Du Huan followed Feon and left Damascus, followed by the generals of Umayyad's old army.
Nessel and Musheikh stayed, and they began to prepare for Huayue's wedding in full swing.
In order not to arouse the suspicion of the Abbasids, Zhou Jun handled the redemption of Tang army prisoners every day as usual.
Some time passed.
The first day of the fourteenth year of Tianbao, in the Dashi religious calendar, this day is the main day of the month of Muharram (holy month).
In the afternoon, the streets became less crowded, and most of the residents went to the mosque to attend prayers, as did Sayer and other big cannibals in the Court of Justice.
Therefore, in the huge envoy camp, there were only Zhou Jun and members of the Tang Dynasty.
After tidying up the room, Zhou Jun put on his white robe and looked at the sky outside the window.
Sun Aying bowed at the door and said: "Master, you can leave now."
Zhou Jun nodded, walked out of the room, mounted his horse again, walked along the street out of the city gate, and headed towards a manor outside the city.
The manor is located in the countryside east of Damascus. It was originally owned by a local farmer. Now it is rented for a large sum of money and is only used to receive distinguished guests.
Walking into the gate of the manor, the soft sandy ground still carries the chill of early winter.
Several huge and white tents stand in the courtyard.
Outside the tent, a green carpet symbolizing celebration was spread from the entrance of the tent to the inside.
Zhou Jun dismounted and walked into the tent along the carpet. The flames rising from the brazier made the interior of the tent as warm as spring.
Dried fruits, pastries, butter, biscuits, etc. were placed around the tent, baking under the heat, exuding bursts of aroma.
Mu Sheikh was wearing an imam's uniform, holding a large book of food scriptures in his hand, and looked at Zhou Jun who walked in with a smile.
Nessel saw Zhou Jun and nodded slightly, but his expression looked a little melancholy.
When Zhou Jun stepped forward, Mu Sheikh said to the former: "Mr. Zhou, according to the custom of feasting, the wedding should have been held for three days and hundreds of guests invited... But due to the special circumstances, this can only be done."
Zhou Jun: "That's how it should be."
Dashi weddings are completely different from those in other countries.
From beginning to end, there were only men at the wedding, not any women, not even the bride.
Mu Sheikh put the Da Shi Jing book on the table and asked Zhou Jun: "Do you believe in the teaching?"
Zhou Jun first shook his head, paused for a moment, and nodded again.
Mu Sheikh was puzzled.
Zhou Jun was a standard atheist in his previous life, but his time travel made him begin to doubt whether there really was a will in the universe.
So, Zhou Jun replied: "I believe that there may really be an transcendent being in this world who is paying attention to every move in the world. But I cannot express his name and appearance in words."
Mu Sheikh: "The Supreme Allah has countless changes. His existence is unique and cannot be seen. What Zhou Lang believes is not inconsistent with the teachings of Dashi."
Opening the scripture, Mu Sheikh first asked Zhou Jun in Tang language: "In the name of God, are you willing to marry the daughter of Neser, the princess of the Umayyad royal family?"
Zhou Jun took a deep breath, nodded and said, "I do."
Mushaykh asked Neser again in a big way: "In the name of Allah, are you willing to marry your daughter to the man in front of you?"
Nessel: "I do."
Mu Sheikh: "Does your daughter agree to this marriage?"
Nessel: "She agreed."
Mu Sheikh: "Please reach out your hands and hold them together."
Zhou Jun and Nessel did as they were told.
Mu Sheikh began to recite the first chapter of the Dashi sutra to pray for the newlyweds.
After the recitation of the scriptures was completed, Mu Sheikh took out the marriage contract and asked Zhou Jun and Nessel to sign their names. The ceremony was officially over.
After chatting with Nessel and Mu Sheikh for a while, Zhou Jun walked out of the tent alone and followed the gravel path on the sand toward the tent at the deepest part of the manor.
In the deepest part of the manor, there is a broad and towering tent, with gold and silver hangings as bright as stars, dotted with the white tapestries around it.
Under the moonlight, the gold and silver hangings reflected countless lights, making the entire sandy land look like ripples on the surface of a lake.
Zhou Jun opened the thick curtain of the tent, and a warm incense spread from the inside to the outdoors. When people smelled it, their minds slowly calmed down.
In the tent, a woman wearing a white robe from the Dashi Ancient Sect and a gauze scarf on her head was sitting quietly by the bed.
Hearing the movement at the door, the woman turned her head. The moment she saw Zhou Jun, her amber eyes shone slightly under the firelight.
Zhou Jun sat down, looked at the woman in front of him, and called out softly: "Paint the moon."
Huayue responded inaudibly.
After taking off the veil on Huayue's face, Zhou Jun looked at the pretty face lightly painted with pink and white, and sighed softly.
Hua Yue's mother was from the Yuezhi people. The ancient Kushan Kingdom founded by the latter was once known in unofficial history as an aristocratic woman with a beautiful appearance, as famous as the Loulan beauties. It even triggered the East-West Xiongnu War and spread throughout the world.
Seeing this, Huayue asked, "Why did Erlang sigh?"
Zhou Jun smiled and shook his head, and said to Hua Yue: "I remember when we first met, you were still a thin girl... After so many years, you have changed so much."
Huayue thought for a moment, sat up straight and asked, "Erlang, there is something Huayue doesn't understand."
Zhou Jun: "What's the matter?"
Huayue: "Erlang is willing to marry me. When did he make the decision?"
Zhou Jun was stunned, but he didn't expect Hua Yue to ask this question.
Huayue added: "I am Erlang's maid, and I am from a different race. When we first met, Huayue was unruly and even almost attacked you. According to common sense, Erlang should be resentful or angry, so why have you been so patient?
Or even accommodate me?"
Zhou Jun smiled slightly and said, "Want to hear the truth?"
Huayue nodded vigorously.
Zhou Jun: "Because of loneliness."
Huayue opened her eyes wide: "Lonely?"
Zhou Jun: "When we first met, as a prophet, no one knew my identity. I could see through the world and understand the future. Regarding the future, should I save the common people and turn the tide, or should I be alone and live in a corner? All these choices are weighing together.
On my shoulders, it makes me confused and painful... No matter whether it is my parents or close friends, I cannot mention these things to them. If I tell them, at least it will be regarded as crazy, at worst, it will be regarded as evil. "
Hua Yue: "Er Lang met me later. As your slave girl, Hua Yue was unaccompanied in Chang'an City. Not only was there no threat to Er Lang, but she would not reveal the secret. Therefore, Er Lang looked at me differently with the idea of confiding in him.
, take good care of me?"
Zhou Jun nodded.
Huayue bit her lip and asked, "And when did Erlang make up his mind to marry me as his wife?"
Zhou Jun looked at the ceiling of the tent, breathed a sigh of relief, and whispered: "At first, you knew my identity, and I knew your origins. This was acquaintance. After that, I made up my mind to turn things around and save the world.
, you gave up the opportunity to return to your homeland and were willing to stay with me and never leave me. This is staying together. However, at that time, I did not realize your position in my heart and only regarded you as a close friend.
, until one day..."
Huayue: "Until one day?"
Zhou Jun: "One day, when I came back from a long journey, you said three words to me, "Come back..." From then on, I suddenly realized that I don't know when, you and I have been dependent on each other, and I have attached you to each other.
Treat me as a close relative. My daily attachment, transformed into these three words, has long been worth a thousand words. That is to say, from that time on, whether in Chang'an or Anxi, I made up my mind to give you a home...
"
Hearing this, Huayue's shoulders trembled and she burst into tears.
Zhou Jun stretched out his arms and hugged Huayue into his arms.
The two raised their heads, looked at each other for a long time, and slowly moved closer to each other unconsciously.
The lips are closed, the lips are parted.
That night, there was a long night of singing and playing, and the rain was timid and the clouds of affection were shy.