But just then, the band started playing music, and the men began throwing money around. Copper coins rained down from the sky, and the onlookers rushed forward, shouting all sorts of auspicious words.
The bride's reply was drowned out by the noise.
The Marquis of Dingbei's residence was in the north of the city, where he lived with other nobles, while Lin Ziqi lived in the east of the city, where most of the people were commoners. The two groups of people parted ways at the street corner.
Qin Yuan's legs were numb from sitting so long and her head was spinning before she finally arrived at the Marquis of Dingbei's residence.
Hongye was also quite tired and didn't say much along the way.
The Dingbei Marquis's Mansion was built by order of Emperor Taizu. It covered a vast area and had a magnificent gate tower at the entrance, making it very impressive.
Hongye and Cuiming were both extremely careful, afraid of embarrassing their young mistress.
Qin Yuan didn't care. In her previous life, she had visited the Dingbei Marquis's residence several times and knew the Gu family's background.
The title of Marquis of Dingbei is a hereditary title that is passed down through generations, with the rulers guarding the northern frontier.
Madam Gu gave birth to four sons, three of whom died on the battlefield, leaving only Gu Jinghui.
The current head of the household is Madam Xu, the wife of the illegitimate son, Master Gu Liu, and is known as Madam Gu Liu.
Sixth Master Gu was a little younger than Gu Jinghui. Several of his children were already studying at the Imperial Academy. He was born weak and had always stayed in the capital, protected by Marquis Gu, and had never been to the battlefield.
In his previous life, Lord Gu and Qin Wan were not on good terms and had no legitimate son. His concubine also had no children. Lord Gu only had two adopted sons serving him. Ultimately, the one who inherited the title of Marquis of Dingbei should be the son of Sixth Master Gu.
When Qin Yuan had nothing to do, she often pondered the things she had heard and seen in her previous life.
In her previous life, Qin Wan and Lord Gu had a terrible falling out, which displeased Old Madam Gu. Qin Wan was ostracized by Sixth Madam Gu and lived a life of misery.
She can't afford to get into this predicament again.
The wedding ceremony was complicated, but Qin Yuan had already gone through it once in her previous life, so she wasn't in a hurry.
Finally, a large hand lifted the sedan curtain and handed her one end of a red ribbon.
These are Gu Jinghui's hands.
Qin Yuan's small hand was grasped by him, and her skin immediately trembled.
Gu Jinghui's hands were warm, dry, and full of strength, quite different from Lin Ziqi's.
Qin Yuan calmed her breathing, and led by the red silk, she walked around the corridor and into the hall. Then, under the arrangement of the master of ceremonies and the wedding attendant, she bowed to heaven and earth and entered the bridal chamber.
The bridal chamber was filled with noise, as a large crowd had gathered, clamoring to see the bride.
Qin Yuan was helped to sit upright in the bed curtains scattered with five-colored fruits, waiting for Gu Jinghui to lift the veil.
"Third Uncle, we want to see the bride."
Even the children came to join in the fun.
Then, her veil was lifted three times before finally being lifted by a scale rod and placed on a tray held by the matchmaker.
These three unveilings were done according to ancient rituals and were performed with great care.
It seems that Gu Jinghui values this marriage very much.
Qin Yuan's mind settled down.
She slowly raised her head, and a handsome face with thick black hair came into view. The well-defined cheeks and jawline had a light stubble, which added a touch of heroic spirit.
This is Lord Gu in his youth. He was indeed very handsome. I heard that he wore a mask when he went to the battlefield when he was young, and later he grew a big beard to increase his majesty.
Presumably, Lord Gu shaved his beard in preparation for the wedding.
Qin Yuan's eyes, like cold stars in the mist, met Gu Jinghui's eyes. Those eyes were as black as lacquer and as bright as gemstones, drawing her in completely.
A hint of amazement flashed in both of their eyes.
When the veil was lifted, the bridal chamber fell silent.
Everyone was so stunned by her beauty that they were speechless.
The men were all envious of Lord Gu's good fortune, while the women were stunned by Qin Yuan's magnificent attire.
Unmarried women all wish they were this beautiful, and married women inevitably reminisce about their wedding attire and secretly compare themselves to others.
The day a woman gets married is the most unforgettable day for her, and the clothes she wears on that day will be remembered forever.
It took Gu Jinghui a while to come to his senses. He coughed lightly to cover it up and said, "Let's all go and have a feast."
The crowd escorted Gu Jinghui to the outer hall for the banquet, while the women and children stayed in the bridal chamber to keep Qin Yuan company.
Once the men left, the women spoke much more freely.
Those who came to accompany her were all relatives and friends of the Gu family. Qin Yuan listened to them with a smile, carefully discerning the relationships between them.
After everyone had spoken to Qin Yuan, Madam Gu Liu took her hand and said many nice things, mostly praising her beauty and family background, and also subtly inquiring whether she had ever managed the household affairs or run a shop.
Qin Yuan understood; this Madam Gu was testing her capabilities.
The two were chatting idly when someone suddenly said, "Sixth Madam has been managing the household for many years, and everyone in the mansion listens to her. If Madam has any questions, please feel free to ask Sixth Madam."
Qin Yuan turned her gaze and saw a woman dressed in plain clothes with a white flower in her hair. She looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Although not stunningly beautiful, she was still quite attractive. She looked innocent and harmless, which would make a man want to protect her.
But her eyes didn't look so innocent.
Qin Yuan made no attempt to hide her displeasure, frowning as she asked, "Sixth Madam, who is this? Why didn't I notice her here earlier?"
When the host family is celebrating a happy occasion, those wearing mourning clothes should voluntarily avoid the area.
I've never seen anyone so eager to approach her, as if they were afraid of missing her. They're practically blatantly trying to take advantage of her.
If she could tolerate all this, she wouldn't be Qin Yuan.
The women who had been sitting and talking turned to look at the woman, their expressions varying.
Madam Gu did not dare to be presumptuous.
Despite Qin Yuan's young age, given their seniority, Madam Gu Liu hurriedly said, "Third Sister-in-law, just call me Sixth Sister-in-law. This is someone Third Brother brought back from the battlefield. She... we all call her Lady Zhao."
He looked like he didn't know what to say.
Qin Yuan understood; this was the woman Lord Gu had brought back from the northern frontier, and she'd heard she had two children with her.
I just don't know if the two children are in this new house.
She smiled and said, "Sixth Sister-in-law, today is a joyous day for the Gu and Qin families, a day to celebrate the eternal union of the two families. Everything should be auspicious. According to etiquette, this Lady Zhao should not be here. She may have come from the north and is unaware of the customs of our capital. Lord Gu is a man of simple tastes and is not concerned with such matters. I wonder what Sixth Sister-in-law thinks?"
Madam Gu's face turned pale instantly.
"I...I."
A slightly older woman with a kind face chimed in, "It's indeed inappropriate for Madam Zhao to be here. Her attire is quite offensive to the host."
Madam Gu nodded repeatedly: "Third Sister-in-law, it's all my fault. I'll ask her to leave immediately."
Madam Zhao looked displeased and said, "As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. I came here with good intentions to offer my congratulations, how can the bride treat her guests like this? It's clear that the Marquis's mansion can't tolerate us anymore. We should ask the Marquis to judge this for us."
Qin Yuan kept a sullen face, too lazy to talk to her, and only looked at Madam Gu.
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