Chapter 393 The Wedding Proceeded, But the Groom Was Replaced

Chapter 393: The Wedding Feast Continues, but the Groom Has Changed

The Beiling Emperor’s resolve was crumbling bit by bit. He hesitated, trembling, and was almost ready to order the gates opened.

“Your Majesty, no!” Xiao Huaijin grabbed his arm and yelled sharply to stop him. “Don’t believe his words! This Xiao Lingchuan is cunning and devious. Everything he says is just a trick to get you to open the gates! Once his men enter, we’ll be completely at their mercy!”

Below the city walls, Xiao Lingchuan saw them still hesitating on the tower. His patience exhausted, he waved his hand.

Ling Feng immediately understood. He took out a bone whistle and blew a short, eerie note.

The sound was sharp, piercing through the wind and snow.

The next moment—

“BOOM!!!”

A deafening explosion erupted from a turret less than twenty meters away from the Beiling Emperor!

The solid brick and stone structure was instantly blown to pieces, with rubble flying everywhere and smoke billowing into the sky.

Then, raging flames burst from the ruins, black smoke rolling up, turning half the sky red.

The city wall beneath their feet trembled violently, as if groaning under this terrifying power.

The Beiling Emperor’s ears rang, and his vision turned blood-red.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the cold ground, his face as pale as paper, his lips quivering, unable to utter a single word.

At that moment, he finally believed that the madman Xiao Lingchuan really dared to destroy this entire imperial city with gunpowder! “Open… open the gates…” He let out a piercing scream with all his might. “Guards! Hurry! Open the gates immediately! Escort the Great Daye Regent King into the city!”

…

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, in the bridal chamber, Jiang Shuning sat upright in front of the dressing table, allowing the maids to arrange her hair and apply her makeup.

The earth-shattering explosion, even through layers of palace walls, came through clearly, accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible vibration under her feet.

Jiang Shuning paused, her hand holding the eyebrow brush mid-stroke. She frowned and looked through the bronze mirror at the maid adjusting her hair ornament behind her. She asked, “What was that sound just now?”

The maid, clearly unaware of any approaching danger, had also been startled by the loud noise, but quickly recovered her smile. While inserting a gold hairpin with dangling ornaments into Jiang Shuning’s chignon, she said cheerfully, “Don’t worry, Princess. It must be His Majesty and Prince Ning setting off fireworks for your wedding feast! With such a big display, the fireworks tonight will surely be spectacular!”

Hearing this, Jiang Shuning pushed down the faint, uneasy feeling that had just arisen in her heart.

Yes, fireworks.

What else could it be but fireworks?

She did not ask further. Lowering her eyes, she looked at her reflection in the mirror—a figure in a phoenix coronet and bridal veil, with a delicate face but pale as death. She let the maid continue applying the festive rouge on her cheeks.

Xiao Lingchuan entered the Beiling Imperial Palace, a chill radiating from him. Behind him, his elite troops were armored and menacing, each step seeming to land on the hearts of the Beiling monarch and his ministers.

Inside the resplendent golden palace, the warm stoves burned brightly, yet they could not dispel the bone-chilling cold.

“Regent King,” the Beiling Emperor’s voice trembled like autumn leaves in the wind, “the Princess… you may take the Princess away at any time! Please… please tell me, where exactly are those powder kegs buried? I will send people… send people to deal with them as soon as possible, to avoid catastrophe!”

The mere thought that all the pavilions and towers in this palace might have explosives buried around them, enough to blow everything to kingdom come, made the Beiling Emperor distraught.

Xiao Lingchuan, however, did not even spare him a glance.

His gaze, like two ice daggers laced with poison, was fixed firmly on the man not far away, dressed in a bright red wedding gown.

“Xiao Huaijin, did you hear that?” His voice was not loud, but every word struck everyone’s ears clearly. “His Majesty says I may take Shuning away at any time. You schemed with all your might, but in the end, didn’t you lose to me?”

A trace of bitter resentment flashed in the depths of Xiao Huaijin’s eyes.

But he quickly suppressed it and curled his lips into a mocking, cold smile.

“Xiao Lingchuan, do you really think you’ve won? You seem to have forgotten—unless Shuning herself agreed to this marriage, how could I have arranged it? The one she wants to marry is me. The one she wants to be is my Princess of Ning.”

He paused deliberately, savoring the expression on Xiao Lingchuan’s face as it cracked inch by inch, and then delivered the final blow in the gentlest yet cruelest tone: “Xiao Lingchuan, you’ve already lost, and thoroughly!”

These words were like a red-hot branding iron, searing deeply into Xiao Lingchuan’s heart.

His eyes instantly became bloodshot, a deep scarlet. The suppressed aura of murderous intent around him surged like tangible black mist.

“I don’t care who she wants to marry!” Xiao Lingchuan’s voice carried a paranoid madness. “Today, she will only be my bride! Xiao Huaijin, aren’t you the one who loves to take what others cherish? Well, today, I will make you watch with your own eyes as Shuning and I go through the wedding ceremony!”

He said coldly, “Men! Take off this wedding gown from Prince Ning and bring it to me!”

Before his words died away, Ling Feng shot out like an arrow from a bow, moving to tear off Xiao Huaijin’s wedding clothes.

“Stop!” A Qi’s expression changed, and he immediately stepped forward to block.

Seeing A Qi, Ling Feng was reminded of the day A Qi injured Ling Wu.

Old grievances and new hatred surged up together. He swung his fist and landed a solid punch on A Qi.

How could A Qi match him? After just a few exchanges, he was beaten until he spat out a large mouthful of blood, staggering backward.

Before he could steady himself, the other elite troops brought by Xiao Lingchuan rushed in and pinned him firmly to the ground, rendering him helpless.

Ling Feng didn’t even glance at A Qi on the floor. He turned to face Xiao Huaijin and said coldly, “Forgive me, Prince Ning!”

With that, he reached out, grabbed the front of Xiao Huaijin’s garment, and tore off the magnificent wedding gown embroidered with gold thread in intricate patterns of dragon and phoenix.

Ling Feng held up the wedding gown, still warm from another person’s body, and presented it with both hands to Xiao Lingchuan: “Your Highness.”

Xiao Lingchuan took it expressionlessly and, in front of everyone, put the gown on himself.

He was naturally taller and broader-built than Xiao Huaijin, so the clothes were a bit tight, but it only emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist, giving him an imposing presence.

He straightened the front of the gown, then turned his head to look at the terrified Beiling Emperor, and said in a tone that brooked no argument: “Your Majesty, today’s wedding feast continues as planned!”

In the banquet hall, the Beiling courtiers and noble families who had come to observe the ceremony exchanged glances, all quiet as the grave.

They looked at the disgraced Prince Ning Xiao Huaijin, stripped of his wedding gown, and then at the fierce Regent King Xiao Lingchuan, wearing someone else’s wedding clothes and radiating murderous intent. They were all thoroughly confused.

What… what is going on here?

How, in the blink of an eye, had the groom changed?

—

In the bridal chamber, Jiang Shuning knew nothing of this.

The wedding attendant urged, “Bride, put on the veil. It’s time to board the sedan.”

The red silk veil fell, and the world before her eyes was instantly cloaked in a festive yet oppressive red.

She was supported on both sides and passively stepped into the bridal sedan.

The sedan curtain fell, blocking out the light from outside.

Xiao Huaijin's bedchamber wasn't far from her location, but the sedan swayed and took a detour.

It was said to follow the folk wedding customs of Beiling, spreading the festive spirit throughout the imperial city.

Jiang Shuning leaned against the sedan wall, her thoughts fixed on the cold silver needles between her fingers.

Finally, the sedan came to a stop.

But the expected lively drumming and congratulatory shouts from guests never came.

The moment the sedan curtain was lifted, the blood drained from the face of the palace maid who was holding the sedan door. The hand that the wedding attendant reached out was shaking uncontrollably.

As they helped her down from the sedan, they finally took in the scene inside the hall.

The grand banquet hall was packed with guests, yet deathly silent.

From royal relatives and nobles to high-ranking officials, everyone sat upright, their expressions tense, they breathed cautiously.

The groom, Xiao Huaijin, who should have been wearing a splendid wedding robe and looking spirited, was now in nothing but a thin white undergarment, restrained and helpless in the grip of several armored soldiers.

His usually gentle, jade-like face was twisted with humiliation and venom, his eyes locked on the figure in red being helped out of the sedan.

The man wearing the bridal robe was a complete stranger.

He stood tall and straight as a pine, his features enchantingly beautiful, his peach blossom eyes deep as an abyss, now coldly sweeping across the hall.

When his gaze landed on the terrified wedding attendant and palace maids, it was as cold as a winter icicle, with an unmistakable warning.

The wedding attendant gasped, forcing down a scream, and stiffly supported Jiang Shuning, step by step, toward that demon.

Beneath the veil, Jiang Shuning was completely unaware of these changes.

The hand hidden in her sleeve was ready, waiting only for the moment she was closest to him after entering the bridal chamber.

She feigned obedience, supported as she stepped onto the luxurious soft red carpet, moving step by step toward the man she believed to be Xiao Huaijin...