Chapter 26 - Bridal Chamber

  Song Chaoxi had just spped her own face—what more could she say? She pinched Qingzhu’s soft cheek and curled her lips into a smile. “Qingzhu, tell me—who’s more handsome, your young dy or the Duke?”

  Qingzhu’s face immediately turned red. The young dy was too much! Dressed in a red wedding robe, her beauty was radiant and breathtaking, with a seductive charm when she looked at someone. But when she acted like a rogue and pinched someone’s face, Qingzhu couldn’t help but feel her mistress must be wearing the wrong outfit—she looked even more dashing and charming than a man.

  Flustered, Qingzhu grabbed the round bamboo sieve from the bed. It was filled with red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds—symbols of good fortune. Embarrassed and annoyed, she excimed, “I’m done talking to you! I’m going out to help sort your dowry!”

  “Don’t go!” Song Chaoxi said with a half-smile. “Stay a little longer.”

  “Young dy, you’re teasing me again!” Qingzhu stomped her foot in frustration.

  Song Chaoxi was wrongly accused this time. She pointed at the heavy phoenix crown on her head that felt like it could crush someone. Only then did Qingzhu realize she had forgotten her duties. Blushing, she returned to help Chaoxi remove the phoenix crown and the yers of jewelry around her neck. Only then did Song Chaoxi feel alive again.

  She washed off her makeup, took off the wide and dragging red wedding gown, bathed, changed into a scarlet everyday dress, and finally felt some comfort.

  As night fell, Song Chaoxi told the maids to go rest. The room seemed to have been fumigated with mugwort; a faint medicinal scent lingered. The flickering light of the red candles fell on Rong Jing’s face, adding a different kind of refined elegance.

  Song Chaoxi took out a bracelet and plucked a few leaves of celestial herb from inside. She didn’t grind them right away but gently brushed his lips with a leaf.

  She had never imagined she’d marry a man like this or have such a wedding night. But in a way, it lightened her burden. At least she didn’t have to serve her husband or deal with in-ws. Everything was peaceful and easy, and she didn’t mind this kind of life at all.

  Rong Jing’s long eyes remained tightly shut, his shes casting soft shadows. Song Chaoxi couldn’t resist reaching out and touching them. Her own shes were long, too—after consuming celestial herb for beauty recently, her skin had become fairer, her scars faded, and her shes thicker. But Rong Jing’s shes had always been long, even before the herb. Now they were so lush even Song Chaoxi was envious.

  She fed him the celestial herb and teasingly used another leaf to brush his lips. “Duke, I’m Song Chaoxi. Do you still remember me? Tonight is our wedding night. Something should be happening, but you can’t move at all. You might be the most pitiful groom in history.”

  She paused, then added seriously, “But I haven’t had it easy either. To gather these herbs for you, I’ve done quite a few good deeds. I still have a few more for you to eat. Once they run out, I’ll go do more good deeds to get more for you.”

  Then she decred solemnly, “You’ve eaten my herbs. That makes you mine.”

  She smiled, fed him a few more pieces of herb, then got up to undo her hair.

  It was early summer, and though the weather was hot, the little tower where they lived—being on the water—was cool. The only trouble was the insects. After burning mugwort and lighting more herbal incense, it became bearable.

  In Yangzhou, Song Chaoxi used to sleep naked. Now that she was married and served by maids in the capital, it wasn’t appropriate. She usually wore only a dudou (bellyband). Even now, sleeping bare felt a little improper, so she left her dudou on.

  The Duke’s canopy bed was massive—rge enough for five people—so lying beside him wouldn’t crowd him. She crawled over to the inner side of the bed, feeling slightly awkward sharing a bed with a man.

  Before sleeping, she gnced at Rong Jing’s face. Hmm… After eating celestial herbs, he had grown even paler. His skin was smooth, and the scar on the side of his face was barely visible now. The herbs not only helped him heal but had given him added benefits. His perfect skin now felt like a waste—she wondered what it would feel like to touch it.

  Once the thought appeared, it refused to leave her mind. She debated: Should she touch him? But would that be crossing a line? Then again, the door was shut—no one would know. If he were awake, she wouldn’t dare. But since he was unconscious… why not try?

  She reached out and touched him. Ooh. It felt just like tender tofu. Worthy of being called the Duke.

  She quickly withdrew her hand, guilty, and slipped under the covers. Qingzhu came in to extinguish the red candles. Outside, the chirping of insects could be heard.

  The unfamiliar environment made it a little hard for Song Chaoxi to fall asleep, but since she had been up since early morning and busy all day, she fell asleep almost immediately.

  At dawn the next day, Qingzhu entered. According to custom, Song Chaoxi needed to serve tea to the old matron.

  Qingzhu felt uneasy seeing the Duke lying there. Even unconscious, his presence was intimidating—no one dared misbehave with him in the room.

  Song Chaoxi smiled, drew the curtains shut, then sat zily in front of the dressing mirror, yawning. The red dudou she wore made her beauty even more striking. After eating celestial herb, her skin was fwless. She was very pleased with the results.

  Qingzhu skillfully styled her hair and twisted it into a delicate bun. Then she picked out a gold hairpin adorned with gemstone bats and matching pearl earrings from the dressing box. The teardrop-shaped central gem glowed with a pinkish light—very eye-catching.

  With her naturally fair skin and rosy lips, Song Chaoxi didn’t need much makeup. Qingzhu applied a touch of pomegranate-red lip color, making her look both elegant and sweet—the perfect bance between a dignified duchess and a newlywed bride. Her red robe was bright but not too fshy, and this tasteful middle ground suited her well.

  Just as she was about to leave, Song Chaoxi suddenly remembered something. She turned back, walked to the bed, and smiled toward it. “Duke, since you’re still unconscious, I’ll have to go pay respects to Mother alone. I hope you wake up soon—it wouldn’t be right for me to handle all these formalities by myself, would it?”

  She had once heard her father say that talking to someone in a coma could help them regain consciousness. From now on, she decided to speak more often to Rong Jing.

  Because the front hall was quite far away, a maid offered to call for a sedan chair, but Chaoxi declined. She wanted to walk there herself and get a feel for what the Duke’s residence was really like.

  Passing through the long covered walkway and entering through the back gate of the front courtyard, Song Chaoxi encountered several early-rising servants. Some were chatting about the previous night’s banquet, saying that the Emperor had come to the wedding feast briefly but left early. Only after he left did the guests feel more at ease, and the festivities continued te into the night.

  The Duke's estate was entirely different from the Marquis's. The Marquis’s mansion had appearances but no real grandeur; the buildings and corridors hadn't been maintained for a long time. But here, everything was meticulously cared for. There were more servants, and they were all dressed respectably.

  Traditionally, the tea-serving ceremony for a new bride was done with her husband beside her, but Rong Jing was unconscious, so she had to face it alone. Still, she didn’t feel nervous. In this world, being nervous never helped anything. Since she was here, she would go with the flow.

  She entered the main hall with a soft smile. The old matron, dressed in a honey-yellow robe with peony patterns, sat on a round-backed chair. Seeing Chaoxi walk in, she put down the paper-cutting and teacup in her hands and smiled. “The bride is here.”

  Everyone in the room turned to look.

  Because this marriage had been arranged in haste, most of the household had only known for a couple of days. Everyone was curious about this daughter of the Yongchun Marquis House who had caught the matron’s eye. It was well known that the old matron was extremely picky. Many families had hoped to marry their daughters to the Duke, but most were turned away by her before even meeting him. They were all wondering what kind of celestial beauty had finally passed her scrutiny.

  Now that they saw her, they were stunned.

  The bride’s skin was fwless and glowing even under light makeup. Her presence was elegant and refined. By the time they realized it, many had already been staring at her for some time.

  Gao shi was the first to recover and smiled. “No wonder the old madam took a liking to her—she’s truly stunning.”

  The family structure in the Duke’s household wasn’t complicated. Rong Jing had two brothers. His eldest brother, Rong Feng, was nearly forty. His wife, Gao shi, came from a respectable background; her father was also an official. She had given birth to a son and a daughter and held a significant position in the household.

  Song Chaoxi, regaining her composure, picked up the tea tray and respectfully offered tea to Gao shi. Gao shi had refined features and had clearly been a beauty in her youth, though she now appeared rather stern. After accepting the tea, she smiled and said, “Sister-in-w, your features are like a painting—truly a beauty. If the second master knew he had such a lovely wife, I’m sure he wouldn’t stay asleep for long. He’ll wake soon.”

  The old madam knew of Chaoxi’s medical skills. Arranging for her to stay in the keside cottage was to make it easier for her to care for Rong Jing. Before the marriage, it had been inconvenient for her to treat him often. Now it was different—no physician could care for a man as attentively as his wife. The old madam believed Rong Jing would improve from now on.

  The old Duke had passed away several years ago. Rong Jing, as the second son, had only one elder to serve—Madam Gu. Song Chaoxi respectfully offered her tea and food, softly calling, “Mother.”

  Madam Gu was deeply pleased. She hadn’t heard a daughter-in-w call her “Mother” in years. Of all her daughters-in-w, only Chaoxi had been personally chosen by her. She was naturally satisfied.

  After sipping the tea and tasting the food, Madam Gu handed the partially eaten food back to Song Chaoxi—a local custom signifying that from now on, the bride would eat the family’s food and was truly one of them.

  Song Chaoxi had seen such ceremonies before and performed it without fluster. Everything went smoothly and gracefully. Everyone in the hall was watching her closely, mesmerized by her every smile and gesture.

  After the formalities, the old madam accepted a pair of bracelets from her personal maid and handed them to Song Chaoxi. Having seen many fine things before, Song Chaoxi thought this was just a typical pair of bracelets—well-made, yes, but nothing extraordinary for households like the Duke’s and the Marquis’s.

  However, as she passed the bracelets to Qingzhu, she caught a glimpse of Gao shi’s expression turning unpleasant. Chaoxi immediately understood—these were no ordinary bracelets. They might even be heirlooms.

  Gao shi became noticeably more cordial after that. When Chaoxi offered her tea, she responded with polite words and gave her a hair ornament—a red gemstone dangling from a gold filigree setting. Chaoxi accepted it with a calm smile, never showing surprise or arrogance.

  The old madam gnced at the ornament, then at Chaoxi, her smile growing deeper.

  To her left sat a handsome young man wearing a dark robe edged in sapphire-blue brocade. His boots were bck with pink soles. Even seated, one could tell he was tall and slender, bearing some resembnce to Rong Jing. His slightly upturned eyes suggested a free-spirited nature.

  Chaoxi looked at the old madam in surprise. The old dy expined, “That’s your younger uncle, Rong Ling. He stood in for your husband at the wedding yesterday.”

  Chaoxi gave a modest smile and lowered her head—just as etiquette dictated.

  Rong Ling, however, was momentarily dazed. He stared at her in disbelief. He had been dragged home from a brothel the previous day to attend the wedding on his brother’s behalf, finding the entire affair ridiculous. If his second brother weren’t bedridden, who in the household could have arranged such a marriage?

  The bride’s face had been hidden under a veil, so he hadn’t seen her looks. But now—upon seeing her—his breath caught. This sister-in-w was stunning, with clear eyes and perfect teeth, like a heavenly being. There wasn’t a second woman like her in all the capital. Despite his experience with beauties, he was at a loss for words.

  Elegant, innocent, charming, seductive—she embodied every kind of allure.

  Just then, a young man dressed in a dark green brocade robe stepped forward. This was Rong Feng’s son, Rong Yan, courtesy name Peiyan. He had refined features, a gentle smile, and a noble air. Next to him stood a lovely girl in a light pink floral robe edged in gold. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes sparkled with mischief—Rong Yuan, Gao shi’s daughter.

  The old madam said indulgently, “Rong Yuan is about your age. It’s time to start arranging her marriage too. She’s full of tricks—loves to compete in tea and poetry contests. Not much like a proper young dy.”

  Rong Yuan pouted. “Grandmother always says bad things about me. I was hoping to leave a good impression on Second Aunt.”

  The old madam chuckled. “You never try to impress anyone. Why now?”

  Rong Yuan batted her eyes and grinned. “Because Second Aunt is so pretty! I like pretty people. So, Grandmother, don’t embarrass me.”

  Everyone ughed, and the atmosphere turned warm and lively.

  Rong Yuan blinked her big eyes and stared at Song Chaoxi without blinking. Chaoxi ughed, finally feeling more rexed. She took a coral and tortoiseshell comb and offered it to Rong Yuan. Rong Yuan didn’t even look at the comb, her cheeks turning pink as she gazed at Song Chaoxi with admiration.

  It reminded Chaoxi of the little Pekingese she had raised as a child—it would look at her the same way every time she fed it, wagging its short tail. She almost imagined seeing a little tail wagging behind Rong Yuan.

  Chaoxi ughed inwardly. Rong Yuan was so much like Tingfang. Back then, Tingfang would also become sweet and docile around her, begging for affection.

  Chaoxi had always been well-liked by peers—except for Song Chaoyan and Song Jialiang. Even her four cousins on her aunt’s side had always melted in front of her. Her aunt used to joke that her sons and nephews were all wolves outside but turned into docile hounds the moment they saw Chaoxi.

  In the capital, it was customary for the whole household to formally meet the bride the day after the wedding. Song Chaoxi met a few more retives when suddenly, a figure in bright blue entered her field of vision—it was Rong Heng.

  “Ah, Heng! It’s your mother’s first day in the household—come greet her properly.”