Shen Ruojin was sitting in the main hall with the other women of the Houfu, discussing how much more dowry should be added, when Qin Lang’s voice was heard before he even appeared.
He was even more arrogant and domineering than the rumors suggested.
“Young Prince, you jest. On such an auspicious day, this is most inauspicious—truly inauspicious! Please wait here for a moment, Young Prince. I will have someone bring the bride out immediately. Even if we have to carry her, I will have her carried to you!”
Mu Gaoyuan could neither stop nor persuade him. Sweating profusely in his panic, he raised his voice so the women in the hall could hear, hoping to quickly force Shen Ruojin’s compliance, have her board the bridal sedan of Zhenbei Wangfu, and help the Houfu survive this great calamity.
Young Prince Qin laughed. “No need to trouble Linyanghou. All guards, listen to my command: go and invite the bride out for me.”
“Yes, sir!” the guards responded in unison, heading straight for the rear courtyard.
Hearing the commotion, the women of the Houfu immediately paled and began chattering anxiously, “What should we done?”
Mu Yunwei was not in the Houfu at all today. The excuse that she was “ill” was merely a pretense. If this matter were truly exposed, Linyang Houfu would have no face left to show in the capital.
Old Madame Mu gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. “Grandmother will double your dowry—no, double it again! Is that enough? Ruojin, there’s no time. Quickly put on the red veil and get into the bridal sedan.”
However, Qin Lang’s decision to have the Houfu searched and lay the matter bare suited Shen Ruojin perfectly.
Running away was running away—why hide behind excuses of illness preventing her from leaving her bed or attending the ceremony?
If the Houfu’s veil of shame were not torn away today and the matter made crystal clear, Mu Yunwei might later change her mind and twist the truth, accusing her elder sister of stealing her betrothed.
Shen Ruojin had no intention of stepping out to intervene. Her expression remained calm and composed as she said leisurely, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Old Madame, but empty promises hold no weight.”
Old Madame Mu was so furious she nearly vomited blood. After a moment to collect herself, before she could say anything, the Wangfu guards who had been ordered to “invite” the bride returned and reported from outside the door:
“Reporting to the Young Prince, she is not in the rear courtyard.”
“Not in the rear garden.”
“Not in the woodshed.”
“Not in the privy either!”
“…”
Old Madame Mu cursed Shen Ruojin eighteen times in her heart but maintained a kindly facade. “I’ll open my private treasury and add to your dowry immediately, letting you take it all with you today. Is that enough?”
Shen Ruojin did not refuse, so Old Madame Mu took it as agreement. She immediately ordered someone to open the treasury and bring silver notes and jewelry to add to the dowry. The maids and matrons tasked with the errand hurried back and forth. What had been withheld and begrudged during the wedding preparations was now added without hesitation after just a few words.
The silver notes amounted to a solid ten thousand taels, bringing the total to twenty thousand taels.
Jewelry, jade, hair ornaments, and antiques were hastily gathered, their quantity roughly matching the original dowry.
Most of these items were part of the dowry Shen Ruojin’s birth mother had brought when she married into Linyang Houfu, originally intended for her daughter. However, the Houfu was merely an empty shell, and Old Madame Mu had clung to her daughter-in-law’s dowry, refusing to let go. When both granddaughters were to be married, she claimed publicly that their dowries were equal, but privately, she had supplemented Mu Yunwei’s with more than double the amount.
Who could have predicted that Mu Yunwei would suddenly flee the marriage today? Not only did all the dowry prepared for her go to Shen Ruojin, but even a rare and noble son-in-law like Young Prince Qin—hard to find even with a lantern—also fell to Shen Ruojin.
Yun Wei was foolish, truly foolish!
Shen Ruojin had Shijian count the silver notes. Today she would just collect some interest first; everything that belonged to her would have to be returned one by one by the people of the Houfu.
"Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged." Old Madame Mu was so heartbroken she wanted to cry, raising her hand to wipe away tears.
Concubine Yun stood beside her, patting Old Madame Mu's back to soothe her while softly consoling, "Don't be sad, Old Madame. These material possessions can be regained in the future…"
Old Madame Mu angrily pushed Concubine Yun away, furious that she hadn't kept watch over Mu Yunwei, allowing her to run away—and with so much silver gone along with her.
Shen Ruojin simply treated it as a spectacle, nodding and saying, "Since that's the case, I'll reluctantly go meet this Young Prince Qin."
The prince's guards had already made it clear that Mu Yunwei wasn't here, so it was time for her to appear.
"Hurry, hurry! You there, go lower all the red gauze curtains. Block the entrance a bit, help Second Miss out through the side door, and come around from the back. Make sure no one recognizes her!" Old Madame Mu was so anxious she wished she could personally escort Shen Ruojin out.
"Why go through all that trouble?"
Shen Ruojin pushed away Nanny Li's outstretched hand, stood up on her own, and walked toward the door.
Before anyone in the hall could react, she had already stepped out into the wind. The setting sun fell before the hall, casting a layer of rosy light over the carved wooden doors, with a few rays also landing on her wedding dress. The phoenix feathers embroidered with gold thread seemed to come alive, shimmering brilliantly.
Outside, the guests were chattering away: "Where exactly has Third Miss Mu gone?" "The other groom for today's wedding banquet, Pei Jing, the Jieyuan, still hasn't come to fetch the bride. Could it be…"
"Did those two really elope? On the wedding day, the prospective brother-in-law and the younger sister-in-law ran off together?!"
The crowd gathered in the hall erupted into chaos. How could the marriage affairs of a noble family be so absurd? It was simply unheard of, unseen before!
Qin Lang showed no trace of anger on his face, pretending to be troubled as he asked Mu Gaoyuan, "Since my bridal sedan has already arrived, it wouldn't be right for it to return empty. What should we do about this, Linyanghou?"
"This…"
Mu Gaoyuan was completely stumped, sweating profusely in an instant. The mocking whispers around him made him wish he could vanish into a crack in the ground!
At the same time, he was deeply worried that this young prince would take things to the extreme, leaving no room for retreat and sparing no face at all. What could possibly be done now?
Just as the situation had reached an irreparable point and Linyang Houfu was in its most awkward predicament,
Shen Ruojin, dressed in her wedding gown, slowly walked out from the hall. "Qin Lang, your bride ran off with my groom. How about we make do with each other?"
Qin Lang turned to look. At the sight of the newcomer, the Babaliuli Xiuqiu spinning on his fingertips came to a stop. The red tassel brushed against his fair, jade-like hand—even his hand was finely boned and impossibly beautiful.
Shen Ruojin raised her eyes to examine him. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were unmistakable even beneath the intricate wedding robes—a splendid figure with a charming appearance. His naturally amorous eyes seemed to gaze with affection even at a dog.
The number one beauty of Shengjing truly lived up to his reputation.
The two locked eyes, and for a moment, even the wind seemed to still.
One stood by the door, the other outside it.
A smile danced in Qin Lang's peach-blossom eyes as his thin lips curved slightly. "Alright."
Before the words had fully faded, Young Prince Qin tossed the Babaliuli Xiuqiu in his hand to the bride.
The onlookers collectively gasped at the sight. The embroidered ball was studded with hundreds of gemstones, dazzlingly brilliant—it could easily be described as priceless. Only someone as extravagant as Young Prince Qin could casually toss such a treasure around for amusement. If the second young lady of the Marquis’s household failed to catch it and it shattered into pieces on the spot, it would be an absolute tragedy.
However, the accident everyone feared never occurred.
Shen Ruojin caught it effortlessly. "For me?"
Qin Lang smiled. "Yes, for my bride."
Just like that? The guests watching from the sidelines were stunned.
Young Prince Qin, you’re not known for being easygoing! Just moments ago, you seemed ready to tear down the Marquis’s estate!
"Young Prince, this—"
Mu Gaoyuan hadn’t expected such a sudden turn of events either. Although Shen Ruojin hadn’t followed his original plan to pretend to be Mu Yunwei and board the bridal sedan, given the current situation, placating Young Prince Qin was a blessing in itself.
Qin Lang cupped his hands in a graceful, courteous gesture. "This is my first wedding, so I lack experience. If I’ve caused any offense, I hope my father-in-law will forgive me."
The guards behind the young prince followed suit, clasping their fists in unison and declaring, "We beg the Marquis’s forgiveness!"
"Forgiven, forgiven…"
Mu Gaoyuan’s ears rang from the guards’ booming voices. Before his mind could fully process the situation, the words had already left his lips.
All eyes shifted between Shen Ruojin and Qin Lang. Someone whispered, "Wasn’t it said that this second young lady grew up on the frontier, spending her days wielding swords and spears, barely literate, crude in behavior, and ugly in appearance? Whoever called her ugly must be blind!"
These rumors had circulated in the capital for quite some time—the Marquis’s illegitimate daughter was as beautiful as a celestial being, while the legitimate daughter was an uncouth and unattractive disaster, with distinctions even drawn between fortune and misfortune based on their looks.
Who could have imagined that Shen Ruojin was not only not ugly but possessed a beauty that rivaled the heavens?
With such stunning looks, it was no wonder that Young Prince Qin, who moments ago had been addressing him as "Linyanghou," had now switched to calling him "father-in-law."
Shen Ruojin, now the center of everyone’s unwavering attention, remained unfazed. She toyed with the embroidered ball, silently counting the rubies on it and estimating how much silver it might be worth.
The wedding matron glanced at the sky, sensing that a union was inevitable today, and called out loudly, "The auspicious hour has arrived! The bride shall board the sedan!"
"Bride, it’s time to board the bridal sedan." Qin Lang’s gaze settled on Shen Ruojin. With a gentle breeze accompanying him, he stepped forward, swept her into his arms, and turned to leave.
Shen Ruojin had never been held like this in all her years. Her heart skipped a beat, and she nearly dropped the precious embroidered ball in her hand. She quickly wrapped her arm around Qin Lang’s neck to secure the valuable treasure.
Gasps and exclamations erupted from the surrounding guests. Someone with a bold temperament teased, "Who ever heard of carrying the bride away like this? Is this a wedding procession or a bride abduction? Young Prince, you’re in quite the hurry!"
Qin Lang strode through the corridor with Shen Ruojin in his arms, a radiant smile on his face. "I’ve claimed my bride."