TPATTHU Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Bet you didn’t expect this! It’s me, your Crown Prince!

Chapter 11: Bet you didn’t expect this! It’s me, your Crown Prince!

The Shen family’s wedding caused a sensation in The Capital City.

Everyone knew that Shen Zhejiang’s reputation was terrible. If the Emperor hadn’t graciously bestowed the marriage, he probably would have remained a bachelor for life. It was just a pity for that Wang Xiuyi.

The Minister of War, Wang Shouchi, was famously doting on Wang Xiuyi. How could he bear to see her suffer?

The entire city was watching for a good laugh.

Early in the morning, Shen Zhejiang, riding a horse adorned with a red embroidered ball, led a festive wedding procession with gongs and drums to the entrance of the Minister of War’s residence.

The gate was deserted.

Another sign of their unwelcoming attitude toward Shen Zhejiang.

The Minister of War, Wang Shouchi, holding a long spear, stood guard before the gate like a stone statue, determined that anyone who wanted to marry his daughter would have to step over his dead body.

Shen Zhejiang naturally couldn’t defeat him. He dismounted and walked to the stone steps.

“The Shen family has come to welcome the bride. Please, Lord Wang, grant passage.”

The onlookers were silent, no one daring to speak.

Wang Shouchi raised his thick, dark eyebrows, coldly looking down at him, “My daughter is not someone you can marry as you please.”

Shen Zhejiang said, “It is His Majesty’s decree. How can you and I disobey?”

Moreover, the Minister of War’s loyalty to the Emperor and love for the country were well known. Disobeying the imperial decree would only result in a reputation for betraying the ruler.

Wang Shouchi’s expression slightly cracked. He shouted, “Take ten strikes from my spear!”

Just as everyone thought that a spectacle of a martial official versus a civil official was about to unfold, a figure wearing a red wedding gown suddenly rushed out of the residence like a whirlwind.

With lightning speed, she passed between Shen Zhejiang and Wang Shouchi, raising a gust of wind.

The figure used a hand to cover her red veil, lifted and dropped the curtain of the bridal sedan, and then she was inside.

Leaving behind a crowd of onlookers with their jaws dropped.

Wang Shouchi: “…”

Shen Zhejiang: “…”

The matter had come to this point.

Shen Zhejiang went along with the situation, saying, “In that case, I will pay my respects to Lord Wang another day.”

Wang Shouchi was dumbfounded, blankly watching the wedding procession move back in a grand manner.

Wait, what was going on?

Shen Zhejiang couldn’t figure it out either.

But since Wang Xiuyi was marrying him, he certainly wouldn’t mistreat her.

“He’s back, he’s back!”

Huai Wen had craned his neck waiting for a long time, finally seeing his master return. He immediately lit the firecrackers hanging in front of the door, covering his ears and running far away.

“Bang! Bang!”

The crackling sounds one after another dispelled the usual solemn atmosphere of the Shen residence, replacing it with a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Confetti flew everywhere.

Although there weren’t many guests, they were all arranged by the Emperor, so it wasn’t too lonely.

Han Zitang specially put on a new set of formal attire today, tying up his hair with a green jade hairpin, and stood in the crowd, watching the procession gradually approach from afar.

Only Shen Zhejiang was reflected in his eyes.

The matchmaker, with a wide red mouth, waved a large palm fan and said with a smile, “Please, groom, carry the bride over the fire basin and into the house!”

“Cough, cough!”

Shen Zhejiang was choked by the thick white smoke and coughed violently. Enduring the discomfort, he got off his horse.

Lifting the curtain of the bridal sedan, he extended his palm towards the person sitting inside.

“Wang Xiuyi.”

The bride didn’t know what she was thinking, and didn’t reach out for a long time.

Shen Zhejiang knew her difficulty, saying, “If Wang Xiuyi wants to change her mind now, there is still room to turn back.”

He retracted his hand slightly, but it was chased by the other party, who firmly grasped his fingertips, even stroking them with affection.

“!!”

Shen Zhejiang felt as if he had been pricked by a needle, an electric current running from his spine to the top of his head in an instant, buzzing all around, and he couldn’t hear any other sounds.

He was too familiar with this hand. There was a small scratch on the index finger, a remnant of an accidental injury when weaving a bamboo chair.

This wasn’t Wang Xiuyi.

But it was…

“Taifu, you’ve finally come to marry me!”

It was Xiao Zhinian.

Shen Zhejiang’s blood flowed backward, his whole body turned cold. He abruptly withdrew his hand and scolded, “Nonsense!”

Fortunately, the voice wasn’t loud, and it was too noisy around, so no one could hear.

“Please, groom, carry the bride over the fire basin and into the house!”

The matchmaker, seeing that they weren’t moving, called out loudly again.

Xiao Zhinian chuckled under the red veil, half-jokingly saying, “Taifu, the people outside don’t know that the bride in the sedan has been switched. Do you want to openly defy the imperial decree?”

Using Shen Zhejiang’s words to refute him.

He was truly caught in a dilemma.

“Forget it, forget it, I might as well do it myself.”

Before Shen Zhejiang could repent, Xiao Zhinian stepped out with embroidered shoes, directly carrying Shen Zhejiang on his back.

Shen Zhejiang exclaimed in surprise, instinctively wrapping his arms around Xiao Zhinian’s neck to avoid falling.

Just as he was about to rebuke him, he was afraid that others would recognize Xiao Zhinian’s identity, so he had to endure it.

Xiao Zhinian hooked his lips, weighed the person on his back, and whispered to Shen Zhejiang, “Taifu, you’re not that heavy. You still need to eat more meat in the future.”

Shen Zhejiang was on tenterhooks, moving his lips to his ear: “Silence.”

“Alright, alright.”

“…”

For some reason, Shen Zhejiang actually heard a tone of doting.

If it weren’t forbidden, he really wanted to give Xiao Zhinian a beating with a ruler!

The matchmaker had been doing this for so long, where had she ever seen a bride carrying the groom? Startled, she quickly blocked the way, “This, this is not in accordance with the rules…”

A chill ran down his back.

Shen Zhejiang sighed softly, “Let him be.”

Since he had spoken, the matchmaker naturally said nothing more.

Probably not even tomorrow, the news that Shen Zhejiang, the frail groom, had to be carried into the house by the bride would spread throughout The Capital City.

Anyway, it wasn’t a matter of a day or two for him to be a laughingstock. Shen Zhejiang didn’t care.

“Pass through the gate, cross the fire and smoke, may wealth and sons be added tomorrow!”

Xiao Zhinian chuckled, muttering to tease Shen Zhejiang, “Taifu will give birth to me, or will I give birth to Taifu?”

Shen Zhejiang choked, the fingers pinching Xiao Zhinian’s shoulder exerted a slight force, reminding him not to speak again.

He didn’t know if there would be wealth, but there would definitely be no sons.

Xiao Zhinian was pleased by these words, smiling brightly, steadily carrying Shen Zhejiang on his back as he stepped over the copper basin with blazing flames.

Red clothes fluttered, sleeves waved.

His intertwined with his, overlapping and difficult to distinguish, like two dazzlingly dancing butterflies lingering with each other.

“Bow to heaven and earth—”

Shen Zhejiang had no other choice. He put on a brave face and bowed with Xiao Zhinian according to the etiquette.

When he lowered his body, he saw Xiao Zhinian looking at him with a smile.

Shen Zhejiang’s heart sank. He better not cause any trouble for himself.

“Send them to the bridal chamber—”

Hearing this sentence, Shen Zhejiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this ridiculous play was finally over, and he was about to drag Xiao Zhinian away without another word.

Huai Wen clicked his tongue twice, thinking that his master was really impatient, and couldn’t wait for a moment.

Han Zitang, however, had a cold face, his palms clenched tightly.

“The Emperor has arrived—”

A sharp voice broke in.

Both Shen Zhejiang and Xiao Zhinian paused.

Xiao Zhinian’s face changed slightly. He involuntarily gripped Shen Zhejiang’s hand, panicking, “It’s over, Father Emperor hasn’t found out that I escaped, has he?”