As the wedding day drew near, the Su Mansion was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Mrs. Deng visited Su Hele's courtyard daily to explain the wedding details and make all the arrangements.
However, she had only visited Su Nansheng's courtyard once.
That day, Mrs. Deng placed Su Nansheng's dowry in the yard and said coldly,
"I've raised you for sixteen years, yet you still threaten me with the laws of the Great Qing. Why be so impatient and greedy? I've added to your dowry, but from now on, don't expect any more protection from me."
Su Nansheng placed the wedding dress that Jinxia Workshop had made for her on the clothes rack and sewed the last few stitches. This should have been done by her and her mother together.
But Mrs. Deng seemed to have forgotten, or perhaps she never really cared.
Su Nansheng smoothed out the wrinkles on the wedding dress and said calmly,
"Mother, please rest assured. Even if I have a hard time in the future, I won't ask you for help."
Mrs. Deng had dropped those harsh words, expecting Su Nansheng to plead with her so that she could take advantage of the situation.
But Su Nansheng's response surprised her, and her calm expression sent a chill down Mrs. Deng's spine.
Thinking of the fact that the daughter of the Secretary-in-Chief was on good terms with Su Nansheng, Mrs. Deng's eyes darted around, and her tone quickly softened a lot.
"You have such a cold and stubborn temper. In the future, you'll surely offend people in the Marquis Mansion. If you don't want to be tormented by the mistress, you should look out for each other with A Le. With her guidance, you can avoid making mistakes. Do you hear me?"
Su Nansheng didn't want to get entangled with Mrs. Deng any longer, so she nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Mrs. Deng left contentedly.
Su Nansheng stroked the wedding dress, her expression solemn.
She would surely live up to Mrs. Deng's exhortation and take good care of Su Hele.
...
On the 16th of June, the wedding day, Su Nansheng got up at dawn to have her facial hair removed, do her makeup, apply lead powder, dot her lips red, and put on the wedding dress.
Outside, gongs and drums were blaring, and guests were bustling about.
"The stitches on the Second Miss's wedding dress are so fine, and the workmanship is so exquisite. There are even rubies inlaid on it. It's really beautiful," the wedding attendant said, her tone full of admiration.
Such a grand and precious dress didn't seem like that of a concubine at all. It was clearly the style of a proper wife.
It was said that the betrothal gifts from the Marquis Mansion were nearly a hundred palanquins. It was really enviable.
Knowing that Su Nansheng was highly regarded by the Marquis Mansion, the wedding attendant became even more respectful and careful in her words and deeds.
After paying respects to the ancestors and bidding farewell to her relatives, Su Nansheng sat on the bed, holding a round fan. The noise outside grew louder. It seemed that the groom's party had arrived and was being tested at the door.
Su Nansheng tightened her grip on the fan. After today, she would completely start a different life from her past life and bid farewell to it forever.
"The auspicious time has come. Set off the sedan chair."
Eight bearers carried the sedan chair, and there was a magnificent wedding procession stretching for miles. The dowry was lined up neatly from one end of the street to the other, with red silk fluttering in the wind.
The crowds were surging, and the sounds of admiration were deafening.
"Such a grand occasion doesn't seem like the rule for taking a concubine at all. It's clearly for marrying a wife."
"Well, who cares about the rules? It's up to the Marquis Mansion anyway. We just enjoy the show."
"Hey, the Second Young Master of the Marquis Mansion is quite low - key. The betrothal gifts from his side are much less."
"As a concubine - born son, he has to be low - key."
...
Su Hele listened to the faint discussions outside the sedan chair and gritted her teeth.
So what if the concubine had a lot of betrothal gifts? It was just for show.
Lowering her head angrily, she saw the hem of her wedding dress. Disgust was added to her angry expression.
The style was so ordinary that it couldn't show her uniqueness at all.
She didn't know what He Jin was thinking, insisting on getting married on the same day as He Xun.
This hasty arrangement meant that she didn't have time to prepare a proper wedding dress and had to wear this one bought from a tailor shop. It was extremely vulgar.
Now she was being compared with Su Nansheng by others and ridiculed.
Su Hele bit her lip until it bled. The blood trickled down her lips, making them look even redder.
Su Nansheng, I'll surely repay this humiliation a hundredfold one day.
...
In the bridal chamber, the red candles were burning brightly, and the red gauze was fluttering.
He Xun was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, with a golden silk ribbon of the same color around his waist. His black hair was tied up and fixed with a gold crown inlaid with rubies. He was handsome and his eyes were shining brightly.
There was a touch of red at the corners of his eyebrows and eyes, making him look noble and handsome.
His burning eyes were fixed on Su Nansheng, with a hint of tenderness that was hard to detect.
Under the light of the candles, Su Nansheng's wedding dress glowed red, like the evening glow in the sky. Her fair and delicate face was also tinged with red, like scattered stars, dazzling and captivating.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Su Nansheng lowered her eyes and asked,
"Have the guests outside left?"
The Marquis Mansion was having a double wedding today, hosting a hundred banquets with countless high - ranking officials and nobles. Naturally, they couldn't be slighted.
He Xun sat down next to Su Nansheng, and their wedding clothes overlapped.
"I've offered the toasts and fulfilled all the formalities. Don't worry about the rest," he said.
Then, He Xun took out a red jade hairpin from his sleeve. The hairpin was transparent in texture and bright in color.
The style of the hairpin was simple. There was only a mythical beast carved on the head of the hairpin, with exquisite workmanship and lifelike appearance.
"I had someone carve it from a whole piece of red jade. Do you like it?"
The red jade hairpin lay in He Xun's palm, as if there was a flowing red light.
Seeing Su Nansheng nod, He Xun's lips curled up slightly. Then he inserted the hairpin into Su Nansheng's hair bun. After looking at it for a while, he finally retracted his satisfied gaze.
Su Nansheng was a bit nervous. He Xun had given her such a precious gift. Maybe he felt guilty.
Was he about to set off for the northern border?
Su Nansheng's heart began to beat faster.
"Linchuan, I want to discuss something with you."
He Xun's hand, which was taking out a small wooden hairpin, paused.
"Go ahead."
What important thing did she have to discuss on this wedding night?
"I know that one day you'll return to the northern border, but could you wait until I'm pregnant before you leave?"
"What?"
"I'll take on the responsibilities of a concubine, serve your mother, and be filial to her so that you don't have to worry. If you feel lonely in the northern border and want to take another concubine, I won't mind. I'll treat her with respect.
I only ask for a child so that I can have a foothold in this mansion."
Su Nansheng finished speaking in one breath and held her breath, waiting for He Xun's reply.
She knew it was a bit of a downer to bring this up at this time, but she was really anxious. She was afraid that He Xun would just leave and that she wouldn't have time to get pregnant, just like in her past life when she was all alone.
He Xun's face became uglier and uglier as Su Nansheng spoke. A chill emanated from his body.
Only a child could give her a foothold in this mansion?
Did she think of him as a tool for procreation?
He suddenly stood up, looking at Su Nansheng with anger in his eyes.
"Is a child really the only way for you to have a foothold in this mansion?"
Su Nansheng was surprised. Wasn't it? Everyone said that a mother was respected because of her son.
Was there any other way for her to be strong?
Seeing Su Nansheng's confusion, He Xun closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.
But Su Nansheng's words kept ringing in his ears and couldn't be ignored.
Unable to calm down at all, He Xun strode out of the room.
Su Nansheng frowned and looked at the door, her expression complicated.
She had already made a concession, but He Xun still didn't agree. Was he really that eager to return to the northern border?
No, no matter how anxious he was, he had to wait until she had a child...