With such a written note in her hands, how could Lady Gu ever feel at ease? If the matter were truly blown wide open, Lady Gu would lose all face.
Since she had dared to approach Lady Gu about this matter yesterday, Lady Gu should understand her stance by now and would trust her even less.
In truth, Lin Yulan never intended to blow the matter wide open using that written note. If it were truly brought into the open, Lady Gu wouldn’t admit to it right away, which would lead to a messy dispute. She was the daughter while Lady Gu was the legitimate mother, so morally speaking, she would lose. Squabbling until it became ugly would do her no good either.
That was a tactic of destroying a thousand of the enemy while self-destructing eight hundred.
She didn’t possess many things, and she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her own reputation so easily.
What she had gambled on yesterday was Lady Gu’s inability to endure being stabbed fiercely in the back by Lin Wei, and her gamble was that Lady Gu would turn disheartened and adopt a passive attitude.
Facts proved that she had won the gamble.
“Nanny, rest assured. On the day of my departure from the boudoir, I will definitely hand that written note over to Mother. If I lie, may I suffer discord in marriage, have no children, and end up destitute and down-and-out in this lifetime.”
Speaking such words on the eve of her grand wedding could be considered ruthlessly severe.
Nanny Zhang was so startled that her heart leaped into her throat, and she said unhappily, “The Eldest Miss had better keep her word.”
“Does Nanny still not know me? How would I dare to hoodwink Mother.”
Nanny Zhang gave a dry “Heh!”, thinking to herself that you nearly frightened the Mistress to death just now, yet you still have the nerve to talk about keeping your word.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the sisters leaving the boudoir arrived.
On this day, the Lin residence was decorated with red lanterns and festoons, and guests were as numerous as clouds.
The guests offered their congratulations with smiles, yet in private conversations, they couldn’t help but marvel and even tease or mock, genuinely unable to understand why the respective bridegroom families of the two sisters were so completely different.
“To say something unpleasantly blunt, the marriages of these two sisters should have been swapped!”
“Indeed, I truly wonder what Gu was thinking.”
“Does Gu dote on her concubine-born daughter to such an extent? That’s quite rare.”
“Heh, you really know how to joke…”
Lady Gu wore a smile while socializing with the guests, but inside she was already furious to death. Hearing one or two such puzzled and doubtful remarks from time to time made her chest ache even more.
What could she do? She didn’t want this either!
If Lady Gu was uncomfortable, Lin Wei was equally distraught and flustered.
She had ultimately overestimated her own powers of endurance. After all, in the past, she had always suppressed Lin Yulan in everything. Yet today, upon leaving the boudoir, whether it was the grandeur of the wedding procession, the quantity of the dowry, or even the bridal gown, she had been thoroughly and far outshone by Lin Yulan.
Those relatives and friends had also completely reversed their usual praise and friendliness toward her, turning instead to flatter and fawn upon that bitch Lin Yulan, tossing out all sorts of auspicious and congratulatory remarks as if they cost nothing.
And what about her side? It was merely perfunctory and superficial.
Cursing wildly in her heart, she could only frantically pump herself up and encourage herself with visions of future glory and wealth.
Fortunately, the bright red bridal veil covered her face; no one could see her gloomy and malevolent expression, otherwise, she truly didn’t know how she would manage to look festive.
“The bride is boarding the sedan chair!”
With the joyful and clear call of the matron of honor, the sounds of celebratory music grew even more lively and boisterous, and Lin Yulan, supported step by step, climbed into the bridal sedan chair.
“Raise the sedan chair!”
The sedan curtains dropped, and the sedan body swayed gently. Lin Yulan took a deep breath, listening to the wedding music outside the sedan and the boisterous, joyous laughter of the guests. This time around, she had neither the panic nor the determination of her rebirth to simply live life well. In this lifetime, what she wanted was the relaxed and untroubled peace of mind where nothing mattered too much.
Living her life over again, she wanted to effortlessly and truly live for herself for once.
The lowering of the sedan chair, entering the main hall, bowing to heaven and earth, and being led into the nuptial chamber—Lin Yulan sat upright on the wedding bed in the bridal chamber of the Marquis of Wuwei’s Estate, her hands folded before her.
In the end, the dust had settled!
The chaotic sound of approaching footsteps grew closer, the door of the nuptial chamber was pushed open, and a crowd of female relatives swarmed in, chatting and laughing loudly.
According to Great Qin customs, after the newlywed couple paid respects to heaven and earth and the bride was escorted into the nuptial chamber, the groom would go out to entertain the guests, while the female relatives, family members, and children of the husband’s family would come to the nuptial chamber to keep the bride company for a while.
Though the veil was not yet lifted, it did not prevent everyone from crowding around the bride to laugh and chat merrily. This was also a gesture of goodwill shown by the husband’s family toward the bride, designed to help calm and relax the bride’s nervous mood.
“The bride is so poised and dignified!”
“Indeed, as expected of a young lady from a family of scholarly repute—this bearing is simply different.”
“Our Marquis is truly blessed!”
This remark carried three parts goodwill, three parts banter, and four parts ambiguity, prompting everyone to exchange glances and cover their smiles behind their hands.
Amidst the playful teasing, an object was suddenly tossed onto Lin Yulan’s hands, which were folded in front of her, giving everyone a fright.
“Ah! A snake! It’s a snake!”
“Ah! Help!”
Lin Yulan was also startled, but what monsters, demons, and great storms hadn’t she seen in her past life?
If she had truly been a seventeen-year-old girl raised in an inner courtyard, she would surely have screamed repeatedly at this point, losing both her composure and her manners.
But she was not.
Lin Yulan’s body merely gave a conditioned-reflex start, but looking closely, she smiled softly and playfully, “This toy is crafted so exquisitely! If one wasn’t on guard, it really would give someone a scare. I wonder whose this belongs to?”
This toy snake was made by stringing together thumbnail-sized pieces of wood that had been polished very round and smooth. Its head was slightly parted, revealing a red tongue, with eyes dotted in black ink; with a gentle flick, it slithered section by section—was it not exquisite?
A boy of about eight or nine years old ran over, anxiously snatching back his pet toy snake as if it were a treasure, and expressed the disappointment of a failed prank: “Why aren’t you scared? Qiaodie and I placed a bet that you would jump! You’ve made me lose the bet, hmph!”
Mrs. Fu, the second aunt of the Marquis of Wuwei Shao Xun and the current inner-household manager of the Marquis’s Estate, hurriedly compensated with a smile: “Xiao Yi, stop messing around, come over here!”
The moment the words left her mouth, everyone froze, and Mrs. Fu herself snapped back to her senses, stiffening slightly.
If she hadn’t jumped out to speak so quickly, everyone might not have thought so fast of the fact that one of her own close-serving maidservants happened to be named Qiaodie!
In the inner courtyard, who didn’t know about these things?
Without her words, or if things weren’t done according to her intentions, would Qiaodie have dared to do such a thing?
Mrs. Fu’s face turned a blazing red.
“That dead girl Qiaodie is truly outrageous to pull such a prank. Niece-in-law, rest assured, I will definitely punish her severely and give you an account!”
Lin Yulan curved her lips and whispered softly, “Since it’s just a prank, it’s no matter.”
She didn’t want to make trouble. Moreover, making trouble at this time was inappropriate.
Seeing her lightly brush the matter aside, Mrs. Fu couldn’t help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief as she hurriedly laughed, “Good, good, good! Niece-in-law is indeed poised, magnanimous, well-mannered, and tolerant!”
Among the relatives, some breathed a sigh of relief while others, disappointed at not getting to watch a good show, looked on. Since a grand wedding should primarily be auspicious and celebratory, everyone soon resumed their lively chat and laughter.
Several sensible and steady relatives couldn’t help but develop a sense of admiration and respect for Lin Yulan, wishing to make her acquaintance and growing all the more warm and friendly.
Watching this, Mrs. Fu felt a stifled ache in her chest. She had originally wanted to make the newly minted Marchioness lose face and become a laughingstock, and she was certain her dissolute nephew would also blame Lin Yulan for humiliating him and hold a grievance against her.
If the couple was in discord, it would naturally benefit the second branch.
What a pity…