Chapter 3: "Sheng Sheng, shouldn't I be here on our wedding night?"
After leaving the bridal chamber, Xiao Xu did not immediately go to the banquet in front.
Xiao Ling's elopement left behind a mess. Whether it's protecting the Yun family's reputation or the Zhao Prince's Mansion's name, this matter is complicated and needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.
And to bring him back to the capital.
Xiao Xu was five years older than Xiao Ling. He had been close to his younger brother since childhood, though not exactly estranged.
Xiao Ling was born at the best time, when his parents were harmonious and the family was stable. As the youngest child, he was spoiled and arrogant.
Few people know that this marriage is also complicated by other issues. Even Xiao Xu, who always prides himself on being calm and rational, finds it difficult to sort out his emotions in this sudden marriage.
The Yun family is a renowned family in the capital, producing many talented individuals and holding high official positions for generations.
Yun Sheng's father, Yun Hong, is the third son in the family and works in the Ministry of Personnel. Last year, he was promoted to a second-rank official and is currently enjoying great success. His eldest brother, Yun Chengda, achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations two years ago and is now employed in the Hanlin Academy. His future prospects are immeasurable. In addition, other branches of the family also hold power.
As a noblewoman of the Yun family, Yun Sheng was beautiful, charming, dignified, and talented. Her marriage to the Prince Zhao's family was a perfect match, a match made in heaven.
Xiao Xu also thought so.
However, he didn't think of Yun Sheng and Xiao Ling, but rather Yun Sheng and himself.
There were no flowery adjectives used to describe her; he simply thought she was suitable, and she was the only woman in all these years who had caught his eye.
After a brief meeting, he agreed to his mother's request to get married.
If you must get married, then marry Yun Sheng.
If she's willing.
Xiao Xu had considered that she might be unwilling, but he never imagined that she would be willing to make this marriage with Xiao Ling happen.
The wedding of the favored third son of the Prince Zhao's mansion was already a grand affair, and the wedding of the heir apparent was naturally even more extravagant. Even with the hasty changes, the house was still packed with guests today.
The wedding banquet in the front yard was noisy and bustling. Xiao Xu arrived late, but no one questioned him. All that could be heard were congratulations and well wishes.
As dusk fell, the festive atmosphere remained undiminished.
After a few drinks, Xiao Xu raised his hand to refuse another toast offered to him.
This person jokingly said that Xiao Xu was not giving him face.
Xiao Xu said calmly, without showing any emotion, "My wife told me to drink less, and since I promised, how could I break my promise to her?"
These words elicited ambiguous laughter from those around him, but Xiao Xu's expression remained indifferent, showing little of the joy one would expect on a wedding day.
During the meal, Xiao Min came to report to Xiao Xu on the things he had previously instructed him to do.
Xiao Xu bowed slightly to the crowd, then rose and left his seat to go with Xiao Min to a quieter, less crowded spot.
Xiao Min said, "Brother, we've searched the area within a hundred miles and found traces of our third brother in many different directions. Should we send people to continue the search in these directions?"
Xiao Xu: "He must have been prepared and set up a smokescreen. There may be multiple sources of information at the next fork in the road. It would be time-consuming and laborious to investigate in such a scattered manner. Let's continue to investigate the existing clues, avoid incorrect information, and focus on three directions before making any arrangements."
"Okay." Xiao Min agreed and waited for Xiao Xu to give further instructions or return to the banquet.
But Xiao Xu slowly adjusted his cuffs and then fell silent, showing no sign of moving.
After waiting for a while, Xiao Min asked in a low voice, "Brother, aren't you going back to the wedding banquet?"
"It's too noisy," Xiao Xu said in a deep voice. "Let's find some peace and quiet here."
Xiao Min suggested, "Tonight is our wedding night, and my sister-in-law is still waiting in the room. If you don't like this noise, you can go back to your room early. No matter how enthusiastic the people outside are, they won't stop you too much."
Xiao Min is twenty-three years old, but he got married right after turning twenty, and now his child can already speak.
Having experienced the tediousness of a wedding day, he shared his experience with Xiao Xu.
Xiao Xu did not respond to this.
This indicates that he did not want to go to the bridal chamber at this time.
After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Min couldn't help but ask, "Is elder brother unhappy with this marriage?"
"It's not that bad," Xiao Xu denied calmly.
Just as Yun Sheng voluntarily boarded the wedding sedan chair, he also voluntarily agreed to this marriage.
Given Xiao Xu's temperament, no one could force him if he didn't want to. Otherwise, he wouldn't be over twenty-five and still unmarried, because before Yun Sheng, there was no woman he could find attractive, and after Yun Sheng, there was no marriage he was willing to marry.
It's only natural to feel upset when rejected. He admitted that he cared about that incident, but that was all.
He wouldn't hold a grudge against a young girl over this, much less cause brothers to turn against each other.
For the past two years, he had not inquired about the progress of Yun Sheng and Xiao Ling's marriage, but unexpectedly, his fate with Yun Sheng came to him again after many twists and turns.
However, the situation is completely different from what it used to be.
A pair of teary eyes, glistening with moisture, flashed through Xiao Xu's mind.
His expression darkened slightly. He collected his thoughts and said, "Let's go back to the banquet."
*
After Granny Wenxin left, Yun Sheng quickly ordered people to put away those booklets, unwilling to look at them again.
Fortunately, the wedding ceremony was over, and she could finally rest.
Cuizhu, along with several maids, carefully helped her remove her makeup and change her clothes.
The heavy headdress was removed, the jewelry was taken off, the heavy makeup applied in the morning was wiped away, and the layers of wedding dress were replaced with a light and thin skirt.
Yun Sheng let out a breath: "It's more comfortable this way."
Cuizhu tilted her head and smiled, "You only have to work hard once in your life. I was watching from the side the whole time. The Crown Princess did everything perfectly today, without a single mistake. She was wonderful."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng felt embarrassed and lowered her eyelashes guiltily.
This was something she had instructed Cuizhu to do many times before her marriage. She knew that she would have to wear a veil throughout the entire wedding day, but she wanted to make her wedding dignified and perfect. So she asked Cuizhu to carefully oversee every step of the process and tell her what she saw from the outside after the ceremony.
But when she got married, she realized that Cuizhu wasn't always by her side.
She had just cried her eyes out under the veil, and almost tripped and fell over when she tripped on her skirt.
And then there were those things that Granny Wenxin came in and told me…
This is far from perfect!
Yun Sheng felt deflated upon thinking about this. It wasn't just these imperfections; the marriage had already shown its flaws from the moment her groom ran away.
"Princess Consort, are you alright?" Cuizhu tensed up with worry when she saw Yun Sheng's sudden change in expression.
Yun Sheng sighed and shook her head: "I'm fine."
He said this, but he didn't seem to be doing anything at all.
Cuizhu wanted to say something more.
Yun Sheng suddenly turned to ask, "Cui Zhu, what do you think of His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Cuizhu was stunned for a moment. Although she was closer and more casual with Yun Sheng than with other masters and servants, she had no chance to learn much about the young prince in just half a day.
However, she knew her young mistress's preferences well, and based on this alone, she could confidently answer, "With a jade-like appearance and golden features, he is exceptionally handsome. I'm afraid there are few men in the entire capital who can be more handsome than His Highness the Crown Prince."
It may sound superficial, but Yun Sheng nodded in agreement.
When she was just coming of age, she decided that she would marry a handsome man.
My husband is good-looking, and it's pleasing to be around him. He also makes me look good in public.
Before marrying Xiao Xu, she briefly considered it. Xiao Xu and Xiao Ling shared the same parents. Xiao Ling was handsome, so Xiao Xu's appearance should not be too bad.
But after seeing it just now, I realized that it's not just good, it's absolutely amazing.
This discovery greatly alleviated the negative emotions Yun Sheng experienced due to the change in her marriage.
But Yun Sheng had always had a smooth life for the past seventeen years, and had never encountered such a distressing thing before.
Although Xiao Xu was beautiful and of higher status, making her an even better match in the eyes of outsiders, she still felt uneasy.
Furthermore, during their time together, she could clearly sense that Xiao Xu was mature and steady. Compared to her lively nature, and considering the significant age difference between them, she wondered if they could get along.
Seeing that even such praise hadn't eased Yun Sheng's expression, Cui Zhu hesitated before asking, "Princess Consort, are you regretting it?"
“…Ah.” Yun Sheng opened her mouth in surprise.
After a long while, he said blankly, "It seems that everything is still okay right now, so it shouldn't be a matter of regret."
But how can one truly accept that the man she already loves has left her and is now marrying another man?
After resting in the house for a while, Yun Sheng, as Xiao Xu had instructed before leaving, had someone show her around the courtyard where they lived, and ordered her favorite dishes for dinner.
After the meal, she took out the storybook she had been reading before her marriage and leaned against the chaise lounge in the room to continue reading.
It tells the story of a man and a woman who become husband and wife by a twist of fate.
Yun Sheng, who was usually very focused when reading storybooks, found herself frequently drifting into thoughts of Xiao Xu whenever she read passages describing the male protagonist.
His mind was still disturbed, and he could no longer concentrate on the storybook, so he put the book away and asked someone to prepare water for a bath.
The night was as still as water, with a bright moon and few stars.
The Prince Zhao's residence was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and the warm firelight shone everywhere.
Yun Sheng entered the bathhouse, took off her clothes to reveal her smooth skin, and the rising steam made her cheeks blush. The water shimmered, and the flower petals filled with dew danced and swayed as she stepped into the bath.
The hot water enveloped her, stirring up a complex mix of indescribable thoughts in her heart.
She dismissed the rest of the people, leaving only Cuizhu waiting outside the bathhouse.
Yun Sheng sat in the bathtub with her arms wrapped around her legs, tilting her head to let those thoughts flood her mind.
She wondered what her life would be like from now on, whether she and Xiao Xu could get along harmoniously, and whether their marital relationship could last.
Yun Sheng dared not speak, but in fact, she had a vague idea in her mind all day.
Today's events were rushed and hurried, and she and Xiao Xu were forced into this situation. So, could this be a delaying tactic to deal with the unchangeable wedding date first, and wait until the storm passes or Xiao Ling is found?
Will Xiao Xu send her back to the Yun family mansion, or will he return her to her original fiancé?
He probably won't return to the bridal chamber tonight in order to carry out this plan.
In short, the public performance was already well-done, but no one knows what happened behind the scenes.
Marriage is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly, but Yun Sheng's wild thoughts became increasingly absurd, unaware that the man she thought she would never see again had already returned to the house.
Xiao Xu did not stay at the banquet for long after returning to the banquet earlier.
He got up to leave after only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Just as Xiao Min had said, no one would stop him; there was mostly just ambiguous laughter.
Upon entering the house, one sees lush green bamboo waiting outside the bathhouse.
Cuizhu stepped forward and reported to Xiao Xu that Yunsheng was taking a bath.
Xiao Xu nodded in understanding and instructed Cuizhu to prepare tea.
Because Yun Sheng dismissed the other maids while taking a bath, Cui Zhu had to leave the room first, and then return to the room to wait for Yun Sheng to finish her bath and get dressed after taking care of Xiao Xu's instructions.
Fortunately, this wouldn't take too much time, and she quickly walked outside after responding.
No sooner had Cuizhu left than Yunsheng called from inside the room: "Cuizhu, bring in your nightgown."
The girl's voice, enveloped in the heat, was soft and gentle, like a feather caressing her, and carried somewhat unclearly through the screen into the bedroom.
Xiao Xu paused his finger on the table, his gaze sweeping towards the direction of the bathing room, where he saw a neatly folded bright red silk satin where Cui Zhu had just stood.
"Cuizhu?" The soft voice carried a hint of anxiety.
The sound of splashing water followed, clearly the sound of someone getting out of the bathtub.
Xiao Xu frowned slightly.
After the loud splashing, the sound of dripping gradually subsided.
As Xiao Xu approached, he heard a soft muttering behind the screen: "Isn't she here? Why isn't she paying attention to me?"
His hand, which had already reached for his nightgown, stopped abruptly, and he was stunned to find that he had made such a mistake.
He thought that since he had sent her maid away, he would personally get her clothes, but he did not expect that this was something that could be solved with a simple reply.
Xiao Xu's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile, his thin lips moving as he turned to speak.
Before a sound was uttered, a pretty face suddenly peeked out from the carved wooden railing of the screen.
Her skin was damp with moisture, pure and white, her shoulders were partially exposed, and her slender arms were visible as she clung to the wooden railing.
Her beautiful face paled instantly, and she cried out in alarm as she swiftly retreated behind the screen.
"Ah! What are you doing here!"
Xiao Xu looked at the water stains on the wooden railing and chuckled softly, feeling both annoyed and amused.
"Sheng Sheng, shouldn't I be here on our wedding night?"
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To emphasize, Xiao Xu said: That's all, nothing more. [doge emoji]
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