Chapter 61: I'll Make Him Regret Marrying Me

The newlyweds had arrived!

Everyone here was one of Shang Chaozong's personal guards. Unlike the notable guests at the Commandery Governor's residence, they had no image to maintain. Shang Chaozong dismounted, and when the bride was led out of the sedan chair, the men immediately erupted.

"Oh!"

Cheers and teasing rose on every side as they crowded around. The relationship between superiors and subordinates in the army was never as bound by ceremony as among civil officials. A good commander did not constantly put on airs before his brothers. There were times when orders had to be obeyed without question, and there were times when everyone could relax. When discipline was required, they were commander and subordinate. When the mood was easy, they were brothers.

When Prince Ning was alive, he had even slung an arm around ordinary soldiers' shoulders. Such a thing would have been almost unimaginable among civil officials. It had been perfectly normal for him to sit among a crowd of common soldiers and boast with them, squeeze in beside them to eat and sleep under the same conditions, pass food and water to them, or lose a wager and let the men smear ink across his face.

Shang Chaozong had grown up beside his father and seen all of this from childhood. Naturally, he had been influenced by it and did not put on airs before his own brothers either. Faced with their jeering now, all he could do was repeatedly cup his hands and beg for mercy.

Most of the personal guards were seeing the bride for the first time. Merely looking at the solid figure standing beside their prince left them secretly clicking their tongues. There was probably not another Princess Consort this robust anywhere beneath Heaven. In a pavilion beside an artificial hill, Niu Youdao watched the scene with a broad smile. Yuan Gang quietly came to his side and slipped a pill into his hand. Niu Youdao looked back at him. Yuan Gang gave a slight nod.

Niu Youdao's smile deepened. He turned back and continued enjoying the spectacle.

"Carry her into the bridal chamber!"

No one knew who shouted it first. The crowd immediately took up the cry, fists raised high.

"Carry her into the bridal chamber! Carry her into the bridal chamber!"

Lan Ruoting waved repeatedly for them to stop, but it was useless. He could only smile bitterly. The brothers had rarely had a chance to relax and celebrate on this journey. He could hardly force them to stop and spoil everyone's fun. Shang Chaozong's cupped-hand pleas were equally useless.

With no other choice, he shook out his sleeves and prepared to do as they demanded, reaching to lift Feng Ruonan and carry her into the bridal chamber. Who would have thought Feng Ruonan could see perfectly well through the red bridal veil?

Smack!

Her leg whipped sideways and struck Shang Chaozong squarely in the shin, quick as a shadowless kick. Shang Chaozong staggered and nearly went down. Fortunately, several men beside him caught him in time.

The meaning was obvious. Feng Ruonan did not want Shang Chaozong touching her and had no intention of cooperating with the crowd's merriment. The courtyard fell silent at once. The men who had been cheering moments before said nothing.

They might only be ordinary soldiers beneath him, but they still knew who was close and who was not. Every one of them had his own sensitivities. The guards slowly drew back and opened a path, awkwardness on their faces. The festive mood vanished without a trace. Shang Shuqing watched silently. Lan Ruoting frowned.

Shang Chaozong's shin hurt from the kick, but looking around at the reactions of the brothers who had staked their lives on him hurt far more. He abruptly turned toward Feng Ruonan. Anger flared. He seized her wrist and pulled her toward him. Feng Ruonan only shook her hand once in an attempt to break free.

Perhaps because she too had spent years in the army, she could understand certain things instinctively. The sudden silence caused by her kick seemed to make her realize something. After that, she did not resist much. With only a trace of unwilling struggle, Shang Chaozong swept her up in his arms.

"To the bridal chamber!"

Shang Chaozong roared with imposing force and strode away carrying Feng Ruonan.

"Oh!"

The personal guards burst into cheers again. Their prince had presence. He could keep this woman in hand after all. There was nothing to worry about! A crowd surged after Shang Chaozong, clapping, cheering, shouting approval, and even whistling without restraint. The courtyard instantly came alive again. As for what Feng Ruonan felt, lying in a man's arms like this for the first time, no one knew.

"You underestimated His Highness. His arm strength is pretty decent after all!"

Niu Youdao laughed from the pavilion and teased Yuan Gang. A hint of appreciation appeared in Yuan Gang's eyes as he watched Shang Chaozong.

After carrying Feng Ruonan into the bridal chamber and settling her there, Shang Chaozong came back out. He swept one hand toward the crowd and loudly proclaimed, "Drink by the bowlful, eat meat by the mouthful! Let the feast begin!"

"Oh!"

The personal guards cheered again. They surrounded Shang Chaozong and carried him away amid laughter and joking, leaving the small courtyard quiet once more. Several figures appeared on the rooftops and high points around the courtyard, watching the surroundings. Bai Yao was among them, his sword cradled in his arms as his cold gaze slowly swept over the area.

At the wedding banquet, the personal guards shouted themselves hoarse. Wine cups crossed back and forth. Those sitting showed no proper sitting posture, those standing showed no proper standing posture. Everyone was a little wild, because everyone was genuinely happy. The great wedding itself was one reason, but there was more to it.

Now that Feng Ruonan had crossed the threshold, the matter was truly settled. Everyone understood more or less what that meant. Their future had once been uncertain, but now the strings that had been stretched tight in every heart could finally loosen a little.

Men moved from table to table, drinking to one another. Voices boomed. Wherever Shang Chaozong went, brothers grabbed hold of him and forced wine upon him.

It was difficult to refuse such enthusiasm, and Shang Chaozong was in good spirits himself. Perhaps because he still felt guilty over the unpleasantness earlier, he accepted every cup offered and drank with exceptional boldness. Shang Shuqing, Lan Ruoting, Niu Youdao, and Yuan Gang shared one table.

Yuan Fang sat there as well. Niu Youdao had specifically called him over from the table where the monks of Nanshan Temple were seated.

Being allowed to sit as an equal among them left Yuan Fang somewhat flattered. He increasingly felt that Niu Youdao was a genuinely decent man. Compared with Niu Youdao, Yuan Gang's way of treating people was simply Heaven and Earth apart.

Watching the crowd seize Shang Chaozong and pour wine into him, Niu Youdao smiled. Now and then he raised his own cup or moved his chopsticks.

He enjoyed good food and drink too, but was never greedy for them. He did not gorge himself. His ordinary manner might seem casual, but there was always a certain restraint to him. No matter how happy he was, he never let himself become completely unbridled. In some ways, he was a rather inwardly restrained man.

"If His Highness keeps drinking like this, I'm afraid he'll get drunk."

Niu Youdao suddenly raised his cup toward Lan Ruoting with a smile. Lan Ruoting understood the implication and also felt Shang Chaozong had gone a little too far. He set down his wine cup, rose, and left the table. Calling several Hundred-Man Commanders aside, he whispered instructions to them.

No one knew exactly what he said, but once those commanders returned, they began working together to intercept the wine being pressed on Shang Chaozong.

When Shang Chaozong eventually returned to their table, Niu Youdao picked up the wine pot he had kept protected in front of himself and personally poured Shang Chaozong a bowl.

"Your Highness, let me toast you alone!"

Naturally, Shang Chaozong had to drink Niu Youdao's toast.

"Good!"

He accepted the bowl, clinked it against Niu Youdao's, raised his head, and drained it in one gulp. Niu Youdao smiled. Afterward, Lan Ruoting leaned close to Shang Chaozong and whispered for a while, advising him to stop drinking. The bridal chamber was more important. Shang Chaozong looked somewhat embarrassed.

Still, Feng Ruonan's conduct earlier had angered him. Add the wine already in his belly—wine emboldens even a coward, as the saying went—and courage surged through him. He made up his mind that tonight he would absolutely not go easy on Feng Ruonan. Then he turned and headed back to the bridal chamber to rest. Niu Youdao had lost interest in staying amid the festivities as well. The moment he rose, Yuan Gang and Yuan Fang left the table with him.

A wedding night beneath flower candles was a beautiful thing, but not something to be shared with outsiders. The newlyweds were left alone in the room. Wenxin and Wenli both came out and carefully closed the door behind them.

Wenxin remained outside the door to await instructions, while Wenli left the courtyard to send word back to the people outside, so the Commandery Governor's residence would know that every required ceremony had been completed and everything had gone smoothly.

In truth, the people at the Commandery Governor's residence knew Feng Ruonan had accepted this marriage only reluctantly. They also knew her temper and feared she might create trouble, so they had been watching closely all along. Wenli had only just stepped out of the courtyard when she ran into Yuan Fang loitering outside.

She gave a surprised sound. "What are you doing here?"

Yuan Fang chuckled. "I'm on guard duty tonight! By the way, is everything going smoothly inside? Have they drunk the wedding-cup wine?"

"Everything's fine. They drank it. Don't worry, nothing will happen," Wenli said with a smile.

"Oh, good, good..."

Yuan Fang had only just begun nodding happily when an unusual disturbance came from the bridal chamber. Immediately afterward, Wenxin came running out in a panic.

"Something's wrong! Young Mistress and Young Master-in-law are fighting inside the bridal chamber!"

"Uh..."

Yuan Fang froze for an instant, then turned and ran. The guards at the entrance quickly sent people to report the matter as well. Standing expressionless on a rooftop, Bai Yao turned his head toward the bridal chamber and frowned. His figure flashed. He drifted down and landed outside the door, then tilted his head to listen. There was really no need to listen carefully.

The sounds of fighting inside were unmistakable. Fists and feet cut through the air, mixed with the crashing of tables, chairs, vessels, and other objects being smashed apart. Bai Yao wanted to push the door open and go inside, but feared he might see something indecent.

Instead he called from outside, "Ruonan, what's going on?"

Feng Ruonan's cold laugh came from within.

"Uncle Bai, this has nothing to do with you. He actually dared put his hands on me. Just watch how I deal with him. I'll make him regret marrying me!"

"..."

Bai Yao was speechless. What kind of thing was that for a bride to say?

He spoke heavily. "Ruonan, this is your wedding day. Don't make trouble!"

Feng Ruonan laughed brightly from inside. "Uncle Bai, this is the bridal chamber. I'm not wearing any clothes. Whatever you do, don't come in!"

Her laughter was full of delight. After feeling wronged for so many days, she had finally found an opportunity to settle accounts. Bai Yao's hand, which had just been reaching for the door, froze. He had no idea whether Feng Ruonan was telling the truth. Nine chances out of ten, she was lying and simply did not want him interfering. But what if she truly was undressed? That would be awkward. One thing, however, was certain.

Feng Ruonan could fight while still speaking so freely, which meant she had plenty of room to spare and was unquestionably holding the advantage. Shang Chaozong, who did not even have the leisure to speak, was clearly the one suffering. Bai Yao knew Feng Ruonan's abilities well. She was a fierce general who had ridden across battlefields. Ordinary men were no match for her. Shang Chaozong was probably in serious trouble. Bai Yao's head began to ache.

"Ruonan, enough! Mind your limits!"

"Don't worry. I won't kill him. If I killed him, I wouldn't be able to explain myself to Father and Mother. But today I'm going to teach him a lesson so he remembers it. So what if he's Prince Ning's son?"

Feng Ruonan gave a cold snort. Bai Yao raised a hand and rubbed his forehead. Still, with that assurance from her, he relaxed somewhat. As long as the matter did not become too serious, it would be fine. Wenxin and Wenli looked at one another. Was the new son-in-law really the one getting beaten? Before long, Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang arrived after Yuan Fang's report. Lan Ruoting and Shang Shuqing came running as well after receiving word from the guards.

On the papered windows of the bridal chamber, candlelight cast flickering shadows as the figures inside moved back and forth in ceaseless combat.

Shang Shuqing called anxiously, "Brother, what's wrong?"

The instant her voice sounded, the fighting inside stopped. Then Shang Chaozong's furious voice came through.

"Let go! Let go of me!"

Feng Ruonan's cold laugh followed.

"Behave yourself. Move again and see whether I break your arm off!"

[End of Chapter 61]