Wei Tingyu woke up with a throbbing headache from a hangover. Before he even opened his eyes, he heard a gentle voice asking, “My lord, are you awake?” A faint scent of osmanthus wafted through the air as a soft body gently supported him, bringing a warm porcelain bowl to his lips. “My lord, please drink some hangover soup; it will make you feel better.”
He was too lazy to open his eyes and, in a daze, drank the soup from the porcelain bowl, ready to fall back asleep. He wondered who this maid was; her voice sounded so unfamiliar. Yet, it was quite pleasant, and her soft, fragrant presence was a welcome change from the usual servants who attended to him. The thought flashed through his mind, but then he suddenly remembered that he had gotten married yesterday. He exclaimed in shock, sitting up abruptly, and opened his eyes to see Dou Ming sitting by the bed, still tidying up the soup bowl and yet to rise.
“Fifth Miss?!” Wei Tingyu’s eyes widened like copper bells. “What are you doing here?” Panic surged through him as he scanned the room, fearing he might have done something wrong yesterday. But upon seeing the bright red wedding canopy and candles, he finally confirmed he was indeed in his bridal chamber. He felt a bit relieved and let out a long sigh, only to hear Dou Ming softly ask, “My lord, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” As she spoke, she covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed, her large apricot-shaped eyes shimmering with tenderness, leaving Wei Tingyu momentarily stunned.
Dou Ming, who had taken on the role of a substitute bride, was filled with mixed emotions. Earlier, when she saw Wei Tingyu avoid her like the plague, her heart ached. However, she had resolved to embrace her decision to marry in place of her sister, vowing not to regret or complain about any difficulties she might face. After all, her so-called family was merely a sister who had lost her husband to her and a group of relatives who looked down on her. For the sake of her mother’s well-being in the Dou family and her dignity, she was determined to make this work with Wei Tingyu.
Putting on a nonchalant facade, she suppressed her discomfort and smiled brightly as she chatted with Wei Tingyu. He gazed at her, just as he had in the past, utterly captivated.
Her smile deepened. Her mother had been right; if you pamper a man, nine out of ten will become infatuated. She decided to lower her stance even further, playfully asking, “Is there anything bothering you, my lord? Would you like me to make you another bowl of hangover soup?”
Wei Tingyu jolted awake, his senses sharpening. He looked at her warily and asked, “What are you doing here? Where is your sister?”
Dou Ming blinked, and tears began to fall. “Yesterday, I stood in for my sister to marry you and enter this bridal chamber.” As she spoke, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, reminiscent of spring peach blossoms.
Wei Tingyu could no longer appreciate her beauty; he was drenched in sweat and exclaimed, “How could this happen? Where is your sister? What’s going on?”
In the main residence of the Marquis, the layout consisted of seven beams and five rooms. The maid from the Ma family had been waiting in the banquet room outside the inner chamber all night. Hearing the commotion, she realized the secret was out, and the Jining Marquis would demand answers.
The young wife, a beautiful maiden, was naturally more favored than the half-dressed woman who had been waiting outside. Why would she foolishly barge in?
She exchanged glances with the accompanying maids, and a young maid entered to escort the inner chamber attendants out of the bridal chamber. The maid from the Ma family pressed her ear against the door to eavesdrop.
Inside, Dou Ming’s soft sobs could be heard.
“What could be the matter? Doesn’t the lord understand my sister’s feelings? I initially arranged to meet the lord at the Daxiangguo Temple because there were too many people at home, and I feared that someone would gossip in front of my sister, making her jealous. Who would have thought that she would find out anyway? She refused to marry and insisted that Fifth Aunt help her break off the engagement.”
“Breaking off the engagement is one thing, but your sister wouldn’t agree. She claimed that the Dou family had delayed your marriage and demanded compensation from us. The Dou family has been in officialdom for generations, with many descendants. Fifth Uncle is a high-ranking official; if we agree to compensate your family, what will happen the next time a similar situation arises? It would undermine Fifth Uncle’s reputation!”
This was indeed something the sister should not have done!
“This… this…” Wei Tingyu wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling quite guilty.
Dou Ming paused, wiping her tears, and caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye. She bit her lip and stifled a laugh, but then cried even louder. “How could Fifth Aunt agree? My sister refused to marry. When it was time for the wedding procession, she suddenly fell into a deep unconsciousness, and your family’s bridal sedan had already arrived at the door. The household was thrown into chaos… They blamed me, saying it was all my fault. In a fit of anger, I wore my sister’s wedding dress…” She wiped her face in a flurry, straightened her back, and said defiantly, “Even though we have already performed the wedding rites, you were so drunk last night that nothing happened between us. We are still innocent.
If you still care for my sister, while it’s still early and we haven’t yet honored our ancestors, you can send me back. If my sister is willing to come with you, we can pretend this never happened. I’ll just cut my hair and become a sister-in-law; if she doesn’t want to come, you have the marriage certificate and can ask Fifth Uncle to help you either retrieve her or demand compensation from the Dou family. You can decide; I will do whatever you say!” After saying this, she pressed her lips tightly together, appearing resigned, while tears fell silently like rain.
Seeing her, a delicate little flower, Wei Tingyu felt a mix of fear and determination. He wanted to appear resolute, but inside, he was already a puddle of melted water, unable to think carefully about Dou Ming’s words. Instinctively, he felt that if he sent Dou Ming back, she would have no way to survive. If this escalated, the Dou family would lose face, and his own family would be pointed at as well. He couldn’t afford to go to court against the Dou family… but his fiancée was Dou Zhao!
The image of her bright, radiant face flashed in his mind, and he hesitated again.
Having reached this point, Wei Tingyu still wavered. Dou Ming, seeing his indecision, gritted her teeth and suddenly stood up, resolutely declaring, “I won’t let you be in a difficult position!” She then lowered her head and charged toward a large red pillar.
“Fifth Miss!” Wei Tingyu was alarmed, leaping from the bed and rushing forward to grab her waist. “Let’s talk this out! You mustn’t do anything rash!”
“I’d rather die than live on as a laughingstock!” Dou Ming struggled, still trying to throw herself against the pillar.
“Don’t do this! Please!” Wei Tingyu was frantic.
The maid from the Ma family burst through the door with a loud bang. “Miss, my lord, what’s going on?” She hadn’t expected Fifth Miss to have such a bold side! With her around, this matter was already half resolved! She couldn’t help but praise Dou Ming in her heart while feigning a shocked expression. “Let’s talk this out! It’s only the second day of your marriage; soon someone will come to invite you to honor the stove and recognize your relatives. If this gets out…” She turned to Dou Ming, “The matriarch will surely think you are being unreasonable and disrespectful to your husband right after entering the house.”
Then she turned to Wei Tingyu, “As a husband, you should teach your wife at home and in bed. Even if our young lady has her faults, you can’t let it become public knowledge like this. After all, she will eventually manage the household. If you don’t respect her, how can the elders in the house respect her? No matter how you look at it, this is a lose-lose situation! I implore you, my lord, to calm down. Whatever you have to say, please say it to our young lady. She has been raised with proper teachings and has read many books; she understands reason. She is not someone who doesn’t know her place.” As she spoke, she tried to intervene between Dou Ming and Wei Tingyu.
Wei Tingyu was already frightened by Dou Ming’s actions. Seeing someone come to mediate, he relaxed slightly and let out a long breath.
Dou Ming seized the opportunity to throw herself into the maid’s arms, crying, “My lord wants to send me back! I’d rather die here! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have married in place of my sister! If anyone is to blame, it’s my soft heart. I was afraid of embarrassing you, but I forgot that your heart only belongs to my sister…”
Upon hearing that Dou Ming had married him, Wei Tingyu felt a wave of guilt wash over him. “No, that’s not it!” he hurriedly replied, though he couldn’t articulate what he meant.
Dou Ming simply cried out louder.
The maid from the Ma family silently praised her words, but her expression quickly turned to one of anger. She wrapped her arms around Dou Ming’s shoulders, wiping her tears while loudly scolding, “This is the lord’s fault! Before the marriage, he knew our Fifth Miss well. Now that you’ve performed the wedding rites, lifted the veil, and shared a cup of wine, you can’t just deny it! Where were you before? Is there such a thing as a free lunch in this world?” As she spoke, she helped Dou Ming to a nearby armchair, then quickly stepped forward to grab Wei Tingyu’s arm. “Come, let’s go to the Shuntian Prefecture and ask the magistrate to judge this matter! Let’s see where the truth lies!”
She pushed and shoved, insisting that they go to the Shuntian Prefecture.
Dou Ming covered her face, crying heartbrokenly.
Wei Tingyu felt overwhelmed, unsure of what to do. The room was in chaos.
A capable wet nurse, sent by Tian Shi to investigate the newlyweds, rushed to report the commotion to her.