MYSIOAMEWTMMAlTWOAM: Chapter 6

Glossary

· Qin Yuan: The female protagonist, reborn. Former wife of Lin Ziqi.

· Qin Wan: Qin Yuan's Di Mei, also reborn.

· Marquis of Dingbei: A military lord, Qin Yuan's fiancé.

· Lin Ziqi: A poor Juren scholar, Qin Wan's fiancé.

· Hongye: Qin Yuan's maidservant.

· Cuiming: Qin Yuan's other maidservant.

· Cui Shi: The primary wife (Madame Cui), mother of Qin Wan and Qin Heng.

· Qin Heng: The younger brother.

· Chancellor Qin: Qin Yuan's father, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

· Di: Legitimate, referring to children born to the primary wife.

· Shu: Referring to children born to concubines.

· Sixth Madame Gu: The wife of the sixth son of the Gu family, currently managing the household.

· Zhao Niangzi: The woman brought back by the Marquis from the battlefield.

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Chapter 6: She Is the One the Marquis Brought Back from the Battlefield

But at that very moment, the band struck up a loud and festive tune, and the men began tossing handfuls of money, causing a shower of copper coins to rain from the sky. The spectators rushed forward in a frenzy, shouting all kinds of auspicious phrases.

The bride's response was drowned out in the cacophony.

The Dingbei Marquis's residence was located in the northern part of the city, clustered with other noble families, while Lin Ziqi lived in the eastern district, mostly inhabited by commoners. The two processions parted ways at the street intersection.

Qin Yuan's legs had gone numb from sitting, and her head was dizzy from the swaying by the time they arrived at the Dingbei Marquis's residence.

Hongye was also quite exhausted and had spoken very little along the way.

The Dingbei Marquis's residence was commissioned by the founding emperor, covering a vast area with a magnificent and ornate gate tower at the entrance, making it exceptionally imposing.

Both Hongye and Cuiming were on high alert, fearful of causing their young lady to lose face.

Qin Yuan, however, was unconcerned. In her previous life, she had visited the Marquis's residence a few times and knew the details of the Gu family.

The title of Dingbei Marquis was hereditary, with generations guarding the northern frontiers.

The Old Madame Gu had given birth to four sons, three of whom died on the battlefield, leaving only Gu Jinghui.

The household was currently managed by the wife of the sixth son, Xu Shi, known as Sixth Madame Gu.

The sixth son was younger than Gu Jinghui, and his children were already studying at the Imperial Academy. He had been born frail and had always remained in the capital, protected by the Marquis, never having set foot on the battlefield.

In her previous life, the Marquis and Qin Wan were estranged, producing no Di son. That beloved concubine also bore no children. The Marquis had only two adopted sons by his side, and the one who ultimately inherited the Dingbei Marquis title should have been the sixth son's child.

In her idle moments, Qin Yuan often pondered the bits and pieces she had heard and seen in her previous life.

In that life, Qin Wan and the Marquis had quarreled too intensely, displeasing the Old Madame Gu. Qin Wan was ostracized by Sixth Madame Gu, making her days feel like years.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

She could not allow herself to fall into that predicament again.

The wedding rituals were intricate and tedious. Having experienced them once before, Qin Yuan was in no hurry.

Finally, a large hand lifted the sedan curtain and passed one end of a red silk ribbon into her hand.

It was Gu Jinghui's hand.

Qin Yuan's small hand was briefly held by his, sending a shiver through her skin.

Gu Jinghui's hand was warm, dry, and full of strength, quite different from Lin Ziqi's.

Qin Yuan steadied her breathing and allowed herself to be led by the red silk, bypassing the corridors, and entering the main hall. Following the instructions of the master of ceremonies and the wedding attendants, she worshipped heaven and earth and was then escorted to the bridal chamber.

The bridal chamber was noisy and crowded, filled with people clamoring to see the bride.

Qin Yuan was helped to sit upright on the bed strewn with five-colored fruits, waiting for Gu Jinghui to lift her veil.

"Third Uncle, we want to see the bride!"

Children joined in the excitement.

Then, her veil was lifted three times before finally being raised with a scale beam and placed on a tray held by a wedding attendant.

These three liftings were done according to ancient rites, very earnestly.

It seemed Gu Jinghui took this marriage seriously.

Qin Yuan's heart settled.

She slowly raised her head, and a handsomely chiseled face came into view, with distinct contours along the cheeks and jaw, bearing a shadow of stubble that added a touch of ruggedness.

This was the Marquis in his youth—truly handsome. She had heard that in his younger days on the battlefield, he wore a mask, and later grew a thick beard to enhance his authority.

Presumably, for the wedding, the Marquis had shaved his beard.

Qin Yuan's eyes, like cold stars in the mist, met Gu Jinghui's—pitch-black and bright as gems, deeply drawing her in.

A flicker of admiration passed through both their eyes.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

When the veil was lifted, the bridal chamber fell into utter silence.

Everyone was struck speechless by the beauty.

The men were envious of the Marquis's good fortune, while the women were stunned by Qin Yuan in her resplendent attire.

What unmarried woman wouldn't want to be this beautiful? Those already married couldn't help but recall their own wedding attire, comparing silently in their hearts.

The wedding day was the most memorable for every woman, and the attire and appearance of that day would be forever etched in her memory.

It took Gu Jinghui a long moment to collect himself. He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and said, "Everyone, let's go, to the banquet for drinks."

The crowd surrounded Gu Jinghui and escorted him to the outer hall for the feast, while the women and children remained in the bridal chamber to keep Qin Yuan company.

With the men gone, the women spoke more freely.

Those present were relatives and friends of the Gu family. Qin Yuan listened to their conversations with a smile, carefully discerning the relationships among them.

After everyone had spoken with Qin Yuan, Sixth Madame Gu took her hand and said many pleasant things, mostly praising her beauty and family background, while subtly probing whether she had experience managing household affairs or running shops.

Qin Yuan understood—this Sixth Madame Gu was testing her capabilities.

The two exchanged small talk when suddenly someone from the side said, "Sixth Madame has managed the household for years; everyone in the residence listens to her. If you have any matters, Madame, you need only ask Sixth Madame."

Qin Yuan turned to look. It was a woman dressed in plain colors, with a white flower pinned at her temple, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Though not stunningly beautiful, she had some charm, appearing innocent and harmless, the kind that would make men instinctively want to protect her.

But her eyes were not so harmless.

Qin Yuan did nothing to conceal her displeasure, frowning as she asked, "Sixth Madame, who is this? How come I didn't notice her here earlier?"

When a host family is celebrating a joyous occasion, those in mourning should voluntarily avoid it.

She had never seen someone so eager to push forward, almost as if afraid she wouldn't be noticed—this was an outright provocation.

If she could tolerate this, she wouldn't be Qin Yuan.

The women who had been sitting and chatting turned to look at the woman, their expressions varied.

Sixth Madame Gu did not dare overstep.

No matter how young Qin Yuan was, her seniority in the family was established. Sixth Madame Gu hurriedly said, "Third Sister-in-Law, please just call me Sixth Sister-in-Law. This is... the one Third Brother brought back from the battlefield. We... we all call her Zhao Niangzi."

She wore an expression of something being hard to explain.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Qin Yuan understood—this was the woman the Marquis had brought back from the northern frontiers, and she had heard there were two children as well.

She just didn't know if those two children were in the bridal chamber.

She smiled and said, "Sixth Sister-in-Law, today is a joyous occasion for the Gu and Qin families, to seal a marital alliance. Everything should carry good omens. This Zhao Niangzi truly should not be here according to propriety. She may have come from the frontiers and is unaware of the customs in the capital. The Marquis is a man and may be careless, not attending to these details. What does Sixth Sister-in-Law think?"

Sixth Madame Gu's face instantly turned pale.

"I... I..."

An older, kind-faced woman nearby interjected, "Zhao Niangzi is indeed unsuitable here. Her attire is quite offensive to the host family."

Sixth Madame Gu nodded repeatedly. "Third Sister-in-Law, this is all my fault. I will ask her to leave immediately."

Zhao Niangzi, full of displeasure, said, "As the saying goes, 'one does not strike a smiling face.' I came with good intentions to offer congratulations. How can the bride treat a guest like this? It seems the Marquis's residence has no place for us. We must ask the Marquis to judge this matter."

Qin Yuan's face was stern; she couldn't be bothered to speak to her and only looked at Sixth Madame Gu.

(End of Chapter)

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