleys, while adults put up flags and carried wine barrels, creating a scene of busy tranquility.

At that moment, a thought suddenly arose in Louis's mind.

"If all of this could end with a single, stunning moment... even just a few seconds would be enough."

He squinted slightly, as if he could see something through the twilight.

He smirked and turned to Bradley, saying, "Let's add a step."

As night fell, we set off 'fireworks' in the sky over Red Tide Territory.

Bradley froze: "...Fire? You mean a brazier? A torch? Or..."

“None of those,” Louis waved his hand, a beautiful image appearing in his eyes, “It’s the kind of fire that flies into the sky and then explodes in mid-air with a ‘bang,’ emitting light.”

Bradley's brow furrowed deeply, unable to fathom what Louis was referring to: "Sir, is this some kind of...weapon?"

“It’s not a weapon,” Louis laughed. “It’s a device used for celebrations. It’ll only scare people, it won’t hurt them. But the effect is guaranteed to shut everyone up and make them stare at the sky. Everyone will forget whether they’re supposed to be toasting or dancing.”

He paused, then added, "And I want Emily to see that moment."

Bradley was momentarily speechless. Although he was a perfectionist butler, he couldn't find a suitable reference point at that moment.

He paused for a few seconds, then said in a low voice, "...I really can't imagine what that thing is like."

“It’s alright,” Louis said, turning and striding away. “I’ll go find someone who can do it.”

To turn his inspiration into reality, Louis headed straight to the workshop area.

That's Hilko's territory, the place in the entire Red Tide Territory most likely to "explode something".

As the sun began to set, Louis strode through the door, the iron gate slamming shut with a loud bang, leaving behind a faint smell of gunpowder.

"hope……"

Before he could finish speaking, a chaotic series of footsteps sounded from inside, accompanied by the clanging of glass bottles tipping over and metal clashing, and even the sound of a stool overturning.

When he entered the main work area of ​​the laboratory, he saw Hilko standing next to the workbench, sweating profusely.

The curtain behind me had just been hastily drawn when a conspicuous female figure appeared and disappeared from the edge of the curtain.

"What are you doing?"

"Me? Me? I'm... mixing a potion."

Hilko's face was full of awkward smiles, but he couldn't hide the awkwardness, like a child who had just been caught stealing candy.

The female figure behind the curtain seemed to be in a panic as well. She accidentally revealed half of her face, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head and shrank back.

"You...you came too suddenly!" Hilko coughed, his ears visibly red.

Louis raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips as he surveyed the mess around him. He said slowly, "Hmm? Did I interrupt you...some important experiment?"

The girl's face flushed red to the roots of her neck, and she hid even further back.

Hilko coughed a few times, forcing a serious expression: "W-how did you know?"

"Know what?" Louis tilted his head, crossed his arms, and gave a half-smile.

"It's about... the successful development of the 'Knight Growth Agent'!" Hilko's eyes still held a hint of panic.

"We just finished our first batch of products... We were so excited that we... had a little celebration, and we didn't even have time to tell you! How did you know?!"

(End of this chapter)