23 Marriage
◎A moment of the wedding night is worth a thousand gold◎
Wu Guanyi arrived early today, having followed the groom to the Wei residence to pick up the bride. Now back at the Yan residence, while the groom was resting in his room, Wu Guanyi sat down in his room.
"Hey, have you started growing flowers?" As he said this, he gently touched the Phalaenopsis orchid in front of him and broke off a delicate petal.
Yan Qizheng glanced at him and said, "You can watch, but don't do anything."
Wu Guanyi curled his lips and withdrew his hand. He lowered his head to play with the innocent petal on his fingertips, but his mouth was full of curiosity.
"That Miss Wei has run away, yet you still insist on getting married? Do you really like her?"
Yan Qi was leaning back in a recliner with his eyes closed, resting, and ignored him.
"You kept saying you wanted to cancel the engagement, but when I mentioned 'the crime of deceiving the emperor' you changed your mind. You even tried to make it sound like you were defying fate. If you say you don't have feelings for her, I don't believe you."
Yan Qizheng closed his eyes and snorted: "Believe it or not."
Looking at his reaction, Wu Guanyi frowned and guessed another possibility.
"Or maybe it's because she lied to you and you can't swallow it?"
"Even though she was at fault first, as a grown man, how dare you argue with a woman?"
"Besides, she has someone else in her heart. What do you want by forcing her to marry you?"
"You won't understand even if I tell you." Yan Qizheng still had his eyes closed. "You'll understand when you get cheated by a woman."
Wu Guanyi snorted and sneered, "Not everyone is as stupid as you for so many years."
These words hit Yan Qizheng sore. He opened his eyes suddenly and glared at Wu Guanyi. The latter opened his palm and blew out a breath, blowing the petals into the air and slowly landing on the ground.
Seeing that he wanted to pick petals again, Yan Qi was just getting up to chase him away when Xu Ji ran in: "Master, someone is outside looking for Master Wu Er."
Upon hearing the announcement, both of them were stunned. Asking someone to come to the Yan Mansion was most likely an urgent matter.
"I have to go see who is looking for me." Wu Guanyi quickly patted his butt and followed Xu Ji.
When he arrived at the gate of the Yan Mansion, he saw a man in plain clothes whom he had never met before. After confirming his identity, the man told him, "This is a letter from Miss Liu Yu'er, it's extremely urgent."
Upon hearing this, Wu Guanyi quickly unfolded the letter paper and saw a line of elegant and neat small calligraphy.
"Lu Qianxiang, Pigeon Feather Cave, come and help us immediately."
I had passed by Luqianxiang when I was getting married this morning...
Without waiting for a moment to ponder, Wu Guanyi rewarded the man with a piece of silver and rode out at full speed. In half an incense stick of time, he arrived at Luqian Lane.
Thinking Liu Yu'er was in some trouble, Wu Guanyi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her standing in front of the Pigeon Feather Cave. He dismounted, walked over, and twitched his lips slightly, "How did Miss Liu know to come to the Yan Mansion to look for me?"
Liu Yu'er actually didn't know, and told the truth: "Yu'er sent someone to deliver the letter to Yan Mansion and Shangshu Mansion at the same time."
Wu Guanyi suddenly understood and praised him as "clever".
"What's the emergency you need me to help you with?"
"Please help me, Mr. Wu Er." Liu Yu'er raised her hand and pointed to the carriage parked nearby.
Wu Guanyi raised his eyebrows and followed her to the carriage. When the curtain opened, he was startled by the face revealed inside!
"Aunt, you are finally back!" As he spoke, Wu Guanyi had a flash of inspiration in his mind and turned to look at Liu Yuer beside him.
"I guessed that you were involved in Miss Wei's escape."
"So I have no choice but to ask Mr. Wu Er for help and send Zi Yan home."
Just as the words "She can't go back by herself" came to his lips, Wu Guanyi suddenly understood.
The Wei Mansion had publicly announced that the young lady was ill and bedridden, so her returning home so openly would have been too conspicuous. Someone must have been behind the scenes. Liu Yu'er was clearly an accomplice, and if she arrived at the Wei Mansion, she would likely be reprimanded by Master and Madam Wei, so it was inappropriate for her to show up.
Wu Guanyi looked at her deeply again. This woman was indeed quite smart.
"Okay!" He agreed immediately, "But Miss Liu owes me a favor."
"Okay." Liu Yu'er also did not hesitate.
After saying that, he turned around and said goodbye to Wei Ziyan in the car: "Remember, you were just confused for a moment. Go back and admit your mistake."
"I remember," Wei Ziyan nodded gently, "Thank you, Sister Liu."
"Let's go, don't miss the time."
After seeing the two sisters say their final goodbyes, Wu Guanyi turned around and mounted his horse. He glanced at Liu Yuer standing on the side of the road, then hurried with the carriage to the Wei Mansion in the next alley.
When he arrived at the main gate, Wu Guanyi dismounted, introduced himself to the gatekeeper, and asked him to quickly inform Wei Taizhong.
Wei Jizhi wasn't close to the Minister of Justice, but he knew that Minister Wu's second son had a close relationship with Yan Qizheng. He was initially surprised to hear of his visit, but when Wu Guanyi arrived and explained that Miss Wei had been found, Wei Jizhi was thrilled.
It's the afternoon now, so if we hurry we can still get married.
"Hurry." Wei Jizhi hurriedly asked his wife to bring their daughter in.
Madam Wei was also very happy and was about to go to the door to greet someone when Wu Guanyi reminded her, "It's better to stay away from some people."
"Yes, yes, yes." Madam Wei nodded hurriedly. It was not appropriate to enter through the main gate openly.
So Wu Guanyi volunteered to go out and asked the coachman to drive the carriage to the side door. He let Wei Ziyan get off the carriage only when there was no one around.
Madam Wei had already asked the maid beside her to clear away the servants along the way, and quietly led her daughter in through the side door, holding her hand and walking into the Misty Rain Pavilion in the backyard.
Seeing the young lady suddenly return, Qiuluo and Chunlai were extremely surprised and gathered around. They and their mother each expressed their concern, but before Wei Ziyan could finish her reply, Master Wei strode in, his face full of anger.
"Dad, I was wrong..." Wei Ziyan knelt on the ground and admitted her mistake.
"I'll settle the score with you later!" Wei Jizhi suppressed his anger and pointed at the maid: "Hurry up and dress the young lady."
"Yes, sir." Qiuluo and Chunlai agreed in unison.
Madam Wei also thought of the important matter: "And where is Xi Niang?"
Chun Lai: "Xi Niang is not in Yanyu Pavilion."
Upon hearing this, Madam Wei slapped her forehead and said, "I had completely forgotten that the bridesmaid is in the other courtyard in front."
Master Wei: "Hurry up and send someone to invite..."
The Wei family was busy preparing the bride. Wu Guanyi retired after completing his mission and ran back to the banquet house. He dragged Yan Qizhen to the eaves and hit him on the shoulder with a clenched fist.
"Groom, how are you going to thank me?"
He was very proud in his heart. Not only did he owe Liu Yu'er a favor, but his brother also owed him one.
"What did you do?" Yan Qizheng looked at him suspiciously.
"Nothing much, just helping the groom find his bride."
Yan Qizhen's heart skipped a beat, and he looked behind him unconsciously, but there was no one in sight.
"Wu Shouzhong!"
Seeing that he was getting anxious, Wu Guanyi couldn't keep the secret any longer and told him the truth: "The young lady of the Wei family is getting dressed at the Wei residence right now. Are you waiting for them to send someone over, or are you going to pick her up yourself?"
"..." Yan Qizheng's eyes tightened again, "Really?"
"When did I ever lie to you? Just now, I personally sent Miss Wei back to the Wei Mansion."
Wu Guanyi's words were like a breeze that instantly blew away the depression in Yan Qizheng's chest, and his spirits were instantly lifted.
"How did you find her?"
"It's already this late and you still have time to care about how I found it? Go and pick him up quickly!" Wu Guanyi patted his arm.
"I've already accepted it this morning." Yan Qizhen refused in a low voice.
Oh, I just took a quilt.
"What? Are you putting on airs? Aren't you afraid he'll run away again?"
"Her legs are on her body, and she loves to run wherever she wants."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Wu Guanyi clicked his tongue several times, "You're just being stubborn!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you, when a woman gets married, 'her head is never in sight, her feet never touch the ground.' You let Miss Wei walk here on her own, and you should regret it before she even gets married to you."
After saying that, Wu Guanyi didn't say any more nonsense and shouted to go in to drink the wedding wine, leaving the groom to silently think about what he had just said.
That made sense. That woman was petty and fussy, and she would definitely use this grievance to argue with him later. Why bother giving her a handle?
Thinking of this, Yan Qi felt much more relieved. He immediately ordered someone to prepare a wedding carriage and set off to the Wei Mansion to pick someone up.
In the boudoir of the young lady of the Wei Mansion, the bride, now dressed in her finery, stood up, took two graceful steps, and stood in the center of the room. She wore a glittering golden phoenix crown, a bright red embroidered wedding dress, and her face was brightly made up, a beauty beyond compare.
"Miss, you are so beautiful!" Qiuluo and Chunlai's eyes lit up.
Indeed, she had grown into a truly beautiful and graceful young lady. Looking at her daughter dressed as a bride, Mrs. Wei felt both happy and disappointed.
After waiting for so long, my daughter finally got married, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel sad about not having her by my side.
Master Wei sent a servant to urge them for the third time. It was already the morning hour, and no time was allowed to pass. Madam Wei led her daughter in front, while Qiu Luo, holding the wedding veil, followed behind with Chun Lai and the others. They all moved to the front hall.
Wei Jizhi had been waiting anxiously for a long time, but when he saw his daughter in new clothes, all his anxiety and anger disappeared immediately, leaving only a trace of reluctance.
"Daughter offers tea to parents." No matter how hurried she was, Wei Ziyan didn't want to skip this step.
Mrs. Wei took the teacup presented by her daughter and couldn't hold back her tears. Mr. Wei's eyes also turned red.
Having missed the bridal sedan chair, I now have to walk a few steps to the banquet hall, which is really unlucky. I always wanted to give my daughter a perfect wedding, but from the beginning, everything went wrong...
"Dad, Mom..." Wei Ziyan knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with tears.
"My daughter has grown up and will no longer act as willfully as before. Don't worry, my daughter will be fine in the future and will come back to visit often..."
"Zi Yan..." Madam Wei couldn't help but stepped forward and hugged her daughter and cried.
As they started crying, the two maids Chunlai and Qiuluo also started crying, and for a moment the whole room was filled with gloom.
Wei Jizhi wiped his eyes and was about to remind everyone not to miss the time when a servant came running in to report that Young Master Yan had come in a carriage to pick up the young lady.
Everyone was so surprised when they heard the news that they stopped crying immediately. Wei Jizhi quickly asked the servant to bring in the groom, and happily persuaded his wife and daughter to stop crying.
Wei Ziyan carefully wiped away the tears from her eyes, and when she turned around, she saw Yan Qi, who was also wearing a bright red wedding dress, striding in.
She tried every possible means to avoid marrying the man, but in the end she still married him.
"Go quickly." Master Wei urged, skipping all formalities.
The bridesmaid stepped forward and placed the veil over Wei Ziyan's head. Yan Qizheng came over and hugged her horizontally around the waist.
Wei Ziyan's hand happened to be on his chest, and she could feel the strong heartbeat under her palm. She quickly moved her hand away, but somehow remembered that when Yinglin was injured, he had carried her out of the carriage in the same way.
It's like reincarnation.
Yan Qizhen put the people into the wedding car and got in himself.
The two sat opposite each other, neither of them saying a word. He stared at Xipa intently, as if he could see through her, and the whole scene he had just seen was before his eyes.
I knew she was pretty, but I was still stunned at first sight.
Hibiscus is not as good as beauty's makeup.
Back then, she wore no makeup, elegant and beautiful. Now, her red makeup was as flaming as fire, captivating the eyes. But tears were etched beneath her eyelashes, and her eyes were a faint crimson, making her look particularly charming.
For some unknown reason, Yan Qizheng remembered Wu Guanyi's question: "What are you trying to do?"
Perhaps, while he was trying to vent his anger, he also began to covet this beauty. He simply felt that since he had mistakenly believed that it "belonged" to him, he couldn't bear to give it to "that person"...
The wedding carriage arrived outside the Yan Mansion, half an hour before the auspicious time. Yan Qizheng escorted the guests into the house while asking the servant to inform the master and mistress.
Yan Sunwei and his wife were of course delighted that the bride returned in time. They kept smiling as they entertained the guests.
When they heard that the bride and groom would come out to worship in a while, the guests started talking about it.
"Didn't they say that the daughter of the Grand Duke Wei was ill and that the wedding ceremony would be held later?"
"Yes, we didn't even get on the wedding sedan today, so how come we can get married now?"
"Is it the bride who will be getting married in a moment?"
"It's the bride." Yan Sunwei and his wife explained on their side, "Quan'er just ran to the Wei Mansion again and picked up the bride!"
Wu Guanyi also tried to smooth things over: "With all the joy, Miss Wei has almost recovered from her illness and can walk again, so naturally she doesn't want to miss the wedding ceremony."
After all, the idea of getting married by chance has long been deeply rooted in people's minds, and the guests smiled knowingly when they heard it, without any suspicion.
Miss Wei had longed to get married for many years, but now she finally got her wish and married her lover, so it's no surprise that she is so happy and fully recovered.
"Congratulations, Minister Yan!"
"Congratulations, Madam Yan!"
Everyone expressed their congratulations and looked forward to seeing the bride and groom get married.
At the auspicious hour, the newlyweds emerged, and everyone rushed to see the excitement. Although the bride's sickly face couldn't be seen beneath the veil, the groom's face was beaming with joy as he carefully supported the bride, slowly moving forward and showing meticulous care.
The groom pays homage to heaven and earth, to his parents, and to each other. With every movement, the groom's eyes are always concerned about the bride, as if he is afraid that she will make a mistake.
After the ceremony, the groom brought his bride and walked slowly into the bridal chamber, surrounded by maids and servants...
Only when they arrived at the main room did the groom let go of the bride's hand, and the maid helped the bride into the bedroom.
"Young Master." The old woman handed over a jade ruyi, which means "everything goes as you wish."
Yan Qizheng raised his hand and shook his sleeves, took the jade ruyi, and walked into the inner hall. Wei Ziyan, covered with a veil, sat upright in front of the bed, her red dress blending in with the red bed curtains and wedding quilt.
A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, and Yan Qizheng himself couldn't express the complex emotions he was feeling. He stepped forward and sat beside her. Using a jade ruyi, he lifted the veil, finally catching sight of her beautiful face once more.
The thick eyelashes slowly lifted up, like a feather gently brushing across the heart.
Yan Qizhen took the wine glass handed to him by the maid in astonishment, and drank the wedding wine with the person he loved, holding hands.
The fragrance lingers at the tip of my nose, and the red lips are within reach.
He forgot to move and just stared straight ahead. Until the lowered eyes on the other side disappeared, a pair of autumn-water slit pupils caught him off guard and struck his heart...
"What are you thinking about?" Wei Ziyan became alert.
She lowered her head to finish her glass of wine, but the arm wrapped around her was still there. When she looked up, she found Yan Qi staring at her with an ulterior motive.
Although he ran a second time to pick her up, he lied to his parents and forced her to marry him. He was both cunning and hateful!
The maidservant beside her smiled secretly.
Yan Qizheng regained his composure, tilted his head back slightly, drank the wine in his glass, and withdrew his arm from hers. He stood up nonchalantly, said lightly, "Go and greet the guests," and walked out quickly.
When she could no longer see the shadow, Wei Ziyan's shoulders drooped and her whole body relaxed, holding the heavy phoenix crown on her head uncomfortably.
"Young Madam, do you want to undress?"
Hearing the maid's address, Wei Ziyan suddenly became nervous again. Was she really going to change from a girl to... a lady tonight?
Ah, yes!
Wei Ziyan recalled Yan Qizheng's eyes just now...
Even though he doesn't like me, there's no guarantee that he won't be tempted by my beauty.
Wei Ziyan felt a little regretful. Why did she go through so much trouble to create this makeup just for him to see?
"I want to wash my face," she said to the maid.
So the maid immediately fetched some water, first helped her take off the phoenix crown, then carefully washed off her makeup. Finally, looking at her natural face in the mirror, Wei Ziyan felt a little relieved, and then she took off her wedding dress and went to bed.
The two maids in the room looked quite well-behaved, but since they weren't Qiu Luo, she felt strange. Furthermore, since she wasn't in her own boudoir, she felt uncomfortable in every way.
I don't know what kind of fragrance the new quilt has, but it's so rich and intense that it doesn't make me feel at all restful. The mattress pad isn't thick enough, and the bed is so hard it hurts my back. And this pillow...
Wei Ziyan glanced at the embroidered red pillow beside her. She couldn't imagine a man sleeping here tonight...
She closed her eyes tightly, turned over to face inward, and moved her pillow and body to the innermost part.
She wanted to fall asleep quickly, but after all, she had been spoiled since she was a child, and had already formed a routine of bathing and sleeping every day. After enduring in bed for a while, Wei Ziyan still couldn't get used to sleeping like this, so she got up and asked the maid to prepare water for her. She wanted to take a bath.
The two maids in the room moved very efficiently and immediately started working for the young lady.
The bathroom was connected to the bedroom, separated by a screen and a door. Wei Ziyan followed the maid inside and took a look around in the mist. It seemed quite spacious and clean.
The tub looked bigger than hers, filled with water but no flower petals. I doubt there were any perfumes or floral sprays for women in there...
Forget it. She didn't have time to bother with the details right now. She just wanted to take a quick bath and go to sleep.
When Yan Qizhen came back halfway, the young lady was still in the bathroom.
He had been forced to drink a lot of wine, and his face was red from neck to ears. After hearing the maid's words, he glanced behind the screen, then turned and left without disturbing the people inside.
After taking a bath, Wei Ziyan finally felt comfortable and climbed into bed in her pajamas.
Tired and exhausted after a day of tossing and turning, she had just gotten into bed when the maid reminded her, "Isn't the young lady waiting for the eldest master?"
Wei Ziyan frowned. Why would she...
"Just now, when the young lady was bathing, the eldest master came back and looked like he had drunk quite a bit of wine. Would the young lady like me to prepare some hangover soup?"
"Oh...then go ahead." Wei Ziyan responded.
After the maid left, she sat up from the bed again.
From now on, will she have to show her concern for him in front of others?
My mother's farewell advice echoed in my ears: "Be filial to your parents-in-law, be considerate to your husband, and don't lose your temper..."
Wei Ziyan's scalp went numb at the thought of being considerate to Yan Qizheng. She couldn't do it. This was even harder than arguing with Yan Qizheng!
With a bit of fear in her heart, Wei Ziyan lay down again, but her sleepiness had already faded. As she tossed and turned, the door to the main room outside creaked open.
Wei Ziyan subconsciously shrank into the quilt, leaving only her two eyes exposed to peek.
Soon, Yan Qizheng, dressed in red, walked in. His tall figure approached the bed with a somewhat frivolous step. In a moment, Yan Qizheng's flushed face showed that he had indeed drunk quite a bit.
His red eyes stared at her, not at all shy about the fact that she was "sleeping" in the quilt.
Wei Ziyan's heart was beating like a drum, afraid that he would suddenly pounce on her. Fortunately, the door was pushed open again at this time, and the maid brought in some sobering soup.
Yan Qizheng turned and left, finished his soup and went to the bathroom. Wei Ziyan immediately threw back the quilt and sat up again.
"What does the young lady need?" The maid was clearing away the soup bowls and wine jugs on the table.
"Pour me a cup of tea."
Wei Ziyan climbed down from the bed and, while the maid's back was turned, she grabbed the wine jug and guzzled it. She drank too quickly and choked on the second sip. The sound of her coughing caused the maid to turn around and say, "Young Madam, that's wine..."
She knew it was wine!
Without thinking twice, Wei Ziyan gulped down half a pot of wine right under the maid's nose...
Maid: “…”
The bathroom was filled with smoke. Yan Qi was soaking in the tub with his eyes closed, a smile on his lips.
That girl even knew to prepare sobering soup for him. It seems she has finally gotten the point.
Yan Qizheng wasn't a petty person. As long as she was willing to admit her mistakes and fulfill her duties as a wife, he could forget about the past and live a good life with her.
"Every moment of the wedding night is worth a thousand gold." The guests' jokes echoed in their ears during the toast.
Yan Qi opened his eyes slightly, and the image of the man hiding in the quilt and spying carefully appeared before him.
Those bright black pearls, unlike the shimmering and charming ones when drinking the wedding wine, were another kind of purity and anxiety unique to young girls...
Inexplicably, I seemed to catch a whiff of unique fragrance at the tip of my nose, as if it was there and not there.
Yes, this bathtub was just used by her...
It seemed as if the alcohol, carried by the warmth of the bath water, permeated his limbs and bones, making Yan Qizheng feel even hotter. He stood up, dried himself, and came out in his pajamas.
The room was thick with the lingering smell of alcohol, but Yan Qizheng didn't think much of it. He came to the bedside, where the person seemed to be already asleep, their head tilted on the pillow, half their face covered by their messy hair, their pink lips slightly open.
No sleeping posture.
Yan Qizhen curled his lips and kindly put a pillow under her, but he felt a strange heat on the back of her neck.
I lifted her hair and put my hand on her forehead, which was just as hot as ever.
"Is the young lady feeling unwell?" he asked the maid in the room.
"No, the young lady is just... drunk."
The maid reported what she had seen to the eldest master truthfully, and then saw the eldest master's face turn as black as charcoal...
According to the custom of the Hu Zhou Kingdom, on the morning of the second day after marriage, the daughter-in-law must first help her husband change his clothes and wash his face, and then go to greet her parents-in-law and offer them tea. The meaning is just as Lady Wei's instructions: from then on, as a married woman, she should be considerate to her husband and filial to her parents-in-law.
However, the young wife of the Yan family slept until noon without any movement.
Yan Qizhen really couldn't wait for her, so he packed up and went to pay his respects with a lot of grumpiness.
Yan Qi couldn't bring himself to say that he had deliberately gotten himself drunk to avoid him. When his mother asked about his new daughter-in-law, he simply brushed it off by saying that he was "familiar with his bed" and "sleepy."
Mrs. Yan smiled meaningfully.
Master Yan was not a rigid and formal person. He said nothing, drank his tea and reminded him: "Now that you have a family, you must behave yourself when you are out, especially stay away from prostitution."
Yan Qizhen agreed with a feeling of grievance.
Madam Yan added, "Zi Yan is a childish girl. If she annoys you, please be more magnanimous..."
"Why am I the only one who can be generous?" Yan Qizhen was dissatisfied with his mother's partiality.
Madam Yan laughed: "You are four years older than her, and you are a man, shouldn't you be more accommodating?"
Yan Qi was unhappy and said nothing.
It's not that he is not magnanimous enough, it's just that she is too irritating!
If she looked at her for a few more seconds, she would think he was up to no good and would be wary of him as if he were a lecher!
Last night, he wanted to throw the drunk man onto the bed!
"Also," Madam Yan lowered her voice meaningfully, "Zi Yan is still young and delicate, so you should be careful... don't overwork her."
Yan Qizheng: …………
After greeting his father and mother, Yan Qizheng returned to his own courtyard. The bedroom inside was still quiet, and the maid said that the young mistress had not yet risen.
Today is the first day of the marriage, and a family banquet will be held in the mansion to allow the new young lady to formally meet the families of each branch in the mansion.
Yan Qi was the eldest son in the family, and his wife was the sister-in-law of his younger brothers and sisters. A misunderstanding during the morning greetings was fine, as long as his parents didn't mind. But if such a joke were to happen at a family dinner, how would his eldest brother save face?
Therefore, Yan Qizheng strode into the inner room and took action without hesitation, twisting left and right, and finally woke up the person who was drunk and dreaming on the bed.
"You pinched me?" Wei Ziyan opened her eyes, touched her aching face, and looked at Yan Qizhen in disbelief as he stood by the bed with his hands behind his back.
"How long do you want to sleep?"
"How long will I sleep...hiss..." Wei Ziyan woke up too suddenly and felt as if the sky was falling and the earth was cracking. She held her head and groaned in pain.
"You deserve it!" Yan Qizheng said these two words to her coldly.
How could Wei Ziyan still have the energy to argue with him? She lay back down, her head in her hands, hunched over in discomfort.
"See if you dare to force me to drink again next time!"
"It's all because of you!" Wei Ziyan couldn't help but get angry and spoke without thinking.
"You knew I didn't like you, and you didn't like me either, yet you insisted on marrying me! A forced melon won't be sweet, don't you know that?"
This sentence made Yan Qizheng angry again!
"Which eye of yours thinks I'm strong...forced on you? You're relying on my looks to slander me maliciously. I don't even want to touch you!"
"Okay," Wei Ziyan said, "Don't touch me. If you touch me... you're a pig!"
“…”
Yan Qi was so angry that he was about to take action when he looked at her again, and he was afraid that he would not be able to resist and pinch this extremely hateful face into a pig's head!
He turned around angrily and walked out impatiently, but happened to bump into the maid who was coming in. The teapot in the maid's hand hit him with a hot smell.
"Please forgive me, Master. Ping'er didn't see you..."
The maid named Ping'er hurriedly wiped the eldest master's chest, but the eldest master brushed her off and left angrily.
Ping'er squatted down to clean up, and the maid in the room came over after hearing the noise. Their eyes met, she winked at Ping'er, raised her chin and pointed inside the room, and Ping'er immediately understood.
"Young Madam is awake. Go get another pot of tea."
"Yes, auntie."
The maid Ping'er called "Auntie" was called Lengxiang. She was the oldest and most senior servant in Yan Qi's main room. She had been ill for the past two days, and she didn't want to disrupt the celebration, so she didn't serve in the room last night.
This morning, when she came on duty, she saw that the young lady had not gotten up for a long time. She asked Ping'er and Dujuan who were here last night, and only then did she know that the young lady had forced her to drink.
In addition, the dispute between the eldest son and the young lady just now is enough to show the discord between the newlyweds.
But this was a secret between the masters, and they, the servants, were not allowed to spread it. Leng Xiang specifically instructed the two maids not to gossip about what happened last night and not to say a single word to anyone.
Leng Xiang asked Du Juan to prepare hot water and personally went forward to serve the young lady.
"You..." Wei Ziyan frowned even more tightly when she saw her unfamiliar face.
"Young Madam, do you have a headache? Leng Xiang, please rub it for you?"
Wei Ziyan was indeed feeling extremely uncomfortable, and nodded upon hearing this. Unexpectedly, Leng Xiang's technique was skillful, with moderate force, and she felt very comfortable massaging her temples and scalp.
So Wei Ziyan sat cross-legged on the bed, closed her eyes, and gradually relaxed. She couldn't help but feel relieved. At least the maids in Yan Qizheng's room were not bad. When Qiuluo came in a couple of days, she should be able to integrate with them.
After a short massage and two cups of hot tea, Wei Ziyan's headache was largely relieved. By the time Du Juan had finished grooming her, she knew the names of all the maids and realized that they were the only three serving in Yan Qi's main room.
The older Leng Xiang was considerate in every way, but when it came to combing hair, Du Juan was still the best. Wei Ziyan looked in the mirror at the bun she had done for her. Every side was smooth and delicate, neither loose nor tight, quite exquisite.
As for Ping'er, perhaps because she was young, many expressions were vividly displayed on her face. For example, when he saw her drinking alcohol last night, he was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"We have a family dinner today. Do you think this suit is suitable for you, Madam?" Leng Xiang took out a new set of clothes from the closet.
It was made of silk gifted by the emperor. Unlike the bright red of wedding dresses, it was crimson inlaid with red, blue and pure gold, which expressed joy, wealth, stability and decorum.
Wei Ziyan agreed, but when she thought about facing a large family of unfamiliar or unfriendly people, she couldn't help but frown again.
Her family was small: her father only had her mother and a concubine. Her mother was the only one who had given birth to a son and a daughter, and now she was the only daughter left. She also had two concubines, but neither of them had any children.
But the Yan Mansion was different. Besides his wife, Mr. Yan also had two concubines. Mrs. Yan had a son, Yan Qizheng, the second concubine also had a son, and the third concubine even had two siblings.
Yan Qizheng was the eldest among her siblings. Before she got married, her father had warned her several times: "Don't be as childish as before. Act like an eldest sister-in-law."
Alas, Wei Ziyan lamented silently in her heart! How would she endure the days ahead?
On the first day of their marriage, the newlyweds were supposed to attend the family banquet together. However, when Wei Ziyan finished dressing and putting on her makeup, Yan Qizheng was nowhere to be seen.
After searching the yard in vain, Ping'er speculated that the eldest son might have gone to the horse ranch in the backyard.
Going to the racecourse at this time?
"Well," Ping'er nodded confidently, "The eldest master will probably go there when he's in a bad mood."
Oh, he's in a bad mood?
Wei Ziyan snorted inwardly, he deserved it! Who told him to be so stubborn and insist on having his own way without knowing what was wrong with him?
Just like seeing her angry? Humph, she won't do what he wants! If she is not happy, she won't let him live a good life!
"Lengxiang, take me to the horse farm." Wei Ziyan ordered angrily and walked out of the house.
To be exact, she had been to the Yan Mansion countless times since she was a child, but she had never set foot in the family's backyard - of course, this also included Yan Qizhen's "Fuxi Hall" with an old-fashioned sounding name.
I heard that it was Yan Qizhen's grandmother who gave the name, hoping that her grandson would be blessed with good fortune.
Yesterday, the veil had obscured her view, but now, after leaving the house, Wei Ziyan could finally see the layout clearly. It was a conventional square courtyard, with a main house, two side rooms, a study, a small kitchen, a woodshed, and so on. A circle of enclosed corridors formed a giant "Z" shape, with two jujube trees, a water tank, and two large open spaces in the center.
May is the time when the jujube trees are in full bloom, and the air is filled with a delicate fragrance. Apart from this, there is really no trace of life.
However, Wei Ziyan was not in the mood to take a closer look at this moment, and just took a quick glance as she passed through the corridor.
Leng Xiang led her out of Fuxi Hall and onto a cobblestone path through the bamboo forest. Following the winding, tree-lined path across the pond, they spotted two people sitting on a swing in the distance—they were the Third Aunt's brother and sister, Yan Qizhu and Yan Qifeng.
Wei Ziyan was deeply impressed by the eldest daughter of the Yan family.
Especially in recent years, he was extremely disgusted with her for clinging to their eldest brother and never gave her a good look every time they met.
Now that she had finally gotten her wish and married in, she was afraid she would only dislike her even more. Better to have less trouble than more, Wei Ziyan decided to pretend she hadn't seen it, and walked away quickly with Leng Xiang, lowering her head.
However, the opposite happened. The eight-year-old Yan Qifeng ran like a whirlwind. In the blink of an eye, he rushed over and blocked her way with his arms outstretched.
"Is there anything wrong, Third Young Master?" Wei Ziyan had no choice but to stop on the steps of the arch bridge.
Yan Qifeng raised his neck proudly: "My elder sister has something to say."
Yes, Wei Ziyan turned her head and saw Yan Qizhu walking towards her leisurely.
She looked like she was fourteen this year, but she was not much shorter than herself. She was also very pretty, but her personality was even more unpleasant than hers.
When Wei Ziyan first met Miss Qizhu in the Yan Mansion as a child, she knew that she didn't like her and would snatch everything from her.
Wei Ziyan is the only daughter in the family. She has been spoiled since childhood. She acts straightforwardly and directly. She will not try to please anyone deliberately, and she cannot stand others taking her things away. Therefore, she and Yan Qizhu have had a long-standing grudge.
Later, when she started pestering Yan Qizheng, Yan Qizhu became even more disgusted with her, saying that she was shameless, shameless, and unworthy of her elder brother...
She's even more annoying than her older brother!
Look, Yan Qizhu asked his brother to stop her first, and then he came over slowly with a haughty attitude, and then deliberately stood on the steps two steps higher than her, looking down at her and showing off his dominance.
Wei Ziyan thought to herself, "Childish!" and glanced at her with disdain: "What does Sister Qizhu want to say?"
"Who is your sister? Don't think that just because you went to great lengths to marry my eldest brother, I will respect you as my eldest sister-in-law." Yan Qizhu's words were filled with deep hostility. "In my eyes, you will never be worthy of being my eldest sister-in-law!"
"Miss..."
"Shut up!" Yan Qizhu stopped Leng Xiang from trying to smooth things over. "She just came in, and she's already accepted a new master so quickly?"
Wei Ziyan didn't want to implicate innocent people, so she quickly shook her head at Leng Xiang, then looked at Yan Qizhu again with a hint of mockery on her lips.
"Are you done?"
Leng Xiang might be concerned about those words, but she didn't mind at all.
She had never wanted to marry in and become the eldest sister-in-law, and Yan Qizhu's hostility was nothing but a joke in her eyes.
"What are you so proud of?" Seeing that she wasn't angry, Yan Qizhu became angry instead. "Big brother doesn't like you at all! Who knows, one day he might send you a divorce letter and kick you out of the Yan family!"
Wei Ziyan's expression immediately became determined.
Divorce letter?
seem......
It could also be a way out...
"Oh, scared?" Yan Qizhu thought she was afraid, and continued to taunt her smugly. "You were ignored by your elder brother on your first wedding day. He didn't even accompany you to the family dinner. How long do you think you can stay in the position of the Yan family's young lady?"
"Oh, thanks for reminding me." Wei Ziyan suddenly understood, and a hint of joy appeared on her face. "Are you going to the family dinner? How about we go together?"
"You——" Yan Qizhu was furious.
After all, she was still a little girl. Seeing that she didn't show any sadness, it was like a punch on cotton. She could only stare at her in anger.
"It's getting late. I have to go find your brother quickly. After all..." Wei Ziyan raised the corner of her mouth, deliberately angering her. "I want to stay in the position of the Young Madam of the Yan family for a while longer!"
"You, you are dreaming!" In a fit of rage, Yan Qizhu stretched out his hand and pushed him hard.
Wei Ziyan was caught off guard, but luckily Leng Xiang was quick to support her from behind, preventing her from sliding down the stairs. However, before she could stabilize her shaky body, Yan Qifeng rushed over and pushed her again.
This time Leng Xiang was unable to protect her. Wei Ziyan twisted her feet, lost her balance, and fell backwards to the ground.
"Young Madam!" Leng Xiang hurried over to support her.
There was a dull pain in her left ankle. Leng Xiang straightened Wei Ziyan and she stretched out the affected foot. She gasped in pain every time she moved.
Yan Qifeng was young after all, and seeing that he had gotten into trouble, he hurriedly pulled his sister and ran away. Leng Xiang saw this and hurriedly said that she would go find the eldest master.
"No, help me up." Wei Ziyan didn't want to pin her hopes on someone who deliberately ignored her.
"No, Madam, you can't move around if you hurt your bones."
“…”
I can't be that unlucky, can I? I just came in a day ago.
Wei Ziyan refused to believe it and slowly got up from the ground. Just as she was about to take two tentative steps, a cold male voice came from afar.
"After sleeping until noon, are you finally willing to go out?"
【Author’s words】
You’re married! Throw flowers!
The daily life of husband and wife sleeping in the same bed but having different dreams has come. There is no house fighting, so you can eat it with confidence. Brothers and sisters are just catalysts.
The melon that is forced to be twisted will soon become sweet at one end.
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