Chapter 49 The Grand Wedding - After Zhao Linzhang finished receiving his guests, Shen Yunrong was still...
After Zhao Linzhang finished entertaining his guests, Shen Yunrong was still in the backyard directing the maids to pack things up. The storerooms in this villa were about to be filled with officials and wealthy families.
"Giving gifts to show loyalty? You can let Steward Tan handle these people. You don't need to go through all that trouble yourself," Zhao Linzhang sneered. He added that he would have the gatekeeper keep a close eye on them and throw out anyone who tried to give him a gift.
"Steward Tan has many things to do, and I'm just idling around anyway." Shen Yunrong has been used to working since she was a child. These days, she's been living a life of ease and comfort. She doesn't know how to compose poetry, paint, brew tea, or make wine. If she doesn't find something to do, she'll get sick from being idle.
"Just don't overwork yourself!"
Are you going to see Sister Jiang's father?
"Hmm!" Zhao Linzhang recalled the short, fat man's repeated attempts to probe his intentions, trying to force his daughter onto him. He knew then that there were no such coincidences; the shipwreck just happened to be their meeting.
"Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you?" Shen Yunrong looked at the things that had been sorted and put away, and gently shook Zhao Linzhang's sleeve.
Shen Yunrong rarely acted so coquettishly towards him in public. Zhao Linzhang's unease instantly dissipated, and he reached out to gently wipe away the slight redness left at the corner of the woman's eyes from the previous night.
"Hmm, what do you want to discuss?" Her voice was so gentle it could melt hearts.
Uncomfortable in public, Shen Yunrong pulled him into the room: "What do you think about me opening a shop?"
"I thought it was something important, I'll have Steward Tan get it for you!"
"Grain, oil, and cloth shops, what kind of shop do you think I should open?"
"What's so difficult about that? Just open them all!"
"Open them all!" Shen Yunrong was startled. At first glance, she thought it wasn't a bad idea; she could try to see which shops could be profitable.
"Take your time with the shop. I'll have the tailor come today to take your wedding measurements. You can decide what you like and have them embroider it on!" Zhao Linzhang said, embracing her. Now that they were in Pingnan, he could finally properly arrange their marriage.
"Wedding dress?" Shen Yunrong's face flushed red. They were no different from husband and wife now, but in the end, they had no official status.
"What? Now that I'm all yours, you don't want to acknowledge it?" Zhao Linzhang's expression changed. She was thinking about leaving him again. He couldn't feel at ease until he married her sooner.
"Isn't this too fast?" They had just arrived in Pingnan and didn't even know what the intersections looked like outside.
"I still think it's too slow. The wedding dress will take at least ten days to be finished! I should have had the embroiderers in the Prince's mansion start embroidery earlier!"
"Isn't this the same as getting married?" Shen Yunrong rubbed her waist, which had almost been broken by the man last night, and glared at him reproachfully.
If Shen Yunrong was once a wild orchid in the mountains, now, after being watered by him every night, her every smile and frown is like a crabapple after being nourished by rain, delicate but not gaudy, languid and charming.
Zhao Linzhang lowered his head and captured her cherry-like lips, sucking on them for a while before replying vaguely, "It's different. Once we're married, you'll rightfully be mine!"
Some people are really strange; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Other women never gave him a second glance. Heaven was kind to him and sent her to his side; otherwise, he would have been a lonely man for the rest of his life.
"Stop messing around, in broad daylight!" Shen Yunrong brushed away the hand that had slipped inside her clothes.
“That night…” Zhao Linzhang leaned down and whispered in her ear, which made the woman glare at him angrily.
Shen Yunrong was unfamiliar with other things, and when she wanted to open a shop, the first thing that came to mind was a herbal medicine shop.
Shen Yunrong had long wanted to develop some of Jiang Xinyan's pills that ordinary people could use, so that they could carry them with them when they went out in the future, making them both convenient and effective.
Zhao Linzhang arranged almost everything for their wedding; she was just waiting for the auspicious day to become a bride.
Besides talking with her mother every day, Shen Yunrong read medical books. The medical books did not explain in detail how to make those pills. After thinking about it, Shen Yunrong sent an invitation to Jiang Xinyan to come to her residence.
Jiang Jinghai was overjoyed upon receiving the invitation. He not only made new clothes for his daughter but also bought her new jewelry.
Jiang Xinyan was also overjoyed. Just as her father had said, the prince was truly interested; otherwise, she couldn't understand why he would invite her into the mansion.
Shen Yunrong received her, and Jiang Xinyan was too shy to look at her.
Seeing that she had dressed up specially today, which was quite different from her usual plain clothes, Shen Yunrong smiled and said, "Sister, you look better in bright colors!"
Jiang Xinyan was so nervous that her palms were slightly damp, but she couldn't wait for the person she wanted to see.
"My younger sister's looks are average, unlike her older sister, who looks good in anything!" Jiang Xinyan didn't say anything flattering. Shen Yunrong seemed like a different person these past few days. On the boat, she wore casual clothes, unlike today when she was wearing such elaborate clothes.
The phoenix hairpin she wore was more precious than anything else on her body.
“If my sister likes it, I’ll have the maid prepare two sets of clothes that I haven’t worn yet.” Zhao Linzhang was so afraid that she wouldn’t have any clothes to wear that he brought boxes of clothes to her room every day.
"No, no, sister, you don't need to. The fabric you gave me last time is enough to make several outfits!" Jiang Xinyan put down her teacup, her eyes fixed on the doorway.
"I invited my sister over today because I want her help!"
They've arrived! The prince didn't come in person; he must have asked Sister Chen to speak on his behalf.
"Sister, you're joking. It's my blessing to be able to help you with your affairs!"
"Sister is familiar with pharmacology. Do you know how to make those pills?" Shen Yunrong knew it was a secret recipe, but she didn't know if Sister Jiang would be willing to give it to her. She would buy it for a high price.
"Pills? Did you invite me here today because of those pills, sister?" Jiang Xinyan's face turned as white as paper in an instant.
"Yes, I know this is a bit abrupt, but since the prince and I are new here, we only know my sister who has these pills." Shen Yunrong regretted that she should have discussed it with Zhao Linzhang first.
Jiang Xinyan stood up awkwardly. How could she have forgotten that Shen Yunrong was not yet married into the family and was using the prince's calling card? Her father mistakenly thought that the prince had invited her, and she was momentarily blinded by joy.
"If it's inconvenient for you, sister, then forget it!" Shen Yunrong hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her, so she stood up and waved her hand, saying that she would have Zhao Linzhang help her find some doctors to prepare the medicine.
"No, it's just that my father bought these pills, and my sister doesn't know how to make them. I'll go back and ask him which doctor he bought them from!" Jiang Xinyan dug her fingers deep into her palm, the pain preventing her from losing her composure.
"Okay, then I'll trouble you, little sister."
"Then I'll go back and ask my father now!"
"No rush, little sister, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I invited you here today so we could dine together. The prince is out entertaining guests, so it's just the two of us today!"
Jiang Xinyan gave a bitter smile. The prince had left, and her last hope was gone.
"Thank you, sister, but I'm suddenly feeling a bit unwell. I'll come and bother you another day!"
"If you're not feeling well, you don't need to come all this way. Look at me, I didn't even send you a letter before sending the invitation!" Shen Yunrong thought that since she was the daughter of an official, she should formally send her an invitation to come to the mansion to show respect.
Jiang Xinyan was too exhausted to stand any longer, so she hurriedly bowed and took her leave. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would burst into tears.
Her biological mother was a lowly maid who died in childbirth. She was adopted by the madam from a young age. Although she was called the legitimate daughter, only she knew the hardships she endured.
She had no idea which legitimate daughter would risk her life for a marriage.
When Jiang's father heard that today's events were just a misunderstanding, he slapped her hard: "You can't climb up to the Prince's high branch. Lord Zuo's wife passed away last year, and he recently wants to find a second wife. His children are already married. If you marry into the family, you will be the head of the household."
“Father, that Lord Zuo is over sixty years old!” Jiang Xinyan felt disgusted, as if she had swallowed a fly. That Lord Zuo was even older than her father.
"Your father has raised you for so many years, now it's time for you to show your respect to your father!"
"No, no, Father, I will not marry. I will serve you in this household for the rest of my life!" Jiang Xinyan knelt down in fear and kowtowed to her father.
"What I need is for you to help me, not for you to serve me!" Father Jiang helped his daughter up: "My daughter is so beautiful, the Prince of Pingnan may not know her value, but there are plenty of others who do!"
Jiang Xinyan felt as if her heart was covered in frost, freezing her fingertips.
She had to find a way; she absolutely refused to marry an old man as a second wife.
Shen Yunrong embroidered the veil with a sense of boredom. The wedding dress was embroidered by others, and in order to bring good luck, she only needed to embroider the veil herself.
It would only take a day or two to finish embroidering. She was preoccupied with how to develop the pills, and would embroider the veil a few more times in her spare time.
As soon as Zhao Linzhang entered, he saw her holding the needle, hesitating to put it down.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
"Your Highness, you're back!" Shen Yunrong quickly put down the needles and wrung out a hot towel for him.
"But what's still missing?" Their wedding day was in two days, and Zhao Linzhang was afraid of forgetting something.
“I invited Sister Jiang over today, hoping to ask her how to make pills, but she doesn’t know either!” Shen Yunrong said as she helped him take off his outer clothes.
"These are minor matters; let Steward Tan handle them for you. You should just focus on getting married now!"
"I thought Sister Jiang would know."
"If you like these, I'll find all the doctors around here for you tomorrow."
"We still need to find a doctor who can make these pills."
"Okay, I'll go find it for you!" Zhao Linzhang held her in his arms and took a deep sniff, but he hadn't smelled her scent all day.
"Let go!" Shen Yunrong tried to escape, but couldn't. The moment he saw her, he was like a hungry wolf seeing meat, determined to bite her several times before he would stop. What about that prince who said he was indifferent to women? How come he wanted to die on her body as soon as he met her?
On her wedding day, Shen Yunrong was woken up by her maids in the middle of the night to wash up, draw her eyebrows, and get dressed. She was still sleepy, but she didn't feel tired at all while getting ready. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar woman in the mirror, she asked in surprise, "Isn't this too much powder!"
"The princess is naturally beautiful, and she is even more charming with makeup on!" the matchmaker kept saying auspicious and joyful words.
Well, they thought it was fine as long as it was festive. Shen Yunrong was like a puppet, doing whatever others told her to do.
A burst of firecrackers went off, and someone outside shouted, "The groom has arrived!"
The matchmaker quickly helped her put the veil over her head and helped her to her feet.
The bridal sedan chair circled the street once and was then carried back to the villa. Shen Yunrong felt awkward and uneasy. She was about to get married. She had thought she would be overjoyed and cry tears of happiness, but now she just wanted to lie in bed and get some sleep. Why was getting married so tiring!
After the wedding ceremony, she was led to the bridal chamber. After waiting for a long time, Zhao Linzhang staggered in and lifted her veil: "Your Highness, my wife!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
