Chapter 294 Wedding
Last night, Pei Siyan tormented her several times and coaxed her into saying many shameful things before he finally stopped.
Dou Wenyi felt weak all over and got up very late.
After lunch, I finally managed to recover some of my energy and spirit.
She let Cuizhi do her hair and makeup. Cuizhi took out the nine-tailed phoenix hairpin from the makeup box and carefully inserted it into her thick hair bun, sincerely praising, "Your Highness, you look so beautiful today."
"You're so sweet-talking."
Dou Wenyi smiled gently, her eyebrows curving upwards, and couldn't help but look up at herself.
The person in the mirror seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Her hair was cloud-like and her face was beautiful. She looked around gracefully, and there was a languid charm in her eyes that she herself had not noticed.
As her gaze moved down, it landed on her fair neck, where several ambiguous red marks were clearly imprinted, standing out starkly against the surrounding alabaster-like skin.
Dou Wenyi's cheeks suddenly flushed red. She quickly turned her face away and asked in a low voice, "Do you have any high-necked dresses?"
Cuizhi looked at her in surprise, "It's already May, aren't you feeling stuffy in a turtleneck?"
Dou Wenyi felt she had really lost her mind. Pointing to the red marks on her neck, she gritted her teeth and said, "Let's put some powder on here."
Is Pei Siyan born in the Year of the Dog? He must have done it on purpose!
At this moment, a young eunuch came in to deliver a message, "Your Highness, His Highness is delayed by some business and may be a little late. If it is time, he will ask you to go ahead first."
"good."
As it was almost dusk, the Crown Princess's carriage finally stopped at the gate of the Eldest Princess's residence. The Eldest Princess's residence was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, and was bustling with festive cheer. Outside the gate, carriages and horses came in one after another, and guests walked in with smiles on their faces.
Looking around, Dou Wenyi saw many merchants and guests coming and going, but very few court officials.
She was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that the Eldest Princess was confined to her residence and could not go anywhere, so she had no choice but to hold the wedding banquet here instead of at the Xie family's residence?
In this way, Xie Guidu's situation doesn't seem like he's getting married, but rather more like he's marrying into the family!
Dou Wenyi suddenly remembered that in her previous life, the small courtyard of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion had trapped her for more than a decade...
Princess Fu'an's decision not to enter the Xie family's door was at least a step more shrewd than her previous life's.
The old woman who led her in announced with a smile as soon as they reached the entrance hall, "The Crown Princess has arrived—"
The ladies and young women who were waiting in the hall to watch the ceremony turned to look at her with curiosity upon hearing this. But to their surprise, they all looked on with envy.
The entire hall fell silent instantly. Rumors circulated that the fourth daughter of the Dou family became the Crown Prince's consort through a marriage to ward off bad luck, but she was incredibly fortunate and deeply favored by the Crown Prince.
Dou Wenyi usually lives a secluded life and rarely attends such banquets. Many people have never even seen her face or demeanor.
With the Crown Prince gaining real power and news of his imminent ascension to the throne spreading, she was thrust into the spotlight and became the most talked-about person in Tianning City.
After all, not everyone has such incredible luck, rising from an unknown woman to become the future empress!
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, making her look like a goddess descended to earth. The entire hall shone brightly because of her arrival, making everyone else pale in comparison.
Several socialites and ladies felt a pang of envy at her stunning beauty. The reason was simple: they wanted to enter the palace as concubines after Pei Siyan ascended the throne and compete with her for beauty.
One of the ladies gasped and lowered her voice, "She's really beautiful. No wonder she captivated the Crown Prince."
Someone immediately chimed in, "Isn't that right? They're a match made in heaven."
"Yeah yeah."
"I heard that this person was once engaged to Prince Xie? But for some reason, the engagement was broken off?"
A lady looked flustered and glanced around. "His Highness the Crown Prince dotes on the Crown Princess like a treasure. Why are you bringing up such a sore subject? Please stop talking about this!"
"It seems that Prince Xie is in love with someone else..."
"Seriously, this woman is incredibly lucky to be able to marry the Crown Prince even after breaking off her engagement."
Do you know why Prince Xie was imprisoned?
"Wasn't it abuse of power for personal gain? A mistake was made."
"It seems that he imprisoned his own sister in the Dali Temple prison and even swapped her with a death row inmate."
"Isn't this outrageous? Could it be a brain disorder?"
"Tsk tsk, what does Princess Fu'an see in him?"
"Is it just because of his face? What else could it be!"
"Of course, it's about bedroom skills!"
"Oh dear, at your age, aren't you ashamed?"
...
When Madam Xue arrived, she overheard the ladies gossiping together. The smile on her face froze on her lips, and her resentful gaze swept across the hall before finally landing on Dou Wenyi.
Back then, Xie Guidu was a rising star in Tianning City. If it weren't for that jinx, her son wouldn't have ended up in this state today.
The thought that Dou Wenyi was not only getting married but also becoming empress filled Xue with resentment. However, today was her son's big day, and she could not afford to make any mistakes.
She composed herself, forced a smile, and busied herself greeting the guests.
"The auspicious time has arrived. The newlyweds step forward to pay their respects to their parents—" the best man's voice rang out.
The newlyweds quickly completed their wedding ceremony. Princess Fu'an was led to the bridal chamber, while Xie Guidu, dressed in a wedding robe, busily moved among the crowd. Dou Wenyi glanced at him and then looked away.
She felt as if the once dignified and upright Prince Xie had died forever, and the man before her was nothing but a scheming villain.
"Crown Princess?" Princess Fu'an's personal maid, Caihuan, curtsied to her.
Dou Wenyi snapped out of her daze. "What is it?"
"My princess was very moved to learn that you had come to attend the ceremony and would like to invite you for a chat."
Dou Wenyi was slightly taken aback. It was already dusk, and in a few more hours they would be entering the bridal chamber. What kind of logic was it for her to invite her to meet now?
As if sensing her worries, Caihuan continued to persuade her, "The princess said it won't take up much of your time. I hope you will consider our past relationship and go see her."
Dou Wenyi frowned slightly. She had brought her own guards with her today, so she wasn't worried about her safety.
"Fine. I'll go in with you."
Dou Wenyi followed Caihuan into the bridal chamber.
Princess Fu'an was dressed in a gorgeous and extravagant wedding gown, adorned with jewels, and looked extremely beautiful. However, she had already lifted her veil herself.
Seeing her come in, he was delighted and quickly went up to her, affectionately taking her hand. "Wenyi, thank you for coming to see me."
Dou Wenyi calmly withdrew her hand. "Why did you invite me here? Today is your big day, you mustn't act recklessly."
Princess Fu'an looked worried. "Wenyi, actually, I thought about breaking off the engagement with Xie Guidu a while ago. But my mother wouldn't allow it. She said that if I broke off the engagement, she would kill herself. I had no choice but to comply with her wishes."
"I know you've always meant well for me, you won't resent me, will you?"
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