Yun Chu was helped out of her boudoir by two auspicious matrons.

She held a large red round fan in her hands, blocking her face, but could still see through the gaps in the fan the man striding toward her.

She had only ever seen him wear dark black clothing. This was the first time she saw him in bright red. A jade pendant was fastened at his waist—the one she had given him—along with an ugly sachet and a sword. Most people’s gazes were drawn to that sword, making him appear talented and elegant, his face like jade, his bearing brilliant and radiant.

The matchmaker directly stuffed the large red flower from Chu Yi’s hand into Yun Chu’s.

Yun Chu took the large red flower.

Chu Yi bent slightly at the waist before her.

The two auspicious matrons helped Yun Chu onto Chu Yi’s back.

Chu Yi carried her on his back to the front courtyard, stepped over the Yun family’s threshold, then walked to the large red bridal sedan, steadily placing her inside.

Yun Chu sat in the sedan and turned to look outside. She saw her mother Lin Shi crying like a tearful person, her father holding her mother, also looking sorrowful.

Her eyes reddened, and tears uncontrollably burst forth.

“Miss, you mustn’t cry.” The matchmaker stood outside the sedan reminding her. “Our capital doesn’t have the custom of crying at weddings. Marriage is a joyous occasion, a great joy. Besides, the Prince’s residence is just a few steps from the Yun family home. If you miss home in the future, you can return anytime. Don’t cry, don’t let your makeup run.”

Yun Chu lowered her head and held back her tears.

She wasn’t crying because she was separating from her parents, but from momentary emotions.

She had finally embarked on a completely different path from her previous life. She had finally emerged from the entangling shadows of her previous life.

From now on, every day would be a brand new day.

A smile appeared on her face as she reached out and waved outside.

Lin Shi, who had been crying uncontrollably, saw Yun Chu’s smiling face and finally stopped crying. She grabbed Yun Silin’s sleeve. “Head of household, our Chu’er will definitely be happy this time, won’t she?”

Yun Silin rumbled in his deep voice, “Of course. If that boy Chu Yi dares to bully Yun Chu, I’ll chop him up.”

“Enough, stop with all this fighting and killing talk.” Lin Shi glared at him. “The bridal sedan has already gone far. Hurry and attend to the guests.”

Lin Shi turned and went inside to receive the guests.

Yun Silin scratched his head and followed her in.

The wedding procession left the Yun family and headed toward Prince Pingxi’s residence.

The betrothal gifts Prince Pingxi had sent to the Yun family a month ago had already made everyone in the capital gasp in amazement.

Now, as the eldest daughter of the Yun family married out, the dowry following behind stunned all the onlookers even more.

“Heavens, is the Yun family this wealthy?”

“What do you know? This is Prince Pingxi’s betrothal gifts plus the dowry the Yun family prepared. The two combined—wouldn’t that be this much?”

“Prince Pingxi gave many betrothal gifts, and the Yun residence prepared a generous dowry too. In the future, it will all be Miss Yun’s private property. Truly enviable.”

“Didn’t they say Prince Pingxi was unwilling to take a wife? Why is he giving the Yun family such great face?”

“The Yun family has repeatedly achieved great merit. If Prince Pingxi wants the Yun family’s assistance, he must treat the Yun family’s daughter well. Don’t you understand this reasoning?”

“Prince Pingxi is probably just making a show of things. How could he truly care for a remarried woman?”

“Those noble marriages are just mutual benefit anyway. Talking about true feelings would be somewhat laughable.”

“…”

Amidst the common people’s discussions, amidst the music and firecracker sounds, the bridal sedan swayed all the way to the entrance of Prince Pingxi’s residence.

Ever since the marriage was settled, under Imperial Concubine Yin’s “coercion,” Chu Yi had moved back to the Prince’s residence with his two children.

The previously cold and solemn Prince Pingxi’s residence had been decorated with red silk and red lanterns, taking on a completely new appearance, exceptionally festive and lively.

After the bridal sedan stopped, according to custom, a five or six-year-old girl came forward to lift the sedan curtain and lead the bride out.

No one had anticipated that the girl lifting the sedan curtain would actually be the young county princess of Prince Pingxi’s residence—that little girl everyone knew had a peculiar temperament and couldn’t speak.

The little girl wore bright red clothing, her hair styled in two buns, her face powdered with rouge, looking exceptionally festive.

The little girl looked just like a New Year picture doll.

She reached out, lifted the curtain, and took hold of Yun Chu’s hand.

Yun Chu grasped her daughter’s small hand. The small hand was trembling. She knew Changsheng was very nervous.

Originally she hadn’t approved of letting Changsheng perform this role, but the little girl had insisted on doing it herself, unwilling to let any other princess or county princess take her place.

Chu Changsheng could feel many people staring at her. She told herself in her heart: these people are radishes, red radishes, white radishes, black radishes… all big radishes. She loved radish soup the most, so she wasn’t afraid of big radishes at all.

After this mental preparation, the smile on the little girl’s face became even brighter.

She placed Yun Chu’s hand in Chu Yi’s hand.

“Thank you, Changsheng.”

Chu Yi touched his daughter’s hair, then took Yun Chu’s hand.

The man’s large palm was scorching hot, bearing the thick calluses characteristic of a military general, tightly enveloping Yun Chu’s hand.

The two walked toward the Prince’s residence entrance, stepped over the fire basin, and formally entered through the gate.

“Perform the ancestral hall ceremony, play the music!”

With the wedding officiant’s loud announcement, ceremonial music sounded in the Prince’s residence. The music was grand, magnificent yet elegant, celebrating the marriage without losing dignity. The music carried beyond the high walls of the Prince’s residence.

Outside the high walls of the Prince’s residence, a group of people arrived on foot.

An old woman held a child in her arms, two boys followed beside her, and another youth followed far behind.

“Wei’er, forget it.” Yuan Shi held back Xie Shiwei, who was heading forward. “Chu’er has long had nothing to do with the Xie family. What are we doing going now?”

Xie Shiwei gripped a wood carving tightly in his hand. “I want to give this to Mother as a wedding congratulatory gift.”

He still remembered that a few months ago, when he and his aunt went to pay respects to his mother, he saw her holding a wood carving and stroking it, looking very fond of it.

He had deliberately searched for wood in the mountains on the outskirts of the capital, slowly carving it with a knife into its current form. He thought Mother would surely like it.

Originally he had wanted to deliver the congratulatory gift to the Yun family, but he arrived too late—Mother had already been received at the Prince’s residence.

So they could only hurriedly follow here.

Xie Shiyun also spoke up. “I also prepared a congratulatory gift.”

In his hand was a plain silver hairpin that his aunt had secretly pressed into his hand before she died. He didn’t dare let his eldest brother discover it, but he also knew his eldest brother would discover it someday. Rather than that, he might as well take it out and give it to Mother. Perhaps Mother would accept him again…

Yuan Shi sighed.

These two children were so sensible, it made her seem like a heartless person.

Fortunately, she had a bracelet on her wrist. If she could see Yun Chu later, she would give it to Yun Chu as an addition to her trousseau.

She turned to look at Xie Shi’an, who had fallen furthest behind. “An’er, have you prepared anything?”

Xie Shi’an pressed his lips together. “Mm.”

He hadn’t prepared anything because there was no need.

What kind of place was Prince Pingxi’s residence? People like them couldn’t even enter the gates, so how could they possibly deliver congratulatory gifts?

Even if they were lucky enough to get in and see Mother, would Mother accept these things from them that couldn’t be presented properly?

Knowing he wouldn’t see Yun Chu, he didn’t know why he had followed along anyway.

The group had just arrived at the Prince’s residence entrance and happened to see Chu Yi holding Yun Chu’s hand as they stepped over the threshold of Prince Pingxi’s residence.

Xie Shi’an’s expression was inscrutable. Six years ago, when Yun Chu married into the Xie family, he and He Shi had also stood at the Xie family entrance, watching that newlywed couple perform the wedding ceremony…

His feelings six years ago were so similar to this very moment.

He so detested this feeling—detesting that he could only watch but couldn’t do anything.

At this moment, his gaze fell on the little girl at the Prince’s residence entrance. From the guests’ discussions, he learned that this little girl was the county princess of Prince Pingxi’s residence.

“Is it her?” Xie Shiyun suddenly spoke. “She’s the young county princess?”

Xie Shi’an’s brows furrowed deeply. “You’ve seen her before?”