Cui Shiyuan frowned upon hearing this and said, "Monks have always valued the virtue of life; the Pagoda Courtyard is ultimately just a lifeless pile of bricks and stones. Why does the Abbot want to destroy this vibrant garden to build a Pagoda Courtyard?"
"Amitabha Buddha," the Abbot said, fingering the Buddha beads, "To rescue the world and its people, a Buddhist temple is necessary. Once the Pagoda Courtyard is established, it can convert more believers. As for the fate of these peonies..."
Seeing the other party still in doubt, the Abbot smiled and said, "Don't you feel that this is precisely the good karma of the Buddhist path? If it weren't for the compassionate guidance of Buddha leading you here to form this bond, how could this old monk bear to destroy these soulful flowers to build a Pagoda Courtyard?"
"What does the Abbot mean by this?"
"A healer's benevolence is to help the world, and just as there are great doctors who heal people, there should be masters who heal flowers. If you are willing to take in these peonies, you could fulfill the temple's expansion desires and keep the flowers unharmed..."
Huh? After listening to this, Cui Shiyuan was ready to debate with the monk for three days and nights, but he swallowed his words abruptly.
This seems viable as well.
Thus, Cui Shiyuan carefully tended to those peonies and moved them all back to his home.
Decades passed, and one day, Cui Shiyuan suddenly had a dream where several women claimed to be from the Flower Kingdom, and they all acknowledged Cui Shiyuan as their brother.
One of them, with a clear and proud look, informed Cui Shiyuan that his life was nearing its end and advised him to plan early. If there were any unfulfilled wishes, they, as his sisters, were willing to help with all their might.
At that time, Cui Shiyuan had just taken on the job of decorating the streets with flowers for the Gu family's daughter's wedding, so he said, "I have no other wishes, except for one. In the early Peony Calamity at Cizhao Temple, I had a dispute to protect a patch of peonies, but was spared thanks to Lady Gu's help...
"And today, as her granddaughter gets married, I wish to use a secret family method to make all the flowers bloom as a congratulations, to repay the kindness of those past events."
The leading woman seemed slightly taken aback by this.
"This matter is not difficult; you, Brother, can first consolidate all the flower pots and plants and entrust them to reliable people. Just remember to return them according to the layout after the auspicious time has passed, and do not mix up the host's plants."
As the dream was about to end, the visitors from the Flower Kingdom all bid their farewells. Cui Shiyuan wanted to keep them, but realized that these women were like withered flowers from past seasons, unable to linger even with his calls.
The cool and proud-looking leader was the last to leave; at this moment, Cui Shiyuan was between dreaming and waking, and in his haste, he only managed to ask one question—
"May I ask your name, madam?"
"I am from the Wei family, residing under the western wall of the Garden."
Cui Shiyuan wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by the sound of a rooster crowing outside the window. As he got up, he could no longer see even the shadow of a woman!
"Was it a dream, a ghost, or a human?"
Cui Shiyuan was puzzled and unsure, his thoughts already wandering off somewhere unclear.
He slipped on his shoes and pushed open the door to look at the sky, realizing it was already dawn.
Cui Shiyuan had no mood for sleep; he followed the bamboo path, strolling along the fence, and when he reached a garden enclosed by a fence at the corner of the western wall, he suddenly stopped.
There, in the garden, a purple peony had quietly blossomed.
...
On the road paved with scarlet silk, flowers clustered on either side.
The fragrance of dewdrop-adorned daffodils and cloud orchids was captivating, but among them, the national beauty and fragrance of the peony flowers stood out the most.
The peonies, which in the past refused to bloom out of season despite the Empress's orders, were in full bloom today. This scene was indeed remarkable: Strong power can't bend the unyielding spirit; true intentions invite resplendent fragrance.
...
Outside the embroidered building.
The fragrant carriages passing by crushed the brocade everywhere.
In the distance, a noble young master, clad in golden and red garments, rode a horse towards them.
Xu Qing watched Shang Shaoyang's flamboyant demeanor, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
This outfit looked somewhat familiar.
The street was crowded, making it difficult for most people to squeeze to the front for a better view! However, Xu Qing, with his strength and disregard for others, managed to push his way to the very front.
Xuan Yu, for the first time in close proximity to so many strangers, felt somewhat uneasy and clung to Xu Qing's sleeve, not daring to stray far.
When Shang Shaoyang dismounted from his tall horse, wearing the groom's attire as he walked towards the embroidered building, many young ladies and wives expressed envy.
Why could such a wealthy, handsome, and powerful young master not come to marry them...
Upon hearing the crowd praise the groom's attire and demeanor, Xuan Yu instinctively looked over.
Seeing Shang Shaoyang's attire, Xuan Yu did not find it particularly beautiful.
In its eyes, Shang Shaoyang, standing before Xu Immortal Family in a phoenix crown and wedding robe, was no different than a roadside weed compared to a peony, incomparable.
Underneath the embroidered building, Shang Shaoyang let out a big sneeze.
To the outside world, no one knew that Young Master Shang actually had hay fever, in other words, he was allergic to pollen.
However, because Miss Gu loved flowers since childhood, Shang Shaoyang never spoke of this ailment.
In this day of great joy, even hay fever seemed inconsequential.
"Achoo—"
While wiping his nose, Shang Shaoyang inadvertently noticed a familiar figure standing next to a row of peonies.
"Brother Xu!"
As the bride was about to engage in traditional wedding interaction, the groom, however, cheerfully ran to the side to greet a young man.
From the embroidered building, Miss Gu, looking through the bead curtain, spat playfully upon seeing the clueless Shang Shaoyang below.
When she saw Xu Qing with the young girl beside him moving away disdainfully, and Shang Shaoyang thick-skinned approaching them, Miss Gu couldn't help but chuckle.
Below the embroidered building, Xu Qing said irritably:
"Go and have your wedding, what's the point of coming to see me? Have you forgotten my old profession?"
Shang Shaoyang enthusiastically said, "That's what only ordinary people care about. On the contrary, Brother Xu, you came all this way to attend the ceremony. If I didn't come to meet you just because of this, wouldn't I be looked down upon!"
"Bai Fang! Quick, bring an invitation card!"
"No, bring two!"
Shang Shaoyang glanced at the cool and serene young girl beside Xu Qing and winked, "This is..."
"My younger sister."
"Really? I thought she was Brother Xu's child bride, hahaha!"
"..."
This second-generation heir talks with no filter.
If not for the fact that today was such an important day for him, Xu Qing would have certainly given him a piece of his mind.
"Here is a Qi Absorption and Clearing Pill, it should alleviate your pollen allergy, take it with you!"
Xu Qing took out an elixir pill from his sleeve, not even bothering to look, and tossed it casually.
"Brother Xu knows me best!"
Shang Shaoyang, being carefree, trusted Xu Qing's offering and dared to consume it!
The Clearing Acupoint Pill went down in a gulp; Shang Shaoyang immediately felt refreshed, with the prior discomfort in his nose vanishing without a trace.
Watching Shang Shaoyang return to his duties as the groom, Xu Qing chuckled lightly.
Although he was talking about attending Shang's wedding feast, he hadn't made a firm decision, initially planning only to show Xuan Yu what a noble family's marriage celebration looked like.
Previously, during Xuan Yu's travels, there weren't many pleasant memories, so now that there was a rare chance to travel again, Xu Qing felt it was only right to take her along to enjoy the scenery along the way.
As for attending Shang Shaoyang's wedding banquet, it wasn't truly important.
But since they had received the invitation, perhaps going for a meal might not be a bad idea.
...
The marriage between the Shang family's legitimate son and the Gu family's most treasured daughter was not just a grand affair in Qianzhou; even the dog Emperor sitting on the throne of the current Imperial Palace, as well as the various noble families and relatives of royalty, sent congratulatory messages and gifts.
When Xu Qing arrived at the Shang family's residence, he encountered either nobles or renowned figures from the martial world.
He even spotted Xie Yunyan, the young master of the Taian Escort Agency.
Aside from that, what intrigued Xu Qing most were the brothers accompanying Miss Gu.
The Gu family only passed down a single heir per generation, but this generation surprisingly had five sons and only one daughter, who was marrying Shang Shaoyang.
Seeing those robust figures with military presence, Xu Qing could only imagine how lively Shang Shaoyang's future would be.