Chapter 96 Wedding Dress "They are all inferior to me."
Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, illuminating the magnificent fabrics laid out on the ground.
Zhao Ruxuan stood before a bronze mirror as tall as herself, her bright red wedding dress flowing like a sunset. The phoenix and flower patterns embroidered with gold thread shone brightly in the light, making her face look beautiful, but her eyes seemed unfocused and absent-minded.
"Ruxuan, what's wrong?" Fang's gentle voice rang out. Her mother-in-law said she wasn't feeling well, so the task of accompanying her sister-in-law to try on her wedding dress fell to her, the eldest sister-in-law.
Zhao Ruxuan suddenly came to her senses and shook her head.
Upon hearing this, Fang asked no further questions. She simply stepped forward quietly, her slender fingers gently smoothing out the wrinkles on Fang's clothes. Her movements were gentle and respectful, and her lowered eyelashes concealed all her emotions.
“Sister-in-law…” Zhao Ruxuan suddenly called out, then paused, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Fang raised her eyes, her gaze gentle and tender. "Do you feel something is amiss?"
"N-nothing." Zhao Ruxuan shook her head and couldn't help but sigh. "It's just that the capital has been too quiet lately."
Madam Fang continued working intently, arranging the intricate cloud-shaped shoulder piece of her wedding dress, her tone calm, "The autumn banquet has ended, and everyone is preparing for winter. In a few days, it will naturally become lively again."
Zhao Ruxuan glanced at her quiet and virtuous sister-in-law, and the inexplicable annoyance in her heart grew even stronger.
When had she ever felt that the capital was quiet before?
During that time, she spent her days with Lin Yunshu and Princess Suxin, enjoying flowers in spring, boating in summer, admiring chrysanthemums in autumn, and watching the snow in winter. The gatherings and garden parties, hosted by each family in turn, were held all year round and were very lively.
But now… Lin Yunshu has entered the palace and become Consort Wen. Princess Suxin had finally been released from confinement, but unexpectedly…
As her thoughts drifted to this point, a cold wind seemed to blow through her, sending a shiver down her spine.
Prince Qing was incredibly audacious; he actually plotted to murder the Second Prince!
Out of consideration for the royal family's dignity, the Emperor kept quiet, instead bestowing upon Prince Qing and his wife a pot of poisoned wine, sending them on their way without a sound. The official announcement was that Prince Qing's heir had died young, and that the couple, heartbroken and filled with grief, had died suddenly.
As for Princess Suxin... the Emperor coldly remarked, "As a daughter, failing to understand one's parents is a grave act of filial impiety," and ordered her to remain in her residence to reflect on her actions.
This time, the Emperor did not specify how long the confinement would last.
Zhao Ruxuan knew very well in her heart that it might be for a lifetime.
The funeral for Prince Qing and his wife was extremely simple, and even the mourning hall where the bodies were laid to rest was rather shabby. The prominent families in the capital all knew the reason for this, so naturally no one wanted to risk their lives. Very few people came to pay their respects, and most of them were just going through the motions.
Out of consideration for her past sisterly bond with Princess Suxin, Zhao Ruxuan reluctantly went to her door. The sky was overcast that day, and the wind carried a chilling atmosphere.
She lit incense in the mourning hall and caught a glimpse of Princess Suxin kneeling on a prayer mat, dressed in plain mourning clothes, her face haggard but expressionless, her eyes vacant, revealing neither joy nor sorrow.
Zhao Ruxuan stepped forward and said softly, "Suxin, please accept my condolences..."
Before she could finish speaking, Princess Suxin suddenly raised her head. Her once bright and gentle eyes were now as cold as ice-cold knives as she stared intently at her, her voice hoarse, "Did you... actually lay a hand on her?"
Zhao Ruxuan was taken aback. "What?"
"Meng Lingyao!" Princess Suxin spat out the name through gritted teeth. "Didn't you say you hated her to the bone and wanted to avenge your mother? Have you done it yet?"
Zhao Ruxuan was completely bewildered by the question. It took her a while to remember that back at the Cui residence, Meng Lingyao had indeed made her mother lose face in public. She was furious and had indeed gritted her teeth and made a fierce move, even dragging the Third Prince along to go and teach her a lesson.
But later... later, somehow, Meng Lingyao coaxed her with just a few words and she changed her mind, completely forgetting about any revenge.
Meeting Princess Suxin's almost manic gaze, she was too embarrassed to tell the truth, only vaguely saying, "I... I didn't even have time to make a move before she fled to Jinling and hasn't returned..."
"Heh..." Princess Suxin suddenly laughed, a laugh that was icy and chilling. "I knew I couldn't count on you. Luckily... luckily I was prepared..."
She muttered to herself, "Did she think that everything would be alright once she went to Nanjing?"
The expression on her face when she said this sent chills down Zhao Ruxuan's spine, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
It felt like admiring flowers in a garden, spotting a delicate and innocent peony in full bloom from afar, approaching with delight, bending down to smell it, only to suddenly discover a venomous snake coiled beneath the flower, its tongue flicking, coldly and maliciously staring at you.
Zhao Ruxuan dared not linger any longer and hastily took her leave. She never saw Princess Suxin again after that.
"Ruxuan, this set of red gold and ruby jewelry was specially sent by the Third Prince. Do you find it pleasing to the eye?"
Fang's voice interrupted her thoughts. In her hands she held a sandalwood box, filled with jewels and precious items prepared by the palace for the Third Prince's wedding.
Zhao Ruxuan glanced at the dazzling jewelry, somewhat disinterested. She took it, compared it to herself in the mirror, and felt that something was missing, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
She changed into a slightly more understated pearl headdress and asked, turning her head, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of this one?"
After examining them carefully for a moment, Madam Fang nodded slightly and said gently, "They all look beautiful. The Third Prince will surely like them when he sees them."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruxuan finally smiled genuinely.
Yes, the Third Prince dotes on her so much, he'll think she looks good in anything she wears. Thinking of this, the knot in her heart seemed to loosen a little.
A slight sense of regret crossed my mind; I wish Meng Lingyao were here.
This woman is always dressed up in a flamboyant manner, knows how to dress up, and has a discerning eye. If she were here, she would definitely be able to say something about her.
Thinking to herself, she unconsciously muttered, "I wonder what's so great about Jinling that she's so reluctant to leave? It's been months, why hasn't she returned to the capital yet?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Fang paused slightly, her hand, which was about to adorn Zhao Ruxuan with a pearl hairpin, before realizing who she was referring to. She looked up at Zhao Ruxuan, then quickly lowered her eyes again and said softly, "Nanjing, the land of six dynasties, has its own unique charm in its landscape and culture. Perhaps Miss Meng is lingering here, or perhaps... she has important matters to attend to."
The Garrison Command of Jinling City.
Yuan Shoubei stood in the study, his face gloomy, pacing back and forth like a trapped beast.
"Master." Madam Yuan quietly entered, carrying a bowl of ginseng soup, her voice extremely gentle, "You've been working hard these past few days, have a bowl of ginseng soup to calm your nerves."
Commander Yuan didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice cold and hard, "Take it away, I have no appetite."
Madam Yuan bit her lip, her face stiffening. She was born into the Cui family, and although she was a concubine's daughter, back then, Commander Yuan was merely a military man who had distinguished himself through merit. The Cui family valued his future, which was why they arranged for her to marry into the Cui family. In all these years, when had he ever treated her so coldly?
She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and tentatively said, "Master, Qingyin has already made a mistake. After all, she is a daughter of the main branch of the Cui family. If she is kept confined for too long, I'm afraid it won't look good for the Cui family..."
"You still dare to plead for her?" Commander Yuan turned around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot. "Do you know that it was her petty, underhanded schemes that led to Pei Xu stumbling upon our Xiuyai Mountain mine! You stupid woman!"
He was furious and slammed his fist on the table. "It's one thing to be vicious, but to be so stupid! At this critical moment, she still dares to take matters into her own hands!"
Madam Yuan's face flushed red, the tray in her hand trembled, and she finally placed the ginseng soup heavily on the table, turned around and left.
No sooner had she left than one of her trusted confidants quickly entered.
Commander Yuan suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice, "Keep an eye on that man surnamed Pei. Has he made any unusual moves?"
"Reporting to Master, he has been quite leisurely these past two days," the confidant reported, bowing. "Right now, he is accompanying his fiancée to look at wedding dresses."
"A wedding dress." Commander Yuan was taken aback.
"Yes. I heard the wedding date is set for next year. We've hired a Liu embroiderer who used to work in the Imperial Wardrobe, and she's currently finalizing the pattern."
The bloodshot in Yuan Shoubei's eyes deepened, but a cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "He's quite composed." He paused, then asked, "How's the Xie family doing?"
"The Xie family is still searching in secret, not daring to make a fuss."
“Alright.” Commander Yuan slowly sat back in his chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest. “Let it sit for now. We’ll have a proper discussion when they’re frantic with worry and anxiety.”
In a quiet courtyard in the east of the city, the four walls are covered with various silks and fabrics, and several exquisite embroidery patterns are laid out on the table.
"What are you looking at?" Meng Lingyao asked.
Pei Xu withdrew his gaze, his expression unchanged. "I was watching the mice."
Meng Lingyao was taken aback, subconsciously taking half a step back, lifting her skirt. "A rat?" She frowned slightly, disdainfully saying, "What's so interesting about that? Are they gone?"
Pei Xu walked to her side and said in a calm voice, "Let's go."
Meng Lingyao breathed a sigh of relief and refocused her attention on the wedding dress displayed before her. The bright red silk spread out like clouds, embroidered with auspicious dragons and phoenixes, and mandarin ducks playing in the water, interwoven with gold and silver threads, so magnificent that it was dazzling.
“Miss Meng, Lord Pei, please take a look.” Liu Xiuniang introduced, “The specifications for the wedding dress are here. The pattern, colors, and stitching techniques all need to be carefully considered. It may not be finished until after the New Year.”
The wedding dress of a noble lady is always exquisite. She is only one of the embroiderers. She needs to work with seven or eight other skilled embroiderers to sew it together. The general shape has only been finalized. It will take several months to complete it.
Pei Xu's gaze swept past the layers of elaborate and gorgeous wedding dress, landing on Meng Lingyao's focused profile. He frowned slightly. "Isn't it a bit too heavy?"
Liu Xiuniang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "My lord, you do not know, wedding dresses have always been like this. If they are not elaborate and solemn, how can they show the joy and grandeur? The wedding dress of the Princess was even more elaborate back then."
Meng Lingyao curiously picked up an outer garment and weighed it in her hand, immediately becoming respectful. This one was already quite heavy; if she were to wear the whole set… she couldn't help but secretly gasp.
Pei Xu glanced at her and said in a light tone, "Her Highness the Princess has practiced martial arts since childhood and is physically strong."
Meng Lingyao turned around and glared at him. "What does this mean?"
Pei Xu's eyes held a hint of a smile, and his voice softened, "I was afraid you'd get tired."
Meng Lingyao turned her head away, ignoring him. She thought to herself that she was not a delicate young lady who never left her home. In order to maintain her slender figure, in addition to controlling her diet, she would also do some guiding exercises such as Five Animal Frolics and Eight Pieces of Brocade to ensure smooth blood circulation and a rosy complexion.
But these... might not be enough to handle the heavy wedding dress. She didn't want to be bent over and look unsightly.
“I do know some methods to strengthen the body,” Pei Xu’s voice rang in her ear, speaking slowly and deliberately, “They can make one as light as a swallow, so that one won’t be crushed by the wedding dress.”
Meng Lingyao deliberately didn't respond, "There's no need to trouble Lord Shaoqing. When Xiaoshan returns, he can teach me."
Pei Xu took another half step closer without making a sound, lowering his voice even further, his breath almost brushing against her ear, "Xiao Shan's kung fu was learned from people in the Dali Temple."
"oh?"
"They are all inferior to me."
Meng Lingyao felt a slight warmth behind her ears, lowered her eyelashes, and focused intently on an embroidery pattern of twin lotus blossoms, letting out a soft hum.
Liu Xiuniang lifted her gaze from the pattern and quietly swept it over the young couple before her. The man was aloof and noble, while the woman was intelligent and beautiful; standing together, they looked like a divine couple who had stepped out of a painting.
In a daze, she recalled many years ago, at a similar time of year, when the radiant princess, holding the hand of her gentle and refined husband, enthusiastically discussed the patterns on her wedding dress, her eyes and brows gleaming with vibrant light.
Times change and the world changes.
She sighed silently to herself, composed herself, and pushed a piece with elegant colors and patterns in front of Meng Lingyao. "What do you think of this one, Miss?"
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Author's Note: Zhao Ruxuan: Who exactly is in Jinling?!
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