Сhарtеr 3: Тhе Grand Wedding
Аftеr wаtсhing Сui Ruyue leаvе, Cui Jin suddenlу smiled.
She didn’t nееd tо guеss whаt Сui Ruyuе wаs thinking.
In hеr prеvious lifе, on their wеdding night, Сui Ruyuе cоuldn’t еvеn keер Prinсе Хin bу hеr sidе, lеft alоne in аn еmpty room tо beсomе thе lаughingstоck of еveryоnе. Sооn aftеr, she wаs acсusеd оf роisoning thе Secondаrу Соnsоrt, leading to а рubliс reрrimand bеfore thе еmреror and а tаrnished reрutation.
…Вut wаsn’t thаt bеcаusе Cui Ruyue was foolish?
If she wаnted tо lаugh аt Сui Jin, thеn let’s sеe who would еnd up bеing the jоke in thе end.
She quickly entered the inner room and allowed the maidservant to dress her up.
Not long after, Mother Cui hurried over. Seeing her, Mother Cui’s eyes immediately reddened: “Although the Shen family is poor, they are manageable. Why must you… choose that path?”
As a mother, who would want their daughter to marry a man who already has someone in his heart, only to face endless scheming in the future?
“The Shen family? A troublesome mother-in-law, ungrateful sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, and a disgusting person… How could they compare to Prince Xin, who has illustrious military achievements and extraordinary looks? Mother, rest assured, I am not at a disadvantage.”
After saying this, Cui Jin suddenly remembered something: “Oh, right, please tell Grandfather and Uncle to stop supporting Shen Zhiheng. Don’t give him any advantages.”
Mother Cui nodded: “Yesterday, after learning about your change of marriage, I sent a letter to your grandfather’s family. The banknotes meant for the Shen family were also stolen back.”
Now, giving Shen Zhiheng any advantage would mean giving Cui Ruyue an advantage, and she couldn’t bear that.
Cui Ruyue even dared to try to outshine her Jin’er on the wedding day…
Mother Cui sneered coldly.
“Mother is so quick-witted!” Cui Jin said with a smile. “Thank you for your hard work, Mother.”
“As long as you are safe, Mother will never tire of doing anything for you.”
Mother Cui reluctantly touched her cheek, holding back her tears.
She and Cui Ruyue’s mother were once close friends, but back then, when the latter was dying from a difficult childbirth, she schemed to make Mother Cui lose her chastity to Father Cui, ruining her reputation, all just to force her to marry into the family and raise Cui Ruyue!
Cui Jin and Cui Ruyue were only a year apart, but their circumstances in the household were completely different—Cui Ruyue was pampered and spoiled, doted on by Father Cui, while Cui Jin was like a weed in his eyes, not even worth a glance.
Her Jin’er grew up under a cloud of disgrace, enduring endless grievances.
Just when she thought she could finally marry and leave this disgusting father and daughter behind, she was about to enter another den of wolves.
Mother Cui closed her eyes.
Suppressing her sorrow, she immediately began thinking about how to help Cui Jin establish herself in the Prince’s Manor, and even climb higher—she had already gained control of half of Father Cui’s influence and resources, and with the support of her own family and brothers… it might not be impossible to strive for more.
A short while later, Cui Jin put on her bridal veil. Close female relatives entered one after another to offer their blessings.
A cousin from a neighboring branch of the family also waited outside the door, ready to carry her out.
Father Cui’s first wife only had one daughter, Cui Ruyue. Mother Cui, as the second wife, had two daughters and two sons. Cui Jin was the eldest, but her younger brothers were too young, so they could only ask a cousin to escort her to the wedding.
However, as they reached the entrance of the Cui residence and saw the scene outside, the expressions of all the guests turned peculiar.
—The bridal sedan from Prince Xin’s Manor was luxurious and dignified, with imperial guards clearing the way and a prince personally welcoming the bride, showcasing the grandeur of the royal family.
In contrast, the Shen family’s bridal sedan, though adorned with pearls and jade, was only an eight-person sedan. The servants, though dressed in new clothes, appeared timid and uneasy, as if a poor family was desperately trying to put on a show.
The contrast between the two was utterly ridiculous.
The Cui family was truly interesting—two daughters marrying at the same time, one to a prince at the height of his power, and the other to a poor and destitute scholar.
It made the latter look like a refugee from the countryside.Through the translucent bridal veil, Cui Ruyue saw the shabby scene before her, her eyes instantly reddening with rage as she directly shook off Shen Zhiheng’s proffered hand.
Before she could even witness Cui Jin being snubbed by Prince Xin and utterly disgraced, she herself had already lost face!
Some of her close friends among the young ladies present were now looking on with disdain, and some even laughed openly without restraint.
—They thought they were laughing at Cui Jin now, but after tonight, the one who would lose all dignity would be her, Cui Ruyue!
At this moment, she even wanted to turn around and get into Prince Xin’s bridal sedan.
Only by constantly convincing herself that Cui Jin would follow Prince Xin to prison could she barely restrain the urge.
“Young lady, it’s time to board the sedan,” the wedding matron softly reminded.
Cui Ruyue clenched her fists tightly, glanced once more at Father Cui, and was then helped into the sedan.
Father Cui’s smile was stiff, and the subtle gazes from all directions nearly made him wish he could vanish into the ground.
Shen Zhiheng had said he would handle the wedding arrangements himself, so Father Cui had felt at ease. Who would have thought… If he had known this young man was so incompetent, he should have taken charge personally to avoid becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital!
Gritting his teeth, he forced a smile and reminded Shen Zhiheng, “Good son-in-law, Jin’er has already boarded the sedan. You should return now, lest you miss the auspicious hour.”
Hearing Cui Jin’s name, Shen Zhiheng snapped out of his anger from being mocked by the crowd and Cui Ruyue’s disregard, his expression momentarily blank.
Cui Jin had not boarded his sedan.
He instinctively wanted to look toward Prince Xin’s bridal sedan ahead but forcibly held back.
He had married Ruyue as he wished, changing her fate of dying in childbirth, and could spend the rest of his life with her… This was the dream he had cherished for two lifetimes.
How could a shameless and scheming woman like Cui Jin compare to Ruyue?
Suppressing his thoughts, he turned his horse with a gentle smile and headed home.
…
Meanwhile, Prince Xin’s Manor was bustling with guests, filled with joyous celebration.
After completing the wedding ceremony, Cui Jin was escorted to the bridal chamber, where she sat upright, waiting for Prince Xin.
As night deepened, the maid Ru Qiu hurried into the room. Seeing no outsiders present, she whispered with a smile, “This servant just overheard some gossip. Do you know how the Shen family’s wedding procession went today?”
Cui Jin raised a delicate eyebrow. “How?”
Ru Qiu chuckled. “The Shen family’s wedding procession was utterly shabby. The hired servants were clumsy, the sedan bearers were unsteady, and when disembarking, the wedding matron failed to support properly, nearly causing the eldest young lady to stumble. It’s said she clenched her fists so tightly they almost bled.”
“And when entering the gate, Madam Shen insisted the bride kneel to cross the fire basin and hand over her dowry before relenting. If it were you today, a few words would have settled it, but the eldest young lady is foolish—she actually endured it all, earning herself much contempt.”
“She… is probably bearing the humiliation, thinking of Shen Zhiheng’s future glory,” Cui Jin said with a light laugh.
That pack of ungrateful wolves in the Shen family—the more Cui Ruyue yielded, the more arrogant they would become. Shen Zhiheng happened to be filial and sentimental; even if he favored Cui Ruyue, her life would not be easy.
And that sordid affair… On the day of the bride’s return to her parents’ home, there would surely be a good show to watch.
Hearing footsteps, Cui Jin immediately raised her hand to stop Ru Qiu.
But moments later, only the wedding matron, maids, and elderly attendants entered—the groom was nowhere to be seen.
“Princess Consort… Secondary Consort Lin’s old injury has just flared up again. The Prince has gone to see her.”
A young eunuch from Prince Xin’s side respectfully explained, “The Secondary Consort has long been on the battlefield, accustomed to dealing directly with men and unfamiliar with the intricacies of the inner household. Please… please be understanding.”
Cui Jin’s voice was gentle. “It’s fine.” She had expected this.
The young eunuch’s eyes held sympathy.Prince Xin’s beloved is Secondary Consort Lin Zhao, who once shared hardships with him on the battlefield and even took a blade for him.
The prince’s difficulty in producing heirs is largely due to Lin Zhao’s declaration that she would not share a husband with others. Thus, although there are concubines in the Prince’s Manor, none have received his favor.
However, Cui Jin, who possesses memories of her past life, suspects… that Prince Xin himself might be a rooster that cannot lay eggs.
After a long while, footsteps finally sounded from outside, followed by maidservants paying their respects: “Greetings, Prince.”
A pair of black brocade boots stepped into Cui Jin’s view.