Fa Zheng gazed towards the northwest, silently retracting his gaze. The most painful experiences often lead to the greatest awakenings.
In Jingzhou, Jian Yong once again appeared at Lumen, but this time, he wasn't there to see Xu Shu. Instead, he was there to arrange a marriage for Zhuge Liang, bringing a large amount of betrothal gifts with the intention of relocating the entire Huang family to Taishan.
"Why is it so noisy outside?" Huang Chengyan, who was chatting with Zhuge Xuan, suddenly asked upon hearing the festive sound of suona horns outside.
"It seems someone has come to pick up a bride," an old servant of the Huang family confirmed after checking outside.
"Oh, in that case, don't disturb them. Go ahead and send a gift on my behalf," Huang Chengyan said, thinking it was a neighbor's wedding. He was slightly displeased that he hadn't received an invitation himself.
"Master, Master, something's wrong—no, no, something great has happened!" A servant rushed in, unsure whether to be alarmed or excited.
"Why are you so flustered?" Huang Chengyan glanced at the servant with disapproval, then turned to Zhuge Xuan with a smile. "My apologies, Yinyi. It seems the household rules are not strict enough here at the Huang family. Please forgive the disturbance." However, despite his words, he didn't punish the servant.
"Master, the bridal procession for Zhuge Kongming has arrived to marry the young lady," the servant replied, bowing his head, aware of his earlier rashness.
"What?" Huang Chengyan was taken aback and turned to Zhuge Xuan, then smiled. "Yinyi, do you think our family's marriage arrangement with the Zhuge family still stands?"
Zhuge Xuan stroked his beard and laughed. "How could it not? This is a joyous occasion. Since Liang is here to marry your daughter, I, as his uncle, should also present a betrothal gift."
Saying this, Zhuge Xuan took out a jade pendant engraved with the character "Ge," which symbolized the head of the Zhuge family, and handed it to Huang Chengyan. Huang Chengyan was momentarily surprised but quickly understood and accepted the pendant that had been passed down from the Spring and Autumn period.
Although Zhuge Xuan had been infuriated by Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jin some time ago, he calmed down later and didn't hold a grudge. After all, no matter what, Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang were still legitimate members of the Zhuge family. After coming to Jingzhou, Zhuge Xuan, having thought things through, interpreted their actions as the eaglet finding its own sky.
"Hahaha, that's great!" Huang Chengyan laughed. "I thought you might not have let go of the past, but it seems I underestimated your magnanimity. Come, since you're also Kongming's elder, let's go see who's come to escort the bride."
"I'm not that petty. Although they indeed angered me back then, time has softened my stance. I can't control the path they choose, so why not let them walk it themselves?" Zhuge Xuan laughed and agreed, "Let's go and see."
Jian Yong, dressed in a dark scholar's robe, stood at the gate of the Huang family residence, waiting. He had already sent in the necessary documents, and now it was just a matter of receiving the family's response.
"Open the main gates and let the bridal procession enter," Huang Chengyan instructed after he and Zhuge Xuan changed into formal attire and appeared in the front courtyard. He then ordered the servants to open the main gate, which was rarely used, to welcome the bridal party.
"Phew, that's a relief," Jian Yong exhaled deeply. He had been worried that the Huang family might reject the marriage, especially considering Zhuge Liang's estrangement from the Zhuge family. But seeing the Huang family open the main gates for the bridal party reassured him greatly.
"Jian Xianhe of Lord Xuande's retinue pays respects to Elder Huang," Jian Yong greeted Huang Chengyan with a bow. He had met Huang Chengyan during his previous visit to Xiangyang and knew that the old man was easygoing.
"Hahaha, Xianhe, no need for formalities. It's been years since we last met. Come, let me introduce you to Zhuge Kongming's uncle, Zhuge Yinyi," Huang Chengyan said with a laugh as he stroked his beard.
"Greetings, Master Zhuge," Jian Yong said, feeling a slight jolt in his heart when he heard that this was Zhuge Xuan. But recalling the earlier reception, he quickly calmed down and bowed deeply to Zhuge Xuan.
"How is Kongming doing in Taishan?" Huang Chengyan glanced at Zhuge Xuan, knowing what he wanted to ask, so he took the initiative to speak.
"Kongming serves as the Chief Clerk under the General Who Conquers the East and is performing excellently. Even the General holds him in high regard," Jian Yong said succinctly.
"Chief Clerk under the General Who Conquers the East? Isn't that a bit too early?" Zhuge Xuan frowned. In his view, Zhuge Liang should only enter officialdom after turning twenty. Only then, after gaining more experience, would he be less prone to mistakes.
"My lord Liu Xuande and his subordinates all have high regard for Kongming, which is why he was appointed as Chief Clerk under the General Who Conquers the East. Consider that when Fa Xiaozhi was slightly older than Kongming, he was already Prime Minister of Qi. Kongming himself feels confident in shouldering this responsibility," Jian Yong replied confidently.
"Very well, very well," Huang Chengyan said with a smile. "Young people should forge their own paths. In Taishan, the younger generation of civil officials is never in short supply. Seven or eight out of ten hold high positions, and some have even become marquises and ministers before reaching the age of twenty. If they don't try, how will they ever know?"
Zhuge Xuan had nothing more to say. Even he had to admit that Huang Chengyan's words made sense.
"Thank you, Elder Huang, for your understanding," Jian Yong replied calmly.
"Since you're here to arrange the marriage, I won't stand in your way. It's only natural for young men and women to marry," Huang Chengyan said after studying Jian Yong. "But I suppose you didn't come all this way just for that, did you?"
"The main reason is indeed to arrange the marriage. However, Kongming also asked me to come because he's concerned about the tense situation in Jingzhou. He worries that the Huang family might be in danger, so he ordered me to escort the entire Huang family to safety," Jian Yong explained calmly.
In reality, this was just a pretext. The real reason was that if they didn't marry Huang Yueying now, once Liu Bei clashed with Yuan Shu, it would be much harder for Zhuge Liang to wed Huang Yueying, who had been betrothed to him for years.
"That's reasonable. With Jingzhou now under Yuan Gonglu's rule, I don't feel entirely safe either. Moving to Taishan seems like a good idea," Huang Chengyan agreed calmly. He then turned to Zhuge Xuan and asked, "Yinyi, do you plan to move back to Xuzhou or perhaps to Taishan?"
"I think not," Zhuge Xuan replied after some thought. Although he had let go of the past, he didn't want to return to Xuzhou. Besides, the Zhuge family had another genius, and he intended to focus on nurturing him.
"Very well then," Huang Chengyan said after a glance at Zhuge Xuan. He had also met the young Zhuge Dan and couldn't help but acknowledge that the Zhuge family was indeed blessed, producing three exceptional talents in a single generation.