Chapter 44: Pandemonium

At the military camp gate, the six personal guards waiting outside the fence saw Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang emerge and tried to approach, only to be stopped by the sentries. Once the two men were outside, Niu Youdao beckoned.

"The carriage!"

The carriage was immediately brought over. Yuan Gang placed the heavy chest inside, then turned back to Niu Youdao.

"Will you be in any danger staying here?"

"So long as your side handles things cleanly and decisively, I'll be fine."

One of the personal guards asked curiously, "Master Dao, you're not leaving?"

Yuan Gang snapped his head around.

"Enough nonsense. Move!"

Then he swung onto his horse.

Niu Youdao called after him, "Make the commotion big!"

Yuan Gang nodded to show he understood, then led the others quickly away. Ju had just reached the fence and watched the entire scene. So they had even prepared a carriage beforehand. These people had clearly been certain they could borrow money from the general.

Niu Youdao turned back, spotted her, and smiled with a slight nod as he brushed past her and returned to the camp.

Ju watched him go.

Then she quickly left the military camp and followed Yuan Gang's group. Yuan Gang did not travel far. The moment he reached a corner of the street, he called the six personal guards over. Some climbed into the carriage while others gathered around it to block outside eyes.

Inside, Yuan Gang opened the chest.

The gold coins dazzled.

The men gave low exclamations and exchanged looks. In the blink of an eye, he had obtained this much money, plainly from inside the military camp. That Master Dao truly had some ability. Yuan Gang began dividing the money. He filled a pouch for each of four men and sent them out in pairs to purchase goods.

The places they were to buy from and the prices had already been written on lists. They needed only go directly to the designated shops, buy the specified items, then take everything to a prearranged meeting point. Yuan Gang had only one requirement. The work had to be done properly, and it had to be done fast. The two teams scattered with the money.

None understood why Yuan Gang had given such instructions, but they did not need to. They simply carried out the orders. Yuan Gang took the remaining two men and most of the money and continued onward.

Ju, following from behind, saw the group split in three directions and briefly did not know which one to follow. In the end, she chose Yuan Gang.

He was obviously the leader.

Still, she did not ignore the other two groups. She entered a nearby shop, dragged several assistants outside, revealed her identity, and ordered them to follow the other parties and report what they did. Naturally, the shop assistants did not dare refuse. Yuan Gang's first stop was a silk and brocade shop.

He went inside and bought a large quantity of the finest silks and brocades, paying a deposit and ordering the shopkeeper to deliver everything to a designated place within a specified time.

The shopkeeper was beside himself with joy at meeting such a lavish customer and repeatedly guaranteed that nothing would go wrong. Yuan Gang's second stop was the finest jewelry shop in the city. Just as before, another large deposit changed hands, this time for piles of expensive jewelry.

Money poured out like water.

Ju followed the entire way, increasingly unable to understand what Yuan Gang was doing. Finally, she watched him enter a theatrical troupe's premises and emerge with a large group of musicians and performers carrying drums, gongs, strings, and wind instruments.

Where were they all going?

By the time they reached the central district of the city, Ju found the place in an uproar. Cart after cart had arrived loaded with goods.

Behind them came herds of cattle and sheep, followed by baskets and shoulder poles laden with chickens, ducks, geese, and other fowl. The three groups had already reunited with Yuan Gang. The jewelry shop's people arrived guarding tray after tray of ornaments. The silk shopkeeper came personally with his assistants and the goods.

Following instructions given in advance, they provided attentive service, helping load the carts and tying festive red silk onto the various shoulder loads and wagonloads. Yuan Gang directed everyone else to dress themselves in red and festoon the procession with bright decorations. The whole group was frantically busy. More and more people gathered on both sides of the street to watch the spectacle. Many looked on with obvious envy.

"Whose family is holding a wedding? What extravagance!"

Standing among the crowd, Ju was equally puzzled. It certainly looked like a wedding procession. But were they escorting a bride out, or coming to receive one? The personal guards helping Yuan Gang were confused as well. What in the world was Master Yuan doing?

Once everyone had been dressed and decorated in red, Yuan Gang motioned for the six guards to spread around the procession and protect it from front, rear, and both flanks. Then he mounted at the head of the line and shouted to the theatrical troupe behind him.

"Make some noise! Follow me!"

Gongs, drums, pipes, and strings erupted all at once. The street instantly became festive and deafening.

People lining both sides cheered.

Yuan Gang swept one hand forward and led the huge procession down the street on a tall horse. More and more people followed along, wanting to see which family was celebrating such a grand marriage.

Ju went with them, baffled.

Eventually, the procession's destination left her staring in disbelief. The residence of the Commandery Governor of Guangyi Commandery! Heavy troops guarded the area around the Governor's residence. In the open ground before the main entrance stood barricades protected by a squad of soldiers.

The moment such a large crowd approached, the defenders became highly alert. Blades and spears immediately rose in a forest of steel. Yet when they saw the festive bridal procession advancing toward them, the soldiers were equally baffled.

What was going on?

A squad emerged from behind the barricades and halted the approaching procession.

The officer at their head shouted, "Who are you?"

Seated upright on horseback, Yuan Gang answered in a ringing voice.

"Commandery Prince Yongping, Shang Chaozong, has come to take Feng Ruonan, daughter of the Commandery Governor of Guangyi Commandery, as his bride!"

Yongping was Shang Chaozong's princely title. After his troubles in the capital and imprisonment, his hereditary title of Prince Ning had been stripped away. He had been demoted from Prince to Commandery Prince, and the title Yongping granted afterward made the court's attitude toward him plain enough.

The proclamation left Ju stunned.

They had come to marry the general? So all this commotion was actually a bridal procession for General Feng? The six personal guards were dumbfounded too.

His Highness was getting married?

The surrounding commoners reacted in all kinds of ways. Some stared blankly. Others burst into cheers. Shang Chaozong might be famous to certain people, but to commoners in a place this far from the capital, many had no idea who he was.

They did, however, hear the words "Commandery Prince."

That alone told them he was a man of exalted status. Which prince was coming to marry General Feng? The soldiers blocking the way were equally confused. Those behind the barricades looked at one another.

Was this really happening?

Why had no one heard even the slightest rumor? For something this important, why was there not a trace of activity inside the Governor's residence? The junior officer who had challenged them stared in disbelief. Yuan Gang jumped from his horse and presented a large red document with both hands.

"This is the list of betrothal gifts. Please present it to the Commandery Governor!"

"..."

The junior officer opened his mouth, then closed it again. This was far beyond anything he could decide. He told Yuan Gang to wait, then ran all the way inside the Governor's residence to report.

Yuan Gang remained perfectly calm.

He even cupped his hands toward the cheering crowd around him, looking as though he were thanking everyone for coming to witness the happy occasion. There had been no choice but to stage this sudden assault.

Prince Ning's influence had left Shang Chaozong with too poor a reputation. If they had simply come to request an audience, they might not even have seen Feng Lingbo's people. Nine chances out of ten, Feng Lingbo would have refused to involve himself in such trouble. Once word of the spectacle reached the Governor's residence, the whole place erupted into pandemonium. People ran to the gate to peek outside. Others climbed onto walls for a better view.

Sure enough, there was a long line of wedding gifts stretching away outside, more carts than anyone could easily count. Before long, the junior officer returned and invited Yuan Gang into the Governor's residence. No one else was allowed inside. Ju stepped out of the crowd as well. Others might be barred, but she naturally had no difficulty entering the Governor's residence.

She was still thoroughly confused and needed to find out exactly what was happening so she could report back to Feng Ruonan. Quite a few people had gathered outside the main reception hall, whispering among themselves. Men and women both were present.

Inside the hall itself stood only a handful of people. A tall, lean man in a brocade robe with a short beard paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He had an imposing bearing and considerable authority, though his expression was ugly. This was Feng Lingbo, Commandery Governor of Guangyi Commandery. Also present was a tall woman in ornate clothing, seated above with the gift list in her hands. She was Feng Lingbo's principal wife, Peng Yulan.

"These gifts on the list must be worth no less than ten thousand gold coins." Peng Yulan gave a cold laugh. "As expected of a Commandery Prince. Ten thousand gold coins tossed out for amusement without blinking!"

The moment Yuan Gang entered the Governor's residence, axemen rushed him from both sides and bound him tightly. He even took several punches and kicks.

Yuan Gang did not resist.

He allowed them to seize and tie him. Bound from head to toe, he was shoved into the reception hall. He stood there rigidly, neither anxious nor afraid, utterly unmoved by favor or disgrace. One look told Feng Lingbo this calm was not an act. A flash passed through his eyes.

What a man.

His mouth, however, gave only a cold snort.

"Who are you? How dare you impersonate Commandery Prince Yongping and come here seeking a bride?"

Yuan Gang replied evenly, "A mere soldier under His Highness, Yuan Gang. I truly came to seek a bride on His Highness's orders. There is no impersonation."

"Yuan Gang?"

Feng Lingbo examined him from head to toe. According to the intelligence reports, Shang Chaozong did indeed have a man named Yuan Gang beneath him.

"Even if you truly are Shang Chaozong's man, when did Feng ever agree to marry his daughter to him? He is a member of the imperial house. Does he not understand even the most basic rites?"

Yuan Gang said, "Given the haste, some shortcomings in ceremony are inevitable. But the betrothal gifts His Highness has offered are entirely sincere."

"Ridiculous!"

Peng Yulan slapped the table and rose. With a flick of her hand, she hurled the gift list into Yuan Gang's face.

"You think this little pile of things is enough to marry my daughter?"

Yuan Gang answered, "Madam, the list you just read is only there to satisfy the proper formalities and dress up appearances for outsiders. The true heavy gift has not yet been displayed. There is another gift list inside my robe. It is an absolute heavy gift. I guarantee the Commandery Governor and Madam will both like what they see."

Husband and wife exchanged a glance. Feng Lingbo gave a slight nod. Someone immediately stepped forward and searched inside Yuan Gang's robe. Sure enough, after some effort, the man pulled out another gift list and handed it to Feng Lingbo.

Feng Lingbo opened it.

He had barely glanced at the contents when his eyelids began twitching violently.

Snap!

He closed the list at once. When he looked at Yuan Gang again, his eyes were full of surprise and uncertainty.

Peng Yulan was astonished.

What sort of gift could make her husband lose his composure like this? Curious, she reached over, took the list from Feng Lingbo's hand, and opened it. She too only needed one glance.

Her pupils abruptly contracted.

Snap!

She shut the list immediately, as though afraid someone else might see what was written inside. Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Feng Lingbo pointed toward the men and women craning their necks outside the doorway.

"What are you staring at? Get out!"

The onlookers scattered at once, fleeing the courtyard and restoring quiet.

Feng Lingbo studied Yuan Gang and asked in a deep voice, "Are the things written on that gift list real?"

Yuan Gang replied, "I'm not the principal marriage envoy, and I haven't seen the gift list. I don't know the details. I am only following orders. The principal envoy is someone else. He should know."

Feng Lingbo narrowed his eyes. "If you've come to seek a bride, why is the principal envoy absent? Is that not discourteous? What kind of bridal procession is this?"

"It isn't that the principal envoy refuses to come. He couldn't come even if he wanted to."

Yuan Gang remained perfectly calm.

"At this very moment, your daughter Feng Ruonan has detained the principal envoy inside her military camp. His life may be in danger at any time."

[End of Chapter 44]