Chapter 23: Shen Lang Gets Married in the Hall of Worship

"Do not speak of others, even Shen Lang himself deeply doubts whether the groom of tonight's wedding is truly himself.

Because for the entire day, besides delivering meals, no one paid any attention to Shen Lang. Not even the meal deliverers spoke a word to him.

The Count did not see him, the Madam did not see him, Miss Jin Mulan did not see him, and even Jin Zhong did not come to see him. He felt entirely forgotten in this guest room.

He even doubted whether the Count's Estate had found a better candidate, as from a certain perspective, there were too many suitable men in Xuanwu City. He wondered how many young men would be willing to go through fire and water for Jin Mulan.

Finally, in the evening!

Two maids came in, or to be precise, two middle-aged women, carrying a grand red and gold robe, the groom's hat, belt, and boots.

"Master Shen, bathe and change clothes, prepare for the wedding!"

....

In some ways, receiving the son-in-law is similar to marrying off a daughter, requiring the woman's side to bring gifts to the man's home. Of course, the wedding also takes place at the woman's house.

Most of the time, the bride wears a veil and rides in a sedan chair, taking a stroll outside before returning home.

Occasionally, in more extreme cases, even the groom needs to sit in the sedan chair, wearing a veil and being carried to the woman's home for the ceremony.

Very unfortunate, Xuanwu City is a traditional area with more extreme customs, so as a son-in-law, he has to sit in the sedan chair, although not needing a veil, but he has to wear a mask.

Even so, many people view this as a humiliation to a man's dignity.

Thus, in Xuanwu City, many men would rather remain single than become son-in-laws.

At this moment, Shen Lang was sitting in the sedan chair, wearing a red brocade robe and a silver mask.

First, he was carried from the Count's Estate to the temple, then back for the wedding ceremony.

....

The entire Count's Estate in Xuanwu was adorned with lights and decorations, with servants bustling about.

There were not many guests, but still over a hundred people.

More than half were from the Count's Estate, with the remaining few being prominent figures in Xuanwu City, including scholars with official positions, civil and military officials, and outstanding martial artists, and so on.

The marriage of the young lady from the Count's Estate would have attracted a large number of original guests, not only from the Nujiang District, but even from the Governor's Mansion, and even the Sovereign would have sent representatives.

However, the wedding today was rushed, so even guests from Nujiang District couldn't make it in time.

This was considered the most humble wedding in the history of the Count's Estate.

Although the guests inside the grand hall chatted with each other, their minds were all focused on the entrance.

Because everyone was incredibly curious and eager to know, who would be the groom tonight?

Jin Mulan was the princess of Xuanwu City. Who then, was qualified to marry her? How outstanding was he?

Even as a son-in-law, it incited immense jealousy.

Especially the unmarried young talents, their faces were grim, holding their breath, gazing intensely at the entrance.

Who could it be? Who would be worthy of Miss Jin Mulan?

Although he hadn't received an invitation, the master of the Black Clothes Gang, Tian Heng, came anyway. Inside, he felt extremely anxious, fearing that the groom tonight might be Shen Lang, which would be a disaster.

However, as he listened to others talking about how magnificent the Count's Estate was and how outstanding Miss Jin Mulan was, and the prominent figures speculating about the groom, none of the names mentioned were anything less than talented young men, at least people who had achieved scholarly success, either in civil or military achievements.

"A scholar? Don't be ridiculous, the groom must be a successful candidate at least."

"Yes, the Jin family is not an ordinary aristocratic family, the young lady has remarkable qualities. Many talented scholars aspire to marry her."

"Yes, without official achievements, no one can expect to marry Miss Jin Mulan."

As for Shen Lang, his name was never mentioned. How could he? It's inconceivable. It's like comparing a toad to a swan.

So, Tian Heng also felt a little relieved.

At this moment, Zhang Jin also stared at the entrance, feeling jealous of the groom tonight.

Who is Jin Mulan? She is virtually the dream girl of all young men within a few hundred miles, including Zhang Jin."

He knew why this wedding was so rushed. The Marquis of Xuanwu was unwilling to let his daughter marry someone from outside the family, while the matchmaking team from the Zhu family was already on their way.

Zhang Jin didn't care about these reasons and even felt somewhat relieved. A stunning beauty like Jin Mulan was not going to marry the arrogant pride of the Zhu family. Why should all the good fortune go to you?

Xu Qianqian couldn't help but feel jealous when she saw the look in her fiancé's eyes, but she didn't show it. Instead, she smiled and said, "I'm really curious. Which man is so fortunate to marry Miss Jin Mulan?"

At that moment, the whole room suddenly fell silent as the Marquis and Marchioness made their entrance and took their seats at the head of the room. Standing nearby was a chubby young man, the heir of the Marquis family.

Everyone's demeanor shifted, as the time for the ceremony was nearing, and the identity of the groom was about to be revealed.

Crackers outside signaled the arrival of the groom!

Everyone rushed forward to catch a glimpse of this lucky man.

As all eyes focused, a sedan chair was slowly brought to the entrance. When the curtain was lifted, the groom stepped out. With a silver mask obscuring his face, it was difficult to make out his features. He appeared thin and frail, with delicate, fair hands, likely a scholar.

People speculated on which talented individual from Yue State he might be.

"The bride is here!"

Jin Mulan appeared too!

Nearly every man held their breath, while the women widened their eyes and revealed jealous gazes. Since Jin Mulan was being married off, she wasn't wearing a traditional red dress but a silver gown. The attire was somewhat gender-neutral and fitted her form closely, giving her a heroic posture. It sent a strong message that Jin Mulan was a warrior, and she would be fighting for the Marquis family throughout her life. And this silver gown highlighted her breathtaking figure, attracting everyone's attention.

In an instant, every man became even more envious of the groom wearing the mask.

Jin Mulan's expression remained neutral. She was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the family, and marrying Shen Lang, a person with a disreputable reputation, was more in line with the family's interests. However, being bound to such a person, Jin Mulan couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

Everyone stood in unison.

"First bow to heaven and earth!"

"Second bow to the parents!"

"The bride and groom bow to each other!"

"The ceremony is complete. Escort them to the bridal chamber!"

The ceremony was solemn yet brief. As tradition dictated, the groom would have to reveal his face only in the bridal chamber, which seemed quite agonizing.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, belonging to Lui Chengyan, the City Lord of Xuanwu.

"Marquis, although by tradition the groom would reveal his face only in the bridal chamber, but we are all curious about the brilliant talent that deserves Miss Jin Mulan. Can we satisfy our curiosity?"

City Lord Lui's words echoed the thoughts of everyone present.

At that moment, a burst of laughter rang from outside, but it held a cold edge.

"Hahaha! I was just about to pay a visit to the Marquis, but I didn't expect to coincidentally arrive at my nephew's wedding."

The laughter penetrated everyone's ears with a chilling tone.

"It seems the Marquis lacks a bit of integrity. His niece's wedding and he didn't even inform me. If I hadn't been coming to Xuanwu on official business, I would have missed it," said Zhu Lin with a smile on his face, though his eyes were frigid. "Let's see which young talent is worthy of my niece, Mulan. Unmask and let us see!"

"Yes, unmask him!" everyone couldn't help but exclaim.

Jin Mulan looked at Shen Lang and nodded.

Shen Lang lifted the mask from his face.

Instantly, many people let out astonished gasps. Tian Hong's eyes widened in shock, and his body turned cold. It was really Shen Lang?

This was big trouble!

But the most stunned were Xu Qianqian and Zhang Jin.

At that moment, Xu Qianqian couldn't contain her astonishment. She forgot her poised and refined demeanor and stared at Shen Lang's handsome face, letting out a cry of disbelief.

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