Last night a heavy snow fell, stopping by morning. The pristine white snow was shaken loose by the deafening sound of drums and gongs, and the townsfolk, hearing the commotion, paid no mind to how cold the day was and hurried out to the streets to watch the spectacle.
Bu Jingci, dressed in red robes with his black hair neatly tied up, rode a white horse at the head of the procession, looking every bit the dashing figure though his mind was a complete muddle.
Though most of the wedding preparations had been handled by others, he still couldn’t escape being involved in the arrangements, and with the wedding date set so hastily, he had barely slept these past few days. When he first left the house, everything looked distorted to his eyes; only after the wind had blown against him the whole way did he feel somewhat awake. His head was full of nothing but how to get through the wedding and then enjoy a good long sleep, he felt not a shred of joy about the marriage.
Liu Miqing was equally lacking in joy.
Sitting inside the bridal sedan, he rubbed uneasily at the jade bracelet on his wrist. Liu Xinqun had given it to him the night before, saying it was a keepsake from his original self’s birth mother, originally meant to be passed down to a daughter-in-law. But now that he had become the princess consort, Liu Xinqun had made him wear it.
At first, Liu Miqing refused. Though his refusal was tactful, it still hurt Liu Xinqun, who asked whether he harbored resentment toward his birth mother for not staying by his side. This left Liu Miqing rather awkward, and in the end he accepted this deeply meaningful gift, planning to find an opportunity to return it later.
During his stay these past few days, the Liu family had treated him very well, which warmed Liu Miqing’s heart. But he knew exactly who he was, and he knew exactly who all those things were meant for.
The better the Liu family treated him, the less he could accept their kindness, and the harder it became to speak the truth. As for whether there was some selfishness mixed in, he couldn’t quite explain it even to himself.
Fortunately, those days were over.
After all, Bu Jingci didn’t know him.
That was perhaps the one thing about this baffling arrangement with Bu Jingci that made him somewhat happy.
Of course, that didn’t include this wedding.
Bu Jingci was no ordinary man, so his wedding naturally came with countless rules and rituals. At first, Liu Miqing, thinking it best to follow local customs, obediently did as he was told, but eventually he began to feel a sense of utter despair, and could only comply like a wooden puppet. By the time he was escorted back to the bridal chamber, he was completely numb.
After sitting for a while, his legs finally recovered. Just as Liu Miqing was debating whether to simply go to sleep, the door was suddenly pushed open. His heart tensed, and only when he saw that it was Zhichun did he relax with a breath of relief. “What is it?”
Zhichun set the food tray on the table, head slightly bowed, and said in a low voice, “Young Master, it’s time to take your medicine.”
“Medicine? What medicine?” Liu Miqing glanced at the bowl on the tray, puzzled. “Am I sick?”
Zhichun pressed her lips together, looking at him with a complicated expression, and only after a long moment replied, “I’m not sure either… It was the Young Master’s own order. Have you forgotten, Young Master?”
“Me?” Liu Miqing grew even more confused. “When did I ever say that?”
“Before” Zhichun glanced outside, and only after confirming no one was there did she come closer and lower her voice. “Before, the Young Master had been taking it all along. A few days ago, when you said you were going to marry the Third Prince, you instructed me to keep brewing it after the wedding. Even though the person has changed, this is still medicine, so I made the decision on my own. Please punish me as you see fit”