So this was what it felt like to send one’s daughter off in marriage—there was joy, there was excitement, but more than anything else, there was a sense of loss.

This feeling was something his eldest daughter had never brought him. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his eldest daughter, but before he could even experience these emotions, she had been carried off in a small sedan chair to Prince Rui’s residence, leaving him with nothing but burning shame.

If his eldest daughter had married properly, she should have been here now to see her younger sister off in marriage. But now she was a concubine in the prince’s residence. Even though she had given birth to a young county princess, they were too ashamed to visit her, let alone maintain normal family relations.

Forget it. He would pretend he never had such a daughter.

Returning to the present, Li Guangwen looked at his second daughter dressed in her wedding attire, momentarily forgetting what he should say.

Old Madam Deng cleared her throat softly.

This was when the bride’s father should be giving his daughter advice! Say something!

Li Guangwen finally came to his senses, cleared his throat, and spoke: “When you go to your new family, do not forget to be respectful and proper.”

Well, just listen to this one, don’t take it too seriously.

He Shi followed with: “Think of it day and night, and do not disobey any commands.”

Li Guangwen twitched the corners of his mouth.

This one should be taken even less seriously—with his daughter being so clever, she would surely understand.

Qiao Zhao prostrated herself with both hands on the ground: “I will not violate my parents’ teachings.”

She kowtowed four times earnestly, and suddenly tears moistened the corners of her eyes.

She had once been a daughter of the Qiao family; now she was a daughter of the Li family, yet she was marrying into the same place, to the same man.

This time, she would hold tight to her happiness.

Qiao Zhao rose, and He Shi took the bright red wedding veil from A’Zhu’s hands to cover her daughter’s head, saying with barely concealed sorrow: “Take the young lady back to her room to wait.”

Qiao Zhao returned to her room. With the wedding veil covering her head, she could only see the small patch of ground at her feet.

The weather was cold, but the room had heated floor channels, so the heavy wedding dress soon made her feel stuffy.

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help thinking that Shao Mingyuan should be kowtowing to her father and mother-in-law right about now. She hoped he would hurry up and come fetch her, or she might suffer from heatstroke.

Her sleeve was suddenly tugged gently, and Binglu’s careful voice came: “Miss, would you like some osmanthus cake?”

Qiao Zhao smiled helplessly and patted Binglu’s hand: “Put it away quickly, I won’t eat it.”

She wasn’t one to rigidly follow rules, but since she couldn’t use the privy all day, she naturally didn’t dare eat or drink carelessly to avoid embarrassment.

“Miss has been starving for two days already.” Binglu’s voice was full of heartache, but she obediently put the osmanthus cake away. After thinking for a moment, she ate it herself.

Qiao Zhao, smelling the osmanthus cake fragrance filling the room: “…”

Soon, a maid came to urge the bride to go to the flower hall.

Qiao Zhao was escorted by the wedding attendant and maids to the flower hall. Through the wedding veil, she could only see a pair of clean, well-fitting black boots and a corner of red wedding robes.

Qiao Zhao suddenly became nervous.

Led by the ceremonial guide, the newlywed couple bowed farewell to Old Madam Deng and the Li Guangwen couple once more.

Looking at his spirited son-in-law and his daughter, whose appearance was hidden beneath the wedding veil, Li Guangwen wiped the corners of his eyes.

How annoying—could this ceremony please end quickly?

Li Guangwen wasn’t the only one with this thought; Shao Mingyuan was thinking the same thing.

Although he was bowing farewell to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, his eyes couldn’t help but frequently glance toward the bride.

Heh, Zhaozhao’s wedding veil was really pretty. The stitching was much neater than he had imagined, and there was even embroidery on it!

Li Guangwen became angry at first sight.

This brat was so impatient! Just looking at him made one want to hit him.

“Ahem, Hui’er, hurry up and carry your sister to the sedan chair!”

Send the daughter to the wedding sedan, and see what else the little brat could look at.

Wait, once she got on the wedding sedan, she would soon be carried away to his house…

Thinking this, Li Guangwen felt even more dejected.

“Third Sister, Third Brother will carry you to the sedan chair.” A clear voice between that of a man and a youth rang out. In Qiao Zhao’s field of vision, she could only see Li Hui’s slender back.

Qiao Zhao climbed onto Li Hui’s back and said quietly: “Thank you for the trouble, Third Brother.”

“It’s my duty. Sister, hold on tight.” Though the youth’s frame was still slender, he stood up steadily and carried Qiao Zhao step by step toward the wedding sedan waiting outside.

Qiao Zhao gripped Li Hui’s shoulders and suddenly thought of her brother Qiao Mo.

That time she had married, it was her eldest brother who had carried her. Big Brother had said the same thing to her then: “Little Sister, Big Brother will carry you to the sedan chair.”

Qiao Zhao had never felt so clearly as she did now that in the Li family, she not only had a grandmother, father, and mother who loved her, but also more family members.

“Third Sister, don’t worry. I will work hard to establish my career, so that you’ll have support from your natal family in the future.” Li Hui’s face reddened as he said this, and he quickened his pace a bit.

“Thank you, Third Brother. I believe that in the next provincial examination, Third Brother will have his name on the golden list.”

Li Hui adjusted his grip on Qiao Zhao and walked to the bright red wedding sedan.

Watching his sister with her head covered by the wedding veil enter the sedan chair, with the sound of drums and music continuous in his ears, Li Hui couldn’t help but raise his hand to wipe his eyes.

He had always thought he would carry his eldest sister to her wedding sedan. He and his eldest sister had lost their mother early. It didn’t matter for him as a boy, but his eldest sister had always been unhappy.

He had long planned to work very, very hard to give his eldest sister the strongest support in the future, to make up for her regrets and grievances.

But now his eldest sister no longer needed his support.

It didn’t matter. He still had parents and younger siblings. He was still the young master of the main branch of the Li family’s West Residence. Whether for himself or his family, he still needed to work hard.

The sedan chair was lifted, and the joyful sound of suona horns began. The bustling crowd accompanied the dragon-like wedding procession as it wound through the city, finally arriving at the entrance of Marquis Guanjun’s residence.

The pair of stone lions over half a zhang tall at the entrance of the marquis’s residence stood majestically, with large red silk flowers tied around their necks, making them look even more spirited than usual.

Sitting in the wedding sedan, Qiao Zhao felt dizzy and lightheaded when suddenly the sedan swayed lightly. She knew the groom had shot arrows at the sedan curtain, and immediately after, she was helped out of the sedan by the wedding attendants.

Once outside, the cold wind cleared her head, and the stuffiness in her chest was immediately swept away.

The subsequent ceremonies were no different from any other wedding. By the time the elaborate worship ceremony was completed and she was escorted to the bridal chamber, Qiao Zhao was already feeling heavy-headed and light-footed.

She hadn’t found it so difficult to endure last time. Could it be that changing bodies had made her physical strength so much worse?

Thinking of her short legs, Qiao Zhao secretly resolved to drink more milk in the future, hoping to grow at least two inches taller.

“Miss, please have some fresh fruit.” Binglu brought over a small bowl of apple pieces cut into small chunks with silver toothpicks inserted. “The young master ordered this, saying it would be convenient to eat without ruining your makeup.”

Qiao Zhao nodded slightly and let Binglu serve her a little less than half the bowl of apple pieces, finally feeling like she had come back to life.

A’Zhu quickly brought a damp, warm cloth for her young lady to clean her hands. After everything was tidied up, Qiao Zhao sat properly on the edge of the bed, quietly waiting for Shao Mingyuan’s arrival.

Time seemed to slow down. After waiting for who knows how long, she heard footsteps approaching from far to near, and soon the sound of a door being pushed open reached her ears.

Cold air and the scent of wine blew in together.

Shao Mingyuan nodded slightly to the two maidservants and strode toward the newly married bride sitting by the bed.

A’Zhu and Binglu exchanged glances and said in unison: “Madam, we servants will withdraw first.”