A towering presence in a diminutive frame

Early the next morning, Xun You submitted a report to the imperial court regarding the prison guards' attempt to assassinate Luan Yi.

Upon hearing the news, Emperor Ling was initially startled, repeatedly asking, "Where is Luan Ziqi?"

When he learned that Luan Yi had turned the tables on the villains by playing along, launched a fierce counterattack, and killed more than a dozen men while sustaining only minor injuries, the Emperor burst into laughter. "He is truly a divine general of the Great Han! Those scoundrels were utter fools, trying to assassinate him without even bothering to find out who their target was! Hahaha... Excellent, truly excellent, Luan Ziqi!" After several hearty laughs, his eyebrows suddenly shot up, and he said with righteous fury, "To attempt the assassination of a high-ranking imperial official right inside the celestial prison under the very nose of the Son of Heaven—this is sheer audacity! By my decree, you must investigate this matter thoroughly until the whole truth is brought to light!"

Bring the truth to light? Tracing the root of the conspiracy was far easier said than done. Zhang Rang was a cautious man, and the Ten Eunuchs wielded immense power; long before their plot was exposed, they had already prepared their escape routes. The five captured miscreants died of poisoning in the Ministry of Justice before the next morning, and even Wei Ning, the prison warden, was found strangled to death in his cell. Everyone connected to the incident had perished, leaving no trail to follow.

Nevertheless, Yuan Wei and his faction seized the opportunity to relentlessly trouble the Ten Eunuchs, though the practical impact was minimal—mostly petty skirmishes that merely secured some minor privileges for the faction of scholars.

Luan Yi had anticipated this outcome long in advance. If the Ten Eunuchs could be overthrown so easily, they would not be the formidable faction that dominated the court. He knew deeply that the eunuch clique was a tangled web of influence, nearly impossible to eradicate without the use of force. However, the time for armed action had not yet arrived; he needed to bide his time and wait patiently.

For the moment, he cast the Ten Eunuchs aside. Or more accurately, for a long time to come, he simply had no spare energy to deal with them.

Because he was about to get married—to both Cai Yan and Diaochan.

The wedding banquet was held in the residence bestowed upon him by Emperor Ling. The estate was not large, far smaller than the Luan family's branch courtyard in Jinan, and its acreage could not even compare to Cai Yong's mansion. Still, owning such a grand estate within the prime real estate of Luoyang's inner city was no small feat.

The previous owner of the house had served as a grand master of ceremonies, a high-ranking official with a stipend of two thousand bushels. Later, having offended Zhang Rang, his entire family was executed, and the property was confiscated by the crown, which Emperor Ling subsequently granted to Luan Yi.

One had to admit that while the decapitated master of ceremonies had been an orderly man, his taste was truly deplorable. This was evident from the courtyard, which was kept impeccably neat yet entirely devoid of any aesthetic style.

Dissatisfied with the interior layout and decoration, Luan Yi waved his hand and brought nearly a hundred craftsmen into the compound. A chaotic flurry of hammering and sawing ensued, arousing numerous complaints from the neighbors.

Knowing that these neighbors were either wealthy or noble and thus not to be offended, Luan Yi took out a generous sum and sent lavish compensation to every household to forestall future trouble, finally silencing all dissenting voices.

Yet the noise continued. After the neighbors endured it for a full two months, construction on the Luan residence finally ceased. Some curious onlookers stepped forward to inspect the results and could not help exclaiming, "Good grief... How did Luan Ziqi manage to ruin such a fine estate into this wretched state!"

To their astonishment, the sturdy rammed-earth and tiled houses had been completely demolished, replaced instead by ordinary rural thatched cottages. In the front courtyard stood three main buildings—one central hall and two wing rooms. The central hall served as the main reception room, flanked by two side chambers. The eastern wing room was stacked with all kinds of books, functioning as a study; the western wing room held a large eight-immortal table, serving as the dining room. A small outbuilding tucked into the corner of the main courtyard clearly served as the kitchen. On either side of the primary entrance path lay two empty plots of land—one planted with vegetables, the other with flowers. Beyond the front courtyard lay the middle courtyard, where three bedchambers were also topped with thatched roofs. Behind the middle courtyard was a small garden featuring an ancient locust tree that had originally stood in that corner. A short distance in front of the locust tree stood a strange rockery, neither round nor square, neither level nor straight, twisting into an odd posture that vaguely resembled a pen-rest mountain from a distance. Surrounded by flowers and plants, it possessed the complete charm of a private garden.

Directly in front of the rockery lay a martial arts practice ground, complete with a weapon rack displaying the eighteen traditional arms, including Luan Ziqi's renowned lotus-patterned giant hammers.

Seeing all this, the neighbor let out a long sigh, "Such a fine estate. What a terrible waste!" As he turned to leave, people carrying a wooden plaque arrived, climbed a ladder, and hung it above the central hall. Squinting to read it, the neighbor saw three bold characters inscribed upon it: "Green Lotus Residence!"

"Hmph! Green Lotus Residence indeed! To me, it's just a thatched shack!" The neighbor flicked his sleeve and walked away.

Little did he know that the true charm of the Green Lotus Residence lay precisely in those thatched roofs. Zhuge Liang had emerged from a thatched cottage, and Jiang Taigong had done the same. Since ancient times, great men had always come from humble thatched huts; by dwelling in a secluded hermitage, Luan Yi was cultivating precisely that air of transcendent genius!

With the new residence completed, the wedding day was close at hand. Luan Tao, Luan Miao, and Madam Luan Diao, as Luan Yi's direct senior relatives, made the journey of a thousand miles to the capital to preside over the ceremony. Eager to witness a grand event unseen in the Luan family for a century, numerous members of the Luan clan also traveled from Yingchuan, a region still recovering from the ravages of war. Before setting out, some relatives puffed out their chests and boasted to their townsfolk, "My nephew Yi-er is getting married in the capital soon, and he's invited me, his uncle, to the wedding feast. The capital is so far away that I originally didn't want to go, but my nephew is so filial! He said if I don't show up, he won't bow to the heavens and earth. Look at that! I thought to myself, who are Grand Tutor Cai and Palace Attendant Wang? They are high-ranking officials of the imperial court, the most prominent figures in the Great Han. If Yi-er doesn't bow alongside their daughters, those grand families will surely hold a grudge against our Luan clan! For that reason alone, I simply have to make the trip."

The gathered villagers naturally disbelieved him and laughed heartily. "When was the last time you saw Luan Ziqi? He was only three years old back then! Do you really think he remembers you as his uncle?" The question left the Luan clansman speechless, and he slunk back home in embarrassment.

As the wedding countdown continued, Dian Wei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Feit all arrived from Jinan. Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Xu Chu, and Taishici had originally wanted to come and offer their congratulations, but they were tied down by essential affairs in Jinan and could not leave, so they sent Luan Yi's three sworn brothers in their stead, bearing wedding gifts.

The following days grew increasingly hectic, with pigs slaughtered and sheep butchered as the residence bustled with feverish activity. As the groom, Luan Yi was forbidden from lending a hand. When he wanted to visit Cai Yan and Diaochan for a chat, customary taboos prohibiting the bride and groom from meeting before the wedding prevented him from doing so.

He tried to invite Guo Jia and the others out for a drink, but his parents continuously nagged him, telling him that with the wedding so imminent, he should stay indoors to avoid trouble. Drinking at home was forbidden too. "Alcohol harms the body; don't fall ill right before your wedding!" Left with no choice, Luan Yi compromised, drinking tea in place of wine with his brothers while eagerly anticipating the wedding day.

After enduring seven grueling days and nights, the wedding day finally arrived. Early in the morning, Luan Yi donned a crimson robe adorned with silk flowers, mounted a tall steed, and led a wedding procession through the grand avenues of Luoyang. He had two destinations for the journey, the first being Cai Yong's mansion.

The estate, which Luan Yi had visited more than once, was adorned today with red lanterns and festive drapery. Only Cai Yong, whose eyes were swimming with tears, seemed somewhat out of place amidst the exuberant celebration. Yet as the old saying goes: "A daughter's wedding day is her parents' bitterest day." Who could expect a parent to wear a smiling face when sending their daughter away in marriage?

Luan Yi accepted Cai Yan's hand from her maidservant while bowing deeply to Cai Yong. "Master Cai! I swear I will cherish Zhaoji with all my heart!"

Cai Yun, the maidservant, burst into a tearful giggle and teased Luan Yi, "Why are you still calling him Master Cai?"

Suddenly realizing his mistake, Luan Yi bowed once more. "Respected Father-in-law! Your son-in-law will surely take good care of Zhaoji. Our home is not far from here; if Father-in-law ever misses Zhaoji, you need only send someone to summon the two of us!"

Cai Yun laughed again. "Lord Vice Tutor is truly something. The wedding ceremony hasn't even taken place yet, and already you're referring to yourselves as husband and wife?"

Having tripped Luan Yi up twice in a row, Cai Yun left him deeply embarrassed, causing him to wrinkle his nose in playful discontent. Cai Yan chimed in with a gentle reprimand, "You're the one who talks too much!"

Cai Yun pouted, putting on an aggrieved expression.

Leading the bride out of the Cai residence and settling her into the bridal sedan chair waiting in the street, the procession set off once more toward the Central Lang's mansion. Along the way, the rhythmic beating of drums and gongs created a jubilant atmosphere that caused countless citizens to stop and watch.

"Hey! Who's getting married today? Such a grand procession!"

"You don't even know? You must be from out of town, right?"

"Indeed! I just arrived from Jizhou!"

"Today is the wedding of the Heir Apparent's Vice Tutor!"

"Vice Tutor to the Heir Apparent? Who is that?"

"So ignorant! You don't even know who the Vice Tutor is? It's none other than the renowned divine talent and divine general, Luan Ziqi!"

"Luan... Ziqi? The Cult Master? The Cult Master is getting married today? Why didn't he tell us!"

"Who on earth are you?" The respondent looked him up and down with obvious disdain, noting from his attire that he appeared to be a merchant. "How could the Vice Tutor possibly know someone like you?"

"He's my brother!" the merchant declared proudly.

"You? The Vice Tutor's brother? Who are you trying to fool?"

"Why are you doubting my word?" The merchant from Jizhou indignantly revealed the cross pinned to his chest. "Look, the Vice Tutor is the Cult Master of our Holy Mother Cult, and I am a believer. The Cult Master said that all members of the Holy Mother Cult are brothers. By that reckoning, of course I am the Cult Master's brother!"

"Is that really how it works?"

"Of course! Otherwise, who would dare impersonate the brother of the Great Han's divine talent!" The Jizhou merchant grew anxious. "I don't have time to idle with you; I need to go prepare a wedding gift quickly. By the way, where does the Cult Master live?"

"Turn left at the end of the road ahead, to the Green Lotus Residence at the Three-Li Archway!"

Mishearing the name, the merchant repeated, "Clean and Upright Residence? Just like our Cult Master—once he attained high office, he never forgot the common folk, even naming his house after integrity and purity! How could an official like him not be upright?" Without waiting for an explanation, he turned and dashed off, muttering under his breath, "No, the other fellow townsmen probably don't know the Cult Master is getting married yet. I must go notify them right away!"

Riding on horseback, Luan Yi made his way forward amid the cheerful greetings of the citizens lining the streets, slowly arriving at Wang Yun's mansion.

In contrast to the weeping and mourning Cai Yong, Diaochan's adoptive father Wang Yun was far from grief-stricken. In fact, far from sorrow, he was immensely pleased that Diaochan had found such a match through this marriage alliance.

Smiling broadly, he placed Diaochan's hand into Luan Yi's, repeatedly admonishing the two of them to love one another deeply, treat each other with mutual respect, and remain devoted until their hair turned white.

Luan Yi and Diaochan repeatedly answered with a respectful assent, knelt to kowtow three times, and then turned to exit. The mission of fetching the brides was now fully complete. All that remained was returning to the residence for the wedding ceremony, followed by the grand banquet, and of course, the most crucial part of the night... right?

Yet, having married two wives at once, which one should he sleep with tonight? Luan Yi glanced at the bridal sedan chair on the right, which held his primary wife, Cai Yan; then he looked at the sedan on the left, which carried his concubine, the breathtaking Diaochan. To be honest, deep in his heart, he longed to consummate the marriage with Diaochan. Yet he also knew clearly that, whether dictated by ethical customs or human sentiments, he ought to share the bridal bed with his primary wife tonight. He owed Cai Yan far too much—truly far too much!