The Little Tyrant from Prince Su’s Manor carried the bride he had snatched and ran three big laps around the capital, causing a city-wide sensation.
The eldest son of Minister Qin was still outside, keeping an actress company and listening to tunes, when he heard the news. He threw down the eyebrow brush he was using to paint the actress’s eyebrows and rushed home in a hurry.
As soon as he entered the door, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Mom, Mom, Mom!”
“Mom, Young Master Lou is getting married! Let’s quickly prepare generous congratulatory gifts and go to Prince Su’s Manor to offer our congratulations!”
Madam Qin nearly rolled her eyes to the back of her head. She grabbed her son’s ear and twisted it hard.
Scolding him, she said, “Are you trying to trick your mother out of money again to buy gifts for your entertainers?!”
At least find a more believable excuse if you’re going to lie!
Would someone like Lou Buqi ever get married? You’re trying to fool a ghost!
Eldest Young Master Qin straightened his neck under Madam Qin’s grip and cried out, “Mom, Mom, Mom! It’s true!”
“Didn’t you see the huge red flower pinned to Young Master Lou’s chest? What else could it be if not for a wedding?”
It couldn’t possibly be a reward from his kindergarten teacher for good behavior, could it?
Madam Qin slowly released her grip on his ear and asked in surprise, “Are you telling the truth?”
Eldest Young Master Qin raised his hand and swore, “Absolutely true.”
Madam Qin slapped her son again. “Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up! Change your clothes and go to the feast!”
She slowly began to grasp the situation and murmured, “Oh my, even Young Master Lou, that perennial iron tree, has finally blossomed. Which family’s daughter is the bride?”
Eldest Young Master Qin vividly recounted to his mother how Lou Buqi had snatched Ju Yue.
Lou Buqi had crashed someone else’s wedding and stolen their bride, ruining their ceremony.
He even tore down the red flowers from the door plaque!
But that wasn’t all—he actually managed to lure away all the guests too!
It was an unprecedented act of madness!
The Yun Family’s dignity had been stripped away and trampled underfoot. Who could tolerate such a thing?
Just wait and see—the Yun Family would definitely take this matter to the Emperor!
Madam Qin had long been dissatisfied with her son for spending his time carousing outside.
Now, with Lou Buqi as a comparison, her son’s actions—keeping an actress company and painting her eyebrows—seemed like nothing at all!
His mother would surely think he was an exceptionally well-behaved child!
Eldest Young Master Qin thought to himself.
Just then, Madam Qin slapped the coffee table and said indignantly, “Young Master Lou acted chivalrously when he saw injustice! You should learn from him!”
Eldest Young Master Qin was utterly stunned.
Wait.
Lou Buqi clearly caused trouble. How did that become an act of chivalry?
Madam Qin glanced coldly at her son, her words sharp as knives:
“What do you know? If you’re good-looking, it’s called chivalry! If you’re not, then it’s just causing trouble!”
Eldest Young Master Qin clutched his chest.
Madam Qin grew angrier as she spoke. “And you even spend money to keep an actress! If it were Young Master Lou, he’d just stand there, and the actress would pay him instead!”
Eldest Young Master Qin:…
Utterly crushed by his mother.
Similar scenes played out in the homes of nobles and officials across the Da Ye Dynasty.
Everyone hurriedly changed their clothes, gathered their congratulatory gifts, and headed to the manor to offer their congratulations.
Before they even reached the entrance of Prince Su’s Manor, the carriages were already so crowded they couldn’t move.
After getting out and walking, they took a look.
Wow! Good heavens, a feast for a thousand people had already been set up outside the manor’s entrance.
All the guests had brought their own tables, chairs, food, and drinks to the manor.
The suddenness of it all left Prince Su's Manor with no immediate place to accommodate so many guests, so people settled themselves right outside the manor's gates.
They feasted in the open air, a thousand people dining as they waited.
Prince Su's Manor hastily sent people to order banquets from major restaurants, supplying the crowd in a continuous stream.
Some clever souls even went to fetch food from the Yun Family's kitchen!
After all, it was all meant for the guests—no harm in bringing it over!
The spectacle and liveliness were beyond description.
Finally, the spirited young man Lou Buqi returned, carrying the bride on his shoulder.
Behind him, the procession couldn't keep up, stumbling and staggering.
The suona players were so out of breath that their tunes went off-key.
What should have been the elegant "Phoenix Seeks Phoenix" was mangled into something like "Crows Rolling in the Stove Pond."
The young folks whistled, stomped, and slapped their thighs, adding to the joyous uproar.
"The young master is incredible!"
Who else had the stamina to carry a bride and run three laps around the capital?
Only their young master!
Amid the admiration, there were also those who were exasperated: "Damn it all!"
"I'm getting married next month—how am I supposed to top what the young master did?"
What if his own bride demanded to be carried around the city three times? He’d never manage it—would he even survive?
The crowd laughed gleefully at his plight.
To outsiders, it was a festive spectacle, but for Prince Su's Manor, it was an undeniable test.
Arranging a wedding in such a short time was an unprecedented challenge, with immense pressure and tight deadlines.
At this critical moment, Prince Su and Princess Su stepped up, calmly delegating tasks one by one.
Some were assigned to greet guests, others to run errands and order banquets,
and still others to open the storerooms, retrieve items, and decorate the wedding hall and bridal chamber.
…
Fortunately, Princess Su had prepared for the unexpected, having long ago procured everything her son would need for his wedding. She even updated these items annually to keep up with market trends.
Thus, before Lou Buqi returned with the bride, Prince Su's Manor had swiftly completed a series of preparations.
Prince Su and Princess Su even found time to bathe, apply makeup, change into new clothes, and take their seats in the main hall to preside over the newlyweds' ceremony.
While outsiders saw only the excitement, those in the know recognized the skill involved. Anyone with insight couldn't help but view Prince Su's Manor in a new light.
Their thorough stockpiling of supplies showed foresight; their servants' efficiency and discipline reflected superb management;
and their commanders were truly exceptional.
To be caught off guard yet respond swiftly and handle things appropriately—this wasn't something every household head could achieve.
Without any one of these three elements, today's wedding at Prince Su's Manor would have become a laughingstock!
No wonder Lou Buqi dared to act so boldly and arrogantly outside—he truly had the confidence to do so.
Because no matter what he did, Prince Su's Manor could always back him up!
Minister Qin and his wife attended the wedding together, deep in thought throughout.
Midway through the banquet, he excused himself for some fresh air and went to the manor's small garden.
There, he deliberately ran into Prince Su, who was hiding from the toasts.
Seeing Minister Qin, Prince Su lowered the hand massaging his temples and smiled. "With such a rebellious son, I'm afraid we've given you quite a show, Minister Qin."
Minister Qin also smiled. "The young master is truly genuine in character. It's my own son who's the real troublemaker."
Prince Su had long been troubled by his son's stubborn refusal to marry, so today, seeing his son finally willing to take a wife, he was overjoyed.
Though the method was a bit unorthodox, young people—who hasn't gone a little crazy for love in their youth?
"I can understand, haha."
Prince Su was somewhat surprised to see Minister Qin taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with him.
As everyone knew, the longstanding grievances between the nobility and the upright scholar-officials in the court ran deep, and the two factions had long held each other in contempt.
The upright literati, led by Minister Qin, had climbed their way up step by step through the imperial examinations after years of arduous study, naturally looking down on those "parasites" who lazily relied on the achievements of their ancestors.
Meanwhile, these "parasitic" descendants, in turn, looked down on the shabby and frugal ways of the upright literati.
Thus, although they served in the same court, Minister Qin rarely paid Prince Su any mind.
There had even been times in court when they argued fiercely over differing political views.
Sitting down calmly like this to discuss their children's embarrassing mishaps was a first.
But Prince Su could sense the goodwill Minister Qin was extending and naturally went along with it.
Surprisingly, the two of them grew more and more engrossed in their conversation, feeling as though they had met too late.
In the end, Prince Su even ordered a table of wine and dishes to be set up in the small garden, where the two sat knee-to-knee, talking deep into the night.
Both maintained an unspoken agreement: they spoke only of trivial matters, avoiding politics altogether.
Yet, amid the clinking of cups that evening, the power dynamics within the court quietly shifted.
How a few dishes and cups of fine wine in the small garden could stir the winds of change was something Lou Buqi and Ju Yue naturally knew nothing about.
Ju Yue sat in the unfamiliar bridal chamber, pouting in disappointment as she looked at the meager collection of bottles and jars in her vanity.
A rouge pot, a lead powder box, a few eyebrow pencils.
That was it!
The variety and quantity of cosmetics and skincare products in ancient times were naturally far inferior to those of the modern era.
Having held her spirits high all day, Ju Yue finally broke down at the moment of removing her makeup.