Chapter 86 A Joyous Event: Mother-in-law, Daughter-in-law, and Aunt

The sun shines brightly outside the window, and a gentle breeze blows.

The study contained a small couch with a small table and a desk and chair. The bookshelves were not filled with the Four Books and Five Classics, but mostly with tales of the strange and the supernatural.

The room has excellent natural lighting.

When reading, it is neither too bright nor too dim.

Bai Yan stood in front of the table, following the traces of Jiang Yuzhi's use, exploring each step in an attempt to learn more about her.

I just sat down, and there was an invitation on the table.

He could tell it was his uncle's without even picking it up; it was the Emperor and Empress's wedding day.

Before Bai Yan could look at anything else, he suddenly felt a weight on his chest.

In an instant, her ears turned bright red, a healthy blush spread across her cheeks, and her hands froze in the air.

Jiang Yuzhi entered and exited the Map of the State and the Land, naturally she entered from the same place and exited from the same place.

She sat in this chair, read the invitation, and then went straight into the painting.

She knew Bai Yan would come looking for her, but she didn't expect him to be sitting in this chair as well.

Now, Jiang Yuzhi nestled intimately and snugly in Bai Yan's arms.

"He looks no different from a normal person, and his complexion is good."

It was just a hug, and Jiang Yuzhi didn't take it to heart.

She was already used to their intimacy.

However, Bai Yan has lost his memory, so it seems inappropriate to do this again.

Indeed, Bai Yan, who had no memory of the past, was getting so close to her for the first time. He immediately felt a rush of blood to his head, and he was unsure whether to raise or lower his hands. His thighs, which were pressed under Jiang Yuzhi, were also tense.

"I...I..." Bai Yan stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Jiang Yuzhi had already stood still and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes.

She didn't know how to talk to Bai Yan for the time being.

There was no word between them, and they fell silent.

"The wedding is in two days. Shall we go to the palace together?" Jiang Yuzhi glanced at the bright red invitation on the table and finally found a topic to talk about.

A grand wedding? Bai Yan's mind was in turmoil, with fragmented images constantly flashing through his mind.

Let's get engaged first.

Marriage is a major life event, arranged by parents and matchmakers.

There's still time once we find my parents-in-law.

"Mingze? Mingze?" Bai Yan remained silent for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. Jiang Yuzhi waved her hand in front of him and called his name twice more.

Bai Yan slowly moved his gaze inch by inch to Jiang Yuzhi's face, meeting her eyes. "A wedding? But I haven't met my father-in-law yet."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Yuzhi chuckled softly. What was he thinking? "It's the Emperor and Empress's wedding, not ours."

After explaining, Jiang Yuzhi felt that something was still amiss.

Father-in-law and mother-in-law?

A look of joy spread across her face, and she tightened her grip on Bai Yan's shoulders slightly. "You remembered?"

The sunlight outside the window cast a golden glow on Jiang Yuzhi.

Bai Yan, who was in the shadows, suddenly fell silent.

Why are you not saying anything again?

"Hmm... I remembered some things."

Even a little bit would be enough to make Jiang Yuzhi happy for a while; this matter can't be rushed.

His uncle had told him about the woman's background and their connection.

Bai Yan looked her up and down, but still couldn't connect Jiang Yuzhi with the female ghost.

If we really have to say who looks more like a ghost, it should be him before he recovered from his illness.

Jiang Yuzhi was very puzzled as to why Bai Yan was always staring at her blankly.

I've never had this problem before. Could it be a side effect of memory recovery?

As she pondered this, she placed her hand on Bai Yan's forehead again and muttered to herself, "It seems a little hot."

The icy hands made Bai Yan shiver. He sighed inwardly, thinking that this was still like a ghost.

Bai Yan casually took Jiang Yuzhi's hand and gently held it in his own. "I'm fine. Before... what did I call you?"

Since their relationship is so close, calling her "Miss Jiang" would be too distant. Bai Yan thought this was perfectly reasonable.

Before? She had called him Yuzhi, Xiaozhi, and Baiyan. But what impressed Jiang Yuzhi the most was that nameless and unrecognizable "wife".

Thinking of this, a faint, unnatural blush crept onto the tips of her ears.

Jiang Yuzhi covered her lips with one hand, turned her back to Bai Yan, and began browsing the bookshelf. "We'll just call each other by our names."

That's a reasonable answer. She calls me by my courtesy name, and I call her by her given name. But Bai Yan noticed her unnatural behavior and felt that something was off.

"On the day of the Emperor and Empress's wedding, I thought I would go to the palace with the Princess. It's been a long time since I spoke to Her Highness, so I thought we could catch up on our recent lives on the way." I also wanted to ask Xiuxiu what was going on between her and Xiao Ji.

Bai Yan remained silent.

Jiang Yuzhi had her back to him and didn't know what he was doing, so she continued, "You should be traveling with His Highness, right? If you feel it's inconvenient for me to be there, I'll go on my own."

Judging from her words, it seemed as if she was closer to her mother. Bai Yan was reluctant to believe it.

The old storybooks she'd read, filled with tales of bitter conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, kept replaying in Bai Yan's mind. Could it be that her mother had made things difficult for her? Was that why her mother was subtly testing her attitude in her words?

“How could it be inconvenient? My mother… holds a high position, and sometimes she doesn’t mince words. You don’t need to worry, she likes you. If things really don’t go well… my mother has my father with her, so I should go with you.”

I'm increasingly unable to understand what Bai Yan is saying. Of course His Highness likes her, so how can they not get along?

Jiang Yuzhi turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.

Bai Yan opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing her pale cheeks with almost no flesh, her extremely thin figure, and her bright red eyes staring straight at him.

Long eyelashes cast a shadow, concealing the confusion in her eyes.

Seeing the frail body, Bai Yan felt a pang of heartache, but also a stirring of longing as he realized that only he could see those beautiful eyes, and that they held only him in their gaze.

"Your Highness is the best person imaginable, how could I... Never mind, you'll see in time."

Jiang Yuzhi originally wanted to talk to Bai Yan about going into the picture to see her parents, but she noticed that he often seemed lost in thought and couldn't help but worry. Was he not fully recovered yet? If he rashly entered the picture, and the picture absorbed his power, it would be detrimental to his recovery.

Jiang Yuzhi couldn't bear to see him so frail in the picture. She figured it wouldn't hurt to postpone the matter.

"Miss, the Princess has sent someone to fetch you to the manor to serve as a lady-in-waiting. The carriage is already at the door," Zhi Si announced, knocking on the door.

"Coming soon."

A bridesmaid? Could it be that Xiuxiu is waiting to be married at the princess's residence?

"That future empress seems to have a good relationship with Mother. A few days ago, Mother, in her capacity as the Duke of Zhenguo, took her in as her sworn sister, so she is no longer an orphan. Now that she is marrying out of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, it is quite dignified." Bai Yan knew that she had been away from the capital for several days and was certainly unaware of many things, so she thoughtfully explained a few things to her.

Yes, besides the title of Princess Anping, Xiao Yao also holds the title of Duke Zhenguo.

Previously, it was only known that the two of them had a close personal relationship and often met at the orphanage. Now that they have the title of sworn sisters, it is a way of telling outsiders that Xiuxiu has someone backing her up.

Seeing Jiang Yuzhi's interested expression, Bai Yan jokingly added, "Fortunately, she was recognized under the title of Duke Zhenguo. If she had been recognized under the title of Princess, then marrying her uncle would have been a violation of moral principles."

"Pfft," Jiang Yuzhi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I'm considered Xiuxiu's close friend. If I'm the bridesmaid at her wedding, wouldn't Mingze be a generation below me in terms of seniority?"

Bai Yan was completely unaware of this connection. He vaguely remembered that Miss Zhong had written many storybooks for him and had a good relationship with his mother. He never expected that Yu Zhi was involved.

It seems that everything about Tamao has been ruthlessly erased.

On second thought, Mother, Miss Zhong, and Yuzhi are all close friends, so how could a mother-in-law make things difficult for her daughter-in-law?

However, Yu Zhi is his fiancée, so how come her relationship with his mother is even better than his?

And strictly speaking, shouldn't we call Yuzhi "aunt" instead?

Furthermore, Bai Yan had noticed that although Jiang Yuzhi was close to him, her words and actions always carried a hint of restraint and distance. When she learned that she had remembered something, the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide.

A wave of sourness almost overwhelmed him.

Bai Yan couldn't help but feel resentful as his fiancée became distant and added to his seniority. "Yes, as a junior, I should naturally be filial to my aunt. Please allow me to send her off."

Although his words were incoherent, Jiang Yuzhi felt a sense of familiarity arise within her; this was just like the Bai Yan she knew.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she replied, "Okay, let me change."

Having said that, the two left the study, one after the other, within half a step of each other.

Bai Yan thought Jiang Yuzhi didn't like hearing him say these things, and was at a loss for words. He moved his lips a couple of times, but couldn't utter a single word.

Zhi Si was even more confused. King Xiao and the young lady were acting strangely. One was walking ahead with a look of impending tears, while the other was trailing behind with a solemn expression.

They look like they've had an argument.

...

When the Duke of Zhenguo's sworn sister got married, the carriage that came to pick up the bridesmaids bore the insignia of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

The carriage looked brand new from the outside, and the inside was very well-maintained and comfortable.

Waiting outside the gate were not only the carriages of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but also Eunuch Xu, leading a group of eunuchs.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Xiao, and Miss Jiang. Are we heading to the Princess's residence? Let me announce the imperial decree first."

Bai Yan: "Please wait a moment, sir."

Eunuch Xu: "Alright."

Jiang Yuzhi looked at Zhisi beside her with a puzzled expression.

Zhi Si leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Eunuch Xu arrived when you were changing, and Judge Lu didn't leave a note either."

It was unusual that Emperor Huizong rarely used his imperial status to do anything in front of these old friends from the underworld.

Looking at Bai Yan again, it seemed as if he had known all along.

"This is a joyous occasion! Miss Jiang, what are you waiting for? Quickly accept the imperial decree!"

With so many people waiting, Jiang Yuzhi led his few servants to kneel sparsely on the ground. Bai Yan knelt down next to him.

Only then did Eunuch Xu begin to announce the imperial decree.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

I have heard that praising virtue and merit is a grand ceremony for emperors; honoring good deeds and recording merits is a set of rules for the court. Moreover, the Empress is virtuous and outstanding, and she has served as a model for the country, contributing greatly to its stability and policy-making. She deserves to be richly rewarded and honored.

I hereby acknowledge you, daughter of the Jiang family, gentle and virtuous, naturally intelligent and quick-witted. You possess virtuous character and a heart of loyalty and righteousness, using your wisdom to overcome the difficulties of the times. Your contributions to the nation are invaluable, and your plans will ensure lasting peace. I greatly admire you and find it a rare and exceptional talent.

You are hereby granted the title of "Princess of Xiangning," with a rank equivalent to the second grade. You are also granted a royal carriage, official robes, and a fief of one thousand households.

Respectfully yours!

"Your Majesty, I accept the imperial decree and respectfully thank you for your divine grace."

As soon as he finished speaking, Eunuch Xu handed the imperial edict to Jiang Yuzhi with both hands, and said with a beaming smile, "Get up quickly, Princess."

Jiang Yuzhi wasn't stupid, but sometimes she couldn't quite grasp things. Why did Xiao Ji bestow upon her the title of princess?

Could it be that they think her status is too low and she's not suitable to be Xiuxiu's bridesmaid?

As the gifts were carried into the Jiang residence—no, now the Princess's residence—Eunuch Xu seized a moment to bow to the obviously distracted Prince and Princess, saying, "It seems Your Highness and Princess are getting married soon. I'd like to offer my congratulations. I'm busy with palace affairs, so I won't delay any longer."

Bai Yan nodded, "Please take care, sir."

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Author's note: The various titles are a bit confusing, so I'm thinking of unifying them. I'll also make some changes to the beginning, but it won't affect the main content.