"Take care, little sister."
When Shi Xiuzhu moved from her cousin's back to sit in the sedan chair, she felt a little uncomfortable for a moment.
She was leaving her home to become another man's wife, to bear his children, and to manage his household—what a terrible fate!
Shi Xiuzhu gripped the apple tightly in his hand, almost breaking it into pieces.
Those who carried the royal sedan chair were absolutely steady.
Shi Xiuzhu sat in the sedan chair, so nervous that he eventually fell asleep.
Things will work themselves out. There's a favored and fertile concubine, Consort Tong, in Yuqing Palace. Once she establishes a good relationship with Consort Tong, she won't have to serve the Crown Prince or bear children anymore.
As for managing the backyard, she wasn't afraid.
The Crown Princess's wedding was different from the weddings of other princes and nobles; it was a major national event, and imperial relatives and high-ranking officials all had to attend the banquet in the palace.
As family members of the Crown Princess, Lady Guarjia and Shi Wenbing were naturally among the guests attending the banquet.
The procession to welcome the Crown Princess circled almost the entire inner city of the capital before finally entering the palace.
This is called universal celebration and joy among the people.
As a result, it took at least an hour for Shi Xiuzhu to travel from the time he boarded the sedan chair to the Yuqing Palace.
After a swaying and rocking ride of an hour, the sedan chair finally came to a steady rest, and Shi Xiuzhu had completely recovered from the lack of sleep he had gotten from waking up early.
When Yinreng, dressed in his brand-new auspicious robes, shot an arrow at the sedan chair, the force of the shot jolted Shi Xiuzhu awake.
She stared blankly at the sea of red before her, then realized she was getting married.
"Please alight from the sedan chair, Your Highness." Granny Xi handed a red silk ribbon to Shi Xiuzhu.
The other end of the red silk was held by Yinreng.
Shi Xiuzhu quickly regained his composure and slowly and steadily stepped out of the sedan chair.
Following the custom, they stepped over a fire basin and a saddle before being led into the bridal chamber.
Throughout the entire process, Yinreng displayed unparalleled arrogance and haughtiness, his lips slightly pursed, showing not a trace of the joy of a groom marrying a beautiful bride.
Yinti, who had a very good relationship with his wife, saw this and quietly helped Yinreng to fix the marks. Yinreng's cold expression was explained by the solemnity and seriousness of the wedding ceremony.
It was almost noon when Shi Xiuzhu was taken to the new house.
The banquet had already begun, and Tong Wanyan kept Tana and Hongzhao inside, forbidding them from running around outside amidst the joyful music.
"My lady, if you are feeling unwell, please cry. This servant will take care of the eldest princess and the young prince for you." Xia Zhu was heartbroken.
The joy outside sounded to her like funeral music.
Seeing her master and the crown prince living a comfortable life together for over three years, the sudden arrival of a new mistress made even her, a mere servant, uncomfortable, let alone the new mistress.
Tong Wanyan held Tana's chubby little hand, her face serene: "Over the years, Master has cherished me dearly. Xia Zhu, we must trust him."
“But she’s the Crown Princess,” Xia Zhu muttered.
Chunque quickly gave Xiazhu a whack on the elbow, saying that the girl kept saying things she shouldn't have.
“I’m also the first concubine.” Tong Wanyan smiled when she saw Chunque’s little gesture.
“If His Majesty’s heart is not with me, I have no reason to be sad. If His Majesty’s heart remains unchanged for me, I should be even happier. From the moment I entered Yuqing Palace, I knew that I could not have him all to myself. I had made ample preparations to share him with other women before, but now it is only a nominal sharing, which is nothing,” Tong Wanyan said magnanimously.
Chunque was anxious for Tong Wanyan's carefree attitude: "Master, that is the Crown Princess, the future Empress. If she is unwilling to live as a widow, there is nothing the Crown Prince can do."
Tong Wanyan patted Tana's face reassuringly and covered her ears so she wouldn't hear what Chunque said.
"What if the Crown Princess is willing?" Tong Wanyan asked.
"Huh?" Chun Que and Xia Zhu were dumbfounded.
Tong Wanyan lowered her eyes coldly: "Perhaps my husband and I are both selfish people, disregarding the wishes of others. My husband has investigated; the Crown Princess's character is different from ordinary women. There's still room for maneuver in this matter. Otherwise, otherwise..."
Chunque and Xiazhu knelt down resolutely and decisively: "Master, if there is anything you need, we will do it for you."
"Every man for himself"—from the moment they entered the palace, they had already decided to be heartless.
The innocent, pure white flower that rises from the mud unsullied is not suitable for them.
Their existence is to protect their master; what do they care about the life, death, happiness, or unhappiness of others?
"Get up quickly, there's no need for you all to act like this. With Master here, the best help we can give him is by not causing trouble in the backyard. I reckon things won't be too bad; perhaps the Crown Princess entering the Eastern Palace will be better for the Crown Prince and me," Tong Wanyan said intuitively.
"Alright, Tana and Hongzhao must be hungry. Chunque, go and serve the meal. Xiazhu, bring Hongzhao over from the side room. I'll personally coax them to eat today, and then the three of us will take a nap together later." Tong Wanyan smiled as she assigned tasks to Chunque and Xiazhu.
When the two of them have something to do, they don't think too much.
Shi Xiuzhu is somewhat different from others, even quite out of place.
Yinreng had people secretly keeping a close watch on him, gathering accurate information from all sides. Presumably, Yinreng had his own plans.
Tong Wanyan, along with Tana and Hongzhao, enjoyed a leisurely lunch and then calmly washed up and rested.
Shi Xiuzhu was still sitting on the wedding bed, holding her big apple, her neck stiff and sore from the weight of the phoenix crown.
She wore gold-threaded, gem-encrusted nail guards on her fingers, which she rubbed together nervously, accidentally pricking her own palms several times.
Ling Mama received Yinreng's order and came over shortly after Shi Xiuzhu sat on the wedding bed to inform her that someone had come to pay their respects.
Wearing a veil on his head, Shi Xiuzhu found it quite amusing to see people bowing to him.
Sitting on someone else's turf, Shi Xiuzhu, without fully understanding the situation, didn't ask any questions and simply listened to Granny Ling.
She already knew Ling Mama's identity before she got married; she was Yinreng's wet nurse, and she had to respect her.
"Your Highness, Consort Fan and Consort Tang pay their respects to you," Ling Mama relayed to Shi Xiuzhu.
Shi Xiuzhu nodded slightly and said, "Rise."
Ling Mama smiled and said, like a kind old lady, "Consort Tong is pregnant and is the first Consort bestowed by the Emperor. Therefore, she will not have to pay her respects to the Crown Princess today."
Shi Xiuzhu was taken aback, and finally realized that according to the ancestral rules, one person was indeed missing.
However, Yinreng was the first crown prince of the Qing Dynasty, and she was also the first crown princess of the Qing Dynasty.
Such rules are really hard to say.
Shi Xiuzhu had no problem with making things difficult for women, and he was especially fond of women who were rumored to be exceptionally beautiful.
Without needing further explanation from Granny Ling, Shi Xiuzhu said to herself, "I understand. Consort Tong is the mother of the eldest grandson of the emperor, and her family background is not bad either. Moreover, she holds the title of First Consort, so her status is not much lower than mine. Her situation is special, so she doesn't need to come. After my wedding with the Crown Prince tomorrow, I will personally visit Consort Tong. She should rest and recuperate quietly and need not worry too much."
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