Chapter 78:
Yeah, how could Lu Ziyan hang her old clothes in front of the bed and stare at them with such a lifeless expression?
Xie Wanning took a deep breath, her hands trembling in panic and disarray.
It was truly unbelievable that such a hollow, deathly gaze would appear on Lu Ziyan.
It must be fake, right?
If it was real.
This dream was truly the continuation after she spat blood and died…
In that dream, did Lu Ziyan only realize his feelings after her death?
So she wasn’t entirely unimportant in his heart after all.
…The child died, and now the milk has come?
Only understanding to cherish after loss?
If that’s the case, if she married Pei Yuqing during the time he was away from the capital city, could he truly let go?
Thinking of that dream filled with pitch blackness and hopelessness.
A surge of intense malice rose in Xie Wanning’s heart; she rested her chin on her knees and slowly clenched her fists.
How laughable, he had to wait until she died to discover his own feelings.
So regretful, so despairing, why not just die with her?
That would be the real punishment.
She could no longer sleep; true and false, false and true, Xie Wanning could no longer distinguish the relationship between dream and reality.
If everything in the dream had truly happened, then that should be their past life?
In her past life, the heartless and cold Lu Ziyan bullied her to death, then suddenly repented and began reminiscing about his deceased wife by gazing at her old clothes?
Her thoughts stopped there; Xie Wanning felt so disgusted she couldn’t think any further.
How disgusting!
This disturbing dream was gradually cast aside by Xie Wanning amid the noisy sounds after the sky brightened.
But she still kind of wanted to see Pei Yuqing; the last time they met was two days ago, and they hadn’t said much under Er Xia’s disturbance.
But the day before the marriage, they absolutely could not meet.
Fortunately, the day passed quickly.
Several close female friends from her boudoir came specially to congratulate her, and with her little cousin accompanying her, the young ladies spent a lively day together.
The next day, Xie Wanning got up very early.
The old wet nurse from the imperial palace who was combing the bride’s makeup.
She was the eldest legitimate daughter of the previous generation of the Xie Family, Xie Wanning’s aunt, personally assigned by Imperial Consort Shu in the palace to do her niece’s makeup.
Not only was she skilled with nimble hands, but her etiquette and rules were flawless as she provided guidance nearby.
The sky gradually brightened, and soon Pei Yuqing, dressed in his wedding robe, led several familiar young masters from prominent families and had already arrived downstairs.
One urging makeup poem after another was passed up to the attic.
Xie Wanning had already experienced it once in the dream, so she didn’t feel unfamiliar now; after the eighth poem was sent up, she said “okay.”
A burst of chaotic footsteps soon sounded, and the wedding procession entered.
Seeing the young lady sitting on the couch, everyone’s gazes brightened.
Praises rose endlessly, but the beauty fan gripped in Xie Wanning’s hand did not move down at all.
Soon, a young master stepped forward and recited:
The northern mansion welcomes the southern county’s arrival; do not delay your fragrant intentions any longer.
Though time in heaven differs, the mortal world’s dripping water clock urges even more.
Willows and trees hang low with linked-stem apricots; colorful attendants offer phoenix joy cups.
The flute is not an immortal tune, vying to lead the Qin beauty down from the phoenix terrace.
Xie Wanning obligingly lowered her fan a bit, revealing a pair of crystalline, translucent beautiful eyes.
She showed no shyness of a new bride; seeing the man in front of her also dressed in a wedding robe, her eyebrows and eyes curved, her smile radiant.
Everyone’s gazes were almost all on the bride’s face; at this scene, the surroundings instantly fell silent.
For a long time, no one spoke.
After a few breaths of silence, someone stepped forward and once again recited the pre-prepared fan-lifting poem.
Xie Wanning either lowered it a little according to her whim or kept it perfectly still.
After several poems, her pert nose tip also slowly emerged, leaving only her lips and jaw still shielded by the beauty fan.
Everyone’s faces showed amazement.
Xie Wanning’s engagement to Lu Ziyan had been set early, at ten years old, so over these years, she had not attended flower appreciation banquets or lake tours in the capital city where young ladies and young masters met.
Though she attended many banquets, they were all for mingling with close female friends from her boudoir, so very few young masters from prominent families had truly seen her or were familiar with her.
Moreover, she didn’t like elaborate grooming; today’s formal dressing left many who had seen her before staring wide-eyed.
For example, Pei Yuqing.
He was even somewhat dazed.
Until the young master behind him, who had not spoken, stepped out and bowed toward the young lady on the couch, saying:
Do not let the painted fan emerge from the curtains, hiding the spring mountains and delaying the beauty.
If you say reunion resembles the bright moon, within it osmanthus flowers must bloom.
Today is the full moon day, and the season is right in the golden autumn when osmanthus is in full bloom; Xie Wanning’s gaze brightened slightly, and she seriously looked at the young master who composed the poem before fully lowering the round fan in her hand.
Bright eyes and white teeth, truly a peerless, fresh and lively beauty.
The surroundings were quiet for two breaths, then cheers erupted.
The wedding granny took the red silk and handed it to Xie Wanning, with the other end held by Pei Yuqing.
The two were escorted to the front hall.
Xie Wen and Madam Zheng had been waiting for a long time.
They paid respects to the parents.
Xie Shu said solemnly to his son-in-law: “Wanwan is the pearl of our Xie Family; today I entrust her to you. I seek no titles or honors, only that you protect her safety for life.”
Pei Yuqing solemnly agreed.
Under the wedding veil, Xie Wanning’s nose tip soured, and a tear drop fell onto her embroidered shoes.
In the dream, when she married Lu Ziyan, her father had said exactly the same words.
Lu Ziyan had also sincerely agreed.
And the result…
If she really died, how heartbroken her parents and elder brother would be upon hearing the news.
Under Madam Zheng’s reddened gaze, Xie Yanyu carried his younger sister onto the flower sedan.
“If you suffer any grievance, come back, and your brother will stand up for you.”
Xie Yanyu’s voice was low; Xie Wanning, leaning on his back, heard it clearly and slowly nodded. “I know.”
Finally in the flower sedan, before the sedan curtain fell, she saw her relatives’ reluctant faces.
With the wedding granny’s call to lift the sedan, Xie Wanning embarked on the second journey of her life.
Marriage.
Pei Yuqing rode a tall horse ahead, followed by the eight-carrier grand sedan bearing his wife, with gongs and drums clearing the way on both sides.
All the way with music and fanfare around half of the northern city, with Pei Mansion’s servants and old women scattering joy money along the route.
The wedding date was hurried, but by now, even the common folk with little news knew that today was the day Duke Pei’s Mansion and Xuanping Marquis’s Estate joined in marriage.
They even scattered a full six baskets of joy money.
Amid the music and fanfare, the wedding procession finally entered Duke Pei’s Mansion.
Everything was calm and smooth.
A hand reached in from outside the sedan curtain, holding out a length of red silk.
Xie Wanning grasped it and was led out of the flower sedan, stepping over the fire basin.
Next was the worship of heaven and earth.
Pei Mansion was now filled with distinguished guests; all the notable clan relatives, princes, high officials, and nobles in the capital city were basically at the banquet.
This was a marriage personally granted by His Majesty, the joyous day of the eldest son of Princess Duanyang, His Majesty’s full sister; even the imperial consorts in the palace had sent generous gifts.
All four adult princes came to congratulate.
The grandeur was comparable to a prince marrying his principal consort.
