A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 69

Biaoge and Biaomei

A Frightfully Lively Wedding Banquet

Once all the preparations were complete, the date was finally set for half a month before the New Year.

            

On the second day after the snowfall, the ground was blanketed in deep snow. Withered branches everywhere were draped in crystal-clear flakes, resembling pure, beautiful white blossoms blooming on the tips.

As far as the eye could see, a world of silver and jade unfolded. Thick layers of snow lay atop the eaves and walls, creating a scene as picturesque as a scroll.

The occasional chilly wind carried fine flurries of snow, blowing around the vibrant red bridal sedan chair as if cheering for the newlyweds.

            

Shen Hetang rode atop a tall, handsome chestnut horse. Her bright red wedding robes set off a face like fine jade and eyes like polished obsidian, her heroic spirit blended with a delicate beauty. With just a backward glance, she could steal the souls of any young maidens or newlywed wives in the crowd, far more captivating than any Tanhua scholar Tanhua scholar¹ parading through the streets.

Only today did the commoners lining the streets realize they had been utterly ignorant of General Shen’s striking beauty.

Even the freezing weather couldn’t dampen the crowd’s eagerness to watch the spectacle. Everyone burned with curiosity about the bride inside the sedan chair, wondering just what kind of dazzling beauty this young lady—who had appeared out of thin air like a Cheng Yaojin Cheng Yaojin²—must possess.

            

No one had ever heard of such a person before. To think she’d managed to snatch General Shen and marry him with such astonishing speed.

In the crowd, some cracked melon seeds, others craned their necks, and many whispered among themselves. The bolder ones shouted auspicious blessings, happily catching the copper cash and silver melon seeds tossed out by the servants.

Those lucky enough to catch them looked down to find a few rare gold melon seeds. Overjoyed, they began pouring out endless blessings as if they cost nothing at all.

            

Sitting upright inside the sedan chair, the bride listened to the simple, sincere wishes of “harmony for a hundred years” and “growing old together.” The corners of her lips, painted in deep red rouge, curled up in an uncontrollable smile.

She’d never expected a day would come when she would ride in a bridal sedan and wear a wedding gown. How could this be anything but heaven’s mercy?

Jiang Chenyu, her face covered by a red bridal veil, carefully cradled a hand warmer. She sat peacefully inside the sedan, listening to the crunching sound of horse hooves outside.

            

Shen Hetang had sent people to clear the main street leading to the Shen Manor the previous day. Although the crunch of stepping on snow could still be heard, carrying a slender young lady was incredibly easy for the four burly sedan bearers.

Accompanied by the festive blare of pipes and drums, the procession made its steady way through the bustling streets toward the grand Shen Manor.

Upon arriving at the gates of the Shen Manor, the bride was assisted out of the sedan. The main entrance was extraordinarily lively; relatives who hadn’t visited in years and some of Shen Hetang’s former fair-weather friends had all gathered to bask in the festive joy of the Shen household.

            

Even though the bride wore a thick wedding gown, one could tell from her silhouette alone that she was a beauty. Indeed, it was impossible for anyone to imagine that the exceptionally handsome General Shen would marry an ordinary woman.

The bride had to be stunning enough to outshine everyone to be worthy of the General Shen in their hearts.

This was Jiang Chenyu’s first time entering the Shen Manor. Though the red veil blocked her vision, she felt a sense of novelty rather than fear—for the hand holding hers was warm and reassuring.

            

Throughout the wedding banquet, while some watched the spectacle and others offered their blessings, a master and servant pair stood with strained, fake smiles, not daring to let anyone see through their facade.

These two were none other than Madam Lin and Xianggui, the managing nanny of the Shen Manor who was also the mother of Zhao Chenlan.

Nanny Gui had returned home for a long period recently to tend to her injured husband. It was only upon hearing that Shen Hetang was getting married that she hurried back to help coordinate the pre-wedding affairs.

            

Nanny Gui’s husband had injured his leg several years ago and now lived a life of leisure at home. Yet, unable to shake her worry over Madam Lin managing the inner courtyard alone, Nanny Gui would still return occasionally to oversee things.

She’d hired two rough-work nannies to tend to her own household. Madam Lin had also urged her to retire, pointing out that since her son was now successful, she could fully return home to enjoy a peaceful life.

But Nanny Gui simply couldn’t cast aside their decades of shared bond, so she continued to shuttle back and forth. However, she’d also trained new capable assistants for Madam Lin, preparing for her eventual complete retirement.

            

When she first heard that the young master was getting married, she’d stood frozen in shock. Upon learning that “he” was actually taking a wife, she’d gone so far as to slap her own face twice. This was a consequence of the sins she’d helped commit back then; now, she could only bear the burden alongside her mistress.

The two women stood to the side like wooden blocks, welcoming the arriving guests, wishing that even the slightest micro-expressions on their faces could be completely identical.

As for Zhao Chenlan, who was far away at the border, there was no way for him to return. Even though he was stomping his feet in anxiety, a new mission prevented him from leaving Xixing Pass. He could only send a wedding gift and lay out a table of fine food and wine for himself in that distant land to partake in the banquet in spirit.

            

Heir Wei finally graced the Shen Manor with his presence, but bringing his entire household along made things far too lively, instantly stealing the spotlight from the newlyweds.

While others brought at most one wife, he had brought three: the Heir’s Wife, Concubine Sheng, and the newly added Concubine Qing.

This was practically a treat for all the men present. The three beauties each possessed a distinct charm: the Heir’s Wife was cold, elegant, and noble; Concubine Sheng was voluptuous and enchanting; while Concubine Qing was delicate and affectingly lovely.

            

A few young playboys stared at the two lovely beauties, their mouths practically watering. Why only two? Because most of the fair-weather friends who used to carouse with Shen Hetang had tasted the wrath of the Shen family’s eldest sister in the past.

No matter how much she resembled a heavenly immortal now, she was viewed through a unique filter in their eyes. To them, she looked exactly like their own strict fathers who would raise a wooden paddle at the slightest disagreement, leaving absolutely no room for romantic fantasies.

But the other two delicate beauties were a different story—they were incredibly thrilling to behold.

            

Some of them even had the audacity to push their luck, privately approaching Heir Wei to discuss trading concubines.

Though Heir Wei was a good-for-nothing, he still possessed a baseline of decency. He told his band of worthless friends to scram, advising them to find their own beauties if they wanted them.

What a joke. Could he even afford to touch either of these women? Take Concubine Sheng—if she became unhappy, he wouldn’t even know how he ended up unconscious. She’d even threatened him not to tell the Heir’s Wife, or else she’d make him vanish without a trace. It had scared him out of his wits.

            

He increasingly felt as though he’d fallen into Concubine Sheng’s trap; that girl was truly bizarre at times.

As for Concubine Qing, the Heir’s Wife had already warned him that she was completely off-limits. She was merely borrowing a place under his roof, and even if he heard any commotion from her quarters, he was to pay it no mind.

He… his life was remarkably difficult. Now this buddy of his actually wanted to lay a finger on the three tigresses of his household. By refusing his friend, he was practically saving the man’s life. He should stop being so ungrateful.

            

Heir Wei stared at his oblivious friend with eyes full of unspoken meaning, only able to offer a promise that he’d help scout a better one in the future.

Heir Wei’s signature skill for navigating the world was making empty promises making empty promises³, but his buddy merely sneered and accused him of being stingy.

Concubine Sheng had only tagged along to join in the fun. Meanwhile, Concubine Qing had not seen Zhao Lanyin in a long time; having heard that the County Princess would attend General Shen’s wedding banquet, she hoped to try her luck and catch one last glimpse of her before departing.

            

Yet the scrutinizing gazes from all directions made her feel as though she were sitting on a bed of needles.

Shen Yunshu paid no heed to what the people around her thought; her attention was entirely focused on the newlyweds performing the formal wedding bows inside.

She only knew that the girl inside was the one who’d taken Ah Tang in during her period of amnesia. She was still unsure of what exactly was going on between them.

            

If Ah Tang truly wanted to marry her, then so be it. But if it was merely to deceive the public eye, she would have to secure a way out for Ah Tang in the future.

Shen Yunshu watched the two of them marry with a calm expression, but from her observations, Ah Tang didn’t seem at all reluctant. Her conflicted heart eased slightly; she’d find a time to speak with Ah Tang in detail later.

In addition to these friends and family, two cousins had also arrived. One was Ye Huaiqing, the son of Madam Lin’s biaojie, and the other was Zhang Miaoyi, the daughter of Shen Yao’s distant biaojie.

            

Though both were distant cousins in relation to the Shen family, their social standings were worlds apart.

Ye Huaiqing’s late mother had been an imperial female official who served closely before the Emperor. After leaving the palace, she gave birth to Ye Huaiqing alone, passing away when her son was only eight or nine years old.

In her youth, Madam Lin had shared a close relationship with her biaojie and had offered to help look after the child. However, her biaojie had insisted that she’d already found a household for him.

            

Sure enough, not long after, Ye Huaiqing was taken into the palace. It was rumored that the Emperor had adopted him as a foster son, leaving him to reside alone in a remote palace hall.

Shen Hetang knew nothing of the love and hatred between this cousin-aunt of hers and the Emperor. She only knew that after her biaoge entered the palace, he lived an incredibly cautious life.

On the surface, the Emperor had shown him very little favor. It was more like raising a stray pup, casually keeping him in a side hall to fend for himself.

            

Yet, on the rare occasions the Emperor remembered him, he’d grant him some face, allowing him to scrape by in the palace without being bullied to death.

In her youth, Shen Hetang had frequently provided him with material aid. Fortunately, her biaoge was meticulous, cautious, and lacked any intimidating maternal family backing, allowing him to grow to adulthood in the palace as a complete non-entity.

Thus, when Shen Hetang was finally able to leave the capital, she’d brought her easily overlooked biaoge along with her. By now, he was already a fifth-rank Palace Guard Commander, holding a rank between Shen Hetang and Zhao Chenlan, and had only recently returned to the capital.

            

The other cousin, the daughter of Shen Yao’s distant biaojie, had also played with Shen Hetang a few times during childhood. By a stroke of chance, she’d even stayed at the Shen Manor for a short period back then. At that time, she was still an innocent, romantic young girl; now, she’d bloomed into a graceful young lady.

Zhang Miaoyi had moved into the Shen Manor not long ago, claiming she’d come to keep Madam Lin company. Madam Lin had no need for someone to relieve her boredom; she had far too many matters to tend to daily, not to mention her occasional petty squabbles with Concubine Ru. She was incredibly busy.

Still, out of respect for her deceased husband’s side of the family, she’d granted her some face and allowed her to stay at the Shen Manor for a time.

            

After escorting Jiang Chenyu to the bridal chamber, Shen Hetang returned to the front courtyard to entertain the guests with drinks. This group of people was truly serious about pressing her to drink—especially Young Master Li, whose girl had been snatched away by Shen Hetang not long ago.

His toasts were filled with such raw, heartfelt passion that it seemed he would gladly sacrifice himself if it meant getting Shen Hetang completely drunk.

Because they’d shared drinks a few times in the past, Shen Hetang had refrained from causing too ugly of a scene with him at Wanxiang Pavilion that day.

            

Hearing of Shen Hetang’s wedding this time, Young Master Li wanted to seize the opportunity to ask “him” where “he” had hidden the girl who’d so thoroughly captivated his heart that day.

Now that “he” was already married, could “he” perhaps yield the girl to him?

But Shen Hetang gave him no chance to speak. After downing a single cup of wine, she immediately walked away from that table of worthless friends.

            

Glancing at the sky and realizing it was dinner time, she quickly instructed Cuiwan to carry some dinner over to Jiang Chenyu and Chuntao.

Fearing that Jiang Chenyu would be bored waiting alone in the bridal chamber, she’d deliberately sent Chuntao inside to keep her company.

With so many friends and relatives arriving, she went about welcoming one guest after another. From time to time, she also had to receive rewards sent from the palace. As for the guests who had come from the palace, such as County Princess Qingyang—Shen Hetang couldn’t help but wonder what business she had joining in the fun. Was she not satisfied with the rumors already surrounding the two of them, and had come to add fresh fuel to the fire?

            

The guests present would likely find the sensational drama of the County Princess flying into a rage to snatch the groom, or throwing a massive scene at her former lover’s wedding banquet, far more entertaining.

With that, everyone’s focus shifted from Heir Wei’s concubines to the County Princess. All in all, the drama was constant; this trip had certainly not been in vain.

Looking at the overly raucous banquet, Shen Hetang only wanted to end the party early and get some rest. She’d originally intended to keep things low-key, but somehow the crowd kept swelling, to the point where even ordinary citizens were gathered outside the gates to watch the spectacle.

            

Fortunately, she’d dragged Heir Wei in to help block the toasts; she would remember this favor. Madam Lin was so busy her feet barely touched the ground. Fortunately, Shen Yunshu had brought her concubines along to help mingle with the guests, which softened Madam Lin’s opinion of this little vixen little vixen⁴ from the Wei family.

Concubine Ru wasn’t idling either. She went around inquiring about which families had eligible daughters of marriageable age, eager to see if her son might have a chance to secure a suitable wife. Her round eyes darted back and forth, searching for potential targets.

Ever since she’d been escorted into the bridal chamber, Jiang Chenyu hadn’t seen a glimpse of Shen Hetang. She could only pass the time nibbling on pastries and dried fruit, waiting for her to return.

            

“Miss, Miss! The young master is being dragged into drinking matches! They say if he wins, nobody will try teasing the newlyweds teasing the newlyweds⁵ tonight,” Chuntao reported, returning from a scouting trip outside.

“Ah? But he still shouldn’t drink too much!”

“You don’t need to worry, Miss. Cuiwan told me that the young master’s wine pot has two sides—one for wine, and the other for water,” Chuntao whispered to Jiang Chenyu, giggling behind her hand.

            

“That’s a relief then.” Drinking was bad for the health; it was indeed better for her to drink less.

Shen Hetang only wished the banquet would wrap up quickly. Having spent the entire day looking at a blur of faces, her eyes were completely weary.

To make matters worse, a stubborn few insisted on teasing the newlyweds. She could only think of a way to chase them away as fast as possible so she could finally get some quiet rest. She hadn’t seen her bride all day; this wedding ceremony was truly a tedious affair.

            

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