Nacai, Wenming, Naji, Nazheng, Qingqi, and Qinying, these are the "six rites" of marriage in this world, or the six steps of marriage, which are naturally the "six rites" of Han marriages.
For the wedding ceremony, after Nacai, a wild goose was presented as a gift. This is Nacai; Wenming, also known as the guest holding the goose, is to ask for the name. If the host permits, the guest will enter and present it; after returning to the ancestral temple for divination, if auspicious omens are obtained, the envoy will be sent again to announce it. This is Naji; the envoy is sent to offer betrothal gifts to complete the wedding, which is Nazheng; the family must first divine the date, obtain an auspicious day, and then send an envoy to convey the message, informing them of the date, which is Qingqi; the final step is Qinying, to escort the bride, to share a meal and drink from the same bowl, to untie the hair and tie it together, to send her to the bridal chamber, and to tie the knot together.
Generally speaking, after completing the "six rites" of marriage, a considerable amount of time would pass. However, for Feilong Mountain, everything was done according to circumstances.
Early that day, Zhou Fugui, bored, went out for a stroll again. Of course, his purpose was still to find an opportunity to escape from the Feilong Mountain bandit camp. As for the Daoist priest Ge Rufeng's "Shrinking Ground Technique," Zhou Fugui had no hope for it.
According to Ge Rufeng, his Daoist immortal technique, "Shrinking Ground Technique," worked intermittently. However, Zhou Fugui suspected that he was bragging...
As Zhou Fugui "strolled" to the large house in the center of the mountain stronghold, where the chieftain Yuan Bolong resided, he saw many Feilong Mountain ruffians busy at work. Some were carrying, some were shouldering, some were holding, and some were lifting sedan chairs, basins, saddles, bows and arrows, wedding candles, golden scales, wedding veils, scissors, wheat bushels, rulers, fruit platters, tea cups, flags, gongs, umbrellas, fans, and red lanterns. Red rouge-colored gauze curtains were hung on the surrounding trees and walls, tied every ten paces. When there was no wind, they hung quietly, and when there was wind, the rouge-colored gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, creating a harmonious scene with the white snow, a lively and festive atmosphere.
It seemed that everyone in the Feilong Mountain stronghold was preparing for a grand wedding celebration.
"Excuse me, excuse me, may I ask who is celebrating a joyous occasion?" Zhou Fugui asked curiously upon seeing this scene.
If the stronghold held a wedding celebration, their defenses would surely be lax, and he could then find an opportunity to escape down the mountain. Of course, when he escaped, he would bring the young Daoist priest Ge Rufeng with him, whether he was willing or not, Zhou Fugui thought to himself.
Ge Rufeng's "Shrinking Ground Technique" had failed, which made Zhou Fugui doubt the effectiveness of his pills. However, given the current situation, he could only try his best.
"It's the Great Chieftain marrying off his daughter today!" a minor bandit leader named Sun replied with a chuckle.
"Oh? So it's Miss Yuan who is getting married? Congratulations, congratulations!" Zhou Fugui said with a smile, cupping his fists in congratulation.
Yuan Meiyu, the daughter of the Feilong Mountain chieftain Yuan Bolong, was bold and forthright, honest and frank, and also beautiful as a flower. Although Zhou Fugui had not interacted much with her, he had a good impression of this "mountain bandit tigress." It was a little disappointing for Zhou Fugui that she was suddenly getting married.
However, Zhou Fugui's disappointment flashed by in his heart.
What did Yuan Meiyu's marriage have to do with Zhou Fugui?
"Same to you, same to you, we also congratulate General Zhou!" Old Sun, the minor bandit leader, also congratulated Zhou Fugui with a smile.
"What good news do I have?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise, then smiled and said, "I won't miss out on a toast of celebratory wine then."
The bandits found this amusing.
You are the main groom, and you would miss out on a toast of celebratory wine? the bandits thought to themselves.
"Can I go up and take a look?" Zhou Fugui asked, pointing upstairs.
Since the day Zhou Fugui was captured and brought into Yuan Bolong's residence in the stronghold, he had not been upstairs again.
Zhou Fugui had basically investigated all other parts of the stronghold in the past few days. The defenses were tight, and he could not find any opportunity to escape. Therefore, today Zhou Fugui planned to go to Yuan Bolong's residence to see if he could find any loopholes in the Feilong Mountain stronghold's defenses, so that he could escape.
"General Zhou, please make yourself at home!" Old Sun replied with a chuckle.
You are about to be invited into the house, and he has come to your door himself, the bandits thought amusingly.
Zhou Fugui nodded and walked up the stairs step by step.
The outside of the large house was lively, and the inside was even more so. Servants, maids, and guests were bustling about, and red lanterns hung in the corridors. All of this indicated that the wedding celebration was about to begin.
When Zhou Fugui walked in, everyone was slightly surprised and bowed to let him pass, making Zhou Fugui even more puzzled.
At most, I am a distinguished guest offering congratulations, why are they so respectful to me? Zhou Fugui wondered.
"Bang!" With a sound, as Zhou Fugui turned a corner, a young maid carrying a plate of festive items bumped into Zhou Fugui head-on, dropping some of the festive items.
"Ah? My lord, please forgive me, my lord, please forgive me!" the young maid pleaded in a panic.
"Hmm, it's alright, it's alright." Zhou Fugui comforted her and then reacted. He stared at the young maid and asked in surprise, "What did you call me?"
"My... my lord?" the young maid replied timidly.
"What my lord? My surname is Zhou, my given name is Fugui..." Zhou Fugui glared at the young maid and said, "You've mistaken me for someone else, haven't you? Be careful, though. Zhou is a benevolent person, and I won't tell anyone about this, so you don't have to worry, hehehehe..."
After speaking, Zhou Fugui ignored the young maid and walked inside.
How could I mistake my own lord? the young maid, looking bewildered, thought to herself as she watched Zhou Fugui's retreating back.
"My lord is here?"
"My lord, please come in!"
"My lord, the auspicious hour hasn't arrived yet, and you're already... are you too impatient?"
"Xiang Laosan, you don't understand. Our Feilong Mountain's precious daughter is as heavenly as an immortal. My lord is naturally eager, right? Heh heh!"
"Haha, that's right, that's right!"
"Don't talk nonsense. What kind of person is my lord? Is he so impatient? He should at least have a few bowls of celebratory wine and eat a few dishes of celebratory food before going into the bridal chamber, right?"
"Yes, yes, today we must drink until we're drunk and the sun and moon are invisible with my lord, before he enters the bridal chamber."
"What will he do after entering the bridal chamber?"
"Slap! What are you saying? It's not like he's going in to drink tea and recite poetry, is it? That's not the style of our Feilong Mountain!"
"Hahahaha!"
"If not tea and poetry, then perhaps a martial arts competition? After the competition, then...?"
"Slap! It's not a martial arts competition for marriage, so why compete? What if you injure my lord? Who will enter the bridal chamber then?"
"......"
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Who is your lord? You can eat anything, drink anything, but you can't say anything carelessly!"
"My lord, do you intend to abandon us after the marriage?"
"Abandon you after the marriage? Humph, if you abandon us after the marriage, you won't be able to leave Feilong Mountain. Our Feilong Mountain is not to be trifled with!"
"Hey, hey, Liao Laowu, stop scaring my lord. At most, we'll throw him into the ice cellar and lock him up for a few days, and he'll comply..."
"......"
After Zhou Fugui entered the main hall, even more people called him "my lord." They swarmed forward, talking all at once, congratulating, flattering, or threatening him. Some even held up a Xuan Duan ceremonial robe and directly draped it over Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui was "greatly shocked" and hastily argued with them, but he could not defend himself.
"Haha, General Zhou, please come forward!" Yuan Bolong, who was seated in the main hall, waved to Zhou Fugui and said.
Zhou Fugui quickly walked forward. Due to his panic, the long Xuan Duan ceremonial robe almost tripped him, causing the bandits to burst into laughter.
"Great Chieftain, look at this...? Is there a mistake?" Zhou Fugui asked Yuan Bolong with great surprise, great confusion, and great bewilderment, his face etched with worry.
"Chieftain Nie, what do you think of our son-in-law?" Yuan Bolong ignored Zhou Fugui and turned to ask the guest, Chieftain Nie Shanhu of Bijiashan stronghold, with a smile.
"Hmm, handsome and dashing, but not a weak and effeminate scholar. He's full of vigor. Congratulations to Great Chieftain Yuan for gaining a fine son-in-law!" Nie Shanhu said after sizing up Zhou Fugui.
"Congratulations, congratulations to Great Chieftain Yuan!"
"Where did Great Chieftain Yuan find such a fine son-in-law?"
"You guys don't know this, do you? He is Zhou Fugui, a subordinate general of Yan Hu."
"Hu people?"
"What's wrong with Hu people? Are there few Hu people on the nearby mountains?"
"Hanwo Li, he's not a Hu person. You can tell from his name, he's a Han Chinese."
"Han Chinese Zhou Fugui, the Han Chinese Zhou Fugui? The Zhou Fugui who killed over two hundred Xianbei people?"
"If it's not him, then who else could it be?"
"Oh my, this is no small matter!"
"Mmm, he's a hero!"
"Great Chieftain Yuan has another fierce general under his command!"
"......"
Upon hearing Zhou Fugui's name, the bandit leaders from other strongholds praised him and envied him greatly.
"Haha, son-in-law, come over and pay your respects to your elders!" Yuan Bolong said with a proud laugh. Then he said to Zhou Fugui.
"Wait a moment!" Zhou Fugui asked Yuan Bolong, "Great Chieftain Yuan, what exactly is going on?"
"What's going on? You still don't know what's going on at this point?" Yuan Bolong retorted with a smile.
"My parents' orders, and the words of a matchmaker!"
Damn it, Yuan Bolong and the others are forcing me to marry? What is this all about? Zhou Fugui thought miserably. It seemed they intended to keep him in the stronghold. How could this be possible? Not to mention his intention to seek medical treatment to save Xue Wentai's life and the promise he made to Ji Duor, Zhou Fugui had promised Ji Duor that he would return to his unit as soon as possible and would not escape on his own. Even if Zhou Fugui broke his promise and escaped on his own, his mother, sister, Xiao Qing, and other relatives would be implicated.
Zhou Fugui would never stay in the Feilong Mountain stronghold.
Marrying Yuan Meiyu, Yuan Bolong's daughter? This was even more impossible. Murong Huiying had deep affection for Zhou Fugui and had already pledged herself to him. Zhou Fugui would never betray her. If he betrayed Murong Huiying, Zhou Fugui would have no face to live.
Therefore, Zhou Fugui politely refused with "my parents' orders, and the words of a matchmaker."