This only strengthened her conviction that she had made the right choice. Only by doing this could she once again become the center of attention and escape that wretched life of exile, crawling through the mud like a maggot.
She was led to the center of the hall. Through the narrow gap beneath her veil, she could see another pair of feet in embroidered boots, trembling slightly.
It was Gu Yanzong.
He could actually walk again?
Although his steps were unsteady and he needed two strong servants to support him, compared with his previous state—unconscious and barely clinging to life—this was a world of difference!
“Master Gu is truly blessed!”
“It seems this new bride really is lucky. Master Gu’s health improved before she had even married into the family!”
“She’s a lucky star! A true bringer of good fortune!”
Whispers of praise rippled through the guests, each word reaching Feng Xianxian’s ears with perfect clarity.
The excitement and vanity surging through her heart instantly swelled to their peak.
A lucky star! She was a lucky star!
See? Even Heaven was on her side! With Gu Yanzong recovering, she would be able to sit securely in the position of Madam Gu and enjoy untold wealth and glory!
Happiness was already within reach.
The master of ceremonies raised his voice. “The auspicious hour has arrived—the bride and groom shall pay their respects!”
“First bow—to Heaven and Earth!”
The corners of Feng Xianxian’s lips lifted uncontrollably as she bent gracefully into a bow.
However, just as she lowered herself, a violent commotion and angry shouts suddenly erupted at the entrance to the main hall!
“By order of the authorities! We’re here to arrest someone! Stand aside!”
Two figures in constable uniforms, utterly out of place amid the wedding festivities, shoved aside the household servants and barged in like demons from the underworld.
The man leading them had triangular eyes and a vicious expression.
It was Zhang Dapeng.
What?
The constables had come to arrest someone?
The guests erupted in astonishment. The joyous atmosphere froze in an instant as everyone stared at the two unwelcome intruders.
Gu Yanzong had already been forcing himself to remain standing. Now, startled by the sudden upheaval, his face turned ashen and his body began to sway. Trembling, he pointed at Zhang Dapeng.
“Who are you? How dare you barge into my wedding hall?!”
Zhang Dapeng’s gaze swept over Feng Xianxian, who stood frozen in her scarlet bridal gown, veil still covering her face. A cruel smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He had been too lazy to report to the local authorities first, so he had come directly with his colleague to arrest her.
Though there were only two of them, that was more than enough to apprehend Feng Xianxian.
Beneath her veil, Feng Xianxian recognized the voice immediately.
It was Zhang Dapeng!
She was scared out of her wits.
He absolutely could not reveal her identity in front of everyone!
She abruptly tore off her red veil. Disregarding all propriety, she hurried several steps toward Zhang Dapeng. Under the astonished gazes of the guests, she seized him by the arm and dragged him into a secluded corner. Then, in a frantic whisper audible only to the two of them, she pleaded, “Constable Zhang! Brother Zhang! Please, let me go! As long as you keep quiet and help me get through this, I…I’ll give you whatever you want once I have money! Gold, silver, treasures—just name your price!”
Zhang Dapeng looked at her heavily made-up face, twisted by fear and desperation. Greed flickered in his eyes.
He violently shook off her hand and hissed viciously, “Bah! Who wants your filthy money? You’re an exile! If I took your bribe, I’d be guilty of colluding with a criminal. That’s a capital offense!”
He paused, then seemed to remember something. His expression turned mocking.
“If you want someone to blame, blame Cheng Yao! If she hadn’t been so eager to show off and stir up trouble, getting herself kidnapped by bandits and making Constable Wang paranoid about everything, refusing to overlook even the slightest mistake, I wouldn’t have had to be so cautious! This is all her fault!”
His words instantly set Feng Xianxian’s hatred for Cheng Yao ablaze.
Cheng Yao!
It was Cheng Yao again!
That accursed woman haunted her like a vengeful ghost, even ruining the chance she had finally seized to turn her life around.
Feng Xianxian wanted nothing more than to tear Cheng Yao apart and devour her alive.
While Feng Xianxian stood there in utter despair, the other constable, Feng Wencai, had already produced his identity token. He held it up and shouted to the pale, staggering Gu Yanzong and the guests filling the hall:
“This woman, Feng Xianxian, is a convicted exile from the Zhan family of the capital! Yesterday, at the market, she falsely accused another exile, ordered her servants to forcibly abduct the victim, and fled after the scheme failed! By law, she is to be arrested immediately and brought back for trial. She will be dealt with severely!”
The entire hall fell silent.
Then, like a pot of boiling water, the crowd exploded.
“An exile?!”
“The Zhan family? The Zhan family from the capital—the one whose estate was confiscated and whose members were exiled?”
“My heavens! Master Gu actually married an exile to bring himself good luck?”
“What a spectacular joke!”
The guests’ whispers, mocking laughter, and gleeful, contemptuous stares struck Feng Xianxian like countless steel needles.
“You…you…” Gu Yanzong pointed at Feng Xianxian, trembling with rage. He had always cared deeply about his reputation, yet now, in front of all these guests, he had somehow married an exile. He had been utterly humiliated!
Overcome by fury and shock, he suddenly vomited a mouthful of black blood. His eyes rolled back, and he toppled backward, falling completely unconscious amid a chorus of startled cries.
“Father!”
“Master!”
At that moment, several teenage boys and girls rushed out from the inner hall. Their clothes were fairly fine, but their brows carried an unmistakable edge of hostility and resentment.
They had clearly heard the commotion outside. The moment they emerged, their eyes locked onto Feng Xianxian in her bridal gown.
“It’s that shameless woman!”
“She tricked Father into marrying her! She even wants to steal our family fortune!”
“Beat her!”
The boys and girls charged forward like a pack of feral cubs. Without a word of warning, they began punching and kicking Feng Xianxian. They clawed at her with their nails and struck her with their fists, all while hurling abuse at her.
Caught completely off guard, Feng Xianxian’s phoenix crown was knocked from her head, her hair was yanked loose, and her magnificent bridal gown was torn apart. She screamed repeatedly, reduced to a wretched and humiliated mess.
“Who are you? What gives you the right to hit me?” she shouted in shock and fury, shielding her head and face.
One of the older boys finally stopped and pointed viciously at her nose.
“What gives us the right? We’re Gu Yanzong’s children! You filthy exile—how dare you think you’re worthy of entering the Gu family?”
His…his children?!
Feng Xianxian felt as though she had been struck by lightning. She abruptly raised her head and stared in disbelief at the boys and girls glaring angrily at her.
“That’s impossible! He clearly told me he had no wife!”
A guest who had been watching the spectacle kindly explained, “Master Gu never formally married a legitimate wife, that’s true. But he has plenty of women on the side! These children were born to some of his mistresses. He usually gives them money to raise the children elsewhere.
“Master Gu is a crafty one. He refuses to marry because he doesn’t want a wife, concubines, and children dividing up his property! As for marrying you today, that was nothing more than a performance to bring him luck and coax you into serving as his auspicious bride. He didn’t even register the marriage contract with the authorities! And you actually thought you could become Madam Gu? Dream on!”
Feng Xianxian felt as though she had been struck by lightning once again.
So the supposedly legitimate wife’s position, the promise of inheriting the family fortune—all of it had been a lie from beginning to end!
Gu Yanzong had never intended to give her any status at all. He had only wanted to use her to bring himself good fortune. Once the purpose was served, she would likely be worth even less to him than these children born to his mistresses.
The enormous humiliation and fury at having been deceived drove Feng Xianxian almost insane.
