The imperial city of Yulin in July was under a scorching sun.
Before the hour of Chen, the entrance of the Ji family was already crowded with onlookers.
Today was the grand wedding day for the current Fifth Prince and the eldest daughter of the Ji family. However, all that stopped at the Ji family's doorstep were the grand carriages and colorful palanquins, conforming to royal wedding customs, and a musical troupe of over a dozen people. The groom, the Fifth Prince himself, had not made an appearance at all.
The gathered citizens, looking at the empty saddle on the back of the magnificent horse, were in constant discussion.
"Tsk tsk tsk… On such a joyous occasion, the groom himself doesn't even show up. How inauspicious."
"I've heard for a long time that this Fifth Prince is incredibly timid, but I never expected him to be so intimidated that he'd skip his own wedding day."
"He's always been timid, and now he's about to marry the eldest daughter of the Ji family, who has such a bad reputation. It's only natural that the Fifth Prince wouldn't come. Look at the Ji family, full of military generals. Their other daughters were all accomplished in both literature and martial arts from childhood, yet this eldest daughter has been a useless good-for-nothing who has never even left her home."
"I heard, actually, that the eldest daughter of the Ji family is simple-minded…"
The brightly dressed wedding matron, braving the surrounding whispers, ascended the steps with a smile. She looked at Lin Wan Yun with a helpless expression and said, "First Madam Ji, you know that His Highness the Fifth Prince is shy and easily intimidated. So… we can only trouble the eldest daughter of the Ji family to proceed alone."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wan Yun's expression darkened. "On such a grand occasion, no matter what, you cannot send my daughter alone. Is this the upbringing of the Fifth Prince?"
The Ji family was a renowned military lineage for a hundred years, and a trusted minister in the Emperor's heart. A mere prince could not intimidate the First Madam Ji.
The wedding matron heard this and froze awkwardly.
Beneath the bright red veil, Ji Zi Zhao lowered her gaze and softly said, "It's alright, Mother. I'll go by myself."
After all, it was a done deal.
She had to marry, no matter how.
"I didn't expect the eldest daughter of the Ji family to be so sensible. Allow me to escort you. Please take your time," the wedding matron said, her words accompanied by a smile. She then grasped Ji Zi Zhao's wrist, her tone extremely polite, but her movements somewhat rough.
She was merely a useless, simple-minded girl from the Ji family. To marry the Fifth Prince was a blessing she had cultivated over lifetimes.
Lin Wan Yun watched her daughter board the palanquin, tears welling up in her eyes.
Inside the palanquin, Ji Zi Zhao, still under the red veil, kept her gaze lowered indifferently.
It had been fifteen years since she opened her eyes in this other world.
She had long since learned to be calm about everything and had grown accustomed to it.
This marriage was arranged by her grandfather.
Her grandfather had always doted on and protected her the most since she was a child. She would not disappoint him.
If she married, she married. For her, it was merely a change of location to continue drifting through the world.
As the palanquin was lifted by the bearers, the wedding procession turned and leisurely headed towards the Fifth Prince's mansion.
As they were about to pass the city gate, a sound of hurried horse hooves approached from afar.
Xin Lan, who was following outside the palanquin, exclaimed, "Miss, it's an imperial messenger with a command token on his back, coming from the north gate!"
A command token on the back signified a military dispatch. Coming from the north gate…
That was the military report from her grandfather and uncles at Luoyi Liangcheng!
"Qing Zhu, you quickly return to the mansion to investigate!" Ji Zi Zhao's usually indifferent eyes beneath the veil finally lifted slightly, revealing a composure and sharpness that no one had ever seen before.
The sound of the galloping horses just now was mixed with a hint of panic and urgency. It was unlikely to be a good omen.
Qing Zhu, who was walking behind Xin Lan, quickly turned around. She passed the wedding procession without making a sound.
The palanquin continued to sway towards the Fifth Prince's mansion, but Ji Zi Zhao, seated inside, felt every nerve tense up.
Her grandfather had told her that this marriage was personally requested by the Fifth Prince.
Her grandfather had agreed only after seeing the Fifth Prince's sincere words and genuine attitude.
He dared to personally propose marriage, but not to marry? Su Dan Novel Network.
Recalling the imperial messenger who had just sped by, Ji Zi Zhao's heart skipped a beat.
She suspected…
A series of hurried breaths sounded outside the palanquin. It was Qing Zhu, who had returned.
Her eyes were now red. Even though she tried to suppress her voice, it still trembled uncontrollably. "Miss, it's bad news. The imperial messenger just reported that… that Luoyi has been defeated. Grandfather and the other lords… all, all of them died on the battlefield…"
Ji Zi Zhao's scalp tingled.
All died…
Not one left…
It felt as if ten thousand arrows pierced her heart, her chest aching as if torn apart.
Ji Zi Zhao tightly closed her eyes, but tears still streamed out one after another.
Xin Lan, fearing her young lady would cry on her wedding day, quickly whispered, "Miss, no matter how sad you are, please endure it for now. You are about to become the Fifth Prince's Consort. If you lose your decorum, you might invite criticism."
Beneath the red veil, Ji Zi Zhao heard these words and abruptly opened her eyes.
When the Ji family was still full of glory, the Fifth Prince had eagerly come to propose marriage.
Now, he had likely learned of her grandfather and uncles' tragic deaths on the battlefield beforehand, and thus changed his attitude towards the Ji family.
Sincere words, genuine attitude…
He was simply a sycophant who fawned over the powerful and trampled on the weak.
The wedding matron's voice suddenly sounded outside the palanquin. "Eldest daughter of the Ji family, we are about to reach the Fifth Prince's mansion."
Inside the palanquin, Ji Zi Zhao suppressed the coldness and sorrow filling her heart, steadying her breathing.
Qing Zhu was the most meticulous among the maids who served Ji Zi Zhao.
Hearing the wedding matron's words, she was the first to look up towards the Fifth Prince's mansion ahead.
She saw the very imperial messenger who had just delivered the military report to the Ji family, dismounting from his horse at the Fifth Prince's gate.
"Miss, why don't we go back first?"
Why would an imperial messenger who delivered a report of mourning be summoned to the gate on a wedding day?
From within the palanquin, Ji Zi Zhao's steady voice emerged, "Why should we go back?"
Since they had come, they had come.
This was actually perfect.
She truly wanted to see what other tricks the Fifth Prince had in store to humiliate her.
At the Fifth Prince's mansion gate were not only the imperial messenger reporting the military mourning, but also the Fifth Prince's head steward, Miss Luo Hong.
Miss Luo Hong was eighteen years old. She had been assigned by Consort Xi to the Fifth Prince's side to take care of his daily life.
Everyone knew that Miss Luo Hong had taken impeccable care of the Fifth Prince over the years, but they did not know that, some years ago, Luo Hong had already fallen in love with the Fifth Prince.
Seeing the red palanquin slowly being carried forward, the tighter Luo Hong clenched her hands under her sleeves, the more hatred she felt in her heart.
She was merely a useless good-for-nothing from the Ji family. How could she be worthy of marrying the Fifth Prince?
Now that the Ji family had fallen, even if this good-for-nothing wanted to enter, she would have to crawl in on her knees!
With this thought, the moment the palanquin settled on the ground, Luo Hong looked at the imperial messenger below the steps.
"Luoyi Military Report! General Ji acted recklessly! The men of the Ji family acted stubbornly, leading to the defeat of Luoyi! Therefore, all the men of the Ji family perished on the battlefield! His Highness the Second Prince, in his benevolence, could not bear to see our Yulin soldiers' bones scattered in a foreign land, and will personally lead the coffin back in ten days."
Upon hearing this news, all the citizens outside the Fifth Prince's mansion were stunned.
Luo Hong stood on the steps, looking down with arrogance at the quietly placed palanquin.
Did the Ji family's good-for-nothing feel pain?
But this was only the beginning.