Chapter 035 The Wedding Wine

Chapter 035 The Wedding Wine

Xie Jingzhi had always known that Lin Yingxue was beautiful. Even during their first meeting, when Lin Yingxue wore drab clothing and had no adornments, she stood there simply, yet she was the most beautiful scenery.

And the most beautiful moment in a woman's life is now, dressed in her finest, Lin Yingxue looked stunning, even more radiant than Xie Jingzhi had imagined. He couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty.

Not just Xie Jingzhi, but all the onlookers were entranced, even Xie Yuan's eyes flickered with surprise.

Originally, he thought Lin Baozhen was cute and charming, but that charm paled in comparison to true beauty.

"Are you alright?" Fu Jiaze took the veil from Lin Baozhen's hands and whispered.

Lin Yingxue shook her head.

The golden leaves on the phoenix crown swayed, casting shimmering ripples of gold.

Fu Jiaze adjusted the veil back in place.

With his actions, the surrounding crowd sighed in disappointment.

Xie Jingzhi clenched his fists tightly, consumed by intense jealousy.

Fu Jiaze handed over the red silk they were holding to a nearby bridesmaid and then lifted Lin Yingxue into his arms.

Before Lin Yingxue could react, she was gently placed into the bridal sedan chair.

She felt Fu Jiaze's hand touch her face through the veil.

"Just pretend it was blown off by the wind; don't let it spoil your mood."

He stepped out of the sedan chair, raised his hand, and the usually imposing Jinyiwei guards lifted the sedan chair.

As the sedan chair was lifted, Lin Yingxue's heart raced, and her cheeks flushed with excitement.

At this moment, Fu Jiaze mounted his horse and retrieved a long whip from the carriage. The whip crackled like lightning towards Lin Baozhen.

With a loud snap, the whip made a sound like firecrackers, causing Lin Baozhen to take a step back.

The whip caught one of Lin Baozhen's earrings, and she touched her ear, finding blood.

Her pupils contracted to pinpoints, and her voice was shrill like a cat's claws scratching glass: "How dare you?!"

"This is a warning. Lady of the Marquis, do not act recklessly in the future."

Lin Baozhen was shocked and angry, intimidated by the menacing aura, and took another step back.

Xie Yuan slowly approached, disapproving of Lin Baozhen's actions but also feeling humiliated by Fu Jiaze's actions. "Young Master Fu, you have insulted my wife. Do not act like this again."

"There is no insult, merely a warning to the Lady of the Marquis not to cause trouble." Fu Jiaze said, "If Lord Marquis wishes to seek justice for your wife, I will accept the challenge."

Lin Baozhen trembled, holding her ear, instinctively leaning on Wei Wuhou: "Lord Marquis."

Xie Yuan pulled down Lin Baozhen's veil roughly, unlike Fu Jiaze's gentle touch, filled with coldness. After covering her again, he spoke: "This time, my wife was indeed disrespectful, so we will not hold it against Young Master Fu."

Lin Baozhen's actions had embarrassed him greatly. No bride should remove her own veil or disturb another's.

Xie Yuan gripped Lin Baozhen's hand, and she followed him instinctively. Before she could struggle, he rudely pushed her into the sedan chair and ordered: "Lift the sedan chair."

Lin Baozhen hadn't settled in when the sedan chair was lifted, causing her to bump her head.

She groaned, and the apple in her hand rolled out from under the sedan curtains.

Someone in the wedding procession noticed the fruit rolling away but saw no reaction from others and ignored it.

The fruit rolled along the ground until a tender, lotus-like hand picked it up.

"Mother..."

A three-year-old child held the fruit up to show their mother.

The fruit was large and red, making the plump woman ask: "Where did you get this?"

The child pointed at the sedan chair, and the woman exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. "It's from the north-bound sedan chair; the bride threw it out."

The north-bound procession was Wei Wuhou's. Initially, two processions moved in opposite directions, south and north. The south-bound procession had Jinyiwei guards, so people dared not comment much. But hearing the woman's words, the crowd erupted.

"Why would she throw away the fruit if she didn't want to marry Lord Marquis? Why agree to the marriage in the first place?"

Lin Yi and Wang felt utterly humiliated. They wished they could shut their doors and never go out again. But they had to attend the Weiwu Marquis Mansion. Hearing the crowd's gossip about their daughter, they climbed into the carriage without speaking, both exhausted.

Once the Lin family left, the crowd chattered more freely.

"Their eldest daughter is the one who lifted the veil. How could they agree to marry her to an old man? Lord Marquis looks fine alone, but compared to Young Master Fu, he falls short."

"The eldest daughter could have married Young Master Fu. Is she regretting it now? That's why she lifted her veil and disturbed her sister's. The second daughter truly has celestial beauty."

"I met the second daughter's mother before; she seemed like a fairy. Now I see the second daughter is even more beautiful. She's lucky. Young Master Fu's whip was clearly for his new wife."

"Did anyone notice the young man Lord Marquis slapped? He's Xie Jingzhi, the heir of the Weiwu Marquis Mansion. The eldest daughter heard him being slapped and lifted her veil. Did you know her heart belongs to Xie Jingzhi? She married her love's father!"

The news of Lin Baozhen's affection for Xie Jingzhi was spread by Fu Bin. When his nephew proposed to Lin Yingxue, the information about the Lin family faded. Now it resurfaced, and people began recounting past events.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Lin Yingxue clutched the fruit, listening to the music outside. Eventually, the sedan stopped as Fu Jiaze kicked open the door to welcome her out.

/

Holding the red silk, she performed the three bows with him.

Seated on the high platform was Fu Heng. Her case was unresolved, but with Fu Bin's guarantee, she was released for three days. Looking healthy and clear-eyed, she watched the couple bow in the ceremony.

On the bride's side was Wen Hui. Seeing her daughter in a traditional red wedding gown, walking down the proper path of marriage, she couldn't help but recall how different it was from her own experience. Deceived by Lin Yi back then, she had never experienced a proper wedding ceremony; everything had been a sham.

Now, with all the lively music and fanfare, and an official marriage document registered with the government, this was truly a grand and formal wedding.

After the three bows were completed, Fu Heng's gaze fell upon her daughter.

Her daughter looked at the bride's back with innocent joy, chattering about how beautiful the wedding attire was. This only made her heart ache slightly, knowing that such beautiful clothes would never adorn her own daughter.

Fu Bin had also been allowed out of the palace by Emperor Chengde to attend his nephew's wedding. Upon hearing the report from the Jinyiwei, his expression grew slightly more somber, but he quickly regained his smile. He would remember this slight against Wei Wuhou and settle the score later.

After completing the three bows, Lin Yingxue was led into the bridal chamber, waiting for the veil to be lifted.

The room was filled with laughing and joking guests, most of whom had come for Fu Bin. They brought heavy gifts and flattered him shamelessly, skillfully stirring up the atmosphere with their praise for Fu Jiaze, making the entire bridal chamber lively and festive without being overbearing.

With so many people and the warm fragrance in the room, Lin Yingxue, who was initially nervous, soon became dizzy.

As her head spun and she felt short of breath, the veil was lifted.

Back at the Lin residence, someone had also pulled back her veil, allowing her to see Fu Jiaze. She remembered him in his dignified red wedding attire, his handsome features captivating. At that time, it was just a fleeting glance, not suitable for prolonged observation. But now, it was different.

She gazed at Fu Jiaze in a daze, while others admired the breathtaking beauty of the bride.

When the matchmaker smiled and said, "What a perfect couple! Their children will surely be incredibly beautiful," the room erupted in good-natured laughter. Lin Yingxue realized she had been staring too long and blushed, lowering her head as her cheeks turned red, even her earlobes tinged with a rosy hue.

Fu Jiaze watched the small earrings on her earlobes sway gently, noticing the light flush on her skin below. With a light laugh, he sat down close to Lin Yingxue.

Their knees touched, their body heat mingling.

During the ritual of drinking the ceremonial wine, their breaths intertwined. Lin Yingxue felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek and instinctively closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly.

After drinking the wine, Fu Jiaze stood up, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't had enough, I'll go around and offer more toasts."

Fu Bin cleared his throat and smiled, "My nephew has finally married. Let him enjoy some time with his bride. We can have a drink outside. The emperor gave me a day off, so I'll join you for a few drinks."

With Fu Bin offering to toast, everyone happily left the room, with Fu Jiaze lagging behind slightly.

He leaned close to Lin Yingxue's ear, "I've prepared a feast for you. Have some while I'm away, and I'll return as soon as possible."

What could a bride do but wait for her husband?

Lin Yingxue's hand unconsciously gripped her skirt, giving a soft and shy acknowledgment.

Seeing the guests leave the bridal chamber, Fu Jiaze quickly pecked her on the cheek, not waiting to see her reaction before swiftly departing.