Marquis Mu Houchu was dressed in red, his hair tied up with a jade crown. He looked brighter compared to his usually gloomy appearance. It was not clear whether it was due to his vibrant clothes or whether he was in a genuinely good mood today.
In the main hall ahead, Le Yuanhou was seated in the position of honor. Even Lady Sun, who was under house arrest, was allowed out. After all, Xin He needed to bid farewell to her parents to ensure good luck as she was getting married. If not, it would be considered unlucky.
Especially since Mu Houchu was an orphan, there was a lack of a mother figure, which was particularly inauspicious.
Guided by a young servant, Mu Houchu made his way from the mansion gate to the main hall. There were many little maids on the side, all hoping to get a glimpse of the infamous and ruthlessly cruel Minister Mu, who is usually dressed in black and now surprisingly in red.
The moment he passed by, a gasp could be heard, and the little maids were enthusiastically exclaiming, "That’s Minister Mu! Oh my! I never thought in my life that this grim reaper could ever get married, and in this red outfit, he is... "
So strikingly handsome!
However, even when discussing in private, the maids dared not utter the word ’handsome’, as Mu Houchu hated when people described him as beautiful.
"He used to wear black robes that made him seem so grim and ominous, causing people to avoid looking directly at him. But in this red outfit, he seems so much more gentle, almost like a spirited young man..."
This twenty-five-year-old man, for the first time, has the vivacity of youth. Even when he was sixteen and topped the imperial examination, riding high on his horse through the streets, he did not have such a sunny disposition. Instead, his gloomy aura made him seem far from his actual age; he resembled a wolf ready to pounce and bite your neck at any moment!
Despite this, the exceptionally handsome man became a heartthrob to countless young girls in the capital when he topped the examination and paraded through the streets at the age of sixteen. His popularity even overshadowed the top scholar and the second place, causing a sensation in the capital city.
Nine years have passed in a blink, and the young man remains the same. His aura has become stronger day by day, and by the time he ascended to the position of prime minister, hardly anyone in the capital dared to look at him directly. The intimidating aura around him would make people keep their distance.
There hasn’t been any woman close to him throughout these nine years. Even his so-called childhood sweetheart, Chen Yining, is known to only exchange the occasional unfazed remarks with him.
Until the age of twenty-five, he remained unmarried. Everyone thought that he would remain without a woman for his whole life. Yet, who could have ever expected him to love a woman so passionately now?
From the moment he held Ji Xinhe in his arms for the first time at Le Yuanhou’s mansion, declaring that she was his, it shattered the hearts of countless young girls in the capital. A lot has changed, but her status has remained the same. Today, he, for her, has worn his most detested vibrant-festive clothes, completely changing his typically brooding demeanor. His steps seem light, akin to a spirited young man, coming to marry her.
The servants who were spying couldn’t help but become mesmerized, muttering, "a man like this, I believe he must have realized that only our Miss, with her extraordinary beauty, is a match for him."
Inside the main hall.
Le Yuanhou’s mood was quite different from those of the servants. This marriage was something he had reluctantly agreed to, after all. The Emperor had granted the marriage, and their family could not refuse it a second time, so naturally, his attitude towards Marquis Mu wasn’t going to be favorable.
As soon as Mu Houchu stepped in, he respectfully greeted, "Greetings, Lord Marquis."
Le Yuanhou snorted lightly, "No need for such formality, Minister Mu."
But it seemed Mu Houchu had anticipated Le Yuanhou’s attitude, he calmly replied, "You are soon to be my father-in-law, and I should naturally show the same respect as I would to a biological father."
Le Yuanhou was momentarily taken aback. Mu Houchu, who is usually aloof and wouldn’t bat an eye even before a prince, was showing him such patience and respect today.
Le Yuanhou remembered Xin He’s words: "He treats me very well."
This reassured Le Yuanhou a little and made him believe Mu Houchu to some extent. He cleared his throat and said, "Have a seat, I have someone fetching Xin He."
With his head slightly lowered, Mu Houchu thanked, "Thank you, Marquis."
About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, no one had arrived.
Le Yuanhou frowned and asked the little maid serving him, "Did someone go to fetch her? Why haven’t they arrived yet?"
The little maid replied awkwardly in a low voice, "The old lady just sent someone to say that she’s having a heart-to-heart chat with the eldest Miss. She asked us to wait a little longer."
Le Yuanhou nodded solemnly, guessing the old lady’s intentions.
Le Yuanhou glanced at Mu Houchu sitting on a side chair in the hall. He just sat there, neither drinking tea nor speaking much, waiting patiently without any anxiousness or impatience.
Le Yuanhou took a deep breath and told the little maid, "Go and urge them. It’s not good to miss the auspicious time."
"Yes." The maid, careful, glanced at Mu Houchu. Initially, she thought that the ruthless and heartless minister would lose his temper. To her surprise, he was calm and steady, showing no impatience and causing her a minor shock.
Not daring to stay longer, the young maid hurriedly ran off.
On this side, the old lady was still chatting with Xin He. The old lady worried about many things and also showed affection because Xin He had no mother. She was telling Xin He many things in a chatty mode, including matters of the marital bed, and she secretly explained a few things to Xin He, fearing that she would be wronged because she didn’t know anything.
Xin He blushed, not knowing whether she felt shy or guilty.
She and Marquis Mu had already consummated their relationship. The first time could be seen as unintentional, but the second time...
Forget it, she had to keep this a secret and act as if she knows nothing.
As for being wronged, he was always unwilling to let her suffer any grievances in any other aspect, except — in bed! He was an absolute beast!
Xin He silently scolded him.
Then one maid ran over, panting, and said, "Old Lady, Master has asked me to say that we shouldn’t delay the auspicious time. It’s better to let Miss get on the palanquin sooner."
The old lady snorted irritably, "What? Is the groom getting impatient?"
She knew it wasn’t a good thing!
Xin He couldn’t help but feel perplexed. Usually, it’s said that mother-and-daughter-in-law relationships are hard to manage, but it looked like the relationship between Marquis Mu, her dad, and her granny was quite complicated too.
The maid replied, "Minister Mu is not impatient, he’s still waiting in the main hall. It’s the Master, Master is afraid of missing the auspicious time, which wouldn’t be lucky."
Only then did the old lady’s expression soften slightly.
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