It was March, the spring sun warm and mild, the air thick with the scent of pink and green.
Toward evening, a slanted layer of crimson cloud hung at the edge of the sky, veiling the Lu family’s courtyard, which was draped in red silk, adding to the festive air.
Today was the wedding day of the eldest young master of the Lu family, and every prominent figure in the city had come to offer their congratulations to this cabinet minister.
Not long after the wedding procession returned, the newlyweds were escorted into the bridal chamber amid a crowd of attendants. The groom went to the front courtyard first to attend to the guests, while the female relatives remained in the back courtyard, not yet having dispersed.
Inside the new bridal chamber, the bride sat properly on the edge of the bed in her intricately woven wedding gown. A sharp-eyed female guest recognized at a glance that the bride’s gown was cut from satin brought from Suzhou, worth a hundred gold for a single bolt, not to mention the lifelike peony and phoenix patterns on it, which would have taken dozens of top embroiderers two or three years to finish with such fine detail.
Moreover, the bride’s dowry numbered a full hundred and twenty-eight carrying-poles, stretching from one end of the street to the other, giving the guests who came to watch the ceremony today quite an eyeful.
Only, at this moment, the bride’s red veil trembled faintly, her slender fingers gripping the handkerchief in her hand tightly, and she did not look to be in a good mood.
A female guest who knew the inside story left the bridal chamber first, and said to the guests who did not know, “You all don’t know, do you? The bride and the Lu family’s second young master were childhood sweethearts, raised together since they were little. The marriage was originally arranged with the second young master too, but later he kept a woman outside, so the marriage was switched to the eldest young master.”
Hearing this, the guests who hadn’t known widened their eyes. “The brothers swapped marriages? And the eldest young master actually agreed to it? So is that why the bride was crying today, for the second young master?”
“Who knows!” The speaker lowered her voice. “But the second young master of the Lu family is just a dissolute young playboy, while the eldest young master is the youngest cabinet minister in this dynasty, and will surely become Chief Minister one day! And the eldest young master has always valued propriety and integrity. She got the better end of the deal and still cries like this, if the eldest young master finds out, he’s bound to grow tired of her.”
Since they were still in the Lu family’s courtyard, no matter how much the female guests wanted to gossip, none of them dared say too much. After exchanging a few low words, they each went their separate ways.
Meanwhile, inside the bridal chamber.
Once Yu Xi heard that it had gone quiet outside, she quietly lifted the veil a little, revealing a face as bright as the moon and as lovely as a flower, a pair of round, cat-like eyes curiously taking in everything in the room, showing not the slightest trace of sorrow.
She had finally managed to marry in, heaven knew how hard she’d had to hold back just now to keep from laughing out loud!
Yu Xi’s dowry maid Xique had just brought in some food when she saw that her mistress had lifted the veil entirely, and hurried over. “Miss, the young master hasn’t arrived yet, why did you lift the veil yourself!”
“It’s not like it’s fully lifted,” Yu Xi said, stretching lazily, her voice full of sweet petulance. “Xique, getting married is so tiring.”
Xique rubbed her mistress’s shoulders and legs with concern. “Miss, wait a little longer. Once the young master arrives, you can rest.”
Yu Xi blinked, took a small bite of the pastry Xique had brought, and thought that wasn’t quite right.
The romance novels all said that on the first night after a wedding, husband and wife should share the bridal candlelight, the husband holding his wife in his arms, the two of them hand in hand exchanging intimate words all night, never tiring of it. Where was there room to rest?
Not knowing what was going through Yu Xi’s head, Xique cautioned her, “Miss, don’t forget what Madam told you. The eldest young master isn’t like the second young master, he’s a serious man, and nine years older than you. Now that you’ve married in, you must rein in your temper, so as not to displease him. And those romance novels of yours, put them away properly, or the young master will surely burn them all.”
Yu Xi lay lazily to one side and answered vaguely, “I know, I know.”
She had seven or eight chests of those novels, they wouldn’t burn that quickly.
Xique had served Yu Xi for over a decade and could tell at a glance that she hadn’t taken it in. She decided she would just have to keep a close watch herself, and if the young master really treated her mistress badly, she would send word back to the family at once.
Originally, after the affair of the second young master Lu Ping keeping a mistress outside came to light, the Yu family had meant to break off the engagement with the Lu family entirely.
But Yu Xi, blinded by infatuation, had one moment been making a scene about shaving her head and becoming a nun, and the next moment, upon seeing Lu Zhi come to apologize on his brother’s behalf, had been utterly smitten, and decided on the spot to marry him instead.
Yu Xi’s father and mother went back and forth discussing it several times, and Yu Xi made scenes several times in turn, from the front courtyard to the back, crying, making a fuss, and threatening to hang herself. In less than a day, her father and mother gave in, personally going to the Lu family and using some means to switch the engagement.
After all, as long as their daughter was happy, nothing else mattered, if Yu Xi wasn’t happy there, she could always divorce and come home anytime.
Since the engagement was switched, Yu Xi had happily thrown herself into preparing for the wedding, and up until today, had not shed another tear over Lu Ping and his mistress.
At this moment, Yu Xi, having filled her stomach, wandered around the room touching this and that, showing not the slightest bashfulness or nervousness expected of a new bride. Xique, trailing behind her, sighed again and again, deeply worried.
The young lady of their family had been doted on and spoiled since childhood, with a lively, carefree temperament, no one in the whole family, young or old, had ever had the heart to speak a harsh word to her.
But that eldest young master of the Lu family was famously cold, rigid, and a stickler for rules, and on top of that there was the matter with the second young master… Xique sighed again, feeling certain Yu Xi was bound to suffer for it.
Having wandered the room and mostly satisfied her curiosity, Yu Xi first took some fragrant powder from her dressing case and dabbed it carefully on her face and neck, then walked cheerfully over to the bed spread with a large red wedding quilt.
Thinking of her husband, so handsome and refined, so cool and dignified, Yu Xi blushed and tucked in the corner of the quilt.
She really couldn’t wait to see him.
·
In the front courtyard of the Lu family, the guests were noisy and the wine flowed busily.
Lu Zhi was attending to the guests who had come to drink, but because of his high status and power, the guests, aside from a few dukes and marquises, did not dare press him too hard to drink, so he was soon able to withdraw to the back courtyard.
Lu Zhi’s steps were steady, but as he thought of what lay ahead, a faint crease appeared between his brows.
He had no wish to marry, but when the Yu family had come calling that day, their demands had been too excessive. For the sake of the Lu family’s reputation, he had had no choice but to agree to the match.
As for Yu Xi… she had once been quite close with Lu Ping, and now that she had married him instead, it was already enough to invite gossip. He only hoped that from now on she would conduct herself properly, so as not to give others more to talk about.
Lu Zhi steadied himself for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at the room ahead, its door plastered with the large red character for double happiness, and stepped inside.
Inside the room, Xique heard the sound and hurried to alert Yu Xi, who was dozing off. “Miss, the young master is here, quick, put the veil back down!”
Yu Xi startled awake, pulled the veil back down, and sat up straight and proper, waiting for Lu Zhi to approach.
Listening to the sound of the man’s footsteps stopping at the door, she suddenly felt a little nervous, her heart pounding inside her chest faster than the drums of a Persian dance.
Soon, the sound of Xique taking her leave rang out, and the door was gently pulled shut.
Yu Xi saw a pair of black satin boots embroidered with cloud patterns stop in front of her, a crimson robe hem hanging above them.
He seemed to have had some wine; a faint, sharp scent of liquor drifted up to her nose.
For a moment, Yu Xi’s ears were filled with nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat and breathing, anticipation, nervousness, and a little fear.
He would like her, surely.
The wedding candles flickered, and while Yu Xi’s thoughts ran wild, Lu Zhi was also looking at the woman sitting properly before him.
Her two slender, pale hands were folded neatly in her lap, her figure slim and delicate, even beneath the elaborate wedding gown, the slim, graspable waist could not be hidden.
Lu Zhi closed his eyes briefly, and after a long moment, used a jade ruyi scepter to lift the veil.
The first thing that came into view was the woman’s small, slightly pointed chin, then her full, plump lips. Above her delicate nose, a pair of round, slightly upturned eyes looked at him carefully and cautiously, curious and innocent, with two faint fan-shaped shadows beneath them.
As the veil lifted, a rich fragrance drifted over at the same time, one that had never before been in his room, a scent belonging only to a young woman.
But it was too strong, too heavy. He didn’t like it.
“Tired?”
Seeing the weariness in her eyes, Lu Zhi opened his lips, his voice as cool and clear as flowing water. Yu Xi felt as if her ears had gone numb.
The room wasn’t very bright; in the dim candlelight, Lu Zhi lowered his eyes to look at her. Beneath his striking bone structure lay a face of extreme refinement, well-shaped brows, long eyes, a high nose, thin lips, like a bitter winter wind, carrying a coldness that struck straight into the heart.
The red wedding robe traced out his straight, upright figure; his shoulders were broad and loose, carrying the solid, reliable feel of a mountain.
The blush on Yu Xi’s face deepened further. She swallowed a few times before finally speaking a few words. “Not tired.”
Her voice was both sweet and coy, soft and lingering, the trailing note curling up like a little hook.
Having spoken, Yu Xi looked shyly at Lu Zhi, only to see his long brows knitted tightly together.
Seeing this, Yu Xi lowered her head and fidgeted with her handkerchief, at a loss for a moment. Could it be that Lu Zhi didn’t like the way she spoke to him like this? But Grandmother had said her voice was soft and sweet, that when she spoke it was as endearing as honey.
And at home, no one had ever frowned at her, could it be that it wasn’t that Lu Zhi disliked her voice, but that he disliked her?
But Mother had also said she was the prettiest, cleverest young lady in the whole capital, Lu Zhi shouldn’t dislike her.
Yu Xi couldn’t figure it out.
But fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long. After a moment, Lu Zhi spoke. “Take off your hairpins first.”
Yu Xi nodded obediently, walked to the dressing table, and removed the heavy hairpins from her head one by one. But she rarely undressed and did her own hair, and one hairpin accidentally caught on a strand of hair, making her let out a soft cry of pain.
Lu Zhi, sitting on the couch, was thinking of something, and glanced over at the sound, seeing her come running toward him with her hair down.
Yu Xi, holding the strand of hair caught by the pin, said in a sweet, soft voice, “Husband, will you help me get this hairpin out?”
That single word “husband” made Lu Zhi close his eyes again.
Lu Zhi said flatly, “For something like this, just call a servant.”
Not even able to remove her own hairpin properly, too delicate.
Hearing this, Yu Xi said nothing, though she felt somewhat wronged inside. But she quickly consoled herself, after all, this was the husband she had chosen herself, so it was only natural he’d have some temper. She just had to bear with it.
Soon, Xique came in, and seeing her mistress with her hair caught and a wronged look on her face, and Lu Zhi paying her no mind, hurried to help Yu Xi remove all her hairpins, then brought water to help wash her face and hands.
Seeing that Yu Xi didn’t lift a single finger, obediently tilting her face up to let Xique wash it, Lu Zhi turned his head away, growing even more irritated.
A man marries a wife for her virtue, and yet Yu Xi was worlds apart from the virtuous wife he had hoped for, with none of the bearing of a household matriarch. Lu Zhi simply could not bring himself to like her.
And thinking of how he had once happened to see his younger brother Lu Ping fawning over Yu Xi in every way, even lifting her skirt hem and wiping her shoes like a servant, Lu Zhi’s brow never loosened.
He could never be like that, and besides, he was much older than Yu Xi, this marriage simply wasn’t suitable to begin with.
But things had already come to this; the two of them were already married, and he would fulfill his duty as a husband, teaching her to correct herself step by step.
Once washed, Yu Xi changed into her nightclothes and took small steps to his side, her small face bare of powder, tinged with a faint peach-pink, strikingly lovely.
“Husband,” Yu Xi called softly to Lu Zhi, handing him a cloth. “Do you want to wipe your face?”
The cloth she handed him was the same one she had just used on her own face, it still bore a mark of her lip rouge.
Lu Zhi shook his head. “No need. I have something to say to you.”
Yu Xi looked at his face and sat properly to listen, but thinking of something, she stole glances at him, her face growing redder and redder.
Her nightclothes were thin, her waist curving slightly inward, extremely slender.
Lu Zhi glanced over, but what he said next was cold and unfeeling.
“Miss Yu, I am occupied with official duties and never intended to marry. Although you and I are now husband and wife, aside from what is necessary, it would be better if from now on we do not disturb each other.”
When he finished speaking, Lu Zhi saw Yu Xi’s red lips part slightly, staring blankly at him, a glimmer of tears welling in her eyes.