In Luoyang, the Yin estate was filled with a festive atmosphere. Having already completed the wedding rituals of bowing to heaven and earth, Yin Wenjiao sat in the bridal chamber of the inner courtyard, her head covered with a red veil as she waited quietly.
Meanwhile, Chen Guangrui was in the front courtyard, exchanging pleasantries with the guests.
At that moment, a voice rang out from outside the estate:
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"
The entire main hall fell instantly silent. Yin Kaishan was the first to react, hurriedly leading Chen Guangrui forward to welcome the guest.
"I never expected Your Royal Highness to grace us with your presence. This old subject apologizes for failing to greet you from afar."
Hearing this, Yang Guang nodded, but his gaze fell upon Chen Guangrui with a faint smile.
"Is this the newly minted top scholar? He certainly looks like a man of talent. I heard that the scholar is marrying your esteemed daughter today, so I came specially to offer my congratulations. Someone, bring the gift over!"
Seeing this, Yin Kaishan was overwhelmed with flattered surprise and hastened to thank Yang Guang.
"Lord Yin, you won't mind if this Crown Prince joins you for a cup of wedding wine, will you?"
"It is this old subject's utmost honor that Your Royal Highness could come. Please, Your Royal Highness, step inside. Guangrui!"
Yin Kaishan called out, and Chen Guangrui promptly escorted Yang Guang into the inner hall, personally attending to him.
At that moment, everyone's attention was entirely focused around Yang Guang, and not a single person noticed that a young man was leading a group to transport a large chest and a woman into the back courtyard of the Yin estate.
What Li Ling wanted Yang Guang to do was actually very simple: stall Chen Guangrui and get him drunk.
Arriving in the inner courtyard, Li Ling first carefully observed to ensure there were no agents from the Western Paradise overhead, then ordered his men to open the chest.
"Xuanling, oh Xuanling! Older brother is doing this for your own good. Yin Wenjiao is dignified and gentle-natured; she's bound to be better than that jealous shrew you'll end up with in the future."
With these muttered words, Li Ling hoisted the man out of the chest and carried him toward Yin Wenjiao's bridal chamber.
Inside the room, Yin Wenjiao sat quietly by the edge of the bed. Hearing the door open, her body stiffened instinctively, looking somewhat nervous.
Seeing this, Li Ling chuckled softly, woke the unconscious man, cast a simple illusion spell on Yin Wenjiao, and then retreated, gently closing the door behind him.
When Li Ling came back out, the surrounding people had long since dispersed, leaving only a single woman standing in place.
"Will doing this really work? Afterward, won't that Yin Kaishan and Chen Guangrui go to Imperial Father to impeach Second Brother?"
Li Ling smiled slightly.
"Sixth Princess can rest easy. That Fang Xuanling is also a man of learning, no less capable than Chen Guangrui, and his future achievements will surpass anything Chen Guangrui could ever hope to reach."
Pausing for a moment, Li Ling added:
"As for Chen Guangrui, from being the son-in-law of a third-rank official, he leaps up to become the Princess's husband—why wouldn't he be happy to accept that?"
Hearing this, the woman chuckled softly and nodded.
"You certainly are calculating. You've even calculated me into your schemes, haven't you?"
Li Ling raised his hands in a salute and replied:
"I wouldn't dare! It is merely a mutual exchange of what we each need. If Sixth Princess is unwilling, it is still not too late to leave now."
"Hmph! Leave? If Imperial Father weren't about to marry me off to the Tujue, do you think I would obediently stand here and listen to your arrangements?"
Li Ling remained silent, and the woman sighed.
"Forget it. At least this is better than going to be married off in a political alliance. Just now, I even caught a glimpse of that Chen Guangrui—he is rather handsome, at that."
At that, Li Ling spoke up:
"In that case, Sixth Princess, please!"
With that, Li Ling pointed toward the room directly adjacent to Yin Wenjiao's bridal chamber.
The woman nodded and said nothing more.
Meanwhile, in the front courtyard of the Yin estate, both Yin Kaishan and Chen Guangrui were keeping Yang Guang company. By this point, Chen Guangrui's vision was already blurred with drink.
Although Chen Guangrui was burning with impatience inside, faced with Yang Guang's repeated invitations to stay and drink, he had no choice but to continue.
At that moment, Li Ling, who had already returned to the front hall, caught Yang Guang's eye and gave him a subtle look.
Yang Guang understood immediately.
"Well then, I shall no longer disturb the scholar's wedding night. Come, this last cup—I drain it in a toast to the scholar's auspicious marriage!"
With that, Yang Guang downed his cup of wine in a single gulp.
Chen Guangrui and Yin Kaishan hurriedly emptied their cups as well.
Seeing Yang Guang stand up to leave, Yin Kaishan and Chen Guangrui immediately escorted him out.
"There is no need to see me further out. Do not delay the scholar's bridal night."
Then, Yang Guang looked at Li Ling and asked:
"Where is Sixth Sister?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Sixth Imperial Highness felt a slight indisposition and is resting in the inner courtyard. I fear it would be inconvenient to disturb her."
Hearing this, Yang Guang immediately looked at Yin Kaishan.
"Your Royal Highness, please rest assured. Since the Sixth Princess is unwell, she shall rest in the estate for the night. First thing tomorrow morning, this old subject will have someone escort her back to the palace."
"Mm!"
Yang Guang gave a bland acknowledgment, said nothing further, and led his entourage straight away.
Watching Yang Guang leave, Yin Kaishan let out a breath of relief. Noticing that Chen Guangrui was swaying on his feet, Yin Kaishan said:
"Guangrui, go and rest early! This old fellow will handle the guests in the front courtyard."
Chen Guangrui headed to the inner courtyard, and seeing the flickering candlelight inside one of the rooms, he didn't think much of it and walked straight in.
Deep into the night, a chorus of voices rose and fell in the inner courtyard of the Yin estate. Tiny seeds were sown by diligent hands into fertile soil, waiting quietly to take root and sprout.
Early the next morning, two piercing screams shattered the peace, and the Yin estate erupted into chaos.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
This was Yin Wenjiao's voice.
"Audacious scoundrel! How dare you take liberties with this Princess?"
This was the Sixth Princess's voice.
When Yin Kaishan rushed over and saw the two women weeping tearfully, his breathing turned ragged and he almost fainted on the spot.
His own daughter was one thing, but the crucial point was that the Sixth Princess was right here in his estate, defiled by his own son-in-law.
Yin Kaishan no longer had the capacity to care about why Fang Xuanling had ended up in his daughter's bridal chamber; he hurried forward to soothe the Sixth Princess.
Meanwhile, high above the Yin estate, two figures stared at each other in bewilderment.
"This... didn't the person who caught Yin Wenjiao's embroidered ball turn out to be the top scholar Chen Guangrui?"
"Indeed. But that Golden Cicada has already undergone reincarnation and is probably already in Yin Wenjiao's belly by now."
"Then... should we report this to the Buddha?"
"It's merely a change of fathers. If we report this matter, the two of us won't escape a round of punishment. As long as the Golden Cicada can be successfully born, that is all that matters."
The other person nodded in agreement.
The Golden Cicada was still the Golden Cicada, and the mother was still Yin Wenjiao; it was simply a different father, which presumably wouldn't affect anything.
"Sixth Princess, please calm your anger. Sixth Princess, please calm your anger."
Yin Kaishan knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
At that moment, tear streaks stained the Sixth Princess's face, her eyes blazed with fury, and her voice rasped hoarsely:
"How does Lord Yin intend to deal with this matter?"
"This..."
Yin Kaishan was struck speechless.
At that moment, a servant came forward to report: Lord Li Ling had arrived on the Crown Prince's orders to escort the Sixth Princess back to the palace.
Hearing this, Yin Kaishan started in shock, and before he could even gather his thoughts, Li Ling's voice rang out:
"Sixth Imperial Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince fears that your health has not fully recovered and has specially sent me to escort Your Highness back to the palace."
As Li Ling walked closer and saw the Sixth Princess's tear-stained face, he feigned anger and demanded:
"What is the meaning of this, Sixth Imperial Highness? Could it be that someone in the Yin estate dared to mistreat Your Highness?"
Seeing Li Ling arrive, Fang Xuanling, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke up:
"Brother Li, what is going on here?"
Hearing this, Li Ling smiled at him without answering, turning his gaze instead to Yin Kaishan.