Chapter 0009: Blood in the Night

Because he had seen this kind of gaze once before

This little brat still does not realize that the rebellion they are playing at could lead to the extermination of their entire clan, yet they are having a great time amidst all this commotion

After drinking the marriage wine, Li Xuan could sense that Miss Dong was becoming increasingly nervous, her pearly teeth lightly biting her red lips, and her small hands tightly entwined with each other, turning somewhat pale

Li Xuan was somewhat speechless, and then pointed at her hand and said: "You are bleeding!"

The simple red flower bridge circled around the small valley and soon arrived at the wooden house where Li Xuan lived, followed by the traditional wedding procedures such as the wedding ceremony

However, Miss Dong is currently wearing a red veil, making it impossible for him to discern the expression on her face, to guess what she might be thinking at this moment, and even more so to directly ask her in front of so many onlookers

At this moment, the woman who had been attending the wedding ceremony had already left at some unknown time and had also closed the door to the room

Li Xuan, riding on a small donkey, looked at this scene and found it somewhat difficult to understand Miss Dong's true intentions

After two days of adjustment, Li Xuan has become indifferent to their calling him "Your Majesty" or "Your Highness". In any case, he has made up his mind to escape from this place in a couple of days, leaving Liu Bagou, Fang Dongquan, and the others to fend for themselves.

Madam Bai also observed coldly, her expression showing no trace of joy at her son's wedding. If it weren't for Bai Yunqi pulling her back, she would have likely unleashed a torrent of scorn upon Liu Bagou.

Overall, this grand wedding ceremony differs from the traditional weddings that Li Xuan is familiar with, as well as from the grand wedding ceremonies of ancient royalty; rather, it is a blend of the two, and one could even say it is an incongruous ceremony

After the numerous procedures outside were completed, the sky had completely darkened. Liu Bagou and the others were already outside drinking and feasting, but Li Xuan's matters were not yet resolved

Miss Dong's expression surprised him somewhat. When the wedding procession, composed of a group of bandits, arrived at the wooden house where she lived, there was no scene of chaos and uproar as Li Xuan had anticipated. Instead, she quietly donned a bright red wedding dress and ascended into the simple bamboo sedan chair.

However, the Miss Dong before him, despite not making any gestures, had a gaze that was chillingly obvious, making it difficult for Li Xuan to overlook it.

Since it has been decided to put on a show with them, even though it is uncomfortable in his heart, Li Xuan still prepares to play the role of this mountain valley emperor. Otherwise, who knows what Liu Bagou might do? He might once again drag Li Xuan into a lengthy discourse on etiquette and hierarchy, and the principles of ruler and subject.

Thus, the intention to step forward and scold was inevitably abandoned, treating the weeping little maid as if she did not exist

Originally, Liu Bagou's Daoist robe was not only old but also had sleeves that had long since frayed into strips. Now, however, it has been patched with scraps of cloth, yet the robe, after being mended with these pieces, appears somewhat unsightly

It was as if she did not know the pain after falling; she raised her left hand, which had traces of blood, to shield herself, her face still showing panic as she said, "What do you want to do?"

At that moment, a woman beside him handed him a small wooden stick, and he took it to lift her red veil with the wooden root

Relying on her more than 100 pounds of excess weight, she forcibly made a handsome young boy her husband, and without any shame, kissed him all over his face, leaving the boy crying loudly and running back to his mother, refusing to come out and play with Huichen again

Intuition told Li Xuan that there must be some reason behind this matter that he was unaware of

Fortunately, there were others nearby, so the man and woman merely exchanged a brief glance. Upon realizing that something was amiss, Li Xuan quickly averted his gaze.

The maid beside her was crying and looking aggrieved, while a somewhat robust old woman wanted to step forward to scold her, urging her to stop the weeping. However, the young maid immediately revealed a set of white, even teeth.

This enthronement ceremony was even simpler than the one held a few days ago for Li Xuan's ascension. Liu Bagou was seen holding a piece of paper that had been torn from an unknown book, and after reading the few sparse words written on it, he declared the enthronement ceremony concluded

Upon seeing this set of teeth, the old woman couldn't help but shiver. This maid, like a dog, had bitten her just two days ago, and it still hurts now

The gazes of the two individuals intertwined in the air, collided, and then burst forth dazzling sparks, momentarily leaving Li Xuan somewhat dazed

In this process, Li Xuan inevitably had to play the role of a puppet, running around as the protagonist of this marriage, such as performing ancestral rites, then visiting Lady Bai, and even Liu Bagou and the others set up a wooden platform to serve as the altar of heaven, allowing Li Xuan to partake in a unique "sacrifice to heaven" ceremony.

Upon seeing Li Xuan emerge, Liu Bagou, standing at the forefront of the crowd, immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, today is a day of great joy, and we, your subjects, extend our heartfelt congratulations to you"

At this moment, Li Xuan also felt somewhat embarrassed and immediately wanted to stand up

When the red veil was lifted, he happened to see Miss Dong slightly tilting her head back. In the dim light, her exquisite face resembled jade, and it was as if she were a delicate doll, making one unable to resist the urge to pinch her cheeks

In this bizarre ceremony, Li Xuan followed whatever Liu Bagou said, as if he were not the one getting married today, remaining completely expressionless throughout the event

In a previous life, there was an occasion when I accompanied the receptionist to go shopping. He inadvertently glanced too long at the women in ultra-short skirts passing by on the street and unconsciously swallowed his saliva. Then, the receptionist puffed up her cheeks and fixed her gaze on Li Xuan with a look similar to that of Miss Dong, while making a scissor gesture with her hand, implying: If you look at other women again, I will cut off your manhood with scissors!

When they finally emerged after getting dressed, they found Liu Bagou, Chen Tufu, Fang Dongquan, and other leaders from the bandit den already waiting. All of these individuals were dressed in new attire, and even Liu Bagou's tattered robe had been patched up.

He was sent into the bridal chamber at this time

During this process, Li Xuan remained silent, with no expression on his face, consciously treating himself as a puppet, doing exactly as Liu Bagou and the others instructed him to do

However, in addition to these traditional wedding procedures, there are also some incongruous elements, such as the addition of a ceremony to enshrine Miss Dong as the empress

If it were a different occasion, she would probably say: If you dare to mess around, I will cut off your life root.

It is not surprising that Liu Bagou and the others are in this situation; in a farcical dynasty, being able to set up a wooden platform for the ceremony and knowing to conduct the enthronement ritual is already quite remarkable

The next morning, someone woke Li Xuan early and treated him like a theater actor, applying a great deal of makeup to his face. Furthermore, he was made to wear a yellow robe embroidered with a design that was indistinguishable as either a dragon or a snake.

How did Miss Dong transform into a delicate and easily toppled young wife overnight, displaying such a submissive demeanor?

He waved his hand and said, "At ease"

Just as Li Xuan stood up, Miss Dong seemed to be startled, hurriedly getting up and retreating. However, in her haste to retreat, she lost her balance and fell with a cry of "ah," scraping the skin on her left palm against the ground.

Thus, he could only continue riding on the donkey with a belly full of doubts, allowing others to lead him forward.

After this visit, Liu Bagou transformed from the Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty into various roles such as a ceremonial official, directing the illiterate Fang Dongquan and others in organizing numerous matters related to the wedding

Several oil lamps were lit in the room. Although the light from the lamps was dim, this dim illumination cast a unique hue on Miss Dong, who sat by the bed wearing a red wedding dress.

Princess Huichen, the sister of Li Xuan, was very happy. Fond of lively atmospheres, she ran around everywhere. When she was having fun, she even played a marriage game with several children from the bandit den.

The attire of others is indeed much better, for instance, Fang Dongquan, this bandit leader, is dressed in a brocade robe that he must have stolen from somewhere. However, the robe is clearly ill-fitting, making it appear somewhat loose on him. Even in the sweltering heat, he drapes a fur coat over it, seemingly unbothered by the risk of heat rash.

Yesterday, although Miss Dong did not say much, Li Xuan could see determination in her eyes, a kind of resolute determination that would rather die than yield. Initially, Li Xuan was worried that she might be seeking death.