The pain from the palm of his hand shot through his central nervous system,
and he was in such pain that his spirits cleared, but the picture in front of
him did not change at all.
Due to the pain, his eyes even turned chilly for a moment, making the
eunuch in front of him shiver in fright.
…He did seem to have somehow become a man from ancient times.
This man should be a royalty in the last years of the Jing Dynasty. As for
the rest…he didn't know anything.
Oh, he knew one more thing.
This person was marrying a concubine today. But because he had now
become him, the concubine, too, had become his.
That was all the information he got. The eunuch in front of him was still all
smiles while standing here with a bow, waiting for him to go into the
nuptial chamber.
Jiang Suizhou's head was on the verge of exploding.
…What was this all about?!
He was frantic deep inside, but none of it showed on his face.
The eunuch seemed a little anxious, and his smile turned somewhat bitter.
He lowered his voice, and his tone grew painstakingly persuasive.
"Master, this servant knows you're unwilling, but it is the Emperor's decree
after all…" He advised, "Even if you don't like it, just go through the
motions! That person…I heard that his martial arts have been abolished
earlier on, and he is now a cripple. It's very safe, so you don't have to
worry."
…Someone's martial arts was abolished, and he became crippled?
Jian Suizhou's eyes showed bafflement.
Was this a game of power play?
He alone knew that at the end of the Jing dynasty, the dynasty was rotten,
and the emperor was muddleheaded. In particular, Emperor Jingyou, the last
emperor of Jing, was notoriously absurd and fatuous, a self-indulgent ruler.
History recorded that he was obsessed with beauty and treated imperial
affairs as child's play. He was especially partial to his relatives and allowed
his uncle Pang Shao to run amok.
However, the Jing Dynasty had only a few heirs. By the time Emperor
Jingyou came into power, most of the royal children of the same generation
had died prematurely, leaving only Jingwang, an invalid who died in the
prime of his youth.
Because of this, the Jing Dynasty fled south for a few years before it was
wiped out by the rising Liang Dynasty.
But now…it seemed that he was also a part of this chaotic and despotic
court.
Jiang Suizhou had a bitter taste in his mouth.
What evil deed did he commit that made him go from being a corporate
with a comfortable life to being a noble aristocrat of a doomed dynasty?
Was it because he had just scolded his student a little too hard?
How was that possible?
Just then, there was a call from outside.
"Qianshan-gongong1
, the bridal palanquin has already been carried into
Yincui Pavilion," informed a maid.
The eunuch gritted his teeth and raised his voice, "What's the hurry!"
The maid immediately shut her mouth.
The eunuch turned his head and looked earnestly at Jiang Suizhou again, his
eyes full of pleading.
Jiang Suizhou knew that in this situation, he was bound to face the nuptial
chamber, and he'd die either way. But since the lady married him against
her wishes and was also disabled, he thought he could easily muddle
through today's wedding night.
As for the rest…
Wait until he survived today first, and then he could slowly figure out his
identity and situation before making plans.
He mumbled a faint hum and stood up.
The eunuch's eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out to help him.
Jiang Suizhou was unaccustomed to being served. He didn't know if it was
an illusion, but when he stood up, he felt weak, tired, and a little dizzy.
He could only let the eunuch support him.
He stepped off the platform. Next to him was a floor-to-ceiling western
mirror. Jiang Suizhou glanced at it sideways and saw his reflection in the
mirror.
…He actually looked exactly the same as himself, but looked two or three
years younger. He appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five.
His students had previously complimented him on his good looks and said
he looked like a villain. Jiang Suizhou originally denied it, but looking at
the person in the mirror now, Jiang Suizhou agreed…
He didn't look like a good person.
He was already beautifully cold and appeared extremely heartless to begin
with. Along with his long hair and wide sleeves, he looked even more
exquisite and far removed from the masses. His eyes, in particular, were
inherently cold. A faint glance at people could freeze their hearts.
Jiang Suizhou retracted his gaze, and out of the corner of his eye, he found
a small vermillion dot adorning the tip of his upper left eyelid.
This mole was something he didn't have originally.
However, before he could take a closer look, the eunuch led him past the
mirror and towards the door.
Someone was waiting outside with a thin cloak ready in his hand. Seeing
Jiang Suizhou approaching, that person skillfully wrapped the cloak around
him.
Jiang Suizhou was puzzled and frowned.
He was already dressed thicker than the people around him, so why did he
wrap him in another layer?
The eunuch next to him keenly sensed his expression and immediately
clarified kindly, "It's windy at night. Your Highness can't bear it, so it's
better to wear one more."
…Your Highness?
Before Jiang Suizhou came back to his senses, he was led down the steps
and onto the palanquin stationed in front of the room.
Once out of the room, he felt it. The wind was supposed to be warm, but it
felt cold when it blew on him. This was different from being sick. It was
more like being congenitally deficient and having a low immunity.
Combined with the eunuch's "Highness" address just now, Jiang Suizhou's
heart felt anything but reassured.
At the end of the Jing Dynasty, there was only one invalid who was called
"Highness."
It was His Royal Highness Jingwang, whose name had been erased from the
history books. He was said to be congenitally deficient, and he died early
due to illness.
When the palanquin was lifted, Jiang Suizhou felt a little dizzy.
In accordance with the course of history, he would live for three to five
more years at most and die of illness.
Even if he didn't die of illness, the Northern Liang would exterminate Great
Jing, and he would not be kept as a remnant of the previous dynasty.
Jiang Suizhou's gaze was empty. He slowly leaned back in his chair.
Anyone who suddenly realized that he only had a few years to live wouldn't
be ecstatic.
After calming down, he turned his head, looked at the eunuch beside the
palanquin, and decided to confirm with him again.
What did he call him just now?
"Qianshan," he called.
But to his surprise, upon hearing his call, the eunuch beside him raised his
head in disbelief and looked at him blankly.
Jiang Suizhou's heart thumped.
From his reaction, he knew that he must have called him wrong.
In ancient times, those who served nobles were always sensitive and sharp-
minded. Having committed such a huge gaffe the moment he came, he was
afraid…
However, before he could finish his worries, a flattered look surfaced on the
eunuch's face, to the point where he was at a loss what to do.
"Your Highness, please give your command!" His eyes glowed, like a dog
wagging its tail and spreading its joy. "You-you should still call this servant,
Meng Qianshan…"
Jiang Suizhou: "…"
All right, he was overthinking. This personal attendant of Jingwang's didn't
seem to be too bright.
He averted his eyes, hummed, and asked with an air of calmness, "How
long has it been since she was carried to Jingwang's residence?"
Meng Qianshan didn't hear any of the probing in his words. He just thought
that the Prince was worried about delaying the auspicious time, and told
him honestly, "Your Highness, don't worry. Madam Huo has just arrived.
You will arrive just in time."
He didn't refute the phrase "Jingwang's residence," so Jiang Suizhou was
sure.
He has indeed become the short-lived ghost who wasn't penned much in the
history books.
Wait…
He frowned.
Madam Huo?
This new concubine was surnamed Huo?
Although he knew that unofficial history was nothing but nonsense, he
couldn't help but think of what was on that student's paper.
He was crippled and was married into King Jing's mansion, plus his
surname was Huo…
This new concubine—why did she sound so much like the General Huo of
the history books?
However, Jiang Suizhou immediately shook away this thought.
What was he thinking? Even TV dramas wouldn't dare to play the plot of
that unofficial history like this. It was a fabricated vulgar gibberish to please
the public at a glance. It must not be true.
—
Jiang Suizhou confirmed the theory in his mind, and shut his mouth. But
Meng Qianshan, who was next to him, chattered on and on with him the
whole way.
Jiang Suizhou gradually realized that this servant, who had little brains,
must have been usually left out in the cold. Today, he mistakenly treated
him graciously, and he began to revel in it.
It was good that he was silly.
Listening to him rambling, Jiang Suizhou's originally heavy heart eased a
little, and between the lines, he grasped a general idea of the situation in the
mansion.
Since I'm already here, I should take one step and look around before
taking another, he sighed inwardly.
The palanquin trip lasted for about a quarter of an hour before stopping in
front of a courtyard.
A red lantern was hung at the entrance of the courtyard, and under the light,
there was firecracker debris all over the place.
Through the courtyard door, a palanquin could be seen parked in front of
the main house. Many servants were waiting in front of the gate, and when
they saw Jiang Suizhou coming, they knelt and bowed.
Jiang Suizhou was not quite used to the sight of people worshipping him, so
he raised his hand and let them all rise.
An old granny who looked to be the matchmaker2
stepped forward in
welcome and smilingly said to Jiang Suizhou, "Congratulations, Your
Highness. The lady is already waiting in the room, just waiting for you to
lift her veil."
Jiang Suizhou responded.
He knew the customs of Jing Dynasty. The ceremony of taking a concubine
was much simpler than taking a wife. The moment the bridal sedan chair
was carried into the house through the side door, the husband would lift her
veil and drink the nuptial wine, and then it was done.
He nodded and walked past the crowd to the main house.
His pace was smooth and slow, and his clothes fluttered as he walked. He
gave off a cold and calm atmosphere with quite a superior bearing.
Only Jiang Suizhou knew how panicked he was at this moment.
After all, he transmigrated into the Jing dynasty in a daze, becoming an
invalid who would die soon. At present, he also had to go to the nuptial
chamber and face the poor lady who was forced to marry Jingwang.
She was pitiful, but he was not much better.
With this in mind, he climbed up the steps at a seemingly smooth but heavy
pace and pushed the door open.
Inside the door, the red canopy fluttered, and the wedding candles flickered.
The maids on either side smiled radiantly and bowed to him as they
chorused their congratulations.
Someone guided him into the inner room.
In the midst of a charming scene, he saw the man sitting upright in the
chamber.
He was dressed in layers upon layers of red, his head topped with a veil
embroidered with a phoenix and affixed with an ornament. He was sitting
upright in a wheelchair, with his shoulders straight, like an unbreakable
spear.
Yes, a spear.
This man was tall, had broad shoulders, and a pair of long legs that hardly
fit in the wheelchair. He was, unmistakably, a man!
A man. A disabled man. A man who married Jingwang.
…This "Madam Huo" that I married, don't tell me he's Huo Wujiu!
Jiang Suizhou stopped in his tracks.
His gaze fell on the hands that the person placed on his knees.
The bones of his fingers were distinct, with bulging veins on the back of his
hands. Although they were only quietly resting on his knee, they exuded a
murderous aura, as if they could snap a person's neck at any time.
For some reason, Jiang Suizhou recalled a fragment from his student's
paper.
"…After Huo Wujiu, Marquis of Dingbei, was captured, the Hou Zhu of
Southern Jing damaged his meridians, maimed his legs, and married him to Jingwang, who was known for his identity as a cutsleeve, to humiliate him.
He endured humiliation in Jingwang's residence for three years and then
managed to escape back to Northern Liang to heal his legs.
After that, in order to avenge those days, he personally beheaded Jingwang
after he wiped out the Jing Dynasty and hung his head on the city gates for
three years.
It was for this reason that Jingwang was not mentioned in historical records.
Even his name was erased."
Jiang Suizhou's hands shook a little.
If he was Huo Wujiu…if he was indeed Huo Wujiu….
Then three years later, the one who Huo Wujiu would behead wouldn't be
that Jingwang, but him, Jiang Suizhou.
He stared at the man in the wedding dress in front of him, trying to find any
trace from him to prove that he was not a man.
But, nothing.
Jiang Suizhou's mind went blank.
"Your Highness? Your Highness!"
Meng Qianshan, who was following, saw him stop in place with a cold
expression. He couldn't tell what he was thinking, so he quickly whispered
to nudge him.
Jiang Suizhou turned his head sideways.
He saw Meng Qianshan standing beside him, carefully whispering, "It's
time to lift the veil."
Right, lift the veil.
Before seeing the face, who could guarantee that he was Huo Wujiu?
Jiang Suizhou walked forward, comforting himself inwardly while forcing
himself to calmly stretch out his hand and uncover the flimsy veil.
The red candles flickered.
In the midst of the gorgeous red, he met a pair of intense black and
ruthlessly cold eyes.
Footnotes:
1. The form of address for eunuchs in ancient China
2. In the past, old grannies were in charge of the wedding ceremony.