Chapter 1050: The Looming Wedding
Chapter 1050: The Looming Wedding
September 25, 2017
As Xin Ping and Wang Jun's breakthroughs concluded, their lives resumed their usual routines. However, Lu HaiKong's life was far from mundane, given his vast business empire.
Although he spent most of his time in the Northern Town Hall, there were still numerous projects requiring his personal inspection.
Among the projects requiring his attention, aside from the Imperial Ancestral Cauldron's refinement, which was of utmost interest to Lu HaiKong, there were also the Beast Legion Project, the Beast Warhorse Project, and the Mechanization Integration Project that he had initiated upon returning from Kunlun City.
Lu HaiKong's life oscillated between various governmental affairs and project inspections, keeping him busy and fulfilled.
While Lu HaiKong was occupied, Xi Zhicai was equally immersed in his tasks, primarily focused on Lu HaiKong's wedding. It was the first time Lu HaiKong had witnessed Xi Zhicai's immense enthusiasm for a single endeavor.
For Lu HaiKong's grand wedding, Xi Zhicai set aside his usual habit of doing as much as possible for others. From writing the wedding invitations to arranging the wedding venue and accommodating guests, he took charge of every minute detail related to the wedding.
His demeanor resembled that of an older brother who had finally found a bride for his younger brother—joyful, busy, and slightly nervous. Ironically, the two main participants in the wedding seemed less concerned about the event.
Xi Zhicai didn't comment on this, but it seemed that, for him, the most important thing was for Lu HaiKong and the Third Princess to marry and start a family.
Although Lu HaiKong wasn't entirely sure about the wedding preparations, he knew that Xi Zhicai had sent out all the invitations. By now, most of the world had likely received them.
However, he wondered what the various powers of the world thought about his upcoming wedding.
...
What could they possibly think?
Ever since Lu HaiKong had stormed into Luoyang and rescued the Third Princess, the world had known that their marriage was inevitable.
Therefore, the wedding came as no surprise to the various factions. If there was any surprise, it was that they had waited this long to tie the knot.
Despite the lack of surprise, it didn't mean that everyone blessed Lu HaiKong and the Third Princess's union. In fact, outside of Bingzhou, there were hardly any supporters of their marriage.
Neither Dong Zhuo nor Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Quan wanted to see Lu HaiKong and the Third Princess wed.
After all, both individuals held extraordinary statuses, and their union would carry even greater significance.
Particularly for some royalists and loyal ministers of the Great Han Empire, the marriage between Lu HaiKong and the Third Princess was highly objectionable. The Third Princess was not only a princess but also the wielder of the Crimson Heaven Sword.
What was the Crimson Heaven Sword? It was the Imperial Path Sword, a treasure of the Liu family, and a symbol of imperial authority!
The mere presence of the sword in the Third Princess's hands was already unbearable for some stubborn traditionalists. Now, with the news of her marriage to Lu HaiKong, a legitimate and proper union, it was even more intolerable for them.
Although Lu HaiKong didn't explicitly state that the Crimson Heaven Sword was part of the Third Princess's dowry, it was an obvious implication.
Once Lu HaiKong and the Third Princess were married, a notion would spread throughout the world: Lu HaiKong equals the Third Princess equals the Crimson Heaven Sword. This equation, once established, would have dire consequences.
The emergence of the Crimson Heaven Sword could be interpreted as a sign of Lu HaiKong's destiny.
Crimson Heaven Sword
The choice of the Third Princess was made for Lu Hai Kong, and Lu Hai Kong was the true chosen one of the Crimson Heaven Sword. With Lu Hai Kong's current influence, the consequences were inevitable.
Thus, very few in the world were willing to see Lu Hai Kong marry the Third Princess.
However, reality sometimes unfolds in unexpected ways. Despite their dissatisfaction with Lu Hai Kong and the Third Princess' marriage, when faced with the wedding announcement, they had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.
This was especially true for Dong Zhuo, who had just been defeated by Lu Hai Kong, and Gong Sun Zan, Lu Hai Kong's neighboring warlord. In this situation, they not only had to reluctantly accept the wedding announcement but also had to consider what grand gift to send for the wedding.
Of course, not everyone was so timid. There were also many stubborn and valiant men who, upon receiving Lu Hai Kong's wedding announcement, immediately rejected it!
For instance, Liu Yu, the Governor of Youzhou, and Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou, as well as some of Liu Bei's relatives from the Imperial Han family, who was now almost an unofficial king in the Shu Region.
They were utterly against the marriage between Lu Hai Kong and the Third Princess. As members of the Imperial Han family, they could not stand by and watch as the Crimson Heaven Sword fell into Lu Hai Kong's possession.
However, their reasons for such a strong stance varied. Liu Yu's side was purely driven by his strong sense of justice. Even as Lu Hai Kong's neighbor, he was fearless.
Not only did he reject the wedding announcement, but he also wrote a letter condemning Lu Hai Kong, calling him a rebel traitor with designs on the nation's treasures and a deceptive villain who had bewitched the princess. He demanded that Lu Hai Kong release the Third Princess immediately and that the princess return the Crimson Heaven Sword.
Liu Yu vented his anger in the letter, but in the end, it was never sent.
One of Liu Yu's most trusted aides intercepted the letter halfway, knowing his lord's temperament. Sensing that the content was not favorable, he took a look and was shocked, almost having a heart attack. Cold sweat broke out all over his body, and he was fortunate to have stopped it in time. If the letter had reached Lu Hai Kong, they would all likely have faced death.
The aide then rewrote a new letter with a neutral tone and no substantial content and sent it to Lu Hai Kong.
Liu Yu's side clearly showed the stubbornness and inflexibility of an old man. He was simply unafraid of death, believing that some things were more important than his life. On the other hand, Liu Biao's side simply felt that the emperor's power was distant and unreachable.
Yes, Lu Hai Kong was formidable, but if he had the ability, why didn't he come and fight?
They were far away in the south, and Lu Hai Kong had yet to unify the northern continent. It was uncertain when, if ever, he would reach them.
Under these circumstances, they naturally feared Lu Hai Kong less, and they could tear up the wedding announcement without hesitation.
It wasn't just these Imperial Han relatives; many other powers also ignored Lu Hai Kong's wedding announcement, as if they hadn't seen it.
Of course, such responses were in the minority. Most people were more rational.
Those already under Lu Hai Kong's formidable influence didn't need to be mentioned. Some who were farther away from Lu Hai Kong, upon receiving his wedding announcement, also instructed their subordinates to prepare congratulatory gifts to send to him.
Regardless of how others reacted to the wedding announcement, Xi Zhicai's preparations continued in an orderly manner.
As time passed, Lu Hai Kong and the Third Princess' wedding date drew closer.
The refinement of the Imperial Ancestral Cauldron was also nearing completion, and in Bei Feng, Xi Zhicai had almost finished his preparations.
At this time, various powers across the world began to make their moves, and almost every corner of the land had people rushing to Bingzhou with gifts.
A single wedding announcement had mobilized most of the world's powers, showcasing Lu Hai Kong's influence at this moment.
Under such a grand occasion, Lu Hai Kong was about to welcome his wedding...
(End of Chapter)
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