Chapter 1 Arranged Marriage: "I'd rather die than marry him!"...
When the imperial decree of marriage was delivered to the Duke's mansion, Cui Ying was still asleep.
In the sweltering heat of midsummer, the bed curtains have long been replaced with soft, lightweight sheer gauze, and the quilts are breathable and cool silk quilts.
Even so, Cui Ying still felt hot. Her smoky pink ruyi-patterned nightgown had long since faded away during her sleep, leaving her snow-white body lying out. Her dark hair was pressed down behind her head, and instead of a pillow, she was resting her head on a book of folk tales.
Perhaps because she was bored while reading a storybook last night, there was a plate of crystal-clear red cherries next to her. Because they had been sitting overnight, the cherries looked a little wilted, but they became even more vibrant red, which contrasted beautifully with her fair skin, making her shine brightly.
Suddenly, the door to the room was pushed open, and the maid Cuijin rushed in, surrounding the bed and softly calling out, "Miss? Miss?"
Cui Ying was fast asleep, not only did she not wake up, but she also mumbled in her sleep, repeatedly reciting the few foods she usually liked to eat.
"Peony pastry, belt noodles, lotus root starch and osmanthus cake..."
"Roast goose, chicken legs, big pig's trotters..."
At this moment, she frowned and blurted out the name of her mortal enemy: "Xiao Qiyu".
"Xiao Qiyu, you bastard! Why are you stealing my pig's trotter?!"
She was so angry that she woke up from her dream in a rage. When she opened her eyes, she saw Cui Jin instead of that annoying Xiao Qiyu. She blinked her watery eyes twice before realizing that she was dreaming.
With a sigh of relief, Cui Ying turned over and went back to sleep.
Cui Jin was both amused and exasperated, and urged urgently, "Miss, don't sleep anymore. The Princess wants you to go to Fushou Hall. She says she has something important to discuss with you."
Cui Ying pulled the blanket over her head, her voice still sweet and soft from just waking up: "Just tell them I'm on my period and don't feel well, so I can't go."
Cui Jin said with a long face, "I've used the same excuse three times this month already."
What girl gets her period three times a month? Can her body handle that?
Cui Ying grumbled, "Then just say I haven't had a good appetite these past two days and haven't been able to eat, and I don't have the energy to go."
Cui Jin glanced at the snacks scattered all over the bed, then at the young master's rosy, healthy face, and thought to herself, "Master, at least put some effort into making up your lies."
Unable to persuade her otherwise, Cui Jin resorted to her trump card.
"I've heard that Young Master Xiao gets up at dawn every day to practice martial arts and boxing without fail, whether it's heavy rain in summer or hail in winter."
Cui Jin leaned close to Cui Ying's ear and sighed, "My young lady is good in every way, except for her laziness in bed. Young Master Xiao never lazily sleeps in. In this respect alone, you can't compare to him."
The room was quiet, so quiet that you could hear the faint burning of the pear incense sticks.
Cui Ying pulled back the covers.
"Help me up!"
...
Inside the Fushou Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and fruits, and laughter filled the air.
The eldest princess chatted happily with her aunt Lanxin, who was by the Empress Dowager's side. All three daughters-in-law were serving her, and even the two granddaughters-in-law were there with their toddler great-grandchildren. It was a joyous occasion.
She had just started talking to Lan Xin about her granddaughter when her maid, Ren Dong, came in from outside and curtsied, saying, "Your Highness, the Third Miss has arrived."
The Grand Princess was strong-willed from a young age. Even after marrying into the Duke's mansion, she refused to be called "Madam". For decades, the entire household addressed her as "Your Highness".
"Speak of the devil and he appears," the princess said with a smile. "Quickly, let her in."
Not long after the words were spoken, everyone heard light footsteps coming from the doorway and couldn't help but look up—
The sunlight swayed, and the young girl came bathed in it. Her skin was as white as snow, her black hair shone like brocade, and she wore a light green gauze skirt with scattered flowers and a pale yellow shirt with peony and vine patterns. On her fair and delicate face, her almond-shaped eyes were glistening with water, and she had a delicate nose, peach-like cheeks, and cherry-like lips.
Cui Ying smiled as she entered the room, her small, snow-white hands folded in front of her. She curtsied and said, "Granddaughter greets Grandmother."
The eldest princess smiled and told her to rise, then pointed to Lan Xin and said, "This is your Aunt Lan Xin. She held you when you were little."
Cui Ying then curtsied to Lan Xin again and said sweetly, "This humble girl greets Aunt."
Lan Xin smiled as she looked at the girl in front of her.
The capital city is now in a trend of elegance and delicacy, so young ladies from every family are deliberately restraining their diet and pursuing the beauty of a willow swaying in the breeze. This Miss Cui is indeed slender and plump, with full and beautiful muscles and a rosy and radiant complexion, like a plump and tender lychee.
Such a vibrant beauty, standing next to the son of a military family, is quite a perfect match.
Lan Xin nodded, her tone gentle: "Please get up, young lady. I've come today to bring you some great news."
Cui Ying obediently responded, blinked her bright almond-shaped eyes, and asked curiously, "What happy event is it?"
He sighed silently to himself.
She's already sixteen this year, the perfect age for marriage. What else could this big "happy event" be but her marriage?
Lan Xin smiled and said, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager remembered that the young lady has reached marriageable age, so she specially selected a good husband for her. The imperial decree has already been prepared, and she specially ordered me to come and announce the decree today."
Cui Ying's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself: Just as I thought.
Upon learning that the marriage was bestowed by the Empress Dowager, everyone present beamed with joy.
Only Cui Ying's mother, Madam Kong, looked at her daughter with unease, her hands nervously clenching her handkerchief.
No one knows a daughter better than her mother; no one knows better than her mother what kind of wretched child she is.
As the only daughter of the third wife and the youngest granddaughter of the eldest princess, Cui Ying was spoiled rotten by her family from a young age. From the age of four, she even had to decide what she wore every day. She wore a padded jacket in summer and a gauze dress in winter. She didn't care about what others said, even if she was freezing or hot. How could she let others dictate such an important matter as marriage?
It was inevitable that they would defy the imperial decree, causing chaos and unrest throughout the family.
Anticipating what was about to happen, Kong silently pinched his philtrum.
As Lan Xin finished speaking, the tender-looking girl blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering, her watery eyes full of curiosity: "I wonder who Your Majesty the Empress Dowager wants me to marry?"
The eldest princess was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. She called her granddaughter to her knees, affectionately stroking her dark hair, and asked, "Is my little one willing to marry?"
Cui Ying smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, her cheeks flushed and lovely: "Since ancient times, marriage has always been arranged by matchmakers and decided by parents. It is my good fortune that I have been favored by the Empress Dowager and granted a marriage by her."
My grandmother is old; I can't let her lose face in public.
My mother is timid, and after all the trouble, she would have to live in fear for half a year.
Her father is too strict; he'll probably confine her to her quarters again and make her copy the "Admonitions for Women" hundreds of times as punishment.
Marriage is definitely out of the question, but we should pretend to agree first, and then figure out a way to get it done.
Lan Xin nodded in satisfaction, her eyes filled with gratification as she looked at Cui Ying. She stood up and took the imperial edict from the palace maid, saying, "In that case, please accept the edict, Third Miss."
Cui Ying knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
Lan Xin unfurled the imperial edict and proclaimed loudly: "By imperial decree, in accordance with the Empress Dowager's benevolent command, Cui Ying, the third daughter of the Duke of Wei, is promoted to a higher rank due to her gentle and virtuous nature and prudent conduct. She is endowed with a gentle and virtuous character, and possesses a refined and upright demeanor—"
While listening to the imperial decree, Cui Ying silently calculated in his mind, counting all the young men from prominent families in the capital who were about his age, and found that the most likely candidates were no more than two.
One was Shen Che, the youngest son of the Duke of Huguo, and the other was Li Changming, the eldest son of the Minister of Justice.
Fortunately, those two were both bookworms and couldn't beat her.
At worst, I'll just secretly beat them up and let them figure out how to break off the engagement themselves.
Okay, let's do it that way.
A satisfied smile appeared on Cui Ying's lips. Coming back to her senses, she listened to the imperial decree.
"—This refers to the marriage of Xiao Qiyu, the seventh son of the Marquis of Dingyuan, and the marriage shall be carried out on an auspicious day in this month."
After Lan Xin finished reading the decree, she smiled at the girl in front of her and said, "Third Miss, accept the decree."
Cui Ying remained completely still.
The sun was high in the sky, and the sunlight seemed particularly scorching. Even through the endless lush greenery outside the door, the intense light and shadow still seeped into the diamond-patterned sliding door.
Cui Ying's smile froze, her slender neck seemed to have turned to wood, and she struggled to raise her head. Without blinking, she said softly, "What did Auntie just say? I think I heard Xiao Qiyu's name?"
Lan Xin nodded: "That's right, the Empress Dowager has chosen Xiao Qilang as the perfect husband for you, Miss."
A deafening roar, a bolt from the blue!
The light in Cui Ying's eyes vanished in an instant.
...
"I'd rather die than marry him!"
Under the blazing sun, Cui Ying climbed up the cherry tree in the back garden during the chase. The red fruits were bright and the green leaves were lush. Her cheeks were burning, and she threatened loudly, "If you push me any further, I'll jump off this tree!"
Kong had already sent someone to the Censorate to call Cui Yan home, and now he deliberately talked to his daughter to buy time.
“What’s wrong with Qilang? He’s only two months older than you, but he’s already a captain of the Vermilion Bird Gate, in charge of a couple hundred men. It’s no exaggeration to say he has a bright future.”
Madam Kong said, "Not to mention that the eldest princess and his grandmother were childhood best friends. The entire Marquis's mansion watched you two grow up. Once you marry into their family, they will treat you like royalty. What more could you possibly want?"
Cui Ying: "I...I think he's ugly!"
Kong Shi: "..."
Confucius: "You should at least draft your lies before you start."
Everyone in the capital knows that the seventh son of the Xiao family is as handsome as white jade and as cold as ice.
Xiao Qiyu was famously handsome.
Cui Ying: "Then I won't marry him either!"
Confucius: "What exactly did they do to offend you?"
Cui Ying was furious.
Hasn't Xiao Qiyu offended her enough times?
The two met for the first time when they were four years old.
Cui Ying and Xiao Qiyu shared their favorite hibiscus cake.
Xiao Qiyu disliked sweets, so he immediately fed the pastries to the dog.
Little Cui Ying cried and beat Little Xiao Qiyu until he crawled all over the ground.
From then on, the two would fight every time they met.
Cui Ying had a strong appetite since childhood and was taller and stronger than girls of the same age. In terms of fighting, Xiao Qiyu was never at a disadvantage.
By the time he was twelve, Xiao Qiyu's height had increased dramatically, and within just one year he had caught up with his uncle and cousin, and there was no sign that he would grow any taller.
Cui Ying stopped there. No matter how much he ate, the meat would go to his chest and buttocks, and his size would not change at all.
Despite the significant size difference, they still fought quite a few times.
At the age of thirteen, Cui Ying's best friend, Chen Shuangshuang, the youngest daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, gave Xiao Qiyu a sword tassel she had made herself.
Xiao Qiyu not only confiscated it, but also threw it on the ground in public, making the little girl so ashamed that she cried on the spot.
To avenge his friend, Cui Ying pushed Xiao Qiyu, who had always been a germaphobe, into a stinking ditch.
Xiao Qiyu didn't even change his clothes, carrying his ancestral red-tasseled spear, and chased Cui Ying for eight blocks.
At the age of fourteen, Cui Ying disguised herself as a boy and went out to fool around, even going to brothels to drink with the courtesans and getting into fights with the customers.
As a result, she was caught red-handed by Xiao Qiyu, who was inspecting the streets on behalf of his brother. He tied her up tightly with a rope and sent her directly to the Censorate, leaving her in front of her father. This forced her to stay at home and reflect on her actions for more than half a year.
At fifteen, an elder joked that the two of them were a match made in heaven and were destined to be together.
In front of Xiao Qiyu, Cui Ying shouted, "Even if all the men in the world died, I would not marry Xiao Qiyu!"
Xiao Qiyu glanced at her sideways and sneered, "If I were the only man left in the world, do you think I would even look at you?"
Just as a turtle and a mung bean can become more and more compatible the more they look at each other, Cui Ying and Xiao Qiyu are like a cat and a mouse, destined to be at odds.
"In short, I'm not getting married! I'm not getting married! I'm not getting married! I'm not getting married!"
Cui Ying covered her ears and started chattering away like a machine gun.
Just then, Cui Yan arrived, and Madam Kong angrily flung her sleeves, saying, "Let your father tell you that I'm not taking care of you anymore!"
Cui Ying had always been afraid of Cui Yan, and knew that her father was more responsive to gentle persuasion than force. So she quickly turned her head away, wiped some saliva on the corner of her eye to make it look like tears, and turned back to cry softly, "Father, I don't want to get married. I want to stay by your side!"
Cui Yan was in a real predicament. He estimated the distance from the treetop to the ground and felt that if he fell, he would at least be crippled.
"Alright, alright, I'll agree to whatever you say," Cui Yan said, suppressing his anger and softening his voice. "Come down from the tree first, and we can discuss the rest later."
"real?"
"As the sage said, a person without integrity cannot stand. Would your father lie to you?"
Cui Ying wiped away her fake tears and finally put her feet on the ladder.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a large net descended from the sky, completely covering Cui Ying.
Cui Ying then realized that she had been deceived by her own father.
"A person cannot stand without integrity! Father, you don't listen to the sage's words!"
Cui Yan stroked his beard: "What the sage said isn't necessarily all correct."
Cui Ying tried to struggle again, but then she saw her father give a signal to the servant. Suddenly, the nerves in the back of her neck twitched, and her body went limp and collapsed, everything going black.
This old man uses all his dirty tricks on his own daughter.
...
June 29th is an auspicious day for marriage.
The Empress Dowager ordered the two families to choose a date for the wedding that month, but from the time the decree was issued until the end of the month, there were only four days left.
Although the elders of the Cui and Xiao families were puzzled by this hastily arranged marriage, they had no objection to the marriage itself. The auspicious date was set for the 27th, the betrothal ceremony for the 28th, and the wedding for the 29th. The efficiency was so high that there was even a day left over.
With the formalities of marriage—three letters and six rites, a proper matchmaker, an eight-bearer sedan chair, and the Empress Dowager herself acting as matchmaker—everyone in the capital knew that the Duke of Wei's family and the Marquis of Dingyuan's family were about to form a marriage alliance.
Only Cui Ying remained bewildered.
Ever since that knife wound, she's been like someone who can't wake up, feeling weak all over, with her limbs limp, and seeing stars every now and then.
As a result, she did not realize the seriousness of the problem.
Until she put on her wedding dress.
Until she got into the bridal sedan chair.
Until the wedding ceremony was completed and they were led to the bridal chamber.
By the time she realized what was happening, the scene around her had already changed, and everywhere she looked was bright red.
Cui Ying shuddered, fully waking up. She removed the phoenix crown that was in the way, jumped out of bed, and went to open the door.
But the door was locked!
She tried to pull the door open several times but couldn't, so she pounded on it and shouted, "Let me out! Let me out!"
Just as her hands were aching from the shaking, she finally heard the sound of the lock being opened outside the door, and the next moment, the door actually opened!
Cui Ying's eyes lit up, and she was about to run away when a tall and slender figure suddenly blocked her way. The figure seemed to have been pushed and fell uncontrollably onto Cui Ying.
Cui Ying's petite frame couldn't withstand such force, and she leaned backward, her lower back hitting the mahogany round table to barely maintain her balance.
The familiar, crisp scent assaulted his nostrils, and Cui Ying knew who this guy was even with his eyes closed. Anger surged into his heart, and he raised his leg and kicked the boy who was pressing down on him.
Xiao Qiyu's steps were already unsteady, and after being kicked, he took two steps back, his long legs kneeling on one knee, his bright red wedding dress scraping against the ground, and the iron chains binding his narrow waist rattling.
He raised his face, as if he had been drugged, an unnatural flush appeared on his pale, jade-like face, and his already somber phoenix eyes became even more sharp, exuding a murderous aura of handsomeness.
He parted his lips, his voice cold and harsh: "Cui Tuantuan—"
"Are you looking for death?"
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