The crowd outside the Second Prince’s mansion was in an uproar, speculating what was happening.
Qiao Ci’s voice was languid, “Bring a stool. I’d like to see who dares to try and become a concubine at my wedding!”
The people from the Second Prince’s mansion looked at Li Su. Seeing his nod, they quickly brought two chairs and placed them by the entrance.
Qiao Ci sat on a chair, with Li Su standing behind her, as if he would protect her no matter what she did.
Yun Jiuge was furious inside the sedan chair. Where did this Dragon Ascend Kingdom princess get her nerve? She was bestowed by imperial decree as a co-wife to the Second Prince. Why wouldn't she let her in?
And she explicitly said she wasn't a concubine, but a co-wife!
She whispered a few words to the maid beside her. The maid quickly spoke to the eldest young master, Yun Shen, who was nearby, and then hurried away from the crowd.
Yun Shen stepped forward and bowed to Li Su, “Second Prince, the auspicious hour is approaching. Please ask Princess Qiao… Princess Qiao to stop causing trouble.”
He looked at the domineering yet not vulgar Qiao Ci, unsure how to address her.
Li Su stood with his hands behind his back, “My wife’s words are my words. In front of everyone, I solemnly declare that from now on, I, Li Su, will only have one wife, and that is Princess Qiao Ci of the Dragon Ascend Kingdom. There will be no other women.”
“Then what about my sister?” Yun Shen, hearing him say such things in public, wondered what this made of his sister.
“I have already clearly told her that I will only love Qiao Ci in this life and will never accept her.” Li Su frowned, appearing quite displeased to answer questions related to other women.
“But the imperial decree has been issued, and my sister has already been brought to the mansion gates. Can’t we discuss matters after she enters the mansion?” Yun Shen furrowed his brow, feeling this Second Prince was not taking their Yun family seriously at all.
Was this a joke? Letting her in would be tantamount to acknowledging Yun Jiuge as his co-wife! Li Su shook his head firmly.
Seeing his stubborn refusal, Yun Shen said to Qiao Ci, “You will be living in the Fengming Kingdom from now on. It’s not good to be so dictatorial and overbearing like this, is it? Moreover, today is your wedding day. Missing the auspicious hour is very inauspicious. Why not perform the rites first, and then discuss it when everyone is calm?”
“Discuss what?” Qiao Ci asked him, looking confused. “On my wedding day, they’ve come all the way to my doorstep. What is there to discuss? Should I swallow my pride and enter the household on the same day as a concubine? Am I the one who is ill-mannered, or are you shameless?”
“This is an imperial decree!” Yun Shen knew that this was indeed bullying the foreign princess a bit. But she was too unreasonable, especially when she had publicly insulted his sister.
Thus, he threatened, “Jealousy is one of the seven reasons for divorce. I hope you will conduct yourself with dignity. Furthermore, you are currently in the Fengming Kingdom. An imperial decree is the emperor’s command. If the decree says my sister is to marry, then she marries!”
“Excuse me, this princess is new here and cannot tolerate this kind of grievance. Today, if I don’t let her through this door, she won’t get in,” Qiao Ci picked up the tea that Li Su had ordered the servants to bring, took a couple of sips, and was quite at ease.
Seeing this, Yun Shen felt she was even more unruly.
But what could be done? They couldn’t force their way in, could they?
After about half an hour of this stalemate, Yun Jiuge’s cousins arrived, clad in armor and wielding weapons, looking mighty and imposing.
Qiao Ci even took the time to count them.
Good heavens, twelve of them, enough to form a football team.
“Who dares to cause trouble at my cousin’s wedding!”
Yun Jiuge lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, took a look, and then calmly lowered the curtain.
She was a lady from a prominent family, a family of scholars. She couldn’t be like certain ill-mannered women, showing her face shamelessly.
Not only did she have a refined and gentle elder brother, but she also had a group of protective and formidable martial cousin brothers. Today, she had to enter this door, whether she was allowed in or not.
Her brother had been too polite just now, but her cousins wouldn't be so accommodating.
If that delicate princess were to get injured during the dispute later, it would be her own disgrace.
Li Su stepped forward and stood in front of Qiao Ci, “What do you mean by this?”
Bringing swords and weapons to his wedding was excessive.
“To bully my cousin like this, do you think she has no family to back her up?” Xie Si, the fourth of the Xie family, smiled charmingly, his bone fan rotating with obvious sharpness.
“Exactly! My cousin was sought after by many families, yet she is marrying you. And for some princess from the Dragon Ascend Kingdom, you let her suffer such humiliation. Are you even a man!” Xie Ba, the eighth of the Xie family, pounded his fists, making cracking sounds, as if he could scare people with his aura.
“My Yun family cousin is not someone that just any cat or dog can bully. She is marrying by imperial decree, which is as it should be,” Xie Yi, the eldest of the Xie family, stood holding his red-tasseled spear, planted in the ground.
Qiao Ci stood up, pulled Li Su from his position in front of her, and motioned for him to sit in her original spot, “Are you tired? Sit down and have some water. I’ll handle the rest.”
Looking at the twelve men standing in a row in various poses, Qiao Ci raised her hand and applauded, “Thank you all for making the effort to come and perform as monkeys. I was amused. Thank you.”
“What does this foul woman mean?” Xie Ba, who had a bad temper, pointed at her and cursed.
“Cursing is not good,” Qiao Ci calmly put on her silk gloves, leaped forward, and seized his clean, perfectly formed fan, her powerful grip directly sending him flying, smashing onto the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Pfft~” He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Xie Si and Xie Yi came to help, but Qiao Ci’s expression didn’t change. Within three moves, she had defeated both of them. Her foot was on Xie Si’s hook-like corner of the mouth as she broke his bone fan right before his eyes. As for Xie Yi’s red-tasseled spear, it had already been kicked into two pieces by Qiao Ci the moment they approached.
Qiao Ci shook her hands and said with a fake smile, “On the wedding day, seeing red is auspicious. Are you all rushing to offer it?”
Li Su watched Qiao Ci with stars in his eyes. Although he had sworn to give her the best, when she stood before him, shielding him from the wind and rain, his sense of happiness overflowed.
He wanted to cheer and shout for her, but he had to maintain his composure! He couldn’t embarrass his Princess!
“You slut, how dare you hit my brothers!” Xie Shi’er, the twelfth and youngest of the Xie family, was furious.
Qiao Ci had no qualms about hitting children. With a palm strike, Little Shi’er was sent headfirst into the ground. He rolled up his trouser legs, looked at his scraped knee, and started crying loudly.
“You shrew, you’re even laying hands on a child.” Even the mild-tempered Xie San couldn’t help but curse.
“What? He’s allowed to curse at me, but I’m not allowed to fight back?” Qiao Ci sneered.
“You hit Elder Ba because he spoke disrespectfully, but Little Shi’er is just a child!” Third Brother looked at Qiao Ci as if she were garbage.
“Oh, so what if I hit him? Do you all want to come at me together?” Qiao Ci’s tone was extremely arrogant.
They had thought Qiao Ci was just a frail woman, but unexpectedly, she was deeply skilled.
Elder Ba was unconvinced, “You sneak-attacked me when I wasn’t paying attention. Do you really think we’re afraid of you? I’m putting it out there: if you don’t let my cousin enter with grandeur today, you won’t be a happy bride either!”
Li Su watched everything with a dark expression. For the first time, he felt that his own weakness had brought so much disdain and humiliation to his princess.
He stood up, his expression carrying a bloodthirsty and sinister look, “Xie Ba, who are you making threats towards?”