Ceremony completed
The concubine ceremony at the Governor's Mansion was a small affair, held in Qingyue Pavilion, where Mei Sheng lived. Qingyue Pavilion had been decorated for several days, with many red "double happiness" characters pasted on the doors, windows, and various objects.
Inside the pavilion, a pair of red candles were slowly burning on the incense table. Beside the curtain embroidered with phoenixes singing in harmony, Mei Sheng, dressed in a light red wedding gown and wearing a light red veil adorned with begonia flowers, sat naturally with her hands crossed.
She listened to the howling wind outside and lowered her head in quiet contemplation.
The maids around her had all left, leaving only Mei Sheng in the room. She appeared calm, but in reality, she felt uneasy. She could only try her best to hold down her trembling hands and wait for the person to arrive.
"Whoosh—" A gust of wind blew in through the window frame, causing the candlelight on the table to flicker and even blowing a corner of Mei Sheng's veil off.
Light footsteps echoed on the ground, growing louder as they approached. Mei Sheng's heart began to race, and the gold and silver jewelry on her head felt increasingly heavy. A quick glance caught her eye, and a pair of muddy black shoes came into view.
With just one glance, Mei Sheng's heart turned to ice, her whole body went cold, and she didn't dare to move.
Afternoon
"Young lady, this begonia-red brocade long dress suits you so well," the embroiderer said with a smile, smoothing out the wrinkles on Mei Sheng's wedding dress, her words full of praise. Although the wedding dress wasn't bright red, the embroiderer knew it was made of the finest fabric, hence her politeness towards Mei Sheng.
She was a famous embroiderer specially invited from the county town by the steward of the Pei family. When she suddenly received the task from the Pei governor's mansion, she could only try her best to postpone the orders from other wealthy and noble families and spend the last two days making this dress.
Due to time constraints, even with the best craftsmanship, it's impossible to make a complete winter dress.
To everyone's surprise, Miss Mei was extremely patient and kind. Knowing her difficulties, she told her that her inner garment had already been prepared and that she didn't need to worry. Such a perfect solution was truly rare, and she even rewarded her with a considerable amount of money.
With the reward money in hand, the embroiderer showered Mei Sheng with compliments, leaving her breathless.
"The young lady is beautiful, and she and Commander Pei are a perfect match, young lady..."
Mei Sheng raised his hand, stood beside the bronze mirror, and listened to the woman's praise. He then nodded and smiled at the embroiderer, and had someone take her away to settle the payment. After the embroiderer left, Mei Sheng casually asked Tang Yun, "Why did things change at the last minute? Didn't Master say everything should be kept simple?"
When it comes to the ceremony of taking a concubine, most families will only hold one or two banquets to entertain close relatives or trusted guests. They will not send out invitations widely. If they do the opposite and make a big fuss, they will be ridiculed.
Moreover, in the Pei Dudu Mansion, the center of power, according to Steward Yang, Aunt Ling's concubine-taking etiquette was very proper and without any mistakes. But with Mei Sheng, it seems that she has changed her nature, throwing all those rules and etiquette to the back of her mind and doing things that violate ancestral rules.
Tang Yun said with emotion, "Master said that since you come from the north and have no relatives to look after you here, you will be bullied if you are not well-off. He did this for your own good."
Mei Sheng adjusted the hairpin in her hair, and upon hearing this, turned around with a half-smile and said, "Did he really say those exact words?"
Tang Yun scratched her head and whispered, "It's true that it's for the girl's own good."
"Is it really for my own good that you want me to be related to the Xiao family?" The maids and servants in the mansion had already caused an uproar. Some said in private that Mei Sheng was a distant niece of the Xiao family, and not some girl without family or relatives. Others said in private that Mei Sheng was a prostitute who had fallen into prostitution, and that Pei Jue was just putting Mei Sheng in the Xiao family to make her identity sound better so that she could enter the family.
But some people objected, asking, "Is this girl some kind of celestial being who makes Pei Jue go to all this trouble?" After the ceremony was completed, everyone in the mansion fell silent, only paying more attention to serving Mei Sheng.
Everyone in this household is shrewd. Seeing that Pei Jue broke the rules to hold this concubine-taking ceremony for Mei Sheng, they treated Mei Sheng with the best and most expensive gifts.
"Knock knock knock—"
A knock came at the door. Mei Sheng looked up and saw Bai Qi and her maid. They were also dressed in new clothes and stood outside the door, showing no trace of their previous disheveled state.
Bai Qi, in particular, changed into an outfit similar to Mei Sheng's, which looked extremely festive.
"Miss Mei, was your dress made by Jinxiufang today?" Bai Qi responded to Mei Sheng's greeting and went into the house, leaving the maid outside.
Mei Sheng nodded and said, "Tang Yun, go and bring up the tea you prepared yesterday. Your snow pear spiced tea yesterday was wonderful; let Miss Bai try it too." Tang Yun agreed and left happily.
Bai Qi thanked her and moved to the window. The sun was out today, but the sunlight didn't feel very warm, so she kept it closed.
Mei Sheng followed closely behind. Seeing Bai Qi show off the stack of silver notes, she reached out and pushed the money back. Just then, sunlight streamed in, but Mei Sheng ignored it, letting the sunlight fall on her palm. Her expression remained unchanged as she said, "You seem much better now. You must have achieved your goal. Are you going back to Yanjing next?"
Seeing Mei Sheng's guess, Bai Qi smiled knowingly: "Yes, Governor Pei has decided to help me, but there are some things that need to be done." At this point, Bai Qi swallowed her words and lowered her gaze.
Then his gaze fell behind the window, his eyes darting around, and his words revealed a hint of anxiety: "I went to my maternal grandmother's house to escape an arranged marriage, but..."
"I'm going to Yanjing this time to pick up my mother and settle her in. My father is ruthless, and my mother's family is now weak. I don't know what cruel things he might do."
Bai Qi clenched her fist and pressed it against the window frame, her mood suddenly becoming somewhat somber. Mei Sheng handed her a handkerchief and comforted her, "If your mother knew, she would definitely want you to be well. No mother wouldn't think of her child's future, and right now she'll be proud of you."
Bai Qi turned her head away and said, "Can we open the window? Sand got in my eyes, Miss Mei. Please step back, don't catch a cold, or your throat will get worse." Tears streamed down her face, making her look even more haggard.
The window opened, and the sunlight shifted, falling on Bai Qi's face. If someone outside didn't recognize Pei Jue's concubine, they would think Bai Qi was the concubine, and would be extremely unwilling to accept it.
"good."
Mei Sheng was surprised by Bai Qi's attentiveness. Her throat had been better these past few days, and she spoke softly, so even Pei Jue hadn't noticed. She never expected that the carefree Bai Qi would actually find out.
Mei Sheng interrupted, "When are you leaving?"
Bai Qi replied, "Tomorrow then." After saying that, she pushed the silver note over again, her tone unusually firm, her eyes filled with determination: "Miss Mei, I owe it all to you that Governor Pei was able to see me and listen to me. I must thank you."
"Alright, half then." As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Qi was stunned and said, "I don't know why, but I feel like I've known Miss Mei for a long time. I know I'm not worthy of her, but I really feel like I've met her somewhere before."
Seeing Bai Qi's reaction, Mei Sheng shook her head and said, "What's there to be unworthy of? I'm also of such a different status from Governor Pei, yet I became his concubine and got involved with him."
Bai Qi sensed something else in his casual remark, so she changed her words from wishing the marriage a smooth process to, "May Miss Mei have a happy and prosperous life from now on."
"Thank you, I will." Mei Sheng smiled at her, which made Bai Qi's eyes dazzle.
For some reason, she blurted out some incomprehensible words such as "be careful" and "don't lift your veil if you feel cold." Then, Bai Qi hurriedly said goodbye and left, without even having a sip of Tang Yun's pear tea.
Mei Sheng withdrew her gaze and continued to call in the people who were instructing her on etiquette and manners. As a concubine, she had a lowly status and could only wait inside the room; she was not allowed to leave. After a short while, Pei Jue's wet nurse and Consort Ling also arrived, saying kind words and then presenting their gifts.
In the middle of the night, the lanterns outside flickered on and off; for some reason, they were broken, which was not a good omen. The hustle and bustle had long since subsided, and apart from the incense, fruit, and candles on the altar, there was nothing else.
Mei Sheng ordered the stove in the room to be removed. She did this for her own selfish reasons, but the maids who served her did not object as usual. They simply obeyed her orders respectfully.
A chill permeated the air, and Mei Sheng felt the cold seep into her heart through her clothes.
quiet-
A strange voice suddenly appeared in the air in front of Mei Sheng. The person said, "Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you."
"?"
who is he?
Mei Sheng was instantly filled with fear. Almost instinctively, she wanted to reach out and lift the veil, but as she looked up, she remembered what Bai Qi had said that afternoon, so she lowered her hand and remained silent.
"white......"
Just as a large hand was about to touch Mei Sheng's shoulder, an arrow suddenly pierced the air from nearby, interrupting the man's actions and forcing him to take a step back.
Just then, the lights outside blazed on, the door swung open, and Pei Jue, bow and arrow in hand, stood outside, coldly staring at the man, and shouted, "There's an assassin! Seize him now!"
Many people dressed in different clothes appeared, all holding weapons and with fierce looks in their eyes. As soon as Pei Jue gave the order, they seemed to have found their leader and started slashing at the man with their knives.
At this moment, amidst the chaos, Mei Sheng peeked through a corner of her veil and saw a tall man dressed in night clothes being surrounded by a crowd.
Looking around, Mei Sheng sighed inwardly. Was this all the preparation? Who would believe it wasn't premeditated? It seemed this man wasn't after her, but in the chaos of battle, if he saw Mei Sheng's face clearly, he might injure her.
Mei Sheng didn't fully lift her veil; her body remained tense, and she bit her lip, enduring the pain. She dared not listen to the sounds of swords and spears around her for even a moment longer, only daring to find a corner to hide in, hoping to find an opportunity to escape from this group of people.
Having a chance to catch her breath, Mei Sheng turned her gaze to the man in auspicious red robes in the distance. She had almost never seen Pei Jue dressed in red before. But what good is red outside, or how handsome he looks? Mei Sheng scoffed.
Swords have no eyes; a knife suddenly slipped from someone else's hand and hurtled straight toward Mei Sheng.
Danger was imminent. Mei Sheng rolled to her side, and when she was settled, she saw that the knife was embedded in the thick bed board, its end trembling, and blood was dripping down the phoenix-patterned curtain.
Distracted by his worry, the man in black realized that no matter how skilled he was in martial arts, without a knife, he was nothing more than prey for others. Moments later, a sharp blade slashed his arm, leaving a deep wound.
Meanwhile, he was stopped by several people, and the situation temporarily stabilized.
The person you want is here.
Pei Jue spoke calmly and unhurriedly, without even raising an eyebrow. He stood with his hands behind his back, a familiar voice following behind him.
Upon seeing this, the man in black became enraged, snatched the opponent's blade, and fought desperately to carve a bloody path. Perhaps it was a burst of willpower, or perhaps it was the arrival of reinforcements flying down from the rooftop to join the struggle, but he managed to rescue Bai Qi on the spot.
The remaining guards were busy fighting the reinforcements, and only a few guards chased after them with knives.
"Mei'er, are you alright?"
The veil was lifted, revealing a pair of affectionate phoenix eyes. Mei Sheng had just experienced a battle with cold weapons, and felt that the coldness in this person's eyes was thicker than an iceberg; she could not see any affection in them at all.
Mei Sheng shivered almost involuntarily, unconsciously taking a step back, and softly exhaled, "It's nothing."
Seeing that Mei Sheng was so well-behaved, without asking a single question or complaining, Pei Jue's expression softened even more. He said, "I will tell you about this in detail later. Mei'er must be frightened. Go back inside and wait for me."
His words were meant to reassure, and just then, Han Zhou beside him urged again, "Sir, it will be too late if we don't go now."
Mei Sheng hurriedly said, "I will wait for you to come back here."
Upon hearing this, Pei Jue nodded in satisfaction. He then took a thick robe from his men and wrapped Mei Sheng up tightly. He gave her a few gentle instructions before calling several people to leave.
In the night, Mei Sheng dared not look around carelessly, but carefully and attentively walked along a clean path until she found a clean house. Only when the chaotic scene outside was no longer visible did she bend down, panting heavily, a wave of fear washing over her.
Mei Sheng slid down against the door, and when she landed, she touched her cuffs. Everything she had prepared was there, and only then did she feel a sense of relief.
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