Chapter 19 The mattress beside him suddenly sank...
"No need for formalities, everyone." The Crown Prince's familiar voice approached, approachable and smiling. "It seems I've come at an inopportune time. This was not my intention. It's just that Li Qing's marriage was personally bestowed by my father, and I came on his behalf to offer my congratulations today. I was afraid that arriving too early would make everyone feel awkward and spoil the atmosphere of this grand wedding, so I thought I would come later. I didn't expect to almost ruin Li Qing's good fortune."
The crown prince raised his hand, and a eunuch stepped forward carrying a brocade box.
"These jade ruyi scepters are a wedding gift from the Emperor to Minister Li. I hope that you and your husband will respect and love each other, be of one mind and one heart, carry on the family line, and live up to the Emperor's grace."
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness." Li Pan bowed deeply. "Your Majesty is busy with many affairs of state, yet you still remember my marriage. I am deeply grateful. It is also my honor that Your Highness could personally attend the ceremony."
Lou Xueying quickly followed suit and bowed, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
Thank goodness. She was just scaring herself. She doesn't even know the Crown Prince anymore, so why would he be here to cause trouble?
Li Pan said, "Lu Gui, why don't you quickly invite His Highness to take his seat?"
Lü Gui quickly stepped forward: "Your Highness, this way please."
Lou Xueying stood quietly to the side, motionless.
Suddenly a gust of wind arose, lifting her veil.
She was startled and subconsciously looked up. The entrance to the Marquis's mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. The first thing she saw was Li Pan's broad shoulders and back, and then she saw the Crown Prince opposite him, dressed in a jade-white robe and smiling.
Tall and elegant, gentle and handsome, full of vigor, he looked exactly the same as when I first met him.
Lou Xueying's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly raised her hand to press down her veil.
The prince walked by with his hands behind his back, glancing over only briefly, managing to catch a glimpse of a fair and delicate chin and a slender, long hand.
He paused for a moment, his steps faltered slightly, before following Lü Gui into the Marquis's residence.
Lou Xueying bit her lip, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat, her palms covered in cold sweat.
"His Highness has taken his seat." The Crown Prince's footsteps faded into the distance, and Li Pan's voice rang out softly, "Let's continue, lest we miss the auspicious time."
Lou Xueying swallowed hard, slowly nodded, and once again carefully lifted her foot to step over the threshold.
This time, thankfully, no more trouble arose.
Then came the wedding ceremony, which had been repeatedly emphasized to me.
She bowed to heaven and earth, thanking the gods for giving her a second chance at life, so that she would no longer have any regrets.
She bowed to her parents twice to thank them for tolerating her impetuousness and rudeness, and for fighting for her marriage.
The couple bowed to each other, thanking Li Pan for his magnanimity, and with a ten-mile-long red bridal procession, he married her.
After the three bows, the newlyweds entered the bridal chamber.
The marriage between Marquis Wu'an and the Lou family was a great joy in the capital. All the prominent families in the capital gathered here, and the bustling noise could be heard from the front yard to the back yard, and even in the bridal chamber.
But no one dared to cause trouble at the Marquis of Wu'an's new house.
Lou Xueying sat upright on the wedding bed covered with a bright red mandarin duck quilt, her hands clasped together somewhat uneasily.
The air was filled with the scents of new wood, candlelight, and cosmetics. Without the light of day, the red before my eyes seemed even more impenetrable.
She could hear her own soft, rapid breathing, and see the hem of her veil fluttering slightly in the breeze from her breath, swaying before her eyes along with the flickering candlelight.
As the matchmaker spoke auspicious words, she saw a figure walk up to her.
With a soft click, he picked something up from the table.
Lou Xueying held her breath and clenched her hands even tighter.
This is an ordinary wedding ceremony, an experience that every woman who is properly married will have, but she never had it in her previous life.
She thought she would never care about these things in her life, but when she sat here, waiting for her husband to lift her veil and for them to meet, she suddenly realized that she wasn't indifferent; she was afraid to care.
Those hidden and subtle anxieties, expectations, worries, and joys are so precious, so worthy of repeated remembrance. No matter what happens in the future, she will remember this moment for a long time.
A slender auspicious scale, right before her eyes, slowly and gradually slipped under her veil.
Perhaps he didn't judge the distance well, the cold, hard tip accidentally touched her chin, making her shiver.
Li Pan paused.
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
Lou Xueying was surprised that he would apologize and didn't know what to say for a moment. Just then, her eyes lit up.
Her veil was lifted, and countless rays of light instantly flooded her vision. She subconsciously closed her eyes for a moment, her thick eyelashes trembled a few times, and then she tentatively and slowly raised her eyes.
Today, Li Pan was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, with a golden crown tied high. Such a bright color did not diminish the fierce demeanor he had developed over many years of military service. Instead, it made his power and strength even more obvious, just like a spirited horse wearing a bright saddle, which only made the spirited horse more eye-catching.
His hand, holding Xicheng's scales, hovered above her forehead. His fingers were strong and powerful, calloused from years of holding a gun. However, perhaps because of the special occasion, his gaze towards her today lacked some of the sharpness he usually showed.
Lou Xueying looked up at Li Pan, and Li Pan looked down at Lou Xueying.
After a long while, he finally put down the scales, looked at Lou Xueying's head, and asked, "Isn't it heavy?"
Lou Xueying was completely taken aback when she heard him say this as soon as he lifted her veil.
The matchmaker, suppressing a laugh, said, "The Marquis is such a considerate man. His first question is whether the lady is heavy, worried that she might get tired. Oh dear, it's such an important day for a bride to get married, of course she should dress up nicely. Marquis, what do you say, does she look good?"
Li Pan hummed in agreement: "It looks good."
Lou Xueying's face immediately flushed red.
Of course she knew she was good-looking, and she had been praised for it many times since she was a child, but for some reason, the two words that came out of Li Pan's mouth made her blush.
The matchmaker laughed and said, "Then what are you waiting for, my lord? On such a beautiful day, you should drink the nuptial wine together!"
Li Pan withdrew his gaze, walked to the table, picked up the two gourd halves that had been prepared, and sat down next to Lou Xueying.
The mattress next to Lou Xueying suddenly sank in.
He sat very close to her, and she could even vaguely feel her body leaning towards him along the sloping mattress. She pursed her lips, quietly adjusted her posture, and took a slice of gourd from his hand.
The clear, mellow wine swayed gently in her hand, its delicate aroma wafting into her nostrils. She looked up at Li Pan, only to find him staring back at her.
She lowered her head again, somewhat flustered.
"Drink it," Li Pan said.
It's just two simple words again.
Lou Xueying carefully raised her hand, went around his arm, and brought the gourd to her lips.
Their sleeves slipped slightly, and their wrists inevitably touched. His body was hot, and she could feel his firm skin and muscular arms. She felt as if her arm was being held between his legs. When he raised his arm to drink the nuptial wine in one gulp, she was also forced to raise her arm high, tilt her head back, and awkwardly gulp down the wine.
The slightly spicy liquor slid down her throat, burning all the way into her lungs, making her face even hotter.
After drinking the nuptial wine, the ceremony is considered complete.
Li Pan put the empty gourd aside, rested his hands on his lap, thought for a moment, and said to Lou Xueying, "There are still guests in the front yard, and I need to go and toast them. If you are tired, you should rest first."
Lou Xueying rubbed her sleeves and responded softly.
Li Pan continued, "But if you want to find something to do, you can call someone over to get a general understanding of what's going on in the Marquis's mansion. My mother has a maid named Cuicui who has been in our household for many years. If you want to know anything, just send someone to summon her. I have already instructed that from now on you will be the lady of the Marquis's mansion, and you must not be neglected."
Lou Xueying nodded.
Li Pan then said, "Then I'm leaving."
After saying that, he indeed got up and quickly walked out of the bridal chamber.
Watching him leave, Lou Xueying finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She was so nervous. Although he had promised to treat her with respect, she still couldn't help but feel a little worried. Only after they got married today and he confirmed that he had no ill feelings for her did she relax.
The matchmaker smiled and said, "Although the Marquis looks imposing, he's actually quite easy to talk to."
Cai Ling, who had been silently standing by, finally came to her senses and said, "Miss, let me remove your headdress."
Lou Xueying: "Okay."
The matchmaker reminded her, "You should call her 'Madam' instead."
"Oh, right, right, right." Cai Ling patted her head and laughed, "It's time to change how you address me."
Lou Xueying pursed her lips and smiled.
Cailing came closer and carefully removed the veil from Lou Xueying's pearl crown to avoid snagging it. Then, together with the matchmaker, they carefully removed the heavy pearl crown from her hair and gently placed it aside.
Lou Xueying turned her stiff neck and let out a long breath.
She looked around, and everywhere she looked, there was an intense festive atmosphere. A bright red canopy hung lightly from the top of the bed, as soft as smoke, and beneath her was a brand-new brocade quilt. The matchmaker gestured for her to stand up, and when she lifted the quilt, there was a bed full of dried fruits such as red dates, longans, and lotus seeds.
On the opposite wall hung an auspicious painting of a boy and a girl, and on the window were pasted bright red paper-cut double happiness characters. Below the window, a pair of long dragon and phoenix wedding candles burned quietly on a vermilion table.
Lou Xueying thought somewhat absentmindedly, now that she was truly the Lady of Wu'an, could she finally relax and embrace her new life?
The matchmaker swept the dried fruit aside and asked with a smile, "Is there anything else you need, Madam?"
Lou Xueying shook her head and said, "No need, you may leave."
The matchmaker sighed and withdrew, leaving only Cailing to serve Lou Xueying.
"Cai Ling," Lou Xueying called out, "I want to drink water."
"Yes, yes, yes, this servant will pour it for Madam right away." The bridal chamber had everything one could need, and Cailing quickly brought back a cup of lukewarm water and handed it to Lou Xueying, also bringing some snacks from the table. "Madam hasn't eaten or drunk anything all day, it's time for her to have something to eat."
Lou Xueying nodded, drank some water, ate some food, and then Cailing came forward to massage her shoulders.
She had worn that heavy hair bun all day and needed to relax. Lou Xueying breathed softly as she asked Cailing, "Where are my parents?"
"They're all in the front yard. The eldest young master and young mistress, as well as the second young master and fourth young lady, are all here. They should be having a banquet right now," Cailing said. "Does Madam have something she wants me to tell them?"
"No," Lou Xueying said. "Did you see them? Are they happy?"
"Of course I'm happy! Why wouldn't I be?" Cailing said with a smile. "The marriage went smoothly, and Marquis Wu'an treated them with great respect. My wife has achieved her wish. How wonderful!"
Lou Xueying then smiled and said, "As long as everyone is happy."
"Although Madam is the bride, she's been wearing a veil, so she hasn't seen many of the scenes, which is a real pity," Cailing joked. "Especially Marquis Wu'an today, he looked exceptionally dashing! I didn't expect him to look so handsome in red; he really commanded the scene!"
Lou Xueying gave her a slight reproachful look: "I saw it just now."
“No, I was referring to when he came to fetch the bride. Madam didn’t see him then,” Cailing said with a grin. “He stood at the gate to greet you, Miss, and only mounted his horse after watching you enter the wedding carriage. Wow, the way he mounted his horse, so powerful and agile! And later, when he rode at the front of the procession, he looked so dashing and imposing. I was thinking to myself, if only Madam could have caught a glimpse of him.”
Lou Xueying chimed in, "Really? I should have peeked in earlier."
She recalled Li Pan, who had just shared a nuptial drink with her so close, and the feeling of his arm holding her tightly, and blushed involuntarily. With his imposing presence and majestic bearing, such a man, riding a tall horse through the marketplace, was indeed a striking sight.
But now that she's his wife, there will be plenty of opportunities to see her in the future.
Cai Ling massaged her shoulders for a while, and Lou Xueying patted her hand and said, "That's enough. Now, please call over the Cui Cui that the Marquis mentioned earlier."
Cailing: "Isn't Madam going to take a bath?"
"Wait a while. There are many guests at the manor, and the Marquis will probably not be back until very late. It's no use for me to take a bath now," Lou Xueying said. "Since we have nothing else to do, it would be good to call Cui Cui over for a chat."
“Alright.” Cailing nodded. “This servant will go right away.”
She didn't recognize Cuicui, but she recognized the steward of the Marquis's mansion, and soon had Lü Gui bring Cuicui to her.
Cailing glanced at Cuicui and said politely, "My name is Cailing, and I am a maid who came with the lady as part of her dowry. The lady has heard that Sister Cuicui has been working in the mansion for many years and would like to meet her. Do you have time?"
Cui Cui quickly replied, "Yes, yes, how could I dare not go when Madam summons me?" After hesitating for a moment, she added, "Sister Cai Ling, you don't need to call me sister, just call me Cui Cui."
Seeing her trembling and fearful appearance, Cailing couldn't help but laugh—so honest, this Marquis of Wu'an's mansion is really interesting, completely different from other marquis mansions.
“Then you don’t need to call me sister. We can just call each other by our first names,” Cai Ling said.
Cui Cui let out a soft "Hey".
Cailing led Cuicui into the bridal chamber and said to Lou Xueying, "Madam, this is Cuicui."
As soon as Cui Cui saw Lou Xueying, she knelt down and kowtowed to her: "This servant greets Madam."
Lou Xueying was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Who taught you to do this, to give me such a grand greeting the moment you see me?"
Cui Cui lowered her head and said in a flustered manner, "My lord... My lord instructed me before that the madam might ask me questions, and that I should not forget my manners."
Lou Xueying: "Did the Marquis ask you to kowtow?"
Cui Cui: "No...no..." Cui Cui's voice trailed off as she spoke, ashamed, "It was this servant...who figured it out herself...If there's anything wrong, please teach me, Madam..."
Lou Xueying and Cailing exchanged a glance.
The maid that Li Pan pointed to was the personal maid of Old Madam Li. Logically speaking, as a daughter-in-law, she should give her mother-in-law's personal maid some face. However, the maid kowtowed to her as soon as she came up, which startled her.
Lou Xueying said, "Get up. Unless you've made a serious mistake, you don't need to kneel like this."
Cui Cui then stood up.
She was young, but unable to resist her curiosity, she secretly glanced up at Lou Xueying, and was immediately stunned—so, so beautiful! Like a fairy in a painting, where in the Northwest had she ever seen a woman like this!
The lady was not only beautiful, but also had a pleasant voice and a gentle tone.
Whatever Lou Xueying asked, Cuicui would answer blankly.
Cai Ling watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh.
Lou Xueying quickly figured out the situation of the Li family.
The General's Mansion in the Northwest was inhabited by only two masters: Li Pan and Madam Li. However, Li Pan was not in the mansion most of the time, so only Madam Li had to serve him. Therefore, the General's Mansion was only heavily guarded, and there were not many people actually living inside.
Li Pan brought even fewer people with him when he went to the capital this time. Apart from Steward Lü and Cuicui, the others were all rough servants who were responsible for doing odd jobs.
Lou Xueying was stunned.
The vast Marquis's mansion had only a handful of people, fewer than the number of maids in her own courtyard.
But upon closer reflection, Li Pan was a rough man, so his requirements were probably not high. He didn't even have his own personal servant, and a few people were indeed enough for him.
Now that they've moved from the Li residence to the Hou residence, they certainly can't have only this many people.
Lou Xueying then asked, "Has the Marquis mentioned hiring more people?"
Cui Cui said, "His Majesty bestowed this mansion upon the Marquis, along with some servants, but they are all just doing odd jobs. The Marquis said that he would purchase a batch of clever servants when he has time. But I don't know the specifics. You can ask Steward Lü, Madam."
Lou Xueying already knew that this Steward Lü was a former deputy general who had followed Li Pan, and was not a steward by profession. She guessed that he was not capable of handling so many things, so she smiled and said, "Alright, I've finished asking. You can go now."
Cui Cui obediently withdrew.
As soon as Cui Cui left, Cai Ling couldn't wait to say, "Madam, this servant thinks there's no manners at all in this Marquis's mansion!"
When she said there was no manners, she wasn't referring to the servants' negligence or the lack of restraint that comes with familiarity between master and servant. Rather, she meant that the servants genuinely felt they hadn't been taught any manners.
Cai Ling was able to act more casually because she had been with Lou Xueying for a long time and Lou Xueying had a good temper. However, she had received proper training and knew exactly how much to bend her knees when bowing in daily life, how straight her back should be when performing a grand salute, where to look when speaking, and how fast to walk when entering and exiting. She knew all of these things and had never made a mistake in formal occasions.
But the Marquis's mansion is obviously different. This Cui Cui is aware of the rules, but she has no idea how to follow the real rules. She just follows the "good enough" approach from the Northwest. It's fine for a few people, but it would be a disaster for dozens of people.
Lou Xueying rubbed her temples, clearly feeling somewhat troubled.
The reason why "empty formalities" are "formalities" is because they are formalities, symbolizing the face of the Marquis's mansion. Li Pan himself may not care about them, and she may not care about them either, but the guests who come to the Marquis's mansion cannot ignore them.
Lou Xueying wondered if Li Pan himself knew about the problem, which was why he specifically mentioned Cuicui in front of her and asked Cuicui to tell her about these things?
“I’ll talk to the Marquis when he returns,” Lou Xueying sighed. “These things can’t be delayed.”
Cailing replied, "Let's talk about it after tonight. Tonight is the wedding night for the lady and the marquis. They should be having intimate conversations. How can we talk about such trivial things?"
Lou Xueying glanced at her.
Cai Ling chuckled, "Madam, it's about time. It's time for your bath."
Lou Xueying: "Fine, go ahead."
Cai Ling then went briskly to call someone to boil water.
In addition to Cai Ling, Lou Xueying also brought several maids with her when she married into the family. They were all old maids who had served her for many years and knew all of Lou Xueying's habits well. Even though she had moved to a different place, they were able to take good care of her.
Lou Xueying stayed in the bathroom for half an hour, using all the cosmetics and lotions she brought from the Lou family. As she lay in the steamy bathtub, she suddenly felt a little sleepy.
By the time she got up and came out, she was already yawning.
“I knew Madam was tired, but please wait a little longer. While Madam was taking a bath, I went to the front yard and saw that the banquet was almost over. The Marquis should be back soon,” Cailing said.
Lou Xueying blinked, wiping away a trace of sleepy tears from the corner of her eyes, and asked, "Aren't you sleepy?"
Cailing should have gotten up even earlier than her and been much busier, yet she looked much more energetic.
Cailing smiled and said, "I'm a little tired, but not sleepy. Just thinking about tonight being Madam's wedding night makes me so excited."
Lou Xueying: "...Why are you so excited on my wedding night?"
Cai Ling: "It's amazing no matter how I think about it. A few years ago, I would never have imagined that Madam would marry someone like the Marquis."
The master and servant chatted and laughed, completely unaware that someone was standing outside the window of the bridal chamber.
This person is Li Pan.
As the wedding banquet drew to a close, he saw off the Lou family members and then lost patience with the other guests, leaving them all to be handled by Lü Gui before returning to the backyard.
It was past midnight when he entered the courtyard and saw the maids coming out to tidy up the bathing utensils.
They all bowed to him, and he recognized them as Miss Lou's dowry maids, so he asked, "Has she retired for the night?"
A maid replied, "Your Excellency, the lady has just finished bathing and is currently drying her hair; she hasn't rested yet."
Li Pan nodded and said nothing more.
Seeing that he had no further instructions, the maids quietly took the bathing utensils and left.
Li Pan stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, silently watching them leave. He had originally wanted to ask them to tell the water room to boil some more water for his bath, but after thinking about it, he decided not to ask them to.
He drank too much at the wedding banquet, and now his head is spinning and he feels a bit unwell. He needs to get some fresh air to clear his head.
He hadn't forgotten his mother's words of advice as the party ended: "You smell too strongly of alcohol. You need to air yourself out before going back into the room. Don't bother the ladies."
Li Pan, arms crossed, leaned against the wall, gazing at the moon in the sky and chuckled.
This is what happens when you marry a rich heiress. He can't just go straight to his room and sleep after drinking too much; he has to let the alcohol dissipate before he can even enter the house. Did he marry a wife or a tyrant?
Sigh, whatever. He still wants a peaceful life and doesn't want to clash with the young lady. He'll just have to suffer a little as long as his family is at peace.
He was leaning against the wall, lost in thought, when he suddenly heard rustling laughter coming from the window next to him.
He glanced to the side, and the warm yellow candlelight shone through the window paper onto the corridor, faintly illuminating two blurry figures.
One was sitting, and the other was standing; they were his newlywed wife and her personal maid.
He has excellent hearing. Although he couldn't hear very clearly through the window, he could still make out most of it.
He heard the maid say, "Madam used to dislike those rude warriors the most. I never would have imagined that Madam would eventually marry a military general, and a military general among military generals!"
Upon hearing this, Li Pan twitched the corner of his mouth.
Hey, why are you talking badly about him behind his back?
However, he wasn't angry; it was all expected. It seemed his mother was right; even if Miss Lou didn't want to marry him, she wouldn't say so directly. Sigh, if she didn't like him, why marry him? These young ladies in the capital are always so concerned about this and that; it's so uncomfortable.
Then Miss Lou said, "Marquis Wu'an is frank and upright in his actions, which is already very good."
The maid said, "Indeed, I now think that Marquis Wu'an is a good man. It is Madam who has good judgment and courage. She fell in love at first sight and recognized his talent. She won him over in one fell swoop and even received a marriage decree from His Majesty. Where else can you find such good fortune!"
Li Pan's previously dazed mind suddenly cleared up.
He slowly straightened up, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
Miss Lou said, "His Majesty's bestowal of marriage was an accident. I had already thought it through. If he refused to marry me, I would swallow my pride and go to his house. If I couldn't win over Marquis Wu'an, I could at least win over his mother."
Maid: "The reason he refused to marry you in the first place was because your fall into the water was so clumsy. He felt like he had been tricked. If you ask me, if you hadn't been in such a hurry and had thought things through more carefully, you might have been able to find a more natural opportunity later, and you wouldn't have aroused the Marquis's suspicion and almost ruined everything."
Miss Lou: "What more natural opportunity is there? You, my parents, and my brothers can't help me. This is all I'm capable of. No matter how carefully I plan, I can't figure it out. I can only take a gamble."
Maid: "Now that you've won the bet, Madam can finally get a good night's sleep, right?"
Miss Lou: "I think so."
The maid laughed again.
After discussing the marriage, the two began reminiscing about their childhood.
Li Pan had no interest in listening anymore. He put his hands behind his back and slowly walked to the gate of the courtyard.
The night breeze blew, dispersing the smell of alcohol from his breath.
What were they talking about just now? Was it what he was thinking? What does "love at first sight" and "winning them over in one fell swoop" mean? And what does "careful planning" and "my parents and brothers can't help me" mean?
Li Pan found it utterly unbelievable.
He tapped his head, wondering if he had drunk too much without realizing it. He glanced back at the window again, where the warm yellow light and blurry figures were still visible. He pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and walked towards the washroom.
When the servants in the water room saw that the Marquis had come to fetch water in person, they quickly put the large pot on to boil.
The people in the kitchen next door saw this and quickly brought over the hangover soup they had prepared.
Li Pan glanced at it, took it and drank it all in one gulp, without asking them to take it to his room.
After going around in circles, he slowly walked back to the new house.
When Cailing heard someone knocking on the door, she thought it was one of the maids returning. But when she opened the door and saw Li Pan, she was taken aback: "My Lord?"
Why didn't anyone report this? This Marquis's mansion really has no rules whatsoever!
Li Pan nodded and went inside.
Upon hearing the voice, Lou Xueying hurriedly stood up from her dressing table and quickly stepped forward to greet him: "My Lord."
A faint fragrance wafted towards his nose, and Li Pan stopped, staring intently at her.
She removed her heavy makeup, revealing a refined and gentle beauty. Her previous makeup was indeed beautiful, but it lacked authenticity. Now, without makeup and illuminated by the candlelight, she resembled the celestial beauty I had seen at the Duke of Guangping's residence that day.
It's only somewhat similar; the face is similar, but the body is not.
A celestial being would never wear such a bright red nightgown and walk around in front of him.
Lou Xueying felt flustered under his burning gaze, but she pretended to be calm and said, "Is the Marquis drunk? Cailing, go and have the kitchen send some hangover soup."
"No need," Li Pan said. "I've already had some hangover soup, and the water room staff will bring hot water later."
Lou Xueying was stunned.
Why did she give him the hangover soup beforehand? She had originally planned to serve him well tonight and let him feel her meticulousness and thoughtfulness as his wife. The hangover soup was an important part of that. How come he didn't give her any chance at all?
She bit her lip in annoyance, thinking that she should have sent someone to keep an eye on Li Pan's movements.
“Then… Cailing, you may leave now,” Lou Xueying said. “I will take care of the Marquis.”
Cai Ling agreed and left, leaving the bridal chamber to the two of them.
Before leaving, Cailing remembered what she had said before and extinguished several of the candles in the room so that Li Pan wouldn't be able to see the dark circles under Lou Xueying's eyes.
Cai Ling left, but Li Pan remained standing there without moving.
Lou Xueying had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "My lord, please raise your hand, and I will help you change your clothes."
Li Pan raised his hand, his gaze still fixed on her.
Lou Xueying didn't dare look at him. With her head down, she untied his belt, took off his outer robe, and placed it aside. But after doing all this, she suddenly didn't know what else she could do.
Li Pan spoke up at this moment: "Aren't you the eldest daughter in your family? I heard that your parents dote on you, how could you do these things?"
Lou Xueying paused for a moment, then replied, "A wife's duty is to obey her husband after marriage. It is only right that I serve the Marquis."
Li Pan said, "At the wedding banquet tonight, your second brother got drunk and held up his wine glass to me, telling me that I must treat you well and not bully you."
Lou Xueying felt embarrassed and twisted her hands, saying, "My second brother... my second brother likes to talk nonsense when he's drunk, please don't take it to heart, Lord Marquis. Besides, Lord Marquis didn't bully me. I was helping Lord Marquis change his clothes, how could that have anything to do with bullying?"
Li Pan said, "Of course I didn't bully you, but it's understandable that your second brother is so worried. If I had a sister as frail as you who was to marry a martial artist, I would also worry that she would be bullied."
“Lord Marquis is a heroic figure, far beyond the reach of ordinary warriors.” After Lou Xueying finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something and her expression turned serious. “Has His Highness the Crown Prince left yet?”
Li Pan looked at her with some confusion: "He left a long time ago. His Highness the Crown Prince only came to observe the ceremony on behalf of His Majesty. He left after the ceremony without even having a sip of wine. Why are you asking this?"
Lou Xueying coughed and said, "I never thought that His Highness the Crown Prince would be present at my wedding... I must thank the Marquis for his timely help today, otherwise I would have lost face in front of His Highness the Crown Prince."
Li Pan: "It was that eunuch who was clueless. Why did he have to shout when you were entering the house? If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince, I would have thought someone else was causing trouble."
Lou Xueying looked at him in shock: "My lord, please watch your words!"
Li Pan: "If I were to speak carelessly, would you report me to His Majesty?"
Lou Xueying was even more shocked: "Now that I have married the Marquis, I am his person, and my fortune and misfortune are intertwined with his. How could I speak ill of the Marquis to His Majesty?"
Li Pan nodded: "Oh, so you're going to deceive the emperor."
Lou Xueying was dumbfounded.
Does she have to do something bad?
Li Pan smiled when he saw her dazed expression.
Lou Xueying had never seen him smile before. His smile broke the previous slightly serious atmosphere, revealing a hint of nonchalance: "I was just joking with you. Doesn't your Lou family tell jokes like this in private?"
Lou Xueying stammered, "Who...who would dare to joke about His Majesty and the Crown Prince?"
Li Pan: "Get used to it in the future. Even His Majesty said that I'm a person who speaks without restraint."
Lou Xueying realized she was wrong; Li Pan was not the person she thought he was.
He is definitely not a rough and straightforward person; if he were, he wouldn't have survived this long.
Her mind was racing, and she was carefully considering her words when she heard someone knocking on the door again.
Li Pan said, "The water delivery guy is here."
Lou Xueying then retreated to the inner chamber.
The gauze curtains fell, concealing her vibrant figure. Li Pan walked to the door, watching the servants carry buckets of hot water into the washroom, and then closed the door.
Li Pan said, "I'm going to take a bath."
Without waiting for Lou Xueying's response, he went straight into the bathroom.
Li Pan entered the washroom and sneezed first.
It smells so good.
A misty fog, carrying a faint fragrance, moistened his lungs.
Li Pan sniffed again and found that the smell was exactly the same as the smell on Lou Xueying earlier.
There were two bath tubs in the bathroom, one larger and one smaller. The larger one was now full of hot water, while the smaller one was empty, but there were still some water droplets on it.
Lou Xueying just used this clean room.
This was the first time Li Pan had felt so clearly that he was now married and no longer living alone.
From this day forward, he will share his room, his life, and everything with a woman. Their scents will intertwine, their traces will blend, and together they will run a home called the Marquis of Wu'an's Mansion.
...What a strange feeling.
Li Pan rubbed his nose, took off his clothes, and stepped into the bathtub.
He washed much faster than Lou Xueying, and was out in half an hour. If it weren't for the fact that he was worried that the young lady would suspect that he hadn't washed at all, he could have done it even faster.
Li Pan, dressed in the same bright red nightgown, walked into the inner bedroom while hastily drying his hair.
Lou Xueying was already sitting quietly on the bed waiting for him.
Li Pan glanced at her, stood by the dressing table, and quickly dried his hair.
Lou Xueying said, "I'll dry your hair for you, Lord Marquis."
"No need," Li Pan said. "It's not winter, it'll dry quickly after wiping."
Lou Xueying stopped moving and just silently watched Li Pan.
Having shed his heavy wedding attire, he wore a thin, soft satin nightgown. As he raised his hand, the lamplight revealed a remarkably defined silhouette of his body. The smooth lines of his shoulders and back sloping down like a mountain ridge, a belt casually knotted at his waist, perfectly accentuating a broad and powerful waistline.
She dared not look any longer, and turned her gaze slightly away, breaking the silence with a different topic: "When the Marquis was not here, I called Cuicui over and asked her some questions."
Li Pan nodded and said, "How was the question? If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me now."
"We generally know, but I think Steward Lü is too busy and hasn't had time to properly instruct the people in the Marquis's mansion. Everyone is without a unified set of rules," Lou Xueying said. "Also, the management in various places is a bit chaotic, and the division of labor is not very clear. Apart from Steward Lü, there doesn't seem to be any leader who can speak for them."
Li Pan: "You're right. From now on, you'll be in charge of all these things. It's normal for Lao Lü to not do well since it's his first time managing such a large mansion. You can teach him. If he doesn't study hard, just come and tell me, and I'll scold him and he'll behave."
Lou Xueying looked at him in surprise.
Li Pan looked at her and said, "What, aren't you the lady of the Marquis's mansion now? Isn't this what the lady of the Marquis's mansion is supposed to do?"
Lou Xueying: "I... I just didn't expect the Marquis to trust me so much."
Li Pan: "You said it yourself, you are my man, and your fortunes are intertwined with mine. If I don't entrust the Marquis's mansion to you, am I supposed to entrust it to an outsider? Besides, among all the people in this mansion, only you are most familiar with the capital and have also been in contact with other Marquis's mansions. We people come from the Northwest and have no idea what the Marquis's mansion is supposed to do."
Lou Xueying pursed her lips.
Li Pan glanced at her again: "This household lacks some clever maids. I had wanted to place a few by my mother's side before, but reliable maids are not easy to find, and I don't have any connections. In addition, His Majesty bestowed a marriage upon me, so I couldn't take care of this matter and it has been delayed until today. If you know where there are such maids, you can buy some, or if it is convenient, you can transfer people directly from your Lou family."
Lou Xueying paused for a moment, then said, "I thought..."
What do you think?
“I thought the Marquis was testing me before, that I was sent by His Majesty to monitor him, and that he didn’t trust the Lou family,” Lou Xueying said, lowering her eyes. “I was being petty.”
Li Pan chuckled: "I never imagined you were sent by His Majesty. If all the inspectors under His Majesty are of your caliber, then I think Great Yue is about to perish."
He really has no restraint when it comes to talking! Lou Xueying stared at him in shock, not even noticing the mockery in his words for a moment.
Li Pan finally finished drying his hair, threw the long towel on the table, and sat down on the bed.
"Lou Xueying, Miss Lou." He stared at her intently, his tone leaving no room for argument, "I've always had a question that I'd like you to answer."
Lou Xueying instinctively shrank back and asked, "W-what?"
Li Pan: "Why did you fall into the water that day?"
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Author's note: This is what a straight shot is all about!
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