Chương 256: Wedding Ceremony

At exactly 7: 00 AM, the gates of the Prince of Yan's residence opened.

Liu Ce, dressed in a royal robe embroidered with golden dragons, wearing a seven-tassel crown and the golden seal of the King of Yan at his waist, rode out slowly on his black horse.

Behind him, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, and other civil and military officials surrounded him, followed by the royal guards, riding in a royal carriage with red wheels and a blue canopy, with banners waving and drums and music playing.

The Longxiang Camp's personal guards led the way, musicians played "Deer Cry" and "Guanju," and the banners of the King of Yan and the Governor of Youzhou fluttered in the wind.

The wedding procession stretched as far as the eye could see, from the Prince of Yan's residence all the way to the Cai residence, with crowds of people thronging the route.

"Look! Prince Yan is here!"

"My goodness! What a grand display! How impressive!"

"Ten bridal sedan chairs! I heard that His Highness the Prince of Yan is marrying ten women today!"

"Ten? My goodness! His Highness the Prince of Yan is in excellent health..."

The children chased after the wedding car, shouting:

"Look at the bride!"

"His Highness the Prince of Yan is getting married!"

Liu Ce, riding on his horse, smiled broadly and waved frequently to the people.

This was even more grand than when he was conferred the title of king in Luoyang!

When they arrived at the Cai residence, the entrance was already crowded with people.

Liu Ce dismounted, straightened his clothes, and strode inside.

As soon as he arrived at the door, he was stopped by a group of maids—something Liu Ce had inadvertently mentioned when he was chatting with Cai Yan and the others.

"Your Highness, please wait!" The head maidservant said with a grin, hands on her hips.

"If you want to pick up the bride, you'll have to give her a red envelope first!"

"Your Highness! If you want to take the bride, you'll have to get past us first!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Give me the red envelope!"

The maids chattered and laughed.

Liu Ce was prepared, and waved his hand, saying:

"Someone, bring him up!"

Two guards carried over a large basket of copper coins.

Liu Ce grabbed a handful and threw it into the air:

"Time to grab red envelopes!"

"Splash..."

The copper coins fell to the ground, making a clinking sound.

The maids cried out "Oh dear!" and, forgetting all about blocking the door, quickly squatted down to grab the money.

The children who were watching the commotion rushed over to grab it.

The scene became chaotic at one point.

Liu Ce took the opportunity to slip inside.

In the main hall of the Cai residence, Cai Yong sat in the main seat, looking at Liu Ce who had just entered, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law," Liu Ce said, bowing.

Cai Yong nodded and said, "Bo Lue, I'm entrusting Yan'er to you. You must treat her well."

"Don't worry, father-in-law, I will cherish her for the rest of my life."

After saying that, Liu Ce walked towards the backyard.

Just as they reached the Moon Gate, they were stopped again—this time by several old women from the Cai family.

"Your Highness, the bride can't be taken away so easily," an old nanny said with a smile.

"She has to answer the questions correctly first."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ce smiled and said, "Please ask, Granny."

The old nanny cleared her throat and asked, "How many brides will the Prince be marrying today?"

"Ten."

"Ten brides, how will the prince treat them in the future?"

Treat everyone equally; they are all dear to my heart.

"If they have a conflict, whose side will the prince take?"

"Follow reason, not personal ties, but try to help them get along peacefully."

After answering a few questions, the maids were satisfied and made way for him.

Liu Ce finally entered the backyard.

In the side room, Cai Yan, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, with her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with gold and jade hairpins, and covered with a red veil, sat dignifiedly by the bed.

Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Zou Yu, and Du Xiuniang, dressed in slightly less luxurious wedding gowns, stood on either side, all with their heads covered by veils.

Upon hearing footsteps, their bodies trembled slightly.

Liu Ce walked up to Cai Yan, reached out, and gently lifted a corner of her veil.

Cai Yan's beautiful face was revealed.

She wore makeup today; her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, her lips were red, and her teeth were white—she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Liu Ce stared in disbelief for a moment.

"Yan'er..." he called softly.

Cai Yan looked up at him, then shyly lowered her head again:

"My husband..."

Her voice was soft, like a kitten scratching at my heart.

Liu Ce took her hand and said, "Yan'er, I've come to pick you up."

Cai Yan's hand trembled slightly as she softly replied, "Mm."

Liu Ce then shook hands with the other four people one by one: "Ning'er, Hongchang, Yu'er, Xiuniang, come with me."

"Yes, my husband," the four voices replied in unison.

He had the maids help the brides up and escort them one by one to the wedding car.

Cai Yan rode in the main car, while Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Zou Yu, and Du Xiuniang rode in the secondary cars.

After picking up the young lady from the Cai family, the procession proceeded in a grand procession to the Zhen family residence.

As soon as the wedding procession arrived, firecrackers went off and drums and gongs resounded.

Liu Ce dismounted and bowed, saying, "Father-in-law."

Zhen Yi grinned from ear to ear and said, "Bo Lue is here? Come in, come in!"

Another set of door-blocking rituals—this time it was the Zhen family's maids, who still demanded red envelopes.

Liu Ce scattered another basket of copper coins.

The five Zhen sisters had been waiting impatiently, and upon hearing the music outside, they became restless.

Upon entering the mansion, the five Zhen sisters, their heads covered with veils, were already waiting in the main hall.

Liu Ce lifted each veil and looked at them one by one...

Zhen Jiang is dignified, Zhen Tuo is gentle, Zhen Dao is lively, Zhen Rong is beautiful, and Zhen Mi is charming.

They were all beauties.

He smiled as he saw them off one by one into the wedding car.

Five wedding cars, plus four from the Cai family, plus Cai Yan's main car, making a total of ten wedding cars!

"Back to the manor!!!"

Liu Ce mounted his horse and rode at the front.

Behind them were ten large red sedan chairs, followed by civil and military officials, royal guards, musicians, and personal soldiers... The procession stretched for miles, completely blocking the main street of Zhuoxian County.

Liu Ce, riding on his horse, waved to the people frequently, his manner resembling that of a modern celebrity walking the red carpet.

This is even more spectacular.

Ten wedding cars were lined up in a row, each pulled by four white horses and decorated with red silk and colorful lights.

The imperial guards of the Longxiang Battalion stood guard on both sides, musicians played music, and the people cheered.

The three-mile-long street from the Zhen residence to the Yan Prince's residence was packed with people.

The children chased after the convoy, while the adults craned their necks to watch, whispering amongst themselves:

"My goodness, ten wedding cars! The Prince of Yan is really marrying ten at once!"

"I heard they're all great beauties! Miss Cai, the five Zhen sisters, and..."

"The Prince of Yan is truly blessed!"

"That's what you call a winner in life!"

The cheers of the people along the way never stopped:

"May the Prince of Yan be blessed! May the Princess be blessed!"

"Perfect in every way! May you live a long and happy life together!"

May you have a son soon! Many children bring many blessings!

As Liu Ce rode on his black horse, listening to these discussions, his mouth stretched almost to his ears in a wide grin.

Yes, I'm a winner in life!

You disagree? Keep it to yourself!

Upon arriving at the Prince of Yan's residence, the scene became even more grand.

The main gate of the Prince's Mansion was adorned with colorful lanterns and red silk, and a red carpet was laid from the entrance to the main hall.

The officials and maids lined up on both sides to greet him.

Musicians played music, and firecrackers went off in unison, the "crackling" sound making our ears ring.

Liu Ce dismounted and helped each bride out of the carriage.

Ten brides, dressed in ten sets of bright red wedding gowns and covered with red veils, slowly walked into the palace with the help of their maids.

The scene was... indescribably spectacular.

Then, the wedding officially began.

In the front hall, red candles burned brightly, and the hall was filled with guests.

All the civil and military officials from Youzhou came, along with officials from nearby counties... the place was packed with people.