Chapter 243
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Chapter 243: Getting on the Sedan Chair
Chao Lu felt depressed for a long time, pressing down the dissatisfaction in her heart, she asked, “Why?”
“The answer lies in your hands,” the old woman said.
Chao Lu looked at the wedding dress, the wedding dress that Liu Xiaowan hand-stitched, and asked, “What kind of answer is this?”
“A beautiful wedding dress, the beauty of a woman’s lifetime,” the old woman did not touch the wedding dress, but said, “Don’t you think it’s too heavy?”
“What?”
“The emotions are too heavy, so heavy, will anyone be willing to take it on?”
“That’s a man’s problem, not a woman’s,” Chao Lu denied.
“This wedding dress is a restraint,” the old woman continued, “Liu Xiaowan wants him to stay, to stay in this town.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Chao Lu didn’t understand, “Living a peaceful life, marrying and having children, everyone can do it, why not him?”
“Yes, but not him.”
“Why?”
“Because he is the Pacification Officer of the Monster-slaying Bureau.”
“What kind of reason is that? Why can’t family and country coexist?”
“What about you?” the old woman asked again, “You are the Princess of the Demon Kingdom, why do you only think about going back? If you were in a place where your loved ones were, would you leave them behind and go back home without hesitation, or would you forget about your homeland and choose to stay here? Or perhaps, would you bring your loved ones back to the war-torn land where death could come at any moment?”
Princess Chao Lu instantly understood the piercing heart of this choice.
As a woman, she could empathize with Liu Xiaowan; but as a princess, she could empathize with Bai Wei’s position.
Without a country, where is home? When you go all out, will you bring your loved ones with you?
“Is this the reason for the eternal sorrow of Crouching Tiger?” she asked dryly.
“This is also the fate that Crouching Tiger cannot avoid,” the old woman recited, “A body of seven feet, already pledged to the country, it is difficult to promise affection again.”
Chao Lu felt a suffocating feeling in her heart, sad and sorrowful, she whispered, “He is not wrong either.”
The old woman said, “He is not wrong, Liu Er is not wrong, then who is wrong?”
Chao Lu said softly, “There are many things in the world like this, there is no right or wrong, only consequences.”
She smoothed out the wrinkles on the wedding dress, “It’s a pity for this wedding dress, woven stitch by stitch, yet no one can wear it.”
The old woman shook her head, “You’re wrong again.”
“What?” Chao Lu looked up, “Did he change his mind after all?”
The old woman said, “It’s not about changing his mind, but sometimes things that seem difficult to the parties involved only need a gentle push from an outsider… Besides, Liu Xiaowan is not limited to marrying that wooden person.”
Chao Lu changed her expression, as a die-hard romantic, she rejected this possibility, “How could she be willing to marry someone else?”
“Does it matter if she is willing or not?” the old woman countered, “You forgot what kind of era this is.”
Chao Lu gritted her teeth and stood up, “What’s the next item!”
The elderly woman placed her hands flat on her knees and said, “The last item, the blood-stained clothes.”
Chao Lu rushed out of the courtyard, pushed open the door, and once again came to the town. This time, the sky was dark, accompanied by thunderous rumbles.
Many townspeople, young and old, were gathered in front of the door of the Liu family, with sorrowful expressions and sobbing voices.
The gatekeepers of the past were nowhere to be seen, leaving only a dozen soldiers in armor blocking the way.
“Get out of here!” a steward shouted, his voice sharp. “Today is a joyous occasion in the general’s mansion. What are you causing a ruckus here for? A bunch of rural townspeople dare to block the gate? How audacious! If you dare to obstruct when the sedan chair comes out, don’t blame me for not being polite!”
A strong woman from the town stood up and said, “I don’t care whether you are from the general’s mansion or not. If you want to marry Miss Liu, you must let her come out and explain. If you are forcing her, we won’t let you carry the sedan chair!”
The steward’s expression became furious, and he was about to order his men to take action.
“Steward, it’s better to let Miss Liu come out and speak for herself. If she refuses to get on the sedan chair, the general will be angry…”
The steward was still dissatisfied.
“The general has deep feelings for Miss Liu, you have to be careful, don’t throw a tantrum.”
“I understand, I understand.” The steward walked into the house.
Chao Lu also walked through the crowd, but the blockers ignored her. She walked all the way into the house and saw Liu Xiaowan sitting in front of the dressing table, wearing a bright red wedding gown.
When the steward walked in, his face immediately changed, and he smiled flatteringly, “Madam…”
“I haven’t married your general yet.” The mirror reflected a cold gaze.
“Cough, I have overstepped. Miss Liu, the townspeople outside are blocking the way. The sedan chair can’t come in or go out. Can you go out and say a few words to make them disperse? Let’s avoid any conflicts. This is a joyous day, after all.”
“…”
“Miss Liu.”
“I will speak later, you may leave now.”
“Okay, okay.” The steward bent down and backed out of the door. Only then did he straighten his back and wear a displeased expression while facing the townspeople.
Liu Xiaowan turned around and smiled at Chao Lu, “Sister is here again? Is it to congratulate me on my wedding day?”
“Liu Er, don’t force yourself to smile like this.” Chao Lu approached and held her hand. When she touched it, she realized that her hands were cold and her complexion was very poor. She only had a bit of color on her face thanks to the rouge, and her gaze was unfocused, lacking the usual intelligence.
Her nose felt sour. “Sister, I know you’re not feeling well. You’re definitely not sincere, right?”
Liu Xiaowan lowered her head and said bitterly, “I… have no choice. The other party is a general, with high status and power. He wants to marry me. I have rejected him nine times in the past three years, but he has lost patience. He is threatening to harm the town if I don’t marry him. Otherwise, the merchants won’t come anymore, the town’s economy will be ruined, and the people won’t survive. This is my hometown, and I can’t watch it be destroyed. I can’t…”
“What kind of person is this general?” Chao Lu clenched her teeth and said, “And what about that guy with the last name Bai? Isn’t he the Pacification Officer? Useless Crouching Tiger!”
“For three years, he hasn’t come back. The letters I sent to him never received a reply… Only half a year ago did I find out that he went to war.”
“War?”
“The war between humans and monsters. The Pacification Officer of the Monster-slaying Bureau is destined to be involved. He is Crouching Tiger, qualified to command the three armies.”
“Then why didn’t this so-called general go?”
“He is a relative of the emperor, and his sister is a noble consort.”
“The family’s rules are more important than the laws of the country!” Chao Lu fumed and even scolded herself. She asked, “So you’re just going to marry him like that?”
“How could I?” Liu Xiaowan smiled gracefully and took out a dagger from her wedding dress. “I brought this.”
“What are you planning to do?” Chao Lu guessed the outcome, but she still tried to calm her down. “Don’t be impulsive.”
“I won’t let him have his way.” Liu Er seemed to not hear Chao Lu’s advice as she muttered, “He treats me like a weak and easy target. I’ll show him why they say not to offend women. I’ll at least cut off a few pieces of his flesh… As for the revenge afterwards, I’m not afraid… There aren’t many people left in the Liu family. The old folks have already passed away in recent years, and the others have been sent elsewhere. I’m the only one left in this mansion. I can just burn it down if need be.”
“What about him?”
“Sister, he only has the nation and the world in his eyes. I’m not there.”
“……”
“…I don’t blame him because I know I’m selfish. He is right… He’s smart and sees the bigger picture. He knows that the disaster that happened in the town years ago was just one of many tragedies. So he wants to change this reality and end this endless cycle.”
“He sees people in the world suffering, so he didn’t hesitate to take on the duty and identity of Crouching Tiger.”
“But I’m different. All I want, all I desire, is just a home. At most, it’s just a town.”
Liu Xiaowan sat in front of the vanity mirror, gazing at her pale and helpless reflection. “Look, the me in this mirror is so weak, selfish, and ugly. This version of me, this version of me… absolutely cannot… let him see…”
She slowly bent down, lying in front of the vanity mirror, unable to hold back her tears.
Chao Lu could only embrace her, powerless to do anything.
Then, the sedan chair arrived, the knocking sound echoed, an old matchmaker stood outside the door, emitting a loud fake smile: “The auspicious time has come, please get on the sedan chair, Madam Liu.”
Liu Xiaowan remained silent, but still covered her head with a red veil and got on the sedan chair. The townspeople surrounded her, watching her getting on the sedan chair willingly, without any signs of coercion, reluctantly making way.
However, the townspeople reluctantly crowded around the sedan chair. Even when driven away, they still followed the sedan chair closely. The officials and matchmakers, on the other hand, were in high spirits, with suona horns playing, gongs and drums resounding, firecrackers exploding, and giving out lucky money to everyone they met.
Chao Lu walked beside the sedan chair, looking at the bride covered in red cloth. She saw her biting her teeth, holding a dagger, the blade cutting through her palm, dyeing the beautiful wedding dress even redder. She endured the pain, shedding tears, and whispered, “Where are you, where are you…”
The sound of suona horns started, it was a grand celebration.
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