After the tea ceremony came the introductions!
First were Concubine Chen and Wen Shuyu, seated below Lady Jiang. Wen Zongji said, “This is my mother and my younger sister Shuyu.”
When Concubine Chen saw the couple, her eyes reddened with emotion. She took a bracelet from her sleeve and handed it to Pei Rujing. “Third Young Master, may you and the County Princess live happily together from now on.”
Pei Rujing glanced at the crystal-clear bracelet before her, a flicker of disdain flashing in her eyes. Such a trinket was utterly beneath her notice. She turned her head, about to casually pass it to Qing He.
Wen Zongji pressed down on her hand, slipping the bracelet onto her wrist. His gaze was deep and unreadable. “County Princess, this is my mother’s heartfelt gift.”
Pei Rujing flared with anger. No one had ever dared treat her this way. Just as she was about to erupt, she met Wen Zongji’s utterly emotionless eyes and, for some reason, felt a sudden chill in her heart.
Remembering that Wen Zongji had not forced her to consummate the marriage the previous night, Pei Rujing decided to give him face. The anger on her face dissipated.
Granny Feng, watching from the side, was terrified. Seeing Wen Zongji suppress Pei Rujing’s temper, she couldn’t help but glance at him again.
Wen Shuyu was thirteen this year, still young, but she had also prepared a gift for Pei Rujing.
“Sister-in-law, this is a pouch I embroidered. I hope you like it.”
Pei Rujing glanced at it and offered a perfunctory compliment. “The embroidery is quite nice.”
Wen Shuyu, delighted by the praise, said happily, “If Sister-in-law likes it, I’ll embroider more for you in the future.”
Pei Rujing refused. “That won’t be necessary. I have embroiderers in my service.”
As the only legitimate daughter of the Grand Princess, Pei Rujing’s dowry was not only extravagantly grand, but she had also brought along all sorts of attendants.
Wen Shuyu nodded, crestfallen.
In his previous life, Wen Zongji had been an orphan. Seeing this somewhat obedient younger sister of the original host, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. He said gently, “I would like one. Shuyu, will you embroider one for your elder brother?”
Wen Shuyu lifted her small face, puzzled. “But I embroidered one for Third Brother before. Third Brother said my embroidery was ugly and told me not to embroider anymore.”
Wen Zongji couldn’t help but curse the original host inwardly. Ashamed of his status as a concubine-born son, he dared not vent his anger on those who ignored him, but his attitude toward his birth mother and younger sister grew increasingly harsh.
Concubine Chen was a concubine. Although Wen Zongji was a concubine-born son, he was still a master of the household. By the rules, his status was higher than Concubine Chen’s. However, Concubine Chen was, after all, Wen Zongji’s birth mother. Privately calling him “Ji Ge’er” was actually quite natural. Even Wen Chuanhong wouldn’t say anything about it.
But the original host would get angry whenever Concubine Chen called him “Ji Ge’er,” only allowing her to address him as “Third Young Master.”
Unable to assert himself with others, he sought a sense of superiority from his own birth mother!
Scum!
Wen Zongji tried to make amends. “I didn’t realize Shuyu’s embroidery skills had improved so much. Looking at it now, it’s quite beautifully done.”
Wen Shuyu, being innocent, believed Wen Zongji’s words and nodded repeatedly. “Third Brother likes bamboo, right? I’ll embroider a pouch with bamboo leaves for you.”
“Good.”
After meeting Wen Zongji’s birth mother and younger sister, it was the turn of the Marquisate’s legitimate eldest son, Wen Zongren.
“This is Eldest Brother, and this is Eldest Sister-in-law.”
Wen Ge’er, sitting obediently in Madam Zhong’s arms, raised his little hand and said in a milky voice, “I’m Wen Ge’er.”
Hearing this, everyone laughed.
Wen Zongji was also amused. “That’s right, this is our little master, Wen Ge’er.”
Pei Rujing merely glanced at Wen Ge’er and said nothing. She had no interest in children.
Wen Ge’er blinked, a little disappointed. Why didn’t this beautiful auntie hug him? He liked this new auntie.
Madam Zhong knew her son's tendency to be swayed by appearances, fearing he might say something embarrassing, she directly covered his mouth.
Wen Zongren presented the newlyweds' gift to Wen Zongji: "Marriage is a joyous occasion, but do not become so immersed in happiness that you forget next year's Metropolitan Examination. Only by passing the Metropolitan Examination can you qualify to serve as an official in the court."
From its founding, Da Chu had established the rule that noble titles would be revoked after five generations of inheritance.
Wen Zongren's generation happened to be the fifth—the final generation of the Marquis Zhongyong.
As the eldest legitimate son of the Marquisate and the heir to the Marquis Zhongyong, Wen Zongren was five years older than Wen Zongji. Bearing the responsibility of upholding the Marquisate, he matured early and often took on a guiding role when meeting his younger brothers.
Wen Zongren had passed the imperial examination the year before last, entering the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi. Next April, he would undergo the San'guan Examination; if rated as first class, he could remain in the Hanlin Academy.
Having been established for over a century, Da Chu now enjoyed national peace and prosperity, with envoys from all nations paying tribute. The court emphasized civil governance, and the Hanlin Academy was widely recognized as the cradle for future ministers.
Without Hanlin experience, one could not enter the Grand Secretariat!
Though Wen Zongren's words dampened the mood, Wen Zongji was not ungrateful and nodded: "I dare not slack off, elder brother."
Next was the youngest legitimate son, Wen Zongqi, also Wen Chuanhong's youngest child.
"This is Fourth Brother!"
Wen Zongqi sat to the side, lazily yawning with noticeable dark circles under his eyes, raising his hand slightly: "Greetings, Third Sister-in-law."
As the younger brother, whether he prepared a gift was optional.
However, Lady Jiang, who doted on her youngest son, naturally arranged one for him.
A servant behind him stepped forward and handed the gift to Wen Zongji—a set of scholar's treasures.
Wen Zongji accepted it: "Fourth Brother is thoughtful."
Wen Zongqi chuckled: "Third Brother, work hard and strive to pass the imperial examination to become a high official. In the future, just take a little care of your younger brother."
Hearing this, Wen Chuanhong's face immediately darkened. If not for the day being the newlywed's formal greetings, he would have beaten Wen Zongqi on the spot.
A legitimate son of the Marquisate showing such lack of ambition!
Lady Jiang quickly coughed lightly to remind Wen Zongqi.
Noticing Wen Chuanhong's expression and recalling his recently healed backside, Wen Zongqi straightened up with a serious expression: "Just joking, Third Brother, don't mind it."
Wen Zongji suppressed a laugh and nodded: "I know."
This younger brother was also an odd one. Although the youngest legitimate son had no chance of inheriting the title, as a legitimate son, if he showed ambition, Wen Chuanhong would certainly allocate some resources to him.
But this youngest legitimate son, raised with Lady Jiang's indulgence, had long decided on a life of idleness, watching others strive while hoping his elder brothers would support him in the future.
What to say?
Such thinking was not uncommon in this era. Many younger sons without inheritance rights and lacking ambition chose to idle as dependents.
And would Wen Zongren take care of Wen Zongqi in the future?
Of course he would!
This was also the responsibility and duty of the eldest son.
Wen Zongji had no opinion on Wen Zongqi's attitude toward life and continued introducing people to Pei Rujing.
Only Concubine Zhou and Wen Zongjing, who, like Wen Zongji, was a son born to a concubine, remained.
"This is Concubine Zhou, and this is Second Brother!"
Concubine Zhou was charming and lovely, clearly the type men favored—even the stern, serious, and unsmiling Wen Chuanhong was no exception.
As the son of a favored concubine, Wen Zongjing enjoyed much better treatment in the household than the original host.
Wen Zongjing had previously passed the provincial examination and earned the title of Provincial Graduate, but he failed the Metropolitan Examination. Next year, he would take the Metropolitan Examination together with Wen Zongji.
Wen Zongjing glanced at Pei Rujing, who was neither warm nor cold, and suppressing the bitterness in his heart, he joked, "I never expected Third Brother would marry before me."
Because of Concubine Zhou, Wen Chuanhong did not treat Wen Zongjing poorly. However, as a son born of a concubine, his wife could only be chosen from among merchant families, daughters of minor officials, or daughters of noble families born of concubines.
Clearly unwilling to settle for this, Wen Zongjing had been delaying marriage. At twenty-four, he was still unmarried, hoping to wait until he passed the Metropolitan Examination and became a scholar, so he could choose a marriage that would benefit him.
But he never expected that while he had schemed tirelessly without success, the original host had stumbled upon incredible luck and married County Princess Anhe.
Wen Zongjing was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, yet he had no choice but to congratulate Wen Zongji.