Chapter 399: Magnificent

The wedding procession moved through the streets.

Ji Chengjue sat high upon a white horse, a restrained smile on his face. Yet what radiated from him was genuine confidence and openness.

It had been a long time.

A very, very long time.

He was clearly an imperial prince.

Yet in front of outsiders, he could no longer remember the last time he had carried himself this way.

A joyous occasion naturally made a man happy. Perhaps his only regret now was that the bastard surnamed Zheng was not here.

If that fellow were riding beside him today as his groomsman then this wedding would truly feel complete.

What a pity.

The bastard surnamed Zheng could not see how high-spirited he looked today.

The procession crossed the street ahead and soon encountered another formation.

This one consisted of flower platforms.

They were not wheeled carriages. Instead, each platform was carried from below by anywhere from a dozen to nearly a hundred laborers, while the stage above had been decorated with exquisite care.

On one platform, young women danced gracefully.

On another, veiled singers displayed their voices.

Some plucked the qin and recited poetry.

Some struck crisp notes from pipas.

Some featured pale-faced male courtesans composing verse, prettier than the women beside them by three parts.

Others overflowed with fluttering skirts, laughing beauties, and waves of perfume.

Their appearance immediately drew every eye from the surrounding streets. Crowds began pouring toward them from every direction.

When the wedding procession approached, the flower platforms voluntarily moved aside.

As Ji Chengjue rode past, respectful cries rang out one after another.

“Seeking Fragrance Pavilion congratulates the Proprietor on his joyous wedding!”

“Seeking Spring Court wishes the Proprietor a hundred years of harmony!”

“West Orchid Pavilion wishes the Proprietor an early noble son!”

“Willow-Supporting Terrace wishes the Proprietor a lifetime of happiness!”

“Cowherd House wishes the Proprietor a harmonious marriage!”

Ji Chengjue merely smiled and waved in acknowledgment.

Yanjing was a wonderful place.

Without exaggeration, it possessed the greatest prosperity and deepest foundation anywhere in the Great Yan Dynasty. Perhaps it could not compare with Qian’s Jiangnan, where peach-blossom rain fell across a mortal paradise, but when it came to things a man might want to enjoy, could enjoy, or was allowed to enjoy—

Yanjing lacked very little.

Today, every famous house of pleasure in Yanjing had sent out its leading courtesans and top beauties.

Ordinarily, even with a heavy purse, seeing even one of these women required luck.

Yet today they had all appeared like street performers.

For one purpose only: to attract attention.

To add grandeur to the wedding of the Sixth Prince their Proprietor.

The effect was immediate.

Huge crowds surged toward the procession. Before long, people from half of Yanjing seemed to be flowing in this direction.

It was an extremely practical matter.

The senior officials of the court had chosen to treat the Sixth Prince’s wedding coldly because many of them might someday have to eat from the Crown Prince’s bowl.

The pleasure houses, on the other hand, displayed astonishing enthusiasm.

The reason was equally simple.

Right now, they ate from the Sixth Prince’s bowl.

“Big guy, why did you roll that banner back up?”

The Sword Maid, sitting on Fan Li’s shoulder, asked curiously.

“No need to hang it,” Fan Li answered.

“Who told you to hang it? Master?”

“Mm. Master said to hang it during the Sixth Prince’s wedding. But now I think there’s no need.”

Why was there no need?

Because embroidered across that banner were the words:

**ALL THE A-RANK GIRLS OF THE YIHONG HOUSE WISH HIS SIXTH HIGHNESS A JOYOUS WEDDING!**

But after seeing the spectacle before him, even Fan Li felt there was no point in unfurling it anymore.

*Master, it’s not that I refuse to obey your instructions.*

*It’s just that they really don’t care about this.*

*They’re already the biggest brothel madam in the entire capital.*

...

“Absurd!”

Standing atop the southern wall of the imperial palace, the Emperor of Yan listened as eunuchs arrived in groups to report what was happening.

When he heard about this scene, that single word burst from his mouth.

A dignified imperial prince of Great Yan was actually involved in this sort of business.

If word spread, would people not laugh their teeth out?

And yet the effect was obvious.

From where he stood on the wall, the Emperor could clearly see crowds streaming down several visible streets toward the wedding procession.

A wedding needed grandeur.

And if you wanted grandeur how could there be no people?

Beside him, Wei Zhonghe bent at the waist and trembled.

Even a eunuch like him found the matter astonishing.

More importantly, the Secret Intelligence Department had completely failed to uncover this layer of connection.

The Sixth Prince almost certainly did not operate these businesses directly. He must have selected intermediaries to act as proprietors while he remained hidden behind the scenes.

And the public-facing owners were themselves often tied to various nobles.

That created yet another layer of concealment, making outsiders assume the establishments belonged to those noble households.

As that thought occurred to him, Wei Zhonghe swallowed unconsciously.

The nobles willing to openly involve themselves in this kind of business would not be the most powerful ones. Truly great nobles still cared about face.

Even so, the implication was terrifying enough.

The Sixth Prince had already woven an entire web in secret and Wei Zhonghe had never even noticed its existence.

Looking again at His Majesty’s reaction, it seemed the Emperor had not known beforehand either.

Apparently that colleague of his who managed the Emperor’s other intelligence channel also had gaps in his investigations.

But after his initial anger, the Emperor’s fury shifted toward the Ministry of Revenue again.

“Those wine sacks and rice bags in the Ministry of Revenue!”

Wei Zhonghe quietly exhaled.

Yes.

His own failure to discover these businesses could at least be explained by the fact that His Majesty had never explicitly ordered him to conduct a full investigation. The department had paid some attention in ordinary times, but the intensity was naturally different.

The Ministry of Revenue, however had once received a direct imperial decree to take over the Sixth Prince’s businesses.

So what exactly filled the heads of those useless lords warming their official seats?

Greasy roast duck?

Even the revenue of Quande Restaurant the one roast-duck shop they actually seized had fallen by fifty percent after the Ministry of Revenue took over!

...

The flower platforms carrying Yanjing’s leading courtesans attracted enormous attention, and because they followed the wedding procession, every street the procession entered became packed with people.

The moment the formation entered Baihua Street, a unified shout rang out.

“Shopkeeper Zhao Sihai of the Nanwang Trading House congratulates the Young Master! Raise!”

“Raise!”

“Raise!”

“Raise!”

A group of men draped in red silk appeared across the street.

Each carried a heavy basket.

The baskets were filled with copper coins and broken pieces of silver.

With each thunderous cry of “Raise!”— money began raining across the street.

A genuine rain of money.

Real coin.

Real silver.

During the wedding processions of ordinary nobles, celebratory coins were also tossed out for luck.

But those were usually small amounts. Children scrambled over the ground to pick them up, while adults were often too embarrassed to bend down because there simply was not enough money to justify it.

Reality soon proved one thing.

Restraint.

Dignity.

Face.

These things existed only when there was not enough money.

Once the money became sufficient all of them were thrown straight beyond the seas.

Silver and copper poured down in torrents.

The common people went mad.

The atmosphere exploded instantly.

The men, women, old, and young of Yanjing were fair enough about it too.

Yes, they picked up your money.

But they did not forget the auspicious words.

“Joy to His Sixth Highness on his wedding!”

“May His Sixth Highness enjoy health and long life!”

“May His Sixth Highness be blessed with sons!”

Blessings rolled through the streets in waves.

Without exaggeration even when the Emperor’s own imperial carriage left the palace and the people cried “Long live His Majesty,” the city was rarely this noisy or exuberant.

Some elderly residents of Yanjing watched the scene and could not help remembering the past.

Back then it had also been an imperial prince’s wedding.

And there had been an almost identical spectacle.

A breathtaking thirty-two-bearer bridal sedan.

A rain of money filling the sky.

Luxury so extravagant it left people stunned.

Yanjing had witnessed all of this once before.

Today it was happening again.

Only the imperial prince who had ridden the white horse back then was now the supreme sovereign, a ruler who had destroyed states and expanded borders.

The beautiful woman who had once sat inside that bridal sedan had long since vanished like fragrant jade, dead for so many years that not even her grave or memorial tablet could be found.

And the Min Clan that had organized what was once the most extravagant wedding in Great Yan’s history had disappeared even earlier than the great clans.

Trading house after trading house.

Shopkeeper after shopkeeper.

They called out their names one after another.

Some were based in Yanjing itself.

Others had rushed back from a thousand li away for one reason only to attend the wedding of their proprietor.

Their Young Master.

For the shopkeepers personally raised and cultivated by Ji Chengjue, today was a day to stand in the light.

For the old surviving leaders of the Min commercial network, today was a day of remembrance a memorial to the past.

A remembrance of the Min Clan whose merchant reach had once extended from the eastern states all the way toward the distant West.

Children reveled.

Middle-aged men abandoned their dignity and scrambled for silver.

Old men unable to squeeze into the crowds stood outside remembering former days.

Scene after scene.

Moment after moment.

The people of Yanjing would remember this day for another twenty or thirty years.

And amid those roaring, feverish crowds stood one father and son with reddened eyes.

Nobody noticed them.

Ji Chengjue’s gaze drifted once again toward the imperial palace.

The distance was too great.

He could not possibly see the figure now standing atop the palace wall.

And yet some faint connection seemed to exist.

*You can see it.*

*You can see all of this.*

*You saw it, didn’t you?*

*I can make money.*

*I can manage businesses.*

*I can restore the Min Clan’s enterprises to their former splendor.*

*I can turn stone into gold.*

*Today—*

*I am turning over my cards.*

*I am showing them to you.*

*So look carefully, Father Emperor.*

*Don’t you want to sweep across the realm and replace Great Xia with Yan?*

*Don’t you want to expand the borders and become an emperor remembered for ten thousand generations?*

*I can provide the money and grain that support you.*

*I can manage the realm behind your armies.*

*I can preserve the foundations you need.*

*I can help you fulfill your lifelong ambition.*

*Of course you can suppress me again like before.*

*Strip everything from me.*

*Punish everyone connected to me.*

*But can you bear to?*

*Can you bear to throw away your lifelong ambition?*

*Can you bear to watch your grand design flow east with the water?*

...

Wei Zhonghe saw the Emperor fall silent.

As a servant he did not dare guess recklessly at the sovereign’s thoughts.

Was His Majesty furious?

Furious that his own son had concealed so much from him for so many years?

Or had the familiar scene today reminded His Majesty of that woman from the past?

The woman who, immediately upon entering the princely residence, had ordered two new sets of clothes made for every servant and attendant and then distributed bonus pay to all of them?

Wei Zhonghe still remembered the day when he had been only a low-ranking young eunuch in the princely residence and received a red envelope from that woman.

At the time the envelope had felt extraordinarily heavy in his hand.

“What is your name?”

“This slave’s humble name is Wei Zhonghe.”

“Any family?”

“This slave is an orphan.”

“That’s a pity. Then nobody can give money to your relatives as a way to win you over.

“How about this? Hurry up and adopt a godson. My father always told me that silver sitting in your hands without being spent is no different from rocks on a mountain.”

“Mistress...”

“What?”

“This slave is still somebody else’s godson. I serve Eunuch Sun as my godfather.”

“Fine, then tell me when you’re ready to take a godson of your own. I’ll help you arrange a house and fields.

“You’re His Highness’s personal attendant. Naturally, I need to buy you over properly.

“Don’t you dare be embarrassed.

“Aiya, now that I think about it, am I being too obvious about buying you over? Is that making things awkward for you?”

“Mistress...”

“It’s fine. Tell me secretly next time.

“And show a little ambition yourself.

“What’s the point in spending your whole life being somebody else’s godson?”

For some reason the image of the Min Clan’s young mistress entering the princely residence all those years ago suddenly surfaced in Wei Zhonghe’s mind.

Now—

Wei Zhonghe was the Seal-Holding Eunuch of Great Yan’s Directorate of Ceremonial.

He commanded the Secret Intelligence Department.

Forget godsons.

He possessed more god-grandsons than he could count.

Young eunuchs inside the palace saw him and had to call him Ancestress.

But that mistress of the Min Clan could no longer see how imposing he had become.

Suddenly, Wei Zhonghe’s heart tightened.

He began silently reciting his qi-refining formula at high speed, forcibly suppressing those stray thoughts.

Then, with some lingering fear he raised his head.

Only after seeing that His Majesty still stood with his back toward him in silence did Wei Zhonghe relax slightly.

Some people.

Some memories.

A master could reminisce.

A master could grieve.

A master could feel sorrow.

But if a servant dared reveal even the slightest trace of the same feeling that could become a path to irreversible ruin.

...

The wedding procession passed through Baihua Street and arrived before the Lu Residence.

The gates had already been carefully decorated with red lanterns and festive silk.

Every man, woman, old person, and child of the Lu household stood outside waiting.

Not long after word came that the wedding procession had arrived, the Grand Matriarch emerged wearing the formal robes of an imperially titled lady.

Her left hand held her walking stick.

A maid supported her right arm.

The moment Ji Chengjue saw her from horseback, he hurriedly dismounted.

He walked before the Grand Matriarch and knelt.

“Grandmother, your grandson is getting married today.”

The Grand Matriarch reached out and stroked his face.

“Little Sixth, once you marry, you truly become a grown man. A real adult.

“You must stand upright between Heaven and Earth.

“No more behaving improperly.”

“Thank you for Grandmother’s instruction. This grandson will remember.”

At that moment, Lu Bing stood on the steps and spoke.

“You want to marry a daughter of my Lu household?

“It will not be that easy.”

The moment he finished the younger members of the Lu family spread out paired couplets, lantern riddles, and other challenges.

Among ordinary people, a bride’s household might force the groom to drink or play rough little tricks before allowing him to receive the bride.

Great noble families naturally preferred something with a little literary elegance.

Lu Bing pointed toward the challenges behind him.

“Fail to answer them all— and you do not enter the Lu family gate.”

Ji Chengjue nodded.

A smile remained on his face.

A short while later a group of young officials in formal robes appeared.

From their clothing, it was obvious they had only just taken leave from their various ministries and offices.

All of them were Presented Scholars selected through Great Yan’s imperial examinations.

The previously noisy scene suddenly fell quiet.

The excitement earlier had been forcibly built by merchants and shopkeepers.

No actual officials had appeared.

But the appearance of these men changed the nature of the entire scene.

Even Lu Bing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Certain senior figures at court had already sensed something from the earlier downfall of the Minister of Revenue.

But the imperial examination system was a national policy personally established by His Majesty to endure through future generations.

So nobody had truly dared investigate these still-not-numerous officials of Presented Scholar background.

Today there was no longer any need to investigate.

They had walked out themselves.

Several dozen young officials bowed deeply toward Ji Chengjue in unison.

“We congratulate our Patron on his joyous wedding and wish him an early noble son!”

Ji Chengjue waved impatiently.

Then pointed toward the riddles and couplets before him.

“Stop dawdling.

“Go answer the damned questions for me first!”

...

Wei Zhonghe’s breathing slowed.

Presented Scholars.

Disciples of the Son of Heaven.

And now they had appeared together in public openly calling an imperial prince their **Patron**.

What did that mean?

What exactly did it mean?

Wei Zhonghe understood perfectly.

The nature of the entire affair had changed.

What His Sixth Highness was revealing now went far beyond skill at trade and finance.

He was openly announcing to the world that he, Ji Chengjue, was cultivating his own ministers.

Building his own wings.

He intended to fight for the succession.

These were things only the Eastern Palace possessed the legitimate standing to do openly.

Other princes might secretly establish ties with officials, but even then they had to move with the greatest caution.

Who would dare display it this nakedly?

Wei Zhonghe carefully glanced toward the Emperor again.

He discovered—

His Majesty’s hand was trembling slightly.

The Emperor of Yan’s gaze had darkened.

Wave after wave of eunuchs ran back and forth, reporting every new scene unfolding at the wedding.

It was as though destiny itself had turned in a circle and returned today.

Long ago the Emperor had personally witnessed the terrifying financial strength of his father-in-law.

The Min Clan had paved roads with silver.

Used silver to weave connections.

Used silver to cultivate officials.

Silver had flowed like river water, flooding into every crack beneath their feet.

Only although the scene was repeating although the wheel had turned back to the same place the old pressure and heaviness were gone.

Not because he was now the supreme sovereign with power gathered into his own hands.

But because the man directing today’s wedding was no longer the ambitious old patriarch of the Min Clan.

It was his own son.

Wei Zhonghe still stood cautiously nearby, waiting for His Majesty to erupt in rage.

Instead he suddenly heard the Emperor laugh and curse:

“Heh.

“That little bastard.”

[End of Chapter 399]