Kang Yun had gathered together a handful of the emperor's court officials, including Yi Hai, Ling Wan and Xiang Yu at Mu Xing's residence as they awaited the arrival of the bride escorted by the empress.

Gu Sheng was closeted in a room with Mu Xing, who alternated between nervousness, trepidation and joy. The once grave expression of the famous scholar was transformed into the wrecked visage of a nervous groom who fidgeted with his hands, his feet and his eyeb.a.l.l.s.

Gu Sheng looked at him and chuckled. Mu Xing wasn't even aware that the emperor was in the room with him. When the clanging of the bell was heard outside, Mu Xing dashed to the door, the outside room and the gates. Only then did he stopped and as calmly as he could, unfastened the lock and opened the door.

Wu Xiang Yun descended the imperial carriage gently a.s.sisted by her groom. The bride was enshrouded in a red veil which was actually an embroidered shawl created for An Ning by her seamstress. The delicate fabric was imported from a nearby kingdom famous for its silk and a material called cotton, which was becoming popular among the ma.s.ses.

There were a few curious onlookers who stopped and witnessed the strange happening in the house built near a small stream. Since Mu Xing was an orphan and the princ.i.p.al of a very famous school and lived in the school ground, he very seldom visited this house he recently bought on an impulse. Maybe because it looked picturesque with the stream gently flowing around the courtyard, but he didn't even think twice before buying it. And now, this house will become the official residence of him and his new wife.

The bride and groom entered the house together then completed the ceremony. Afterwards, the empress escorted the bride to Mu Xing's room where she helped her change her red dress into a much more sedate attire suitable for travel. There was not to be any unveiling for the newly wed couple when the ceremony ended. Instead, they drove with Xiang Yu to the border, where Wu Xiang Yun's father was waiting.

The empress drove with Yi Hai in a separate car. The empress was still wearing her ceremonial robes which she hadn't time to change out of just yet because of the tight schedule. Gu Sheng was left at the palace, sulking. He very much wanted to see Wu Duo Xian's face when he sees his daughter and her new husband. Kang Jun a.s.sured him it was going to be a riot.

The entourage stopped at the border after an hour's ride. Mu Xing and Wu Xiang Yun, who were expecting a much longer journey using a carriage, was shocked by the sight of the moving trucks and cars. Since when did Yuqui acquire such a comprehensive power? For its army to have the ability to move quickly from one place to another using these moving, magical vehicles was simply amazing. It struck them as astonis.h.i.+ng as it also struck fear in Wu Duo Xian's heart.

Xiang Yu did not take all the reserve army with him but he took enough to impress and intimidate the enemy. As Wu Duo Xian's troops watched stunned, those monstrous vehicles lined up like raging bulls glaring at them from the other side of the border, striking terror in the hearts of Wu Duo Xian's mighty generals.

No wonder the capital came out of the rebel attack nearly unscathed. Yuqui had just discovered a way to make its army invincible. And foolish them were actually in the way of it.

The empress, totally stunning and out of place in her ceremonial robes, got out of the Jeep and walked the short distance to the border accompanied by Yi Hai and Xiang Yu. The two men were carrying rifles, a fact apprehensively noted by Wu Duo Xian's faction. If those things were part of those incomprehensible magical things that suddenly made up Yuqui's armed forces, who knows what would happen.

One general whispered urgently in Wu Duo Xian's ear. Wu Duo Xian was surprised and his expression changed into uncertainty when he watched the empress and the two men approached.

The empress dowager stopped a few feet away from the border and waited. Wu Duo Xian covered the short distance that separated them then stopped. The two people who have the power to affect the outcome of this meeting, faced each other squarely.

"Where is my daughter?" Wu Duo Xian asked, his clean shaven face looking fatigued and pallid.

"In good time, Master Wu," the empress dowager said. "But first, I want to ask you something. Why?"

"Why? Why what?" Wu Duo Xian was confused.

"Why do you want your fifteen-year old daughter to marry a man in his forties with an official wife, hundreds of mistresses and kids running around his courtyard like bouncing rabbits? Are you f.u.c.king insane?"

Wu Duo Xian stiffened, his eyes spearing the empress with a fiery stare.

"You're way out of line, highness. None of your G.o.d d.a.m.ned business," Wu Duo Xian gritted out.

"It's got nothing to do with your wife, I hope?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I heard rumors that your wife, who is not Xiang Yun's birth mother, owes this old man a favor."

"A what?"

"I heard that this guy introduced your wife to a witch who concocted a certain tonic to keep her young. And one of the main ingredients of this tonic, if I heard correctly, is the tender heart of a new born baby."

"Nonsense!" Wu Duo Xian rasped after a long stunned silence.

"Anyway, tell your wife I already had the witch killed and she'll get no more of those tonics which, I hear, can also be used to tighten a woman's certain delicate parts?"

Wu Duo Xian flushed but his angry eyes refused to back away from An Ning's amused and mocking stare.

"I see from your own expression that you know what I'm talking about," An Ning laughed. "Too bad. Oh well, you can always ride a younger, tighter woman, right?"

"You're insolent for someone about to face defeat," Wu Duo Xian jeered.

"Oh? I thought the main reason why you're here bothering me is because you're concerned about your daughter. I didn't know you've just declared war on us. Are you sure about that? Really, really sure?"

In a surprise move, the empress pulled out a pistol from her coat and fired it at the three generals seated atop their horses. The look on the generals' faces were difficult to describe, astonishment, fear, shock before they slumped on their horses, dead.

Wu Duo Xian gaped at the empress, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

"You know, I'm sick and tired of d.a.m.n idiots like you barging into my territory trying to threaten me with war and whatever just because you feel like it," the empress sneered. "Just a friendly advice: the next time you cross over my territory, make sure you kill me first or I'll f.u.c.king ma.s.sacre all of your men not just your generals. I might even kidnap your wh.o.r.e of a wife and have her gang-raped in front of you."

Wu Duo Xian very much wanted to hack at the empress' f.u.c.king head but she was still holding that thing in her hand which he eyed with some trepidation. His hand tightened around the sword he was holding and considered cutting her throat with it but the empress was looking at him smugly, like she was daring him to do what he wanted to so she could have an excuse to kill him and butcher his entire men with him.

In the end, he took a long, deep breath and release it without making a sound.

"Where's my daughter?" he repeated instead, still belligerent and angry.

"Xiang Yun! Come out here!" The empress called without turning her head, her eyes glued on Wu Duo Xian's furious face.

Xiang Yun and Mu Xing got off the vehicle and walked towards the empress. Xiang Yun was clutching Mu Xing's hand, his other hand clasped tightly around his new wife's slim waist. Mu Xing's handsomeness and Xiang Yun's stunning beauty looked picture perfect like a Hallmark Valentine greeting card. The delicate softness of the girl pressed against the hard toughness of the man. Perfect!

Wu Duo Xian, unfortunately, did not know anything about a Hallmark greeting card and even if he did he wouldn't lose sleep over it. So, when he saw his daughter in the arms of a man he didn't recognize, he, as expected, went berserk.

The empress scared him. He couldn't do anything to her but he could do something to this man holding his daughter to relieve his spleen. So, without warning at all, he moved and swung his sword to hack at the man's throat.

The intention was good and so was the execution except that no one thought Mu Xing was capable of doing what he did. He leapt to the air, met Wu Duo Xian's sword with his own then kicked the elder man hard on his gonads, sending his father-in-law flying through the air and cras.h.i.+ng among the platoon of soldiers too stunned to ran away.

And just like that, Wu Duo Xian retreated from the field with his gonads inflamed with shame.

The empress laughed so hard, her face became wet with tears. Yi Hai and Xiang Yu were none better. They led their own men into not only crowing but cackling about Wu Duo Xian's defeat. Wu Duo Xian left, dragged by his men into utter humiliation.

While everyone was having fun at the expense of the idiotic Wu elder, Mu Xing was feeling gloomy and sad. He lost his temper. He shouldn't have been so hasty. After all, the man, although a pompous idiot who deserved to be seriously slapped around, was still Xiang Yun's father. And he was sure that Xiang Yun felt the same way, that he was not filial and disrespectful and she probably wouldn't have anything to do with him following this debacle.

He looked at the pretty girl on his arm and was surprised to see her staring at him, a wide, beaming smile on her face.

"You know, although I love my father and he loves me, he's one stupid idiot if he thinks he can get away with bullying people. Someone, somewhere would prove to be stronger and wiser and more cunning than him. I think today, he met his match. Thank you, Mu Xing. It was the most fun I had, to see my own delusional father cut down to a small size like that," Xiang Yun said, chuckling merrily.

Mu Xing couldn't help himself. He bent down, tilted Xiang Yun's face to his and pa.s.sionately sought her lips with his own. Xiang Yun flinched in surprise but Mu Xing held her tighter against him, his tongue slipping between her lips to sip and taste the sweetness inside. Xiang Yun gave a little moan and allowed his tongue free access to her mouth, their breathing growing irregular and more ragged with each kiss, with each lick and touch.

Mu Xing tore his mouth away from Xiang Yun's with a little groan. He looked at her. Xiang Yun's face was flushed with pa.s.sion, her eyes hazy with desire, her lips enticingly ripe against the pink blush of her skin.

She opened her eyes and they gazes met.

"What just happened?" she said, her voice whispery and scratchy still with awakened pa.s.sion.

"Our first kiss," he said gently, kissing her eyelids. "It seems you're not as averse to me as you first thought, little Wu."

"I'm not?" she asked, smiling.

"Hmmnn....," he said, nuzzling her neck. "Shall I tell you a little secret?"

"What?"

"I like you," he whispered. "Do you like me?"

"We're married."

"But do you like me?" Mu Xing insisted.

"Hmnn..."

"What does that mean? Do you like me or not?"

Xiang Yun laughed and moved as if to left his arms. He tightened his grip. She stopped struggling and looked up at him.

"People are staring."

"Ignore them. They're just jealous."

"But we have to leave now. The empress is waiting for us."

"Let her wait."

"Husband.."

"Wife..."

The words lingered on their lips.

Xiang Yun laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners with sheer delight.

"Husband," she repeated, savoring the word.

Mu Xing laughed then took her hand. The two of them walked to where the vehicle was waiting.

The empress smiled when they got inside. Their hands clung tightly to each other as the vehicle traversed the road back to the capital.