Chapter 111 The Wedding (Part 2) "Nighttime isn't for talking..."

The days leading up to the wedding passed both quickly and slowly.

Although Lin Daiyu had advised Yingchun to rest more after watching her wedding last time, even if she had to get up at midnight to do her makeup, it would be good to lie down for two hours first, Lin Daiyu actually started having insomnia two days in advance.

"I'm definitely not used to sleeping in the same bed!" She turned over again, sighing dramatically. "What if I can't sleep after I marry into the Marquis of Zhongyong's household?"

However, the thought of marrying into the Zhongyong Earl's household and having to sleep with the Zhongyong Earl made Lin Daiyu even more unable to sleep.

My third brother is so big, won't he squeeze me?

I've never slept with anyone before. Will I have bad sleeping posture?

Why should I think about these things?

It's all Third Brother's fault!

Lin Daiyu tossed and turned until the third watch of the night before finally managing to doze off, but woke up again just as dawn broke.

Since she wasn't in her own place, and besides, she was a bride-to-be, Lin Daiyu felt embarrassed to stay in bed any longer, so she called in a maid to help her wash up.

There are only five people connected to the Jia family around her now: Xueyan, Qingwen, Granny Wang, and two maids who comb her hair. The rest have all gone to the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, and she doesn't know if they are still in the capital.

In addition, there were two maids and two old women sent by the Imperial Clan Court, as well as two maids and two old women from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.

In short, there are enough people.

Lin Daiyu looked at herself in the mirror, a smile on her lips, her eyes—her eyelids were a little swollen!

She was a little flustered; she didn't want her third brother to see her looking so listless on her wedding day.

Lin Daiyu instructed, "Go and call the matchmaker."

Before long, the matchmaker came over, and Lin Daiyu appeared quite calm on the surface: "You haven't been sleeping well these past two days. What if your face is swollen tomorrow?"

It would be strange if you weren't nervous about getting married.

The matchmaker smiled and said, "Drink less water today, and don't eat anything sweet or salty. If you don't feel energetic, have a couple of sips of ginseng soup. Tomorrow, when you do the girl's makeup, make the eyeliner thicker, and don't use the whitest or peach-pink powder. That should be about right."

Hearing this, she realized he was very experienced, which put Lin Daiyu at ease. But then she wondered if she was making a big fuss over nothing.

After seeing the matchmaker off, she looked at herself in the mirror again and it seemed that her swelling had decreased.

The relief I had just felt was quickly replaced by anxiety when breakfast arrived.

You can't drink too much water, so forget about porridge. You can't eat salty food, so you can't have side dishes, and you can't eat sweet food—that leaves you with nothing but steamed buns.

Lin Daiyu angrily took the small steamed bun and bit off half of it in one go: "It's all Third Brother's fault!"

Inside the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, Mu Chuan sneezed loudly: "Damn it! I have to drink with these irrelevant people all day, and only go to see my bride at night!"

The disgruntled Earl Zhongyong reviewed the guest list and decided that next time someone got married, he would make sure to get the groom drunk.

As noon approached, Lin Daiyu looked in the mirror again; this was the fifth time she had looked in the mirror since she got up that morning.

The good news is that the swelling has completely subsided; the bad news is that she's sleepy again.

Anyway, this is the only time we'll get married in this lifetime.

While thinking about it, Lin Daiyu sent someone to call the matchmaker.

About two hours after I got up, the swelling on my face completely subsided, so I need to get up earlier tomorrow.

It's normal for a bride to be nervous, and the matchmaker didn't mind. Besides, this was a county princess, and the Empress had specifically instructed her to be treated well. As usual, the matchmaker entered with a smile and bowed first.

Lin Daiyu's voice was a little strained, and she had to pretend to be considerate and earnest. She didn't understand how she managed to blend these three styles together; she probably blamed it all on her third brother.

"I just remembered that the Earl of Zhongyong probably said earlier that I should get up later to do my hair?"

The matchmaker replied, "That's right, Lord Zhongyong instructed that we be woken up at dawn."

Lin Daiyu sighed, "Lord Zhongyong is worried about my poor health, but he is so considerate, how can I accept it without feeling guilty? I should get up at midnight."

Even if the veil can only be lifted at night, as long as she gets up early, her face won't be swollen from the moment she leaves the Imperial Clan Court.

The matchmaker readily agreed: "Exactly. After all, we're going to the north of the city, and it'll take quite a bit of effort to carry the sedan chair there."

Lin Daiyu wanted to send someone to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence to tell him to come early, but she had already said it once yesterday, and felt a little embarrassed to do it again.

Lin Daiyu sat up even straighter: "There's still the facial hair removal. I'm afraid of pain, so I guess the Marquis of Zhongyong also instructed you to be gentle?"

The matchmaker laughed and said, "What you say is true, young lady. Lord Zhongyong did indeed give such an instruction, saying that just a token gesture would suffice."

Lin Daiyu's eyes were a little sore, but she was mostly happy. He really did do whatever she wanted.

"I heard that if you put some ice on it first, it won't hurt as much?"

The matchmaker nodded and said, "Then I will instruct them to prepare ice."

Lin Daiyu added, "Prepare more, in case your eyelids swell up, you can apply some ointment."

The matchmaker went out again to give instructions.

Lin Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that there shouldn't be anything else, right?

Getting married is something that can't be decided by Third Brother; he—he just knows how to mess things up.

Lin Daiyu chuckled as she thought about it.

"Have you remembered what I said?" Sun Shaozu looked down at Siqi. This maid was tall and robust, with a sharp look in her eyes. He had heard that she was the one who made all the decisions in his wife's room.

Moreover, when she returned to the Jia family last time, her status had changed. She had gone from being the young lady's personal maid to a servant, and from Siqi to Pan Youan's wife.

However, Sun Shaozu didn't care about that; he only cared about his future, especially since he hadn't received an invitation to the wedding of the Earl of Zhongyong the next day.

It's impossible to expect his wife, who's so quiet she can't even utter a sound, to take the initiative; it all depends on this maid's abilities.

Siqi nodded: "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely persuade the young lady."

So on the way back to Rongguo Mansion, Siqi kept instructing her: "Talk to Miss Lin more intimately, teach her what the wedding night is like, how to get along with her husband, how to pay respects to her parents-in-law, how to meet her family, how to instruct the servants, etc. You can talk to Miss Lin about all of these things."

When her mistress got married, she didn't know any of these things and was more nervous than anyone else. Even though Miss Lin was better than her mistress, it was her first time doing this, so bringing these things up would definitely help to build a closer relationship.

Siqi talked the whole way, while Yingchun kept her head down, twisting the hem of her clothes. When they were almost at Rongguo Mansion, she finally couldn't hold back anymore: "How can I teach her? What is her status, and what is mine? Besides, how can the Sun family and the Marquis of Zhongyong's family be the same?"

Siqi frowned, wondering if she had been too hasty just now.

But my wife has been like this since she was a young girl. If you say something lightly, she won't take it to heart; if you say something harsh, she'll simply avoid it.

“Miss,” Siqi sighed, “Putting everything else aside, when we marry into the Sun family, no one will give us as much as Miss Lin. Think about it yourself, how good is Miss Lin to you? Even if it’s just empty words, we have to say it. Especially these days, how many things have we said through her? Do you really feel at ease? Now that we finally have a chance to repay her, don’t you want to?”

Yingchun fell silent again.

But as soon as they arrived at the Rongguo Mansion and got out of the carriage, Siqi sensed that something was wrong.

On the day the young lady got married, the Rongguo Mansion was decorated with red silk cloth and hung red lanterns. But when Miss Lin got married, she was marrying the Earl of Zhongyong, there was no decoration at all.

"I will not marry into the Rongguo Mansion!"

"What do you mean by 'already been taken away by the Empress'?"

Sun Shaozu's exclamation came from the other side. Siqi raised her eyebrows and stopped Yingchun.

Yingchun had been lectured by Siqi the whole way, and when Siqi stopped her again, she asked, "Why won't you let me go down again?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sun Shaozu stormed over, raising his hand to block Siqi's path. Sun Shaozu sneered and slapped Siqi hard across the face: "Get in the car! Go back!"

Inside the carriage, Siqi was still hissing and gasping for breath, while Yingchun had already started crying: "I advised you to be less obedient and just live a quiet life. You never listened to me, and now you've been beaten like this, what are we going to do? Didn't you know to run away?"

Siqi's mind raced even faster after being slapped. How could she dodge? If she didn't let the master vent his anger on the spot, she would face even bigger consequences later.

But none of that matters. Siqi reached out and grabbed Yingchun tightly: "Miss! When you get back, no matter what Master asks you, just say that Miss Lin is the most soft-hearted, that Miss Lin is your best friend, and that she gives you the most generous gifts! Master knows this too. You only need to mention it slightly, and he will understand!"

Yingchun probably understands too, but...

She sighed with tears in her eyes, "Everyone has to mind their own business, how can she possibly care about me?"

At this moment, Siqi had no time to indulge her melancholy. She tightened her grip even more: "If Miss Lin doesn't marry out of the Rongguo Mansion, we probably won't have any contact in the future. If the master asks you, just say you don't want to go back to the Rongguo Mansion because it's not a good place there. Say that you and Miss Lin are both out of favor and have been sticking together for over ten years to survive."

Sun Shaozu was angry and rode his horse much faster than usual. Yingchun was crying again, and Siqi had to comfort her, but she was afraid that she would lose her temper and completely ignore him, so she only emphasized it twice before returning to the Sun family.

After returning from the windy journey, Sun Shaozu calmed down a bit and found another reason for the Earl of Zhongyong.

He was too busy, and since he was a poor relative, he was going to force himself on the trip, so naturally he would have to wait for several days.

Siqi helped Yingchun down from the carriage and then let go of her hand, saying, "Madam, please go back first. I have something to report to the master."

Yingchun glanced at her disappointedly, wanted to say something but didn't open her mouth, and turned away.

Siqi went over to greet him. Sun Shaozu glanced at her and saw that her face was still swollen, but her expression had returned to normal. He thought of her with even more respect and said, "Come with me to the study."

Upon arriving at the study, Sun Shaozu sat down, and Siqi stood up. She then said, "Master, the Marquis of Zhongyong has a grudge against the Jia family. This can be easily found out by asking around in the capital."

Sun Shaozu nodded. He had indeed found out. He had previously thought that if there was a feud, there must be some misunderstanding involved in the marriage. Now he knew that there was no misunderstanding.

"Hmm." Sun Shaozu gave a cold "hmm" and simply listened to what the maid had to say.

Siqi thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a suitable turning point, so she simply said, "Master, if the direct approach doesn't work, why not try the reverse?"

This idea came to Siqi suddenly after she was slapped. The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. "I'll go and beg Miss Lin to say that the master is not treating the madam well. If I go a few more times, the Marquis of Zhongyong will have to do something about it, right?"

Sun Shaozu squinted and thought for a long time. This way, he could make a connection.

"Never mind, let's talk about it in a few days."

Siqi breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully left.

Tomorrow is the wedding day, and Lin Daiyu originally thought she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. However, she didn't sleep well last night, and she started feeling sleepy from noon today. She managed to stay awake until Shenshi (3-5 PM), but finally couldn't hold on any longer. She thought she would get up at midnight, and she would have slept for about four or five hours by Shenshi.

But no sooner had she closed her eyes than she was woken up.

"Girl, it's time to get dressed up."

First, she soaked in scalding water for fifteen minutes, then rubbed herself with bath soap, and her hair had to be washed again. After this whole process, Lin Daiyu felt her skin was a little sore.

After her hair dried, she sat in front of the mirror again, and the maids and servants applied her makeup, while the matchmaker interjected auspicious words.

Throughout the entire wedding process, some things were prepared by the bride's family and some by the groom's family. However, for her, apart from a veil and a pair of mandarin duck pillowcases, everything else was either from the palace or prepared by her third brother.

"Qingwen, Qingwen, did you receive the 'Man Jiang Hong' poem?"

Qingwen, dressed in red as well, came over with a smile, carrying the wooden box: "Would you like to check it again, Miss?"

Lin Daiyu glared at her, and Xueyan came over carrying a wooden box: "Miss probably doesn't want to look at the mandarin duck pillowcase anymore, right?"

After putting on the wedding dress given by the retired emperor and combing her hair neatly, it was time to put on the crown.

Lin Daiyu found it strange. Usually, she would spend about half an hour getting ready in the morning. Today, she got up at midnight and followed the same routine. Even though it was a little tedious, it didn't take much time, and it was already dawn.

The loud sound of firecrackers rang out, and the smell of smoke and fire wafted in, even a bit pungent.

Lin Daiyu coughed twice as if to cover up her embarrassment; she was getting married today, she—

Why did Third Brother arrive so early?

Lin Daiyu suddenly held her breath and listened carefully. She was not mistaken; it was indeed her third brother's voice, full of energy and with a smile on his face.

"Yes, yes, we have them all, top-quality red envelopes, for good luck."

Outside, auspicious wishes such as "growing old together," "eternal union," and "early birth of a son" were being spoken incessantly. Lin Daiyu became nervous, raising her hand and then lowering it again, completely at a loss.

But what made her even more helpless was yet to come: the door suddenly opened, and her third brother walked in.

Lin Daiyu was so frightened that she stood up, quickly looked around, and hid behind the screen.

"Third Brother!" Her voice was panicked and weak. "What are you doing coming in here!"

Upon hearing this voice, Mu Chuan's lips curled up: "I asked them, and they said you're all dressed up."

Lin Daiyu hummed in agreement, then thought her voice was too soft for him to hear: "Then you can't come in either!"

Oh no, that tone sounds like she's being coquettish.

Sure enough, Mu Chuan laughed: "The wedding dress is finished, and I took a look. The wedding dress alone weighs almost twenty pounds. The Emperor Emeritus really knows how to use good things."

Only after he said that did Lin Daiyu realize how heavy it was, not only her body but also her head.

“I originally wanted to make a lighter phoenix crown so it wouldn’t weigh you down,” Mu Chuan sighed. “But this is a matter of appearance, and you have to have what others have, and it has to be better than what others have.”

Although Lin Daiyu heard what he said, she felt a little lightheaded—as if half of her soul had left her body. She heard it, but couldn't think about it.

"Third Brother, you can go out first."

Mu Chuan chuckled twice: "Take another look. I was standing at the door; I didn't come in."

Lin Daiyu blushed and didn't dare to peek out. She whispered, "We're already married. What can't we say at night?"

Mu Chuan smiled meaningfully: "Nighttime isn't for talking. Tsk, but it's not impossible."