Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Seventy-Three:
My Best Friend’s Wedding (Part 2)

In this era, people’s wedding ceremonies were all night, and when the lanterns were lit, it was time to welcome the bride.

There were no rows of streetlights or neon lights along the way, and one of the most intuitive indicators for comparing weddings was to see which family’s welcoming procession was brightly lit. At best, poor families could light some torches to clear the way, while wealthy families could arrange hundreds or even thousands of giant lamps, making the night feel like daytime. This time, the Lou family spent all of their resources on the lanterns.

Because He Zhaojun got married with great filial piety, and as a ceremonial guard, there were no songs or dances during the banquet. Even the big fish and meat were reduced as much as possible. Fortunately, it was summer, and there were still many vegetables and fruits.
[Marrying with great filial piety is being married during a period of mourning. It’s a more somber occasion.]

The guests saw the growing and continuous wedding procession, half dressed in the bright red festive attire and half dressed in plain white filial piety with solemn expressions of sadness. Neither family was smiling. In such a scene, it was not easy for everyone to joyfully beat their son-in-law, tease their wives, and engage in a series of marriage traditions with laughter. They could only quietly congratulate and enter the banquet.

Somehow, the Emperor had been thinking more and more about General He these days, and he felt that he was truly a powerful official. He had been giving favors to the He family every now and then. The entire family died, and He Zhaojun had no father or brother to send her off. Therefore, the Emperor sent the Third Prince to personally send her off with a brother’s gift. The He family didn’t have many relatives, so the Emperor summoned relatives and nobles to celebrate. The most recent grace was bestowed on Lou Yao as an unofficial position as a lieutenant and official – the Emperor had strict official duties, which was almost the treatment of a son-in-law.

Shaoshang sternly declined Ling Buyi’s invitation to go with the carriage and went with her parents and brothers. Before getting off the carriage, she solemnly said to Cheng Yang. “I’m sorry, Cousin. I’m afraid you may be implicated again at today’s banquet.”

Cheng Yang smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid I’m stupid and can’t help you.” She had become accustomed to her cousin always having a problem during banquets.

“What are you afraid of? I’m here! Who would dare to bully Niao Niao with me around? I’ll tear her apart!” Wan Qiqi, who was also in the carriage, jumped down on her own, starling the Lou servant who was just setting down a footstool for her.

Cheng Yang panicked. “Today is someone else’s big day. You can’t fight!”

“Of course not,” Shaoshang quickly waved to her cousin. “Sister Qiqi, don’t interfere later. Since my engagement of Ling Buyi, I have no chance of turning back. You should avoid provoking others.”

“Don’t be unsatisfied. Let me tell you, if you can make Ling Buyi your fiancé, how many women would rather be hated by a thousand people?” Wan Qiqi laughed and gave a wink.

As the three girls spoke in a low voice, they followed the servants of the mansion towards the banquet hall. From a distance, they saw many young women in the brightly lit side hall entering, and Yin Xu’e, who was sitting in a corner, vigorously waved at them.

“Look at her virtuous and dignified appearance, it doesn’t take much to pretend,” Wan Qiqi muttered.

“What’s wrong with being virtuous and dignified? What family wouldn’t love a virtuous and dignified bride?” Cheng Yang whispered.

Wan Qiqi was about to refute, but when Shaoshang let out a gentle sigh, she said, “Oh, in fact, getting married is not a good idea. Being alone would be more comfortable.”

Cheng Yang opened her mouth in shock. “I’ve heard you plan to marry someone and live a certain life in the future more than ten times,” Wan Qiqi said with a smile. “When you settled on Lou Yao, you were even more talkative about managing things. This Ling Buyi is actually a fierce beast. It hasn’t been ten days after your engagement and you’ve changed your mind.”

Shaoshang sighed again. “I used to be ignorant and thoughtless. In fact, upon careful consideration, getting married is not as good as being single. It’s really a young man who doesn’t know the taste of worry. Oh, forget it, let’s go in.”

Wan Qiqi was startled and quickly examined Shaoshang in detail.

Her close friend was born with a fragile appearance, but she was filled with a lively belly. She swore and fought without mercy and was as rebellious as a thorn in her side. If Wan Qiqi would set a fire, Shaoshang would help pour oil and fuel, making her the least attractive and temperamental person she had ever seen in her life. But today, her family’s trouble maker was incredibly powerless, and it made Wan Qiqi pity her at first sight.

Wan Qiqi’s feelings of protecting the weak arose like a raging fire, and she quickly came to two conclusions.

First, Ling Buyi must not treat Shaoshang well!

Second, Shaoshang must be very afraid of being bullied and criticized by a group of people again!

Wan Qiqi gritted her teeth and followed Shaoshang and Cheng Yang into the banquet hall. As expected, as the maid announced them, all the females in the hall turned their gaze together, like a rain of arrows in the sky. The timid Cheng Yang was frightened and took a step back. Shaoshang quickly grabbed her cousin.

Although there were many guests at the wedding ceremony that day, it was not advisable to indulge in excessive drinking and entertainment during a mourning period. Fun was not allowed, and the food and drink were cold and indifferent. Except for the families that had a deep friendship with the He and Lou family, all other guests bid farewell and left after observing the ceremony.

Moreover, not all the male guests would bring their family members, so there were even fewer female guests staying in the side hall that night. Therefore, the Lou family would place all the females in the same hall. The first was to set up a food table for the men, and the second was to set up a food table for the young girls, separated by a long bamboo gauze screen.

The girls looked directly at Shaoshang without embellishment, either angry, jealous, or curious, and so on. Wang Ling and Lou Li sat together as usual, their gaze towards Shaoshang almost caught fire, but the difference was the former was resentful and the latter was enraged.

The ladies were much more reserved, taking a few glances from side to side with scrutinizing eyes and quickly turned their heads, revealing a profound expression on their faces.

But whether young or old, married or unmarried, women’s discussions ultimately ended in whispers.

“Ling Buyi has been picking and choosing for many years, but he’s fallen in love with such a …such a person.”

“Is Eleventh Lang blind? This woman’s talent and appearance are not well-known. I’m not convinced.”

“Not only is she not well-known for her talent and appearance, I also heard that she is crude, arrogant, and illiterate!”

“Eleventh Lang must have been deceived. Look at her delicate and pitiful fox charm, I don’t know how to show off such weakness!”

…

However, no matter how much discussion was made, as long as it was not biased to the end, it could be seen that this new future bride of the Ling family was not vulgar at all.

There was never a shortage of beautiful young ladies in the capital city, but this woman from the Cheng family was unforgettable for her beauty. Her quiet and sorrowful childish face was shrouded in a hazy atmosphere, like smoke and mist. She was obviously in the innocent age of becoming a woman, but she had an indifferent and meaningless temperament for no reason. When you thought she was just weak and pitiful, she would look at you with sharp and sophisticated eyes.

The words were invisible, but even with thick lines like a myriad of flowers, one could still feel the blade and sword beneath those glances and whispers, sharp enough to pierce the skin like drops of blood. Cheng Yang shuddered for a moment and then walked into the hall with a stiff face. Meanwhile, Shaoshang, who was at the center of this attack, acted like she didn’t notice anything.

“You’re quite calm and composed.” Wan Qiqi couldn’t help but praise her in a low voice.

“If you are like me and have been criticized and slandered by people since childhood, you naturally get used to it,” Shaoshang said lightly.

Wan Qiqi was stunned. Her small heart, which had been rough for sixteen years, felt pain for an unknown reason.

Yin Xu’e saw them approaching and quickly pulled the three of them over to her corner. She was instructed by Cheng Yong to come to the banquet ahead of schedule, and then get three or four girls who could show their support for Shaoshang and sit together.

Wan Qiqi and Yin Xu’e looked at each other before quickly turning away. In order to avoid an internal war, Shaoshang and Qiqi sat together, while Cheng Yang and Yin Xu’e sat together.

Shortly after, all the female dependents entered the banquet, and Madam Xiao was pulled over by Second Young Madam Lou with teary eyes. The two of them sat together with Second Madam Lou and whispered to each other. When the vegetables and syrup were served, everyone naturally needed to pay attention to etiquette and congratulate the host first, then take care of their food.

However, after only half an hour, some people couldn’t help but ask questions.

A woman in yellow who was sitting on the left side of the hall put down her bowl and spoke with a loud voice. “Sister Shaoshang, today you are dressed in such gorgeous attire, which is completely different from your usual shabby attire. It must be different once you’ve climbed to the top of the world.”

Shaoshang’s dress was indeed exquisite and extraordinary. The simple and elegant light blue train had a faint silver light shining on it, and the pearls on the lapel shone like silver waves rolling out of the blue sea under the candlelight, reflecting the beauty of the girl as if she were a green pine, lush, noble, and majestic.

Hearing this provocation, Shaoshang glanced at Wang Ling across from her. She sneered disdainfully and turned her head. Lou Li was clearly instructed in advance, forcing herself not to speak.

Without waiting for Shaoshang to retaliate, Wan Qiqi sneered, “You are so convincing, one would think you met my Cheng sister before. Let me ask you, when and where did you meet her before?”

The woman in yellow was frightened by Wan Qiqi’s fierce demeanor. “I met her when she went out to dinner,” she stammered.

“Nonsense! My sister hardly went out before her parents returned to the capital. She accepted a few invitations a few months ago, and all of them are less than a handful. When did you meet her? How come I have never seen you before?”

“Sister Wan, you are too arbitrary. With so many people at a banquet, you could be mistaken.”

“Don’t play dumb with me! I’ve been practicing archery since I was young, and I can spot two sparrows a hundred steps away. Besides, if I have seen a face, I don’t forget it!” Wan Qiqi propped her hand on the table, eyes ablaze with anger. “You bitch have never seen Sister Cheng before, but just now I heard what you said. Who would be at your command?”

Wang Ling also became angry. “Okay,” she snorted coldly. “That’s what I said, so what?”

“Just admit it,” she sneered. “My sister is very good-looking, and wearing a good dress is just the icing on top of the cake. But there are some people who are ugly and evil and it’s useless to wear anything pretty.”

“Wan Qiqi! How dare you!” Wang Ling held back, realizing she almost admitted it herself.

Wan Qiqi saw that the other party was sputtering and proudly popped a piece of melon into her mouth.

“Cheng Shaoshang!” Lou Li couldn’t stop from standing up and pointing across to her. “How can you handle this? My cousin and you withdrew from marriage and now you’re engaged to Eleventh Lang. How can you say you are worthy of my cousin?”

“You should ask your Eleventh Lang who told him to propose so quickly that he couldn’t even wait a day? It’s none of Sister Cheng’s business,” joked a round faced girl next to Yin Xu’e. The girls around her laughed.

“Cheng Shaoshang shouldn’t have agreed to it so quickly,” Lou Li said with a blush. “How sad my cousin must be!”

“Aiyo, His Majesty personally requested it. It’s such a great imperial favor, who would dare refuse without reason! The young sister of the Lou family spoke so loudly just now. You should have been brought to the front of the court that day to see if that courage keeps up!” Yin Xu’e covered her sleeve and giggled lightly.

“That’s right,” another girl with a thick bun joked. “My uncle was on duty in the palace and he said that His Majesty was so happy that day and even rewarded them with some wine.”

Lou Li blushed like a carrot in sauce. “I didn’t mean that!” she said. “I mean, my cousin is very kind to Cheng Shaoshang. She should be sad and avoiding the capital!”

“What else should we do?” Shaoshang asked lightly, unable to muster any anger. “If your cousin married another person, should I never marry again? Even if I want to marry, should I first grieve for many years? That would make me miss the time when I should be getting married, right? Even if I get married in the end, is it best to marry someone who doesn’t want to, hide in a remote corner, lick my wounds and stay away from everyone? Aiyo, knowing that it was my Cheng family’s last words to complete General He’s last wish, I endured the pain and promised to withdraw from the marriage. I don’t know, but I thought the Cheng family owed the Lou family! Lou Li, you should mind your words carefully and clearly, don’t be ignorant of heaven and earth and talk nonsense!” As she spoke, her gaze shot out like a sharp blade.

“If you have the courage, tell your elders what you said about Lou Yao and me just now. I think you still have a few bones left!” Shaoshang sneered. “Lou Li, you really think I owe you!”

Lou Li sat down and for some reason, felt that Cheng Shaoshang was a bit angry today and not easy to provoke.

After a moment of silence, Wang Ling changed her tone and spoke in a sharp voice, “Oh, this time is different from the past. Little A’Li, I advise you to endure it. You thought that it was Little Mistress Cheng who was your cousin’s bride back then…”

“Actually, someone from the palace came to deliver a message today, saying that I should prepare for tomorrow. I’ll be picked up and taken to Changqiu Palace in the morning,” Shaoshang interrupted suddenly. “Young Mistress Wang, His Majesty has done a great job in the social state and the court. Today is Princess An Cheng’s big day. His Majesty repeatedly blessed her in the hope that she could get married smoothly, but the two of you keep talking about the old affairs of Lou Yao and me. Are you planning on keeping Princess An Cheng from living a good life? Believe it or not, I will report this to His Majesty and the Empress when I enter the palace.”

Wang Ling was taken aback. She smiled stiffly. “I made a mistake. The past is the past, so there is no need to talk about it.”

A girl who was two years older beside her spoke, her tone slow and malicious. “There is no need to talk about the Lou family. Let’s talk about the marriage between Young Mistress Cheng and Master Ling. We’ve all heard about that day. The Cheng family withdrew the marriage from the Lou family in the morning, and then became engaged in the palace during the afternoon. It was too fast. It can’t help but make people suspicious…”

“What are you suspicious of?” Wan Qiqi asked vigilantly.

The girl deliberately looked at Shaoshang with a clear expression in her eyes. “Young Mistress Cheng, have you and Master Ling already met before? His life is full of grandeur. If you secretly developed feelings, it’s okay to speak up.”

Just as Shaoshang opened her mouth, Wan Qiqi jumped up. “No, absolutely not!”

“You are not Cheng Shaoshang, how do you know?” the girl said.

“Of course I know! Sister Shaoshang is a person with ambition!” Wan Qiqi exclaimed. “Everyone else is like you. Seeing Ling Buyi, she chased after her flesh and bones with the hungry dogs for three nights! Ordinary women look at Ling Buyi’s health, and then do what she should do. You are the only ones who can’t accept this, so you spray sour gas and bark everywhere and bite people! Unfortunately, Ling Buyi just doesn’t like you.” The girls around her laughed one after another, happily leaning forward and backward.

Yin Xu’e smiled. “I advise all sisters that marriage is a matter of fate. Master Ling is twenty-one this year, and it has been six years since His Majesty began to negotiate marriage for him. Speaking of it, all sisters have known Master Ling for much longer than Sister Shaoshang.” Although she spoke to the women across from her, her eyes wandered vaguely to Wang Ling.

“Yes, it was Eleventh Lang who proposed marriage to Cheng Shaoshang, so what?” Wang Ling stood up and sneered. “We are all honest and upright women, with serious behavior and lack of humor. Even some people are coquettish and pretentious, pretending to be pitiful and weak but they are the most capable of seducing men! Master Ling will be an amazing husband, and we don’t understand those sneaky and private tricks. I’m afraid we’ve been deceived!”

This statement was very insidious. The girls next to Wang Ling seemed to have heard the battle horn and stood up in groups to attack Shaoshang. Wan Qiqi anxiously jumped up, scolding at the top of her lungs but was ridiculed.

“How can a tiger woman hear that?”

Even the ones who knew the details began to ridicule, “Young Mistress Wan has had a crush on Second Young Master Cheng and is anxious to stand up for her husband’s family!”

No matter how experience Wan Qiqi was, she couldn’t help blushing. The girl on Yin Xu’e’s side was more worried about her face and didn’t want to curse too harshly. At this moment, the maid at the door shouted loudly, “Master Ling is here!”

It was as if someone hit the mute button; all the chattering girls made a small noise and then stopped talking. They all turned their heads to look, only to see Ling Buyi’s tall and slender figure.

He didn’t speak, and walked in step by step with a gloomy expression. A sharp aura spread over him, like a fierce beast rushing into a flock of sheep high on a mountain. The girls retreated one by one, and the atmosphere suddenly became chilly.

The older girl took the initiative to greet him and gave a sweet smile. “Master Ling, this area is for females. This is not good etiquette…”

Ling Buyi’s eyes were as cold as ice and he looked at her with disdain. “Joining or dividing seats is just a small matter, know that shameless advance and retreat is the main etiquette.” As he strode down, he pulled down several of the bamboo screens in the middle of the hall.

On the other side of the banquet, the ladies of each family had at some point stopped talking and it was quiet.

Madam Xiao’s face was very ugly. Second Madam Lou leaned against her daughter-in-law and wept silently. Madam Lou gave an awkward smile and said, “Zisheng, you’re here…” Before she could continue, Ling Buyi quietly bowed down to greet Madam Xiao. “With the elders watching, it’s considered polite.”

The older girl mustered up her courage and met Ling Buyi’s gaze. “Master Ling’s words are not good. Confucius says etiquette is…”

Wang Ling sat down, sneering in her heart that the fool thought she was smart. If showing off her talent and learning was useful to Ling Buyi, she would have been studying hard for eight years.

Ling Buyi didn’t look at her. He walked straight past her and stood by Shaoshang’s seat. “Do I know you? Do you and I know each other well? The young mistress talks about the private affairs of unmarried couples and thinks she knows shame and etiquette? Has Confucius ever said anything about that?”

The girl never dreamed that she would be so publicly humiliated. She burst into tears and ran out with a whimper.

Ling Buyi lowered his head and glanced at Wan Qiqi. She was full of anger and had to grit her teeth to suppress it. Even if the man’s eyes were as sharp as a knife, she was determined to not give up her seat!

Lou Li and the girls were timid and afraid to speak. Still, Wang Ling smiled and stood up again. “Eleventh Lang,” she said. “Sister A’Jiao is also the daughter of an official family. How can you humiliate –”

“I know who she is,” Ling Buyi coldly interrupted. “I will not offend if others don’t offend me. When I go back, I will write a letter to her father and ask him what it means to humiliate my fiancé in public. Could it be that I am weak and incompetent?” He glanced coldly at the ladies at the head of the table.

“Where have the girls seen Ling Buyi with such a cold expression?” Madam Lou quickly said. “A’Jiao came with her uncle today. If her aunt were here, she wouldn’t be allowed to behave like this!”

Ling Buyi was too lazy to pay attention to Madam Lou and lowered his head to look at Wan Qiqi.

Wan Qiqi sat with her head and chest held high. Shaoshang was amused and leaned over. “Don’t suffer, you won’t be able to endure it.” Wan Qiqi became even more erect and motionless, with a dignified demeanor, but her wrist trembled slightly.

Ling Buyi looked at Wang Ling. “Where did we go just now? You were talking about the two beautiful concubines that Second Prince gave me last month? Your brother, Wang Long, was salivating after seeing them, so I gifted them to him. I have heard, however, that a few days later those two beautiful concubines were taken by your father. I’m not sure what you should call them when you see them in the future.”

Wang Ling was short of breath. Her face was blue and white for a moment, and then it became as hot as fire.

Under Ling Buyi’s authority, no one around dared to speak up for her. Madam Lou never liked to see her daughter being harmed, and she couldn’t say much for her reputation.

Lou Li looked at her pitifully and silently moved over, pulling her sleeves and sitting down.

Ling Buyi glanced at Wan Qiqi and slowly took another step forward.

Wan Qiqi finally couldn’t resist and gave Shaoshang an apologetic look before crawling to the table to the right of where Yin Xu’e was squeezing.

Ling Buyi sat next to Shaoshang with a calm and composed demeanor – and then, the Ice Age scene that had once played at the Cheng Mansion was once again played in the Lou Mansion. From Madam Lou and others at the head to the young ladies at the bottom, they all silently lowered their heads and ate. No one spoke.

Ling Buyi picked up the new cup the maidservant had exchanged and held it up. “Ladies, you are all polite. I know you must have heard about my engagement with Young Mistress Cheng. When we get married in the future, I invite you all to come.”

How dare they have any objections? They all raised their glasses in response, repeatedly laughing and saying ‘Congratulations’ to Ling Buyi and Madam Xiao.

Ling Buyi put down his cup and turned his gaze to the young ladies below.

The dull girls woke up as if in a dream and quickly followed their congratulations. In their panic, they even wished them ‘a long life together, a hundred years old, good marriage, and an early birth of a noble son.’

Ling Buyi frowned. “Do you ladies have anything else to say about my marriage?”

The girls shook their heads like dolphins and wagged their tails, expressing that this marriage was really good and wonderful. It was a perfect match, and a strange fate fell from the sky, and so on and so forth.

Wan Qiqi saw this situation and whispered to Shaoshang, “Why are you not speaking?”

“…When he speaks, no one else needs to talk,” Shaoshang held a lacquered wooden bowl and took a drink of the soup.

“He’s supporting you!”

“I know,” Shaoshang said. Eyelashes drooped, face expressionless, she counted the small round mushrooms in the soup one by one.

At this moment, a maid called out to Madam Lou.

Madam Lou turned along the winding corridor and into a small, dim room where her husband anxiously waited for her.

When Grand Servant Lou saw his wife, he anxiously said, “I heard in the front yard that there was a dispute at the inner table. Someone bullied Shaoshang?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Madam Lou sighed. “It’s just that the young ladies were having an argument. Ling Buyi is the dream of many women, and now that he’s engaged, there are naturally people who are angry.”

“Why would Ling Buyi suddenly leave if it wasn’t important?” Grand Servant Lou raised his voice. “I have asked people to find out. A group of gossipy ladies were surrounding and bullying Shaoshang, including A’Li! Why is Wang Ling here again? We don’t have much of a friendship with the Wang family, didn’t I tell you not to let her see A’Li? The Wang family is very dirty, and I don’t want A’Li learning from her.”

“I know!” Madam Lou said. “I don’t like the Wang family either, but can I drive her away when she comes? After all, there’s still face for the Empress.”

Grand Servant Lou walked up and down the room angrily. “You too,” he said. “When you saw them bullying Shaoshang, you didn’t stop them. What can the screen stop? The noise was heard by the maidservants outside, don’t tell me you couldn’t hear it.”

“They weren’t bullying, it was just a few jokes…” Madam Lou’s expression remained unchanged.

Grand Servant Lou stopped and looked at his wife. “Young Mistress Cheng was rude to you in public, and you’re happy to see her humiliated, weren’t you?”

“How can you say that! How could I be like that? Those ladies at the banquet have been good friends for many years, and they do not control their daughters. If I speak beyond them, I will offend everyone!” Madam Lou quickly refuted.

Grand Servant Lou looked at his wife with a serious expression. “Watching the guests being humiliated in your own home, you think that only Ling Buyi and the Cheng family are shamed? Let me tell you, it’s the Lou family who are ashamed!”

He shook out his sleeves and turned to leave. “Those ignorant and shallow women, that marriage is definitely settled. They acquiesce in the benefits of their daughter’s humiliation of Cheng Shaoshang. Is there any doubt that Master Ling will withdraw from the marriage because of this? All this will do is make His Majesty unhappy. Knowing that Cheng Shaoshang is humble, those who are smart should sell Ling Buyi as a good person and help out.”

“Ling Buyi is a blinding and upright person, what could he like about a little girl like that?” Madam Lou spat hatefully. When her two daughters were unmarried, she had also planned for Ling Buyi, but there was no result.

“Don’t say such nonsense again in the future,” Grand Servant Lou said. “Those who have always been incompetent love to slander competent people. Young Madam Cheng’s ability to capture Ling Buyi is a big deal! A group of women who don’t know how to advance or retreat are no different from those who envy virtue and ability! I think you are also getting increasingly confused. In the future, you should not ask about the affairs of Second Younger Brother’s house. A’Yan is becoming more capable now, she will be in charge.”

“I am the legitimate wife and also the madam. How can there be any place in the Lou Mansion that I cannot control?” Madam Lou became even angrier.

“How do you think Ling Buyi knew about today?” he asked coldly. “It was A’Yan who sent someone to report it, and passed on every word they said about bullying Shaoshang. She also said that the elders were there and she couldn’t speak up because she was a junior. Who do you think she’s referring to?”

“What a cunning woman!” Madam Lou exclaimed in surprise.

“You don’t want to be a wise person, so naturally, someone will step on you to fill that position,” Grand Servant Lou said coldly.

Madam Lou was so angry that she couldn’t speak.

At this moment, a maid came to report, “Young Mistress Cheng said she suddenly began to feel unwell. Master Ling has already accompanied her back.”

“She’s holding Ling Buyi so tightly,” Madam Lou said, displeased. “She won’t leave Ling Buyi even if she wants to go back! It’s hard to say, she’s in a hurry to show off her grievances!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? She was engaged to A’Yao, should she stay and cause trouble with the wedding?” Grand Servant Lou felt that his wife’s vision had become increasingly narrow in recent years, without the dignified and magnanimous appearance of her youth. “Even if she resorted to tricks, if Ling Buyi was willingly coaxed away by her, that is his decision!” He then shook out his sleeves and left.

…

Ling Buyi and Shaoshang sat in the carriage, speechless the entire way.

“Why don’t you speak?” Ling Buyi asked.

“I probably said too much just now,” Shaoshang said lightly.

“You didn’t say much, either.”

Shaoshang remained silent.

Ling Buyi reached out to the girl, but she lowered her head. His palm rested in mid-air, like a pale blooming orchid in the dim light. He clenched his hand and took it back. “What’s wrong with me? Tell me. I always want to make you happy.”

Shaoshang stared at him from the corner of her eye, not knowing what he was thinking.

“Third Aunt used to make fun of my innocence and that I didn’t know what power was. Tonight, I saw it with my own eyes. Sister Qiqi, Sister Xu’e, and those others who were willing to help me, we tried our best to defend ourselves, argued hard, and resisted the hardships of life. My mother couldn’t bear to think about it behind the screen. Then, when you came, she dismissed the matter in a few words. You didn’t even have to speak later, and as long as you were seen, everyone would follow suit and know what you meant.”

“Don’t you like power?” Ling Buyi whispered. How could anyone in this world not like power? “I couldn’t tell you were actually a believer of the simple life.” His fingers were stiff as he made the insincere joke.

“I am also a layman. If it weren’t for the power of my father, I wouldn’t be able to call my servants today.” The girl shook her head. “Besides, power is just a sharp blade. There is no good or bad, it just depends on who wields it.”

“Then, why are you…” Ling Buyi’s eyes showed a hint of confusion.

“Tonight, I relied on the power in your hands, not my own.” The girl’s big black and white eyes were clear and bright. “Why can’t I use your power? Because I will marry you in the future, have children for you, and make you happy and comfortable. How can I share your power?”

“Isn’t it natural for couples to be integrated?” Ling Buyi rarely had doubts in his life.

“It’s not your fault, it’s my perverse temperament,” Shaoshang gave a sad smile. “I want to live according to my own wishes, but if I follow you, I have to live according to your wishes. I thought my biggest worry in the future would be how to cultivate and improve equipment. But now it seems that the most important thing for me in the future is to figure out your preferences and make you feel happy and satisfied. If that’s the case, my current position will have to change completely, and in the end, I don’t know what I will become.”

“Drinking ice wine isn’t good for you,” Ling Buyi said.

“First, drinking a sip of ice wine won’t kill anyone,” Shaoshang said with a smile, “but it can make me happy. Second, as long as I have my own opinion, even if it isn’t good for my body, I should follow my opinion.”

Ling Buyi held the girl’s soft hands. “Did you like being with Lou Yao because he could live according to your wishes?”

Shaoshang smiled and revealed her cute little white teeth. “Almost. So you see, although I have little knowledge and am incompetent, I can see myself very clearly and found the right marriage for me. It’s a pity that A’Yao has to marry He Zhaojun. But Master Ling, you are such an amazing person but don’t know yourself. You’re looking for me and it’s a big mistake.”

Ling Buyi seemed to understand a little. He said coldly, “Marriage just isn’t appropriate for you, is that it?”

“If it’s inappropriate, it’s not called marriage. It’s evil,” Shaoshang wanted to break free of his hands but after several attempts, the other party was motionless.

“General Cheng and Madam Xiao, County Magistrate Cheng and Madam Sang… haven’t you ever envied them?” Ling Buyi asked.

“My luck is very strange,” Shaoshang said bitterly. “There are always divine couples and happy families around me, but when it comes to myself, there is always something different.”

Ling Buyi remained silent for a long time. “…That’s true,” he finally said.

Shaoshang looked at him and knew he was thinking of Madam Huo and Marquis Ling. She exerted herself a few more times, but still couldn’t free her hands. She simply pushed them forward and covered his broad palms to caress his cheeks.

Ling Buyi seemed startled. He never allowed anyone to touch him, and couldn’t help but be stunned.

The white and soft little palm pressed tightly against his pale cheek, and Shaoshang felt a rough touch under her palm. The two sat opposite of each other, their faces touching each other, and their sniffles could be heard. The young man had a tall figure, towering like a jade mountain even when sitting. His figure enveloped her head, forcing her to lift her head and bend her neck to look at his face.

She had never looked at a person so carefully – with a beautiful jawbone, a graceful forehead curve, and his dark brown eyes, with butterfly wings drooping down and jewel like eyes. There were no such beautiful eyes in the world.

“It’s all my fault, I should have said this earlier,” she said softly. “I may, but I shouldn’t get married. With my rebellious and annoying nature, I shouldn’t have harmed others. Master Ling, we might marry, but we really don’t match…”

Ling Buyi sneered coldly.

She looked like a frail butterfly whose wings had been dampened by the rain, trembling as if she would die at any moment without anyone to protect her. But her true nature was so arbitrary. She could look at herself with such a gentle and thoughtful gaze, while at the same time speaking such cold and heartless words. However, he was also aware that she was not playing hard to get. What she had just said was all true.

He had a good eye. How could he find such a person in the vast sea of people?

“You like what you hold in your own hand, but when someone else holds it, you can’t rest assured, can you?” Ling Buyi tightly grasped the girl’s hand and firmly pressed against his own face.

Shaoshang felt his burning and scalding breath on her face, with a sweet fruity aroma mixed with the unsettling scent of an adult man. She nodded and whispered, “I can’t even use my father’s power for a lifetime. I love planting and drawing, and when I think about it, those are the only things that keep me company.”

Ling Buyi suddenly let go of her hands and sat in another corner away from her, with a magnificent embroidered train draped over his slender legs, shining faintly in the darkness. He stretched out his long arms and gently lifted the window pane and looked out. A beam of cold orange light shone through the gap, shining on his face.

“How do you know that I’m not in your hands?” he asked lightly.

Shaoshang looked down at her feet. “No one should be held by another person,” she sighed. “Just like now, unless you don’t want me, I can’t do without you.” She really missed the era when she could at least break off a relationship freely. Here, if she dared try to shake Ling Buyi off, the Emperor would hang her up at the city gate as a lantern!

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Cheng Mansion, and Shaoshang firmly pushed Ling Buyi away as he extended his hand to help her. The carriage didn’t have a footstool, so she lifted her skirt and clumsily jumped off it like she had seen Wan Qiqi do earlier that evening.

She endured the pain in her feet and wobbled as she bid Ling Buyi farewell. She then lowered her head and walked straight towards the front door, silently thinking that perhaps the day after tomorrow, she wouldn’t be picked up by the palace envoy again.

Cheng Shun, the old steward, noticed that the atmosphere wasn’t quite right. He looked at his own young mistress, then at her groom, and lowered his head in silence.

Ling Buyi’s body was stagnant and incomprehensible, only quietly looking at the girl’s distant figure. Her slender and soft body was like a willow, yet she insisted on being stubborn and straight.

The day after tomorrow, she would go to the palace. Then she would see many women who were good at peeping into people’s hearts. She would learn how many people hope to achieve glory and wealth through tenderness and charm. She would know even more that in the face of power, many people were willing to twist their spines to satisfy the joy of those in power.

In the end, she would find out how ridiculous her current thoughts were.

Even Wang Ling, who seemed to be very infatuated with him, as long as His Majesty hooked his fingers, or became frustrated, her heart would change in an instant.

As the girl walked further and further away from him, the torches held high by the servants on both sides extended two oblique red beams. Ling Buyi suddenly strode forward. After a little more than ten steps, he caught up with her and hugged her tightly in his arms.

The old steward behind them almost screamed out in surprise ­­– although the coldness between the two of them wasn’t good, please don’t touch each other! They were in public; couldn’t they go inside…. What was he talking about? He couldn’t go inside!

Shaoshang was held back by iron-like arms, and her feet lifted on the ground for a moment. She couldn’t help but scream out in fear, being held in his arms without a head or brain, clinging to the man’s chest like a net, and a burning breath kissing her hair.

In a daze, she heard Ling Buyi say in a low voice, “…you can’t let me go.”

She suddenly realized that this was an ambiguous sentence.

…

I just want them to smoosh their faces together. Is that too much to ask?

Next Chapter: Rules of the Game