Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 301 Worship
General Pei, dressed in a red wedding gown, rode a magnificent warhorse to greet her husband.

According to custom, a son-in-law entering the family home, just like a bride, must ride in a bridal sedan chair and step over a fire basin. In the military camp, however, there's no need for so many elaborate rituals; all the complicated ceremonies are simplified. The groom, dressed in a red wedding robe and pulling a red ribbon, comes out cheerfully, mounts his horse, circles around once, and then proceeds to the wedding ceremony.

The head steward, dressed in red, was extremely handsome with bright eyes and radiant features.

General Pei couldn't help but watch for a while.

The chief steward returned the gaze with burning intensity. The general, who usually wore a drab military uniform, was now dressed in a dazzling and festive red robe. He was already radiant and dazzling without any need for makeup.

The crowd made a noisy commotion, exchanging glances and winks. On this joyous day, no one respected the general anymore; some even dared to start a ruckus in the bridal chamber!

Pei Qinghe's heart fluttered. She pulled the red silk to the horse's side, and after Shi Yan mounted the horse, she nimbly and gracefully flipped herself onto the horse, sitting right in front of Shi Yan.

Shi Yan felt hotter and hotter, and subconsciously hugged Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe turned her head and smiled at Shi Yan.

The onlookers burst into laughter and cheers at the exciting scene.

Pei Qinghe smiled sweetly and gently kicked the horse's flank. The sturdy steed strode forward. The cool autumn breeze could not dispel the flame in Shi Yan's heart. His heart and eyes were filled only with his beloved general before him.

"Look! The General and Chief Steward Shi are coming!"

"What a perfect couple!"

The dashing general and the handsome and gentle steward, dressed in bright red wedding attire, stood side by side, a sight both dazzling and pleasing to the eye.

Sitting at the head of the wedding hall, Madam Feng waited with a beaming smile. Today was Pei Qinghe's wedding day, and as her own mother, she naturally took the seat of honor.

Pei Yun and Pei Yan were also getting married today. Three wedding halls were set up in total. The auspicious time for the wedding ceremony was predetermined; Pei Yun, being the eldest, was the first to perform the ceremony, followed by Pei Qinghe, and finally Pei Yan. Since all the wedding halls were located in one place, everyone could take turns witnessing the ceremony, making it a very lively occasion.

Pei Qinghe and Shi Yan arrived hand in hand and, under the guidance of the matchmaker, performed the wedding ceremony. First, they bowed to Heaven and Earth, then to their parents, and finally, the couple bowed to each other.

After the three bows, the ceremony was completed, and the newlyweds were escorted into the bridal chamber.

Pei Zhi led the way, bringing in Pei Xuan, Pei Feng, and their cousins, and called Shi Yan "brother-in-law."

Shi Yan's lips hadn't fallen out of his mouth all day; his handsome face was practically split open with laughter. He readily responded to anyone who called him. He was also very accommodating and indulgent towards his younger cousins' mischievous requests.

After causing a ruckus, everyone went to make a scene at Pei Yun and Pei Yan's place.

Pei Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief: "They're all finally gone. They gave me a headache. There's a wedding banquet later, and weddings are such a hassle!"

Shi Yan chuckled: "What trouble is this? The wedding ceremony has been reduced by more than half, it's as simple as it gets."

Pei Qinghe's dark eyes sparkled with a smile: "Anyway, once in a lifetime is enough to deal with something this troublesome."

Shi Yan's face flushed with joy, her eyes blazing with intense passion, and she couldn't help but move closer.

Noisy footsteps sounded outside the bridal chamber, and Yang Hu and Song Dalang's unrestrained laughter reached their ears: "Great news for the general's wedding! We've come to join the fun!"

The new house wasn't big; it could only comfortably accommodate eight or nine people at most. Previously, Pei Zhi had led the way, bringing the Pei family's young men and women to make a ruckus at the new house. Now it was their turn.

Shi Yan reacted quickly and immediately sat up straight.

Pei Qinghe chuckled softly.

Yang Hu, Song Dalang, and the others squeezed into the bridal chamber, their original plans for various mischievous antics quickly fading upon meeting Pei Qinghe and Shi Yan's smiling faces. Their reverence for Pei Qinghe was ingrained. And they couldn't afford to offend Steward Shi, who was in charge of finances. Yang Hu thus deliberately omitted many of the usual bridal chamber antics.

Song Dalang didn't care about any of that; he was just there for the fun of it. In a few years, his younger sister, Song Xue, would marry into the Pei family. So, they'd all be family!
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside, the sound completely drowning out the noise inside the bridal chamber.

Pei Qinghe had sharp hearing and recognized a familiar voice. She was both annoyed and amused: "On this joyous wedding day, what's Pei Yan doing causing such a fuss?"

Isn't that Pei Yan?
Pei Qinghe and Pei Yun both indulged their younger cousins' antics, but Pei Yan couldn't contain herself at all. Finding Pei Zhi and the others too unruly, she dragged out Pei Zhi, the ringleader. Pei Zhi glared angrily, "Hey, hey, hey, you're getting married today, you're the bride. Are you going to try and fight me?"

Pei Yan glanced at Pei Zhi and mocked her infuriatingly, "With your skills, I could beat you to a pulp in one move."

That's right! I'm always being bullied, so I thought I'd take advantage of this great opportunity to get back at them a little. Who would have thought that Pei Yan would be so uncivilized, not even having a peaceful day like this?

Pei Xuan was much more cunning. She gave Pei Feng a wink, and the two of them quietly moved back.

Pei Zhi glared at them angrily: "Pei Xuan and Pei Feng, it was all your bad ideas, and now you still have the nerve to run away. Come here quickly and take Pei Yan back to the bridal chamber."

Pei Xuan slipped away even faster.

Pei Feng, lacking thick skin, felt a pang of conscience as he slipped away: "Pei Xuan, isn't it incredibly disloyal of us to just run away like this?"

"You want to go back and get beaten up by your cousin Pei Yan?"

"Of course I don't want to."

"That's settled then. Let's go, let's go!"

Pei Qinghe came out, both amused and exasperated: "Pei Yan, stop fooling around! It's customary to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber on a wedding day. There's no reason to beat someone up on such a joyous occasion."

Pei Yan reluctantly let go.

Pei Zhi immediately rushed to Pei Qinghe's side, and touched, she grabbed Pei Qinghe's sleeve: "My cousin Qinghe still loves me the most."

Pei Qinghe smiled at Pei Zhiyou: "There will be a day when you get married. When everyone makes a fuss in the bridal chamber, you'll have to put up with it."

Pei Zhi: "..."

Everyone burst into laughter at Pei Zhi's discomfitured face.

The celebration became even more lively after the banquet began. Those who were eligible to sit down were all leaders from various military units, and the dozen or so tables were fully occupied.

Braised pork belly, roasted mutton, stewed horse meat, and many other game dishes. The table was laden with meat, and exceptionally, each table also had a jar of fine wine.

Everyone's appetite was whetted, and they drank and ate meat, laughing and making a ruckus.

The soldiers in the camp received an extra meal today, each with a bowl of meat and half a bowl of wine. On its own, it might not seem like much, but considering there are over ten thousand soldiers in the camp, the amount of meat and wine needed to be prepared for each person was enormous. The fact that it could be prepared in just ten days is all thanks to Chief Steward Shi.

Pei Qinghe also drank three glasses of wine tonight.

She excelled at everything, her only weakness being her low alcohol tolerance. After just three sips, her face flushed, and her dark eyes shone brightly.

Actually, the wine bowl was much larger than usual. Pei Qinghe appeared sober, but was actually quite drunk.

(End of this chapter)