Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy this next chapter :)
Beta: JeanGirlMY
- Chapter Start -
The main courtyard of Lotus Pier was a riot of colour in the bright sunshine, thanks to the large umbrellas over each table. The tables themselves were filled with junior disciples, merchants and nearby townspeople who couldn't be accommodated inside the main hall. They broke into loud cheers and applause when the wedding party appeared again. Hired musicians seated to one side launched into a wedding song.
As they wound their way through the tables, the newlyweds looked cool and comfortable despite their heavy wedding finery. Wei Ying had drawn a cooling spell on their robes, something he had invented many years ago to circumvent the hot summers of Yunmeng. He had also done the same for Jiang YanLi and Sisi, but it didn't stop them from huddling under a shared umbrella.
Taking his cue from them, Wen Ning shielded Wen Qing with the red umbrella he had borrowed from Granny Wen. It wasn't easy maneuvering it between the large, colourful umbrellas over each table. He ended up bowing and apologising for each jostle he caused.
"Xian-gege, when are we going to eat?" A-Yuan asked, tugging at Wei Ying's hand.
Just then, Master Lan, the Twin Jades, Jin GuangYao and Jin ZiXuan emerged from the hall. Jin ZiXuan made a beeline for his wife and urged her to go back in, saying that while waiting for lunch to be served, she could nibble on the pastries he had bought yesterday. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng raised their eyebrows at each other, knowing that Jiang YanLi hadn't followed her husband then so he had likely gotten himself fleeced.
Since Jin ZiXuan took the umbrella with him, Master Lan pressed Sisi to go in as well, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. That gesture made Wei Ying and GuangYao grin. Unlike their husbands, they enjoyed seeing the older couple's interactions, finding them rather cute.
"Oh dear, not them," GuangYao muttered.
Following his gaze, Wei Ying spotted a group of brightly dressed women with rouged cheeks and lips, sitting at a table some distance away. One of the ladies was far older and more richly dressed than the others. They were all staring at Sisi, taking in the white ribbon with cloud motif around her forehead and the pale blue and white silk robes she wore. Their expressions ranged from surprise to envy to although one had a pinched and angry expression.
"Are they courtesans? They seem to know Aunt Sisi," ZeWu Jun asked in a low voice.
"They're from the brothel where I grew up, Er-ge." GuangYao's voice was low as he tried to hide behind ZeWu Jun. "That's their madam."
"Who's the angry one?" Wei WuXian wanted to know.
"Anxin-jie. Aunt Sisi fought with her once because she was rude to my mother. They never got along well after that."
"Oi, Sisi! Over here!" One of them called, causing Anxin to glare at her.
Sisi turned to them, eyebrows going up in surprise before she smiled and inclined her head graciously. Anxin's eyes narrowed and she jumped up, but the other ladies pulled her back down. Master Lan appeared not to notice although he led Sisi back to the main hall with alacrity.
Lan Zhan held A-Yuan's other hand and looked perfectly content to be there. Casting another cooling spell on Lan Zhan's robes, Wei Ying snickered when their son started describing the newlyweds' almost kiss and actual kiss in great detail. Lan Zhan listened with great attention and murmured 'Mn' where appropriate.
The bride and groom blushed as A-Yuan's piping treble carried over the chatter of voices, drawing good natured laughter from the crowd. With a muted groan, Jiang Cheng quickly tugged Wen Qing in the direction of the hall. Jiang Long, the Twin Jades and their husbands followed with a final wave at the crowd.
There were more cheers and applause when they entered the hall. A beaming Jiang Long led the newlyweds to the front while the others returned to their seats, Fourth Uncle motioning to a reluctant A-Yuan to sit with him.
As the applause died down, Jiang Long turned to address the crowd with a respectful bow.
"Sect leaders and honoured guests, family and friends. On behalf of Sect Leader Jiang and the Yunmeng Jiang sect, I thank you for gracing this happy occasion with your esteemed presence and for your valuable wedding gifts. Please enjoy the lunch that will be served in a very short while. There will be dance performances after that and in the late afternoon, swimming and archery competitions. You are all invited to take part!"
After the cheers died down, Jiang Long continued, grinning broadly.
"Certain young masters will be excluded from the archery competition, but we hope they will give us an exhibition of their prowess." He glanced at the Lan sect where the Twin Jades nodded and Wei Ying chuckled in acknowledgement, and then at the Jin sect where Jin ZiXuan inclined his head, looking smug.
"Finally, please lift your cups to drink a toast with the newlyweds, Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Jiang!"
As applause broke out again, Jiang Long bowed and walked back to his seat. A servant girl offered two cups of wine to Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing who held them up with both hands.
"Thank you, Head Disciple Jiang Long," Jiang Cheng said, solemn except for the grin that he had to keep forcing down. "Wen Qing and I are honoured by everyone's presence, we can't thank you enough. Please, drink a toast with us. Ganbei!"
"Ganbei!" Everyone raised their cups of wine or tea and toasted the couple.
Wei Ying smiled at Jiang YanLi across the aisle, seeing the same joy in her face that he felt. The happiness that their younger brother exhibited today was a far cry from how he had despaired of winning his beloved's heart not too long ago.
Yet here they stood before them now, husband and wife.
Jiang Cheng had insisted that he had no wish to preside over his guests so he and Wen Qing went to sit beside the Lans where two tables with red cutlery and dishes had been set, in front of Wen Ning and Granny Wen.
A long line of smiling Jiang servants entered the hall with laden trays, bringing with them the signature aromas of Yunmeng cuisine. Others carried trays of vegetarian or mildly seasoned dishes.
Wei Ying accepted an unopened bottle of wine from a servant and murmured his thanks. Ignoring the tray of food set before him, he took a moment to look around. The three Lans had vegetarian food while he, Sisi and GuangYao had spicy dishes.
He looked across the aisle again, seeing Jin ZiXuan taking away the tottering pile of snacks on his wife's table only to quickly put them back when she protested. Madam Jin watched them with a happy smile. A young boy who sat half hidden behind her kept stealing glances at Nie HuaiSang who pretended not to notice. Instead, HuaiSang caught Wei Ying's eye and waved at him before taking a sip of wine.
A few seats further down, the Wens were eating and laughing. Wei Ying's smile widened at the sight of his little radish eating with a good appetite. Fourth uncle put a piece of spicy looking meat on his plate which A-Yuan nibbled at. His eyes widened and he downed his tea, but nodded when Fourth Uncle asked if he liked it.
Wei Ying could feel his grin turning sappy and looked away. He nodded at whoever caught his eye, knowing some of the smaller sect leaders by face if not by name. Having looked his fill, he turned back to his little family. Sisi was enjoying the dish of saliva chicken and trying to get Master Lan to try some. His head shake was adamant, but his glare half-hearted at best. Wei Ying grinned at Sisi and quickly looked away before Master Lan could catch him and think it was his idea to burn his taste buds.
Taking a leaf from Sisi's book, Wei Ying tempted Lan Zhan with a piece of chicken and and succeeded. He snickered when Lan Zhan's eyes widened before he quickly downed his tea, looking so much like A-Yuan in that moment that Wei Ying almost melted. Seeing that, ZeWu Jun shook his head when GuangYao tried to do the same and pouted when he failed. Across the aisle, Sect Leader Nie noticed their interaction, his eyes gleaming.
Lan Wu sat behind Chen-yishi. He was as prim and proper as always, eating in silence and trying to ignore a chatty Jiang Xiu who sat beside him.
"Wei Ying?"
Wei Ying hurriedly shoveled in a mouthful of rice before turning to Lan Zhan.
"I'm eating," he said. Quite intelligibly of course.
This was the fourth wedding he had attended in the past three months including his own. One would think he would be jaded by now as the ceremonies and customs were similar, as were many of the guests attending each one. But each wedding had left imprints of different memories in Wei Ying's mind.
The decor for Jiang YanLi and the peacock's wedding reception were too ostentatious and over the top, while the occasion was marred by Jin ZiXun's outburst and Jin GuangShan's attempt to kill Wei Ying with poisoned wine. On the other hand, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan's double wedding with ZeWu Jun and GuangYao was more restrained, kept in check by silent and barely approving Lan Elders. Master Lan's wedding to Sisi would have been even more spartan if not for Wei Ying and GuangYao's determination to liven it up with family, friends and music.
It was no surprise that Wei Ying found today's wedding the most joyful of the four, celebrated without any disapproving elders or political intrigues, celebrated with no fear of being too loud or not being grand enough. It was also held at Lotus Pier where Wei Ying had grown up.
Today's wedding was perfect.
- o -
Several hours later...
The sun was setting, turning the waters of the lake golden as the sky took on purple, pink and orange hues. The group of richly dressed guests, heading for the main hall for dinner, paused to admire the stunning sunset and enjoy the breeze blowing in from the lake, taking away the heat of the afternoon.
After the wedding lunch was over, half the guests had retired to the guestrooms to rest from traveling or sleep off the potent lotus wine. The other half remained behind to enjoy the dance and acrobatic performances.
Two hours after that, when it wasn't as hot, they walked to the pier of the biggest lake to either participate in or witness the swimming competition. A tent had been set up, completed with chairs and refreshments while those who participated were offered towels and spare robes after their swim.
Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing, who had rested and changed into more comfortable robes, were the judges of the competition - a one hundred feet swim out to the middle of the lake where they had to retrieve a token from a floating boat and swim back to the pier. Jiang Long and two senior disciples were on hand to help anyone with swimming difficulties while Jiang Xiu and Lan Wu were there in case anyone required medical help.
The competition didn't take long to complete with the audience cheering on the participants. To no one's surprise, the first five places were won by junior Jiang junior disciples and the sons of the local fishermen. Prizes were given out to the first ten participants and then everyone proceeded to the archery competition set up in a nearby training field. Another tent had been built for the guests to watch in comfort.
This time, the competition was more evenly spread out among the disciples of the different sects. GuangYao politely declined to take part and nominated Lan Wu in his stead even though the latter protested that he was just a junior healer. He did well, his arrow just inside the innermost circle of the target. Jiang Xiu applauded enthusiastically enough that he almost fled the scene.
After everyone had shot their arrows, the elite were called on next. Nie MingJue saw his younger brother was nowhere to be found (not that he would have performed well anyway), but the Twin Jades and Sect Leader Jin consented to give an exhibition of their prowess. Their arrows flew straight and true, the points embedding in the exact centre of their respective targets. Everyone applauded loudly before turning expectantly to Wei Ying who had been famous for his talent at archery. He only walked out after quirking an eyebrow at Jiang Cheng and getting a nod from him.
Grinning, Wei Ying took the bow from Lan Zhan and stood behind the line that had been drawn on the ground. Instead of just one arrow, he nocked three. With a flirtatious wink at Lan Zhan whose ears promptly turned pink, he turned and fired all three arrows at the same time. Each one flew to their respective targets, splitting ZeWu Jun, Lan Zhan and Jin ZiXuan's arrows right down the middle.
The cheers and applause were deafening. Jiang Cheng folded his arms across his chest and immediately derided his brother for being a show off and spitting on his husband and two brothers in law's skills, all the while fighting to keep the proud grin off his face.
ZeWu Jun smiled graciously and offered his congratulations to Wei Ying. Jin ZiXuan did the same, but Lan Zhan stood very still as if rooted to the ground, eyes glittering. Then he took a step forward and grabbed Wei Ying's arm, swinging him around to face him. Alarmed, Jiang Cheng actually stood up and then he blanched when the very proper HanGuang Jun yanked the grinning Yiling Patriarch into a kiss, hard and thorough enough to make a few ladies swoon.
Half the audience was shocked and embarrassed, the other shocked and entertained. Master Lan, Lan Wu, Madam Jin and Jin ZiXuan looked appalled. GuangYao, Sisi, Jiang YanLi, Nie HuaiSang and A-Yuan squealed and cheered.
On that note, the newlyweds thanked everyone again for attending their big day and wished them a safe journey home. The minor sects and townspeople left and the gates of Lotus Pier were closed and locked up for the night. Only family and friends from the Lan, Jin and Nie sects remained as they would spend the night before traveling home tomorrow.
That was a couple of hours ago.
As the last bit of the sun sank beneath the lake and oil lamps were brought out to light the walkways, the guests were ushered to the main hall where a delicious seafood dinner awaited them all.
- Chapter End -
A/N: Thank you for reading! Ganbei means 'Bottoms up' in English :) We'll get to the ChengQing wedding night in the next chapter if my muse cooperates. Meanwhile, please leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter and take care :)
