The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family-Chapter 1218 - 282: The Secret of Death

Marquis Yongchang, Luo Zhen, encountered trouble and was on the brink of death, the entire Marquis Mansion Yongchang felt as if the sky had fallen in an instant.

An Liefeng had them send someone to bring Luo Zhen back to the capital for treatment, bringing a physician along.

At this moment, Lady Mo no longer had the energy to seek out Pei Qin. Even if Luo Zhen survived, his title would pass to another brother, and their branch would no longer be the masters of Marquis Mansion Yongchang! If something were to happen to Luo Zhen, she... would become a widow!

Meanwhile, the Pei Residence was lively with music and the beat of drums.

Pei Wendong, dressed in bright red wedding clothes, rode a tall horse to Anping Prince Mansion to welcome his bride.

Happy sat in the sedan chair as the child leading the procession. Chang Yonglin, Xiao Yong, Fang Liuming, and Zhao Xiaochen all changed into festive attire to join the entourage.

Pei Wendong and Chang Yonglin, one had attained the title of valedictorian, and the other Tanhua; even the chancellors who were examiners at the court witnessed their scholarship. Yet those who failed the exam were still resentful and instigated, slandering both men by saying they could only excel due to Pei Qin and Mo Heng.

Princess Anping did not want her beloved daughter to be dragged into this slander. Seeing that Pei Wendong was a son-in-law of the Wang Mansion, she also wanted to prove to those people. So she found knowledgeable people from her maiden family early on to set up a challenge for Pei Wendong. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

As soon as Wendong and the others arrived, they saw the setup reminiscent of a tribunal and their faces twitched. Was this a wedding or an interrogation!?

With the setup in place, Pei Wendong had no choice but to participate if he wished to take his bride away. He dismounted and paid his respects, then calmly waited.

Matching antithetical couplets, poetry, the eight-legged essay, and the Four Arts.

Chang Yonglin and Xiao Yong also helped on the side.

Among them, Xiao Yong’s painting, having learned from Pei Qin from the start, was the best. His chess skills were also not far behind, and he even excelled in playing the zither and sword dancing!

The Four Arts were the elegant arts, and most scholars learned the full set. Their zither skills were all mediocre because Mo Heng didn’t like it and Pei Qin couldn’t play; there was no one to teach them.

After several rounds of back-and-forth, Yonglin couldn’t take it anymore, "Let us pose a question, and if you can answer it, you win! You can do whatever you want! But if you lose... Humph! Make way and let us take the bride away!"

Although the maiden family of Princess Anping lacked power, they were scholars and not afraid of being challenged.

But to their surprise, none of them could answer the questions posed by Pei Wendong, Yonglin, and Xiao Yong, "What kind of absurd questions are these? They don’t even qualify as questions!"

"These are quick-wit questions, essential for officials and household heads. Gentlemen, you have lost!" Xiao Yong said with a laugh.

A message came from the inner courtyard to have Pei Wendong perform a piece of music, and a zither was brought over.

Pei Wendong knew it was Princess Xiyun’s wish and, though reluctant, he had no choice but to proceed.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Yong, Chang Yonglin, and Fang Liuming all showed they couldn’t help. Others could step in if there was difficulty, but clearly, this was a request from Commandery Princess Xiyun to him.

It wasn’t long before the onlookers knew that the new top scholar looked handsome and was knowledgeable in everything, except for his complete ignorance of musical instruments! The music he played was excruciating to the ears! The crowd couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

With his face flushed red, Pei Wendong was finally told by a maidservant that they would let him off the hook.

The scholarly relatives of Princess Anping’s family no longer persisted. Pei Wendong couldn’t play the zither, but he had publicly performed, embarrassing himself; to trouble him further would seem excessive and leave him with hard feelings.

Pei Wendong was not upset, though; he truly did not understand the zither. He could manage to play a flute decently, but embarrassment did not concern him, especially after learning of the uproarious bridal chamber pranks involving his elder sister.

The auspicious time arrived, and Princely Heir Xiao He carried his sister to the bridal sedan.

Happy clutched the four silver ingots, laughing so hard that only his eyebrows were visible, bragging to his father, "I demanded four before stepping out of the sedan. When we get home, I’ll share one with each of my sisters—Jiujiu, Xixi, and Yun Yun!"

Zhao Xiaochen laughed heartily and gave his son a kiss, "Our Happy knows to be close with his sisters! What a good son!"

The wedding procession scattered flowers along the way, circling the inner city, and returned to Pei Residence.

Although there had been several weddings in the family before, they were all daughters marrying out. Today, the true lady of Pei Residence was finally brought into the home, prompting many reflections from both Pei Qin and Pei Yuan.

Even Pei Qian’s eyes were slightly red.

Only the ancestral tablet of Lady Fang was on the high hall.

Pei Wendong wanted his elder sister to sit in the high hall to accept the formal bows, but Pei Qin didn’t agree, "Just offer me a cup of tea later!"

They paid respects to the ancestral hall, the couple bowed to each other, and were sent into the bridal chamber.