With Xiao Yunhe also injured, the entire third branch finally settled down.
Outside the window, sunlight flickered past in the blink of an eye, and in no time, it was Su Mingyue’s wedding day.
Before dawn, the court ladies specially selected by the Empress Dowager roused Su Mingyue at the auspicious hour.
Face-threading, changing clothes, applying makeup… Su Mingyue sat upright before the dressing table, allowing the palace attendants to meticulously arrange everything for her from head to toe.
The two maids who had grown up with her since childhood took advantage of adjusting her bridal veil to lean close to her ear and whisper, “Miss, rest assured, we have taken care of everything regarding the dowry. There will be no flaws!”
Su Mingyue nodded faintly. Seeing that the palace attendants had all withdrawn, she tightly grasped the hands of the two young maids: “Xiao He, Xiao Tao, you both are originally of good status. There’s no need to keep suffering with me…”
In her past life, these two maids had followed her to Jinzhou City. Not to mention how much they had endured and suffered in the General’s Mansion…
After she was forcibly taken by Xiao Yunhe onto the carriage bound for Northern Di, Xiao He, in her struggle to buy Su Mingyue a chance to escape, died from Xiao Hongyi’s cold arrow while entangled with soldiers.
As for Xiao Tao, no matter how Su Mingyue wept, pleaded, or tried to stop her, she resolutely accompanied her onto the carriage heading toward hell!
During those three years in Northern Di, if not for Xiao Tao risking her life to protect her and maneuvering on her behalf, Su Mingyue herself would never have survived!
It was a pity she lacked the ability… In the end, she couldn’t bring her back to the Yan Kingdom…
Su Mingyue’s eyes gradually reddened.
She had long prepared ample silver for the two maids, originally intending to persuade them to leave and live their own peaceful lives…
But before she could finish speaking, the two maids knelt in unison with a “thump,” tears streaming down like rain.
“Does Miss no longer want us?” Xiao He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes, her voice trembling.
Xiao Tao tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, tears falling drop by drop:
“That great flood years ago took our parents’ lives. If Miss hadn’t rescued us and brought us back to Yao Wang Gu, we sisters would have died long ago!”
“Miss has shown us kindness. Even if we die, we will never leave Miss!” The sisters spoke in unison, their tear-filled eyes brimming with stubbornness.
“Xiao He…”
“Xiao Tao…”
Su Mingyue reached out and embraced the two young maids, who were about the same age as her, tears falling like broken strings of pearls.
She swore that in this lifetime, she would definitely protect them and ensure they lived safe, prosperous lives!
The sound of weeping in the room grew louder, and the court lady hurriedly led others to push the door open.
Observing the scene inside, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, cheerfully muttering, “This counts as wedding tears,” before lifting her hand to readjust Su Mingyue’s red bridal veil.
…
Meanwhile, Xiao Lin rejected Old Madam Xiao’s suggestion of having Xiao Yunhe take his place to fetch the bride.
“Imperial Decree Marriage, must not be neglected!”
Ignoring the dissuasion from the mansion’s people, he publicly took many pills, deciding to force himself to personally welcome the bride.
Stepping out of the room, Xiao Lin lowered his gaze and glanced once more at the bright red wedding attire he wore, feeling it all somewhat unreal…
He walked toward the white horse not far away, gently touching the large red flower tied to the horse’s forehead, his thoughts inevitably swirling.
Was she really going to marry him?!
Clearly, all these years, her heart had been filled with that good-for-nothing.
Hah… who knows what this girl is scheming?
But marrying him is easy; if she wants to leave… unless he dies!
Xiao Lin mounted his horse, his cold gaze as usual, though upon closer inspection, the corner of his mouth seemed to curl into a faint, almost imperceptible smile—quite different from his usual demeanor.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
Seeing the frail and sickly Pingyang Hou personally going out to welcome the bride, the murmurs along the roadside grew even more fervent.
Gazing at his peerlessly handsome face, someone couldn’t help but sigh over his health: “He’s just a pretty face. The future Marchioness will likely be left a living widow!”
“Whether Pingyang Hou can perform his duties, none of us know… We’ll find out when we see if the Marchioness can conceive!”
…
Outside the palace gates, drums and gongs thundered, and the Pingyang Marquisate’s bridal procession had been waiting for a long time.
This marriage was arranged by the Emperor and overseen by the Empress, making it exceptionally grand.
Whether it was Su Mingyue’s imagination or not, although she had received the royal dowry of sixty-four bearers in both lifetimes, she felt that this time, marrying Xiao Lin, the dowry seemed far more valuable than when she married Xiao Yunhe in her previous life.
It was all because she had trusted Xiao Yunhe and the others too much in her past life—she hadn’t even glanced at the dowry before letting Xiao Hongyi and Liu Lingyi store it away in the treasury… otherwise, she could have accounted for it clearly now!
Not only that, but the Pingyang Marquisate’s bridal procession today also seemed far more magnificent than when Xiao Yunhe welcomed her in her previous life.
Inside the bridal sedan, Su Mingyue curled her lips. Indeed, marrying a marquis was a hundred times better than marrying an obscure young master!
Snapping back to reality, she began to ponder: How could she quickly facilitate the marriage of that scumbag and that shameless woman?
To ensure maximum humiliation, naturally, the more witnesses, the better.
But how to do it?
…
The bridal procession began making its way toward the Pingyang Marquisate. Including the wealth Su Mingyue had accumulated herself, her dowry procession truly stretched as far as the eye could see!
The common folk exclaimed in awe, and the sheer scale of it made the nobles in the capital burn with envy and jealousy…
Especially Xiao Hongyi, who had been forcibly stripped of all his assets by Su Mingyue. The veins on his temples throbbed violently, his chest heaved with rage, and he felt so stifled he could hardly breathe!
The entire marquisate was adorned with lanterns and decorations, with red double-happiness characters pasted everywhere, creating an unprecedented festive atmosphere.
Crossing the fire basin and stepping on the tile shards, the newlyweds held a red silk ribbon together as they walked toward the wedding hall.
Xiao Lin coughed a few times, his fist pressed to his lips, walking steadily and slowly all the way.
The large red flower in the middle swayed gently with their steps, making his deep, sharp fox-like eyes turn slightly red!
Su Mingyue was covered by a large red bridal veil, so neither could see the other’s face, nor did they know what the other was thinking.
After bowing to heaven and earth, and under Old Madam Xiao’s venomous gaze, they only bowed before the memorial tablet of Old Marquis Xiao. Then, husband and wife bowed to each other before being escorted to the bridal chamber.
The wedding matron joyfully followed them into the bridal chamber, performing another set of rituals.
Although Xiao Lin’s face showed no trace of a smile throughout, he carried out every step with utmost seriousness.
In contrast, Su Mingyue was growing impatient…
She was utterly exhausted. The heavy phoenix crown pressed down on her, making her neck ache and her shoulders stiff, to the point where she felt she could hardly breathe!
While the wedding matron was speaking, she couldn’t help but reach back to rub her neck.
Xiao Lin fixed his gaze on the wedding matron and said in a low voice, “Since the rituals are complete, you may all leave.”
The matchmaker noticed Pingyang Hou’s impatience and immediately led the crowd away with a smile to receive their rewards.
Only the guard Qing Jiu remained standing straight and motionless by the bed, his head held high.
Xiao Lin frowned, glancing sideways at him: “Aren’t you leaving?”
“……?” Qing Jiu raised an eyebrow in response, gesturing toward the door with his eyes.
Shouldn’t I wait for you to leave together?
Well…
“Your Lordship should go to the front hall to toast the guests.”
Xiao Lin closed his eyes briefly, his gaze sweeping over Qing Jiu with a chilling intensity. The air around him grew oppressive: “This lord’s ‘illness has not yet recovered.’ Do you think it is appropriate for me to drink?”
Qiao Jiu’s heart skipped a beat!
Right, the eldest and second masters of the mansion are already entertaining the guests. What kind of toast would require my lord to attend personally?
If drinking is inappropriate, then consummating the marriage should also be impossible, right?
Qing Jiu secretly congratulated himself: Fortunately, I was clever enough to have someone prepare a guest room in Xuanmao Hall earlier. Apart from the bright red decorations, it is arranged almost exactly like the bedroom in Dulan Courtyard!
“Your Lordship, please wait a moment. I will fetch the wheelchair!”
Xiao Lin said nothing and showed no expression, but Su Mingyue stopped Qing Jiu just as he was about to leave.
“Have someone bring more water to the bathing chamber. His Lordship and I need to bathe and freshen up.”
Qing Jiu was surprised: “Will the lady be bathing with His Lordship?”