“Huh? The young prince is afraid the young lady might have designs on him?” Shijian never expected such an answer, muttering softly, “This new bridegroom is quite strange!”
Shen Ruojin sighed lightly. “After being caged for so long, who wouldn’t develop some peculiar habits?”
Strange or not, it didn’t matter.
She never intended to become a loving couple with Qin Lang in the first place. The marriage swap had been a last resort, forced upon her.
She had planned to board the bridal sedan first and clarify everything in the bridal chamber, but people inside and outside the mansion kept interrupting, leaving her no chance to lay down the rules with Qin Lang.
Fortunately, Young Prince Qin was a busy man who even had to play the hero on his wedding night. He likely welcomed the idea of a sham marriage.
On her wedding night, Shen Ruojin slept alone.
…
The next day, as dawn broke, Shen Ruojin went to the main hall to serve tea to the prince and princess consort.
Everyone in the mansion knew that the young prince had abandoned his bride on their wedding night to chase after an actress, and their gazes were filled with mockery and pity.
As Shen Ruojin approached the hall, she heard an angry roar before even stepping inside.
“He insisted on swapping brides and bringing her back, and now he leaves his bride alone on their wedding night. Does this unfilial son think I’m dead? How dare he treat his bride like this!”
Zhenbeiwang was so furious he wanted to personally go to the theater and drag the unfilial son back for punishment.
“Erlang is now a married man. His affairs should be managed by his wife. There’s no need for you, his father, to resort to violence.”
With a single sentence, the princess consort stopped Zhenbeiwang.
The steward and others advised that dragging the young prince back for a beating now would be pointless. The priority was to comfort the bride.
With everyone chiming in, the early morning was quite lively.
“Your Highness, please calm your anger.” Shen Ruojin stepped inside, bathed in the morning’s faint light. “My husband left the mansion last night to save someone. It wasn’t reckless behavior, nor was it meant to slight me. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Everyone in the hall turned to look at her. The bride who had spent her wedding night alone appeared calm and composed, her gaze gentle, with a slight smile curling at the corners of her lips. Even though her newlywed husband had been lured away by an outside temptress, she neither cried nor made a scene, showing no trace of resentment.
Seeing Shen Ruojin like this, Zhenbeiwang felt even more that she had been wronged. “I’ve said it before—this unfilial son isn’t worthy of you! You’ve been at the border for so long, you don’t know how disgraceful he is—”
“I know.” Shen Ruojin spoke slowly. “‘Three hundred pearls gifted to the courtesan, a fortune spent to elevate the actress. Do not say there are no tales of romance today, for Qin Lang’s amorous exploits are known throughout the land.’ Though I’ve only recently returned to the capital, I’ve heard plenty of rumors.”
Young Prince Qin was far too famous in the capital, practically monopolizing all the romantic gossip of the past two years.
Fighting over courtesans and lavishing money on actresses were nothing. It was said he even had a lost love, a woman who had saved his life years ago, whom he had searched for across the nine provinces but never found.
Whether he was disgraceful or not was debatable, but his reputation as a romantic was undeniable.
Her composure left Zhenbeiwang stunned. “If you knew, why did you still marry him?”
Shen Ruojin paused briefly, preparing to tell a bold-faced lie. “Naturally, it’s because…”
“Naturally, it’s because fate brought them together.”
The princess consort took over the conversation. The more she looked at Shen Ruojin, the more pleased she felt. Among all the noble ladies in the capital who wished to marry Qin Lang, some coveted the power of Zhenbei Wangfu, while others were infatuated with Qin Lang’s handsome appearance. But this Shen Ruojin was different.
At first glance, she appeared poised and capable—perhaps truly able to rein in Qin Lang, making him settle down and strive for progress.
Thinking this, the Princess Consort pressed a hand on Zhenbeiwang’s shoulder to make him sit down, then smiled at Shen Ruojin and said, “Last night was your wedding night. Even if Second Brother left to save someone, he was still in the wrong. Just now, His Highness wanted to have him tied up and brought back for family punishment. Since you spoke up to stop it, you must already have an idea in mind. In that case…”
The Princess Consort untied the jade pendant from her waist and handed it to Shen Ruojin. “This is the household authority token of the Wangfu. Since you are now Second Brother’s wife, I entrust the authority of managing the household to you today. From now on, the Wangfu’s finances and personnel are at your disposal. If Second Brother acts recklessly, you may discipline him as you see fit.”
This was both reassurance and a gesture to win her loyalty.
The Princess Consort of Zhenbei was truly generous.
Shen Ruojin nodded and said, “I am honored by Your Highness’s trust, but this household authority token is no small matter…”
The Princess Consort, however, directly placed the token into Shen Ruojin’s hand. “We are all family now—why still address me as ‘Princess Consort’? Ruojin, are you still angry with Second Brother, refusing to call me ‘Mother’?”
With the household authority token in hand, Shen Ruojin readily complied and called out, “Mother.”
“Ah, what a good daughter-in-law.” The Princess Consort was very pleased with this daughter-in-law, who was neither coy nor pretentious.
Shen Ruojin also calmly served tea to her parents-in-law. Since the groom was absent, the customary introductions to other relatives were omitted.
Zhenbeiwang had someone fetch the family punishment instrument and personally handed it to Shen Ruojin. “If Qin Lang acts recklessly or does anything to wrong you or upset you, just use this to beat him—beat him to death if you must! I doubt he’d dare fight back!”
In ordinary households, family punishment instruments were usually rods or whips, but in Zhenbei Wangfu, it was a golden mace—a lethal weapon against enemies. If used to beat Qin Lang, caution was necessary; if the force was too great, the Wangfu might end up holding a funeral.
Shen Ruojin accepted the heartfelt gesture from the Prince and Princess Consort.
She also agreed to the task of bringing Qin Lang back.
As a newcomer to the Wangfu, she couldn’t just accept benefits without fulfilling her duties.
The old steward, He, had someone prepare a carriage and gathered dozens of guards, matrons, and maidservants, making sure the Second Young Mistress’s outing was fully equipped—mainly out of fear that the Young Prince might act recklessly and refuse to return, so bringing more people would bolster the new bride’s confidence.
Shen Ruojin, however, waved her hand to dismiss everyone, unable to hold back a smile. “I’m just going out to find someone, not to abduct a man on the streets. Why bring so many people?”
“Second Young Mistress, once you take them with you, you’ll understand why so many are needed. You’ve just married into the family and don’t yet know the Young Prince…”
Steward He said with a troubled expression.
Previously, when the Prince was furious and sent people to “invite” the Young Prince back to the Wangfu, he had to send this many people—let alone for the newlywed bride.
Shen Ruojin only took Shijian with her as she walked out, thanking the steward for his kindness and saying calmly, “Having too many people would only cause trouble. Leave a coachman; I’ll go on my own.”
“But the Young Prince, he…”
Steward He, old and prone to worry, wanted to persuade her further.
Shen Ruojin, walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
A tall, slender figure emerged from around the corner of the corridor, followed by a deep voice. “Don’t go. Stay in the Wangfu and wait at ease. I’ll bring Second Brother back.”
The newcomer wore a jade crown and an indigo brocade robe. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with handsome features and a tall, straight posture like a pine tree. This was Qin Qi, the heir of Zhenbei Wangfu.
Qin Qi was the legitimate eldest son born to Zhenbeiwang's first wife, who passed away early. The current princess was Zhenbeiwang's second wife, and Qin Lang was the legitimate second son born to her.
The prince's mansion had two princesses in succession, with one legitimate son being enfeoffed as the heir and the other being called "Young Prince Qin" by the emperor's own decree.
On the surface, their statuses seemed perfectly balanced, but Zhenbeiwang favored his eldest son, while the princess doted on Qin Lang. One of these brothers was a widely praised young talent, while the other was a notorious playboy, and their relationship was far from harmonious.
Shen Ruojin stopped about ten steps away from him and gently declined, "This is a matter between Qin Lang and me. I have no intention of troubling the heir."
Qin Qi walked through the corridor toward her, his gaze somewhat complicated. "You used to call me Brother Qin. Why, after marrying my second brother, do you address me as 'heir' so formally?"