Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 300 Happy Event (Part Two)

When family members are reunited after a long separation, they have endless things to say and countless joys to share.

Mao Hongling was very understanding and took the noisy Xiaoyu and Xiaogou out. Inside the military tent, only Pei Qinghe and the Feng mother and daughter were left, where they could talk freely.

"The marriage was a bit rushed, but it was the best way to avoid killing people." Pei Qinghe spoke frankly to Madam Feng without any pretense: "In this battle, the Pei family army suffered heavy losses, the Guangning army also suffered many casualties, and the original Liaoxi army was completely decimated."

"To outsiders, the Pei family army now occupies the entire Youzhou and is at its zenith. In reality, all of them who are still capable of fighting number less than 10,000. At this time, it is not the right time to completely break ties with the emperor, nor is it the right time to turn against the Bohai Army."

"I need to speed up the recruitment and training of soldiers. The situation in the north is chaotic, and it could descend into chaos at any time."

Madam Feng listened quietly, her eyes filled with heartache, and gently stroked Pei Qinghe's face with tenderness: "I don't understand matters of war. Whatever you want to do, just go ahead and do it. As your own mother, I will always stand behind you and always support you."

Pei Qinghe was domineering, sharp, and cold in front of others, but when she was in front of Madam Feng, she became as spoiled as a teenage girl: "I'm getting married tomorrow, Mother, don't you have any words of advice for me?"

Madam Feng thought about it carefully: "Treat Shi Yan well from now on, and don't let him down."

When a daughter gets married, a mother inevitably worries that her daughter will suffer after marriage. But when it came to Madam Feng, she had no such worries at all. Instead, she was concerned about her soon-to-be son-in-law.

Pei Qinghe chuckled, amused: "Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who would betray you."

Madam Feng gazed at her daughter and said softly, "You certainly aren't now. However, as your territory grows larger, your army expands, and your power increases, things may change when you reach the top. The current emperor is certainly not the same as the one who fled the capital in disarray a few years ago."

People's hearts are changeable.

Power and prestige are the most deceptive things in the world.

Pei Qinghe suppressed her smile and said earnestly to Madam Feng, "Mother, I can't guarantee that I will never change. But I will try my best to stay true to myself. If I ever become so carried away that I forget myself, Mother, you must scold me to wake me up."

Madam Feng laughed: "You've been intelligent and precocious since you were little. These past few years you've been leading troops, training them, and fighting battles, making all the decisions yourself. As your own mother, I can't help you with anything, I can only stay by your side. If that day ever comes, I certainly won't hold back."

"If you act like an emperor and do something foolish, I'll give you a good scolding!"

Lady Feng was extremely angry and dissatisfied with Emperor Jian'an.

If the Emperor truly had feelings for Pei Qinghe, he should have formally married her years ago and made her his Empress. Now, with a wife and children, he still dares to covet Pei Qinghe. This is not affection; he is merely a greedy, despicable, and shameless man who uses his imperial status to forcibly seize her.

This is why Pei Qinghe is capable of killing and has the means to do so. Any other woman would have already reluctantly accepted the imperial decree and been carried into the palace.

The mother and daughter talked for a long time. Exhausted from her journey, Mrs. Feng fell asleep before midnight.

Pei Qinghe closed her eyes, but found it difficult to fall asleep.

Although it was to appease Emperor Jian'an, the marriage couldn't be faked. Tomorrow, she and Shi Yan would be getting married.

Having lived two lifetimes and several decades, I've seen it all. But this is my first time getting married. It's not that I'm nervous, but my heart is pounding like a rabbit, constantly racing around and I can't find peace.

Pei Qinghe quietly got up without disturbing the sleeping Feng Shi, and quietly left the military tent.

A bright moon hung in the night sky, and the cool night breeze cleared my head considerably.

Everyone was asleep, and all was quiet. Pei Qinghe subconsciously walked towards Shi Yan's residence, and not far away, she saw a figure that was all too familiar.

Pei Qinghe smiled and stopped walking.

A familiar figure strode over and stopped three feet in front of her. At such close range, in the bright moonlight, they could clearly see each other's faces.

"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?" Pei Qinghe asked with a soft laugh. Shi Yan's eyes were full of smiles as he replied in a low voice, "I couldn't fall asleep, so I came out for a stroll and unexpectedly ran into you."

There are no coincidences. They were clearly both heading in each other's direction, which is why they bumped into each other here.

Pei Qinghe felt a surge of warmth in her heart and couldn't help but move closer to hold Shi Yan's hand.

Shi Yan took her hand in return.

Pei Qinghe practiced martial arts for many years, and her slender hands were not soft; calluses had formed on her palms. Shi Yan, on the other hand, used an abacus and pen to do accounting every day, and her hands were much softer.

The two held hands and gazed into each other's eyes under the moonlight.

"It feels like a dream," Shi Yan murmured. "Qinghe, are we really getting married?"

Pei Qinghe chuckled softly: "Actually, I was a little dazed too."

“I should thank the Emperor,” Shi Yan said with a low laugh. “If he hadn’t made such a foolish move, I might have had to wait another year or two.”

Pei Qinghe smiled and rolled her eyes at him: "Don't mention that unlucky thing."

Shi Yan chuckled: "Alright, let's not talk about that. By the way, have you tried on the wedding dress? Does it fit?"

Time was short, and there wasn't enough time to embroider an elaborate wedding dress. They could only use red silk to make the wedding gown, as a symbol of joy.

Pei Qinghe clearly didn't care about these details: "The important thing is you, everything else is irrelevant."

Shi Yan was so coaxed that all she could do was laugh, and she couldn't say anything more.

Yes, as long as I can stand beside you, nothing else matters.

A patrol of soldiers spotted their general and Chief Steward Shi from a distance. They didn't approach to disturb them, but quietly slipped away.

Pei Qinghe was incredibly perceptive; she had already caught it out of the corner of her eye and chuckled softly, "Go back to sleep! We have to get up early tomorrow."

Shi Yan hummed in agreement, but was reluctant to let go.

Pei Qinghe didn't move either.

The two chatted idly. It wasn't until the third patrol of soldiers passed by that Pei Qinghe urged again, "Let's go!"

Shi Yan reluctantly let go of his hand.

Back in her tent, Shi Yan lay on her bed, but as soon as she closed her eyes, Pei Qinghe's face kept flashing through her mind, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.

That night, two other engaged couples also tossed and turned, unable to sleep... well, not exactly. The carefree Pei Yan was already fast asleep.

On their wedding day, they had to get up before dawn to bathe and change. Pei Qinghe and Pei Yun both had faint dark circles under their eyes, while Pei Yan's complexion was so rosy it was enviable. Her messy hair was neatly combed, and without any rouge or powder, she looked very spirited in her red wedding dress.

Pei Yun clicked her tongue: "Everyone has their strengths. Pei Yan's frankness is something you and I can't compare to."

Pei Qinghe smiled knowingly.

(End of this chapter)