Chapter 30

Du Qian's wedding was arranged with great pomp and ceremony.

Yesterday at noon, after a night of hard work, everyone woke up from their sleep, hurriedly had their meal, and under Wang Lun's leadership, the entire mountain community mobilized to prepare for the evening wedding.

Before long, the entire camp was festooned with lanterns and decorations, exuding a festive atmosphere that was even more lively than the New Year.

Initially, there was no plan to rush the wedding, especially since the groom was still injured. Wang Lun had intended to wait until he returned from Tokyo with Lin Chong's family, and then hold a grand celebration for this old brother who had followed him the longest.

This plan had two main advantages: first, Du Qian's arrow wound on his arm would have healed by then, and second, it would give him and the young lady from the Li family some time to get to know each other and build a relationship.

However, upon hearing that Wang Lun was leaving the mountain in two days, the groom, who had been hesitant and reluctant, and the bride's family, who had been eager, both insisted they did not want to wait. Du Qian, who had been serious the night before, seemed like a different person after noon, grinning foolishly at everyone and acting as if he had taken a stimulant, unable to sit still.

Fortunately, it was a lucky day for weddings, and Wang Lun, having no choice, agreed to their wishes and began to organize the wedding with great effort. He announced to everyone that the bandit camp would cover all expenses for this grand feast, and that in the future, if any of the leaders had a major celebration, the same arrangement would apply.

On that day, the bandit camp not only invited everyone on the mountain to drink to Du Qian's happiness but also prepared dozens of tables of food and drink, which Du Qian's father-in-law took back to the village to share with the villagers. According to Zhou Zhi, who reported back, the old man Li was well-liked in the village, and everyone had prepared gifts, but he refused to accept them, instead giving each household several hundred coins as a token of his joy.

As the brother of the bride and the mainstay of the Li family, Li Ye was particularly busy, running around tirelessly. This former subordinate of Du Qian, now the brother-in-law of his new superior, was no longer suitable to remain under Du Qian's command. Wang Lun transferred Li Ye to Song Wan's side, taking over the construction supervision duties from Zhou Zhi, who had been complaining to Wang Lun about being too busy. Li Ye was also promoted to a minor leader, so he would no longer have to go down the mountain to fight, allowing his young sister-in-law to live in peace.

In addition to providing manpower, resources, and effort, Wang Lun also represented the bandit camp by allocating two thousand guan from the public treasury as a gift, and personally gave a generous gift of nine hundred and ninety guan, symbolizing a wish for the couple to have a long and happy life together.

The bride's family was greatly impressed by Wang Lun's generosity and was overjoyed. However, Du Qian insisted on not accepting Wang Lun's personal gift, saying, "I'll accept the camp's gift, but how can I accept my brother's private money? You'll need it to marry a wife in the future! What would it look like if I took it?" Wang Lun did not argue with him, saying, "Only for a wife, not for a concubine!" This made Du Qian laugh and reluctantly accept the gift.

Later, when everyone followed Wang Lun in giving gifts, Du Qian announced, "Leaders who have been on the mountain for less than a year, I won't accept more than one hundred guan. Below the leaders, I won't accept any gifts. Just come with an empty stomach to drink and that's enough for me."

So everyone followed Wang Lun's example and gave ninety-nine guan, saying it was for good luck. Even so, the bride's family, who had seen the world, were still amazed, thinking, "This must be several thousand guan in gifts!"

To be able to arrange such a grand wedding, their daughter's life would not be in vain.

Wang Lun also attended the wedding night festivities. He saw that Ruan Xiaoqi, who had drunk too much, was in high spirits, even throwing away his cane and limping around, insisting on toasting the groom. Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoe, who had come from the village to celebrate, could not stop him, and they looked at each other in confusion, wondering if Ruan Xiaoqi also wanted to get married.

After the festivities, despite the late hour, they settled the drunk Ruan Xiaoqi and then went to their mother's room to discuss the whole night.

On the second day of the wedding, early in the morning, the newlyweds came to the Hall of Heroes to pay respects to both sets of parents. Since Du Qian had come to the mountain alone, Wang Lun sat beside the old man Li, representing the groom's family, and accepted the three bows from the happy couple. Afterward, they chatted for a while, and when the drinking started again, Wang Lun, seeing the time, whispered a few words to Du Qian and then led a puzzled Lin Chong down the mountain to a road by the lake, where they sat on the ground.

"Brother, why are we not drinking to Du Qian's happiness at the camp, but instead came here?" Lin Chong asked, puzzled.

Wang Lun smiled and said, "I see no one in the camp who can match you, brother, and I fear you might be lonely. Now, a skilled warrior is passing by, and I have invited him to the mountain to drink and chat, and also to give you a chance to stretch your legs!"

Lin Chong, confused, asked, "Who is this person? Do I know him?"

Wang Lun smiled and sighed, "He is a man of many misfortunes. He once escorted the Flower Stone Convoy and capsized the ship in the river, wandering in the world. Now, with the emperor's amnesty, he sees a glimmer of hope and has sold all his possessions to go to Tokyo to seek favor with Gao Qiu..."

"Is he not the Green-Faced Beast, Yang Zhizhi?" Lin Chong exclaimed.

"Indeed, he is. I have received word that he will pass this road today. We just need to wait here," Wang Lun nodded.

Lin Chong nodded and said, "I have heard he is the grandson of the Golden Saber Yang Linggong and once passed the military examination. Although we were in Tokyo at the same time, we never met. It's quite a coincidence to meet him here!" He sighed, "A disgraced official and a bandit chief, quite fitting!"

Wang Lun patted Lin Chong's hand and said, "Brother, don't worry. Being a bandit is not a long-term solution. I will do my best to secure a future for everyone."

"Brother, do you have plans for amnesty?" Lin Chong turned to Wang Lun.

Wang Lun smiled ambiguously and sighed, "To be sent to the chopping block for Cai Jing and Gao Qiu to play with?"

This remark resonated strongly with Lin Chong, who said, "Who doesn't want to live a peaceful life, but is the world willing? Either be a lackey for a corrupt official or be driven by a eunuch. Thinking about it now, the past two days have been the most human."

Wang Lun nodded and said, "Brother, don't worry. I have some ideas, but they are not yet mature. You will know in time!"

Lin Chong looked at the last remnants of a cloud in the sky and sighed, "If I can't trust you, who can I trust?"

With that, they looked at each other and smiled.

After waiting for a while, there was still no sign of anyone on the long mountain road. Lin Chong picked up a blade of grass and played with it, then said, "Brother, a brother who was hit by an arrow in a vital spot died last night."

Wang Lun sighed and replied, "I have heard about it. This brother is from Qingzhou, not far from here. His parents and a younger brother are still at home. I had Zheng Qian arrange for his belongings and an additional one hundred taels of silver to be sent to his family. They should have received it by now."

Lin Chong was surprised and asked, "Is this the usual compensation from the camp?"

Wang Lun nodded and gazed at a withered ancient ginkgo tree, lost in thought.

Lin Chong's heart was also surging with emotion, like a stormy sea.

He, from a family of military men, and himself a military instructor in the capital, knew very well the usual compensation for fallen soldiers. Compared to the amount Wang Lun mentioned, it was not even a fraction. How could this not stir his emotions?

No wonder the bandits fought so bravely that night. Although their individual martial skills were far inferior to the well-trained soldiers of the capital, their fearless fighting spirit was truly impressive.

He had not seen such spirit in ordinary soldiers for a long time.

Suddenly, he remembered the scene when they entered the village that night. The villagers, young and old, welcomed them with applause, as if they were welcoming an imperial army. Lin Chong felt a sense of the world being turned upside down, and his heart warmed. Originally, he had joined the bandits in despair, but now he felt a glimmer of hope.

"Great King, are you still accepting people on the mountain...?"

"Great King, I would rather not have the grain, but please take my son up the mountain!"

"Great King, we want to go up the mountain..."

Lin Chong was replaying the scenes from that night in his mind when he heard a commotion on the mountain road. A man, panting heavily, was rushing toward them. Suddenly, Wang Lun shouted, startling Lin Chong.

"That man, if you know what's good for you, go back and call your master!"

The man, thinking he had encountered bandits, was so frightened that he dropped his load and ran back. Wang Lun chuckled, sat back down, and pointed to the load, saying to Lin Chong, "Brother, see that? A commoner's life savings, about to be handed over to a corrupt official, and he's afraid they won't take it. What kind of world is this?"

Lin Chong shook his head and sighed.

Soon, a large man appeared on the mountain road, looking furious. He wore a Fan Yang felt hat with a red tassel, a white satin robe, a silk sash, and blue and white striped leggings. He had a deer skin sock and a cowhide boot, a sword at his waist, and a broadsword in his hand. He was about seven feet tall, with a large blue mark on his face and a few red whiskers on his cheeks. He had his hat on his back, his chest exposed, and a soft headband with a pointed corner, holding a broadsword, his brows furrowed in anger, as if he wanted to grind his teeth in frustration, and he rushed over angrily.

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