I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

forecourt.

When Lu Yuan found Su Bo'an, the old steward was doing accounts in the accounting room.

Hearing footsteps, Su Bo'an looked up and quickly stood up.

"Your Highness."

"Sit down, stop with the formalities."

Lu Yuan pulled up a chair and sat down. "I need to discuss something with you."

Su Bo'an sat back down. "Your Highness, please speak."

"marriage."

Lu Yuan didn't beat around the bush, "My father has bestowed a marriage upon me, ordering me to marry Su Yuling as my principal wife and Shen Hanqiu as my secondary wife. What do you think?"

Su Bo'an stopped clicking the abacus beads in his hand.

"Your Highness, this...this might not be appropriate?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"The principal wife hasn't even entered the household yet, and they're already taking in a concubine. If word gets out..."

"What if word gets out?" Lu Yuan waved his hand. "Father has given his permission, who dares to say anything?"

Su Bo'an moved his lips, but did not reply.

After a while, he said, "But Your Highness, what about the wedding? We can't possibly hold it all at once, can we?"

"Why can't we do it all at once?"

Lu Yuan tilted his head to look at him, "It's much easier to do it all at once, saving us from having to go through the hassle twice."

Su Bo'an's face scrunched up in a grimace.

"Your Highness, this is truly against the rules... the status of the principal wife and the concubines is different..."

"Rules, rules, all you know is rules."

Lu Yuan stood up and said impatiently, "That's settled then. Go and make preparations. Get the wedding done within three days."

"Three days?"

Su Bo'an nearly jumped out of his chair. "Your Highness, how can three days be enough?"

"Even if it's too late, it has to be in time."

Lu Yuan patted him on the shoulder, "You've been a senior member of my household for a long time, can't you even handle this little thing?"

Su Bo'an looked troubled.

"Your Highness, it's not that this old servant can't do it well, it's just that there's really no time..."

"No need for a big celebration."

Lu Yuan took a step back. "Shall we keep everything simple?"

Su Bo'an gritted his teeth.

"Alright, this old servant will do his best."

"It's not just about trying your best, it's about having to."

Lu Yuan mimicked Lu Cangqiong's tone, "If you don't handle this well, I'll deduct three months' salary from your pay."

Su Bo'an's face grew even more bitter.

"Your Highness, please spare this old servant..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get on with it."

Lu Yuan waved his hand, turned around and left.

Su Bo'an stood there, watching Lu Yuan walk away, and sighed.

A wedding in three days?

Isn't this going to kill me?

……

The Yongning Marquis's Residence.

When Su Tan heard that Lu Yuan was going to hold his wedding in three days, he was furious.

"Three days? Has he gone mad?"

Su Fu stood to the side and whispered, "Lord, His Highness the Ninth Prince said that if it can't be finished in three days, then five..."

"Even five days won't do!"

Leaning on his cane, Su Tan was so angry his mustache stood on end. "Yu Ling is the legitimate daughter of the Su family. How could her wedding be so hasty?"

"But... the Ninth Prince and Miss have already consummated their marriage, it's not advisable to delay, what if she gets pregnant..."

"this……"

Su Tan closed her eyes helplessly. "Fine, let's do it that way. Go and prepare the dowry."

Su Fu responded and turned to leave.

Su Tan sat back down in his chair, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

Yu Ling is finally getting married.

Although the Ninth Prince is not very reliable, he is still a prince and will not mistreat her.

Su Tan put down his teacup, his eyes a little red.

If only the fifth brother were still here.

……

The Second Prince's Mansion.

Lu Cheng was released.

He dragged his broken leg back to the mansion and went straight into the study.

Several people were sitting in the study.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in the robes of a third-rank official, with a gloomy face.

It was none other than Liu Qingyuan, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Upon seeing Lu Cheng enter, Liu Qingyuan stood up.

"Your Highness."

Lu Cheng waved his hand and sat down in the main seat.

"Lord Liu, about this matter..."

"Your Highness need not say more."

Liu Qingyuan interrupted him, "His Majesty has already issued an edict that Your Highness is confined to your quarters for six months. During these six months, all plans must be halted."

Lu Cheng gritted his teeth.

"What about Old Nine...?"

"Do not make any moves regarding His Highness the Ninth Prince for the time being."

Liu Qingyuan's voice was calm, "Your Highness's most important task now is to recover from your injuries and wait for the opportunity to be released from confinement."

Lu Cheng fell silent.

After a while, he spoke up: "Lord Liu, do you think that Ninth Brother really had some kind of extraordinary encounter?"

Liu Qingyuan's eyes flickered.

"What does Your Highness mean?"

Lu Cheng said unwillingly, "How could that good-for-nothing Lao Jiu possibly have come up with things like horseshoes and stirrups?"

Liu Qingyuan pondered for a moment.

"Your Highness, regardless of whether the Ninth Prince truly had a miraculous encounter, the most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation."

Lu Cheng narrowed his eyes.

"You mean...?"

"Wait," Liu Qingyuan said simply. "We'll make our move when the Ninth Prince shows a weakness."

Lu Cheng nodded.

"Then let's do as you say. By the way, please have Ruyan come to see me. I miss her terribly."

……

The Ninth Prince's residence, backyard.

Lu Yuan lay on the couch, legs crossed, holding a storybook in his hand.

Su Yuling sat to the side, wiping a long knife.

The blade was gleaming, reflecting the light of the candlelight.

Lu Yuan glanced at her.

"Don't you get tired of cleaning this knife every day?"

"I don't mind."

Su Yuling didn't even look up. "This knife was left to me by my fifth brother. I have to take good care of it."

Lu Yuan responded with an "oh".

After a while, he spoke again.

"Tell me, after we get married, will you still practice martial arts?"

"Practice." Su Yuling looked up. "What, you won't let me?"

"Make way, make way, of course I'll make way." Lu Yuan quickly waved his hand. "I was just asking."

Su Yuling snorted and continued wiping the knife.

Lu Yuan looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"Tell me, after we get married, will you try to kill me with a knife?"

Su Yuling paused for a moment.

"Don't mess with me, or I won't cut you."

"What if I upset you?"

"Then I'll chop you up." Su Yuling looked up at him, "I'll chop you up until you beg for mercy."

Lu Yuanqian swallowed.

"The way you're talking makes it sound like I owe you eight hundred strings of cash."

Su Yuling didn't respond.

She lowered her head and continued wiping the knife.

He tugged at the corners of his mouth upwards.

Looking at her, Lu Yuan suddenly realized that this woman was quite interesting.

……

three days later.

The entrance to the Ninth Prince's residence was covered with red silk ribbons and red cloth strips everywhere.

The servants in the mansion were running around, some moving tables, others setting up chairs.

Su Bo'an stood in the courtyard with the booklet in his hand and shouted.

"Hurry, hurry, this table is crooked, move it to the left."

"Hang the red silk higher, so it doesn't look shabby."

"How's the kitchen preparation going? The guests will be arriving soon."

The servants responded, their hands never stopping.

Lu Yuan stood under the corridor, looking at the chaotic scene, and his lips twitched.

"This is like a battle."

Su Bo'an ran over, his head covered in sweat.

"Your Highness, do you still have the leisure to watch the commotion here? Go and change your clothes, the auspicious time is almost here."

"What's the rush?" Lu Yuan waved his hand. "The wedding hasn't even started yet, has it?"

"We need to prepare even before it starts!" Su Bo'an stamped his feet anxiously. "Is this outfit suitable for a wedding ceremony?"

Lu Yuan looked down at the robe he was wearing.

It is indeed wrinkled.

"Okay, I'll go change."

He turned and walked towards the backyard, but after taking two steps, he turned back again.

"By the way, has Han Gou's 100,000 taels of silver arrived yet?"

Su Bo'an was stunned for a moment.

"Not...not yet..."

"No?" Lu Yuan's face darkened. "It's been three days, and he still hasn't sent it?"

"The Han family said that Han Gou has been imprisoned, and the family can't come up with that much money right now..."

"Can't produce it?"

Lu Yuan sneered, "The Minister of War's residence can't produce 100,000 taels?"

Su Bo'an dared not respond.

Lu Yuan looked at him and said, "Go tell the Han family that 100,000 taels of silver must be delivered before sunset today. Otherwise, I will lead men to confiscate their property."