A sedan chair was carried into the Ji Mansion from a side courtyard in the dead of night.
While everyone was still kept in the dark, Lianxiang, the fourth concubine of Ji Shisu, entered the mansion.
After winding through numerous turns, the sedan chair finally stopped in a secluded courtyard called the Cold Fragrance Garden.
Lianxiang was helped out of the sedan chair and escorted into the bridal chamber.
She sat upright on the new bed, wearing a solid - gold phoenix coronet and a bright red ceremonial robe.
This wedding dress was made with the silver she had earned over the years at the Tianxiang Tower.
Although concubines were not supposed to wear phoenix coronets and ceremonial robes, the Ji family didn't care about her anyway. They only took the responsibility of carrying her into the mansion, and she could arrange the rest as she pleased.
Since no one was going to stop her, she gave herself the best. She treated herself as a proper wife.
She had married into the Ji family full of joy.
She didn't think of herself as a concubine.
What was the Ji family's mistress anyway? Ji Shisu didn't have any children yet. Sooner or later, she would be the one in charge of the Ji family.
The red candles flickered. Due to the red veil covering her face, the world she saw was filled with the red color of joy.
Finally, she had married into the Ji family.
Although it wasn't as lively as she had imagined, nor as luxurious as she had expected, at least she was now Ji Shisu's official concubine.
At least, the man she married was the one she admired.
At least, the child in her womb would be the eldest grandson of the Ji family and would receive the best things in the world.
The door was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind rushed into the room. Despite having been in the entertainment world for many years, she couldn't help but feel nervous at this moment.
She pulled herself together and sat up straight, full of hope as she waited for Ji Shisu to lift the red veil.
As the footsteps drew closer, Lianxiang's palms began to sweat. She held her breath and waited silently.
However, the voice of her beloved didn't appear. Instead, a female voice came from above her head.
"Fourth Concubine, Second Master sent word that something has happened at the shop. He won't be able to come back. He told you to go to bed first."
Hearing this, Lianxiang was shocked. She lifted the veil herself and stared at the maid standing respectfully in front of the bed, asking in disbelief,
"What did you say?"
The maid lowered her head and said respectfully again,
"Second Master won't come tonight. He told you not to wait for him."
Although the maid's voice was calm and gentle, to Lianxiang, it sounded sharp and sarcastic.
"How dare he not come?!"
The maid didn't know how to answer this question.
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
Lianxiang swept all the things on the table to the ground. The peanuts, which symbolized good luck and happiness, were scattered all over the floor.
Seeing this, the maid quickly advised,
"Fourth Concubine, please don't be angry. Be careful not to harm the fetus."
Mentioning the fetus in her womb, Lianxiang's resentment not only didn't subside but grew stronger.
"Didn't you hear me? Get out!"
Helpless, everyone had to retreat.
The maid closed the door for Lianxiang to prevent her loud noises from being heard outside.
After all, she had been secretly carried into the mansion. Everyone thought she was just a guest and didn't know that a new concubine had entered.
"This new concubine is really hard to serve," a guard standing at the door sighed when he saw the maids being driven out. Hearing this, a maid who had just walked a few steps turned back and said to the guard,
"I was also the one serving Second Master and Second Mistress on their wedding day. When Second Mistress heard that Second Master wasn't coming, she didn't say a word. She was considerate of us and didn't let us serve her anymore. She's much more obedient than this one."
The maid who had just answered Lianxiang's question came out with a tray in her hand and scolded,
"Presumptuous! Gossiping here. Have you forgotten what the Old Lady ordered?!"
"Sorry, Sister Mujin. I won't do it again."
Mujin was the Old Lady's personal maid and was now sent to serve the new concubine. Although she was not very old, she was definitely a senior in the mansion. So the newly - entered maids and servants would respectfully call her Sister Mujin.
The maids stuck out their tongues and quickly ran away.
Mujin was also helpless about the continuous banging noises coming from the room.
"I'm afraid there won't be any peaceful days in this mansion," Mujin shook her head and went to the Cihua Garden to report to the Old Lady.
Ji Shisu wasn't lying to Lianxiang when he said there was something wrong with the shop.
After all, the Zhao Family's tea house was in crisis. As the son - in - law of the Zhao family, he couldn't stand by idly.
Hearing that the Zhao family was working day and night to produce tea, Ji Shisu ordered someone to count some newly - produced tea and prepare to send it to the Zhao family for emergency.
At this time, Yuchi brought the news that Lianxiang was getting angry in the room.
Ji Shisu was also very troubled. "Let her be."
Ji Shisu added and asked, "By the way, how is Luoning?"
"Isn't Second Mistress praying to Buddha on the mountain? What could happen to her?"
Ji Shisu: "… Hasn't she sent even a single message these days?"
Yuchi shook his head realistically.
"Second Master, if you really miss Second Mistress, why don't you go and find her?"
"Me, find her? That's a joke."
As a considerate pageboy, Yuchi knew that he must provide his master with what he needed at the right time.
For example, right now, what his master needed most was a pretext to contact Second Mistress.
And he just happened to have one.
"Master, Second Mistress's birthday is coming soon."
"Birthday?"
"Yes. When the Zhao family sent Second Mistress's betrothal papers, I caught a glimpse. It seems to be this month."
"You've seen Luoning's betrothal papers?"
"Yes, but the name on the betrothal papers doesn't seem to be Zhao Luoning. I'm not sure if I remembered wrong because it was a long time ago."
"There's nothing to be surprised about," Ji Shisu explained. "The clan name is usually used on the betrothal papers. I guess the name you saw was her clan name."
The rankings in the clan genealogy and the family tree are different. For example, Ji Shisu's generation is the "Shi" generation in the family tree, but they are the "Xuan" generation in the clan genealogy.
In Huangcheng, the clan is highly respected. In formal occasions, the clan name is usually used. When they were matching the betrothal papers, Ji Shisu used the name Ji Xuansu.
It's not surprising that Zhao Luoning didn't use her current name.
After listening to Ji Shisu's explanation, Yuchi smiled sheepishly.
"Master is really experienced. I haven't gotten married yet, so I don't know all these details."
Ji Shisu somehow felt that Yuchi was teasing him.
But at the moment, he didn't have the heart to care about Yuchi's overstep.
All he could think about now was Zhao Luoning.
If Yuchi hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't even have known that Zhao Luoning's birthday was approaching.
Ji Shisu had known since he was very young that his future wife would be a girl from the Zhao family. At that time, Zhao Luoyue was well - known. Everyone said that Zhao Luoyue was the one who had a childhood betrothal with him.
He had met Zhao Luoyue at banquets a few times. After finding out that she was just a beautiful but talentless and even immoral person, he had no expectations for this childhood betrothal.
Even before Zhao Luoning entered the Ji family, he had prepared to treat his proper wife as a vase.
So when he married Zhao Luoning, he didn't care about proposing marriage, nor about the amount of betrothal gifts. He just showed up at the wedding and bowed in the ceremony.
Now that he thought about it, because he had been so perfunctory back then, he had almost forgotten what had happened on the wedding day.
It was a pity. If he had known that the one he would marry was Zhao Luoning, he would have treated it seriously.
"Yuchi, go back and get Zhao Luoning's betrothal papers for me."
Yuchi nodded in agreement.
Neither the master nor the servant knew at this moment how much impact this innocent act would bring.