Chapter 49: Chapter 49 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 49: Two Chapters Combined

Yu Shi had originally prepared 120 dowry chests, but with the engagement gifts from the Prince of Qing’s mansion being so lavish, she decided to repack the loosely filled trunks more tightly and add the new items into additional chests.

In truth, Yu Shi had wanted to make it 136 chests, but She Niang stopped her, saying, "We’re already attracting enough attention as it is. One hundred and twenty chests is perfectly respectable. As the saying goes, 'A full moon begins to wane, a full bowl spills over.' It’s best for us to keep it like this."

"Then let’s do as you say," Yu Shi said with a smile.

Yet as she spoke, she couldn’t hold back her tears: "You’ve been with us for over ten years. Mom really can’t bear to see you go. Once you’re gone, I’ll feel completely adrift."

Having a daughter at home was like having an anchor. On the surface, it seemed the family protected her, but in reality, it was the daughter who shielded them from many troubles. Once she left, Yu Shi felt she would become lost and anxious.

She Niang held Yu Shi’s hand and said, "Mother, the Prince of Qing’s mansion is in the capital—that’s something to be grateful for. Besides, I’ll be the future princess. If you ever face any difficult matters, just send someone to inform me. If I were married off to Hangzhou, that would truly be far-off and out of reach, with little chance of meeting again in this lifetime."

One must always look on the bright side of things. She then pointed to the sleeping Pang Geer and said, "Look how soundly he’s sleeping. Although my elder brother is no great scholar, he is kind-hearted and filial to you and Father. My younger brother is a good student. In the future, you will surely be the luckiest woman alive."

These words comforted Yu Shi greatly.

After consoling her mother, She Niang left the sixth branch courtyard and happened to meet Yue Niang, who seemed hesitant about something. She Niang gave her a slight nod in greeting.

Yue Niang, however, seemed to have much to say: "We’re leaving."

"Leaving? Where to?" She Niang didn’t understand.

If it weren’t for Elder Master Pei’s recommendation, how could Mo Yun have become a clerk in the Office of Transmission (Tongzheng Si)? This was a position many scholars could only dream of obtaining.

Yue Niang said, "Someone has secured him a post as a Secretary in the Wuying Hall for your brother-in-law and even provided us with a courtyard to live in. So, we’ll be moving out."

"Who is it?" She Niang asked curiously.

"Official Jia Ping," Yue Niang replied, her tone somewhat despondent. She would have preferred to stay with the Pei family, where all her relatives were. Moving into someone else’s home meant truly living under another’s roof.

Jia Ping? She Niang sighed. "Is that the trusted minister of the emperor who strongly advocates for dismantling the feudal estates?"

It was said that Jia Ping might become someone like Zhufu Yan or Jia Yi in the future—too radical, insisting on stripping the nobles’ power, and likely to meet a tragic end. Once Mo Yun aligned himself with Jia Ping, he would probably become more extreme as well, and his fate might not be favorable.

After saying this, she looked at Yue Niang, who nodded and then sighed. "To be honest, I think it wouldn’t be so bad to remain a minor clerk in the Office of Transmission. Ah well."

She sighed deeply. That evening, it was said that the couple had already moved out quietly.

Shun Niang said to She Niang, "Brother-in-law Mo Yun is really something. Our family invited them here, and they just left without a word. But perhaps it’s for the best. They always felt stifled here, and we felt uncomfortable too."

Uncomfortable? She Niang wondered what Shun Niang had to feel uncomfortable about, but she quickly realized—Shun Niang was to marry into the House of the Marquis of Xinan. If Yue Niang hadn’t been engaged so quickly, Shun Niang’s marriage might have been hers instead, since she was Nian Niang’s own sister.

But She Niang said, "It’s hard to make your way through the proper ranks, so this is the only way. Don’t blame them."

"Fifth Sister, you’ve become so broad-minded now, quite different from before," Shun Niang joked.

She Niang smiled but didn’t respond. She was a very composed person, especially now that she no longer needed to argue sharply to compete for anything. Shun Niang continued, "Sister, did you know that the Prince of Linqing is also getting married? His bride’s father is only a fifth-rank official, and it’s said she’s even related to our family."

"Related to our family?" She Niang truly didn’t know.

Shun Niang laughed. "She’s the niece of the sister-in-law of our old grand-aunt."

The relation was a bit convoluted, but after thinking it over, She Niang said, "Her father may not hold a high rank, but her grandfather does."

"That’s true, but still, they’re not a prominent family," Shun Niang said, glancing at She Niang. She couldn’t help adding, "Fifth Sister, we’ll be marrying around the same time. We must keep in touch afterward."

What Shun Niang really meant was that among the sisters, only she and She Niang belonged to the same social class; the others had fallen behind.

She Niang smiled and agreed. For now, her mind was wholly occupied with thoughts of her upcoming marriage and her future life in her husband’s family. Would she be able to navigate it as smoothly as she had at home?

The day before the wedding, Pei Ji, Pei Zhen, and Pei Lin went to deliver the dowry. Although the Pei family wasn’t considered among the top-tier households, with two jinshi holders in the family and both brothers holding respectable official positions in the capital, no one dared to look down on them.

Moreover, the bride’s dowry was incredibly generous—120 fully packed chests. Women on the streets watched enviously. Even the porters carrying the dowry into the Prince of Qing’s mansion stumbled under the weight, grunting about how heavy the dowry was.

"Heavy" meant the dowry was substantial and genuine. The Princess of Qing was pleased to hear this. She had heard of many families who appeared to send many chests but only filled them halfway, making it seem as though the groom’s family had gained a great advantage when, in fact, it was all a sham.

The Pei family, however, had not faked it. The chests were made of high-quality rosewood or camphorwood.

Pei Ji handed the dowry list to the Princess of Qing. Naturally, she had no intention of coveting her daughter-in-law’s dowry, but the dowry could reflect the sincerity of the bride’s family.

The list included 360 acres of farmland, a manor with thirty-six rooms—she nodded in approval. Next were items of furniture: a thousand-craftsman bed, a canopy bed, a luohan bed (a reclining couch), a red sandalwood chaise lounge, and numerous others. The furniture alone took up two pages. Decorative items and tea sets filled another two pages. Seasonal clothing was too numerous to mention, and jewelry occupied three pages. Antique paintings, calligraphy, medicinal ingredients, and spices together filled one page, and the Pei family’s accompanying scholar’s implements took another page.

Including the servants who came with the dowry, the list spanned nearly eleven pages.

The Prince of Qing’s mansion had people specially assigned to receive Pei Ji and his brothers, treating them with great respect. When Li Ju heard about it, he gave a nod of approval.

The Princess of Qing also felt relieved. That night, she said to the Prince of Qing, "Once the new daughter-in-law enters the household, I can finally relax."

"Indeed, it’s time for you to pass the torch and let the new daughter-in-law manage the household," the Prince of Qing said.

The Princess of Qing was not pleased to hear this. Although she wasn’t a petty person, she was wary of anyone encroaching on her authority. However, she couldn’t show this in front of her husband and only said, "Our son is the only heir. The new daughter-in-law should focus on bearing children first. She will take over the household eventually, but if she works too hard too soon, it might harm her health. I heard her elder sister has been married for some time but still hasn’t gotten pregnant. It makes me a little worried."

Although the princely mansion was different from ordinary households, the Prince of Qing was also concerned about this issue. The Prince of Chongning had six sons with his principal wife alone—truly impressive. Their family, by comparison, had only one son. As the saying went, "Even if you lose, don’t lose face," but in this regard, their family had already lost face.

Thinking of this, the Prince of Qing regretted, "If we had known earlier, we should have proposed your niece for our son instead."

The Princess of Qing’s niece, nicknamed Zhenzhu, was the apple of her elder brother’s eye. Her father held the position of Military Commissioner, and the girl was pleasantly plump and fair. It was said she had been taught etiquette by palace matrons—dignified and with an excellent temperament.

The last time the Princess of Qing returned from visiting her family, she couldn’t stop praising her.

But now, hearing the Prince of Qing’s words, she said, "It doesn’t matter now. This is what they call 'how things turn out.'"

The Prince of Qing spoke his mind freely, but she couldn’t do the same. If her daughter-in-law heard any rumors, she might think the Princess of Qing had wanted her own niece to marry in and spread such talk. This Miss Pei was capable and talented—a woman of substance. She could ride horses, swim, paint, write excellent essays, and had remarkable skills. The Princess of Qing couldn’t afford to earn her daughter-in-law’s resentment from the very beginning.

The couple whispered late into the night until daybreak, when they suddenly realized: "Ah, today is our son’s wedding day!"

Today was also She Niang’s wedding day. The adults in the family who had matters to attend to had taken leave to prepare for receiving guests. Even Mo Yun, who had moved out, specially brought many firecrackers. He had his difficulties, but he hadn’t cut ties completely and maintained good relations—he was a very tactful person.

She Niang began bathing, changing, and preparing her makeup early in the morning. Li Niang arrived early too, but her early arrival was of little use. She complained about everything—here not being grand enough, there lacking pomp.

Fortunately, the wedding matron said, "Fourth Young Miss, our young lady’s attire is that of a princess consort. It cannot be worn casually. Though it may look cumbersome and heavy, it’s something many women can only dream of."

Everyone secretly chuckled. This wedding matron was helping She Niang with her makeup and naturally sided with her. Li Niang, angered by the remark, flounced out.

After she left, the wedding matron said meaningfully, "Young lady, if I had a sister like you, I would do my best to curry favor. Your sister is burning her bridges."

She Niang was surprised that a wedding matron would speak so frankly. She turned to her and said, "I’ve heard that wedding matrons often act as matchmakers and usually say pleasant things. Why do you speak like this?"

The wedding matron smiled awkwardly. "I only have your best interests at heart."

"On such a joyous day, harmony is most important," She Niang said, seeming to see through her.

There were many people like this wedding matron—those who appeared to have your best interests at heart but actually stirred up trouble, benefiting from the conflicts they created. She Niang reminded herself to remain composed. If anything went wrong during the wedding, who knew how many people would laugh at her expense?

Just like some scholars who, though not yet having passed the imperial examination, feel certain of success—their families even start hosting banquets in advance. Even a great figure like Ouyang Xiu once believed he would come out as top scholar and had a red robe made beforehand, only for someone else to claim the title.

Putting up with things now is simply to ensure everything goes smoothly. She understood clearly that once they met, their statuses would differ—even if she said nothing, others would perceive her as disrespectful.

Getting ready and changing took two or three hours, and she was already starving. Lan Ruo brought her some white rice cakes: "Miss, since Mama Xia isn’t here, I asked Mama Xue for these."

Mama Xia had already left yesterday with Furong, Shanhu, and some other servants to prepare the bridal chamber at the prince’s residence and guard the dowry. Only a few maids who usually attended to her remained by She Niang’s side.

"Bring me some water too. I always choke on these steamed cakes," She Niang said.

Lan Ruo cautioned, "You must drink slowly, miss, so you don’t smudge your lipstick."

"I know. Getting married is like a chaotic mess," She Niang replied. She had been worried about potential wedding pranks—it was said that for three days after the wedding, all formalities were dropped.

Even at her brother and sister-in-law’s wedding, someone had hung an apple between them and made them both bite into it—it was utterly embarrassing. She’d also heard of people jesting about the father-in-law carrying the bride...

These stories made She Niang especially anxious. With Li Ju having many friends, she feared someone might cause a scene, which would truly annoy her.

But she found that the actual wedding was not as she had imagined—everyone was too busy and rushed.

Lan Ruo said, "You have it easy here. Outside, the first and second young masters are so busy they walked right into each other."

She Niang found this amusing.

Li Ju was also nervous, feeling as though he were in a dream, just being pushed forward. Throughout his life, as an observer, he had noticed many shortcomings—for instance, the current emperor acted too hastily, while the crown prince was overly benevolent. To be fair, the Prince of Jin was indeed a very successful emperor.

His quinine could only save his life temporarily; he couldn’t influence major policies now.

Fortunately, under his leadership, the Prince of Xiang’s residence was said to be arriving in the capital soon, and the regional princes’ resistance had lessened.

But this probably wasn’t what the emperor wanted either. Though he was now curtailing the power of the regional princes, when the Tatars invaded, he would still need these princes to risk their lives. Afterward, they were expected to obediently relinquish their military power and withdraw from worldly affairs—something not everyone could do.

Those with ambition might not submit willingly.

Yet, no matter who took over, it would be much the same. While the current emperor was in power, everyone was discontented, and he employed a policy of appeasement. Under the Prince of Jin, their backs were bent straight—he treated the imperial clan like servants, showing no respect.

Especially in his later years, the country fell into chaos, with positions being sold and corruption everywhere. It was only by killing Emperor Jianchang’s close associates to appease public anger that Empress Dowager Pei consolidated her power.

Thinking of this, he found it incredible that he was about to marry Empress Dowager Pei.

"Brother, why are you still dawdling?" The young mistress came looking for him.

Li Ju saw it was his sister and smiled quickly. "Baoying, why are you here now? Be careful not to get jostled—it’s crowded today."

The young mistress giggled. "I just came to see."

She was already of coming-of-age, and the palace had mentioned arranging a marriage for her. Because of this, the Princess of Qing had long forbidden her from horseback riding, leaving her quite bored.

Now that her second and third sisters had married, she was the only one left at home. Since she knew She Niang, she was eager for more excitement.

After speaking with his sister, Li Ju went to see the Prince of Qing. The young mistress had to turn back but unexpectedly ran into Yang Mo and several female relatives from the Prince of Chongning’s residence. Not in the mood to greet them, she took a side path.

Nearby, the female relatives from the Prince of Chongning’s residence were asking Yang Mo, "So you’ve had some interaction with this new consort? What is her temperament like?"

"I’m not sure of the details, but her scholarship is excellent. After all, she comes from the Hedong Pei family—not some minor household. She’s both talented and beautiful," Yang Mo said, well-versed in the art of excessive praise.

She knew that these daughters-in-law of the Prince of Chongning were from local military families in Kaifeng, unrefined and barely educated—completely different from the way scholarly families educated their women.

The Pei family wasn’t among the top scholarly clans, but their daughters were all educated, especially Pei Sheniang, whose literary talent was quite remarkable.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the eldest daughter-in-law of the prince, Lady Wei, asked, "What official position does her father hold? What is her family like?"

Yang Mo replied, "I’m not entirely sure now. A few years ago, I believe he was vice-prefect of Hangzhou. By the time of the marriage, he seemed to have been promoted to prefect."

"Just a prefect!" Lady Wei drew out the "just" emphatically.

Yang Mo seemed reluctant to say more, but someone else asked, "Is her family wealthy?"

"You saw the dowry yesterday—it was quite substantial. However, I heard her father was born of a concubine but quite skilled at handling business," Yang Mo said after a moment’s thought.

"Born of a concubine…"

Someone in the crowd said meaningfully.

In respectable families, people generally didn’t emphasize concubine or legitimate birth, but when they couldn’t find other faults, they liked to use such things to highlight others’ shortcomings.

Having achieved her purpose, Yang Mo didn’t join in the gossip but instead smiled and said, "Let’s go to the front where the princess is and see if we can help."

It was a bright, sunny day. She Niang’s room had over a dozen tubs of ice to prevent her from sweating and ruining her makeup. She glanced at the sky—it was already afternoon.

The groom's party would likely set out soon. She said to Lan Ruo, "Have you and Qiu Shuang eaten yet?"

"Yes, yes, don’t worry," Lan Ruo replied, tying coins with red thread—twenty in one bundle, sixty-six in another, or eighty-eight, all for good luck.

Qiu Shuang finished tying a knot and asked, "Miss, will we have to do this often after going to the prince’s household? It’s too expensive."

"When we lived at the Prince of Qing’s residence before, we were only there for a few days and didn’t interact much with the staff—we kept to ourselves. But now we’ll have to engage with them. We’ll mostly follow their rules. Keep your eyes open—don’t believe everything, and don’t get entangled in their relationships," She Niang instructed.

Qiu Shuang laughed, "Miss, with Sister Furong and Sister Shanhu there, we’ll have our own people."

But Lan Ruo said, "Though they are from the prince’s household, they serve their own masters. We are the ones who are truly on your side."

Hearing this, Qiu Shuang glanced at She Niang, who smiled without speaking, and she understood. Shanhu was the Prince of Qing’s maid, and Furong served the Princess of Qing—in other words, they were openly placed informants from the prince’s residence. How could She Niang trust them completely?

No wonder She Niang had recently avoided arguments, gotten along even with the sixth young lady, and even made peace with the sixth master and other branches of the family—it was all for the benefit of the informants from the Prince of Qing’s residence.

She felt silly that she hadn't realized it earlier, wondering how She Niang could be so patient.

They finished tying the coins and put them in boxes. Lan Ruo stepped forward and asked, "Miss, would you like some tea? Are you thirsty?"

"I won’t drink anymore. Otherwise, it’ll be inconvenient if I need to relieve myself. Look at this wedding gown—it’s making my shoulders ache," She Niang said, moving her neck slightly, feeling stiff.

But clearly, the wedding rituals for the prince’s son were extremely elaborate, far different from ordinary marriages. Accompanying Li Ju were officials from the Court of Ceremonies, the Ministry of Rites, the prince’s chief steward, royal guards, and others.

Pei Ji and the others couldn’t block the groom and demand a poem as usual. They had to wait respectfully for the prince’s son to arrive and perform the rites. Two female attendants came to She Niang’s side to escort her out.

At the door, Pei Ji would carry her on his back. She Niang, with all her jewelry jingling, whispered, "Brother, can you manage carrying me well?"

"Don’t worry, sister. I’ll be fine. Just get on my back," Pei Ji said, patting his chest confidently.

She Niang climbed onto his back, and when he started walking without even panting, she relaxed. "Brother, you’re amazing."

"Of course. I’ve been training in martial arts lately—everyone says I’m very fit," Pei Ji said, then suddenly started crying at the thought of his sister getting married and leaving home.

His tears made She Niang’s heart ache, and she couldn’t hold back her own tears.

No one expected Lady Yu not to cry, but Pei Ji did first.

Yet, as he carried She Niang to the gate, she was quickly guided into the wedding carriage. Originally veiled beneath her bridal cover, she hadn't even caught a glimpse of Li Ju. But when She Niang emerged, Li Ju couldn't help clenching his fists, his body leaning forward slightly.

At this moment, he still had to bid farewell with full etiquette to Pei Yiqing, Yu Shi, and others. Yu Shi was weeping uncontrollably...

Inside the palanquin, She Niang felt unbearably hot, drenched in sweat, wishing she could take a dip in water for a few laps to cool off. She found it amusing that, at such a time, her thoughts turned to cooling off in water.

Li Ju, too, could barely keep his eyes open under the blazing sun, yet he had to maintain a smile, not losing the dignity befitting an heir.

It was only upon arriving at the Prince of Qing's residence that he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

She Niang alighted from the bridal sedan and was first escorted to a designated spot. According to the wedding overseer, they still had to wait for the auspicious hour. Fortunately, the auspicious moment arrived in about forty-five minutes. Supported by others, she was to perform the obeisance ceremony to Li Ju first. After this ceremony, Li Ju would descend from his seat, and the couple would proceed to the main hall together to perform the kneeling ceremony to the Prince of Qing and the Princess of Qing.

Beneath the red bridal veil, She Niang followed the wedding overseer's instructions like a marionette. After the kneeling ceremony, she and Li Ju still had to perform the exchange of bows.

Following the exchange of bows, the couple was escorted out together. They first separately boarded palanquins to return to their chambers. She Niang immediately took out the powder puff from her sleeve pouch and used a hand mirror to check and touch up her makeup.

About a quarter of an hour later, the palanquin was set down. By now, judging from the shadow of the sun beneath her veil, it was already sunset, and the sunlight was no longer glaring.

She was again supported through two winding covered walkways, passed through a ceremonial gate, and finally entered the main hall.

As soon as she steadied herself, a cup of wine was placed in her hand. The wine was amber in color—this was the "honey-blade wine," sweet to taste but with a strong aftereffect. Following the instructions of the wedding matron, she drank it all in one go.

After drinking the unity wine, She Niang was first helped to sit down. Only then did she hear the rustling sound of someone sitting down beside her. Clutching her handkerchief nervously, she knew the veil was about to be lifted...

Seeing her tension, Li Ju also grew nervous. He lifted the veil, and as they sat together side by side, the ceremony was complete.

Would he really have to sleep with She Niang tonight? The pressure was overwhelming.