Chapter 18 The Marquis Has Come to Welcome the Bride!
Time passed day by day, and as the wedding date drew closer, Lou Xueying became more and more nervous. Although she drank a calming soup before bed, she was still plagued by nightmares at night. Sometimes she dreamed about things from her past life, and sometimes she dreamed about things she was worried about in this life. She couldn't sleep well no matter what.
Cailing couldn't understand it. Wasn't she supposed to be marrying the person she loved? How could this happen? Madam Lou had also consulted a doctor, but the doctor couldn't find anything wrong. He just said that Miss Lou was overthinking things, which was why she was like this.
Even after her elder brother learned of her engagement to the Marquis of Wu'an, he brought his wife back from the capital to visit her. Her sister-in-law, also from a respectable family, was gentle and kind. She thought Lou Xueying was too afraid of the unknown married life, so she comforted her for a long time, advising her as someone who had been through it all.
Lou Xueying pretended to be very grateful for her brother and sister-in-law's concern, but in reality, she only felt a helpless bitter smile. The better they treated her, the more afraid she was of this beautiful relationship being shattered.
The prescription for the calming soup was adjusted several times before she was finally able to get a full night's sleep.
But perhaps Heaven took pity on her and didn't want to make things so difficult for her anymore. Throughout the entire wedding preparation period, neither the Lou family nor the Hou family encountered the slightest mishap. Even with the tight schedule, everything that needed to be prepared was still complete and perfect.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the Five-Tone Qin Workshop remained quiet, and Lou Xueying, despite her subtle inquiries to her father, discovered nothing unusual about the Emperor's side.
Could it be that the Emperor is truly so patient as to not investigate "Su Jun's" identity? If so, then hopefully he will never investigate. Let their fate end here; her relationship with him shall be limited to that of a subject's wife.
Lou Xueying sat in front of the dressing mirror, her lips pressed tightly together, looking at herself in the mirror as she emerged from the bath.
With her jet-black hair and snow-white skin, she was beautiful, but seemed to have lost her vitality. Her boudoir was now covered with festive red paper, making her appear even more out of place.
She is to marry the Marquis of Wu'an tomorrow.
Cailing wiped her long hair from behind, muttering, "Miss, you must get some sleep tonight. You have to get up early tomorrow morning to do your hair. You can't eat or drink all day, it's really exhausting! This is the most important day of your life, Miss, you can't let yourself have any regrets because you're not feeling well!"
After drying her hair, she gently lifted Lou Xueying's face, looked her up and down in the candlelight, and sighed, "Miss hasn't been sleeping well lately. This dark circle under her eyes hasn't gone away even after applying skin cream for several days. When we enter the bridal chamber tomorrow night, I'll turn down the candlelight a bit, and I guarantee the Marquis won't be able to tell!"
Lou Xueying smiled faintly.
Just then, Madam Lou pushed open the door and came in.
"Mother?" Lou Xueying stood up subconsciously, and seeing Madam Lou's serious face, her heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that—
Her legs almost gave way, but fortunately Madam Lou spoke up in time: "Cailing, there are some things I need to talk to Susu about. You can go down now."
Cai Ling: "Yes."
Lou Xueying steadied herself against the dressing table and took a deep breath.
Thank goodness, it wasn't some imperial decree arriving in the middle of the night.
Only the mother and daughter remained in the room. Looking at Lou Xueying, whose head was bowed, Madam Lou felt a pang of pity and melancholy at the thought that her daughter was about to get married so soon.
"Are you going to sleep?" Madam Lou asked.
Lou Xueying nodded: "We need to get up early tomorrow, so we need to go to bed early tonight."
"You should go to bed early, but before you do, your mother has something to tell you." Madam Lou pulled her to sit down on the bedside, patted her head, took out a thin booklet from her sleeve, and said softly, "Do you know what this is?"
The cover was dark blue and blank. Lou Xueying took it with a puzzled look, opened it, glanced at it, and then snapped it shut.
She immediately knew why her mother had come.
In her past life, she entered the palace hastily, and everyone was immersed in shock and fear; no one could have imagined such a thing. But in this life, she only wants to get married as soon as possible, and she doesn't care about the marriage itself, let alone remember that there is such a procedure.
Lou Xueying: "I...I don't want to."
"Oh, how can you not want it? Don't you know very well what this is?" Madam Lou glared at her. "When you were a young lady, you secretly read some low-class books, and I didn't care. Now that you're getting married, even if I let you read them, you refuse. In the end, you won't understand anything, and you'll be the one who suffers, not the man!"
Lou Xueying shoved the book into Madam Lou's arms and turned away, saying, "I don't want it anyway."
This kind of thing is meant for girls who haven't experienced love before, and she's already been with two men, so there's really no need for her to look at this stuff anymore.
Madam Lou threw the book at her and said, "Stop pretending. I'm leaving. You'd better hurry up and read it tonight, or you won't know what to do tomorrow!"
She got up and left, but after taking a few steps, she turned back and earnestly instructed her: "The Marquis of Wu'an is a warrior, and he may not be gentle and considerate during the wedding night. If you feel uncomfortable, just say so. If you are too embarrassed to say it, just cry. In short, you must not indulge the man. You must let the man know that the woman's feelings are also very important."
Lou Xueying: "..."
Madam Lou finally left, and she specifically instructed Cailing outside: "Let Susu stay by herself for now. When she calls you in a little while, go in and serve her."
Cai Ling, not understanding why, replied with a "yes".
Lou Xueying sat on the bed, opened the booklet, and hastily flipped through a few pages. It contained graphic and disturbing images that brought back unpleasant memories. With a stiff expression, she casually stuffed the booklet under the bed.
"Cai Ling," Lou Xueying called out.
Cailing pushed open the door and came in, asking in surprise, "Madam said that Miss wanted to be alone for a while, so why did she call me so soon?"
"I'm sleepy, I want to sleep." Lou Xueying lay down in bed and said softly, "Turn off the light for me."
Cai Ling was hoping she would rest more, so upon hearing this, she quickly turned off the light and then tiptoed out of the inner chamber.
Lou Xueying closed her eyes and slowly exhaled.
-
At half past dawn, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Lou Xueying's boudoir was already brightly lit.
Her room had never been occupied by so many people at the same time. There were maids burning incense, wringing handkerchiefs, tidying clothes, arranging hairpins and ornaments... The dozen or so maids had clear divisions of labor and were on high alert.
Lou Xueying sat upright in front of the bronze mirror, wearing a bright red silk undergarment, her expression somewhat dazed. She hadn't had enough sleep, and the flickering candlelight amidst the comings and goings, along with the refracted pearl light, made everything before her seem even more unreal.
Madam Lou had barely slept all night. Now, she was impeccably dressed, holding a jade comb, and slowly combing her hair, softly reciting, "One comb to the end, two combs to the white hair reaching the eyebrows..."
In her previous life, Lou Xueying did not have the chance to hear such a blessing.
With white hair reaching her eyebrows, surrounded by children and grandchildren, free from illness and worry... can she really have such an ending in her life?
She lowered her eyes, looking at the bright red undergarment she was wearing, and felt her eyes sting and sting.
After her hair was combed, several skillful old nannies surrounded her and styled her hair. Several maids then came over and gently lifted Lou Xueying's face to apply powder and makeup.
By the time all this tedious work was finished, it was almost noon outside.
Lou Xueying turned her neck slightly and already felt a little soreness in her neck.
Madam Lou raised her hand to adjust the heavy bun for her, and asked with a smile, "How is it, Susu, does it look good?"
The woman in the mirror had her hair piled high like clouds, her pearl crown was dazzling, and her gold and jade hairpins swayed slightly with her breath. Even her earrings were inlaid with red and cinnabar, exquisitely crafted, which made her even more graceful and charming.
Lou Xueying nodded and smiled, "It looks good."
Cai Ling helped her up, and another maid helped her put on an elaborate wedding dress, with three layers inside and three layers outside, with double-sided colorful threads interwoven to outline lifelike phoenixes and peonies, which shimmered and shone in the sunlight, extremely beautiful.
Pengpeng excitedly ran in from outside, calling out "Third Sister," but was blocked by the maids outside the curtain.
Madam Lou smiled and said, "Third Sister is very precious now, so we can't touch her carelessly. If Pengpeng wants to come in and see Third Sister, she has to be well-behaved."
Pengpeng nodded repeatedly: "I'm very well-behaved!"
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "Pengpeng, come in."
Pengpeng entered happily, and after seeing Lou Xueying's attire, she exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Third Sister, you look so beautiful today! I also want to be a bride and wear such a beautiful dress!"
Lou Xueying said, "You're still young. When you grow up, you might have a more fashionable wedding dress, and you'll look even prettier than your third sister."
Pengpeng: "Third sister, you're going to marry General Wu'an Marquis, aren't you very happy?"
"Of course," Lou Xueying said. "Being able to marry him is something that countless women envy."
Pengpeng climbed up to Lou Xueying's ear and whispered, "But when you fell into the water before, he was still hesitant about whether to save you or not."
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "Pengpeng misunderstood him. He was afraid that if he came down to save me himself, it would cause gossip and damage my reputation. That's why he wanted to find a bamboo pole to pull me up and avoid direct contact. Unfortunately, he couldn't find one, and he still came down to save me himself."
Pengpeng asked doubtfully, "Is that so?"
"Is that so?" Lou Xueying smiled.
"Okay, then I forgive him." Pengpeng pouted.
This was the first time she had been so close to the bride, and she kept chattering away. Madam Lou was afraid that if she kept talking to Lou Xueying, Lou Xueying would get thirsty, so she didn't let her stay in the room for too long.
As Pengpeng was being led away by the maid, she clung to the doorframe with reluctance, saying, "Third sister, after you marry into the family, you must come back to visit us often!"
Madam Lou pretended to hit her: "Pah, pah, pah, what are you saying? Only those who are not doing well need to go back to their parents' home often!"
Pengpeng stuck out her tongue.
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "Yes, I will come back often."
If all goes well, she will leave the capital with Li Pan in six months... Before that, she will definitely go home often.
Madam Lou turned her head and glared at her: "Pengpeng is ignorant, and you are ignorant too? What are you doing coming back so often?"
“Our two families don’t live far apart, so why can’t I come back often? Even if I’m married, I’m still my mother’s daughter. Doesn’t my mother want to see her daughter?” Lou Xueying said, looking at her mother.
Madam Lou walked over and gently tapped her forehead: "You, when you're at home you want to get married, and now that you're married you want to come home. How can you be like this!"
Lou Xueying, unable to move freely, could not hug Madam Lou, so she could only hold Madam Lou's hand and whisper, "This is how I am."
Mrs. Lou was filled with emotion as her daughter hadn't acted spoiled in a long time. She let her daughter hold her hand and said nothing more.
After some time, music began to play outside the gate of the mansion, accompanied by the deafening sounds of gongs and drums.
A maidservant came to announce, "The Marquis has come to fetch the bride!"
Madam Lou: "Quickly, quickly, put the veil on the young lady!"
Lou Xueying's vision suddenly went dark. As far as she could see, apart from a small patch of ground in front of her toes, all that remained was a hazy red shadow.
Madam Lou whispered beside her, "Don't be afraid, your father, your two brothers, and I are all here."
Lou Xueying nodded.
The door to the boudoir opened.
With the help of the matchmaker and Cai Ling, she walked out step by step.
She thought she would have endless feelings along the way, but when she actually embarked on this journey, her mind was completely blank.
Amidst the deafening crackle of firecrackers and the swirling crimson debris, the road beneath her feet seemed to transform into a long, red dragon. Rows of ebony and bronze-inlaid dowry chests were carried steadily behind her by the porters.
She left the Lou residence so easily, boarded the wedding carriage without any trouble, and arrived at the Marquis's residence smoothly amidst the sound of drums and music, as if it were a dream.
The mansion that His Majesty has recently bestowed was originally intended to reward the Marquis of Wu'an for his military achievements, but the timing is too coincidental, and now it seems as if it has been given to this newlywed couple.
The carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, and Lou Xueying carefully stepped down from the carriage, lifting the hem of her skirt.
There were no scenes like those described in traditional novels, such as the groom impatiently grabbing the bride's hand and, disregarding etiquette, carrying her out of the car... and so on. Those are stories of mutual love and marriage based on affection, which had nothing to do with her.
She was already extremely grateful to Heaven that she was able to marry Marquis Wu'an without any trouble.
Moreover, Marquis Wu'an showed great respect to the Lou family, offering betrothal gifts only one rank lower than those for royalty, and the wedding procession was also very grand. Although she couldn't see clearly, she could hear the cheers of the crowds lining the streets; they must have found a lot of lucky money.
The matchmaker placed the wedding ribbon tied with a love knot in her hand. Lou Xueying felt a faint pull from the other end of the ribbon and composed herself.
Cai Ling whispered a reminder to her, "Miss, there are steps ahead, be careful."
Lou Xueying nodded and slowly climbed the steps.
Her wedding dress was heavy, and she walked slowly. She could feel that the person at the other end of the wedding silk was deliberately waiting for her. Each time, she would lift her foot first, and the wedding silk would tighten slightly.
Lou Xueying thought, this is good enough.
She had just finished climbing the last step and was letting out a small sigh of relief when Cai Ling reminded her, "Miss, the threshold."
Lou Xueying straightened up, lowered her eyes to stare at the small space in front of her feet, and was about to take a step when she suddenly heard a loud announcement from behind: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—"
Lou Xueying stumbled and fell on the threshold.
The Crown Prince? Why would the Crown Prince come?
Lou Xueying panicked and was about to fall to the ground in front of everyone when, in a flash, a large hand suddenly reached out from the side and grabbed her arm.
She swayed, her legs buckled, and she hung precariously over the threshold.
Before she could react, that hand gripped her tightly again, lifting her up sharply so that she could stand up straight again and land firmly on the ground.
She was still in shock, standing there motionless, the bright red veil swaying back and forth in front of her eyes, her head full of jewels rustling and bumping against each other.
The hand on her arm loosened, and Li Pan's steady voice rang out beside her.
"Your subject Li Pan pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
A note from the author:
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Synopsis for "The Moon as a Sheath":
During the bloody battle outside the Great Wall that year, Wei Shuo's father risked his life to protect the general, giving him a chance to survive.
When the army returned in triumph, the twelve-year-old boy, dressed in mourning clothes, was brought into the magnificent yet unfamiliar Duke's mansion.
Many voices rushed toward him that day.
The Duke said, "Your father saved my life, so I will treat you as my own son."
The Duchess said, "Good child, if you ever need anything in the future, just tell me."
The sons of the Duke's mansion said, "From now on, we're brothers, and we'll have to attend classes together every day!"
Only the Duke's only pearl remained silent.
A light drizzle fell, like smoke and mist. She stood under the eaves, wearing a light willow-colored spring dress, and smiled gently at him.
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The female lead lost her speech due to illness in childhood and is unable to speak; however, she will recover later in life.
*Gender-swapped version of the host's trope, male insecure, male unrequited love, male looking up to.
*A bittersweet childhood romance
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