Chapter 2 Marrying her was a temporary measure
Everything that had just happened happened in the blink of an eye. Xie Shang was quick enough to pull the veil that had slipped down to Jiang Fenghua's chest and put it back on her. Afterwards, he resumed his aloof and unapproachable demeanor, exuding coldness and with eyes as cold as ice, devoid of any emotion. His magnetic and steady voice rang in her ear, "Can you continue?"
Jiang Fenghua nodded slightly, "Mm."
She knew that even if Xie Shang didn't want to marry her, he wouldn't abandon her to her death. They had never met before, and the fact that he rescued her on their first meeting was enough to make Su Tingwan, who was hiding in the crowd, feel uneasy. As for whether her actions would displease her mother-in-law, that was not within her consideration.
At this moment, the master of ceremonies hurriedly said, "The more it burns, the more prosperous and joyous it becomes. The Princess and the Prince's future life will surely be thriving and prosperous. The wedding shall continue..."
Everyone glanced at the bride and exclaimed in amazement, "We never expected that Young Master Jiang's family had such a stunning beauty hidden away."
Some even began to recite poems: "A beauty unparalleled throughout the ages, a pleasing sight to behold, a face that could topple kingdoms and cities, astonishing the world—this must be the description of Princess Heng!"
The accident happened in an instant. The Empress, who was watching the ceremony, was also worried for them. She didn't say a word, and her face quickly returned to normal. She smiled and said, "Shang'er was fearless in the face of danger and will surely protect his wife in the future."
Those around him chimed in, "His Highness Prince Heng was so quick-witted. If he hadn't protected the Princess, she might have fallen into the fire and... injured her face."
The wedding ceremony continued, and only after everything was completed did she, supported by her maids and servants, go to the bridal chamber, while the groom stayed in the front hall to entertain the guests.
Jiang Fenghua dismissed the servants as soon as she entered the bridal chamber, leaving only her dowry maids Hongxiu and Lianye inside. Once the servants had closed the door, her tense nerves relaxed. She lifted her veil herself, rubbing her aching legs and back, and instructed, "Lianye, go and tell Granny Xu to prepare water. I want to take a bath."
Lianye whispered, "It's such a pity that Miss's exquisite makeup has been washed off. A woman is most beautiful on her wedding day."
Jiang Fenghua understood her meaning and smiled slightly, "Prince Heng is not the kind of person who gets lustful at first sight. Besides, we've already seen each other, so it's not surprising. If your heart isn't with the right person, no matter how hard you try, it's all in vain."
The heavy and cumbersome wedding dress made her feel suffocated.
Lianye still felt it was a pity. Why hadn't Hongxiu helped her mistress up? Why did such an accident have to happen? She didn't say anything more and went out to find water.
Hongxiu said, "Your Highness, let me remove your phoenix crown and hairpins, and give you a shoulder massage to relieve your fatigue." They had followed their mistress since childhood and knew that their mistress was a woman of her word. Before the imperial decree of marriage was issued, their mistress had secretly investigated Prince Heng and knew that he had a woman he liked.
"Okay, let's tear it down!" Anyway, Xie Shang won't be back so soon, and she's already exhausted after a long day.
After Jiang Fenghua finished bathing, she prepared to have a good sleep. She then instructed Hongxiu to wake her up at midnight, because Xie Shang had just entered at 11:15. In her previous life, she had waited so long that her back almost broke before he returned.
Hongxiu was not surprised at all by her young mistress's ability to predict the future; her mistress had been intelligent since childhood.
At a quarter past midnight, faint footsteps were heard from the corridor. Hongxiu peeked through the crack in the door and saw Prince Heng being helped by guards towards the bridal chamber. She rushed to the bedside and said, “Miss, you are amazing! The Prince really came back at this time. But you have removed your hairpins and are barely clothed. Won’t the Prince think you are not dignified? You are now the Princess Consort of Heng. You can’t be as casual as you were in your boudoir.”
"His Highness doesn't like things that are too formal." He didn't even bother to look at her, let alone care about her attire. Right now, she just wanted to be comfortable and at ease.
Jiang Fenghua's black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. A scarlet corset dress accentuated her full breasts. Her waist was as slender as a willow, so delicate it could be encircled with one hand. A scarlet veil was half-open and half-closed, revealing her fair shoulders. Her delicate face was tinged with a rosy blush, and her skin, as tender as tofu, was flawless. Her sleepy eyes made her look like a bewitching little enchantress.
Hongxiu couldn't help but swallow hard as she looked at the charming young lady. The young lady was beautiful even without makeup. Hearing the door being quietly pushed open, she quickly covered Jiang Fenghua's head with a veil.
A night breeze swept by, carrying a strong smell of alcohol. A tall figure walked straight past the sandalwood cloud-patterned screen.
The room was dimly lit by candlelight, and the bright red bed curtains intertwined with the light and shadow, casting flickering shadows on the bed, creating an indescribably gorgeous and ambiguous atmosphere.
The first thing Xie Shang saw was a pair of fair, bare feet on the red carpet. Her toes were curled up as if she were extremely nervous. Upon seeing this, his handsome face turned frosty, his brows furrowed, and a chilling coldness emanated from his eyes, making one's heart tremble.
Hongxiu also noticed that her mistress was not wearing shoes and socks. She was startled and realized she had forgotten about her feet. But it was too late. She braced herself and went around the screen to leave the room.
Compared to the maid, Jiang Fenghua was much more composed. She covered her head with the veil, sat up straight, and saw a dark shadow cast at her feet. She then tucked her toes in and arched her insteps, looking both cute and timid.
Xie Shang glanced at the messy bed and thought to himself, "It seems that the daughter of Grand Tutor Jiang is not as well-mannered and knowledgeable as my mother said. Her clothes have been changed and her hairpins have been removed. She probably just woke up."
Dressed like that, is she trying to seduce me? What makes her so special, or does she think she can seduce me into consummating our marriage just because of her face?
He wasn't sure if what happened during the day was intentional or accidental on Jiang Fenghua's part, but he was certain that no matter how beautiful she was, it couldn't shake his love for Wan'er.
Meanwhile, she seemed carefree and relaxed, while he was busy greeting and seeing off guests, running around like a headless chicken. In the end, he was even forced to drink by his brothers. Xie Shang felt resentful, realizing that marrying her was merely a stopgap measure at his mother's request.
He didn't want to come in, but when he thought about how his mother had promised him that he could marry Wan'er as a concubine, he had to consider that. It would be better for both of them to come and make things clear with Jiang Fenghua. If she behaved herself, he would not mistreat her.
He calmed himself down and lifted her veil.
Jiang Fenghua's face turned bright red, her head was slightly lowered, and her body trembled slightly. In a moment of fear, she slid to her knees and said in a voice as soft as a fly, "This concubine greets Your Highness."
Xie Shang never expected Jiang Fenghua to be such a timid and weak woman. After removing her makeup, he felt that her features were even more delicate and refined, her skin was fair, like the finest white jade porcelain, her eyebrows and eyes were gentle, graceful and elegant. She was as quiet as a virgin, like a fairy who had fallen to earth.
Recalling her panicked appearance during the day, like a frightened fawn, clinging tightly to his neck with innocent fear in her eyes, her pitiful look evoked feelings of tenderness and pity.
He regained his composure and said in a deep voice, "Get up! We are husband and wife now, there's no need for formalities."
Jiang Fenghua stood up gracefully, like a willow swaying in the breeze, and stood opposite him. "Yes."
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