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墨書 Inktalez
Though he had recently observed the stars at night, Zhuge Liang could vaguely see his Hong Luan Star shifting. However, he had never anticipated that the suitor for his daughter would be the renowned scholar Huang Chengyan from Jingzhou.
"Kong Ming has reached the age to establish a family," Huang Chengyan said with a smile, his gaze filled with expectation. "I have a daughter named A Chou. Although she is not particularly beautiful, she has been well-versed in the Six Strategies and Three Tactics since childhood. She is knowledgeable in astronomy and geography and has considerable insight into mechanisms and formations. I wonder what you think of her?"
Zhuge Jun, standing nearby, was anxious and tugged gently at Zhuge Liang's sleeve, frowning with worry. He clearly feared that his brother would agree to what he considered an absurd match.
Zhuge Liang was momentarily taken aback but then gave Zhuge Jun a reassuring glance before calmly turning to Huang Chengyan and respectfully saying, "Liang is honored by your proposal and would be willing to marry A Chou."
Since it was a fated union, he naturally would not refuse. Moreover, if A Chou was indeed the girl he had seen that night in the mountains, he had no objections at all.
Huang Chengyan left in great delight, but Zhuge Jun was infuriated. He stomped his foot and said with dissatisfaction, "Brother has been in Longzhong for some time now; haven't you heard that Huang's daughter is actually the ugliest woman in Jingzhou? Although Huang Chengyan is the son-in-law of Cai Feng's family and related to Liu Biao, among Jingzhou's four prominent families besides the Cai family are the Kuai, Pang, and Huang families. The Kuai and Pang families are still our relatives. Eldest Sister and Second Sister also wish to find you a beautiful bride from those families. Why must you marry such an ugly woman?"
"Jun!" Zhuge Liang gently lifted the sleeve of his blue-and-white robe, instinctively rubbing the embroidered cuff. "You and I lost our father at a young age and have been fleeing ever since. Now even Uncle Xuan has passed away. With my brother far away in Jiangdong, you just heard that A Chou may not be beautiful but is virtuous. In the future, you will have a knowledgeable sister-in-law to take care of you. You should be happy!"
Hearing this, Zhuge Jun remained dissatisfied but dared not speak further. He sulkily retreated to his room and slammed the door shut.
In just a few days, everyone in Longzhong knew that Zhuge Liang was to marry Huang Yueying. The teasing phrase "Do not let Kong Ming choose a wife; he has indeed chosen A Cheng's ugly daughter" spread throughout the countryside, yet Zhuge Liang cherished her enough to bring her into his home.
On the night of their wedding, although the small thatched cottage in the mountains was not particularly lively, it was filled with more festive spirit than usual due to the numerous "happiness" characters adorning the courtyard. Red lanterns swayed gently in the wind, casting a warm glow.
After drinking a few cups of wine and feeling slightly tipsy, Zhuge Liang returned to his room to find A Chou sitting quietly by the bedside with her veil lowered, her hands neatly resting on her knees.
Zhuge Liang stepped forward lightly, gently lifting the red veil from her head.
Perhaps it was the bright flicker of the candles in the room, or perhaps it was the adorable surprise reflected in her eyes that made Zhuge Liang's lips curve into a tender smile as he softly said, "A Chou, we meet again!"
"Is it you?" Huang Yueying looked at the man before her in astonishment. His towering presence made him appear even more distinguished. She slightly parted her lips, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have needed to cover my face to test you!" She lowered her head slightly, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her garment, fearing that her plain appearance might startle her husband. Yet she was also curious whether this man, who knew she was the ugliest woman in Jingzhou, had the courage to unhesitatingly lift her veil. To her surprise, the man who had brought her home was none other than the young man who had listened to her teach about the art of needlework that night.
The thought of having shown off her skills in front of such a renowned talent from Longzhong made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She stomped her foot lightly in frustration and said with mock anger, "You are not humble at all! That night you pretended to be an ignorant youth and tricked me into demonstrating my skills in front of Lu Ban!"
"If my memory serves me right, it was you, A Chou, who took the initiative to pull me aside to discuss needlework that night. And when you were leaving, you praised my talent and even vowed to take me as your apprentice..." Zhuge Liang's lips curled into a teasing smile.
"You don't need to bring up such embarrassing moments! What man would truly look at a woman like me? Before I married, there were already whispers that you married me because of my father's and grandfather's influence in Jingzhou. Since coming of age, I've been quite self-aware. From now on, you can continue being your leisurely self while I focus on my studies of mechanisms and techniques. It's best if we remain unrelated in private!"
As Huang Yueying spoke, she walked over to the window and crouched down to open her dowry chest. After rummaging through it, she pulled out a goose feather fan and approached Zhuge Liang, handing it to him. "From now on, please bear with me outside. This fan is something I picked up by chance while searching for celestial energy at Nanshan that night. It seems fated for you; take it to ward off mosquitoes!" Without hesitation, she thrust the fan into his hands and gently pushed him out the door before closing it with a soft click.
Thus, on this night of their wedding, Zhuge Liang sat outside on a stone bench, waving the perfectly suited goose feather fan as he observed the stars for another night.
Furrowing his brow slightly, he murmured to himself, "The stars did not indicate that I would marry a fierce woman! How did I end up in such a predicament on my wedding night?"
Inside, Huang Yueying peeked through the curtain, stifling a laugh behind her hand.
It turned out that this renowned Mr. Wowlong could be so easily amused.
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