The Red String Of Yearning

The Wedding Of A Red Dragon And A Lotus

Zhu XiangYu was supposed to bring Lian Jie from the 'House of Martial Resources' but he is so sick that he cannot even bring his partner from down the stairs. So he is waiting patiently beside his father.

The music and cheering sound of bridal procession are coming to Zhu XiangYu's ears. The nearer the sound gets, the more his heartbeat increases. He is nervous and anxious. He was supposed to marry a woman but now he is going to marry a man. How would his life be after marriage? Cultivation partners do the dual cultivation. Can they be lovers? Or will they only be good brothers and friends forever? XiangYu guesses that the second option is likely to be happened although he expected the first one to be happened at the beginning.

They both will be good brothers and friends. It's not bad either. So should he be happy now?

Nevertheless, this feeling of nervousness and anxiety is not leaving him.

Zhu MingZhi notices his son's uneasiness. Zhu XiangYu seems to turn and run away at any moment. So the father silently keeps his hand on his son's shoulder to calm him. "Do not worry. It is your marriage. Enjoy it." He whispers. With heavy crown, Zhu XiangYu cannot turn his head to look at his father so he casts a side glance and slightly nods.

The only son of royal Huo clan's head Zhu MingZhi is going to die. There is no woman in Lian family to marry his son in order to save his life. Today is his wedding. No matter with whom it is, he should enjoy these fleeting days of his life. Zhu MingZhi tries his best to let not the tear show in his aloof eyes.

The procession stops at the footstep of the ancestral hall and a person clad in red wedding dress and phoenix crown steps out of the sedan chair. His face is covered with a red veil. He is tall and seemingly slim, not burly like the warriors; his walking posture is very calm and graceful.

Zhu XiangYu likes it.

It's alright to get LiangZhu jun as a good brother through marriage, he assumes.

Lian Jie slowly and carefully climbs up the stairs and stops in front of the altar. The altar is covered with a red cloth and there are flowers, fruits, sweets, wine and gifts decorated on it. Zhu XiangYu also walks towards the altar and stops beside Lian Jie.

Zhang Luo, Zhu XiangYu's uncle, speaks in a declaring tone, "Lian Jie of Lian family from Shui clan has arrived at the door. The parents of Lian Jie has accepted the proposal gifts and sent betrothal gifts with their son. His Excellency clan head Zhu MingZhi and future parent in-law of Lian Jie is requested to accept the gifts and accept Lian Jie as son in-law and permit him to be one of Zhu family members."

The whole gathering silently listens to him.

Lian Jie is listening too. He feels like a fish out of water. Why are they treating him like a bride? Are they marrying their son or their daughter to him? Moreover, he doesn't want to be accepted as Zhu family member, he wants to take his wife to his own family. But he is well aware of his position here. He is standing on the royal Huo clan's land surrounded by the royals. He cannot act as he wants. He has to behave properly and go along with the flow or else, it may be seen as his act of rebellion. He knows very well that he cannot show his family's resentment towards Zhu on this land as the Zhu is one of the imperial families. So he keeps his silence.

Lian Jie hears a deep and commanding voice declaring, "I, Zhu MingZhi, am accepting the betrothal gifts that came from Lian family of Shui clan as well as Lian Jie, the son of Lian family. I, the clan head, accept Lian Jie as my son in-law and from now on Lian Jie will be considered as my family member as well as our clan member. Pay respect to his highness Lian Jie as you do to his highness Zhu XiangYu."

Lian Jie feels numbness under his knees and Zhu XiangYu feels his heart uncontrollably beating like a drum.

Two maids give Lian Jie and his partner incense sticks. The burning incense sticks are giving off sweet smell.