The bridal sedan swayed and jolted along the road for two full hours.
Inside, Xiao Guiwan was shaken so badly she felt as though every bone in her body was about to come apart.
The rickety sedan didn’t even have a cushion. She was sitting directly on hard wooden planks that left her lower back aching.
The curtain was made of thin cloth that did little to block the wind. Dust from the country roads drifted inside, making her cough repeatedly.
She lifted the curtain for a glance outside.
They had already left the capital behind. Farmland stretched endlessly along both sides of the official road. Rolling hills rose in the distance, with the occasional mud-brick cottage scattered among them. The air carried the scent of earth and fresh grass, completely different from the smoke-filled bustle of the capital.
Lowering the curtain again, Xiao Guiwan took a deep breath.
In her previous life, she had been trapped within palace walls for fourteen years. From Prince Ning’s residence to the imperial palace, she had merely exchanged one cage for another.
Now, whatever lay ahead, at least the sky was open and the land was vast.
The sedan turned onto an even narrower dirt path, jolting so violently she nearly bounced off her seat.
“We’re here! We’re here!” the elderly servant leading the procession called.
The sedan came to a stop.
Xiao Guiwan lifted the curtain slightly and looked outside.
Before her lay a small village nestled among the hills, consisting of only a few dozen scattered households.
Low mud-brick houses lined the dirt road. Some roofs were tiled, while others were thatched. Chickens and ducks darted freely across the road, and animal droppings littered the ground.
Her bridal sedan stopped in front of one of the thatched cottages.
Compared to the neighboring homes, this one looked even more dilapidated. Several large cracks split the mud walls. The window paper had torn away until only ragged corners remained. Strong winds had blown the thatch unevenly across the roof, exposing the wooden beams beneath. There wasn’t even a proper doorstep—just a single stone to step on.
A woman next door poked her head out and shouted loudly,
“The bride’s here! Ye Daniu! Your wife’s arrived!”
An old maid helped Xiao Guiwan out of the sedan.
Covered by her red bridal veil, she couldn’t see where she was going and could only watch her own feet.
The maid guided her across the stepping stone, over the threshold, and into the main hall.
Through the gap beneath her veil, she could see that the floor was simply packed earth, hard beneath her feet.
The air smelled of firewood and old timber.
“Wait here for a while, Bride. The groom is changing his clothes inside.”
After saying that, the maid left, her footsteps gradually fading away.
Xiao Guiwan stood alone in the hall, quietly waiting.
She could hear voices outside—villagers who had come to watch the excitement.
Some shouted for Daniu to come out, while others laughed and teased.
After a while, footsteps approached from the inner room.
She lifted her head slightly and, through the narrow gap beneath her veil, saw a pair of black cloth shoes walking toward her.
Mud clung to the shoes. The trouser legs were rolled above the ankles, revealing part of his calves.
The pair of feet stopped in front of her.
“It’s time for the ceremony!” someone called outside.
There was no master of ceremonies, no elders seated in honor, and no officiant.
Village Chief Wang volunteered himself, standing at the doorway and shouting,
“First bow—to Heaven and Earth!”
Someone gently pressed Xiao Guiwan’s shoulders, making her bow.
“Second bow—to the elders!”
They simply bowed toward the wall of the main hall.
“Husband and wife, bow to each other!”
She and the man opposite bent toward one another.
“Escort the bride to the bridal chamber!”
The onlookers burst into laughter.
Someone gave her a little push, and she stumbled forward two steps before a large hand reached out to steady her arm.
The hand was broad, with long fingers and thin calluses across the palm. Its grip was neither too tight nor too loose. Once she regained her balance, it released her immediately.
She was led into the inner room.
The door closed behind her, muffling the laughter and chatter outside.
A hand lifted her red veil.
She raised her head—
And froze.
The man standing before her was nothing like the rough country farmer she had imagined.
She had pictured Ye Daniu as dark-skinned, broad-shouldered, with thick, callused hands, yellow teeth flashing whenever he smiled, and a booming rustic voice.
But the man before her…
His face was as flawless as polished jade.
Sharp brows slanted gracefully toward his temples, his brow ridge sculpted with knife-like precision, giving him an imposing air even in silence. Yet beneath those brows lay a pair of clear, gently rounded eyes, their slightly drooping corners softening his features with quiet warmth. His dark pupils shone like cold spring water flowing through a mountain stream—pure, clear, and calm.
His nose was high and perfectly straight, forming a clean line from brow to tip. The contours of his profile looked as though a master craftsman had carved them painstakingly from fine jade. His jawline was distinct without appearing severe, blending strength with elegance.
His lips were neither thin nor full, with a subtly raised cupid’s bow. Even without smiling, he carried an air of composed restraint.
He wore coarse red wedding clothes, one sleeve still stained with a patch of dust from earlier work.
Yet even such simple garments couldn’t conceal the innate nobility that seemed etched into his very bones.
Xiao Guiwan stared at him for several long moments.
A farmer?
In her previous life, she had seen countless nobles.
Although Prince Ning had always looked frail, he had been handsome enough. She had also met numerous civil and military officials at court.
None of them looked like this.
With a face like his, any noble young lady in the capital would blush at first sight.
Then another thought crossed her mind.
Some people were simply born exceptionally beautiful. It had nothing to do with noble birth.
The countryside might be poor, but it wasn’t impossible for a handsome young man to be born there.
She silently reminded herself:
Don’t be fooled by his face. He’s still just a farmer.
Mu Hanhe was studying her as well.
The instant the bridal veil was lifted, he found himself looking at a face entirely beyond his expectations.
Her face was soft and round like a ripe peach, her skin fair and luminous like freshly blossomed pear flowers. She wore no cosmetics, yet her complexion glowed with natural freshness. Her brows were slender and delicate, gently curved like distant mist-covered hills, giving her an obedient, gentle appearance.
Her large almond-shaped eyes were bright and crystal clear, their dark pupils resembling black grapes washed in spring water. When she looked up, the slightly upturned corners of her eyes gave her an innocent liveliness.
She looked nothing like the Empress of his previous life.
This was Xiao Guiwan.
The Xiao family’s illegitimate daughter.
He recalled the information gathered by his secret guards.
Raised on a rural estate since childhood, she had only been brought back to the capital the previous year. She could barely read, and her etiquette lessons had been incomplete at best. No one in the Xiao household respected her. Her stepmother was harsh, her legitimate elder sister constantly bullied her, and even her own father paid her no attention.
How had someone like this become Empress in their previous life?
Mu Hanhe’s gaze swept across her face without lingering.
“My name is Ye Daniu,” he said, his deep voice carrying a hint of huskiness. “I am my parents’ only son. Both of them have passed away. I own three mu of farmland and two thatched cottages.”
“I hope my wife won’t find them too humble.”
Xiao Guiwan smiled sweetly.
“What are you saying, Husband?” she replied softly. “I don’t mind at all.”
She truly didn’t.
Even if she had minded, it would have changed nothing.
She was already married.
Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. First, she had to survive. As for everything else… she would deal with it later.
Mu Hanhe glanced at her, and the corners of his lips moved ever so slightly. His expression softened a little.
“You’ve spent half the day in the bridal sedan. Get some rest.”
With that, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
She heard him moving things around in the main hall—the clatter of bowls and chopsticks, water being poured into a pot.
Soon afterward came the crackling of firewood burning in the stove.
She sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the room.
It wasn’t large—barely any better than the woodshed back at the Xiao residence.
A simple wooden bed was neatly made with coarse bedding.
A small table stood nearby with a pair of red wedding candles burning brightly, their flickering flames filling the room with a warm glow.
An old wooden cabinet stood in the corner, its crooked door unable to close properly, exposing several neatly folded garments inside.
The window had been newly papered, though the wind outside could still be heard whistling through.
Xiao Guiwan took a slow, deep breath.
This would be her home from now on.
In the neighboring room, Mu Hanhe crouched before the stove, feeding more firewood into the flames.
He scrubbed the pot clean, poured in fresh water, and tossed in several slices of ginger.
There wasn’t much food in the house to entertain guests. The only decent ingredient he had was half a chicken he had bought in town two days earlier. He chopped it into pieces, added a handful of dried mushrooms, and let everything simmer together.
Whatever else happened, today was still his wedding day.
He added another stick of firewood.
The water soon came to a rolling boil, bubbling vigorously.
He covered the pot and reduced the fire to let it simmer slowly.
A knock sounded at the door.
Mu Hanhe stood and opened it.
Outside stood two men.
One was Village Chief Wang.
The other was a stranger dressed in fine silk, obviously someone from the city.
“Daniu,” Village Chief Wang said cheerfully, “this gentleman is from the Xiao residence. He says he’s here with the wedding procession and has brought wine for the newlyweds.”
The man in silk held a tray carrying two cups of wine.
“Ye Daniu,” he said, extending the tray, “please share this ceremonial wedding wine with your bride, a symbol of a long and harmonious marriage.”
Mu Hanhe looked at the two cups without speaking, then accepted the tray.
“Please thank the Xiao family for their kindness.”
With that, he closed the door.
Setting the tray on the stove, he examined the wine.
The liquid was clear, carrying the rich aroma of excellent Daughter’s Red wine.
Although he found it somewhat suspicious that the Xiao family would specifically send ceremonial wine—a mere concubine-born daughter marrying a poor farmer hardly deserved such attention—he quickly dismissed the thought.
Perhaps they merely wanted to maintain appearances and avoid looking overly heartless.
After all, noble families excelled at keeping up appearances.
Without dwelling on it further, he carried the tray into the bridal chamber.
“Someone from the Xiao family brought us our wedding wine,” Mu Hanhe said, placing the tray on the table.
“Would you like some?”
Xiao Guiwan looked at the two cups.
She, too, found it strange.
Why would Xiao Shuwan send wedding wine? Was she pretending to be kind?
“Husband, you first.”
Mu Hanhe picked up one cup and drank it in a single swallow.
Xiao Guiwan took the other and emptied it as well.
The wine burned pleasantly as it slid down her throat before warmth spread through her body.
She hadn’t drunk much alcohol in her previous life. After only one cup, a rosy flush immediately colored her cheeks.
Only moments after the wine settled in her stomach, an intense heat surged upward from her lower abdomen, spreading rapidly through every limb.
Her heartbeat accelerated.
It felt as though her blood had been set ablaze, leaving her entire body feverishly hot.
She had experienced this sensation once before in her previous life—
When Prince Ning, drunk one night, had forcibly made her drink something similar.
She abruptly looked up at Mu Hanhe.
His expression had changed as well.
The calm indifference from before had vanished.
His eyes had grown deep and dark, his pupils slightly contracted, as though he were suppressing something with every ounce of his will.
Xiao Guiwan felt her mind explode with realization.
The wine had been drugged.
Xiao Shuwan.
That vicious woman hadn’t been satisfied with marrying her off to a poor farmer.
She had even laced their wedding wine with an aphrodisiac.
She wanted Xiao Guiwan permanently bound to this remote countryside, leaving her with no chance of ever turning her fate around.
“There’s something in the wine,” Mu Hanhe said quietly, his voice strained with obvious effort.
Xiao Guiwan bit her lip and nodded.
Gripping the edge of the table, she tried to steady herself, but her legs felt as heavy as lead.
Wave after wave of unbearable heat coursed through her body, making her vision blur.
Mu Hanhe drew a deep breath and turned toward the door.
He could go outside.
He could douse himself with cold water.
He could endure it—
But Xiao Guiwan caught hold of his sleeve.
“Don’t go.”
Her voice trembled.
Yet her eyes remained perfectly clear.