The maids of the Duke Zhen Mansion simply could not accept the scene unfolding before them. Their eyes all swelled from rubbing, yet they still saw their elegant and extraordinary Eldest Young Master carrying the female bandit steadily towards Qihao Hall.
The two of them laughed and chatted, like a deeply in-love couple fresh from their wedding, glued to each other.
In their minds, the big and strong, rough and bold female bandit Eldest Young Madam was now nestled like a delicate bird in the arms of Eldest Young Master, bashful and charming, lovelier than flowers.
The Eldest Young Master gazed upon Eldest Young Madam with such tenderness that it seemed he could squeeze water out of it.
To them, this was undoubtedly a shocking blow, like a bolt from the blue.
Truly!
The Eldest Young Master carrying the female bandit surprised and pained them more than if the female bandit were carrying him.
It turned out their Eldest Young Master had a taste for this kind of person, and they were needlessly worrying.
They decided not to pity the Eldest Young Master any longer!
The maids turned away in anger.
Seeing the maids dispersing, all the accusations and disdain surrounding them dissipated. Su Jin patted Xie Jingchen on the shoulder and said tenderly, "Put me down, husband, I'm worried you'll tire out."
Such a fine act.
Xie Jingchen laughed and cooperated, "If wife's legs are sore, I shall carry you. Though my body is weak, I have strength enough for this."
Off to the side, two maids passed by.
Once the maids had walked away, Su Jin gave Xie Jingchen an appreciative glance, "Your acting deserves a hundred and one points, fearless of pride."
"Wife isn't too far behind."
Quite humble, Su Jin smiled brilliantly, "We're allies now, aligning together against outsiders, aren't we?"
Xie Jingchen looked down and saw the person in his arms smiling at him, her clear eyes like meteors streaking across the night sky, brilliantly shining.
He said nothing, so Su Jin took his silence as agreement.
Thus, Xie Jingchen carried her all the way to Qihao Hall before setting her down, then held her hand as they stepped into the courtyard.
Su Jin struggled but couldn't break free.
This time, she truly blushed. This fellow's ability to create scenes was formidable. She disliked those criticisms, but endless public displays of affection would also be tiresome.
"There's a limit to everything," she whispered.
"A play should be performed thoroughly," he replied with a smile.
Su Jin fell silent.
Why did she have an ominous feeling of boarding a pirate ship?
Did she choose the wrong ally?
Taking a deep breath, Su Jin steeled herself, smiling as Xie Jingchen led her up the steps.
Although the marriage was rushed, Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang still did their best to gather information about the Duke Zhen Mansion for Su Jin. In Marquis Dongxiang's words, it was to know oneself and the enemy for a hundred battles without peril.
Thus, Su Jin had a rudimentary understanding of the Duke Zhen Mansion.
Qihao Hall was where the Old Lady of Duke Zhen resided.
She was the original and legitimate wife of the Old Duke. She and the Old Duke had endured hardships together and she nearly lost her life to save him, walking hand in hand to where they were today. She gave birth to two sons and two daughters, with the sons being the Old Master and Third Master, and the daughters well married. The eldest daughter is now the Minister of the Ministry of Justice's wife, and the second daughter is the Nanning Marquis's wife.
Only the Second Master was a concubine's son, whose mother is still alive, demonstrating the Old Lady's tolerance.
In the Duke Zhen Mansion, the Old Lady held a transcendent position. Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang repeatedly warned Su Jin not to provoke the Old Lady.
Su Jin committed this to memory.
Now, the Duke Zhen and the Old Master were not in the Capital City, and it was unknown when they would return. The current master of the Duke Zhen Mansion was the Eldest Wife, Princess Nanzhang.
It was she who entered the palace to petition the Emperor for the marriage of Su Jin to cheer up Xie Jingchen.
Princess Nanzhang was born to the Empress Dowager's full sister, and due to the Empress Dowager's indulgence, she was bestowed the title of Commandery Princess.
Xie Jingchen was the eldest legitimate grandson of the Duke Zhen Mansion, but he was not born of Princess Nanzhang; his mother was someone else, known to no one and seen by no one.
It's said that years ago, when the late Emperor bestowed the marriage between Old Master Xie and Princess Nanzhang, Old Master Xie was not in the Capital. The decree was received by the Old Lady.
The Empress Dowager joyfully prepared for Princess Nanzhang's marriage, yet Old Master Xie returned to the capital bringing an imperial edict to enter the palace and plead guilty, declaring he and another woman had sworn to marry each other and promised to wed her with an eight-carriage sedan. A man of his word, he could not go back on it and couldn't give Princess Nanzhang the position of primary wife, pleading for the Emperor to retract the marriage edict.
At that time, the matter caused a great stir, provoking much speculation, as people desired to know which young lady had captured the heart of the Duke Zhen's heir.
The late Emperor admired him and decided to withdraw the marriage edict, but the Empress Dowager disagreed and was thunderously furious.
Traditionally, marriages were decreed by the parents and matchmakers. How could he privately determine his marriage, and moreover, the Empress Dowager doubted there was any sweetheart, believing it a pretext to make the late Emperor retract the edict.
If there was such a lifelong agreement, then the woman should be married in. If not, it would be a crime of deceiving the sovereign.
Old Master Xie left the capital for a while and did not bring back any young lady, but instead brought back a child.
That child was Xie Jingchen.
It's said that Xie Jingchen's mother, heavily pregnant, accidentally fell into the water, giving birth to him with her dying breath before passing away.
The Empress Dowager questioned Xie Jingchen's identity, forcing Old Master Xie and Xie Jingchen to conduct a public blood recognition. The Duke also acknowledged Xie Jingchen as the eldest legitimate grandson of the Duke Zhen Mansion.
By acknowledging him as the legitimate heir, his mother naturally became the legitimate wife.
Initially, everyone thought this marriage should be canceled, as it would be unseemly for a dignified Commandery Princess to be a facsimile wife, especially when Old Master had a legitimate eldest son. Surely, she wouldn't be a facsimile wife forever and end up with no title.
Unexpectedly, Princess Nanzhang still married Old Master as his second wife and gave birth to a son and a daughter.
Given Xie Jingchen's complex background and his ailments, it was truly remarkable that he survived, and Su Jin couldn't help but exclaim at how difficult it was.
The closer they got to the main hall, the more rapidly Su Jin's heart raced, filled with apprehension and uneasiness.
However, upon entering the room, Su Jin was dumbfounded.
The main hall was empty, apart from two maids wiping tables and arranging potted plants.
She was told there would be a room full of elders for tea, warned against sleeping in and keeping them waiting, risking gossip, and repeatedly reminded to obey the rules and understand etiquette. Though she was a bandit, she needed to show the demeanor of an aristocratic lady and not bring about scorn.
Where were the elders?
An entire room full of elders, where were they?
Don't tell her, they weren't expecting Xie Jingchen to survive, so they didn't prepare for a tea ceremony. That must be why Princess Nanzhang sent word for them to come back an hour later.
Cruelly, she feared being late and angering the elders. So, she hastily came to offer tea, only to be met with egg on her face.
That old saying, "one cannot rush a sale," was spot on.
Xingxing stood a little ways off, watching, feeling incensed. It was so humiliating, especially when Madam had said that if the elders didn't accept the tea offered by the young lady, it meant they didn't recognize her as the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen's Mansion!
What about the elders?
A room full of elders?
Xie Jingchen stood with a cold face, his lips curled into a sneer, and Su Jin teased him, "Did you take the wrong road? How could you get lost this early on?"
If Xie Jingchen had been unconscious from coughing up blood, she would still have offered tea.
Xie Jingchen was silent for a moment and then said, "I really did take the wrong road. Thank you for the reminder, my dear."
Su Jin was speechless, thinking, "Seriously?"
If I, who just married into this family, got lost, that would be expected. But you're a native here and you say you've taken the wrong road? Aren't you ashamed?
Su Jin gave up her internal complaints as Xie Jingchen carried her all the way to the ancestral hall of the Duke Zhen Mansion. Looking at the neatly arranged plaques and tablets, Xie Jingchen's lips curled mockingly as he glanced at Su Jin's twitching lips.
"You brought us to the ancestral hall?" she said, with her mouth twitching.
"You're a bandit; do you fear a thief's ship?" he laughed.
"""