Chapter 121 After Marrying the Crippled Prince 1 The Wedding Sedan Chair
Dusk was falling, and a light drizzle was falling.
The wedding procession from Prince Cheng's Mansion marched through the long street, the festive red hues somewhat sombered by the damp spring rain.
Snow Horse, draped in red satin, walked at the head of the procession. Its long, dark trunk would occasionally puff out hot air impatiently, and then it would suddenly shudder, shaking off all the water droplets on its body.
The sedan chair carriers, walking close to it, were splashed with water droplets and couldn't help but spit.
Then, the sedan bearers muttered under their breath, "Prince Cheng suffers from a leg ailment, so he can only take a horse to lead the way when he takes a concubine."
The sedan bearers on the other side cursed under their breath: "Shut up, are you out of your mind!" At the same time, the soaking wet sedan bearers nervously glanced back.
The bridal sedan chair swayed behind them, and these words naturally seeped through the embroidered curtains. However, there was no reprimand; only the sound of horses' hooves splashing in the water and the heavy breathing of the sedan chair bearers could be heard.
They also knew that Yun Chiyi, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites, and now the Princess Consort of Cheng, had suffered a serious illness in her childhood that damaged her voice, and she had been unable to speak for many years.
One is unable to travel, and the other is unable to speak; can they be considered a perfect match? The royal family's marriage relationships are truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
The spring rain continued incessantly, wetting the embroidered curtains. The beauty in the sedan chair sat gracefully, her red veil draped with phoenixes like waves. Occasionally, a corner was lifted to reveal her snow-white chin. Her fair skin, with a hint of blue, made her crimson lips appear even more vividly red.
She coughed softly, her delicate hand clutching a handkerchief as she quietly covered her mouth.
As it fell again, blood stained the snow-covered handkerchief, resembling red plum blossoms in the dead of winter.
Beneath the veil, a pair of red and swollen eyes remained calm upon seeing the scene; she simply tucked the handkerchief away and placed it close to her body.
[Host, the original owner's health is too poor; at this rate, she wouldn't last a year.]
Yun Chi blinked her long eyelashes, indicating that she understood.
Her eyes were dry, clearly from crying all night.
She was already in the sedan chair when she came through, and at this moment she skillfully organized the plot of the original book.
This is a political intrigue novel. The male protagonist is the eldest grandson of the current emperor, the female protagonist is the granddaughter of the prime minister, the second female protagonist is the most talented woman in a noble family, and there are also a third and fourth female protagonists in the book, but she doesn't want to list them all.
She was a vicious female supporting character who died early in the story. When she was nine years old, she was poisoned after witnessing her stepmother's infidelity. She didn't die, but when she woke up, she had lost her memory and her voice was hoarse.
The original owner was not favored by her father and disliked her mother for not fighting for anything. However, she was close to her stepmother and even helped to arrange a good marriage for her step-sister.
She loved another man and was willing to be completely fooled, but she still married Prince Cheng at the age of seventeen and died on her wedding night.
That is, tonight.
This time, Yun Chiyi's target is the male supporting character, Lin Jinyuan, the Prince Cheng in the novel who failed in his rebellion and ended up being pierced by ten thousand swords.
Today is her wedding day with Lin Jinyuan. Yun Chiyi is more happy than worried. There are still ten years before Prince Cheng rebels. She has entered the Prince's mansion with dignity. After tonight, she will have plenty of time to deal with him.
In the brief moment of contemplation, the bridal sedan chair landed on the ground.
All her thoughts were instantly gathered back to normal as Yun Chiyi heard the female official's clear, cold voice enter the rain.
"Spreading out felt mats and passing on mats, ensuring peace and tranquility for generations to come."
After speaking, Yun Chiyi was helped down from the bridal sedan chair by her maids. Outside, a light rain was falling and the spring chill was still in the air. As soon as she stepped onto the felt mat, she couldn't help but feel dizzy.
Her gaze flickered slightly, and suddenly a hand with clearly defined joints grasped her wrist, and a bright red color appeared in her field of vision.
The hand was as white and smooth as jade. The cuffs dropped a few inches as the hand was raised, revealing a slender arm. Her gaze quickly shifted to his wedding robes with gold trim and the black lacquered wheelchair beneath him.
"Please be careful, Madam."
These five short words are like the gentle sound of a flowing stream, warm and just right.
Yun Chi stepped back and hurriedly bowed.
Lin Jinyuan hooked her wrist and pulled her back with a smile: "There's no need to be formal today. It's cold and damp outside, and Madam is not in good health, so let's skip all of that."
The female official covered her face and chuckled, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has not yet entered the residence."
Lin Jinyuan, ever understanding, released his hand and said slowly, "Do you think I changed my mind too early?"
His attentiveness and eagerness made Yun Chiyi sneer silently, almost thinking he was deeply in love.
As dusk fell, servants pushed Lin Jinyuan along beside Yun Chiyi, their wrists intertwined by a red ribbon.
Yun Chiyi had no time to care about any of this; the long, persistent headache left her completely listless, and she didn't even realize when she had arrived at the new house.
After entering, the door was closed, and the lady-in-waiting's voice faded away.
The candlelight cast a dim yellow glow on the bridal chamber. Yun Chiyi sat on a round stool and saw Xi Cheng, whose face was engraved with auspicious patterns, lift her veil. She instinctively shrank back and stared at Xi Cheng warily.
According to the original text, she would be poisoned again and die tonight.
"I'm not afraid." Lin Jinyuan's voice was like the clear sound of a zither.
Yun Chiyi couldn't speak. She slowly clenched her hands, which were pressing down on her wedding dress, as more candlelight flooded in. The light made her involuntarily close her eyes, and her fair skin was tinged with the color of rosy clouds.
Then, she slowly opened her squinted eyes and gazed at the smiling man in front of her, her eyes inadvertently sweeping over her legs covered by the fox fur blanket.
His legs were hidden beneath the deeper layers of his wedding robes, long and limp, bound helplessly to the wheelchair. One could tell that if he could stand, he would surely be a handsome and dashing figure.
Is he really crippled?
In the original text, he died in a wheelchair.
"What is Madam looking at?" He asked gently, a smile playing on his lips.
He gently pulled the red ribbon on his wrist with his right hand, drawing the soft body towards himself.
She touched his knees to his, but felt that his smile was shallow and thin, and that a sharp blade was hidden beneath his handsome appearance.
Perhaps because the original owner had seen him twice, Yun Chiyi felt that his eyebrows and eyes were somewhat familiar.
Or perhaps it's because he's handsome and refined, with a face like jade; good-looking people always have similarities.
"Why is my lady lost in thought again? Is this the first time you've spent time with me like this? Are you still a bit awkward?"
Yun Chiyi nodded, the pearl hairpin on her head jingling like silver bells, and she saw him smile again.
"It's alright, you'll get used to it gradually."
His hands were long and slender, his long fingers gripping the wine cup on the table, and he carefully wrapped the loose red rope around it again. He lowered his eyes and whispered, "Why did it loosen... The people in this manor are becoming more and more unruly; they can't even handle such a small matter."
As he spoke, he smiled and looked at Yun Chiyi: "Please don't be offended, Madam."
Lin Jinyuan broke his leg when he fell off his horse at the age of seven, and was already out of favor. Things only got worse, and now even the maids and servants in his mansion are cheating and shirking their duties.
But it's also because he's used to pretending to be kind and compassionate.
Serves them right.
He handed the wine glass, which was connected by a red string, to Yun Chiyi: "May I drink?"
Yun Chiyi's body was not good at drinking, and she was about to refuse, but then she thought that this was the nuptial wine, and it would seem unreasonable not to drink it.
She pursed her lips, took the wine glass with both hands, and Lin Jinyuan suddenly leaned closer. She backed away slightly, and he looked at her moist eyes with a slight smile on his thin lips. Then he turned his eyes to the side and slowly picked out a candied apricot from the fruit plate on the table.
After drinking the nuptial wine and eating half a candied fruit, the ceremony is considered complete.
He poisoned the candied fruit!
Even without system reminders, Yun Chiyi could remember these crucial details.
If she were to die on her wedding night, Lin Jinyuan could use the pretext of revealing the truth to his deceased wife to turn the mansion upside down, and in the process, eliminate any spies planted by others.
Yun Chiyi remembered that the blame was ultimately placed on a spy maid. It was said that the maid admired him, but because of her lowly status, she could only watch him marry other women. Out of jealousy and hatred, the maid decided to kill him and poisoned him.
The nuptial wine was bestowed by the Emperor himself; any attempt to tamper with it would inevitably cause a major uproar within the palace.
Candied fruit became the second-best option.
At this moment, Lin Jinyuan considerately added, "The liquor is strong, but a little sweetness can be mixed in."
Yun Chiyi frowned, her starry eyes and rosy cheeks flushed. She stretched out her slender fingers, pressed them against her soft cheeks, and then, afraid that Lin Jinyuan wouldn't understand, lightly tapped her last tooth twice.
Lin Jinyuan stared intently at her movements, seeking confirmation: "Does Madam mean that she can't eat sweets because of a toothache?"
Seeing that he understood what she was trying to say, she smiled with her eyes narrowed and nodded with delight.
The candied fruit fell from his hand back onto the plate. A dark glint flashed in Lin Jinyuan's eyes. He turned back and smiled, gesturing for her to drink the nuptial wine first.
A red string held a wine glass, and Yun Chi wanted to be very close to him so that her soft lips could touch the rim of the glass.
Each harboring their own secrets, they drank the sake to the last drop.
The wine was indeed extremely spicy. Yun Chiyi was caught off guard and choked, turning his head to cough and tears welling up in his eyes.
She thought to herself, "I shouldn't die anytime soon." Suddenly, Lin Jinyuan moved closer and cupped her cheeks with both hands. Yun Chiyi was stunned for a moment, then tensed up and gripped her wine glass helplessly.
Lin Jinyuan said gently, "I apologize for the offense. Please open your mouth, Madam. I had a sweet tooth when I was young, so I have some experience in dealing with tooth decay."
He leaned against her like warm jade, and this time Yun Chiyi's body truly began to tense up.
She slowly opened her mouth, her pink tongue hiding to one side, revealing her right white tooth.
"It's nothing. Others wouldn't avoid certain foods just because of a tooth decay. It seems that the lady is weak and the pain is more intense than for others."
Yun Chiyi lowered her eyes and looked at him as if she understood but didn't.
Lin Jinyuan loosened his hands and curled a strand of her black hair with his index finger.
"Does Madam know what the other courtesy is?"
Yun Chiyi blushed instantly, lowered her head shyly, and her fingertips trembled as she pulled out his black hair, tangling it with the black hair in his hand.
—They became husband and wife after their hair was tied together.
Seeing her tentatively approach him like a lark, Lin Jinyuan chuckled lightly, used delicate silver scissors to cut off two strands of hair, took the red string from their wine cups, and carefully tied the cut hair back together.
His movements were extremely slow, and Yun Chiyi was almost asleep, leaning lightly on his shoulder.
Lin Jinyuan gently patted her back: "Did you forget about the important matter? Why are you going to sleep so soon?"
Could it be that he still wants to consummate the marriage?
Yun Chiyi pursed her lips, stepped back, got up and pushed him to the edge of the bed, helping him sit on the edge of the bed.
He was unable to move easily, so she took on the responsibility of turning off the lights, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Suddenly, the red ribbon on her wrist tightened, and she turned around and fell into a warm embrace.
"I will undress my husband."
His breath brushed against her cheek. In the darkness, Yun Chiyi's eyes darkened, and she sighed at his acting skills.
Is this a little game where you pretend to be a loving couple?
Yun Chiyi instantly perked up; when it comes to acting, she is quite experienced.
He wanted to act, and she was happy to oblige.
Yun Chiyi raised her hand, her fingertips trembling as she reached for the jade belt at his waist. She tried to untie it for a long time, her forehead covered in fine sweat, but she couldn't get it right.
She still had a headache and didn't want to consummate the marriage; she just wanted to sleep.
Lin Jinyuan's hand had somehow wrapped around her waist, and his laughter came from above her head: "We've been engaged for quite some time now, hasn't my wife learned these things yet?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
