In Yujing City, great importance was placed on the tradition of returning to the bride’s family three days after the wedding. On the third day of the newlyweds’ marriage, the husband and wife would return to the bride’s parental home together and pay their respects to her parents, thereby displaying the depth of their conjugal affection.
Cheng Nianying rose early that morning.
A little palace maid was combing her hair from behind her, while Nanny Shi stood to one side holding tea and said, “The commandery prince cannot accompany you to return to your family today.”
Fu Yi had not come to the Quiet Bamboo Court again the previous night. Thus, when Cheng Nianying heard this, she was not surprised.
She replied, “All right.”
Nanny Shi had prepared a whole bellyful of comforting words, but now swallowed them all back.
The two little palace maids behind them exchanged glances and secretly spat inwardly, She’s just pretending.
Without her husband accompanying her on the return visit, no matter what woman it was, she would ultimately find it difficult to save face.
“All done. Nanny, what do you think?” The little palace maid who had been combing her hair withdrew her hands and turned to ask Nanny Shi. To some extent, she had ignored Cheng Nianying, her mistress.
Nanny Shi coughed lightly and asked Cheng Nianying, “Commandery Princess, please take a look. Do you like what you’re wearing today?”
She was deliberately reminding the little palace maid of her place, but she was also worried that Cheng Nianying might make her own decisions, choose inappropriate clothes, and arrange an unsuitable appearance.
How could she know that Cheng Nianying did not care about any of this in the slightest?
“I like it very much,” Cheng Nianying said as she rose.
Dressed in gold and silver, clad in fine clothes and splendid robes—how could she possibly be dissatisfied?
The little palace maid let out a sigh of relief at her words and hurriedly gave Nanny Shi an obsequious, subtle smile.
Nanny Shi shot her a sidelong glare, then quickly went over to support Cheng Nianying. “There’s no need for us to hurry. Let’s have breakfast first. The small kitchen made winter bamboo shoot and silverfish soup today. I don’t know whether it will suit your taste…”
Winter bamboo shoot and silverfish soup? Cheng Nianying had never eaten it before.
Just hearing the name made her mouth water.
“I’ll eat that,” she said decisively.
A thought suddenly arose in Nanny Shi’s mind—How easy she is to feed!
The thought was somewhat presumptuous, but Nanny Shi truly felt that this young lady of the Marquis’s Residence lacked the haughtiness of a legitimate daughter.
Wouldn’t the servants be even more fond of and respectful toward such a mistress?
Breakfast was soon brought in. Cheng Nianying had just picked up her chopsticks when someone approached from outside the courtyard gate and gave her a distant curtsy.
“Commandery Princess.”
The little palace maid happily went forward to greet her, calling out warmly, “Sister Muhe.”
Mu He only addressed Cheng Nianying. “I drew up the gift list for today’s return visit. Please look it over, Commandery Princess, and see whether there is anything inappropriate.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Everyone knew that although the young lady of the Marquis’s Residence had married into the household, she had yet to take charge of the family affairs. Now that Mu He had acted on her behalf, no one knew whether the Commandery Princess would lose her temper on the spot.
Mu He lowered her head and presented the list with both hands, appearing thoroughly respectful.
In truth, she could not help wondering as well.
Would she be satisfied with this gift list?
If she was dissatisfied and made a scene, would it make me look pitiful, or would the commandery prince blame me for handling things poorly?
While everyone’s thoughts diverged, Cheng Nianying accepted the list and gave it a cursory glance.
“It’s fine,” she said.
The little palace maid froze.
Fine?
Fine again?
Everything was fine?
Could she really tolerate this much?
Mu He tugged at the corners of her mouth and asked, “Commandery Princess, have you looked through every item? There truly isn’t anything inappropriate?”
How could Cheng Nianying know what ought to be prepared on a gift list for returning to the bride’s family?
In any case, since she had been asked to look it over, she absolutely would not nitpick.
But she represented that “older sister” of hers, so she had to speak suitably as well.
She set down her chopsticks, lifted her eyes to stare at Mu He, and asked seriously, “Was this matter entrusted to you by the commandery prince?”
Mu He answered, “Yes.”
“If the commandery prince trusts you, why wouldn’t I trust your abilities?” Cheng Nianying countered.
Mu He was rendered speechless.
She moved her lips with difficulty, thinking, What a fine way to deflect four ounces with a thousand pounds. If she dared tamper with anything, it would still be the commandery prince’s dignity that suffered.
Those words also made the Commandery Princess appear exceedingly understanding of propriety.
Nanny Shi laughed. “Exactly. The commandery prince entrusted this matter to Miss Muhe. How could she fail to handle it properly?”
Mu He gathered her thoughts and took the gift list back. “Yes. I am grateful for my master’s favor, and I also thank the Commandery Princess for her trust.”
The other people in the room listened to the exchange in a daze. They had not expected this round of confrontation to pass so easily.
Cheng Nianying paid it no further attention and lowered her head to finish her breakfast.
Mu He could not help developing an absurd feeling.
It was as though, to this young lady of the Marquis’s Residence, all her probing and anticipation mattered less than the meal in front of her…
“I’m done eating. Let’s go.” Cheng Nianying’s voice rang out.
The room finally became lively again. Everyone busied themselves preparing to leave the residence.
When they arrived at the residence gate, someone was already waiting there.
“Lord Fu?” Nanny Shi called out in surprise.
Fu Ruiming wore a blue-green robe, with a saber hanging at his waist. He slowly turned around, his face cold, and first clasped his hands in salute.
“Cousin sister-in-law.”
The little maid walking behind them immediately blushed.
Lord Fu was so handsome.
Cheng Nianying slowly blinked. Her mind still retained the route through the Commandery Prince’s Residence that she had just walked.
Upon reaching a place, first memorizing its layout and route—this was already a habit carved into an assassin’s bones.
“Lord Fu.” Cheng Nianying came back to herself and called him the same way Nanny Shi had.
“I am unworthy of that form of address. My courtesy name is Zimao. You may call me that, cousin sister-in-law.” Fu Ruiming paused, then said, “Today, I will escort you back to your family.”
The servants of the Marquis’s Residence wore astonished expressions.
He had substituted for the commandery prince when welcoming the bride earlier. Was he even going to substitute for him in accompanying her on the return visit today?
Although they had known from the beginning that the commandery prince was gravely ill… if he could not even accompany her on this visit, a young woman who had only just begged a life back from the gates of hell might well hear it and immediately want to hang herself again.
“Is the commandery prince so ill that he can’t even get out of bed?” Cheng Nianying asked curiously at that moment.
Fu Ruiming thought she was covertly mocking him, so he replied in a hard tone, “My elder brother was gravely injured while saving His Majesty, and he has also exhausted himself over official duties. Even if he has recovered today, he is probably unlike other men, who have so much leisure time to accompany their wives.”
“That’s no problem,” Cheng Nianying said without a second thought.
If they were always staying together, she would have to remain vigilant at every moment.
No, she felt that it was no problem, but the Marquis’s Residence might not see it that way…
Cheng Nianying immediately changed her tone. “Then what should we do in the future?”
“In the future?” Fu Ruiming looked at her.
Cheng Nianying nodded. “Mm. We’ll have to have children eventually.”
Fu Ruiming fell silent.
The little maid choked so badly that she began coughing.
“He can’t have you substitute for him in everything, Fu… I mean, Zimao,” Cheng Nianying said with utmost seriousness.
Fu Ruiming was a veritable iceberg, yet at this moment he forcibly turned his head aside. His neck reddened as he squeezed out, “As for that matter… naturally, my elder brother and you will… discuss it again.”
After saying this, Fu Ruiming felt that something was wrong.
That sounded… as though his elder brother had no time to accompany her back to her family, yet did have time to consummate the marriage, making him nothing but a lecher!
Fu Ruiming wanted to remedy the situation, but after moving his lips, he could not find suitable words for a while.
Then he looked at Cheng Nianying. She did not care in the slightest what kind of shocking words she had uttered. Having finished expressing her concern for her “husband” and obtained the answer she wanted, she simply lifted her skirt and walked calmly toward the sedan chair.
Fu Ruiming, stifled into silence, could only stand there.
The sedan curtain fell.
Fu Ruiming mounted his horse as well.
The group left the Commandery Prince’s Residence.
And just beyond the gate—
Wu Xun stood there with his eyes wide, then turned back to look at his master.
“She… she really dares to say that!”