Chapter 450: Chapter 457: The Great Battle is Imminent
 

Speaking of which, it was actually Yin Lihua who was rather unlucky. On the day she was to marry Liu Xiu, the imperial court army arrived at the border of Yiyang Prefecture and even launched an attack on Yiyang Prefecture itself. Liu Xiu had just brought his bride from the Yin Family, and they hadn’t even entered the mansion when he received urgent military intelligence from a subordinate. Without further ado, he immediately led his men back to the military camp, leaving only the housekeeper to handle the following matters.

With a shy anticipation, Yin Lihua waited in her palanquin for her groom to escort her out, only to receive news that the groom had run away. Her heart was a mix of emotions, but knowing why Liu Xiu had left, she couldn’t even complain. She was raised by a nanny, specially hired by the Yin Family at great expense from the palace, and understood all too well the importance of being a virtuous and magnanimous woman. Even with her heart aching, she managed to maintain a visage of profound understanding.

The housekeeper was at a loss for what to do next. With the groom gone, how should the ceremony proceed? Should they continue with the wedding rituals, or wait for the groom to return? Liu Xiu had departed in such a hurry that, other than a brief instruction to the housekeeper, he hadn’t given any directions on what to do next, leaving the housekeeper in a tough spot.

In the end, the wedding ceremony could not go on. After all, with the imperial court raising troops to attack, who had the heart to continue? How could a wedding proceed without the groom? Surely they couldn’t replace him with a rooster as an inside joke? The thought itself was laughable! The housekeeper, after much deliberation, arranged for Yin Lihua to stay in the courtyard initially prepared for the mistress, where she would wait for the master’s return.

Regrettably, she waited and waited, and as evening fell, all guests had left, but Liu Xiu still hadn’t returned. It wasn’t until the third day, when the situation at the front had stabilized and there would be no immediate threat, that Liu Xiu remembered the bride he had left at the mansion’s doorstep. He hurried back to the mansion, full of apologies, and after receiving Yin Lihua’s forgiveness, they completed the final ritual of their wedding day.

As for the wedding ceremony, it was naturally impossible to hold it again. First, it would be too time-consuming and exhausting, and at a time like this, when they were extremely busy, Liu Xiu had no time for such affairs. Besides, it wasn’t auspicious to move a wedding twice! Who has ever heard of such a thing? Moreover, Miss Yin of the Yin Family was not someone who lacked perspective. She could only swallow her disappointment, expressing her virtuousness and generosity with understanding and consideration, blaming nothing more than the unfortunate coincidence of events.

However, both Yin Lihua and the Yin Family were wrong to blame fate. This was no coincidence but the actions of a certain man who felt that the Yin Family was too arrogant and had designs on his daughter-in-law. Unforgivable! He decided to teach certain people a profound lesson, leading to this series of events.

Although the imperial court army arrived at the border of Yiyang Prefecture on that day, they had initially planned to settle in before putting the attack on Yiyang Prefecture on the agenda. However, a certain individual preemptively sent someone to provoke the enemy camp and employed insiders within the enemy ranks. With coordination from both inside and outside, they orchestrated this scene and snatched Liu Xiu from his wedding ceremony.

Therefore, offending a scheming man like Han Yu never bodes well, as the Yin Family proved to be an example.

Upon her elder brother’s inquiry, Yin Lihua revealed a reasonably bright smile, “Elder Brother, rest assured, my Husband has been very good to me. Although there was an unexpected incident that day, it was not something my Husband could control. He explained it to me afterward and has been very tender and affectionate. It’s just that he’s been very busy lately and doesn’t spend much time at the mansion.”

Upon hearing Yin Lihua speak thus, Yin Shi felt somewhat relieved and began to discuss matters from outside. His words couldn’t hide his wariness of Han Yu. Yin Lihua frowned in disapproval upon hearing this.

“Big Brother, even though Han Yu and Our family don’t get along well and there are conflicts of interest, now is not the time to quarrel with him. After all, you are working under my Husband, and you’re on the same side. Especially with the imperial court army bearing down on us, you’re all in the same boat and should be uniting against the common enemy, the imperial court army. If my Husband were defeated by the imperial court troops, none of you would end well.”

The Yin Family had nurtured Yin Lihua from a young age, and she had often been involved in such matters. When she heard her elder brother getting stuck on his bias against Han Yu, she quickly tried to awaken him to reason with her words.

It was because of a series of recent setbacks that Yin Shi had become fixated. Reminded by his younger sister’s words, he suddenly came to a realization and reflected on himself, “Sister, you are right. I’ve been too rash and myopic, failing even to see this fundamental point. If I were to confront Han Yu at this moment, causing internal strife, it would only benefit the enemy. Don’t worry, I know what to do now.”

Seeing her elder brother reassured, Yin Lihua felt at ease. She knew her brother was competent and talented. As long as he didn’t get obsessed with minor details, he could handle matters well. The heir that the Yin Family had trained would not be useless.

Having seen the light, Yin Shi no longer dwelled on his struggle with Han Yu and hurriedly returned to the military camp to discuss countermeasures with Liu Xiu and see where he could contribute.

Although Liu Xiu didn’t have a high opinion of his brother-in-law’s style, he still trusted Yin Shi. After all, ever since Yin Lihua married him, his interests had become aligned with those of the Yin Family, who would not act against their own interests. He shared the plan and countermeasures he had formulated with Han Yu with Yin Shi. He was short on manpower, and Yin Shi was capable enough to help him shoulder some of the responsibilities.

It was then that Yin Shi truly recognized Han Yu’s formidable talents and abilities. Compared to all this, Han Yu’s prior displays were negligible. Although now more vigilant and grudgingly admiring, these slight changes could not alter anything significant. When it came to interests and prospects, he and Han Yu were destined to stand on opposite sides and could not coexist peacefully.

Seeing Yin Shi momentarily lost in thought, Liu Xiu, aware of the grudge between Yin Shi and Han Yu, warned him lest he stray, “Uncle Wen, with such a formidable enemy before us, put aside the minor grievances between you and Xiu Qi for now. Be careful not to let them cause any detriment to the greater cause.”

“Rest assured, Uncle Wen, I am not someone who lacks perspective. Besides, while Han Yu and I may not get along well on a daily basis, we don’t have any deep enmity that would lead to jeopardizing greater concerns. It will not happen.” Yin Shi quickly made his position clear.

Even before, Yin Shi wouldn’t have revealed his true thoughts in front of Liu Xiu, maintaining a seemingly cordial demeanor, especially after being enlightened by his sister.

Just at that moment, Han Yu walked in, and seeing Yin Shi there, his expression remained unchanged.