Chapter 38: The Red Wedding Dress and the Blue Wedding Dress

Like a surging flood suddenly crashing against a dam, the moment those words were spoken, everyone in the room fell silent. After a brief moment of stiffness, they all turned to look outside.

Jiang Xuanjin stood at the entrance of the main room, hands clasped behind his back, though no one knew how long he had been there.

“Your… Your Majesty?” Bai Xuanji exclaimed in shock, her eyes flashing before she quickly reined in her demeanor, releasing her grip and taking a step back.

The relatives who had been blocking the bed also retreated to the side, revealing the figure half-reclining on the bed.

“You’ve returned from court?” Huaiyu smiled upon seeing him.

Stepping through the door, Jiang Xuanjin leisurely walked to the bedside and smoothed his robe, saying, “There were few matters in court today, so I finished early.”

After speaking, he raised his gaze to stare at her, his dark eyes unblinking.

Huaiyu felt her face flush under his sudden intense gaze. “What are you doing?”

Jiang Xuanjin replied slowly, “I’m just seeing how fierce and cold-blooded you are.”

Li Huaiyu: “…”

Realizing that Ziyang Jun had come to support Bai Zhuji, the expressions of everyone in the room turned sour. They still couldn’t understand why Ziyang Jun would marry Bai Zhuji, nor could they have anticipated that he would protect her to this extent.

Bai Xuanji furrowed her brows tightly, clutching her handkerchief in silence for a moment before suddenly kneeling. Her knees hit the ground with a loud thud.

“Your Majesty!” She said, tears welling in her eyes, “I beg you to save my mother!”

Li Huaiyu couldn’t help but sigh; status truly was a powerful thing. These people threatened her and pulled her down, yet they knelt and bowed to Jiang Xuanjin. Just listen to the sound of her kneeling; her knees would surely be bruised when she returned!

However, Miss Bai seemed completely unconcerned about her knees, her eyes fixed solely on Jiang Xuanjin as she mournfully said, “As long as I can save my mother, Xuanji is willing to do anything!”

Glancing at her, Jiang Xuanjin asked, “Really?”

Bai Xuanji nodded repeatedly, her expression one of determination that even moved Li Huaiyu a little.

Yet, Jiang Xuanjin’s face remained expressionless as he said, “In that case, I will point you in the right direction.”

Her eyes brightened, and Bai Xuanji quickly replied, “Your Majesty, please tell me!”

“Go to the palace to see the Emperor and plead for mercy,” Jiang Xuanjin said. “This case is under the Emperor’s direct judgment; even I cannot overturn it. But since the Second Miss has such filial piety, you can present your case to the Emperor and take the blame for Bai Mengshi.”

In other words, let Bai Mengshi come out. She had been imprisoned for eighteen years.

Bai Xuanji’s face darkened immediately. “How is that possible?”

She was in the prime of her youth and not yet married; how could she enter a prison?

“Didn’t you say you would do anything?” Jiang Xuanjin frowned at her reaction. “Is the Second Miss’s filial piety not worth eighteen years in prison?”

How could it be worth it? What she wanted was to save Bai Mengshi without paying any price, not to suffer herself! Bai Xuanji gritted her teeth, her face alternating between pale and flushed. She couldn’t agree, nor could she refuse, and remained stiffly kneeling with her head bowed.

Jiang Xuanjin then asked the others nearby, “Is there anyone willing to take the blame?”

The group in the room exchanged glances, none daring to respond. Anyone could talk big, but to truly suffer for someone else… who would be foolish enough to do that?

Seeing the colorful array of people in the room, Li Huaiyu couldn’t help but chuckle, secretly reaching out to poke Jiang Xuanjin’s finger.

Jiang Xuanjin paused, giving her a serious glare before withdrawing his hand into his sleeve, sitting up straight with an air of unapproachable dignity.

Seeing his reaction, Huaiyu couldn’t help but swallow hard.

She felt a sudden urge to kiss him.

With so many members of the Bai family present and the atmosphere still tense, her thoughts were quite inappropriate! How shameless!

But for some reason, she just couldn’t stand Jiang Xuanjin’s serious demeanor. When he was expressionless, she wanted to provoke him into a fluster. When he sat there all proper, with his collar buttoned up to his throat, she wanted to tease him, to pull at his collar!

Realizing her shamelessness, Huaiyu lightly slapped her face.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xuanjin continued to deal with the Bai family members.

“It seems that the Second Miss cannot make a decision right now,” he said. “Why don’t you all go back and think it over? When you’ve made up your mind to enter the palace, I will guide you.”

With a way out, Bai Xuanji immediately took the opportunity to rise and bow, saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now.”

“Don’t bother seeing me off.”

The group still felt disgruntled, but there was nothing more to say at the moment, so they could only follow Bai Xuanji out in a dejected manner.

As the last person stepped over the threshold, Li Huaiyu could no longer hold back. She pushed herself up and lunged at Jiang Xuanjin, grabbing his chin and planting a kiss on him.

The sudden action caught Jiang Xuanjin off guard, and he stood there in a daze for a while before snapping back to reality and scolding, “You’ve gone mad again!”

Sated, Huaiyu licked her lips, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “This is a reward! Your Majesty just saved the damsel in distress, and I have no way to repay you, so I can only offer a kiss.”

What a flimsy excuse! Jiang Xuanjin gritted his teeth and reached out to push her back into the bed. Who would have thought that she would cling to his collar, and as he pushed, she fell back, pulling him off balance as well.

“Master, everything has been prepared.” Cheng Xu, seeing that the Bai family had left, stepped in and said, “Is there anything else that was overlooked…”

Upon seeing the scene on the bed, his remaining words got stuck in his throat.

The usually composed Ziyang Jun was now pressing Bai Si Xiaojie down on the bed, his hands braced on either side of her, their movements intimate and ambiguous. Bai Si Xiaojie lay obediently, biting her finger, her eyes full of innocence.

Cheng Xu almost immediately turned to flee.

“Stop!” Jiang Xuanjin’s temples throbbed as he turned to look at him. “Why are you running away?”

Cheng Xu felt like crying. How could he not run? If he stumbled upon such a scene, what if the master killed him to silence him?

Trembling, he turned back, covering his eyes. “I didn’t see anything!”

Rising from the bed, Jiang Xuanjin rubbed his temples. “It’s not what you think.”

“I understand! I understand everything!” Cheng Xu nodded repeatedly.

Understand what? Jiang Xuanjin’s ears turned red with anger.

“Hahaha—” Li Huaiyu on the bed laughed so hard she couldn’t catch her breath, pounding the bed with her fists. Jiang Xuanjin’s illustrious reputation was about to be ruined by her!

Casting a cold glance at her, Jiang Xuanjin clenched his fists and asked, “Do you want me to invite the Bai family back to chat with you?”

The laughter stopped abruptly, and Huaiyu coughed a few times, obediently covering herself with the quilt. “No need.”

After a moment’s thought, she asked Cheng Xu, “What were you just saying about preparing for what?”

Cheng Xu covered his eyes and said, “The master ordered that since Bai Mengshi has been imprisoned, we should return to Jiang Mansion. The wedding date is approaching, and it’s inappropriate to stay as guests in Bai Mansion.”

So they were leaving? Huaiyu’s face fell, and she looked at Jiang Xuanjin with reluctance. “Then can I have another kiss?”

Jiang Xuanjin turned to leave, dragging Cheng Xu along with him to avoid hearing her nonsense.

Li Huaiyu laughed again, her laughter like flowers swaying in the wind.

May 21st was the wedding date. Once Jiang Xuanjin returned to Jiang Mansion, Bai Mansion would begin preparing for the wedding. However, as Bai Liangshi had threatened, Li Huaiyu did not go to plead for Bai Mengshi, and there were many people in the mansion who would trip her up.

“What is this?” She frowned as she took the wedding dress that had just been delivered. “It’s too plain.”

A simple red silk, with a simple mandarin duck pattern. Although there was nothing wrong with it, wearing this to Jiang Mansion would make it seem stingy and shabby, wouldn’t it?

Huaiyu glanced at it and asked, “Who prepared this?”

“Of course, it was Bai Liangshi. Now that the Madam is in prison and the Master is busy with state affairs, these trivial matters have all been taken over by the elders of the family.”

That made sense. Huaiyu thought for a moment and said, “Let’s just leave it for now.”

Although Bai Dezong had sent Bai Mengshi to prison for the greater good, he must have felt sad about her being punished and imprisoned for eighteen years. It was too unkind to ask him to handle these trivial matters. As long as she could enter Jiang Mansion, Huaiyu truly didn’t care how she got in or what the ceremony was like.

However, just two days later, Bai Dezong came to see her.

“Is your health better?” he asked seriously.

Huaiyu nodded. “I can get out of bed and move around. I’m just still a bit weak. The physician said as long as I take good care of myself, there won’t be any major issues.”

“That’s good.” Bai Dezong sighed. “Although the family is going through changes, your wedding cannot be taken lightly. I don’t quite understand how to prepare the dowry, so since you are marrying before your second sister, you can use her dowry first.”

Upon hearing this, Li Huaiyu laughed. “Second sister will be unhappy.”

“I will have someone prepare another set for her. What does she have to be unhappy about?” Bai Dezong frowned. “They are all daughters of the Bai family; I will treat their dowries equally.”

This time, he truly understood. Bai Zhuji was facing a life-and-death crisis, and he bore an unshirkable responsibility. Since there was no way to make up for it elsewhere, he could only give more dowry. The dowry was the best way to show how favored a daughter was in her family, and Bai Mengshi’s preparations for Xuanji should be just right.

Li Huaiyu was happily lost in thought for a while before saying to him, “Father, if the Second Sister gives me trouble, you must protect me.”

Protect you? Bai Dezong was taken aback, his brows furrowing again.

He had come with a fatherly heart, intending to care for Zhuji, but upon hearing her unrestrained words, his instinct to teach her a lesson resurfaced.

“Where did you learn such nonsense?” he glared. “Is that what a young lady should say?”

Of course not; these were all words from the underworld. As a well-known thief in the underworld, Wu had taught Li Huaiyu many underworld slang terms, leading her, a girl raised in the palace, to have a bit of a rogue air.

Bai Dezong did not appreciate this rogue air. Whether it was the Danyang Princess or his daughter, he would lecture them if they crossed paths.

“The ‘Lessons for Women’ states: A woman has four virtues, and the second is to speak properly. Choose your words wisely, do not speak ill, and speak at the right time without being tiresome to others; this is called proper speech! You should reflect on whether you have achieved this.”

Huaiyu honestly shook her head. “I haven’t achieved it.”

“Not achieving it and not changing?” Bai Dezong’s eyes widened even more.

With a long sigh, Li Huaiyu earnestly counted on her fingers to reason with him. “Father, look, there are thousands of girls in this world. If we all follow the same ‘Lessons for Women’ and become the same, what difference would it make if Ziyang Jun marries me or someone else?”

Bai Dezong was momentarily speechless, frowning as he pondered.

Before he could think it through, Huaiyu continued, “Look at the Qi family’s daughter. Did she learn the ‘Lessons for Women’ well? Everyone in the capital praises her for being gentle and virtuous. Why didn’t Ziyang Jun marry her? It’s because he doesn’t like that kind of girl. Since he doesn’t like it, why should I, as the one he is to marry, learn it?”

This argument seemed quite reasonable. Bai Dezong fell into deep thought.

Li Huaiyu continued her nonsense. “You have two daughters. If they are both the same, what’s the point? If Second Sister is gentle and dignified, then I can be lively and generous. Each has its own merits!”

After a long contemplation, Bai Dezong finally sensed something was off. His brows furrowed, and he angrily said, “What nonsense are you talking about? I’m telling you not to speak improperly, and you’re going off on a tangent!”

Li Huaiyu scratched her head. “Aren’t we talking about the same thing?”

“No!” He slammed the table and said, “Before you marry into Jiang Mansion, you must learn the rules properly!”

Huaiyu’s face fell.

It’s not that she didn’t know the rules; she just didn’t want to follow them. She longed to be like Wu, free and easy in the underworld, but unfortunately, she had no chance. She couldn’t drift in the underworld, nor could she be reckless in the court; it was truly too suffocating.

But seeing Bai Dezong’s furious expression, she thought, let’s just do this for Bai Zhuji’s sake and spare this old man some worry.

So, in the following days, Li Huaiyu rarely acted out, taking small, delicate steps as she walked, and when she greeted Bai Dezong, she restrained her sharpness, nodding and bowing gently.

Bai Dezong was very satisfied. He felt that even rotten wood could be carved.

However, one day, just as Li Huaiyu finished her greeting and was about to return to the southern courtyard, she was blocked by Bai Zhuji.

“Second Sister, is there something you need?” she asked, pinching her fingers delicately.

Bai Xuanji had a dark expression and said in a bad tone, “You told Father to take my dowry?”

Huaiyu replied calmly, “It wasn’t me; it was Father’s decision.”

“If you didn’t want it, would Father make such a decision?” Bai Xuanji’s eyes were sharp. “My dowry was prepared by my mother. What right do you have to take it?”

Bai Mengshi favored her, preparing a dowry that was both plentiful and exquisite, saved up for quite a while. Now, to let this fool take advantage of it? How absurd!

Huaiyu covered her mouth and smiled, still maintaining her gentle demeanor. “I can’t make decisions about this. If Second Sister is unhappy, you should go talk to Father.”

After saying that, she turned to leave, taking graceful steps.

However, Bai Xuanji had no intention of letting her go. Seeing her trying to slip away, she reached out and grabbed her arm. “You’re coming with me to talk to Father!”

Her long nails pinched her arm, causing a bit of pain.

Li Huaiyu turned her head, and the dignified smile on her face instantly darkened.

“Am I being kind to you, and you think I’m a soft persimmon?” She shook off Bai Xuanji’s hand and pushed her aside, stepping on her side and coldly saying, “If you don’t listen to me, how about I change my approach?”

“Your dowry is something I’m taking; what’s wrong with that?”

Bai Xuanji was stunned by her shout, and she stopped her petty squabbling, leaning against the wall and staring blankly at her.

It wasn’t that Li Huaiyu was being rude; sometimes, being rude was more effective than being polite. She patted Bai Xuanji’s shoulder, which had no dust, and grinned, “Remember when you wrongfully accused me of stealing your dowry? What did I say? Do you still remember?”

—Bai Xuanji, you’d better provide evidence today to prove that I stole your dowry. Otherwise, I guarantee that after stealing your dowry, not a single thread will remain!

Recalling what she had said back then, Bai Xuanji trembled, feeling both guilty and angry, staring hard at the person in front of her, wanting to have someone hold her down and beat her up like before!

However, now that Bai Mengshi was no longer in the mansion, Bai Xuanji was no longer the easily bullied fool she used to be.

Clenching her fists, Bai Xuanji said through gritted teeth, “You’re feeling proud now, but don’t think you can always be proud. Fortune and misfortune take turns.”

“Oh.” Huaiyu shrugged, “Then let’s wait until fortune turns to you before we talk.”

After saying that, she turned to leave.

Lingxiu had been watching from the side, initially worried that her young lady would be bullied, but upon seeing her young lady bully someone else, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

“Miss, you’re amazing!”

Glancing at her, Huaiyu said irritably, “Don’t you want me to learn some manners? Just now, I was quite rude.”

Lingxiu quickly shook her head. “I understand now; there’s no need to be polite with such people. It’s a loss!”

Huaiyu felt quite pleased. “A child can be taught.”

In this world, gentle people are often easy to take advantage of. Treat everyone well, but you won’t be treated well in return. When encountering someone who takes advantage of your kindness, they will only push their luck further.

Li Huaiyu always believed that as long as what she did wasn’t wrong, it didn’t matter if her attitude was fierce like a bad person. Although the consequence of this was that she could easily be seen as a real bad person, what did it matter? It could save her a lot of trouble and make things smoother. As for how others evaluated her, was it important?

“It’s very important!”

By the carriage at the palace gate, Jiang Shen shouted these four words with a serious expression, earnestly advising the person in front of him, “This is your first marriage; how many people will come to witness it? Do you think the wedding attire is unimportant?”

Jiang Xuanjin shook his head expressionlessly. “It’s not important.”

“You can’t think like that!” Jiang Shen was anxious. “I’ve already spoken with Manager Ye from the Weaving Pavilion. No matter what, you must go there today.”

“Second Brother, I have other matters.” Jiang Xuanjin said, “State affairs are more important than family matters.”

“Don’t give me that! The old man said that your marriage is the biggest matter in the world right now!” Unable to argue, Jiang Shen pushed him, directly shoving him onto the carriage.

Jiang Xuanjin’s expression was not good, frowning as he stared at him.

Jiang Shen felt his scalp tingle under that gaze. After instructing the driver to set off, he whispered, “This is unavoidable. The wedding date is approaching, and you haven’t even tried on the wedding attire. What if it doesn’t fit and there’s no time to alter it? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing at the wedding?”

“Besides, shouldn’t someone getting married be happy to try on their wedding attire? You’ve been living in Bai Mansion for so long; you must truly like Bai Si Xiaojie. Since you like her, how can you be so indifferent about the wedding?”

Jiang Shen was good with words, but unfortunately, it was of no use against Jiang Xuanjin. No matter how he spoke, the third young master of the Jiang family, who was blocked from entering the palace, remained stoic, his entire being radiating hostility.

Cheng Xu, listening outside the carriage, thought that the second young master had it tough. His master’s temper was not something an ordinary person could easily appease.

Upon arriving at the Weaving Pavilion, Jiang Shen had already been frozen into silence by his younger brother’s glare. He hurriedly pushed him into the shop, and after watching him follow someone to change clothes, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“I truly pity Bai Si Xiaojie.” He sighed to Cheng Xu. “Once she marries over, she’ll have to face Third Brother’s coffin-like face every day.”

“You’re overthinking it, Second Young Master.”

“Hmm?”

Recalling that formidable aunt from the Bai family, Cheng Xu said with a face full of melancholy, “Once she marries over, you’ll probably end up feeling sorry for our master.”

What? Jiang Shen was stunned, looking at him, then back at the Weaving Pavilion, shaking his head. “How is that possible?”

The onlooker is confused, while the person involved is clear! Cheng Xu sighed.

In the room.

Jiang Xuanjin frowned deeply as he stared at the wedding attire presented by the shopkeeper, expressing his disdain. “It’s too gaudy.”

The shopkeeper was taken aback, not understanding. “Are you referring to the pattern?”

“The color.”

“…” The shopkeeper was at a loss for words, feeling troubled. “Your Majesty, wedding attire is traditionally bright red!”

“Who set this rule?”

“The… the rule isn’t set by anyone; it’s just…” He pointed to the several wedding dresses hanging behind him, smiling apologetically. “Everyone does it this way.”

Looking in the direction he pointed, Jiang Xuanjin was slightly taken aback.

On the front rack hung a large red wedding skirt, with golden embroidered lotus flowers blooming from the hem to the waist, cinched with a belt of auspicious clouds, and a magnificent peony blossoming from the bodice. The peony was exquisitely embroidered, layer upon layer, complementing the patterns on the outer robe, exuding grandeur and elegance.

After looking for a while, Jiang Xuanjin asked, “Whose wedding dress is this made for?”

The shopkeeper smiled and said, “It’s not made for anyone in particular. Our shop also does ready-made clothing, but we’ve never had a signature piece. So, I specially invited thirty embroiderers to create this set of ‘Lotus in Full Bloom’ to showcase in the shop.”

As he spoke, he felt Jiang Xuanjin’s gaze was off, and quickly added, “This is not for sale.”

“Not for sale?”

“It can’t be sold!”

…

Outside, Jiang Shen and Cheng Xu waited for a long time without seeing him come out, thinking he was dissatisfied with the wedding attire. Just as they were about to go in to check, Jiang Xuanjin stepped out himself.

The person who had just been sullen now looked inexplicably different. Not only had his brows relaxed, but he also turned back to nod kindly at the shopkeeper.

Jiang Shen looked him up and down in confusion. “Why are you still wearing this?”

Rubbing the greenish-blue robe on his body, Jiang Xuanjin said, “I tried on the wedding attire; it fits well, no need for alterations.”

Jiang Shen’s eyes widened. “You just tried it on and left? You didn’t even show it to Second Brother?”

Glancing at him, Jiang Xuanjin replied, “Too much trouble.”

Jiang Shen was furious! He was at least his second brother, his real brother! Not only was he treated coldly, but he also didn’t even show him the wedding attire?

“Master, what is this?” Cheng Xu, seeing the shopkeeper hand him several heavy brocade boxes, was puzzled.

“Wedding attire?” Jiang Shen turned to look, somewhat confused. “Why are there so many?”

Usually, four boxes would be enough for a set of men’s wedding attire, but this time there were over ten! Piled up in Cheng Xu’s hands, they blocked his head.

“Nothing.” Jiang Xuanjin said lightly as he walked out. “I have matters to attend to; Second Brother can find his own way back.”

Jiang Shen stared in disbelief as he left, angrily leaning against the counter and laughing. “What did I do to deserve this? How did I end up with such a vengeful younger brother?”

The shopkeeper behind the counter trembled. “I’m the one who’s in trouble…”

Cheng Xu placed the brocade boxes in the carriage and instructed the driver, “Return to the palace gate.”

The driver nodded, about to respond, when he heard Jiang Xuanjin’s muffled voice from inside the carriage. “First, go to Bai Mansion.”

Huh? Cheng Xu was puzzled. “Aren’t you in a hurry to enter the palace?”

Jiang Xuanjin remained silent for a long time before saying, “It’s not too urgent.”

Cheng Xu: “…” If it’s not too urgent, then why scare Second Young Master like that?

Feeling both amused and exasperated, he climbed onto the carriage and instructed the driver, “Listen to the master; go to Bai Mansion.”

“Understood.”

The carriage bumped along, the brocade boxes swaying. Jiang Xuanjin watched coldly, suddenly feeling a bit annoyed.

Why did he think of buying something for someone? Especially something like this! Wouldn’t it seem too eager if he sent it over like this?

However, Bai Zhuji’s mother had died early, and she was clumsy; whatever she prepared to come out wouldn’t be as beautiful as this. Rather than risk embarrassing himself later, it was better to save the situation now.

But… what if she didn’t like it?

With a calm and indifferent face, his hidden thoughts were tumultuous, swinging from happiness to regret, then to annoyance, unable to settle down the entire way.

Thus, while Li Huaiyu was stretching her limbs in the courtyard, she noticed a shadow flickering at the gate.

“Who is it?” she instinctively shouted.

No one answered her.

Frowning in confusion, Huaiyu thought it might be a passing servant, so she didn’t look again and continued her exercises.

But after a while, the shadow flickered again at the gate.

Guarding herself, Huaiyu frowned. “Who dares to sneak around?”

Still, no one answered her.

With a quick thought, Huaiyu continued to stretch her arms, moving toward the courtyard gate.

When the shadow flickered for the third time, she reacted quickly, lunging out to grab the person. “Thief, where do you think you’re going?”

Jiang Xuanjin looked down at her with a cold expression.

Meeting his gaze, Li Huaiyu froze for a moment, then released her grip on his collar and smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe, smiling as she said, “What a surprise to see you!”

He huffed lightly in response, turning to look behind him.

Huaiyu followed his gaze and saw someone standing there, trembling, holding a towering stack of brocade boxes.

“Hey? Is that Cheng Xu?” She curiously walked around the boxes to take a look, laughing heartily. “Your master is too ruthless; how could he make you carry so many things alone?”

Cheng Xu’s face was pressed against the boxes, gritting his teeth. “It’s not ruthless; I can carry it.”

You can carry it, but why make him stand here for so long? They had already arrived; why hadn’t the master gone in yet?

Screaming internally, Cheng Xu still managed to force a smile.

Seeing him pitiful, Huaiyu quickly pulled Jiang Xuanjin into the courtyard, laughing as she asked, “Have you missed me these past few days?”

Jiang Xuanjin shook his head indifferently. “No.”

Huaiyu widened her eyes. “Then why did you come today?”

“Just passing by.”

“…” She flung his hand away, angrily placing her hands on her hips. “This road is mine, and this tree is mine. If you want to pass, leave a toll!”

Her hand waved in the air, aimlessly, and Jiang Xuanjin retracted it. Looking at her, he took a brocade box and stuffed it into her arms.

“What is this?”

Jiang Xuanjin said seriously, “A toll.”

Looking at him strangely, Huaiyu opened the box and froze in place.

Inside was a stack of bright red silk, with a golden embroidered ‘Peony in Spring’ on top, luxurious and lifelike.

This is… a wedding dress?

Stunned, she reached out to touch it, then looked up at Jiang Xuanjin.

The man in front of her turned his head to look elsewhere, his jaw tense. Although he appeared expressionless, he seemed a bit nervous.

“Today, Second Brother asked me to try on the wedding attire.” He said, “I saw this while trying it on, and Second Brother said it would suit you well, so I brought it for you to see.”

After a pause, he added, “If you don’t want it, just give it to Lingxiu; she’ll need it when she gets married.”

Feeling both amused and exasperated, Huaiyu tilted her head and looked at him. “What if Lingxiu doesn’t need it?”

“Then you can just throw it away.” His heart sank, and his expression darkened. Jiang Xuanjin flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

However, before he could take a step, his hand was grabbed.

With one hand holding the wedding dress box and the other gripping him tightly, Li Huaiyu grinned, her smile growing wider. “You, why can’t you ever speak nicely when giving a gift?”

“…” His body stiffened, and he slowly turned back, frowning at her.

“Do you want me to teach you?”

Huaiyu blinked, then immediately imitated his tone, speaking in a rough voice, “Today, Second Brother asked me to try on the wedding attire. When I saw this dress, I thought of you and felt you would look good in it, so I bought it for you. Do you like it?”

After speaking, she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling like a pool of spring water, returning to her original soft voice. “I like it!”

I like it!

Her words struck Jiang Xuanjin’s heart like a blow, and he stared at her, his hand still in hers, gently shaking. Just moments ago, he had been tense, but now he felt himself relax.

This person knows how to talk nonsense, he thought, but her smile was quite pretty, matching that peony flower.

People from the Northern Wei loved peonies. He had previously thought it was merely a symbol of wealth and nobility. But now, looking at it… the flower wasn’t bad at all.

“Do you want me to try it on for you?” Huaiyu asked with a grin.

Jiang Xuanjin snapped back to reality, shaking off her hand. “I already said I was just passing by. I still need to go to the palace.”

“Ah…” Huaiyu felt a bit regretful, but then she smiled again, winking at him. “Then let’s see it on the wedding night!”

“…” How shameless!

With a huff, Jiang Xuanjin strode away, his steps quick, as if he were being chased by a dog. Huaiyu watched him with delight, quickly calling Lingxiu over to help carry the other brocade boxes into the house.

“Have you heard a saying?”

While Li Huaiyu was busy moving things around, someone asked her.

Hearing the voice, she didn’t even turn around and said, “Manager Lu, just say it all at once.”

Lu Jingxing shook his fan, sitting on her windowsill, glancing at her with a half-smile. “I want to say it all, but you need to calm down and listen first.”

Lingxiu stared at him in shock, then looked outside. “When did you come?”

“A while ago.” Folding his fan, he flipped into the room and handed a bag of pastries to Lingxiu. “I came in a hurry and didn’t go through the front door. Please help me keep watch, Miss Ling.”

What do you mean “came in a hurry”? Even if he wasn’t in a hurry, he had never used the front door! Huaiyu rolled her eyes, waving her hand for Lingxiu to take the pastries outside, then looked up at him. “What do you want to say?”

With calm eyes, Lu Jingxing said, “Those who play with fire will burn themselves.”

Huaiyu was momentarily stunned, frowning. “You came all this way just to curse me?”

“Not to curse.” Lu Jingxing sighed. “It’s a reminder.”

He had been watching from the side, and if he hadn’t known her intentions, he might have thought this was a pair of lovers about to marry. He didn’t know if Li Huaiyu had feelings for Jiang Xuanjin, but Jiang Xuanjin’s demeanor…

If the truth were to come to light one day, he feared she wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences.

“Don’t worry!” Huaiyu laughed, glancing at him. “I always think things through carefully before I act. There won’t be any major mistakes. When he finds out I’ve been deceiving him, the most he can do is take my life, but I’ve already died once. What’s there to fear?”

Shaking his head helplessly, Lu Jingxing said, “You are my ancestor.”

“Good grandson.” Without hesitation, Huaiyu took advantage of the moment, tidying up the wedding dress before asking him, “How did things go?”

Lu Jingxing pursed his lips. “It went relatively smoothly. Jiang Xuanjin has secretly re-examined several palace servants from Fulu Palace, but… there’s something strange.”

“What is it?”

“If Jiang Xuanjin is indeed the mastermind behind your troubles, then at least the Tingwei Mansion should be his people. But this time, when he reopened the old case, it caused a backlash from the Tingwei Mansion.”

“Hmm?” Huaiyu frowned. “How is that possible? Tingwei Liu Yunlie and Jiang Xuanjin are sworn brothers.”

“Liu Tingwei hasn’t made any moves, but the people below are all in disarray. I haven’t figured it out.” Lu Jingxing sighed. “I’m just a merchant; why should I get involved in the intrigues of the officialdom?”

Looking at him, Li Huaiyu extended her thumb. “Your ancestor is the Danyang Princess.”

Then she extended her index finger. “Your elder brother is General Xu Xian.”

“Two ministers of two dynasties, Han Xiao and the newly risen Yun Lanqing are all your friends. The censor Bai Dezong and Ziyang Jun Jiang Xuanjin both see you as a thorn in their side.”

“With such connections, you tell me you’re just a merchant?”

His temples twitched. Lu Jingxing clenched the fan in his hand, gritting his teeth as he asked, “Who is to blame for all this?”

“Me.” Without a hint of guilt, Li Huaiyu pointed at herself, smiling as she patted his shoulder. “So I’m saving you, letting you adapt to the officialdom in advance, so you won’t be caught off guard in the future.”

“Then I must thank you!” Lu Jingxing bowed to her.

“Who are we to each other? No need for thanks!” She chuckled twice, reaching out to him. “Where’s the congratulatory gift?”

He slapped the fan into her palm, Lu Jingxing said with a forced smile, “Your wedding dress is so red it puts me in a bad mood, so I’m not giving you a congratulatory gift.”

What kind of flimsy excuse was that? Huaiyu shot him a sideways glance. “If the wedding dress isn’t red, can it be green?”

Lu Jingxing paused, then laughed, his eyes sparkling. “What if it’s blue?”

“Blue?” Huaiyu shot him a look. “Then you wear blue when you get married. If you wear red, I’ll be angry!”

“Alright.” Lu Jingxing casually agreed.

What’s wrong with blue? He remembered she had worn it before, with wide sleeves and a cinched waist, embroidered with several vividly colored birds. When she climbed over the wall, the skirt fluttered, and the birds looked alive, stunningly beautiful.

That was two years ago. Danyang, mischievous, had taken him over the wall to crash a wedding banquet for drinks, getting the unfamiliar groom drunk. On the way back, her cheeks were slightly flushed, but she was laughing happily.

“Getting married is so fun,” she said. “When can I get married too?”

He had sighed at the time, saying, “Don’t think about it. With your status and temperament, no one in the world would dare to marry you. Just honestly raise a concubine.”

Danyang had been indignant, glaring at him. “I don’t care; I want to get married, right now!”

Her eyes were misty, clearly just drunk.

He had helplessly coaxed her. “Alright, let’s do it. How do you want to get married?”

Danyang had kicked him hard in the knee, and the force had made him kneel immediately.

At that time, Lu Jingxing had wanted to scold her, but before he could, she had “plopped” down beside him, clasping her hands to the sky, chanting something, and after finishing, she slapped him on the back of the head, forcing him to bow with her.

“Ceremony complete.” After they finished, she smiled brightly. “Now we’re married!”

His knees hurt, and the back of his head hurt too. At that moment, Lu Jingxing hadn’t felt any joy in getting married.

But now, looking back, he thought that night’s moonlight was quite nice.

However, the person in front of him clearly didn’t remember, looking at him with a dumbfounded expression, her little nose wrinkling in disdain.

Lu Jingxing said irritably, “I’m leaving.”

“Take care, no need to see me off.” Huaiyu waved at him.

After taking a couple of steps, Lu Jingxing stopped, unable to help but turn back to ask her, “Do you know how to bow during the wedding ceremony?”

“How would I know?” Li Huaiyu pouted. “I’ve only seen you and Xu Xian bow to each other. I guess it’s about the same, just calling out ‘Lord Guan Er, please bless us,’ and then bowing.”

Lu Jingxing: “…”

So, two years ago when she “married” him, she had been chanting “Lord Guan Er, please bless us”?

After a moment of shock, Lu Jingxing couldn’t help but laugh, his body shaking slightly.

“What’s so funny?” Huaiyu looked at him in confusion. “What are you laughing at?”

“Using the fan to cover his brows, Lu Jingxing said in a muffled voice, “Ancestor, do you know that Lord Guan Er doesn’t manage marriage?”

“Is that so?” Huaiyu scratched her head. “If he doesn’t manage it, then so be it. What’s the big deal?”

Lu Jingxing didn’t say anything more, standing up straight and walking away without looking back.

Huaiyu watched his back, feeling that he didn’t seem to be lying. His mood today was genuinely not good.

“Then don’t bother with the congratulatory gift.” She muttered softly.

In the following days, Li Huaiyu busied herself with wedding preparations and learning the rules. The teaching matron droned on and on, and she responded with “mm-hmm” and “ah,” not listening to a single word. The day before the wedding, Bai Dezong even came to remind her not to be nervous.

Li Huaiyu was genuinely not nervous; she only prayed that this wedding would go smoothly without any mishaps.

However, things did not go as planned. On the day of the wedding, just as she finished changing into her wedding attire, trouble arose.

“Where did this come from?” Bai Liangshi glared at the flower-patterned wedding dress on her, her face looking very displeased. “Where’s the wedding dress I prepared for you?”

Looking at herself in the mirror, Huaiyu asked, “Isn’t this set good?”

“You… you’re not taking me seriously as your aunt!” Bai Liangshi shouted angrily. “You insist on wearing this set, right? Fine! If you wear this, then we won’t be attending the wedding banquet!”

As soon as those words were spoken, Lingxiu beside her panicked. “On such a joyous day, how can the maternal family not attend the banquet?”

According to the customs of Northern Wei, when welcoming the bride, a banquet was held, and a “maternal family table” was set. The number of maternal relatives present represented how much the maternal family valued their daughter. Other families would invite all their relatives to fill the seats, but they were saying they wouldn’t go.

“Fourth Miss has married Ziyang Jun, her standards are high, and she doesn’t need us relatives.” Bai Liu said with a snicker, “Since she doesn’t need us, why should we go?”

“You all…”

Pressing down on Lingxiu, Huaiyu yawned. “Let’s get ready first; don’t delay the time.”

Seeing her attitude, Bai Liangshi’s face turned blue, glaring at her in anger. “Don’t come begging us later!”

After saying that, she turned and took all the relatives in the room away.

Lingxiu’s eyes turned red, and she said softly, “How can a person in a senior position act like this? It’s such a joyous day, yet they still want to make things difficult.”

“Don’t mind them.” Huaiyu said, “It doesn’t matter if they don’t go.”

“How can it not matter?” Lingxiu stomped her feet, explaining, “If no one sits at the maternal family table, the Jiang family will look down on you! Besides, with so many people at the banquet, if they leave their seats empty, won’t it make the guests laugh?”

“Since it’s already like this, can’t they just go?” Huaiyu shrugged. “Anyway, I won’t change this wedding dress.”

Lingxiu was momentarily speechless, anxious for a while, and could only sigh deeply.

However, Bai Liangshi and the others were far from finished.

The dowry for the wedding had already been brought to the southern courtyard, but after checking the list, Lingxiu frowned. “Why is there a shortage of twelve loads?”

Bai Mengshi had prepared a dowry of twenty-six loads for Bai Xuanji, but now, counting them, there were only fourteen loads. Not to mention that it was short, this number was extremely unlucky. Anyone who saw it would frown.

“Truly relentless.” Li Huaiyu felt a bit irritated.

People in the mansion were bustling about, busy and flustered, while Bai Liangshi and her group sat in the pavilion, watching the show.

“Are they trying to go against us? Let’s see who suffers in the end!” Bai Liu said, munching on seeds, feeling pleased. “She thinks she’s something special just because she got a wedding dress. Just wait until she sees how she’ll look!”

“There are quite a few onlookers outside.” Bai Xuanji smiled. “Once the dowry is brought out, everyone will discuss and compare. Even if she enters Jiang Mansion, how she got in and the ceremony will surely make her feel small.”

“Not just feeling small! Do you know about the second young lady of the Jiang family? When she got married, her dowry was meager, and the maternal family table wasn’t filled. Do you think Jiang Xuanjin treated her well? Within half a year, he took three concubines. Tsk, tsk, how miserable!”

As soon as this was said, everyone felt relieved, chattering about Bai Zhuji’s future hardships, and laughing heartily.

However, while they were laughing, a commotion suddenly erupted at the gate.

Bai Xuanji turned her head and saw a crowd ushering in someone dressed in wedding attire. The person, who usually wore light colors, was now clad in bright red. Not only did it not look strange, but it also made his face appear even more handsome. His eyes were like ink dots, his lips a deep crimson, and with a casual sweep of his sleeves, he exuded both elegance and grace. When he inadvertently looked up, the entire spring of April seemed to fall upon his brow.

The pavilion fell silent.

Everyone watched Jiang Xuanjin, observing him as he crossed the courtyard toward the southern courtyard, then saw him carry Bai Zhuji, who was covered with a veil, out.

“As long as she can enter his door, who cares how hard life will be in the future?” someone whispered.

Bai Xuanji bit her lip, her face stern as she watched Jiang Xuanjin’s retreating figure, feeling very unwilling. She couldn’t help but think, if she hadn’t snatched Bai Zhuji’s marriage back then, would the person Ziyang Jun was marrying now be her?

“You need to be prepared.”

At the gate of the Bai Mansion, Li Huaiyu whispered to the person carrying her, “There may be many unexpected events today.”

“Unexpected events have already happened.” Jiang Xuanjin replied.

“Ah?” Startled, Huaiyu grabbed his sleeve. “What did you see?”

“It’s not what I saw; it’s what I sensed.” He reached out to weigh her, frowning. “You’ve gained quite a bit of weight in just a few days.”

Li Huaiyu: “…”

What’s so surprising about that? She had been nourishing herself during this time; it would be surprising if she hadn’t gained weight!

Grinding her teeth, she pinched him, wanting to say something more, but it was too late. The bride had arrived at the sedan chair, and as soon as it was lowered, she was stuffed inside.

Lingxiu nervously looked back as she followed beside the bridal sedan.

“The auspicious time has arrived, lift—”

With the wedding lady’s shout, the eight-bearer sedan lifted off the ground. The wedding procession moved forward, and the bride’s dowry was also carried out in loads, following behind.

The gate of Bai Mansion was crowded with onlookers, some praising Jiang Xuanjin’s unparalleled elegance, some lamenting Bai Si Xiaojie’s good fortune. Of course, more busybodies were focused on counting the dowry behind.

Ziyang Jun had given Bai Mansion thirty-six loads of betrothal gifts, which was considered the highest standard for marriage among subjects under the Emperor. So, how much sincerity did Bai Mansion have in marrying off their daughter?

“One, two, three…”

Many people were counting, and Bai Liangshi and the others also came out to watch the fun. What if they snatched Bai Xuanji’s dowry? Today, what was being carried to Jiang Mansion was only those fourteen loads, even more, meager than the second young lady of the Jiang family!

“……Thirteen, fourteen!”

As they watched the red loads count to fourteen and then stop, Bai Liangshi and the others began to whisper and laugh. Fourteen loads, both few and unlucky, what would the people of the capital say?

The people counting were also surprised, frowning as they paused, just about to speak when suddenly, the fourteen loads of dowry erupted with firecrackers!

“Bang bang bang—” The deafening sound drowned out the wedding procession’s music, drawing everyone’s attention.