Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Marriage
When Sui Qing saw Chi Zheng rushing over, exhausted, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and sob.
"Chi Zheng, you are finally back. Lin Shu...Lin Shu is dead." Sui Qing lowered his eyes and suppressed his panic.
Yinzhen was struck by lightning and stopped in shock.
But when he remembered that Su Peisheng mentioned that it was an empty cenotaph, he barely suppressed the panic and sadness in his heart.
"Wuwuwu, Lin Shu bumped into the girl and was beaten to death with sticks, wuwuwu..."
"This is what Lin Shu asked me to give you before she died. She said she was sorry for you."
Sui Qing handed the box the girl had asked him to give to Chi Zheng, who was grief-stricken and about to cry.
Before leaving, the master took away most of the property and wealth that the girl had given to Chi Zheng, leaving Chi Zheng with only one thousand taels of silver, this farm, and a prosperous shop in Nanluoguxiang, where every inch of land is worth a lot of money.
Adding up all these industries, a poor scholar like Chi Zheng would never be able to earn enough in several lifetimes.
"Oh, this, this, this, how could Lin Shu, a little maid, have so much savings?" Su Peisheng's eyes were full of shock.
I always feel like something is wrong, but I can't put my finger on it.
If Lin Shu and the other two had not been wearing human skin masks, he would have suspected that Lin Shu was Fei Yanggu's illegitimate daughter hidden outside.
Although this manor is small, it is close to the city of Sijiu and is worth at least 800 taels of silver.
The prosperous shop in Nanluoguxiang is even more expensive. Although the shop is not big and is located in a slanted alley, it is worth at least one thousand taels.
How could Lin Shu, a little maid, save up nearly three thousand taels of wealth?
Yinzhen was not surprised. He knew Shu'er. Shu'er was very smart. Let alone three thousand taels, it would not be surprising for her to save thirty thousand taels as long as she was willing to put in the effort and scheme.
"Well, I'll tell you the truth. Among these inheritances, there is the dowry left to Lin Shu by her parents, the silver given by the young lady, and the shop and farm she also gave her as a reward."
"Why does the young lady want to reward Lin Shu with her shop and Zhuangzi?" Yinzhen seized the flaw.
"You underestimate our Lin Shu. Why can't Lin Shu save up all this money? If she wanted to, she could save ten times more."
"Young lady, young lady wanted to take Lin Shu as her maidservant and gave her a lot of money as a reward, but Lin Shu didn't want to."
"She became so angry that she fell ill and went on a hunger strike for half a month, but she didn't make it..."
"Before she passed away, she asked me to give you the inheritance she had saved."
Sui Qing burst into tears when she talked about the sad things.
This statement was half true and half false. When she thought of the girl's miserable state of being as thin as a skeleton, she still couldn't help shivering.
Yinzhen's face turned ashen, and his hands clenched in anger behind his back. He knew that Suiqing had been telling lies all day, but this one sentence was definitely true.
Shu'er's loyal and stubborn character would indeed lead her to do such a decisive thing.
He pursed his lips in pain, Shu'er must have suffered a lot by Nara's side.
His eyes were filled with immense anger.
Nara! He was determined to make sure Nara died a miserable death.
Yinzhen felt remorseful and blamed himself. Even though he indirectly forced her into despair, she still missed him and gave him her life savings.
With tears in his eyes, he clutched the signed document, walked slowly to Shu'er's grave, and leaned over to hug the icy tombstone.
"Chi Zheng, please accept my condolences. I'll go first." Sui Qing didn't dare to stay for a moment, fearing that he would be exposed.
She was afraid that Chi Zheng would continue to pester her and ask questions to the end. If that was the case, she must kill Chi Zheng and his servant.
If the girl knew that she had killed Chi Zheng, she would definitely cut her into pieces.
After Sui Qing rode away, Su Peisheng moved to the side of the Fourth Master.
"Master, please rest assured. No corpse has been taken out of Fei Yanggu's house recently. Fei Yanggu just stamped his seal on the dowry list yesterday. I saw it clearly and Lin Shu's name is on it."
"There will be no mistakes. Hey, Lin Shu really loves you so much that she gave you all her belongings."
"Yeah." There was moisture in Yinzhen's eyes, and his voice was subconsciously gentle.
I wish I could get married tomorrow so that Shu'er can stay by my side and make up for what I owe her.
......
On the eve of her wedding, just after midnight, Chu Xian sat dejectedly in front of the dressing mirror, letting Old Madam Quanfu say auspicious words and help her with her facial makeup.
"Miss, you have a blessed face, with a round forehead and a round chin. You will surely have many children and grandchildren and a happy marriage in the future. I will start combing your hair. I will comb it all the way to the end, and then comb it up to the eyebrows..."
"Mammy, I'm very tired, please hurry up." Chu Xian interrupted Mrs. Quanfu's nagging.
The two old ladies looked at each other in surprise. Last year, when they were helping the Third Prince's wife get married, the Third Prince's wife was filled with joy when she heard the auspicious words and she even gave them a lot of money as a gift.
Why is it that when it’s the Fourth Lady’s turn, she’s given the cold shoulder?
Chu Xian was exhausted and casually took out the sealed wedding money from the box.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mammy."
The old nanny was delighted to receive the gift money. When she saw that it was a golden bun, she immediately smiled and closed her mouth to help the Fourth Lady with her makeup.
After putting on her makeup, Chu Xian was too lazy to even look at herself in the mirror with her hair full of jewels and jade. She closed her eyes and pulled the veil over her head, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
The Manchus would marry their first wife in the middle of the night. As the Fourth Prince was a prince, he would not condescend to come and welcome the bride.
Coming to welcome the bride tonight are the Chief of the Imperial Household Department with twenty officials, the Lieutenant of the Imperial Guard with forty guards, and the Captain of the Imperial Guard carrying an eight-person sedan chair with red satin trim to pick up the bride.
Just after midnight, the wedding sedan chair was placed in the middle hall. Chu Xian, supported by a female official, lay dazedly behind her brother Wu Ge, her feet not even touching the ground, and was carried into the sedan chair by her brother.
She and the Fourth Prince were married in the Nanxun Hall of the Forbidden City. After they got into the bridal sedan, they were filled with the loud playing of suona and drums all the way. The noisy and annoying gongs, drums and suona were so annoying that Chu Xian covered her ears in pain.
I don't know how long it lasted, but the sedan chair suddenly stopped.
"Fujin, we have arrived at the Forbidden City. The Fourth Prince needs to shoot three arrows at the bridal sedan chair to dispel the evil spirits from the bride. The arrows will only reach the front of the sedan chair, so there is no need to panic."
The female official whispered a reminder outside the sedan chair.
Chu Xian sat up straight. She had been forced to memorize the wedding process. After breaking the red evil spirit, she still had to step over the fire basin and the saddle before she could enter the bridal chamber.
With a dull thud, the Fourth Prince shot his first arrow at the edge of the sedan chair, followed by another thud as the second arrow hit the curtain.
So annoying, can't you just shoot three arrows in a row? Chu Xian couldn't help rolling her eyes as she hesitated.
Outside the bridal sedan, Yinzhen drew his bow and was about to shoot the third arrow when he heard a low voice from the servants gathered around him: "Lin Shu, move closer to the bridal sedan."
In a panic, he subconsciously tightened his arms and pulled the bowstring. In a trance, the arrow was accidentally shot out.
The arrow of joy does not hurt anyone. Yinzhen glanced at the crowd, but did not see the familiar figure, and felt inexplicably panicked.
Inside the sedan, Chu Xian was getting impatient when suddenly a sharp arrow shot through the air, followed by a crisp sound of tearing silk.
Chu Xian was so scared that she leaned back and hurriedly lifted half of the red veil. The tip of her nose just happened to touch the tip of a cluster of arrows wrapped in red silk.
She covered her mouth with her hands in fear. If the arrow had not been wrapped in red silk, she would have been shot through the neck by the Fourth Prince and died tragically in the sedan chair.
Madman, he is a descendant of the royal family after all, yet he has no decency and plays tricks on her in public with such evil taste.
"Oh, the Fourth Master didn't wear his ring today, so he lost his aim and strength when drawing the bow. Fu Jin, are you okay?"
A feminine male voice came.
It’s Su Peisheng.
"It's okay." Chu Xian held her pounding heart and responded in a trembling voice.
"Oh, whether it was intentional or not, the Fourth Prince knows it clearly."
Wan Ning's angry voice came.
"Xian'er...Fourth Lady, it's time for you to get out of the sedan chair." Wan Ning reminded softly.
The curtain of the sedan chair was opened, and through the gap in the tassels of the veil, Chu Xian saw the scarlet acacia beans hanging from Wan Ning's wrist with a sound of falling with every step.
She suppressed her fear and held Wan Ning's hand tightly.
With his other hand, he supported the female official and slowly walked out of the sedan chair.
"Xian'er, watch your step and follow me closely." Wan Ning reminded in a gentle voice.
Chu Xian lowered her head and her gaze fell on the red carpet under her feet. She walked forward step by step on the endless red carpet. Every step she took felt like she was walking on thin ice.
"Fujin, stepping on the red carpet symbolizes a life of great fortune."
A heavy vase was stuffed into Chu Xian's hand. She hugged the cold vase tightly and tried to suppress her fear.
When you reach the temple gate, a brazier appears at your feet.
Chu Xian held her breath and concentrated, raising her legs to step over the brazier, but her heart was burned to ashes along with the charcoal in the brazier, and her heart was as dead as ash.
Behind the red veil, Yinzhen was wearing a bright red wedding dress, his face as calm as water, standing quietly in front of the wedding bed with his hands behind his back.
"Fourth Prince, please use the wedding scale to lift up the red veil of the Concubine."
"After the veil is lifted, please ask the Fourth Prince to throw the wedding scales to the beams. The higher it is thrown, the more auspicious it is, symbolizing that the couple's marriage is happy and fulfilling, and that it will reach the gods."
"Yeah." Yinzhen took the golden rod, lifted up Nara's red veil, raised his hand and threw the golden rod into the air, turned around impatiently, too lazy to take a closer look.
With a crisp clang, the scale fell to the ground.
The old nanny at the side widened her eyes, then laughed awkwardly twice: "Well done, it was thrown away with such a loud sound that it took root. The Fourth Prince and his wife will surely have many children soon."
The scene in front of her suddenly became bright. Chu Xian squinted her eyes and looked around, and happened to see a tall and graceful figure.
The man was wearing festive red clothes and had his back to her.
Chu Xian's eyes were filled with tears. She was really crazy to think that he was Chi Zheng.
She once thought that she would marry Chi Zheng, become his wife, and spend the wedding night with him as an equal.
If she had known that the first day of the Lunar New Year would be her final farewell to him, she should have said goodbye to Chi Zheng properly and hugged him with all her strength, even for a little longer.
"Fourth Prince, please stroke your wife's hair and pray for a long and happy life together."
The man came towards her in a leisurely manner. Chu Xian lowered her eyes. His fingertips quickly brushed across her temples, so quickly that even when he withdrew his hand, she could see an afterimage.
Chu Xian sneered. He was just bluffing and didn't touch her hair.
"Fourth Prince, Fourth Lady, I will serve you the wedding wine."
The old nanny divided the gourd into two parts, put wine in each of them, and connected the other end of the gourd to the handle with a red silk thread, symbolizing the union of husband and wife.
The Fourth Prince took a sip and handed the gourd to the servant with an expressionless face. Chu Xian suppressed her disgust, moistened the wine with her lips, and handed the gourd to the female official with a calm smile.
After the wedding ceremony, the female official brought a plate of grandson cakes. Sui Qing picked up a raw cake and handed it to her lips.
Chu Xian took a symbolic sip, and when the nanny pressed her whether the baby was still born, she covered her lips and replied insincerely, "Yes."
But in my heart I was sneering.
Don't worry, Fourth Prince. Since he wants to force her to become the Fourth Concubine, she will definitely thank him well and make sure that there will never be peace in his harem, that he will never hear a baby cry again, and that he will have no children or grandchildren.
"The ceremony is over. Your servant congratulates the Fourth Prince and his wife on their happy wedding."
All the servants prostrated themselves on the ground and congratulated them repeatedly. Su Peisheng and Sui Qing were busy distributing money to the servants.
After everyone had left, Chu Xian sat alone on the southern kang in meditation for an entire day, a practice known as "sitting in blessing." She was required to remain in meditation for the entire day until her wedding night, when she and the Fourth Prince would choose an auspicious time to consummate their marriage.
After the ceremony, the Fourth Prince went to the front hall of Nanxun Palace to greet the guests, and only the servants serving Chu Xian were left in the bridal chamber.
Nanny Chun helped her take off the pearl and jade hairpins on her hair, while Nanny Zheng was counting the gift list.
Suiqing and Xianrong prepared things for bathing and changing clothes.
"Madam Chun, have Lin Shu bathe and change her clothes, dress elegantly, and keep watch in the side room behind the partition."
"Fujin, today is your wedding night with the Fourth Prince. Please call Lin Shu to serve you tonight. It's a little early."
Nanny Chun was surprised. The servant on duty in the room behind the door was special. She had to have sex with the Fourth Prince on behalf of the Lady in order to consolidate her favor.
Who would be so anxious to share the favor with the maidservants on the wedding night?
"It's not early. Ask Chunxiao to wash up and stay with Lin Shu in the back room to watch the night."
Her father prepared four good-looking maids for her to keep her in the room to keep her in good favor, but she didn't know if they were enough.
"Fujin, those two haven't been given the sterilization soup yet. Why don't they drink it first and then wait here for them to serve?"
Nanny Chun reminded with a serious expression.
"No need. Remember to tell them that whoever can bear the Fourth Prince's child will be rewarded handsomely."
Chu Xian stretched her sore back, wishing that today's torturous menstruation would come earlier so that she wouldn't have to consummate her marriage with the Fourth Prince.
She was even unwilling to consummate her marriage with the Fourth Prince, let alone give birth to a child for him.
In history, the fourth wife's legitimate son, Honghui, died at the age of eight. Rather than giving birth to a child destined to die young with a man she did not love, it was better not to let the poor child be born.
"Everyone, go down and take away all the peanuts and red dates on the bed. I don't like them."
"Fujin, absolutely not! The peanuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and longans used to spread the tent symbolize the early birth of a son. You can only tear them away the next day."
Nanny Chun tried to persuade her earnestly.
"Got it. You all go serve outside."
Chu Xian held her forehead with her hand as she felt a headache. After everyone left, she walked to the dressing mirror in a daze, picked up the golden scissors, and stared at the flickering candlelight on the dragon and phoenix candle in a trance.
The dragon and phoenix candles must be kept lit all night long until they burn out, wishing the couple harmony and a long life together.
Chu Xian smiled bitterly and shook her head. She had talked with Chi Zhengtao before. On their wedding night, they would prepare red candles with dragons and phoenixes as thick as a child's arm. He would write "Happiness for a Hundred Years" on the candles himself and burn them for three days and three nights.
With tears in her eyes, she slowly approached the candlelight, gently opened her lips, and blew out the dragon and phoenix candle.
The moment the bright candlelight went out, Nanny Chun rushed into the bridal chamber with fear in her eyes. She rushed to the extinguished dragon and phoenix candles and relit them tremblingly.
Sui Qing and Xian Rong, who followed closely behind, were so frightened that their faces turned pale.
"It's not a big deal, it's just two breaths, no one saw it." Nanny Chun covered her chest with her hands in fear.
Seeing Nanny Chun and the servants trembling with fear as if they were walking on thin ice because of her willful behavior, Chu Xian felt guilty.
"Everyone, go down. I'll rest for a while. I'm very tired. I won't make any more noise."
Chu Xian waved her hand tiredly, and Nanny Chun led Xianrong and Suiqing away.
On this side, Su Peisheng came to visit Nanny Chun with a smile on his face.
"Mammy, I heard someone is going to stay in the bridal chamber tonight. I wonder which girl it is? From now on, if someone stays in the bridal chamber, you need to let me know in advance, lest the Fourth Master asks about it and I don't know anything, and then we'll both be in trouble."
"Tonight, the young lady's maids, Lin Shu and Chun Xiao, will be resting in the back room."
"Hey, it's not appropriate to arrange too many maids to serve on the wedding night, so let's just arrange Lin Shu." Su Peisheng couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
I've been so busy today that I haven't been to see Lin Shu yet. I don't know how she is doing.
It's really annoying that Sui Qing and Xian Rong arranged by Fei Yanggu were not the two from the farm. Su Peisheng was extremely nervous at the moment, fearing that he would meet the unfamiliar Lin Shu.
"Madam Chun, who is Lin Shu? Ask her to come over and talk."
Su Peisheng felt increasingly uneasy. His left eyelid had been twitching all day. He had to see Lin Shu immediately before he could feel at ease.
Nanny Chun responded calmly, "Replying to Eunuch Su, Lin Shu is bathing and changing in the side hall. It's not appropriate to meet her now."
"Hey, what's inappropriate about this? All servants sent to the Fourth Master must be carefully scrutinized by me to avoid offending him."
Su Peisheng was angry. The maids and servants around Concubine Nara were all cunning and had bad tempers, and he could not stop them.
Nanny Chun looked at Su Peisheng with a smile. She was the head nanny beside the fourth lady, and her every word and action represented the face of the fourth lady. She must not be timid in front of others.
She and Su Peisheng are on the same level, and are in charge of the front and back yard affairs respectively, without interfering with each other.
Su Peisheng really crossed the line today. If she gives in, it will be Fu Jin's loss of face.
"Eunuch Su, this is a matter of the harem. How about we go talk to Fu Jin now?"
Su Peisheng scratched his head. Fu Jin was the mistress of the harem, and today he was indeed too concerned and confused. He hurriedly smiled and said, "Oh, Madam Chun, I am also worried about offending the master. In that case, let's arrange for Lin Shu to serve today."
Nanny Chun nodded politely. In fact, she didn't want to arrange a maid, but now that Su Peisheng asked, she had to keep Lin Shu in the side room to serve.
Su Peisheng exchanged a few words with Nanny Chun and then went to the front hall to look for the Fourth Master.
"Master, the one on duty in the second room tonight is Lin Shu."
"Yeah." Yinzhen clenched the wine cup, raised his lips and smiled, with tenderness in his eyes.
Just after three quarters past midnight, Chu Xian was leaning on her wedding bed, peeling peanuts and longans, when she heard the sound of servants paying their respects outside the door.
"Greetings to the Fourth Master."
"Greetings, Fourth Master."
She sat up straight in a hurry and glanced at the side room behind the partition in panic.
Yinzhen was surrounded by servants and led into the bridal chamber, only to see Nara standing stiffly beside the bed with her face bare and wearing a bright red nightgown.
Yinzhen had a cold gaze. Although he was beautiful, his appearance was just that of a fool and he was boring.
"Master, I will help you change your clothes." Although Chu Xian said this, she stood there in a daze with her head down, not moving.
"No need." Yinzhen's eyes fell on the hazy figure in the side room, and his tone became softer.
"Fujin, if you are sleepy, you can take a rest first." After saying this, Yinzhen didn't even glance at Nara, and went straight to the side room to take a bath and change clothes.
When the sound of washing came from the side room, Chu Xian bravely said: "Master, I am not feeling well today. How about letting my maid Lin Shu, who came with me as a dowry, help you bathe and change clothes?"
Chu Xian pricked up her ears and waited for a long time. Just when she thought that person looked down on the servant beside her, she suddenly heard a very low and hoarse response: "Yes."
Chu Xian was overjoyed, but suppressed her ecstasy and urged, "Lin Shu, serve the Fourth Prince well for me. There are still many gifts in the west side hall that need to be sorted. I'll go take a look first."
Chu Xian quickly put on her outer robe and walked out of the bridal chamber with great speed.
In the ear room, Yinzhen leaned in the steamy bathtub, and footsteps were approaching behind him.
As he got closer, he could even smell the fragrance of the powder that Shu'er had applied today. The scent was so strong that Yinzhen frowned.
The maid Xia Qiaoyue was renamed Lin Shu just at the beginning of the month. Unexpectedly, she was lucky enough to be chosen by the girl as a maid to serve in the room, specifically to consolidate her favor.
At this time, Xia Qiao suppressed her ecstasy. She thought she would have to wait for a long time before she could get the chance to be favored by the Fourth Prince. Unexpectedly, good luck would come to her tonight.
She twisted her willow-like waist and moved lightly. The girl did not give them the sterilization soup. If she had the chance to conceive the royal heir, she would surely be able to fly to the branches and become a phoenix.
As long as she is honored by her son, it is still unknown who will be the master and who will be the slave in the future.
"Fourth Prince, your servant Lin Shu, under the orders of Madam Fu, has come to assist you in bathing and changing your clothes."
Xia Qiao pinched her throat and spoke softly and tenderly.
There was a sudden sound of splashing water, and the Fourth Prince suddenly stood up, stood tall and straight, and slowly turned around.
Xia Qiao held her breath. The prince's grandson truly had the appearance of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, and was as serene as a god.
Under the scorching gaze of the handsome Fourth Prince, Xia Qiao felt completely limp. Even if she died now, it would be worth it to have a romantic moment with such a handsome man.
Xia Qiao was dead, her neck was broken, and she was thrown beside the bathtub like a torn sack.
Su Peisheng trembled as he prostrated himself at the feet of the gloomy-looking Fourth Prince, not daring to breathe.
It's over, all over.
The cenotaph that Sui Qing built in Zhuangzi was actually real. Lin Shu was dead and not even her body was left intact.
Su Peisheng had a sad face. The furious Fourth Master drew his sword. Su Peisheng was so scared that he hugged the Fourth Master's thigh tightly: "Master, today is the day of your wedding with your wife. You can't do this..."
"Get out!" Yinzhen shouted angrily.
Chu Xian's legs went weak with fear from the furious shouting in the main hall.
"What happened?" She shrank to the door.
"Fujin, Lin Shu...Lin Shu bumped into the Fourth Prince for some reason and was...killed by the Fourth Prince..." Sui Qing's eyes were full of horror.
"Go and take a look." Chu Xian was choking with anger and felt extremely guilty for Lin Shu's tragic death.
madman!
Since you don't like the maid she arranged, just drive her away. Why kill innocent people?
He suppressed his shock and anger and went into the bridal chamber. Two young eunuchs were carrying a corpse out. Suddenly, the shroud was blown away by the evening breeze, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes that were staring out of their sockets.
Chu Xian was so scared that she covered her mouth tightly. After standing there to calm herself down, she walked behind the curtain.
"Nara!"
A violent roar came from her, and when she looked up, the cold sword tip was right against her forehead.
If she took one more step, the Fourth Prince would immediately stab her between the eyebrows.
Chu Xian straightened her back and looked at the furious madman with neither servility nor arrogance. Her tone was calmer than ever before, a calmness of relief: "If I die today on your wedding night, and it can relieve Fourth Master's hatred, I am willing to die. I only ask that you give me a quick death."
"Happy? Haha...hahahaha...Have you ever given an innocent person a happy death? Have you ever given her a chance to live?"
Chu Xian was completely bewildered. What did she mean by "not giving people a chance to live"? Suddenly, she remembered how the Fourth Prince had saved the day and suppressed the self-deprecating rumors she had been planning for so long.
He must have known about her scandalous deeds of harming innocent people.
"Fourth Master, I don't know what you are talking about. Since you chose to suppress those rumors for me, you must believe that I am innocent, don't you?" Chu Xian said with certainty, deliberately disgusting the man.
“You! You!!”
Yinzhen was furious and heartbroken. A fishy and sweet taste came over his throat, and he gritted his teeth and swallowed back his tears.
But how can one suppress the pain of losing the one one loves forever and being skinned and torn apart?
He felt such pain that he was heartbroken and unable to hold the sword, so the sword fell to the ground.
"Nara..." Yinzhen's eyes were filled with resentment, blood oozing from the corners of his lips. His eyes went dark, and he saw Shu'er opening her arms towards him with tears in her eyes.
"Fourth Prince!" Chu Xian watched the man vomit blood and faint on the ground. She took two steps back and had no intention of helping him up.
"Master!" Su Peisheng was so scared that he stumbled and crawled to the side of the Fourth Master.
On the wedding night, there was chaos in Nanxun Palace.
On the second day of his wedding, the Fourth Prince was supposed to go and pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in turn with his new wife, and also to pay his respects at the palace of his biological mother, Concubine De.
But on his wedding night, he fell ill for unknown reasons and was bedridden.
Rumors were spreading in the Forbidden City, saying that Chu Xian was unlucky in marriage, and the rumors were very plausible.
Chu Xian ignored the rumors and was sitting beside the bed with a sad face, tending to the unconscious Fourth Prince.
The madman lay weak and haggard on the bed. Chu Xian was eager to take care of him. If the Fourth Prince died, she would be able to escape from her suffering completely.
But Nanny Chun's words were like a slap in her face. Chu Xian was so scared that she served the Fourth Prince without taking off her clothes.
Nanny Chun reminded Chu Xian that if the Fourth Prince died suddenly on the wedding night, Emperor Kangxi would definitely vent his anger on Chu Xian and all her clans would be implicated.
For the sake of her nine clans, Chu Xian resisted the urge to kill the Fourth Prince and served him tirelessly.
The ninth day was the day when the prince's wife returned home. The Fourth Prince was supposed to take her back to her parents' home and return to the palace before noon.
Damn bastard, he didn't even choose a good time to get sick. Chu Xian angrily covered his face with the hot and wet handkerchief and rubbed it around to vent her anger.
“Cough cough cough…”
A few weak coughs came from behind the handkerchief. Chu Xian grabbed the handkerchief in fear and said, "Come quickly! The Fourth Master is awake! The imperial physician, come and take his pulse!"
Chu Xian's mood at the moment was extremely conflicted. She felt sorry that the Fourth Master was not dead, but was also glad that he was not dead. She was so conflicted that she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He covered his face with a handkerchief and hurriedly stepped aside.
Through the imperial physician and servants, Chu Xian met the pale-faced Fourth Prince's eyes, and cold sweat of fear instantly broke out on her back.
His eyes were filled with hatred and coldness, just like the sword that was pressed against her brow that night, making her shudder.
The look in his eyes was clear; he wanted to kill her.
On the tenth day of the wedding, the Fourth Prince, supported by his servants, took her to pay homage to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
On the road to the Forbidden City, Chu Xian, in her flower-pot shoes, hurried to catch up with the Fourth Prince who was walking in front of her.
He's half dead, yet he's still so fast, trying to reincarnate?
After he woke up, he became more taciturn and his calmness made people uneasy. Chu Xian always felt that the Fourth Prince was plotting a deadly conspiracy. She had been unable to sleep or eat these days.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I could feel the biting chill of despair between my brows.
Chu Xian was already having difficulty walking in her clogs, and now her heels were aching even more.
You can tell without even looking that several blisters have been formed.
The Empress Dowager was ill and only exchanged a few polite greetings through the curtain before starting to cough again.
The two knelt in front of Ningshou Palace, one in front and the other behind. The Fourth Prince performed the ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, while Chu Xian performed the ceremony of six bows, three kneelings and three kowtows according to the rules.
With the empress dowager's reward, Chu Xian did not stop for a moment and followed the Fourth Prince to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to pay her respects to Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi sat upright on the dragon throne, looking majestic without being angry. When the fourth prince and his wife stood up to greet him, Emperor Kangxi cast his eyes on the face of the fourth prince's wife.
At first glance, I couldn't help but frown.
I never expected that Fei Yanggu's daughter would grow up to be so gorgeous and beautiful, while she was so well-behaved and pretty back then.
Emperor Kangxi was deeply upset. If he had known that Nara would grow up to be so seductive and unrefined, he would never have given such a woman to his fourth son as his principal wife.
When Chu Xian bowed and stood up, she glanced at Liang Jiugong who was standing behind Emperor Kangxi.
Liang Jiugong, his father Fei Yanggu and Jiangning textile manufacturer Cao Yin were childhood friends. Chu Xian privately called Liang Jiugong "uncle" and Cao Yin "uncle".
Liang Jiugong blinked at Xian'er but didn't dare to smile.
After the fourth son and his wife left, Emperor Kangxi summoned Liang Jiugong.
"The fourth son is young and full of vigor. He usually asks the imperial physicians and servants who serve him to remind him not to indulge too much in women."
Liang Jiugong smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has a cold and aloof temperament, like white jade that remains cold even when burned. The Fourth Lady is beautiful, so this may not be a bad thing for the Fourth Prince. She might even become his sweetheart."
Emperor Kangxi smiled but nodded without saying anything.
The fourth son is taciturn, moody, and silent. He would never say more than one word if he could say one word at a time. His words are concise and to the point, like a one-word immortal.
For a man of such a dull and silent nature, it might not be a bad thing if he had a more beautiful wife to accompany him.
"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. You are busy with state affairs every day. You must not let family matters burden you. The country is still waiting for you to steer the ship."
Liang Jiugong picked up a cup of Longjing tea, bent over and placed it in front of the imperial desk, with fine cold sweat already oozing from his back.
He helped the old fellow Fei Yanggu once again in front of the emperor, and he would definitely ask him to treat him to a table at Liuquanju.
"What is Fei Yanggu doing? Ever since he resigned from the post of Governor of the Nine Gates, he rarely shows up in the Forbidden City. Humph." Emperor Kangxi scolded with a smile.
Liang Jiugong chimed in, "He's been busy marrying off his daughter these past few months. Now that the Fourth Lady has become your fourth daughter-in-law, he might be eager to come and submit his greetings tomorrow."
Liang Jiugong and Fei Yanggu were close friends, so he would naturally find opportunities to speak well of Fei.
Fei Yanggu had been accompanying Emperor Kangxi since he was a child as a playboy. If Cao Yin, the Jiangning textile manufacturer, had not gone to Jiangnan, he would have come to the Qing Palace with Fei Yanggu on his arm.
"Liang Jiugong, go to my private treasury and select a pair of golden ruyi to give to Nara. Also give them the red coral bonsai that Danzhou Prefecture presented as tribute last year."
"Give her a piece of Shu brocade presented by the Sichuan Governor, so that Fei Yanggu won't say that I treated his daughter badly."
"Your Majesty, you have already bestowed upon the Crown Princess a pair of golden ruyi (Ruyi's Gift) in May. How about giving Fourth Lady a pair of red jade ruyi (Ruyi's Gift)? I heard Fourth Lady loves the color red the most. Look how festive she looks in that red dress today."
Liang Jiugong secretly broke out in a cold sweat. The Crown Princess was the legitimate wife of the Crown Prince. If the Fourth Lady also got a pair of golden ruyi, Yuqing Palace would have some ideas.
"Permitted."
"Go and call that Fei Yanggu here, and Cao Yin too. Don't think I don't know. He asked for leave to return to the capital to attend the wedding banquet at Fei Yanggu's house."
"Did you drink too? Humph, you're the only one who didn't invite me to your wedding, right?"
Liang Jiugong scratched his head. "Your Majesty, Fei Yanggu is marrying off his daughter. The Forbidden City is welcoming his daughter-in-law. Fei Yanggu is crying and sending her off. You are so happy to have a daughter-in-law. I heard that he is hiding in the mansion crying. If you ask him for wedding wine again, he will definitely cry again."
"Let him cry, thinking I don't know his little schemes back then. If it weren't for our friendship since childhood, I would have thrown him into the Ministry of Justice prison."
"Go, tell him to prepare the banquet. I will go and drink with you myself, without any gifts."
Emperor Kangxi suppressed his smile and said, "Forget it. Go to the storehouse and shave off an ounce of black gold ink and give it to Fei Yanggu as a gift for his daughter's wedding. He has been asking for it for years. If I don't give it to him, he will think I am stingy."
Liang Jiugong let out a cry and walked to the Emperor's private treasury to personally take out the priceless black gold ink.
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