Seeing Qin Yining lower her eyes without speaking, her delicate brows and eyes making her appear even more bashful, the women around her all began to laugh.
The Second Madam, who had come to help, smiled and said: “You mention the phoenix crown—yesterday when we went to the prince’s mansion to prepare the bridal chamber, oh my, though I’ve lived in wealth and seen some of the world, aside from the imperial palace, I’ve never seen a more magnificent residence than the prince’s mansion!
“The prince’s devotion to our family’s young lady can be seen just from the arrangement of the residence. Every flower and blade of grass, every piece of gold and silver, every furnishing—each detail reveals exquisite refinement. It’s clear how much the young lady is loved by the prince and the Old Dowager of the prince’s mansion.”
According to custom, on the day of delivering betrothal gifts and urging the bride’s preparations, the bride’s family should go to prepare the bridal chamber.
Yesterday it was the Second Madam who accompanied Sun Shi, and they met Nanny Ma and Yao Shi. Though Sun Shi was somewhat dissatisfied with this marriage, after meeting her in-laws, her worried heart could finally be somewhat at ease. Hearing the Second Madam speak this way, Sun Shi’s anxiety and concerns were finally somewhat relieved.
With such gentle great mother-in-law and mother-in-law, even if the prince had a somewhat explosive temper, her daughter wouldn’t suffer too much grievance, would she?
Qin Yining saw her mother’s expression in the mirror and met the Second Madam’s gaze, smiling gratefully.
The Second Madam returned a sincere smile.
After all, they were all family who had weathered storms together. Among the Qin family’s young ladies now, aside from Qin Yining, only Eighth Miss Qin Baoning from the third branch remained. Qin Huining was an ungrateful wolf who couldn’t be tamed, so the Second Madam kept her distance.
She didn’t have the fortune of being a mother-in-law herself, so now she just hoped both of the Qin family’s daughters could marry well.
Qin Yining’s husband was of high rank and could help the family in the future, and could also help select a good man for Qin Baoning.
“Fourth Sister.”
The bead curtain was lifted, and Eighth Miss, Qin Huining, and Second Madam Han entered one after another.
Qin Yining had already finished having her hair done, with the phoenix crown placed on the dressing table. She was tilting her head back as the blessed woman helped apply lip rouge. She wore a snow-white undergarment, while her gold and silver threaded bright red wedding dress was spread out on a clothing rack behind her, so brilliantly red it was dazzling.
Seeing this, Eighth Miss exclaimed “Wow!” in amazement and happily walked closer: “Fourth Sister, you’re so beautiful today!”
Qin Huining also approached, lowering her head and curtsying: “Congratulations.”
Madam Miao paused her movements.
Qin Yining smiled and said: “Thank you both.” She then smiled at Second Madam Han: “Second Sister-in-law, you came too. Please sit.”
Second Madam Han also smiled and agreed.
For a moment, the women in the room chatted and laughed joyfully.
Only the Old Dowager remained steadily in her own room smoking, completely unattracted by the laughter and chatter from this side.
After Qin Yining finished her makeup, she went behind the screen where Ji Yun and the others helped her put on her wedding dress.
On the brilliant red brocade, golden thread embroidered “flowers blooming in wealth and honor.” The round collar was outlined with colorful embroidery thread that caught the light, depicting lifelike dragons and phoenixes in auspicious harmony. The snow-white standing collar was adorned with exquisite ruby clasps. The well-tailored jacket outlined her proportioned figure, and the hem of her matching eight-panel skirt was embroidered with delicate, small ruyi patterns in red thread.
Qin Yining emerged from behind the screen, and the blessed woman helped tie on her phoenix crown. The ruby bead strings held in the golden phoenixes’ beaks swayed gently behind her head and on both sides. The tassels meant to cover her face perfectly concealed her features, but finding them bothersome, she lifted them to pin them on the phoenix heads on either side.
The room fell completely silent.
Qin Yining blinked, then smiled and tugged at the fabric around her waist: “Mother, I feel like the dress is a bit tight.”
This single sentence broke the quiet in the room.
Sun Shi hurried forward, took Qin Yining’s hands and looked her over from left to right, smiling: “No, no, it’s perfect—not tight at all.”
“Really?” Qin Yining looked down and smiled: “Mother is certainly right.” She grasped Sun Shi’s hands with both of hers: “Mother, don’t be nervous. The days ahead will surely get better and better.”
Sun Shi’s eyes immediately reddened, and she struggled not to shed a single tear, sniffling as she said: “Yes, yes. My daughter will surely live in harmony with the prince until old age. Yining, I really can’t bear to part with you. You never enjoyed a single day of fortune by my side when you were small, and after you returned home, I wasn’t good to you either. I haven’t had time to properly compensate you, yet you’re already leaving the family…”
At this point, Sun Shi’s tears fell like broken pearls.
Qin Yining’s eyes also reddened, and she began to cry as well: “Mother, this isn’t your fault. There are still many days ahead—we mother and daughter will have plenty of time together.”
Sun Shi choked back sobs and nodded repeatedly.
The Second Madam dabbed at the tears in the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, smiling as she stepped forward to support Sun Shi’s arm: “Sister-in-law, don’t make Yining cry anymore. Crying at the wedding is proper, but Madam from the Champion Marquis family just finished applying Yining’s makeup.”
Hearing this, Madam Miao laughed: “Our family’s young lady is born like a celestial fairy—even when she cries, she’s like a pear blossom in the rain. I can’t take my eyes off her.”
This compliment was beautifully said, making all the women in the room laugh.
After Qin Yining was properly dressed, she sat on the canopy bed. The phoenix crown was too heavy, so it was placed back on the dressing table for now.
Sun Shi and the Second Madam led Madam Miao out, busy again with receiving guests.
Only Eighth Miss and Qin Huining remained in the room to keep her company.
Bingtang, Qiu Lu, Ji Yun, and Qian Yun were all on guard against Qin Huining causing trouble today, so they found places in the room to do needlework.
Eighth Miss stayed close to Qin Yining to chat with her. Despite all she had experienced, Eighth Miss remained as sincere and innocent as before.
Seeing them chatting so well that she couldn’t get a word in, and knowing that she could no longer reach Qin Yining’s current status or compare to her, Qin Huining simply chose not to engage in conversation to avoid being accused of flattering and climbing social ladders.
Seeing Qin Huining behaving this way, Qin Yining was happy to have peace and simply chatted with Eighth Miss about interesting things, also instructing her: “After I leave the family, if anything happens at home, you can come find me. If there are any conflicts, please help mediate. My mother has a quick temper, and with me not by her side, there’s no one to guide her. Please help me look after her.”
“Fourth Sister, don’t worry.” Eighth Miss grasped Qin Yining’s hand and promised: “Aunt has always been very good to me. Even if Fourth Sister didn’t say so, I would do this anyway.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining finally felt somewhat at ease.
Fearing she might need to relieve herself once in the sedan chair, Sun Shi only allowed Qin Yining to eat one bowl of porridge for lunch and nothing else. After a brief afternoon nap, her makeup was retouched again. As the sky gradually darkened, the auspicious time was approaching.
Sun Shi was obviously more nervous, her palms sweating when she held Qin Yining’s hands.
She had the maids temporarily withdraw and sat on the bedside with Qin Yining, whispering intimate advice about being a wife.
Seeing Qin Yining listen with flushed face and ears, Sun Shi herself became too embarrassed to say more. Finally, she summarized with one sentence: “Just listen to the prince, and that will be enough.”